2013 Yankees Season

[thefiestygoat]

ARod's deal was just as much Goldman Sachs' doing than Hal or Levine, probably moreso.  With that exception though, it seems that Cashman still holds the real power over personnel in the organization.   Hal and Levine just give him the budget.

 

So far as the Arod appeal, I think he has a good chance of winning in the sense that he'll end up with something like a 50 game suspension.  It has yet to be explained to me (perhaps because I'm not paying attention) where Selig can just impose a ban for someone that, under the letter of the CBA anyway, is a first-time offender.  

 

The only hook that Selig has is that these players' dirty laundry, would be aired in public, especially Braun, which is why he agreed to the 60 game ban.  Arod has a ton of money at stake, and not much of  reputation left to defend anway. 

Goldman Sachs managing directors John Mallory and Gerald Cardinale worked with that weasel Levine (the Yankees desperately need to get rid of this a$$hole) to get A-Rod's deal in 2007 done after Cashman recommended they avoid it. Levine's presence was huge to getting it done which is why I blame him mostly for the A-Rod mega deal.

 

Cashman has power but nowhere near the amount he should or what he was promised by George Steinbrenner back in 2005. I honestly wouldn't blame Cashman for leaving, the Yankees don't deserve him. Ownership going over his head has backfired so many times, especially this year. It's almost like Hal wants to turn the Yankees into a "Mickey Mouse organization." Perhaps Hal is too worried about his steakhouse or his sports bar that obstructs seats at the new country club  stadium instead of fielding a contending team. The fact that Hal and Levine would rather acquire the likes of Ichiro, Wells, and Soriano over Martin and Schierholtz is maddening.

 

The only thing I can get on Cashman is the poor drafting and player development the past decade or so. I'd also have to put some blame on Damon Oppenheimer and Mark Newman for that as well. The state of the farm system right now is really worrisome.

 

I agree A-Rod has a solid chance to win an appeal. This is only the start of what should be a long and messy process. In the press release I noticed he was suspended under the "Joint Drug Agreement" and "Basic Agreement." I don't know but if that "Basic Agreement" is under the CBA then that explains the odd number of games suspension and MLB trying to cover themselves since 211 games isn't acceptable under the "JDA." From what I gather, A-Rod already has an impressive team of lawyers ready to go.

[Derek21]

Splendid effort by your Bronx Bombers in Alex's return. Pettite needs to retire. Second and third. No one out. And Granderson chases the first pitch. Ichiro pops out and Nunez is overmatched. That sums up this team.

[Onddeck]

Splendid effort by your Bronx Bombers in Alex's return. Pettite needs to retire. Second and third. No one out. And Granderson chases the first pitch. Ichiro pops out and Nunez is overmatched. That sums up this team.

an absolute mess right now. Just NOTHING is getting done. Simple as that, it's just about everyone

[thefiestygoat]

It pains me to watch Pettitte perform like this. I have so much respect for him and he's one of my favorite players. I hate to think about him retiring (again) because I'll miss watching him pitch, but he looks done right now. Hopefully he can at least finish the year out strong.

 

Even though he hasn't been pitching that well, he sure hasn't had much luck lately with some bloop hits and the like. His .324 on BABIP is high for any pitcher and higher than his career average of .308 which is still high for a pitcher. His ERA of 4.71 doesn't really mesh with his 3.89 FIP or 3.94 xFIP so hopefully some regression is coming. Though his K/9 of 6.28 is the lowest he's had since the 2007 (5.89) which is worrisome.

Glancing at the pitch type section of fangraphs it's interesting his velocity is in line with his career norms and is actually up a bit from last year - though perhaps the season off played a factor with last year's numbers. Nothing too eye opening in the plate discipline section that would cause concern. Maybe the issue is mechanical for him, I don't know.

 

Crazy stat from twitter: The Yankees have won one game started by someone other than Kuroda or Nova over the last four weeks.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Poor Mariano.  Really hope this is just a slump for him.  The guy is such a class act and is one of those guys you appreciate and respect no matter what team you root for.  Only time I ever remember him having a tough time was when he came up as a starting pitcher so long ago.  His career only has about 7 weeks left...hope he goes out strong.

