NEW YORK (AP) -Reserve infielder Wilson Betemit and the New York Yankees avoided arbitration, agreeing to a $1,165,000, one-year contract just before teams and players exchanged figures Friday. (Source)
Good deal.
Archive for January, 2008
Wilson’s deal is done
January 19, 2008Updated top 11 prospect list
January 17, 2008Top 11 Prospects
1. Joba Chamberlain — Joba is the reason to follow Yankee prospects. Already a folk hero in the Bronx, Joba has an unreal arsenal of pitches highlighted by a blazing fastball and ungodly slider.
2. Austin Jackson — I am one of the few that thinks AJack leaped over Tabata in the last year. That .964 OPS in Tampa and continued success in Hawaii did it for me.
3. Jose Tabata — Missed time with surgery to remove his hamate bone, hopefully we’ll see an increase in power in ‘08.
4. Alan Horne — Extremely underrated by most of the national media (gets lumped in as a soft-tossing Kennedy-type). BA’s John Manuel said Horne’s stuff is “a tick below Joba.” Horne has a higher ceiling than Kennedy. Could be a part of the 2008 Yankee bullpen.
5. Ian Kennedy – He doesn’t have overpowering stuff and is not in the same class as Phil Hughes and Chamberlain. IPK is seen as a potential #3 starter. He has excellent control, but lacks in velocity. Nothing phases this kid. Ever.
6. Jesus Montero — Jesus is the best bat in the entire Yankee system. But the question with him is where will he end up defensively? Does he stick at catcher? 1B? DH?
7. Mark Melancon — Last October, Nardi Contreras called Melancon “Next year’s Joba” meaning he could be up in the majors half way through the year and more than fill the void in the Yankees pen like Joba did last year. High praise, but Melancon is deserving of it. He has electric stuff.
8. Andrew Brackman — 1st rounder in ‘07, Brackman had Tommy John surgury shortly after the draft. At 6′11 and in terms of his prospect status, there is nobody in the Yankees system with a higher ceiling than Brackman.
9. Humberto Sanchez — Sanchez, from the Bronx, dominated the AA Eastern League in ‘06 before having Tommy John Surgury that off-season. He should be ready to pitch sometime this year. Whether it is out of the bullpen or starting is yet to be decided.
10. Dellin Betances — 8th round pick in ‘06, it took a million dollars to keep Betances from Vanderbilt. He is still yet to put a full season together without getting hurt and that is why this is probably the highest you’ll see his name on any list.
11. Jeff Marquez — Marquez is an innings eater with a good sinker. He lacks overpowering velocity and a real out pitch. He is more like Kennedy than he is like Horne. A back end starter.
Guest Blogging
January 16, 2008Check out my guest blogging peice here.
Idiot Yankee fans
January 15, 2008I’m bored, so lets start a new little ditty. Whenever I come across a chat with any random media member and a Yankee fan writes in with a dumb statement or question, I’ll post it on the site in this new tag. If you readers find any good ones or have any real questions for the site send them to trueyankeeblog@gmail.com.
I don’t understand why the Yankees let Andy Phillips go. He played perfect defense for the team last year, and aside from his home run total, he beat or matched almost every offensive stat from his 2006 season in roughly half the number of games played.
– Mike B., Southwick, Mass.
Phillips had an FRAA+ number of -4 in ‘07, so much for perfect defense. Yes, Phillips’ offense did improve in ‘07, from a -7 BRAA+ to a -1. So, yeah he sucks and was rightfully let go. This reader is from Mass, so he figures to be stupid.
Right with you, buddy
January 15, 2008“I can’t control wins, and sometimes I wonder if writers really understand,” Blyleven said. “I didn’t win 300, but I was in a lot of ballgames. That was the main objective as a starter when I pitched–to go nine innings. And if you lost 3-1 or 3-2, you kept your team in the game. But it does get frustrating when you feel like you have to defend those numbers this time of year.” (Source)
Blyleven should be in the hall, the BBWAA is stupid.
Chicken Fried > Jim
January 13, 2008The following is the end of a Busta Olney blog where he advocates Jim Rice for the HOF. Which begs the question, why isn’t Jigsaw in the baseball hall-of-fame? HE’S SCARY TOO!!!111!!!11!
A lot of the Rice critics say the focus on his best years — 1975-1986 — is arbitrary. Well, not really. Those are the years in which he was at his best, when he built his Hall of Fame candidacy, and considering that a player must have 10 years in the big leagues to qualify for HOF consideration, focusing on a 12-year span is hardly a cherry-pick. And in that time, in some power statistics — maybe not Adjusted OPS+ — Rice was the best in his league.
