Via HardballTalk -

Interesting comments by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman today. According to Jack Curry of YES Network, he said that Pedro Feliciano was “abused” during his time with the Mets.

The amazing part is that Cashman is acting like this is somehow news. Feliciano has led the majors in appearances over the past three seasons and became just the fifth pitcher in baseball history to make 90 or more appearances in a season last year. You’re damn right he was abused.

Feliciano, who was signed to a two-year, $8 million contract with a club option for 2013 this winter, is currently on the disabled list with a left rotator cuff strain.

We’ll have to assume the Yankees were aware of the risk involved, but Cashman said he signed Feliciano anyway because there was a limited market for left-handed relievers this winter. It must be nice to have the ability to recklessly throw money at left-handed specialists.

…[Cashman] said that Pedro Feliciano was “abused” during his time with the Mets…
…Cashman said he signed Feliciano anyway because there was a limited market for left-handed relievers this winter…

That’s like saying that you went ahead and stuck your tallywacker into a rancid vajayjay dripping with gonorrhea because the market on potential sexual congress partners was limited to a choice between that, Rosie O’Donnell, and a black locust tree with a fortuitously placed natural cavity.

And, that, ladies and germs, is why Brian Cashman is the best G.M. in big league baseball. Not.

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Via WFAN -

If you were watching the Yankees’ home opener Thursday afternoon, you probably noticed a commercial on YES urging fans to “be heard” in the network’s ongoing contract battle with DirecTV.

An updated video posted to the YES website ominously states, “Attention DirecTV subscribers: The YES Network’s current agreement with DirecTV expires tonight. Starting tomorrow you may lose your entire season of Yankees baseball on YES.

“We’ve been working diligently towards new deal but despite our continued negotiations, DirecTV may cease to carry the YES network. We’re doing everything we can to resolve this situation and ensure a full season of Yankees baseball on YES.”

As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, the TV home of the Yankees and Nets will be without an agreement with DirectTV. Whether YES will actually be pulled off the air is unclear.

“DIRECTV plans to keep the channel up while we conclude these negotiations,” said the satellite provider in a statement. “However, if the channel should go dark for any reason, make no mistake that it was solely the decision of YES Network to take the channel away from DIRECTV customers.”

Remember the YES and Cablevision 16-month dispute? Will this one top that? Sad, if it does…

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Via Jon Heyman -

The smart money says [CC Sabathia] opts out but re-signs with the Yankees. “He’s definitely opting out,” one competing GM said. In reality, there is no reason not to. Assuming Sabathia has his usual year, it would be unwise business not to turn the four years and $92 million that would remain into something at least a little longer. The Yankees were willing to give Sabathia’s good friend Cliff Lee at least $148 million over seven years at age 31, so figure Sabathia might be able to add three years onto his deal, especially if he stays off the Cap’n Crunch.

I wonder what other team, besides the Yankees, can pay Sabathia what he’s looking for? I could see the Angels being a player here. Could Boston get involved? How about the Cubs or Tigers? I can’t see the Phillies adding more payroll. Would the Rangers? Bottom line, all CC needs is one team other than the Yankees to cash in. The bigger question may be if the Yankees let him walk or not.

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Via Reuters -

As the Major League Baseball season hits full swing this weekend, a Massachusetts professor predicts the Boston Red Sox will easily outflank divisional rival the New York Yankees in 2011.

Dimitris Bertsimas of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used quantitative models based on player analytics to predict the Red Sox will win 101 games this season, eight more than the Yankees.

New York won 95 games last season to finish second in the American League East and Boston was third with 89 wins.

“A player is a vector of numbers and from that, we can forecast overall team statistics,” said Bertsimas, co-director of MIT’s Operations Research Center and admitted Red Sox fan.

In a new paper “The Analytics Edge in Baseball,” Bertsimas and doctoral student Allison O’Hair developed three models to determine the outcome of teams’ 162-game seasons.

The Tampa Bay Rays, last year’s AL East champs, are forecast to have another great year with 100 wins. Divisional also-rans are forecast to be the Baltimore Orioles with 83 wins and the Toronto Blue Jays, with 80.

Bertsimas and O’Hair have not run the numbers on any of the league’s other divisions.

The models take in a variety of factors, including the number of runs a given team scores, to a particular player’s on-base and slugging percentage.

Some of the elements were based on Michael Lewis’ 2003 best-selling book “Moneyball,” about how Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane used quantitative methods to create a winning team on a shoestring budget.

The data was calibrated based on last year’s statistics as well as this year’s spring training.

A 101-game winning season is relatively rare. “In Las Vegas, the odds are for the Sox to win 95 games, so we have a pretty good benchmark,” Bertsimas said.

Wow. That’s pretty close to my all A.L. East teams over .500 thought the other day…

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