[Derek21]

It's the Tigers. Miggy is the best hitter in the game. He has no flaws. The pitch Martinez hit out wasn't bad. He turned it around. I never worry about Mo. Ever. Gardner again with the clutch hit along with the web gem. Gards is the leader of this team.

[Onddeck]

It pains me to watch Pettitte perform like this. I have so much respect for him and he's one of my favorite players. I hate to think about him retiring (again) because I'll miss watching him pitch, but he looks done right now. Hopefully he can at least finish the year out strong.

Even though he hasn't been pitching that well, he sure hasn't had much luck lately with some bloop hits and the like. His .324 on BABIP is high for any pitcher and higher than his career average of .308 which is still high for a pitcher. His ERA of 4.71 doesn't really mesh with his 3.89 FIP or 3.94 xFIP so hopefully some regression is coming. Though his K/9 of 6.28 is the lowest he's had since the 2007 (5.89) which is worrisome.

Glancing at the pitch type section of fangraphs it's interesting his velocity is in line with his career norms and is actually up a bit from last year - though perhaps the season off played a factor with last year's numbers. Nothing too eye opening in the plate discipline section that would cause concern. Maybe the issue is mechanical for him, I don't know.

Crazy stat from twitter: The Yankees have won one game started by someone other than Kuroda or Nova over the last four weeks.

wowwwww holy sh!t that stay is crazy

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

It's the Tigers. Miggy is the best hitter in the game. He has no flaws. The pitch Martinez hit out wasn't bad. He turned it around. I never worry about Mo. Ever. Gardner again with the clutch hit along with the web gem. Gards is the leader of this team.

 

I think you've got to worry about Mo a little.  3 consecutive blown saves.  His WHIP is up.  He's allowed 45 H in 44.1 IP, very un-Rivera-like.

 

One can argue that, up until his last three games, Mariano was having a pretty typical Mariano year, and other than the elevated hits allowed, he was:  40.1 IP, 38 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 39 K, 1.70 ERA, 35-for-37 in save opportunities.  Yeah, he'll probably bounce back.  It's just when someone is 43, you can't help but wonder a little if Father Time is making his presence felt.  I hope he finishes strong, I really do...he's the very best at what he did, as clutch as they come, and truly a player to be celebrated. 

[Derek21]

I look at batting average against. He's more hittable. The Yanks just took three of four from the Angels. Mo didn't pitch. He should be fresh for Boston. Tampa and Oakland won. Yankees are 6.5 behind the A's. They can't afford any slip ups. ESPN has already written them off in the wildcard race. Underdogs.

[thefiestygoat]

Rivera seems to have a small rough patch once or (rarely) twice a year every season. I'm just chalking up the 3 blown saves to that. I know that the Yankees are a slight bit closer to the race after winning recently, but I'm still just treating this season as done from a meaningful game perspective. Instead I'm just going to enjoy what are going to be Rivera's final games (Pettitte likely as well).

[thefiestygoat]

You don't see Girardi get angry often, but when he does, he gets very angry. Here he is calling Ryan Dempster a fvcking pu$$y and further down he is so angry he almost accidentally punches the ump. Somehow Dempster wasn't ejected for intentionally throwing at A-Rod numerous times before hitting him. Hope Dempster and the home plate ump get fined and suspended.

 

[Daniel]

Now I actually might start watching Yankee games for the rest of the year. Before this, I had no interest at all. Hell, I thought I had buried the hatchet with the Sox after I married a Sox fan.

If I believed in conspiracy theories, it would be a very confusing flow chart I'd be working on right now.

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[thefiestygoat]

Well I suppose if the game is too close to retaliate, you can always hit the ump. I'm sure it was an honest mistake but I want to believe Stewart missed it intentionally:

[thefiestygoat]

4 Yankees hit tonight, 3 after the warnings, 0 Red Sox hit, and no ejections. Brian O'Nora is a really sh!tty ump. I'm sure MLB will come down harder on Girardi than they will on O'Nora or Dempster. fvck MLB.

