Wright On Out

Jaret Wright is shufflin' off to Baltimore. The Yankees traded him to Baltimore in exchange for young RP Chris Britton, who will likely be a key component of the future Yankee bullpen. I don't know much about Britton or how much of an impact he'll have in 2007, but at 24 years old, we could see him in Pinstripes for several years.
This is another brilliant move by Brian Cashman. It was widely expected that that the Yankees were going to buyout Wright's contract for $4 million as opposed to exercising his option and paying him $7 million. By trading them, the Yankees now get something in return for the $4 million. Wright's gone, so is the $4 mill and we've got a solid young RP for our troubles. Nice move Cash! This all but guarantees the return of Mike Mussina.
So long Jaret. I'll miss your ability to not pitch more than 5 innings. Thanks for the memories, or better yet, lack of them.
J

The Sheff Is Out

Sheffield is out! He's off to Detroit Rock City for 3 minor league pitchers, the biggest being flamethrower Humberto Sanchez. I've seen Humberto pitch. I saw him last year start a game for the Tigers AA affiliate Erie Sea Wolves. He's pretty nasty. If I recall he struck out 10-13 and only gave up 2 hits. He'll be a great addition to a young rotation of Wang and Philip Hughes. He's a great pickup.
See ya later Gary!! Na-na-na-na. Na-na-na-na. Hey hey hey. Goodbye.
J

More On The Sheff Deal

was reading a post over at BoSox Banter. To sum it up, Jeff was surprised that the Yankees got 3 prospects instead of any major league ready talent. Personally I don't think they really needed to acquire any major league talent with this deal. It was a smart move to stock up the farm system with talent that can step into the shoes of Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, and Mariano Rivera in the next few years. The Yankees have a great core of young pitchers that is likely going to be the nucleus of the Yankee pitching staff in the future. Add the 3 newbies to a list that includes Tyler Clippard, Phillip Hughes and Chien-Ming Wang, and what you have is a young, solid staff that is going to be around for many years.
The Yankees weren't going to get a solid starter from any MLB club in exchange for Sheffield. Best case we would have gotten another Jaret Wright type. Why trade a first baseman to get a first baseman? Now assuming that Mussina comes back, you're looking at Johnson, Wang and Mussina as the anchors of the rotation. Who knows how Pavano and Jaret Wright fit into the Yankee plans? And then there are free agent pitchers. The Yanks now have a little more cash to spend. Sheffield's 13 million is gone. Let Wright go and you free up about $4 million. $17 million could get you 2 solid pitchers, both of which would be better than what you'd get in a trade for Sheffield. The Yankees weren't going to get a quality pitcher better than what they currently have or what they could get, plain and simple.
Jeff responded to a comment I left and mentioned maybe they could have got a MLB ready reliever. The bullpen does need help, but I wouldn't call it a top priority as they have a lot of arms they can work with. And if you were to get an MLB ready pitcher, starter or reliever, the quality of the prospects would drop. I know there is never a guarantee that a prospect will pan out. You can say the same about a lot of MLB ready talent. Take a look at Wright and Pavano. This deal brought the Yankees quality and quantity and the future of the Yankees pitching staff looks very, very bright. Cashman made the right move by landing 3 quality pitching prospects.
Excuse me while I do my happy dance. If anyone watched Yo! MTV Raps back in the day, think Ed Lover.
J

