This is not a pretty picture. First, via Baseball-Reference.com -

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Next, via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:

RCAA                          YEAR    RCAA      OWP      PA
1    Enos Slaughter           1958        8     .661      160
2    Enos Slaughter           1957        4     .558      256
3    Johnny Mize              1953        2     .570      118
4    Deacon McGuire           1906        1     .530      159
T5   Lou Piniella             1984        0     .480       93
T5   Paul Waner               1944        0     .474        9
T5   Deacon McGuire           1907        0     .000        1
T5   Enos Slaughter           1956        0     .497       89
9    Johnny Cooney            1944       -1     .000        9
10   Bert Campaneris          1983       -2     .432      155
11   Enos Slaughter           1959       -3     .368      114
12   Jose Cruz                1988       -5     .202       88
13   Deacon McGuire           1905       -7     .374      254
14   Deacon McGuire           1904      -18     .282      357

Basically, the Yankees have never had a player age 40 (or older) who has played a big part in their starting line-up.

Something to think about in 2014 when Derek Jeter is 40-years old and being paid more than $20 million that season by the Yankees. And, for sure, it’s something to think about in 2016 when Alex Rodriguez is 40-years old (going on 41) making $20 million, and, again in 2017 when A-Rod will be age 42 at season end pulling down another $20 million.

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New York’s prospect pipeline just may be the worst in the A.L. East at this point in time.

Taking a look at The Baseball Prospect Book 2010 by John Sickels, I did a quick count for all the teams in the A.L. East in terms of their current legit prospects. And, here’s a summary of that eyeball audit:

			NYY	BOS	TB	BAL	TOR
Top 50 Batters		1	3	1	1	1
Top 50 Pitchers		0	2	4	4	2
Grade C+ or Above  	16	22	20	14	16
Grade B- or Above  	6	10	10	8	6
Grade A- or Above  	1	0	3	1	0

For those not aware of Sickels rating system, “Grade A” prospects are the ones with a great chance to become stars, “Grade B” prospects have a chance to have successful big league careers, and “Grade C” prospects are the most common type of prospect – they may make it, or, not make it at all. And, John Sickels has been in the prospect analysis business for the last 15 years.

So, the Yankees, here rank:

• Tied for last in the Top 50 Batters list.
• Dead last in the Top 50 Pitchers list.
• Tied for next to last in the Grade C+ or Above list – and just missed being tied for last by two.
• Tied for last in the Grade B- or Above list.
• Tied for next to last in the Grade A- or Above list.

This is interesting. And, it makes me think back to April 2007 when Buster Olney wrote:

When the Yankees floundered early in 2005, GM Brian Cashman decided to shove aside the bloated spending habits of the franchise.

Cashman negotiated a contract extension, with written authority from George Steinbrenner to gain complete control over baseball operations and rebuild the farm system.

So, if Brian Cashman has been rebuilding the Yankees farm system for the last four years, where are all those highly viewed propects and why does everyone else in the A.L. East have more prospects than the Yankees? Or, are these claims that “Cashman decided to shove aside the bloated spending habits of the franchise” and “rebuild the farm system” just empty campaign promises from Cashman during the last time his contract was up?

It really seems, according to these tallies, that Boston and Tampa Bay are leaving New York in the prospect identification dust here, no? Now, this could be because former Red Sox scouting director Jason McLeod and current Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison have been better at their job than the Yankees Damon Oppenheimer is at his? But, if true, isn’t that Cashman’s charge to recognize that and get someone else in place who can keep up with the Yankees current two big rivals in the A.L. East?

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If he does, it will be a feat that baseball has not seen in a very long time.

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Just read this from Erik Boland of Newsday via the Boston Herald -

Brian Cashman rarely gives off a vibe of contentment, but he said, at least on paper, he’s pleased with how the Yankees’ offseason has played out.

“I’m happy with how things went this winter,” the Yankees’ general manager said Tuesday.

This offseason, with Cashman consistently saying he would bring this year’s payroll under last year’s $201 million, the Yankees steered mostly clear of a weak free agent class, making their big scores — with even those not financially draining — on the trade market.

“Every winter’s different because the choices in front of you are different,” Cashman said. “The previous year’s was a tremendous free agent market; we felt this year’s wasn’t a great market. Obviously the difference this year was what market we focused on. We think the available talent dictated that.”

Cashman said the Yankees didn’t start the offseason with [Curtis Granderson and Javy Vazquez] necessarily in their sights, but when the Tigers and Braves made it known Granderson and Vazquez could be had, the Yankees pounced.

“When we started the process, Curtis Granderson wasn’t on the trading block,” Cashman said. “When he (became available) we became aggressive.”

While the Yankees can never be ruled out from making further moves, they appear to be done as pitchers and catchers prepare to report Feb. 17.

“We had a budget and we operated within that budget and executed our plan,” Cashman said. “We’re very satisfied with the team we’re taking to Spring Training.”

Of course, if Curtis Granderson and Javier Vazquez turn into the second coming of Ruppert Jones and Doyle Alexander (’82) in Yankeeland, we’ll have to revisit this proclamation from Cashman.

