The Bronx View

With the Cliff Lee sweepstakes over and the Yankees barely missing out on the biggest of big prizes, who should they now target in the next few weeks?

It appears that Lee was the only big prize on their radar; the only player they’d be willing to give up a strong minor league package for. They haven’t really shown much interest in Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren, who both would also require big packages to acquire. (From a personal standpoint, I don’t think either one is worth a major prospect investment from the Yankees).

So let us look at some of the other possible names we will hear:

Adam Dunn, OF(?), Washington - Yes, the big question mark next to the outfielder designation, because he isn’t an outfielder. He is someone who puts on a glove and runs out to the outfield. However, Dunn has supposedly been lukewarm to the idea of being a designated hitter; must be a pride thing. Dunn would definitely fill the big void currently sitting in the designated hitter slot in the lineup, and he would provide tremendous power to the bottom half of that lineup. He’s also a free agent when 2010 closes, so there is no long-term commitment involved if the Yankees want to go in a different direction for the DH slot in 2011. (When you trade prospects for Adam Dunn, you are really trading prospects for Adam Dunn and two first-round 2011 picks. He’ll be a Type-A free agent, and his power will be impossible for other teams to shy away from even if it means they have to give up draft picks). These draft picks are more valuable than ever, and Washington will want value for those picks. The Yankees would probably have to start the package with Eduardo Nunez and work from there.

David DeJesus, OF, Kansas City - DeJesus has more value as an outfielder than Dunn, but as a hitter, he is nowhere near the same level. DeJesus does pretty much a little bit of everything, but no one tool is great. He walks enough to keep his OBP at a decent level (thanks to strong batting averages). Same goes for his slugging percentages; he has just enough power (and hits for just enough batting average) to keep his slugging percentage decent. He has some speed, but can’t steal bases (47-for-90 in his career). Overall, I don’t see anything all that special about DeJesus and I wouldn’t give up any prospect of significance to acquire him. He doesn’t really produce enough to throw in the permanent designated hitter slot, and he isn’t better than the three starting outfielders that they have.

Lance Berkman, 1B, Houston - Another guy who would be used simply for the designated hitter slot, Berkman has bounced back nicely from a poor start and is currently hitting .250/.369/.451 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. He offers absolutely no versatility (hasn’t played the outfield in years), and probably needs to stay away from left-handed pitching as hasn’t been hitting well right-handed the last few seasons. Another issue for the Yankees may be the contract; not that paying the rest of his 2010 salary would be a bad investment, but he has a $15M option for 2011 & a full no-trade clause. In other words, his first request upon being asked if he would go to a new team may just be that the new team pick up that option. And that should be a major deal-breaker. If you want some production down the stretch and into a potential postseason run, Berkman does make a lot of sense. The cost will likely be high, but likely reasonable. The big option, however, could keep the Yankees far away – and it should. Berkman is not worth $15M in 2011.

Ty Wiggington, IF, Baltimore - In typical Baltimore fashion, they didn’t strike when the iron was hot. Wiggington was scolding the ball earlier this season in ways he pretty much never showed before; yet, Baltimore just sat on their hands and yet him run out the hot streak without seemingly even attempting to trade him to a contender. Now that Wiggington has cooled off back to where Ty Wiggington should be, it may be harder to extract good talent for him. This is not to say that Wiggington is without his uses; he covers the infield positions (other than shortstop, where the Yankees seem to like to go with a “defense first” approach when Jeter needs a day off), and he hits more than enough for what would be a role player. The Yankees may be looking for someone who can give Alex Rodriguez a day off to DH from time to time (and perhaps Teixiera as well), and Wiggington wouldn’t kill the lineup playing a few times a week. He’s also adequate protection in case of injury. The cost? Probably not too high; he’s cheap, and the Orioles have nothing much to gain by keeping him. Think a low-level prospect with a high ceiling plus someone else who may be a little closer to the majors with a lower ceiling. I think if Jeremy Bleich didn’t get hurt, he would be an ideal candidate in a trade like this. If Baltimore is still looking for a shortstop type of prospect, I can see Double-A shortstop Luis Nunez being someone of interest to them, or perhaps even Triple-A middle-infielder Reegie Corona. If the Yankees lost one of these guys, they’d still have the other, plus Eduardo Nunez.

Wes Helms, 1B/3B, Florida - I heard his name brought up today. The Yankees already have a better option named Chad Tracy in their minor league system. No thanks, even if it cost them nothing more than a signed Kei Igawa baseball.

