Within this story out of St. Louis -- which addresses some of the holes developing in the Cardinals' roster -- Joe Strauss writes that the Mets are a leading contender for second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.
Labels: birds on bat
Though Jeter has the right, of course, to refuse any position switch, the most fascinating question is would he have dared say no if asked to move now? By relocating Jeter to center and sliding Rodriguez back to shortstop, you could argue the Yankees improve two positions at once. They could shop for a third baseman rather than settle for some mediocre centerfielder or overpay Johnny Damon in a panic.
But it ain't happening. And now what?
Because all this is supposedly make-believe, anyway, Jeter should gild his name even more by calling Reuters to say - wink, wink - he'd embrace a move to center.
Anything to help the ol' team. [newsday]
Labels: team a-rod, yanquis
The Yankees, in the market for a solid defensive centerfielder, did some defending of their own Tuesday, as team officials spent the day insisting they have never discussed the possibility of moving Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez to the outfield next season.
It all came about because manager Joe Torre was quoted to the contrary in a Reuters story late Monday, saying, "we've thought about it," and, "it certainly is a consideration." But Torre said through a team spokesman Tuesday that his quotes were misinterpreted, saying they were a part of a casual conversation about a hypothetical situation.
"I can tell you there's no truth to it," general manager Brian Cashman said. "It's not being discussed. It hasn't been part of any organization meetings we've had." [newsday]
Labels: yanquis
oe Torre said in an interview with Reuters yesterday that the Bombers have considered the possibility of moving Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez to center field to fill the hole vacated by Bernie Williams.
"We've thought about it," Torre told the international wire service. "We just haven't made a commitment to that. We haven't broached it with the shortstops."
His use of the plural in that sentence is noteworthy, since A-Rod was once considered the best shortstop in the game but moved to third base to facilitate a trade from the Rangers to the Bronx, deferring to Jeter as the incumbent shortstop.
Now, it's possible that one or both could be moving again; Rodriguez could be shifted to center or, if Jeter became the center fielder, A-Rod could slide back over and take over shortstop. GM Brian Cashman didn't return a phone call late last night, but Torre pointed out that such a move wouldn't be unique.
"That's happened before, hasn't it?" Torre told Reuters. "Bobby Murcer, Mickey Mantle. Hank Aaron came up as a second baseman. Robin Yount went to center field. It certainly is a consideration."
Speculation about Jeter making a move to the outfield isn't new and, if one of the players were to move he'd be the more likely candidate. Even before A-Rod arrived in New York there had always been a small segment of the Yankee population proposing that the captain's ability to read the ball off the bat and his uncanny ability to go back and catch fly balls over his shoulder made him a natural candidate to finish his career as an outfielder. [daily news]
The notorious photograph shows the ballplayer, a popular member of the exalted Red Sox, sitting in a chair and looking straight at the camera, beer in hand and a half smirk across his face. He's wearing street clothes and, judging by the bunk beds in the background, appears to be in a college dorm room. The girl—a pretty, bronzed, dirty-blond 19-year-old Northeastern freshman—is on his lap, her legs draped across his body. She has on jeans and a tight, lacy, plunging black tank top. Her smile is confident, enticing. There's no freaking out about hanging with a Red Sox player, not from her. She
looks like she does this every day, like this is soooo not a big deal. Like she's in control. And perhaps she was, at least until she went and posted the photo on the Internet.
Labels: boys behaving badly
B.J. Ryan, a hard-throwing lefty closer whom the Yankees and Mets inquired about early on in free agency, signed a five-year, $47 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last night, the Daily News has learned.
Ryan, 29, had 36 saves in 41 attempts for the Orioles last season and had been pursued by the Indians, Tigers and Red Sox. The Mets and the Phillies viewed him as a fallback in case they could not sign Billy Wagner and the Yankees hoped they could convince him to set up for Mariano Rivera.
The $47 million is the most total money ever paid to a relief pitcher. [daily news]
Labels: yanquis
Apparently the Marlins offers to the Yankees (all declined) were as follows:
NYY: Wang + Cano for FLA: Beckett + Lowell
NYY: Wang + Duncan + B prospect for FLA: Beckett + Lowell
NYY: Wang + Cano + Duncan + B prospect for FLA: Beckett + Lowell + Luis Castillo + Juan Pierre
It seems Brian Cashman was serious when he stated he wouldn't trade Cano, Wang, Duncan or Hughes and also that he had no interest in Juan Pierre.
Now the Red Sox are moving close to a first big strike, with the impending acquisition of Josh Beckett, and we are accustomed to seeing the Yankees hammering away in response. However, what the Yankees might do is bite the bullet, instead of firing back.