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An interesting point, as usual, from Tyler Kepner -

In a marketing agreement hatched as part of his contract, [Alex] Rodriguez will earn a $6 million bonus for each of five home run milestones: 660, 714, 755 and tying and breaking Barry Bonds’s record, 762. Jeter will presumably reach 3,000 hits in 2011, with a chance at 4,000 and, perhaps, at Pete Rose’s career record of 4,256. Will he ask for a similar marketing arrangement?

There’s no question, in my mind, that Jeter should ask for this too. Why not?

If I’m Jeter’s agent, I’m asking for a $6 million bonus for each of these five hit milestones: 3,000; 3,772 (most hits by a RH batter, all-time), 4,000 (being only the 3rd to reach it); 4,190 (most hits all-time in the A.L.); and 4,257 (the all-time mark).

And, the Yankees would be foolish not to give it to him – especially considering how hard the last three marks would be to reach.

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The terrible news via George King –

A very familiar face and important cog in the Yankees’ universe won’t greet the players in Tampa this week when spring training camp opens. The Post has learned that legendary athletic trainer Gene Monahan will miss his first spring training in 48 years due to what a person with knowledge of the situation termed a “significant illness that possibly could sideline him for the beginning of the regular season.”

Monahan has taken a medical leave of absence and is in the New York area undergoing treatments that are expected to last for the next couple of weeks.

The Yankees had no comment on the situation.

Monahan, whose age isn’t listed in the Yankees’ media guide but is in his 60s, is the longest-tenured head athletic trainer in the major leagues.

Assistant trainer Steve Donohue will fill in for Monahan. The Yankees haven’t decided who will assist Donohue while Monahan is out.

This makes me incredibly sad. Monahan is as much a Yankee as any who has ever worn the uniform or worked for the team. And, he’s a legend among baseball athletic trainers. I hope that he’s doing better soon and is able to return to work when he feels it’s the proper time.

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Brett Gardner is arguably one of the fastest players in baseball today, so its sort of weird that he does not capitalize on his speed with more sacrifice hits. To put things in perspective, Gardner led the majors with a 9.2 Speed Score in 2009 and only recorded six successful sacrifice bunts. Meanwhile, Adam Everett posted a Speed Score of 3.9 and had more than twice as many sacrifice bunts as Gardner with 15. Gardner has apparently struggled with the thought and the technique of bunting, but that may change in 2010:

Brett Gardner hits during the winter at the Charleston Baseball Acadamy, about 10 minutes from his South Carolina home, tweaking his swing and keeping sharp. This offseason, Gardner spent a lot of time working on his bunting skills, too, and he’d like to develop that into a weapon this year.

“That’s the good thing about hitting off a (pitching) machine,” Gardner said yesterday, after his first precamp workout at the Yankees’ minor-league complex. “You can bunt 50 or 100 balls in 15 or 20 minutes. No time. I’ve been bunting a lot, working on that more and trying to bring that back into my game.

“Now it’s just a matter of being comfortable enough with it not to be scared to do it in a game and have confidence that I’m going to put it where I want it. Not only can it be a tool to get on base, but it keeps defenses honest and can bring the corners in and maybe I can shoot some balls by them.” (source)

I suppose this could be considered a non-story, but I happen to think Brett Gardner could be an important part of the offense next season. If he learns to implement the bunt with a higher success rate, he will have more opportunities to wreak havoc with his base running. He’ll also help advance batters like Robinson Cano (.352 OBP in 2009) and Nick Swisher (.371 OBP in 2009) or get on base ahead of Derek Jeter. I’m a little concerned that Gardner has struggled with something like this, but I’m glad he’s putting the work in to improve an aspect of his game that will make him an even better player.

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If you were to ask me “What should the Yankees batting order be this season?” I would offer the following:

1. Derek Jeter
2. Nick Johnson
3. Mark Teixeira
4. Alex Rodriguez
5. Robinson Cano
6. Jorge Posada
7. Curtis Granderson vs. RH SP, Nick Swisher vs. LH SP
8. Nick Swisher vs. RH SP, Curtis Granderson vs. LH SP
9. Whomever plays LF

And, in games where Jorge Posada gets the day off, I would slide up the 7th and 8th batters and insert the catcher that day into the 8th slot.

However, playing around with Baseball Musings Lineup Analysis Tool and using my projections for Yankees batters, perhaps there’s another batting order that the Yankees should consider this year, such as the one below?

1. Nick Johnson
2. Alex Rodriguez
3. Jorge Posada
4. Mark Teixeira
5. Curtis Granderson
6. Nick Swisher
7. Derek Jeter
8. Robinson Cano
9. Whomever plays LF

Crazy one, huh? Can you imagine the reaction to a Joe Girardi line-up card with Derek Jeter sitting 7th in the starting batting order?

Bottom line, Girardi could pick his line-up order out of a hat before each game and this unit should still score at least 5 runs per game on average. And, the key to the Yankees success this season will be the ability of their pitchers to keep the other team to 4 runs or less per game on average.

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Via George King -

Do the Yankees have their sights on Derek Jeter’s eventual replacement, who also could be a future center fielder who nudges Curtis Granderson to left?

According to the multiple members of the international scouting community, the world champions will be serious bidders on Cuban defector Adeinis Hechavarria when the Office of Foreign Assets Committee (OFAC) allows him to sign with MLB clubs.