Joakim Soria, RP, Kansas City - There will come a time when the Royals won’t feel the need to trade off their assets, but that time is not now. Soria is a luxury for a franchise that doesn’t need what he provides right now. Saving 35 games a season for a team that cannot win is a bit of a waste; when Kansas City is about to contend again, Soria may no longer be in a position to be extremely helpful. That’s why, at the age of 26, they should probably think of trading him away. This is not to say he will come cheap, because he won’t. Soria has a 2.15 career ERA and leads the American League with 25 saves in 2010. His K/9 ratio is outstanding (10.9 in 2010; 10.1 in his career), and he has yet to show any signs of slowing down. Of course, as with any reliever, you just don’t know when that brick wall will be hit; and, as is the case every year when August comes around, you have to factor in just how many games he will really be able to impact, and if that is worth the big price the Royals will command. As always, I will say no to that question because I hate trading for relief pitchers. But I also understand that this is an area of concern. The Royals can use just about anything, but would probably look hardest at the collection of young arms in the Yankees system if they started talking. So, start thinking again about shortstop Eduardo Nunez plus a selection from pitchers such as Ivan Nova, David Phelps, and Hector Noesi just to get to the bargaining table.

Octavio Dotel, RP, Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh has no use for him. The Yankees? Perhaps they would have a little more use for him. If you are just looking to catch lightning in a bottle and have a disposable prospect to dump, Dotel could be intriguing for a few months. Pittsburgh seems to like the Yankees farm system, so finding a match would likely be easy. Dotel is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA in 37 games this year. He has maintained his usually insane strikeout rate (42 in 36 innings pitched), but has also continued his high walk trend (4.3 per nine this season, which is down from his 5.2 last year; but still high).

Kerry Wood, RP, Cleveland - Recently placed back on the disabled list. Would be another “let’s hope he can stay healthy for a few months and help us” type of move, but he has been injured twice this year and hasn’t been all that effective when healthy. With his latest trip to the DL, an absolute pass in my book.

Ted Lilly, SP, Cubs – With the Cubs in selling mode and Andy Pettitte gone for a while, Ted Lilly could become an intriguing possibility. Especially with AJ Burnett having a rough season and Phil Hughes’ innings limit. Lilly has pitched fairly well for the Cubs this season, albeit with reduced velocity. He is 3-8, but with a respectable 4.08 ERA and 108 ERA+. In 104 innings, he has allowed 92 hits while walking 25 and striking out 75. Lilly has had productive seasons in the American League (but he did have his best stuff then; he doesn’t really have that now). Starting pitchers like Lilly usually command a decent prospect package, and I wouldn’t expect the Yankees to get off easily if they attempted to get him. He would be strictly an insurance policy, but a fairly strong insurance policy. The Cubs would probably look for young arms in return (they already have a big shortstop prospect), and the Yankees could probably dig up a few middle-of-the-road prospects to intrigue the Cubs. Again, the Yankees would probably love having a healthy Bleich around for this type of move.

Ricky Nolasco, SP, Florida - The first thing that jumps out at you is the strikeout rate – the guy can strike hitters out with the best of them. But the results otherwise have been very uneven. More than just a rental as he is still a young pitcher, Nolasco struck out more than one batter an inning as a starting pitcher in 2009, putting up a 9.5 number. He also posted a strong 4.43 K/BB ratio. Yet, he was just 13-9 with a 5.06 ERA. His FIP, however, was a very healthy 3.35. This season, he is 9-7 with a 4.66 ERA; while his K rate has fallen, his walk rate has fallen at the same rate. Hence, his K/BB ratio remains at 4.43. His FIP has climbed to 4.22. He is a fly ball pitcher, but I don’t mind that type of pitcher if he limits the walks and gets a lot of strikeouts; Nolasco provides both. That said, the cost for a pitcher on the good side of 30 who has shown the potential to be a good major league pitcher is going to be quite high, and should be quite high. And although I don’t advocate going too far with the “He hasn’t pitched in the American League!” stuff, I do think it should be on the list of considerations when looking at a trade like this. Nolasco could easily be a swingman for the rest of 2010, allowing Phil Hughes to slow down his inning rate while also filling in for Andy Pettitte while he is out. Not a bad pitcher to look at; but I cringe at what Florida may ask for in exchange for a talented, but wildly inconsistent, young power arm.

With Joe Girardi’s announcement that Andy is heading to the disabled list and Brian Cashman announcing it may be at least 3-4 weeks, the Yankees will need to come up with a starting pitcher for at least the next three turns around the rotation.

The first roster move will probably involve Andy going to the DL, with Sergio Mitre coming off of it.

Mitre will get the first crack on Saturday – but the biggest issue with him (other than the fact that he hasn’t been all that good starting) is that he wasn’t used in his rehab as a pitcher coming back to start. In four rehab games, he threw a total of nine innings…this is not what you do with a pitcher you are planning to start. So, it looks like a 3-4 inning outing at most for him this Saturday; and we shouldn’t play the “Royals card” – they are a free swinging bunch, but thus far in 2010, those free swings have resulted in plenty of hits.