Grand Theft Auto: Tampa Bay Beatdown

Gary Sheffield beats up a hooker and shoots a rocket launcher at Legends Field?? See it happen in Rockstar Games' latest installment in their Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto: Tampa Bay Beatdown. Play the game as Gary Sheffield, and work your way through intricate missions, trying to fight your way through the mean streets of Tampa Bay, taking down local kingpin George Steinbrenner's lackeys and middlemen, in an attempt to have a "sitdown" with the Boss.
Now that would be an awesome video game. Just imagine if that were real. For those of you that are familiar with GTA, I'm sure you can picture it in your mind.
Gary Sheffield says he's trying to meet with the being Boss but is being "blocked by Steinbrenner's middle men." Umm, hello? Earth to Gary: the Yankees don't want you around. The writing is on the wall. Can't you take a hint? Can it be any clearer?
Here's some quotes from Gary:
"My situation, honestly, the truth about it, I never was comfortable. I was always feeling a little insecure about where I fit here and where I belonged, or do they want me here? And I had to play on those terms, and I was being a man about it and going out and trying to do my job under the conditions."
On trying to meet with Steinbrenner: "If it wasn't for his health, I'd have made that conversation happen, but my situation ain't worth that to me. You've got middle men blocking him. ... They get in the way and their personal feelings get in the way."
And my personal favorites: "I've produced ever since I got here. If it wasn't for me the first year, in 2004, we wouldn't have made the playoffs. I went out and put up big numbers against Boston for us to win that division. ... It wasn't some mystery man. It was myself." and "Everybody knows when I go to another team, I'm coming back looking for you. That's just the way it is. The Dodgers, that happened. The Marlins, it happened. When you let me go, I've got a chip on my shoulder, and I'm coming with it. That's how I play the game."
Excuse me for a few moments while I recover from a bust gut. Somebody tell me how Gary fits his giant head through a door? Talk about ego. We all should remember the comments he made 2 years ago about Jeter and A-Rod. For those that forgot:
"I know who the leader is on the team, I ain’t going to say who it is, but I know who it is. I know who the team feeds off. I know who the opposing team comes in knowing they have to defend to stop the Yankees. I know this. The people don’t know. Why? The media don’t want them to know. They want to promote two players in a positive light, and everyone else is garbage. Jeter is our captain. He’s not the leader. He’s the captain."
Why Gary Sheffield is a baseball player and not a stand up comic, I'll never know. He could win "Last Comic Standing" without even trying. I really hope the Yankees stick it up Gary's you know what, and without using any vaseline when they do it. Ice Cube style for the gangstas out there. I hope they send him to Kansas City or Pittsburgh. Or better yet, keep him on the Yankees and let him ride the bench all year. Don't even give him an AB. Gary is obviously a clubhouse cancer and he needs to be ousted with the quickness. I really hope Cashman makes this happen soon so we can be done with him. They should have let him walk and go to Boston and let him stink up that clubhouse.
Here's a quote from me: "Hey Gary. Go (expletive deleted) yourself. Dooshbag."
J

Free Gary: The Remix

Aww, poor Gary. Gary Sheffield is still a Yankee. As expected, the Yankees exercised his option, which means the Yankees hold Sheffield's future in their hands as they're preventing him from entering the free agent market. Hopefully, his stay is only temporary.
As I mentioned last week in a post titled "Free Gary," I'm not a proponent of keeping Gary Sheffield in Pinstripes for the 2007 campaign. There are a lot better things to spend $13 million on, like starting pitching. But as has been the Yankee way for quite some time now, money isn't an issue. I can understand why Brian Cashman made this move. The Yankees can now control what happens to Gary Sheffield. It was thought that the Boston Red Sox were one of the teams most interested in signing Sheffield if he were a free agent. That can't happen now. The Yankees hold his future in their hands. They can trade him if the right deal comes along. Or if talks happen to break down, the Yankees can always keep him and find a place for him in the lineup, whether it's as a DH or as the first baseman. It's not like having Gary Sheffield's bat in the lineup is a bad thing. But I for one hope Gary has another place to call home come the start of next season.
The Yankees don't need Gary Sheffield. There is no way you put Sheffield in RF over Bobby Abreu. Giambi may not be the greatest fielding first baseman, but he's got a Gold Glove compared to Sheffield. As soon as I saw Gary try to make a basket catch on a throw from second, I knew he could never make it at that position. For those that remember that play, he dropped the ball. I would much rather see the Yankees make a run with Giambi at first over Sheffield. Gary doesn't exactly strike me as a clubhouse favorite either. He reminds me a lot of Reggie Jackson in the way that Reggie thought he was the straw that stirred the drink. Let him go stink up another team's clubhouse.
The question isn't, will the Yankees trade him? There's no two ways about it. He's gone. The real question is, what will they get for him? The Yankees biggest need is starting pitching. I don't think a team is going to be willing to part with the type of pitcher the Yankees need in exchange for Sheffield. Unless you're a contender at the trading deadline with a surplus of starting pitching, you don't trade a young gun for an expensive aging veteran with a 1-year contract. It just doesn't happen. They're also not in the market for offense. There is one open spot in the lineup. If they really need the bat, they'd keep Sheff. The Yankees are likely going to get some kind of package deal. A few prospects to help strengthen the farm system? Relievers to shore up the bullpen? Role players to better the bench. All of the above? Whatever it is, I can't picture it being a lot. Time will tell. Cashman's a smart guy. He'll no doubt make the smart move. The smart move is dumping Sheffield.
I said it before. I'll say it again. Free Gary!
J

