Via SB Nation -

Well, the Los Angeles Angels are shaking up their roster. The Angels announced after Friday’s loss that they have released outfielder/designated hitter Bobby Abreu, and are replacing him with uber-prospect Mike Trout.

Since 1901, only 50 batters have been on base more times than Abreu:

.

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Via Mark Feinsand -

Source tells the Daily News that along with Jesus Montero, the Yankees will add Brandon Laird, Chris Dickerson & Scott Proctor to roster.

News like this must make Shawn Chacon wish he didn’t throw out his spikes and glove…

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Jesus Montero will be called up tomorrow.

I feel like it’s August 23, 1989, all over again.  Let the sunshine in…

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Via the Washington Post -

The New York Yankees made a move to beef up their bullpen on Friday, claiming left-hander Aaron Laffey off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

The move helps address a balance issue, with Laffey joining Boone Logan as the only two lefties in the bullpen.

“He’s a guy that can give you some multiple innings, but he’s another left-hander for us,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s why we went and got him.”

Laffey went 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 42 2-3 innings for the Mariners this season. Girardi said Laffey can be used as a situational guy or a long reliever, but that Logan will remain the primary lefty late in games.

To make room for Laffey, the Yankees placed right-hander Freddy Garcia (finger) on the disabled list and designated catcher Gustavo Molina for assignment.

Garcia threw a bullpen session Sunday and said he felt good. But Girardi said the move is a precaution because Garcia has not pitched in two weeks.

“I don’t think Freddy really wanted to go on (the DL),” Girardi said. “I think Freddy wanted to pitch Sunday but we just thought it was the safer route.

Don’t get it? This guy is so-so, average, against lefties and right-handed batters have their way with him. So, how does he help?

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Via George King -

The Yankees may still need pitching — especially as far as a left-handed reliever is concerned — but they won’t feel utterly compelled to go find another bat before the trading deadline.

Not when they expect to have Alex Rodriguez back by the second week of August following the possible activation of Eric Chavez as soon as today.

Rodriguez, who underwent right knee surgery just over two weeks, is right on schedule for a return that originally was pegged at 4-6 weeks. Rodriguez is showing all signs of making the sooner rather than later return.

“I’ve had some communication on what he does. He sends me usually what he does every day. He’s feeling pretty good. He’s moving along,” manager Joe Girardi said last night. “I can’t tell you when we’ll see him. I don’t have that date. I think our doctors are discussing . . . when we might see him but he’s progressing fine. He’s on schedule.”

General manager Brian Cashman told ESPN Sunday night that he was eying “maybe the second week of August . . . That’s just us being conservative. I think we can push it and get him back sooner, but why? Our offense is strong.”

That scenario would put Rodriguez, who had surgery July 11 in Miami, where he is doing his rehab, back at 5 weeks, right in the middle of the original timeframe.

“He’s been in the pool. I think he’s done some jogging in the pool. He’s done some elliptical work, those types of things. So far everything has been on the up and up,” Girardi said, claiming the five-week span is realistic “because everything went good, the way we expected.”

But as the GM said, there is no need to hasten the return, especially with Chavez expected back. A terrific defensive third baseman, Chavez also represents a “potent left-handed bat” for Girardi, one that would enable him to use Rodriguez as a designated hitter for as long as necessary.

Eric and Alex are one heckuva upgrade over Brandon Laird and Chris Dickerson, that’s for sure.

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Did the Yankees pick-up Marcus Thames because they plan to have him be their right-handed batting DH? Then again, what does that say about Andruw Jones?

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Some timing, huh!

Well, if you have to spend a month on the D.L., it’s better for your pocket to do it on the big league one rather than the bush league one.

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Via ESPN -

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has elected to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a slight meniscus tear in his right knee, a team spokesman confirmed Sunday.

He is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Rodriguez met with Dr. Lee Kaplan in Miami on Sunday, and Kaplan recommended that Rodriguez go under the knife. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Kaplan at the University of Miami on Monday.