Chad Gaudin and Dustin Moseley are two other pitchers on the current roster who could make the transition. Moseley is a sinker/slider type – which usually translates to “He has no fastball, and prays that hitters drill 500 MPH ground balls right at fielders”. You know, like Sidney Ponson. In three appearances for the Yankees, he has a 7.50 ERA and hasn’t shown very much ability to fool hitters. Gaudin, on the other hand, does show the ability to fool hitters…the problem is, he can’t fool them consistently enough to be reliable. He has 38 strikeouts in 38.2 innings this season and an impressive 7.1 career rate…but he walks too many hitters and allows too many home runs to be reliable. He has allowed 10 home runs and 15 walks in 38.2 innings – you can average two strikeouts per inning and still not get by with those rates.

A list of those who may get a shot from the minors. As long as we don’t hear names like Tim Redding and Kei Igawa come up in conversation, we should be fairly confident in the selection of pitchers they’ll have to choose from: I realize that at the end of the day, the Yankees are more likely to go with veteran pitchers than untested rookies…but I am trying to live in a universe where perhaps that won’t happen.

Ivan Nova pitched three low leverage innings for the Yankees earlier this season, and has pitched well for Scranton this year. The sinker-baller with nastier stuff than Moseley (he can actually touch the mid-90s with his sinking fastball, which is not easy to do; he sits in the 91-93 range though) is 7-2 with a 3.21 ERA in 17 starts for Scranton this season. In 103.2 innings, he has allowed 101 hits while walking 40 and striking out 78. Nova has a 54% ground ball rate and his FIP sits at 3.93 on the season. He also hasn’t quite yet perfected his secondary pitches, which major league hitters would probably catch onto eventually, but this is not a permanent solution. I don’t see star written all over Nova, but he can be a very capable major league pitcher and could be a nice fill in for a few weeks.

David Phelps arrived in the organization out of college in 2008…and has been pretty much untouchable since then. Between two levels this year (Trenton/Scranton), the right-hander is 7-1 with a 2.04 ERA in 17 starts. In 106 innings, he has allowed 84 hits while walking 23 and striking out 103. He has only allowed two home runs all season. In his career, he has put up a 28-7 record in 58 starts with an ERA of 2.35. He has allowed 1.97 walks per nine innings while striking out 7.57. So you would expect his scouting report to read like Roger Clemens’ or someone in that cloth; but it doesn’t. He has a low-90s sinking fastball with a very good slider. He also has no fear using his changeup and curve, both of which are quality offerings. He pretty much mixes and matches hitters to death, trying to generate grounders while maintaining a higher than you would expect strikeout rate. My first impressions when reading about Phelps was that he may be another Aceves type – throws a good variety of pitches, all of which are just above major league average. But Phelps is showing that perhaps he can be a bit more than that. I would be all for the Yankees giving him a shot; but they would be throwing him into the fire, no doubt.

Hector Noesi is still in Double-A, and the Yankees aren’t exactly known for jumping players to the majors from Double-A. But he has to be opening eyes, regardless. Noesi has been brilliant this season, putting up an 11-3 record between Tampa and Trenton with an ERA of 2.14. In 105 innings, he has allowed 83 hits while walking 17 and striking out 108. Those numbers are pretty darn filthy. Noesi is 21-10 with a 2.78 ERA in 68 minor league games (50 starts). Over 297.2 innings, he has allowed 252 hits while walking 51 and striking out 303. (BB/9: 1.5; K/9: 9.2; K-BB; 5.94). Noesi is 23 years old, and does have a black mark on his record: Suspended a few years ago for 60 days due to violating the minor league drug policy. Hopefully, he has learned and cleaned up his act since then.

As a prospect, Noesi is a bit of a late-bloomer. Never really seen as anything big, he suddenly gained some command of his curveball/changeup combination to go along with his low-90s fastball. The Yankees protected him (which was a little bit surprising given the undeveloped nature of his stuff enterting 2010) from the Rule 5 draft, so he is on the 40-man roster. I thought Noesi, with his above average command of a few good pitches, would be a prime bullpen candidate; but I have read scouting reports that Noesi actually gets better as games go on, as opposed to mowing hitters down early in games. That could change if he was given bullpen duty, but he has no experience doing that. He is a longshot to get the call now; but he sure has put himself on the prospect map.

ESPN-NY’s Andrew Marchand on the status of Joba Chamberlain:

While this weekend will be a celebration of what George Steinbrenner accomplished, it very well could be a tipping point about what Joba Chamberlain hasn’t.

Chamberlain’s role as the eighth-inning man and, quite possibly, his Yankees future are on the clock. The Yankees will not let Chamberlain’s inconsistency prevent them from making the playoffs or winning a championship.

The Yankees are already looking at what is out there in terms of bullpen help. It is the key area of focus for GM Brian Cashman heading into the July 31 trade deadline.