Nick Shlain: Right it isn’t cherry picking to look at those ten years for Rice because Rice was only a regular for 12 years and those were his best ten. But, it is cherry picking to only compare Rice to players in those years. ‘75-’86 is arbitrary. It is a random ten year samping. If he was playing now (or any other era for that matter) would he be anything special? Or would he be the same guy who had six good years, six decline years and stopping playing regularly at age 34?
While I’d generally agree that to focus on building a Hall of Famer’s credentials around a single year of MVP voting might be dubious, the numbers cited in Friday’s column accounts for hundreds of votes from every AL city over more than a decade.
NS: Might be?
A lot of writers who watched Rice play daily, at the time he was on the field — rather than through the time-machine prism of Adjusted OPS+ — thought he was pretty damn good. (Keep in mind, most writers will talk to players, managers and coaches throughout the season as they formulate their ballots.)
NS: You aren’t seriously trying to say that Jim Rice is a hall-of-famer because a bunch of idiot writers thought he was ‘pretty damn good’? Are you?
If you want to quibble with the fact that he won the award in 1978, or with his placement in some particular year, OK, I get that. But to ignore the MVP voting entirely, as if it isn’t at least some kind of barometer of his play over the course of his career, is embarrassing. This is like saying, “Hey, forget the Oscar voting of the 1950s. Marlon Brando was clearly overrated.”
NS: MVP voting is irrelevant because it is subjective. It is not like HRs, a fact. You can be by far the best player in the league and lose a few MVP votes because two writers are from Detroit and apparently didn’t watch any other games that year.
That is an awful comparison with the Marlon Brando reference. There isn’t statistical information when it comes to acting. It is 100% subjective opinion. I can say Brando isn’t HOF-worthy, but have nothing to back it up with but my opinion. But, I can say Rice isn’t HOF-worthy because his WARP3 is 83.2. See what I did there? Yes, that was using facts.
Look, I’ve never met Jim Rice, didn’t grow up a Red Sox fan, don’t think he is one of the very elite players of all time. I understand why someone wouldn’t vote for him (but don’t agree). But to portray his career as entirely unworthy of Hall of Fame consideration is silly.
NS: Then I’m silly. But, so is an argument predicated on subjective opinions from bias writers, a random sampling of data and shunning statistical analysis.
Rehabbing Yankees set to throw
January 13, 2008Former North Carolina State pitcher Andrew Brackman is about to warm up for the New York Yankees. He’s scheduled to start throwing from 90 feet next week.Brackman had surgery on August 24 and was expected to be sidelined 12-to-18 months.
He’s one of two Yankee pitchers who are taking part in throwing programs after elbow ligament replacement surgery last year. Humberto Sanchez, who’s one of three pitchers obtained from Detroit for outfielder Gary Sheffield, expects to throw off a mound by late next month. (Source)
Cameron
January 11, 2008The Yankees are showing serious interest in Cameron, major-league sources say, figuring that they could trade center fielder Melky Cabrera even if they do not send him to the Twins for left-hander Johan Santana. (Source)
Career OPS+: 106
Career EqA: .281
I only see Cameron on the Yankees if they trade Melky. He wouldn’t be a bad 1/2 year stop gap if we need it. If not, I don’t want a 35 year old taking at-bats from the Melk Man.
Rice isn’t hall worthy
January 11, 2008One note on the hall-of-fame: If Mike Cameron plays two more years with the same WARP3 he had in 2007 (6.7), he will have a higher career WARP3 than Jim Rice. Excuse me, soon to be HALL-OF-FAMER Jim Rice.That is a shame.
Many players who aren’t deserving get in. Rice is not even close. Him getting in will open the floodgates for many other players to possible enshrinement.
This will be a common conversation in the future:
Person A: I think (insert player’s name) should be in the hall.
Person B: No way.
Person A: If Jim freaking Rice is in, how do they keep (player) out?
I have no idea.
He’d be cheap, but he kinda sucks
January 10, 2008Just in case Jason Giambi, Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit aren’t enough at first base heading to spring training, the Yankees have interest in adding free agent Jason Lane, according to a source. (Source)
Career OPS+: 97
Career EqA+: .263
Nothing special.
LOOGY sleeper
January 9, 2008Billy Traber, who the Yanks just signed to a minor league deal, held lefty hitters to a .176/.214/.353 line in 56 PAs in ‘07. I could see him grabbing a pen spot in 2008.