An MRI on Friday first revealed the tear.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on Sunday that, if Rodriguez opted for surgery, undergoing the procedure now would be ideal given the Yankees will have four days off during the All-Star break.

“There’s no doubt we’re going to miss him, but we need to find a way. As I’ve said several times already this year, some people are going to have to step up,” Girardi said. “Up to this point, this team has. We certainly look forward to getting a healthy Alex back into our lineup, because we know what he adds to this team.”

If he hadn’t opted for surgery, Rodriguez could have tried to play through it and have the procedure in the offseason.

But Girardi expressed concern that Rodriguez would be forced to play eight consecutive games on turf after the All-Star break if he decided to forgo surgery. The Yankees open the second half with a four-game series in Toronto and then head to Tampa Bay for a four-game set.

Rodriguez originally suffered the injury on June 19 in Chicago. He thought about scoring on a passed ball, but ultimately decided against it. And in the process of turning back toward third base, Rodriguez tweaked his knee.

“It’s hard to get into missing 20, 30, 40 games when you don’t know, but at the same time you don’t want to limp toward the finish line,” Rodriguez said after not playing in the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Rays on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. “The most important games are played at the end.”

So, this will be the 4th year in a row, since he opted out and then resigned, where A-Rod has failed to play in 140 games in a season. And, this is all at age 35 or under. What’s Alex going to be good for in his late 30′s, maybe a 100 games a year?

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Ivan Nova must feel like he’s been slapped.  Ditto CC and Tex.

Man, I would have told Hughes he’s going to the pen and had to earn his way back into the rotation.  And, for sure, I would have named Sabathia to the All-Star quad.  Teixeira?  O.K., maybe I understand that one…a little…low batting average and the fact that some first sacker gets screwed every year because of that “every team must be represented” rule.

By the way, Tyler Clippard made the All-Stars.  Is that a slap for Brian Cashman?  It should be…

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And, it feels sooooo good.  Via HardballTalk -

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Yankees reacquired right-hander Sergio Mitre from the Brewers after Wednesday night’s game for “cash considerations.”

Mitre registered a 5.03 ERA in 105 2/3 innings with the Yankees in 2009-2010, operating as both a long reliever and spot starter. He was traded to the Brewers before the start of the 2011 season for backup outfielder Chris Dickerson.

Mitre has enjoyed a good amount of success this year in the National League, registering a 3.27 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 33 innings for Milwaukee, but the Brewers designated him for assignment earlier this week to clear a roster spot for prospect Mat Gamel.

Mitre is expected to pitch in long relief for the Yanks and will try to build on the momentum that he’s built for the past three months on the senior circuit. The Yankees designated Buddy Carlyle for assignment in order to make room.

Just goes to show: Once you go Mitre, you never go another way.

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Via Michael LoRe -

Today, the New York Yankees signed Lehigh Valley pitcher Brian Gordon.

The 32-year-old Gordon is 5-0 with an International League-leading 1.14 ERA. He has given up seven earned runs in 55.1 innings for Lehigh Valley.

The veteran minor leaguer could opt out of his minor-league contract by Wednesday on the condition he is added to a major league roster by another team.

Gordon, who converted from the outfield after the 2006 season, has registered 56 strikeouts this season compared to just seven walks.

Let’s hope he was injected with Bartolo Colon’s stem cells before he was signed.

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Ramiro Pena has been recalled. It’s the 15-day D.L. for Jeter – but, he could be out for 18 to 19 days, if needed.

Does this mean Jeter will do a rehab on Staten Island or at Trenton before he resumes his quest for #3,000? Won’t that be fun for the locals!

Update: Seems that Jeter doesn’t want to be disabled. Working with Cashman and the doctors to see if there’s a way around it. Stay tuned.

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Joba Chamberlain will be out for at least the next three weeks after he was placed on the disabled list with a strained flexor muscle in his right elbow. Jeff Marquez has been claimed off waivers. Also, Hector Noesi has been sent back to AAA – Amaury Sanit has been called up to take his place.

No pressure A.J., no pressure at all.

Also, Yanks are without Jorge Posada tonight (son’s surgery) and Russell Martin has sore back. No pressure Francisco, no pressure at all.