The question is: Will Cashman bring in relievers to complement Chamberlain or replace him? The BTR (Bridge To Rivera) has been unsteady all season, making this the biggest on-field issue facing the team.

After Chamberlain’s latest breakdown, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he would put Chamberlain out there again, but Girardi — who tries to reveal as little as possible to the media — didn’t seem very emphatic.

snip

But the near-deal [for Cliff Lee] exposed other feelings, even if the Yankees would never admit them publicly. It showed they aren’t completely comfortable with A.J. Burnett. It demonstrated they could put All-Star starter Phil Hughes into the bullpen eventually. It also indicated they weren’t opposed to spinning Vazquez off, perhaps in a trade for relievers.

But Lee is in Texas , which makes looking internally for any bullpen help a lot more painful. This leaves it up to Chamberlain to show he can handle the eighth.

The big games begin this weekend against the Tampa Rays. Chamberlain will either show he belongs or be shown the door.

Marchand is asking the right questions but coming to some strange conclusions.

Joba has been inconsistent and certainly his performance has paled in comparison to what we’ve come to expect from Joba out of the bullpen.

And yet, there sit the Yankees with the best record in baseball.

That doesn’t excuse Joba’s performance. I certainly would have some trepidation bringning him into a tight game in the playoffs. I think most people would.

So, the question remains: should the Yankees trade for relief pitching or try to solve the problem internally?

Marchand makes this question confusing with this odd statement:

But Lee is in Texas, which makes looking internally for any bullpen help a lot more painful. This leaves it up to Chamberlain to show he can handle the eighth.

First, the obvious: when was it up to anyone but Joba to “show he can handle the eighth?” Was David Robertson going to do it for him? Girardi? Mo?

Second, Lee going to Texas has nothing to do with the Yankees bullpen issues. There were no potential relievers suposedly heading to the Mariners and, if there were, they would still be available to the Yankees since the deal didn’t happen. Lee pitching for the Rangers has little impact on the Yankees unless they meet in the playoffs.

Marchand is picking his pieces for odd conclusions while ignoring Cashman’s directives. Cashman would have traded some of the farm for Lee because Cliff Lee can be a difference maker. Lee could pitch alongside Sabathia and create a devasting one-two punch that would likely get the Yankees into the postseason and give them a great advantage in the playoffs.

Cashman would be much less inclined to give up anything of consequence for a relief pitcher. If there are options available at reasonable costs, he might jump in, but you won’t be seeing a Montero or Nunez type moving to pick up an extra reliever.

And why would “looking internally for any bullpen help” be “a lot more painful?” The Yankees have built their entire bullpen over the last few seasons on minor league pitchers or guys picked up in minor trades. Jonathan Albaladejo has been lights out for AAA Scranton this season, leaving one to wonder what exactly is thaking the Yankees so long to bring him up.

All that remains is what to do with Joba. He still has options which means he could be demoted to AAA to work on his mechanics. There could be some concern as to whether that move would truly benefit him as AAA hitters may be more prone to chasing Joba’s bad command. That would make Joba appear to be more successful that he actually would be.

The better approach would be to simply get Joba out of the higher leverage situations and throw him in earlier innings or in blowout games. At least that wasy the damage could be minimized.

My concern is that Joba’s issues are not confidence but mechanical. I don’t see how limiting his usage with little instruction can help him become a better pitcher. He doesn’t strike you as the greatest athlete in the world and in pitching, the most important aspect of your craft is the ability to repeat your mechanics. From the fluctuating speed of Joba’s fastball, it’s obvious that he isn’t finding his mechanics every time he goes out there. I don’t know how that can be fixed when he needs to be able to pitch almost every single day and, when he’s not available to pitch, he can’t throw on the sidelines either.

At some point, Joba needs to be deconstructed and built back up again. That sounds like a spring training move to me or possibly a starting stint after next spring in AAA. Joba needs to focus on doing everything right every time and he needs someone to make him do it.

Trading Joba at this point would probably yield the least return for his value. Given that he isn’t making a tremendous amount of money, it makes little sense to cut bait on a pitcher of Joba’s potential when he’s making less than $500,000 for the season. They won’t get anything with his possible upside in return so they’re better off hoping that Joba, like so many other pitchers in the past, will find his stride as he matures and learns how to pitch.

Sad news today as George Steinbrenner, long time owner of the Yankees, has passed away at the age of 80.

The following is a profile about George Steinbrenner written for Bill James Online in November of 2008, shortly after The Boss relinquished his managing partner duties of the New York Yankees.

The unofficial became official: George Steinbrenner is no longer the managing partner of the New York Yankees. On Thursday, Major League Baseball approved his son, Hal Steinbrenner, as the new managing partner. It is the end of an era, or error depending on your perspective.