MLB sent a letter to teams on Jan. 22 telling them Hechavarria and other Cuban defectors have not been “unblocked” by OFAC. OFAC has to verify his age, identity and residency — in this case, Mexico. It is believed OFAC might have everything done next week.

“The Yankees have been on him for a while,” said a scout who saw the 21-year-old shortstop work out recently in the Dominican Republic. “Two weeks ago, about 50 scouts watched him work out and the Yankees were there. They also have seen him in smaller workouts.”

Because the Red Sox gave 19-year old shortstop Jose Iglesias $8 million, industry sources expect the right-handed-hitting Hechavarria to command a $7 to $8 million signing bonus.

“Maybe more because his bat is better than Iglesias’,” a scout said.

Hechavarria, who defected in Mexico last year, played short for the Cuban Junior National team two years ago.

“There has been a lot of interest,” said agent, Bart Hernandez, without mentioning teams. “He is a legitimate player with a chance to be a real good one.”

Though the Yankees view the 6-foot, 170-pounder strictly as a shortstop, others believe he could travel the same path the Rays’ B.J. Upton took: shortstop to impact center fielder.

“He is a very good athlete and runs real well,” the scout said. “I don’t see him as a shortstop, I think he has a chance to be a center fielder in the mold of B.J. Upton. His throwing actions at short are kind of long.”

This is interesting. Will Adeinis Hechavarria be more like Yunel Escobar or Yuniesky Betancourt down the line? If the former, then, great. If the latter…well…not so great. Also, is this another knee-jerk reaction signing by the Yankees, if it happens? You know…like when New York bought Kei Igawa because the Red Sox bought Daisuke Matsusaka. Is this just Cashman & Company trying to one-up the Red Sox for signing Jose Iglesias?

Dunno for sure. And, that’s why it will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

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When it comes to the Yankees line-up this season, there are certain things that you can “bank” on happening, for sure.

Derek Jeter is going to have an On-Base Average between .375 and .400 and play 150 games. Also, both Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez (each) are going to have 30 homers, 100 RBI, and an OPS around .900. Really, just pencil it in for this season, on these three – because it’s a lock to happen.

But, what about the rest of the Yankees offensive attack? How will they do in 2010? Below are my unscientific predictions to address that question.

First, I’m going to throw “left field” out of the picture. It’s going to be some combination of Brett Gardner, Randy Winn, Marcus Thames and Jamie Hoffmann. And, whatever happens there really matters little to the big picture of the Yankees offense this season. More than likely, it’s going to be Winn and Gardner, batting ninth, and just hoping to reach base 35% of the time. (I see Thames making the team, but, basically filling in for Nick Johnson at D.H. against a very tough lefty starter.)

This leaves Nick Johnson (D.H.), Jorge Posada (C), Robinson Cano (2B), Curtis Granderson (CF) and Nick Swisher (RF) to support the Yankees big three of Jeter, Teixeira and A-Rod. And, this is what I see these five doing for New York this season.

Nick Johnson: 120 Games & 400 PA, .280/.400/.450 BA/OBA/SLG, 65 R, 15 HR, 65 RBI
Jorge Posada: 110 Games & 400 PA, .275/.360/.490 BA/OBA/SLG, 55 R, 23 HR, 70 RBI
Robinson Cano: 155 Games & 620 PA, .300/.340/.500 BA/OBA/SLG, 90 R, 20 HR, 85 RBI
Curtis Granderson: 155 Games & 650 PA, .260/.345/.490 BA/OBA/SLG, 90 R, 25 HR, 70 RBI
Nick Swisher: 150 Games & 590 PA, .245/.360/.460 BA/OBA/SLG, 85 R, 25 HR, 80 RBI

Basically, from this group of five, I would expect to see a collective .360 OBA with about 110 homers and 650 runs produced (R+RBI-HR). And, if they do that, and the Yankees bench does a decent job, as a team, the Yankees should score about 850 runs this season.

Now, in 2009, the Yankees scored 915 runs. So, does this mean if the Yankees score 850 runs in 2010 they should expect about 5-6 less wins this season (compared to last year)? Well, that depends on how their pitchers do this season. If they do better than last year, then it could offset the 50 to 70 less runs that New York should score in 2010. But, if they do the same, or worse, on the hill this season…yes…it would not shock me to see the Yankees win no more than 95 games this year. (Don’t get me wrong, 95 wins ain’t exactly chopped liver!)

In any event, what do you think of my projections for Johnson, ‘Sado, Cano, Granderson and Swish? What are your predictions? I promise to look back at mine come October if you’re willing to do the same…deal?

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The thing about being a teacher is that you never lose that “but I don’t want to go to schoooooool” mentality you had when you were 8 and 14 and 17.

The wonderful thing about being a teacher is you get to wear your pajamas inside out the night before a snowstorm and hope it translates into Snow Day (yes, capital S, capital D).  This week, it translated into 2 Snow Days just before my February break.

This means that I suddenly have some extra time on my hands to make a post.  So here we go.

How many runs will the Yankees score in 2010?

In order to make my prediction, I looked at who scored in 2009 and a projected 25-man roster for 2010.  A good chunk of 09 runs came from players not on the Opening Day roster.  I think the same will happen in 2010.

So let’s have a looksie.