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No, not this guy.  The green one who gives a hoot.

Now, let’s just see if he’s insulted by batting 9th this evening.

And, does this make Swisher the latest Yankees whipping boy?

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Via ESPN -

Phil Hughes and his floundering fastball have been placed on the disabled list.

“We just feel like he’s going through a dead arm period,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “We don’t feel that he’s hurt.”

Hughes is 0-1 with a 13.94 ERA through three starts this season. He was pulled with one out in the fifth inning on Thursday against the Orioles after allowing five runs on seven hits in the Yankees’ 6-5 win in 10 innings.

Hughes’ fastball has lacked velocity this season. He is normally in the low-to-mid-90s. He has been clocked consistently in the high-80s this season.

“Same old story,” Hughes said after Thursday’s start. “I don’t even know what to say at this point. It is what it is. I’m hoping it will turn around. I’m fairly confident it will turn around.”

Hughes has allowed at least five runs and pitched fewer than five innings in each of his first three starts this season, the third Yankee starter in the live ball era to do so. The others are Chien-Ming Wang in 2009 and Brian Boehringer in 1995.

The announcement on Friday was a stunning and sudden setback for the 24-year-old right-hander, who earned an All-Star bid in 2010, finishing the season 18-8 with a 4.18 ERA.

Skipping Hughes’ next start was an option because the Yankees have two off days in the next week.

Com’on, no one has a dead arm for six weeks of Spring Training and then three weeks of the season – unless it’s really, really, dead…

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Via Jack Curry of the YES Network –

When Silva was released by Cubs, the Yankees initially weren’t interested. But, with Hughes struggling, Yanks will take look at Silva

Silva, it’s the new Esteban Loaiza.

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Via Jon Lane -

Eduardo Nunez, Eric Chavez and Bartolo Colon are headed north. Ramiro Pena, Justin Maxwell, Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are beginning the season in the Minors with Romine playing in Double-A Trenton. Ronnie Belliard was released and a deal is in the works to sell Romulo Sanchez to a Japanese league team.

Barring a late waiver pickup, Gustavo Molina and his 23 games of big-league experience will back up Russell Martin until Francisco Cervelli (foot) is ready to return.

Pedro Feliciano (upper-arm shoulder soreness) will definitely begin on the DL; Luis Ayala and left-hander Steve Garrison are the top options to hold his place in the bullpen. Mark Prior will remain in Florida to continue his comeback after an impressive Spring Training. Prior hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2006, but confidence is high he’ll be pitching if not with the Yankees then somewhere in the bigs this year.

Interesting move on Nunez and Pena. Doesn’t this also cut into Eduardo Nunez’ development – riding the pines in the Bronx?

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Welcome to the Yankees, Bartolo.

Thanks to Lee Sinins for the heads-up on this one. By the way, with the season about to start, it’s a good time to remind that the new edition of the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia is available, along with the 2011 subscruption update.

The encyclopedia and the updates can be ordered at: http://www.baseball-encyclopedia.com

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I guess this means that Sidney Ponson must really be retired.  Via John Harper -

How desperate are the Yankees for starting pitching? They signed Bartolo Colon Wednesday to a minor-league contract and will take a look at him in spring training to see if he has anything left.

Colon, 37, couldn’t find a job in the majors last season. The righthander last pitched in the majors in 2009, when he went 3-6 with a 4.19 ERA for the White Sox.

Colon’s contract is non-guaranteed. If he earns a spot on the major league roster he’ll earn $900,000 plus incentives.

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Via Jayson Stark -

Fifteen years after he put on an eye-popping October show in the first game he ever played in Yankee Stadium, outfielder Andruw Jones agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Yankees on Thursday, sources confirmed to ESPN.com.

He can also earn an additional $1.2 million in incentives. Jones will earn $150,000 each for 250 and 275 plate appearances, $200,000 apiece for 300 and 325, and $250,000 each for 350 and 375, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Jones, who turns 34 next April, is a long ways removed from his glory days in Atlanta, where he once hit 51 homers in a season, won 10 straight Gold Gloves and played in 75 postseason games. But he did hit 19 homers in 278 at-bats last year for the White Sox and slugged .558 against left-handed pitching.