 

Unfortunately the game was too close for the most part for the Yankees to retaliate at a good time. 3 run lead with Rivera in now but he has too much class to drill someone unfortunately. I would've thrown in Joba for a batter to drill someone before giving way to Rivera.

[Daniel]

Reports are that Cano wants a $305 million deal and that he'll go to the highest bidder.  Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the JayZ Agency's first real opportunity to establish itself as a major player, so this doesn't surprise me all that much.  Still, it strikes me as totally amatuerish leaking such a ridiculous number at a time when virtually every team that has given out such a contract to someone that is about the same age has regretted it shortly afterwards.  That kind of money would go to a 24 year old Mike Trout or Bryce Harper.  You wouldn't even sign Miguel Cabrera to that much at his age.

 

Although it is probably barred by the CBA, if I were the Yankees, I would say we'll agree to that deal, but the whole deal is void, plus you have to pay us back some money, if it turns out you're suspended for PEDs. 

[thefiestygoat]

The 10/305 leak doesn't bother me since I get that Jay-Z is going to shoot for the moon with his first offer, as he should. Even though that is completely ridiculous, Jay-Z is just trying to get the Yankees to outbid themselves, which now that they have a frugal Hal Steinbrenner, I doubt happens by all that much.

 

I haven't bothered looking around to see what teams need a 2B or want a star but the only other big money team seems to be the Dodgers who have said they aren't interested, maybe the Angels. Whether they are or not, I'm sure they'll be plenty of crazy rumors over the winter. Next year is his age 31 season so we just gotta hope he has a later decline than most. No matter what the last few years of the deal will probably be bad but damn does this team need him with how bad the 2014 roster looks and the farm system not giving much reason for optimism going forward.

 

I have no idea if teams could put in a PED clause but I'd also be interested to find out. I do think teams have "morality" clauses but I suppose that can mean quite a number of things. Would be awesome if teams could include PED clauses though but I'm sure the union would never agree to that.

[thefiestygoat]

One of my favorite Yankee's blogs River Ave Blues noted from an ESPN Insider piece, that the ZiPS projection system does like Cano going forward:

 

 

The good news is that the system doesn’t see Cano dropping below 4 WAR until 2018 and under 2 WAR until 2021, mostly because his skillset is so wide — he hits for average, hits for power, and plays defense. ZiPS pegs Robbie for a total of 22 WAR over the next eight years, which is worth $181M in free agent dollars.

 

As much as we all hate albatrosses, I hope the Yankees can get him down from 10 years to 8. Then by (hopefully) improving their drafting and minor league system as well as not throwing money around like in the past, they'll be able to responsibly have a late 30's 2B making a ton of money. I'd be open to around 8/$192M ($24M per aav) - which I know is an overpayment going by what I posted above, but I doubt he'd settle for 8/$181M ($22.625M per aav). The Yankees offered him 7/$161M ($23M per aav) prior to this year, so I don't feel like my number would be too way off what they would offer or what he may accept.

 

I know this isn't the strongest free agent class but it's pretty nuts how much of a better year Cano is having than his other free agent counterparts. I could see this dragging out but I still think he ends up back with the Yankees. It's nuts how great Cano has been from 2010-2013 (143 wRC+, 134 wRC+, 149 wRC+, 143 wRC+) while playing in almost every game of the year providing solid defense.

[Derek21]

If they could get Zobrist from Tampa, that would be a good replacement. If Cano wants 10 years, he can go walk.

[thefiestygoat]

If they could get Zobrist from Tampa, that would be a good replacement. If Cano wants 10 years, he can go walk.

I'd love to get Zobrist, especially considering the Yankees may have ?'s at both SS and 3B next year but I just checked his contract at Cot's Baseball Contracts and saw he has a $7M club option for next year and a $7.5M club option for 2015. Those will definitely get picked up.

[thefiestygoat]

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Of course, Rivera's numbers are just flat-out sick (career ERA+ of 205...no else is even close), but if you eliminate most of his first season (especially his 10 starts), the numbers become even more impressive. 