NOTES:

1. Rodriguez and 120 runs–I am assuming a bounce back from 2009 considering he missed 6 weeks of the season.  Once he became a regular player in 1996, his median runs scored was 123.5, so I went with 120.  Still, that may be too optimistic if he still has to have regular rest for his hip, but hey, it’s my prediction.
2. Cano and 95 runs–My guess on his run production is based on him maintaining a .352 OBP.  I really don’t know if 2008 or 2009 Cano will show up though.
3. Johnson and 70 runs–I am assuming he will be batting 2nd with Teixeira and Arod behind him as opposed to 5th or 6th where Matsui often hit last year.  I am also assuming Johnson will play at least 135 games.
4. Winn and 25 runs–I’m expecting Winn to play in about 50 games.
5. Cervelli and 28 runs–I think Cervelli will play as much as Molina, Cervelli, and Cash played in 2009, so I gave him all of the back up catcher runs from 2009.
6. Bench minus catcher and 43 runs–Really, it is minus catcher and Winn.  I put Winn by himself because I feel that he matches up with Gardner’s role in 2009 well.  Last season, the bench minus catcher and Gardner scored 73 runs.  I cut out 30 runs because I think a huge chunk of them will go towards Arod’s 120.  For example, Pena, Ransom, and Berroa scored 34 runs last season–most of which in April and May when Rodriguez was on the disabled list.

So here ya go.  My prediction for runs scored in 2010.  I didn’t do too much math.  For the new guys, I just considered career numbers and where they would likely fit in the Yankee lineup.

I don’t know if the Yankees will score 892 runs, but I don’t think it is an out-of-reach number.

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Via George King –

Nick Johnson may have two of the slowest legs in The Bronx this summer, but Kevin Long isn’t interested in the Yankees’ designated hitter’s foot speed.

Instead, the hitting coach is focused on Johnson using the lower half of his body to keep from getting beat on inside pitches.

Long believes even if the left-handed hitting Johnson doesn’t attempt to become a dead-pull hitter — something Johnson says won’t happen intentionally — the jet stream that flows to right field and Yankee Stadium’s short porch will result in Johnson’s home run totals rising.

Johnson went to Arizona last week for a two-day session with Long and the batting cage rat immediately went to work on Johnson’s feet.

“We worked on trying to keep his back foot [left] in place, trying to keep it from flying back,” Long said of Johnson’s approach. “When it moves he collapses the inside right away. That takes away the inside of the plate. We talked about Yankee Stadium and figured we might want to address that.”

“I never used my legs in the past,” the career .273 hitter with a .402 on-base percentage [Johnson] said. “It felt good to work on that.”

Known for a keen eye and the ability to lay off pitches, Johnson and Long also talked about the patient Johnson attacking a bit more.

“Being ready to hit from pitch one and staying more aggressive,” Johnson said of Long’s message.

So, will Johnson be seduced by the short right field porch and the mechanical change in his feet that will allow him to get to inside pitches? In three games at Yankee Stadium last June, Johnson went 1-for-10 and hit three balls to the right side — all grounders.

“You see how the ball flies out of there but I really can’t get locked into pull,” Johnson said. “If I do I get messed up. I try to stay in the middle of the field.”

Maybe the Yankees can bring in Sean Landeta to help Johnson get some more leg into his swing?

Seriously, I’ll say this about Kevin Long…I doubt that he’ll ever get “out-worked” by another coach, that’s for sure.

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Please consider taking the following poll:

Thanks in advance. And, please feel free to add comments on your opinion in the comments section below.

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I blame Kia Motors for this one. But, there’s just something about Muno and friends living it up, with this as a soundtrack, that’s just brillant – it terms of catching your attention.

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Via the AP –

Pitching out of the bullpen, Phil Hughes helped the New York Yankees win the World Series last season. This year, he hopes to make another championship run as the team’s fifth starter.

Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are the front-runners for the final spot in a strong Yankees rotation that includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez.

“I know I’m coming into the spring fighting for a job,” Hughes said after a pre-spring training workout on Thursday. “I’m out of the reliever mindset for right now. Anytime nothing is going to be handed to you, you strive to be a little bit better.”

Hughes started throwing in mid-December and has thrown fastballs off a mound a couple of times this month.

“You want to get as much rest as possible, but at the same time you want to get ready to go,” he said.

Hughes found success last season in a setup role for closer Mariano Rivera, which has helped his confidence heading into the new year.

“I definitely feel at a point where I’ve never been, having the experience of consistently getting big league guys out,” Hughes said. “It helps, and obviously winning the World Series also helps.”

Chamberlain, also working out at the Yankees’ minor league complex, would no longer be on an innings limit this year after spending most of last season in a starting role.

Hughes would have some restrictions, but could benefit from the fact that the other four starters are all capable of throwing 200 innings. New York’s 2004 first-round draft pick hasn’t been told what his innings limit would be, but guessed the total could be around 175-180.

“We’ve got four solid guys,” Hughes said. “During the course of a season there’s plenty of opportunities to skip the fifth spot.”

Here’s the numbers of starts that Hughes has made as a professional, each year since 2004, at all levels combined:

2004: 3 GS
2005: 16 GS
2006: 26 GS
2007: 21 GS
2008: 14 GS
2009: 10 GS

So, it’s been four years since Phil Hughes has made 25+ starts in a season. And, in fact, in his last 5 professional seasons before 2010, he’s averaged 17 starts per season. This all said, what are the odds, if he’s a starter this year, that Hughes makes more then 20 Games Started?