Sure, the Yankees would love to sign B.J. Ryan to be a set-up man, but don't have any real hope that is going to happen. They'd love to add Brian Giles to their outfield, but they're fully aware he could sign someplace else. But in this first winter since the organization has rededicated itself to the philosophy of developing and even keeping prospects -- an approach that led to the dynasty of 1996-2001 -- the Yankees might make only marginal changes. "There is a perception that things haven't gone our way this offseason," Brian Cashman said Tuesday morning. "But everything that's happened so far is not unexpected to me."
Labels: yanquis
Sportswriters have a talent for casting nearly everything that happens in sports in the form of a morality play, loaded with stock characters. There are anointed golden boys who stand beyond reproach, and “scrappy” athletes who represent “heart” and “knowing how to win.” (If baseball were Hollywood—or “Los Angeles of Hollywood,” in Angels-speak—Derek Jeter and David Eckstein would be more typecast than Bela Lugosi in an Ed Wood film.)
And because any recycled storyline needs an anti-hero, Rodriguez has been thrust into that part time and again. Subject to much fawning coverage and given an inane nickname for the ages early in his career, Rodriguez saw his image change quickly when he left the Seattle Mariners for a massive contract from the Texas Rangers after the 2000 season. The Mariners would soon become the matinee idols of countless sports pages as they continued to win, while Rodriguez might as well have grown a handlebar mustache to twirl as the Rangers—due mostly to an inept pitching staff—made no improvement.
But Rodriguez didn’t add the horns and tail to his wardrobe until the Rangers traded him to the Yankees after 2003. Not only did the Rangers improve (thanks largely to an influx of young talent), but the Yankees didn’t win the championships that so many in the press perceived to be their sovereign property. Rodriguez made a convenient scapegoat. [David Damiani]
Labels: team a-rod, yanquis
Joe Torre has made recruiting calls to free agents before and he's doing it again this offseason as the Yankees pursue free agent outfielder Brian Giles.
Although Torre himself would not specifically identify to whom he had reached out, sources said Giles received a call from the Yankee manager and Giles' agent, Joe Bick, confirmed it.
...Torre, who was at the Stadium yesterday for Hideki Matsui's press conference, is said to be very much in favor of trying to sign Giles to fill the Yanks' hole in center field. Torre also has the support of several front-office talent evaluators, who believe Giles' lefty bat would be a perfect fit in the Yankee lineup (his patience could offset some of the Yanks' free-swingers). While Giles' prowess in center field remains a question - he has spent most of his career as a corner outfielder - the Bombers apparently are satisfied that he can handle the job and he has emerged as the team's first choice, sources said. [daily news]
Labels: yanquis
Like Torre and Cashman, Matsui needs New York and New York needs him. The Yankees are downsizing everywhere else, but they didn't hesitate to double Matsui's salary, to make him the highest-paid Japanese player in the majors. There are other outfielders who can drive in an average of 110 runs per season, but none that inspires corporate synergy on such a grand level.
A few months before luring Matsui from the Yomiuri Giants, the Yankees signed a working agreement with the Japanese club to exchange scouting information and minor league personnel. Spurred by Matsui's departure, four Japanese television networks signed broadcast deals to carry MLB games. George Steinbrenner has to love the vision of millions walking the streets of Tokyo in retro pinstripe jerseys.
Had Matsui left for, oh, Detroit, an entire cottage industry would have been bereft. The Yankees issue credentials for a minimum of 40 Japanese journalists for every home game. They follow Matsui year-round, importing the Yankee brand with every sound bite. They are a cordial, deferential crew that brings Matsui cakes on his birthday and hangs with him at sushi joints on the Lower East Side. When Matsui said, "My first desire was to play here (but) I did consider ... playing for other teams," there were an awful lot of people in the room who, like Torre, felt like rushing in for a hug. [lisa olson]
Labels: yanquis
Before they can fully address their glaring needs in center field and the bullpen, the Yankees had to take care of one of their own. They did that yesterday, agreeing to terms on a new contract with Hideki Matsui that will keep the Japanese superstar in the Bronx for the next four years and pay him $52 million, according to sources.
GM Brian Cashman and Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, put the finishing touches on the pact last night and Matsui is scheduled to have a press conference at the Stadium today. This contract makes him the highest-paid Japanese player in the game. [daily news]
The Yankees exercised their $1.5 million option on Tanyon Sturtze yesterday, though they are still actively searching for other bullpens options. Sturtze will figure into the Yanks' setup plans, but they have also had contact with the agents for lefties B.J. Ryan and Scott Eyre and righthanders Tom Gordon and Kyle Farnsworth. Gordon is seeking a three-year deal and the Yanks want to give him two; in their ideal scenario, he would re-sign and Ryan would join him to form a powerful tandem in front of Mariano Rivera.
Labels: yanquis
Yesterday, Bruce Levine reported that the Cubs are in the "final stages" of a trade for Marlins center fielder Juan Pierre.