He’s also still a dependable defender at all three outfield positions.

So for $2 million, the Yankees think he’s a good fit as a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder to complement the left-handed bats of Brett Gardner in left and Curtis Granderson in center.

Almost a year, to the day, that Cashman spent $2 million on Randy Winn. This $2 million is a better gamble.   If Gardner’s second-half woes carry into 2011 and/or if Granderson’s spurt at the end of 2010 was a fluke, Jones could be in a good position to collect those incentive bonuses too.

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What’s this…a little July in January?  Via Bryan Hoch -

The Yankees have claimed right-hander Brian Schlitter off waivers from the Chicago Cubs.

Schlitter, 25, was 0-1 with a 12.38 ERA in seven Major League relief appearances with Chicago in 2010, marking his first action in the bigs.

He was 2-1 with 13 saves and a 3.15 ERA in 37 relief appearances with Triple-A Iowa. Over his Minor League career, Schlitter owns a 7-13 record with a 3.32 ERA (190 IP, 70 ER) in 154 relief appearances.

Schlitter was originally selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 16th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. The Yankees’ 40-man roster currently stands at 39.

Click here to learn more about Schlitter.  At the worst, I guess he can’t be as bad as Kevin Whelan…

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…because the Yankees just signed Luis Vizcaino.

Hey, look at the bright-side here. Just imagine Cashman jumping off a roof in Connecticut if – like Lee and Wood – Luis Vizcaino has said no to the Steinbrenner dollars this off-season too!

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Via Joel Sherman -

Pedro Feliciano is moving across town, agreeing in principle to a deal with the Yankees, according to a source.

The two-year, $8 million contract is pending a physical, which is not a formality in the Yankees’ view because of the heavy workload the 34-year-old has carried with the Mets since 2006. The contract also has a club option for a third year.

Feliciano was not scheduled to undergo a physical Friday, which could push the announcement of the deal into next week.

I don’t know much about Feliciano – since I try to avoid watching Mets games. But, if he’s who I think he is, then I seem to recall him being a bit cocky/showboaty. Then again, you can say the same thing about Joba.

But, Matt Cerrone should know Feliciano – so, I was interested in what he posted on this deal. Here it is:

Well, good for Perpetual Pedro, since this is the deal he had been seeking all along, and is more or less why the Mets only offered arbitration and did not re-sign him.

I wrote this in late November, and still feel the same way today:

He’s letting more runners on base, he’s pitched a ton of innings over the last few seasons, he’s walking more and striking out less, and he showed he’s not very effective against right-handed batters last season, at least to the extent that he should be used as anything more than a situational lefty. So, is it wise to sign a 35-year-old situational lefty, with a lot of mileage on his arm, to a two-year, $8 million deal? I don’t know that it is… the Mets might be better suited going out to the open market to find a replacement.

Because he is a Type-B free agent, the Mets will receive a compensatory draft pick between the first and second round on next year’s draft, once he signs a new deal.

Seeing this made me go check the numbers. And, I noticed that in three of the last four years his BB/9 rate is pretty high. David Robertson-like. Next I looked at his splits and saw that RH-batters have been very successful against him the last two years.

So, bascially, what we have here is a LOOGY with so-so command. It’s sorta/kinda like when the Yankees had Mike Myers in 2006. It’s not terrible – as long as the Yankees use him correctly and he does what he’s supposed to do.

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The Britt Burns of catchers?

Via MLB Hot Stove -

The Yankees have agreed to terms on a contract with Russell Martin, multiple sources told MLB.com on Monday. Details of the deal were not immediately available, but it is expected to be announced at some point on Tuesday.

Martin was said to have been deciding between the Red Sox and Blue Jays.

Martin, 27, was deemed among the best catchers in the National League from 2007-08, when he was a back-to-back All-Star while compiling a .286 batting average, .380 on-base percentage and 32 homers for the Dodgers. But after a down year in 2009, Martin played 97 games in 2010 and then missed the rest of the season with a broken hip.