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Via Rosenthal and Morosi –

Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has authorized a two-year, $14 million offer to free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon, according to major-league sources.

Damon also is considering a one-year, $7 million proposal from the Tigers, one source said. His agent, Scott Boras, is seeking a two-year deal.

Tigers officials declined to comment about their talks with Damon when contacted Thursday afternoon.

The Braves also have made an offer to Damon, believed to be in the $4 million to $4.5 million range with significant deferrals.

Boras, however, seemingly has succeeded in reaching out to Ilitch, who previously signed several of the agent’s other high-profile clients, including catcher Ivan Rodriguez, right fielder Magglio Ordonez and pitcher Kenny Rogers.

If Damon agrees to a deal with the Tigers, it will mark the third time in recent years that Boras has coaxed a multi-year offer from Detroit when it appeared that the market had dried up for a star player. Similar scenarios unfolded with Rodriguez in 2004 and Ordonez in 2005.

A two-year, $14 million deal would match what the Yankees dangled to Damon as they were attempting to sign his potential replacement in the No. 2 spot, free-agent first baseman Nick Johnson.

One player agent who is not involved in the talks predicted Thursday that Damon would sign with the first team that offers him a two-year deal.

The Braves are unlikely to go beyond their one-year offer, industry sources said.

Is it just me, or, if Damon gets $14 million for two, is that not the same or better than every non-conceptual offer that he got from the Yankees? Granted, it’s not two for $26 million. But, it’s still better than the Yankees last offer of one year for $6 million. So, does this mean Johnny Damon made the right move?

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Aside from the Marcus Thames signing, it has sort of been a slow week for Yankee-related news. With the roster pretty much set, I thought I’d take this time to look into the magical crystal ball that can only be used to predict future baseball rosters. Curious about the 2015 Yankees? Look no further. Here is the season preview for the 2015 club:

Catcher: Austin Romine. When Jorge Posada retired in 2012, Romine quickly became a fan-favorite after winning a starting job in spring training. He hit .248 in his rookie season, but after working closely with special instructor Bernie Williams, Romine hit .286 the following year. Romine solidified his status as one of the better catchers in the league after hitting .290 with 17 home runs and winning his first Gold Glove award last season.

First Base: Mark Teixeira. The 34 year-old Teixeira has enjoyed a very productive career with the Yankees, averaging 155 games and 39 home runs in the first five years of his contract. He struggled in the second half of the 2014 season, hitting a paltry .258 after the All-Star break. Still, he managed to win his fifth gold glove award and will enter the season as the club’s cleanup hitter.

Second Base: Corban Josehph. Now 26 years-old and in his second major league season, Joseph was given a starting job after Brian Cashman traded Robinson Cano to the Cardinals for outfielder Colby Rasmus in July. The front office has always been a fan of Joseph’s work ethic and pure hitting, so making him the starting second baseman was an easy decision. Joseph hit .272 with three home runs before the trade, but went on to hit .284 in August and September.

Shortstop: Eduardo Nunez. Yankee fans have wondered for years about who would play shortstop after Derek Jeter retired, and now they know. Eduardo Nunez, in his third season with the Yankees will make the jump from bench player to full-time starter this season. The 27 year-old has been one of the club’s best minor league hitters since 2011 with he hit .344 for Triple-A Syracuse. Fans are still murmuring about Jeter’s tearful goodbye speech after the team’s ALCS elimination in Boston, and few will forget the standing ovation given to the future Hall of Famer by the Fenway Fanatics. It will be hard for Nunez to break out of Jeter’s shadow, but thanks to his superb defensive ability, he has the potential to do it.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez. Now 39 years-old, A-Rod is the oldest member of the New York Yankees, but the grizzled veteran has taken both Corban Joseph and Colby Rasmus under his wing and taught them the fundamentals of Yankee life. Still one of the game’s premier hitters, Alex Rodriguez is only 29 homers away from breaking the career home run record set by Barry Bonds in 2007.  Rodriguez posted a .284 batting average and hit 37 home runs in 2014 while helping lead the Yankees to the American League Wild Card.

Left Field: Carl Crawford. The speedy outfielder will enter his fifth season with the Yankees and there is no sign of him slowing down. After hitting .305 in 2012 and .314 in 2013, Crawford had a career year in 2014, posting a .341 AVG with 21 home runs and 78 stolen bases. He’s entering the final two years of his contract, but he will most likely be one of the more productive outfielders in 2015.

Center Field: Colby Rasmus. The 28 year-old center fielder was acquired by the Yankees for infielder Robinson Cano at the trade deadline last season and hit a two-run home run in his very first at-bat with the Bombers. He proceeded to struggle down the stretch, hitting .216 in August and September, but his defense was definitely an upgrade over the 36 year-old Aaron Rowand. Rasmus dealt well with the fan backlash, especially after lectures from Alex Rodriguez. Rasmus has reportedly spent the off-season revamping his swing, so he may be primed for a big year.

Right Field: Curtis Granderson. Entering his sixth season with the Yankees, Granderson has become one of the more popular players of the decade. Although his average dipped to .241 last season, Granderson smacked 34 home runs and stole 21 stolen bases for the Yankees. A favorite of the Bleacher Creatures, Granderson will need a big offensive season if he wants to get resigned by the Yankees.