Labeling Steinbrenner a controversial figure is a bit simplistic. The Boss practically invented the stereotype of megalomaniac owner. His words were harsh, his actions nonsensical, and his desire to win everything sports or otherwise became his ultimate tragic flaw. Steinbrenner stormed through life on a near constant warpath, the slightest whiff of defeat sending him close to the edge. He brought a football mentality to the front office of baseball, having spent a few years as an assistant football coach. It was that football mentality that seemed to drive George, whether the sport or situation were appropriate or not.

With the torched passed to his sons, it seems an appropriate time to put George Steinbrenner’s impact on the sport of baseball into some kind of perspective. This breaks down into The Tale of Two George’s: George the Fellow Baseball Owner and George the Managing Partner of the New York Yankees.

George the Fellow Baseball Owner opened a lot of financial doors. He was the first owner to fully embrace the free agent market, snapping up Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Goose Gossage to expensive contracts, quickly putting his financial advantage to use. Beyond free agents, Steinbrenner was the first to sell his team’s TV rights to a local cable company, signing a contract with MSG in 1988 that earned the team $40 million a year to broadcast one hundred plus games a season. When the relationship broke down in 2001, Steinbrenner started the YES Network, creating even more television revenue for the team. In 1997, he signed an exclusive 10 year $97 million deal with Adidas for licensed apparel.

The team-owned regional sports network is practically a given in today’s market, especially if you have an chance of competing financially with a team like the Yankees. It was a major step of Steinbrenner’s ultimate goal: making the Yankees the most widely recognized sports brand he possibly could.

As George the Fellow Baseball Owner, it’s hard to find fault in what The Boss has achieved. He changed the financial landscape of the sport by showing other owners where they can make more money. In turn, that increased revenue and created greater financial opportunities for the players, which Steinbrenner was then poised to take advantage.

George the Managing Partner held philosophies that were strikingly similar: put up the money for a high priced asset and reap the financial benefits, or in the baseball sense, World Championships. George the Managing Partner discovered early success with this approach, pulling the team out of the gutter, buying some free agents, and taking home two World Series in 1977 and 1978. Such high rewards only confirmed in George that buying the best meant succeeding the most and the modern Yankee stereotype was born.

The egotistical sense of control filtered down through all the hires and fires of GM’s and managers. In what world does it make sense to hire and fire a manager such as Billy Martin five times? What makes Martin unfit the first or second time, but suddenly the right man the fifth time? George ruled the Yankees with an iron fist, creating a dense fear of what spontaneous lunacy might come from him next.

I personally have many mixed feelings about Steinbrenner. It’s difficult to look at some of the things he has done in his life, outside of spending lots of money on players, and see a good person. He was indicted on 14 criminal charges in 1974 regarding illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon and obstruction of justice. Baseball later suspended him for 15 months and he was reinstated in 1976. In 1990, Fay Vincent banned him for life for paying Howard Spira $40,000 to find incriminating facts against Dave Winfield after Winfield sued George for unpaid charitable contributions. That ban was eventually lifted in 1993.

Neither of these actions are very admirable, but they also highlight a major point of Steinbrenner the Managing Partner: the two major championship eras of Steinbrenner’s tenure were both preceded by Steinbrenner’s absence. The Yankees were a better run team when The Boss wasn’t there.

Steinbrenner was reinstated in 1976, the first year any of his teams reached the World Series. Granted, in the off-season they picked up Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter, but that accounted for only three more wins than 1976, their OPS+ going up five points, their ERA+ only 1. The foundation of the team was mostly put together in Steinbrenner’s absence.

Same thing in 1993. By most accounts, Steinbrenner returned to the Yankees but left most of the management to GM Gene Michael and manager Buck Showalter. The team finished in second place in 1993 with the third best record in the league, but then held the best record in the American League when the strike hit in 1994. They then went on a streak of 13 straight postseason appearances.

Is it coincidence that both championship runs during Steinbrenner’s tenure were built in his absence? Probably not. The lack of postseason success despite such a large payroll over the last six seasons may shed some light on the subject. Brian Cashman’s struggles to get control of the team away from Steinbrenner’s Tampa based advisers is also enlightening.

I can’t say I blame the guy, though. Like any fan, I’ve always dreamed what it would be like to own my favorite team. What if one day I got an email from some relative of a deposed Kenyan king who desperately needed an account to put their extra three billion dollars? What if I took that Kenyan money, which in American dollars sadly became only $2 billion, and bought the Yankees? Would I insist they run at a more reasonable payroll? Would I pump as much revenue as I could back into the players? Where would I draw the line on providing for the team that I love?