This afternoon, I was able to get in touch with Bruce to obtain a little more info on the deal. It seems that the Marlins are still a little shaky on this deal; they're not sure whether to hold out and target top-tier prospects or to pull the trigger now just to dump Pierre's salary. [mlb trade rumors]
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was named National League Most Valuable Player this afternoon by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
The vote rewarded Pujols for unswerving consistency over Atlanta center fielder Andruw Jones' more prolific production numbers and Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee’s batting crown.
Pujols becomes the first Cardinal to win the award since center fielder Willie McGee in 1985.
Labels: birds on bat
Curiously, Rodriguez chose one of the best days of his professional life to moan that he could "win three World Series" and it wouldn't be enough to satisfy people.
Labels: team a-rod, yanquis
Labels: birds on bat
Alex Rodriguez may not yet have any World Series rings to show for his remarkable career, but the Yankees' third baseman picked up his second American League Most Valuable Player Award on Monday.
Rodriguez beat out David Ortiz, Boston's larger-than-life designated hitter, who finished a close second in the voting. Rodriguez earned 16 first-place votes and 331 points, while Ortiz received 11 first-place votes and 307 points.
..."This is an A-Rod day in New York," said George Steinbrenner. "I am very proud of Alex Rodriguez, and I am delighted for him and his family. A-Rod demonstrates the talent, hard work, and dedication of a true winner. On behalf of our devoted New York Yankee fans, I look forward to great things for many years from A-Rod as a Yankee."
Labels: team a-rod, yanquis
Reportedly, the Marlins' Juan Pierre might be dealt this winter. Apparently, it won't be to the Yankees.
At last week's GM meetings, the Marlins didn't approach the Yankees about Pierre — and the Bombers didn't inquire about him, a source said yesterday.
Despite the Yankees' pressing need for a good defensive center fielder, the source added that he didn't think the Yanks would go after Pierre when their negotiations with Hideki Matsui wrap up.
Another source added that the internal debate on whether to pursue Pierre had been kicked around for a long time, but there was absolutely nothing brewing at the moment.
Well-planted pinstripers say if YES execs decline to pick up their option on reporter Kimberly Jones' contract there is a very Yankeecentric replacement, Christa Robinson, waiting in the wings.
You may have already followed Robinson's exploits on YES' "Ultimate Road Trip" reality series. Before becoming a member of the "URT" cast, Robinson, 24, worked at YES.
Robinson grew up in Seattle. At the age of 9, according to her bio, she visited New York and knew right then the city, and the Yankees, were in her future.
Considering the way things have worked out so far for Robinson, she might want to consider playing the lottery on a regular basis.
Labels: yanquis
Tino Martinez might end up back with the Yankees after all.
Although the former Bombers first baseman hasn't yet decided if he'll continue playing, if he opts for retirement it's possible he could be hired by the Yanks in some off-the-field capacity.
GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that sort of opportunity was discussed after the Yanks declined Martinez's option for next season, but said it was not something that had been explored in depth.
"It came up briefly," Cashman said, likening Martinez's character to revered former Yankee outfielder Paul O'Neill . "He's a guy that's one of those who rarely come along. If you can try to keep them involved, it's always a good thing." [daily news]
Labels: yanquis
It's important to touch on a few now before this gets out of hand, before the Yankees acquire Bradley to patrol the ground made hallowed by Bernie Williams and before him, Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Earle Combs.
Among other very bad deeds, Bradley sped away from a speeding ticket, was jailed for yelling at a police officer, was questioned about three domestic disputes at his house last summer (his new bride had a bloody lip one time), was suspended for throwing a bottle at the feet of fans, called a reporter an "Uncle Tom," engaged in a feud with teammate Jeff Kent (that one may be defensible) and spit gum at an umpire. And he's only 27, which only means plenty of time for many more blowups and meltdowns. [newsday]
Labels: yanquis
Kim Ng, a vice president and assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers the past four years, became the first candidate to interview for the team's vacant GM job.
Team spokesman Josh Rawitch said Ng was interviewed Saturday. If hired to succeed Paul DePodesta, she would become major league baseball's first female GM.
Before joining the Dodgers, the 36-year-old Ng served as vice president and assistant general manager for the New York Yankees from 1998-2001.
Ng and Roy Smith, vice president of player development, are handling front-office duties for the Dodgers until a general manager is hired, and will represent the team at the GM meetings, which begin Tuesday in Palm Springs. [daily news]
Former All-Star outfielder Matt Lawton was suspended Wednesday for a positive steroids test, becoming the 12th player penalized for violating Major League Baseball's policy.
Lawton, acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 27 and then left off New York's postseason roster, became a free agent last Thursday. He would serve a 10-day suspension at the start of next season. [espn]
Labels: yanquis
The Yankees may have several former managers on their coaching staff next season, as they have looked into hiring former Royals skipper Tony Pena, the Daily News has learned.
There are several advantages to bringing in Pena, who won the 2003 AL Manager of the Year award in Kansas City but stepped down in May after a difficult start. [daily news]
Labels: yanquis