Designated Hitter: Jesus Montero. The league’s best young designated hitter will enter his third full season with the Yankees. Montero won Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 and has yet to record a batting average under .290 in the majors. He’ll enter the season as the club’s best hitter after hitting .340 with 44 home runs.

The Bench: Brandon Inge will enter his second season as the Yankees backup catcher and third baseman. He will be joined by utility infielder Kevin Russo and pinch-runner extraordinaire Brett Gardner, now in his eighth season with the Yankees. Infielder Omar Infante and outfielder Ryan Langerhans will also compete for bench roles in spring training.

The Rotation: The 34 year-old CC Sabathia will anchor the rotation again this season after winning 19 games for the third straight year. Joba Chamberlain will help form the best 1-2 punch in the game after winning 17 games and posting a 2.93 ERA last year. Cole Hamels, entering his second season with the Yankees, will look to improve upon his 12-10 record and 4.52 ERA. Andrew Brackman will enter his second season in the Yankee rotation. Brackman, 29, posted an 11-8 record and 3.90 ERA in 189 innings last season. Newcomer Brandon Webb will round out the bottom of the rotation. Webb, who spent 2014 with the Mariners, went 9-12 with a 4.08 ERA in 202 innings.

The Bullpen: Dellin Betances supplanted Mark Melancon as the Yankee closer last season after recording 23 saves and posting a 2.41 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 46 innings. Melancon continued to struggle in the setup role, but pitched extremely well in the final two weeks of the season, allowing only three runs in his final 17 innings. Jeremy Bleich will resume his role as the situational lefty, while Ivan Nova, David Robertson and Ricky Nolasco will look to continue their success as middle inning relievers.The 38 year-old Tedd Lilly will try to make the club out of spring training as a long reliever.

The Coaching Staff: John Russell will enter his second season as the Yankee manager and will hope to build off his 2014 success. Although getting eliminated in the ALCS was disappointing, Hal Steinbrenner told reporters that he has plenty of faith in Russell’s potential. John Flaherty will also enter his second season as the team’s bench coach. Pitching Coach Dave Eiland and Hitting Coach Kevin Long will both remain as the longest tenured members of the coaching staff.  Newcomers Tanyon Sturtze (Bullpen Coach), Cody Ransom (Third Base Coach) and Brian Giles (First Base Coach) will enter their first season as members of the Yankee coaching staff. Bernie Williams and Jason Giambi will likely serve as special instructors again in spring training.

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From David Newhan’s dad, in the L.A. Times, back on March 13, 1994:

Stupid?

Greedy?

The victim of an agent’s staggering miscalculation?

Jody Reed bristles at each of these characterizations, but he is doomed to ridicule, if not regret.

“People are ripping on me because I’m only going to make a million dollars this year,” said the former Dodger second baseman, now with the Milwaukee Brewers.

“A million dollars. Since when is that nothing? What’s going on here?”

What’s going on is that Reed rejected a three-year, $7.8-million offer to remain with the Dodgers and was without alternatives when he accepted employment with the Brewers at a bargain-basement salary.

The six-year veteran is guaranteed $350,000, the salary of some second- and third-year players.

He might make $1 million, but only if he has enough plate appearances.

And there is no guarantee beyond 1994.

“I made a career choice that I have to live with,” Reed said. “I’m happy with the way things turned out. I don’t understand why everyone else is unhappy about it.”

Everyone else is incredulous.

At $7.8 million for three years, Reed would have made $2.6 million in ’92.

At $7.8 million for three years, Reed, 31, wouldn’t have had to worry about another contract.

Reed has earned $4.95 million in the last three years, but he has responded to the events of last winter by repositioning–not firing, he insists–longtime friend and agent J.D. Dowell in other areas of his business affairs. He has hired respected Baltimore agent Ron Shapiro to handle future contract talks, providing there are any.

“I can see the importance of some experience in that field,” Reed said, suggesting that he might have paid a severe price for Dowell’s lack of it, although he added:

“This wasn’t a case of bad advice. I was told all the possibilities and probabilities and it was my decision. If there is any blame to be given, it should go to me. My guy did his job. I elected to take the path I took.”

Stupid? Greedy? The victim of an agent’s staggering miscalculation?

Sounds like what everyone is saying about Johnny Damon these days, no?

By the way, what happened to Jody Reed? He’s currently the Yankees minor league infield coordinator. Small world, huh?

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Neil Paine has all the details.

Who says there’s no such thing as free Baseball Guides?

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Via the Naples Daily News -

Former Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan will be honored March 30 at Hammond Stadium and inducted into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame.

Ryan, who currently serves as a senior adviser to Twins GM Bill Smith, presided over four division winning seasons during his tenure, 1994-2007.

Four others will be inducted: Dave Yoakum (Chicago White Sox), Jax Robertson (Pittsburgh Pirates), Bob Miske (New York Yankees) and Ken Stauffer (Tampa Bay Rays).