I would hope I would be somewhere in the middle, trying to build a good farm system while using free agency to fill in the gaps that the minors couldn’t. That’s all wishful thinking. The fact is, I admire Steinbrenner for putting the team before his finances. I admire that he was less concerned with lining his pockets than putting as good a team on the field as he could, however misguided the process may have been. It’s easy to look at his mistakes in life and in baseball and paint him as a selfish man, but that would be misunderstanding his intentions. The only thing Steinbrenner ever seemed to want was success and success in George’s eyes wasn’t measured by the almighty dollar. The dollar was a resource to achieve success, not a measure of happiness.

That doesn’t excuse his mistakes nor should it create any sympathy in the hearts of other baseball fans. But in an economy of car manufacturers with their hands out and the presidents of Enron and Wachovia bilking their employees for all that they’re worth, Steinbrenner took the road less greedy.

Firing a manager didn’t mean that person didn’t have a job if they didn’t want. The Boss rarely kicked people to the curb. He routinely gave second and third chances to players like Dwight Gooden, Steve Howe, and Daryl Strawberry, acknowledging their addictions and lending sympathy to their plights. This is not a man that we can honestly say is not charitable.

Maybe George didn’t always do the smartest things. Maybe his approach to running a team was more pig-headed than logical. One gets the feeling that in George Steinbrenner, there is an unselfish man blinded by his own brash ambition, a man who wanted to be successful no matter what the financial cost to him.

That doesn’t make him a good person, but I think I understand.

Whoops indeed:

Congratulations were in order for Michael Young after Joe Girardi named him to the American League All-Star team on Monday morning.

Congratulations, though, quickly turned into apologies as MLB officials informed the Texas Rangers third baseman that he wasn’t actually an All-Star and that he shouldn’t get on a plane to spell Boston’s Adrian Beltre.

Whoops.

In a confusing little case that ended almost as quickly as it began, Young was named to the All-Star team when AL manager Joe Girardi announced at a press conference that he’d be replacing Beltre, who injured his hamstring on Sunday.

But that came as news to Beltre and the Red Sox and Rangers beat reporters, who hadn’t been told of the plan. After a little bit of sleuthing, it turned out that Girardi spoke too soon, because Beltre hadn’t officially ruled himself out of the game.

Something here sounds very… familiar…

OAKLAND – Robinson Cano won’t have to worry about a Home Run Derby hangover after all.

Cano agreed to withdraw from the event following a conversation with Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman before Wednesday night’s game, not wanting to take any chances with the minor back injury that has bothered the Yankees’ second baseman since Sunday.

The Daily News first reported on its website Wednesday that Cano would withdraw from the Home Run Derby due to the back injury, but when he arrived at the Oakland Coliseum, the second baseman said he still planned to take part in the event.

“As far as I know, I’m doing it,” Cano said. “I saw on the computer that I’m not going to the Derby, but nobody has talked to me yet.”

That conversation took place about two hours later, as Cano was summoned into Girardi’s office. With Cashman on the phone, Cano was informed that team trainer Gene Monahan had expressed his concern over Cano participating in the Home Run Derby, prompting the team’s decision to pull him from the event.

“They spoke to me, so now I know what’s going on,” Cano said. “It was our trainer’s decision. He’s been here for a long time and he knows better than me what’s best for me and for the team. I agree with him.”

Cano admitted that the lack of communication earlier in the day bothered him.

“To be honest, I was upset,” Cano said. “I came in and (reporters) were talking to me when I didn’t know what was going on.”

Before he met with Girardi, Cano said he still hoped to participate in the Derby on Monday and that his back doesn’t bother him when he swings the bat.

“Why not? First time in your career, go out there and have fun,” Cano said. “That’s the kind of thing that might happen once in your life. I take BP every day, so it’s not going to be a big deal.”

(H/T to Zoolander in the Google Group for the Beltre article)

From the beginning of spring training in 2009, Joe Girardi set out to correct the mistakes he made in 2008, and not just missing the playoffs.

Girardi was a notoriously bad communicator in 2008. The clubhouse was constantly spinning with contradictions as players were reporting injuries that Girardi was downplaying or outright denying. It seemed as if there was little to no communication coming from the managers office.

That seemed to change in 2009 as Girardi worked hard to be a better communicator toward the press and to his players. He even went so far as to incorporate a team building exercise in the form of skipping practice for billiards.

For the most part, Girardi has been successful at running a tighter ship than before and in truth, the Cano situation could have been more due to a chatty coaching staff than Girardi neglecting to talk to Cano in a timely manner. Maybe that led to Girardi jumping the gun a bit in the Beltre scenario without ever talking to the player or, gosh, maybe the Red Sox first?

It’s interesting. The Yankees under Torre and Cashman ran a pretty tight ship. Rarely did you ever hear about these types of miscommunications from the clubhouse and Cashman certainly plays his office extremely close to his chest. Torre, diligent manager that he wasn’t, probably had a little more free time on his hands than Girardi. But Torre understood how important the lines of communication were in his clubhouse.