Mo Fo Mo

Get you head out of the gutter. I'm not calling Mariano Rivera a mo fo. I like the sound of "Mo Fo Mo" better than "More For Mo." Perhaps none of you took it that way, but as soon as I typed the title, that's where my mind went. Anyway....
Mariano wants to renegotiate his contract this offseason:
"I want to talk to them about another contract; maybe two more years," Rivera said. "Hopefully we can do it soon, maybe before the season."
Memo to Cashman: give the man whatever he wants. If Mo ever pitches in another uniform, we'll have problems. Rivera is arguably the game's greatest closer ever. He's a sure fire Hall Of Famer, and he'll probably be elected on the first ballot. He's making it perfectly clear he wants to end his career the way it started, as a Yankee. I think I can speak for all Yankee fans when I say we want to see that happen. Mariano has said before that he wants to pitch in the new ballpark. It would only be fitting to have the greatest closer in Yankee history close down the original "House That Ruth Built" and then close his career in what can arguably be called "The House That Mo Helped A Great Deal To Build." Mo, Jorge, Jeter, and Bernie all have had a great deal to do with the Yankees success over the past 10 years. Even though Steinbrenner has the money to buy the world, I like to look at it as without them, this new stadium wouldn't be possible.
The article I linked above also has quotes from Mo on A-Rod:
"This guy, he's a great player. We're a better team with him; I hear people say we should trade him and I don't agree," Rivera said. "I don't think we lost because of Alex. We lost, period. The fans, everybody, they should be with him."
What a great quote. Short, sweet, and to the point. I'm not surprised that Mo has shared his thoughts on Alex. The two look to be good friends. When I was up in Toronto trying to get autographs at the Yankee hotel, I would see Alex, Mo and their wives go out to dinner together. They obviously have a rapport and it's good to see Mo speak out on Alex. I'm picking up what Mo is putting down. If you really think that the Yankees haven't won the World Series because of Alex Rodriguez, well, to quote Dickie Roberts, former child star, you're nucking futs. Losing is a team effort. The Yankees are suppose to be a machine. If one part falters, there are enough parts of the machine to keep it moving forward. You can't point the finger at one person. If anything, you can argue that without Alex, the Yankees wouldn't even have made it as far as they did. They tied the Red Sox for the AL East in 2005. Take A-Rod out of the lineup and that probably doesn't happen. He was the freakin' MVP that year. He's quite possibly the best player the game will ever see. Alex needs a break and it needs to start with the fans.
Memo to all: keep him in Pinstripes.
J