More on Miske when he was chosen for the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame -

In 1964, Miske set out on two career paths – one as a baseball scout and another as a basketball referee. The national pastime took him to Los Angeles, where he served as a scout in the Dodger organization for nearly 30 years. In an organization that prides itself on consistency and professionalism, Miske toiled behind the scenes in helping produce the players that kept the Dodgers near the top for years. Bob’s memories of his Dodger days are fond, as they include not only two World Series rings (1981 and 1988) and three National League Championship rings (1974, 1977, and 1978), but the comfort and security (and often perks) of working for a class organization. His next employer, the New York Yankees, while offering a contrast in style, provided the opportunity for an additional World Series ring in 1998. Bob’s advance scouting of the New York Mets proved invaluable to the Yanks five-game triumph in 2000. The culmination of Miske’s scouting career was his induction into the Mid-Atlantic Scouts Hall of Fame at Camden Yards, and the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1986, current Yankees G.M. Brian Cashman worked as an intern in the Yankees’ Scouting Department. However, it’s not certain as to when Cashman will be considered for the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame – like former Twins G.M. Terry Ryan who earned that honored this year.

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Ignoring my own advice, I’ve been watching Human Target from the launch of the series.

At first, I was impressed with it’s use of special effects (the train, the plane, the bike chase from the embassy), location filming (the monastery), and fight choreography (in every episode). And, of course, Jackie Earle Haley usually does a good job in a supporting role. But, I was also feeling my way through the series in its first few weeks as they developed the characters and back story, etc.

That was until last night – when I saw “Run.” (Nice William B. Davis spotting in this one too.) This episode was great – and the series has now fully arrived.

If you haven’t checked out the show yet, you might want to consider it. It’s a lot of fun.

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The 100th day of the school year is coming up for my kids’ elementary school. And, in my son’s kindergarten class, they make a big deal out of it. Part of that exercise is that he has to bring in “100″ of something in a brown bag and give the class clues to see if they can guess what’s in it. Well, that, and he has to use the prop to show that he can count to one hundred by ones, by tens, etc.

I suggested to him that he should bring in 100 baseball cards and he immediately thought it was a good idea. So, the other night, I stopped off at the store and got him three Topps Jumbo Packs – I think that’s what they were called? – with 36 cards in each pack. (Hey, we even got a Derek Jeter card!) And, after we carved out the hundred that he needed for school, that left us with 5 extra cards. (One packs only had 33 cards in it since it included a “relic” card – or something like that. Because of this, we didn’t actually get 108 cards in total.)

We were all home today – because of the blizzard. So, at one point, I took a five minute break from work and taught the kids – my son and daughter, who is in the 2nd grade – how to play “flip” with baseball cards. Since we only had the five cards, I split them up – giving one three cards and the other two – and let them play a quick game until we had a winner. Once done, we took the cards, split them again, and played another round.

They were really getting into it. And, once his school project is over, and he gets to bring home his “100″ cards, I’m hoping we can play it again – with more cards.

This is not the first time I’ve bought them baseball cards. But, in the past, the cards haven’t held much lasting value to them…no more than, say, a sticker that they got from the dentist for having a good check-up. So, maybe…just perhaps…thanks to some blizzard induced captivity and residual boredom, and the “100th day of school” bringing cause for some new baseball cards to be in the house…today’s the day my kids got to understand and appreciate what “Dad” used to do with baseball cards “back in the day” (when he was a kid)?

Of course, this will serve them little – as I doubt kids today play flip with baseball cards. But, hey…at least for a while…it’s something we can do together, with a baseball tie-in, and, that’s always a good thing.

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Dunno about you, but, many in the heart of Yankeeland wish they were today…

Yup, I’m just about 100% done with winter. Spring, com’on down!

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Via Joel Sherman -

After all, it was not just statisticians working at Web sites who felt [Derek] Jeter’s defense had atrophied to an unacceptable level. While no member of the Yankees family broke a pinstripe commandment — thou shalt not publicly criticize Jeter — it was not much of a secret that his defense was a concern from the executive offices to the clubhouse.

Even his most loyal supporters — and Torre was as loyal to Jeter as anyone — recognized a position change might be necessary. There had been some sentiment to make Jeter the successor to Bernie Williams in center before Johnny Damon came aboard in 2006. And by the time the 2007 season ended, the issue could not be ignored any more.

So Cashman took Jeter to dinner in Manhattan and told the Yankees captain that his side-to-side actions must improve. Jeter has an outsized athletic arrogance. He believes in himself completely, which allows him to deftly block out criticism and negativity. This trait enables him to thrive in the cauldron, but also prevents him from seeing personal shortcomings the way others perceive them. Still, to his credit, he agreed to try a new way.

With the Yankees paying the bills, Jeter enlisted Jason Riley, the director of performance at the Athletes Compound in Tampa. Riley formulated a plan to increase Jeter’s first-step quickness, particularly in fielding grounders to his left. Power lifting was diminished, agility — especially in the hips — was emphasized, weight was lost. The results came slowly at first in 2008 and in a wave last year when Jeter had one of his finest defensive seasons.

“The player Derek is, he took to it and said, ‘Watch, I will prove you wrong,’ ” Cashman said.

I wonder if this means that Jason Riley got a World Series ring last year too?

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Via Anthony McCarron –

The training wheels are officially off Joba Chamberlain, the “Joba Rules” just a slogan rather than a strict plan to limit the Yankee pitcher’s innings. But the absence of those guidelines does not mean that Chamberlain is a cinch to be the Yanks’ fifth starter this season.