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Two years at $30 million.

Not a bad piece of change for a guy who only throws 60 innings a season.

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Via Bryan Hoch -

The Yankees’ decision-makers will have a few calls to make on Thursday, as baseball’s non-tender deadline forces decisions on a group of four unsigned pitchers.

Dustin Moseley will have his status examined as Thursday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline to tender contracts for the 2011 season approaches. Late Wednesday, Sergio Mitre agreed to $900,000 deal with the club and could earn an additional $200,000 in incentives, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.

New York must also offer deals to Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Boone Logan by that point. If a player is not tendered a contract, he immediately becomes a free agent and can negotiate with any team.

Who would have thought that the day would come in 2010 where the question of “Will the Yankees non-tender Joba?” warranted entertainment, albeit just a wild notion?

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Via mlb.com -

The Yankees added some depth to their pitching ranks on Saturday, signing right-hander Brian Anderson and left-hander Andy Sisco to Minor League deals, according to a published report.

The Yankees have neither confirmed nor commented on the reported signings.

According to FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, both Anderson and Sisco were also given invitations to the Yankees’ Major League Spring Training camp.

Anderson is an outfielder trying to become a pitcher. Andy Sisco wants to be like A.J. Burnett.

File these two signings under:  G.M. Eyewash.

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This sounds dirty. Didn’t Rothschild just exercise his option to stay with the Cubs? Well, now, he has a three-year contract with New York.

Update via the Sun Times:

The Cubs’ turnover continued with an unexpected departure Friday. The New York Yankees announced the hiring of pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

Rothschild, who last month exercised his contract option for 2011 with the Cubs, had talked in recent seasons with general manager Jim Hendry about the possibility of looking into potential job openings that would allow him to spend spring training closer to home in Tampa, Fla., and have more time with his family.

”It’s a great opportunity to be with the Yankees also,” Rothschild said. ”It has a lot less to do with leaving the Cubs than it is an opportunity to be with my family and also the Yankees.”

Rothschild replaces Dave Eiland, who was fired after the World Series amid reports of a rift with manager Joe Girardi.

Rothschild, 56, signed a three-year contract with the Yankees, who train in Tampa. He spent the past nine seasons as Cubs pitching coach and was the only member of the staff to survive the Dusty Baker regime after the 2006 season. Rothschild’s Cubs run included three playoff seasons.

”We’ve been fortunate to have Larry this long,” said Hendry, who called Yankees GM Brian Cashman on Rothschild’s behalf after Rothschild asked the Cubs for consent to look into the opening. ”I think the industry has looked at Larry in a higher light than he was looked at even locally sometimes.”

Is it just me, or, is that last line sorta strange?

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Well, if you don’t…too late…he’s gone.

The Yankees have traded Juan Miranda to the Diamondbacks for pitcher Scott Allen.

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Via a Cincy HS Sports Blog –

Former Moeller standout Andrew Brackman was called up by the Yankees today. He reports to New York on Tuesday.

Brackman was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft after playing baseball at N.C. State.

He’s come a long way considering Brackman underwent reconstructive elbow surgery on Aug. 24, 2007.

Brackman was 10-11 with a 3.90 ERA this season at Tampa (A+ ball) and Trenton (AA ball), but he has continued to progress during the season.

According to the Trentonian, over his last six regular-season starts, Brackman appears to be on the verge of putting it all together. He allowed just three earned runs over his final six starts, and spun a brilliant five innings in relief of Andy Pettitte in the first game of the Eastern League Championship Series.

As a senior at Moeller, Brackman went 7-0 with a 0.58 ERA. In 48 innings, he allowed 21 hits and struck out 83. Was named Ohio Division I player of the year, leading Moeller to a 28-3 record and a state title.

Brackman was the 31st Moeller player coached by Mike Cameron to be drafted or signed to a pro contract.

So, who’s going to pitch more often for the Yankees between now and season end – Andrew “Big Country” Brackman or Javy “Mr. Doghouse” Vazquez?

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