Girardi is getting there. It’s just taking him a little bit longer. Now, if we can address his use of the bullpen we can Really make some progress.

As you all have probably heard by now, the Yankees are close to acquiring Cliff Lee for multiple prospects, including their very best hitting prospect (Jesus Montero) and an advanced second base prospect (David Adams).

In Montero, the Yankees would be giving up their most advanced minor league bat in quite some time.    As much of a prospect as Jose Tabata was at one time within the organization, he was never as advanced as Montero.   We could go back to the days of Ruben Rivera (flop) and Nick Johnson (who could have been HOF caliber if not for all of the injuries he’s endured).

Montero was a hyped prospect before he even reached the states, the biggest prize in the 2006 international free agent signing period.   While many young, international studs fizzle not long after signing big contracts, Montero didn’t.    In the Gulf Coast League, he hit .280/.366/.421 in his first 127 professional at-bats.  And that was just a taste of things to come, as his OPS jumped to .868 in 2008 for Charleston and .951 in two stops (Tampa/Trenton) in 2009 before going down late in the season with an injury.    He started off slow in 2010, but has picked it up lately and may be on the verge of yet another offensive explosion.  To be exact, I’d almost guarantee that an offensive explosion is likely coming. (It wouldn’t hurt that he would be moving to Tacoma…who play in the ultra-hitter friendly Pacific Coast League)

Why the Yankees can include him in such a trade:   Montero, by most accounts, is not very good behind the plate.    Also, even if he was decent behind the plate, the Yankees do have another strong catching prospect in the upper minors (Austin Romine in Trenton) with projectable guys behind him (JR Murphy in Charelston; Gary Sanchez in the Gulf Coast League).    Teams love to trade from a position of strength, and Montero represents that.

Why they shouldn’t have included him in a trade:   Montero, by most accounts, is going to be an impact bat in the major leagues.  Nothing in life is guaranteed, especially when it comes to baseball prospects, but Montero is about as close to a sure thing as you are going to find in the minor leagues.  He has no obvious weakness as an offensive player.   With the major league roster aging a bit, a young bat like Montero could have breathed some life into an aging lineup as early as 2011. —– David Adams would get lost in any trade involving Jesus Montero, but he really shouldn’t be.    Adams, a third-round pick in the 2008 draft, has done nothing but hit since joining the organization..and shows signs that he could someday be an impact major leaguer. Adams didn’t do all that much upon arriving in Staten Island in 2008.   He put up a .257/.350/.393 line with 19 doubles in 257 at-bats.   I bring up the doubles because that is where David Adams will begin to become very intriguing. In 2009, Adams hit .286/.373/.443 in two stops (Charleston/Tampa) with 40 doubles in 490 at-bats.  Coupled with the eight triples and nine home runs, Adams suddenly become a legit power prospect from a middle infield position.    One of the things people like to look at in a minor league career is doubles…because as a player fills out or becomes more comfortable hitting professional pitching, sometimes some of those doubles convert into home runs over time.   So far, in 2010, Adams has produced 15 more doubles in 152 at-bats.   He is currently on the disabled list with an ankle injury, but it seems doubtful it will hold up this type of trade.

Why the Yankees can include him:   Believe it or not, middle infield is suddenly becoming a bit of a strength.  In Triple-A, Eduardo Nunez has continued to build on his breakout 2009 season in Trenton.     Down in Tampa, Corban Joseph is pushing to be promoted in his own right.   Joseph has put up a .315/.386/.460 line at the age of 21 in a league that is commonly thought of as being more pitcher friendly than hitter friendly.  As a left-handed bat, he’d probably have more future value in the Yankees’ mind given their home ballpark.    Joseph, drafted in the 4th round in that same 2008 draft, has shown to be a prospect who may be, at the very least, on the same level as Adams.    Deeper down in the system, Anderson Felix is currently a bit overshadowed by the Gary Sanchez show in the GCL, but should not be overlooked as a potential prospect as he moves up the chain.   Speedy Jimmy Paredes is a bit overlooked as a prospect, but he shouldn’t be – the shortstop has held his own in Charleston this year.

Why they shouldn’t have included him:  There really isn’t much of a reason to not include Adams.  He doesn’t project to play anywhere other than second base, and Robinson Cano already holds the fort there in the Yankees’ organization.    Adams is a solid prospect who may someday be an above-average major league second baseman…but that was not likely going to happen with the Yankees anyway, given the blocking issues that they have. Corban Joseph can easily move right into his slot as a second base prospect.

Mark Feinsand:

OAKLAND – Robinson Cano broke out a “Get Off My Mound” T-shirt in the visiting trainer’s room before Monday night’s game, causing an eruption of laughter inside the Yankees’ clubhouse.