The Yankees will round out their rotation after a spring competition, according to their pitching coach, Dave Eiland.

“For me to say who’s the clear favorite – right now I can’t do that,” Eiland said Tuesday. “Time will tell. We have interesting guys, and this is going to be fun to watch. Competition brings out the best in guys, and we’ll see who pulls ahead of the pack.”

Chamberlain and Phil Hughes are the headliners in the competition, which begins in earnest when pitchers and catchers have their first workout a week from Thursday. But Eiland also stressed that Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre give the Yankees choices. Both Chamberlain and Hughes have been effective as relievers and both were in the bullpen during the Yanks’ run to last year’s World Series title.

The Yankees have long viewed Hughes the same way they do Chamberlain – as a potential impact starter – but Hughes was a revelation out of the bullpen last year. He was 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA and struck out 65 in 51-1/3 innings, and batters hit only .172 against him as a reliever. As a starter, he was 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA, batters hit 104 points higher against him and he fanned 31 in 34-2/3 innings.

But the Yankees would face another “Joba Rules” situation if Hughes wins the job – he threw only 86 innings during the regular season. Eiland said there would be “some” restrictions on Hughes’ innings “but to say he’d be at the extreme of Joba would be a stretch.

“We have a plan and a number in place, but it probably won’t get the publicity it did with Joba because he’s not Joba.”

Back to Joba, I wonder…did Johnny Kucks have to fight in Spring Training to retain his starting job in 1957?

To me, it seems like the Yankees are sending a clear message to Chamberlain: You’re going to have to work, and work hard, for you to get what you want. And, perhaps that speaks volumes as to what the team thinks about his attitude last year?

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Just don’t let Jim Levenstein’s dad catch you poking this one.

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Via Ben Goessling -

You might want to hold onto those pitching staff projections just a little longer. According to a source familiar with the situation, the Nationals are one of the teams that’s “way ahead of the pack” in pursuit of free-agent pitcher Chien-Ming Wang.

The 29-year-old Taiwanese pitcher, who won 19 games for the Yankees in both 2006 and 2007 but made just 24 starts in 2008-09 because of a variety of injuries, is ahead of schedule in his return from shoulder surgery. He is throwing without pain will be able to throw off a mound in a week to 10 days, which could be the final sign for interested teams the right-hander is healthy.

But according to the source, the Nationals have already made an aggressive effort to evaluate the pitcher.

“If you know (general manager) Mike Rizzo at all, you know they’re ahead of the pack,” the source said. “If there was a checklist of 20 things teams are doing, the Nationals are way ahead in their study.”

The source could not say if the Nationals had made an offer to Wang, but made it clear they’re in serious competition for his services.

Well, Nationals Park is somewhat neutral – so, there are worse places to pitch. And, maybe Wanger likes the idea of pitching with his last initial on his cap?

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Come and join the party?

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Via mlb.com -

As much as his million-dollar smile and his impressive combination of speed and power, new Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson is known for his active involvement in the community.

So it was no surprise when Commissioner Bud Selig said he “can think of no better MLB representative” to have been at the White House on Tuesday morning.

The reason for his latest visit to Washington, D.C.: Granderson joined first lady Michelle Obama to support the new White House Anti-Obesity Program, yet another venture that has Granderson’s full support.

The 28-year-old, a native of Illinois, was the son of a physical-education teacher, so the idea of getting kids active is especially important to Granderson.

“The things that I did were just second nature, going outside and riding my bike,” Granderson said in an interview with MLB.com. “I didn’t realize they were paying dividends at the age of 5, 6, 7 years old. But now that I look back, I’m glad that I did it. I’m able to be in the physical shape that I am today because of those little things that I did. All of it was because of having fun and being a little kid.”

It’s a great cause. Good for Granderson to lend his name towards it.

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Via George King -

When Brian Cashman looks at Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joe Girardi, the Yankees’ GM paints his shortstop, closer and manager with the same brush.

And with spring training opening next week in Tampa, Cashman has no plans to stray from his plan of not negotiating with them. All three contracts are in the final year.

“I don’t think you can separate one from the other,” Cashman explained. “I am not saying they are the same, but the questions will come, ‘If you did one, why didn’t you do the other?’ If this was Kansas City, it would be different — but it’s not.”

Remember, Joe Torre wanted a two-year deal in order to keep the media off the players about his job status. When he didn’t get it, Torre turned down a one-year offer following the 2007 season. Girardi was hired for three years and $7.5 million.

“It doesn’t make any difference,” Cashman said. “[The media] brought his job [security] up when he had two years left on the contract in [2008]. It doesn’t matter. You can have a contract for 10 years and it doesn’t matter.”

According to Fernando Cuza, Rivera’s agent, his client hasn’t pushed him to talk to the Yankees about an extension. Casey Close, Jeter’s representative, didn’t return a call. However, it’s not like Jeter to push the issue.

“Everybody signed those contracts and there is a lot of money being made and people are comfortable,” said Cashman, who is signed through 2011 and never lobbied for an extension when he was in the final year of a deal.

Something tells me that we’ll be hearing about Jeter’s contractual status a lot this season…and the Yankees are fooling themselves if they think they can just table this until the end of the year and not have to answer questions about it.

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