I've Lost My Pinstriped Glasses

Derek Jeter didn't deserve the Gold Glove. There I said it. it doesn't feel good to say, but deep down, I know it to be true. I've been going back and forth trying to convince myself that Derek Jeter was the most deserving recipient of the AL Gold Glove at his position. I've looked at many stats, trying to twist them in his favor, and I just can't statistically validate his winning in my head. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he won. What Yankee fan wouldn't be? But if I take off my "pinstriped" glasses and take a look at things objectively, I know the award should have been given to someone else when you look at the stats. I think anyone that can look at things objectively would agree.
Now I'm not saying that Jeter isn't good with the glove. I'm all about his defense. But to call him the league's best is a stretch. Let's statistically compare Jeter to Rangers SS Michael Young. If you take out the players that didn't qualify, Michael Young led the AL shortstops in fielding percentage. He bested Jeter by .006, .981 to Jeter's .975. Young had 137 more total chances than Derek did, and he committed 1 less error. Young took part in 113 double plays to Jeter's 81, though Young did play in 64 more defensive innings. Young had 111 more assists than Derek. Young's "zone rating" was .026 higher than Jeter's. .836 to .810. For those not familiar with zone rating, it was a measurement created by STATS, Inc. to show the percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive zone. According to their measurement, Young had better range. Young also had a higher "range factor." 4.86 to Jeter's 4.14. Range factor is calculated by taking the # of putouts + assists and dividing it by the number of innings played. As you can see, Young statistically bests Jeter in the major defensive categories.
Let's compare Jeter to White Sox SS Juan Uribe. Uribe played in 162 fewer defensive innings than Jeter. Despite logging a lot less playing time, Uribe only had 6 less total chances. In 6 less total chances, he had 3 more putouts and 8 fewer assists than Derek. Jeter committed 1 more error than Uribe, which led to a slightly lower fielding percentage, .975 to Uribe's .977. Comparing zone factors, Uribe 4.70 to Jeter's 4.18. Taking a look at their zone ratings, Uribe beats Jeter .868 to .810. Uribe is another SS that is statistically superior to Derek.
There were only 9 SS that qualified on the defensive leaderboard according to ESPN. Jeter ranked 9th in range factor. He was 7th in zone rating. He was 4th in fielding percentage. In looking at these stats, I was hoping to validate Jeter as the top defensive shortstop, but it blew up in my face when I was doing statistical comparisons. So why did Derek win?
The keyword in all of this is "statistic." The Gold Gloves aren't awarded on any kind of statistical merit. The Gold Glove Award is awarded by Managers and coaches, which can't cast votes for their own players. Now perhaps they take a gander at the stats, but I doubt it. I can't speak for these guys, but if I put myself in their shoes, I'm voting on reputation and what I see day in and day out. How many times do we see Jeter on a highlight reel making an over-the-shoulder catch in shallow LF? Quite often. How often do we see Jeter backhanding a ball in the hole,doing a jump-turn throw in mid-air that's a perfect strike to first for the out? Quite often. We've seen Jeter dive into the stands for foul balls. We've all seen the play where he gets Jeremy Giambi out at the plate in the ALDS. Jeter has the reputation for being in the play and for making it. No other shortstop immediately comes to mind when I try and think of guys that exhibit that style of play. Let's face it folks. Other Managers and coaches respect Jeter's defense. So much so, that they awarded him with his 3rd straight Gold Glove.
And therein lies my dilemma. I can't statistically validate Jeter winning the award. But if the the league's Managers and coaches feel he's most deserving, who am I to argue with the people that know the game best? But I'm a math/numbers guy and my problem is I think defense is better determined in looking at the numbers than by going off reputation and by what I see on the highlight reel.
If you really look at it, you know i'm right. If you disagree, please try to convince me otherwise. I'm all for changing my mind on this. Jeter in my opinion is a good defensive shortstop, better than average. But he's not the best defensive shortstop. As painful it is for me to admit, that honor goes to Alex Gonzalez. I can't believe I just said that. I think I'm going to be sick.
J

Flashing The Leather

Derek Jeter keeps racking up the accolades. It's been announced that he has received a Gold Glove Award for his defense in 2006. This is his 3rd. The great thing is that despite setting the fewest number of errors in all of MLB, the Boston Red Sox have no Gold Glove winners. I'm not sure I agree with that, but it's funny and pretty sweet nonetheless.
Congrats to the Captain!
J

Not What The Dcotor Ordered

The Yankees are reportedly interested in free agent pitcher Jeff Suppan. If anybody thinks this is a good idea, please sell me on it because I'm failing to see how this is a good thing. He may be only 32 years old, but he's not exactly a spring chicken as he's pitched in the bigs since 1995. That's a lot of miles on the arm of a pitcher who isn't very good to begin with.
Suppan has made 301 career starts. He has a career record of 106-101 with an ERA of 4.60. He's done well since 2003 when he made the jump from the AL to the NL. If he were to sign with the Yankees, he'd be jumping back to the AL and his numbers would no doubt suffer. See Josh Beckett.
The Yankees need starting pitching. In my opinion it's their biggest need. I don't think Suppan will fare well if he starts 32 games in the AL. He will hurt more than he will help. If I were Cashman, I'd pass and explore other options. This of course all depends on what Cash's game plan is. Will he let Moose walk? Who within the organization will he move to the rotation to take the open spots. Right now Wang and Randy Johnson are the only givens. Cashman has options in Jeff Karstens, Philip Hughes, and God forbid, Jaret Wright. Assuming they bring back Mussina and let Wright walk, they'll potentially need two starters. If they don't feel Karstens and/or Hughes are major league ready, then, and only then, would I consider Suppan for one of the open spots. But I'd first look to the big name talent. A rotation that is anchored by Wang and Randy Johnson isn't going to cut it. They need another top notch proven starter. Preferably a young one.
Baseball has the most exciting offseason of any sport, hands down. Long live the hot stove.
J

Don-nie. Don-nie. Don-nie.

It's official. Donnie Baseball is the new Yankee bench coach, thus becoming the likely successor to Torre's throne. I like it. But the more I think about it, I like Girardi too. I'll take either one. I think Girardi is the smarter choice, but as I stated before, Mattingly is my favorite Yankee, so it's win-win.
Kevin Long, the hitting coach from Columbus, is the new Yankee hitting coach.