Even Alex Rodriguez laughed at the shirt, which is being sold in the A’s team store, a nod to Dallas Braden’s famous words for A-Rod after he crossed over the mound on his way back to first base during the Yankees’ visit to Oakland on April 22.

“I hope I get a cut,” Rodriguez told reporters.

Braden echoed the same sentiment when questioned by reporters, but the mouthy pitcher quickly added that if it were up to him, the shirts wouldn’t be at souvenir stands, calling the idea a “suicide request” by the A’s.

According to Braden, the A’s marketing department went to the MLBPA to get the shirt approved, but was not given the go-ahead to license it. As a result, the shirt doesn’t have Braden’s name, face or uniform number on it, though it does include a silhouette of him delivering a pitch.

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“It’s just not cool,” said Braden, who pitched a perfect game against the Rays on May 9. “It’s just a serious, gross lack of tact. At the end of the day, I hope I do not become associated with that kind of approach.”

I wonder what approach would be good for Braden?

The A’s, who are drawing terribly at the box office, are looking to make a buck wherever they can. If Braden looks at this as a negative reflection on him, he should consider where the quote came from in the first place.

I guess his contention is that this type of attitude is okay on the baseball field but not on a t-shirt?

I think Dallas Braden is trying to grow up a bit. The problem is, part of growing up is learning when to keep your mouth shut. He opened it on the field that day and created this mini-phenomenon which has probably done his reputation more harm than good. Now he’s openly complaining about his teams attempts to make money on the incident and, by association, his perfect game.

Laugh it off, Dallas. If you’re lucky, your fifteen minutes of fame will extend to an hour or so.

A buddy of mine texted me yesterday. He’s a Tampa Bay Rays fan (yes they actually exist outside of Florida) and the All-Star rosters were already setting him off.

His text:

If Rivera is an All-Star, then Soriano deserves to be one too.

Probably. There’s lots of guys that deserve to be All-Stars and Rafael Soriano is one of them. I’m not sure ARod deserves to be one, but whatever. Girardi has his own internal politics to deal with and I’m sure ARod will be happier for ten more minutes for having received the recognition.

The greater question I had for my Rays friend was why a man who is in his late thirties cares about such things? I remember looking forward to the All-Star game when I was a kid. I wanted to see guys from my team get into a contest with the greatest players in the game and do well.

A single? Fantastic.

A double? Oh boy!

A home run? This ten year old ain’t sleeping tonight!

That’s the thing, though. I was ten. Pre-teen. Didn’t even have a learner’s permit to drive a car, never mind the ability to put the world in some logical perspective.

There is barely an election in politics these days that doesn’t come with some kind of controversy, shocking considering we’ve been electing people biannually for the last two hundred and thirty years. Do you really expect Major League Baseball to get something as convoluted at the All-Star Game one hundred percent correct?

Doubtful. Becoming an All Star is a notch below receiving a Gold Glove, an award that is supposed to award the greatest defenders in the game but more often than not picks the perceived All Star at each position.

Sure, it seems useful to look back over a player’s career and see they made the All Star game ten times. They must have been the best player at their position for those ten years. Amazing.

We all know that’s not true, though. See ARod and Derek Jeter this year. See Cal Ripken Jr. the last few years of his career. Being an All Star isn’t a judge of anything except who made the All Star game that year.

Unless you’re ten years old and still believe in the power of the higher authority, what value does the All Star game have? Is deciding the home field advantage for the World Series enough to make people actually care?

Maybe, although the good people of Kansas City probably don’t use that as motivation. The All Star game should be what it is: an exhibition game where people can just enjoy baseball for what it is.

Instead of trying to make the game more meaningful, maybe baseball should use the All Star game to make the game more fun. Take away the home field advantage nonsense and loosen things up a bit.

One of the better moments of recent All Star games was when Randy Johnson intentionally threw behind a nervous John Kruk. Why? Because the players showed personality, a trait we rarely see in the game unless it’s wrapped in fist pump show boating that rubs some people the wrong way.

Bring the the players personality into the game. Mount a microphone at home plate and the mound. Let the players talk to each other, taunt a bit. Let the pitcher warn the batter that the heat is coming and build some anticipation. Take the seriousness out of the game and let the fans get a look at the people who play the game.

And one side benefit to taking the seriousness out? The game will go quicker because batters won’t step out and pitchers won’t march around the mound for five minutes before delivering.

The All Star game could also be a place for MLB to try out some things like instant replay. They could road test some ideas, whether they be rules to speed up the game or new tech like instant replay to put them in practice and see how these things work. It’s only one game but it will certainly receive some media scrutiny and may make some extra people want to watch.

Will any of this make the All Star game better? Maybe. Maybe not. But it would make it more watchable and probably more fun which makes perfect sense for an exhibition game.