 

Pretty amazing career for a guy who was clearly being groomed to becoming a starting pitcher (he relieved early on in his minor-league career, with great success, but was converted into a starter, and was called up to start).  His first 8 appearances for the Yankees were as a starter, with very mixed results...his first four starts were rough overall (10.20 ERA), start #5 was terrific (8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 12 K), and the three that followed were pretty good (17 IP, 19 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 10 K).  He made two more meh starts (with some relief appearances), then never made another start again.

 

Think I read or heard somewhere that the Yankees made him available in the Marlins/Rockies 1992 expansion draft, but neither team was interested.         

Edited September 27, 2013 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[thefiestygoat]

I'm 25 and was raised watching baseball since before I could remember. I'd love to see some of Rivera's starts back from that season since I don't remember them specifically, especially that 8 inning start. Pretty much from 1995 I remember Showalter and a lot of the players but not necessarily single moments with a few exceptions...David Cone trade, Ruben Sierrra trade for some reason, Mickey Mantle's death, the heartbreaking choke against Seattle to end Mattingly's career (he was my brother's favorite player).

 

I wasn't aware of him being unprotected in the 1992 expansion draft, that's interesting. I do remember reading about how Gene Michael briefly entertained the idea of including Rivera in a deal for David Wells in 1995 to the Tigers. There were also reports prior to 1996 that the Yankees tried again to acquire Wells, this time from the Reds but Baltimore beat them with an offer of Curtis Goodwin and Trovin Valdez. The rumored Yankees package that Bob Watson and Gene Michael didn't want to give up, but George Steinbrenner offered was Rivera and Posada!

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I'm 43 and remember Mariano coming up clearly.  Yeah, there was no mention of him ever becoming a reliever...and the buzz on him wasn't super-high the way it is with some guys (of course, as we all know the guys who are often the most touted aren't the ones that necessarily go on to become greats).  There was a nice bit of excitement after that 8 IP, 12 K performance (against the White Sox), that I do remember.  I don't remember why exactly the Yankees bailed on him being a starter so quickly (especially when he had been groomed as such), but I do remember that once he had one of the best relief seasons ever in '96, it was obvious what his future was going to be.  I remember Yankee fans panicking early on, when he became the closer in '97 (I think he was 3-for-6 to start the season in save opportunities), but he quickly got going and the rest is clearly history and then some.

 

Even though I'm a Met fan, I'm very sad to see him go...he was such a class act, and such a great performer...impossible not to respect him and everything he did. 

 

And yeah, Steinbrenner could really be an impatient loon sometimes.  If he hadn't gotten suspended, the Yankees might never had enjoyed their extended run. 

Edited September 27, 2013 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Daniel]

I'm 25 and was raised watching baseball since before I could remember. I'd love to see some of Rivera's starts back from that season since I don't remember them specifically, especially that 8 inning start. Pretty much from 1995 I remember Showalter and a lot of the players but not necessarily single moments with a few exceptions...David Cone trade, Ruben Sierrra trade for some reason, Mickey Mantle's death, the heartbreaking choke against Seattle to end Mattingly's career (he was my brother's favorite player).

 

I wasn't aware of him being unprotected in the 1992 expansion draft, that's interesting. I do remember reading about how Gene Michael briefly entertained the idea of including Rivera in a deal for David Wells in 1995 to the Tigers. There were also reports prior to 1996 that the Yankees tried again to acquire Wells, this time from the Reds but Baltimore beat them with an offer of Curtis Goodwin and Trovin Valdez. The rumored Yankees package that Bob Watson and Gene Michael didn't want to give up, but George Steinbrenner offered was Rivera and Posada!

 

For all the George nostalgia we get nowadays, people forget how the team turned around after his meddling was brought under control.  One of the other proposed George deals was Bernie Williams for Rondell White.  I've read that Gene Michael actually had to trick or lie to George in order to put the kibosh on that deal. 

[thefiestygoat]

True George could be the Yankees worst enemy at times and it's amazing how he nearly destroyed what ended up being something very special. But I'll say this - His heart was always in the right place - Win. Nothing else matters.

 

Unfortunately his son Hal cares more about marketing and revenue $$$$ than putting a winning team on the field. Then Hal has the nerve to lie to us as if we are dumb. It's offensive.