WHY THE YANKEES NEED THE HUNGER AGAIN

It’s the off-season early for the New York Yankees and all of us Yankee fans are walking around aimlessly with nothing to do. Yes, we could watch the postseason without the Yankees, and yes, I’ve told you numerous times that if baseball is on, I watch, no matter who’s playing.

But let’s face it, this is October and the Yankees aren’t playing, and I don't want to watch. I want to scream like Mark Wahlberg in the Other Guys, I cannot take it. Sometimes I feel like the more we try to do things right, the more we screw them up. The Yankees need that hunger back and the fans are craving it.

The Yankees looked like scrubs out there as I reflect on the ALDS, with the exception of Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner and even Derek Jeter to some extent. Where was the hunger? Where were the bats? I firmly believe that hot teams move forward and it all has to do with momentum. I don't necessarily believe great teams win it all. I think great teams need to be hot to win it all. The Yankees were great with 97 wins going into the ALDS, but they weren't great and hot, plain and simple. Now all we’re doing is sitting in front of our computers, looking at Twitter and bitching at each other.

I long for the days when Steinbrenner would put out a press release, thanking the Yankee fans for their support and apologizing for failing to win it all. Then, weeks later, we’d go out and find the top free agent out there and all would be well in Yankeeland again, we would forget, just for the moment, that we blew it.

Time is running out for some of our icons. Yes, Jorge Posada was close to possibly getting a 5^th ring, but we fell short. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are close to retirement; wouldn’t it be nice to get one for championship before they sail into the sunset? It would, for all of us.The pitching rotation will be a priority again this year, just like it is every year and while Cashman preached patience and picked up Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia and had lightening in a bottle, that charade won’t work this winter; fans get impatient, Yankee Brass gets impatient and I expect a big splash. Yes, Cashman needs to agree to a deal, but once that is done, CC Sabathia is next and then after what, who? I'm a fan of Mark Buehrle and I would love to get him, but who else? CJ Wilson? Matt Cain? Yu Darvish? Felix Hernandez?

Look, Felix is my top name after CC Sabathia. I’m not too big on “Pretty Boy” Wilson because I hate his pompous attitude. I’m also not sold on him. Matt Cain, yeah, he good, but we need him to be great. Yu Darvish…we’ve been through that Japanese pitching thing before. Felix Hernandez is the guy and if that means waiting until he’s a free agent, so be it; If it means being creative with you we unload for him, so be it. I have no desire to trade off someone like Jesus Montero for the King. After seeing him hit, it reminded me a hell of a lot like Miguel Cabrera. I can’t part with the guy.

Something needs to be done about Nick Swisher, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Look, no doubt they are pissed that they didn’t deliver and they looked foolish in the ALDS, but let’s face it, they always do. 2009 is long gone, these guys get paid a fortune to perform, bottom line and October is the biggest show on earth, and they need to show up. They didn’t and it’s pathetic. If I’m the Yankees, I pick up Swisher’s option and I’m bringing in a bright young outfielder this spring and have him compete for Swisher’s job. Light a fire under Nick’s ass and let him know, no job is safe.

Alex is Alex and he’s owed a ton of money. You can’t eat his contract and you can’t trade him and the Yankees won’t, they want him to hit 700 and they want him the break the home run record in pinstripes... he’s not going anywhere. I also believe ARod wasn’t healthy and while nerves were a factor in the ALDS, he’s not better yet because of injury. Hopefully a long winter’s nap will heal this guy and in Spring 2012, he’ll be back.

Mark Teixeira seems to shrivel up at the wrong time...October. Not sure what happened to this guy. He’s a great hitter…when he hits, and I would never suggest we cut Tex lose for someone better, because; let’s face it, who’s better? Tex is one of the best defensive first basemen we’ve ever had; he just needs to get his swing tweaked by the King of Swing…Kevin Long. Maybe the pressure gets to Tex, who knows, but something‘s got to happen.

The Yankees hunger is gone while the hunger by the fans grows. We need something drastic, a shakeup… so we can stand up and say, “The Yankees put the best on the field and we will return to win it all.” Because, let’s face it, 1 championship in 11 years is not a dynasty, it’s average.

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WHY SABATHIA WILL TEST THE MARKET

"I love it here. There's nothing like pitching in pinstripes. There's nothing like pitching in front of the fans in the Bronx. I've had a great experience.”

–CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia would be a fool to tell the world he’s coming back to the New York Yankees a few days after losing the ALDS and actually do it right on the spot. Why would you expect him to just rush into Cashman’s office and sign a contract? He has an opt-out clause, right? He has that opt-out clause for 1 good reason, so he can exercise it. That’s what players do.

It’s exciting to know that our big ace loves New York and yes, we can hang on every word but we need to sit back and let things unfold. The ALDS just ended, and the Yankees season is complete. Players are taking a few things from their lockers at the stadium the next few days and then they’ll go home, watch some football, enjoy the family and then the agent and CC will chat. No doubt, they will conclude that testing the market is the best way to go, why not? This is a 19 game winner and for the past 3 years he been a true Yankee ace... plus he has 1 World Series ring. So, they’ll see what’s out there and who has money to spend, and this in turn, will drive the price up for the Yankees and ultimately, at least in my heart, CC will come back and the Yankees will spend more than they wanted to have CC back with the ball club. Expect that to happen at the end of the winter sometime, I say, right before Christmas. Yes. CC will be back with the Yankees, but it's going to take a few months. Let’s face it, there’s no one else out there and the Yankees know it. I mean, CJ Wilson is not Sabathia... you know what I mean?

All will be great in Yankeeland again, but I’m positive weight will be an issue in CC's contract this time around as well as some type of agreement that CC needs to be treated with respect, meaning, no more 6-man rotation bullshit if it means sacrificing his starts to “try out” starters for rotation spots. I believe both factors affected CC down the stretch in 2011 and if his agent was smart, which I know he is, this will be a valid point for his client. Yes, the Yankees could do the 6-man rotation thing, but CC pitches on his regular rest, no matter what. Respect the man that brought the Yankees 59 wins in 3 years.

Look, my gut tells me CC Sabathia will be back in pinstripes, no doubt, but he’s got to go through the opt-out routine, that’s just the way it is.

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THE STATE OF THE YANKEES PITCHING

First, let me give you alittle Yankee pitching news. 3 names have moved on according to LoHud, read it HERE.

Aaron Laffey was apparently claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals. Scott Proctor elected free agency as did Raul Valdes.

Now, for other important stuff coming out of Yankeeland. The next logical target for the Yankees as far as starting pitching is concerned is the Rangers lefthander CJ Wilson in my opinion. Yes, the 2011 rotation did much better than anyone anticipated, but there is definitely a need for improvement, so why not “Pretty Boy” Wilson, as Casey calls him? CJ Wilson has improved on his 2010 breakout year, proving more than capable as the ace of the Rangers staff. He finished the season with a 2.94 ERA, 206 strikeouts (8.3 K/9), and a career high 223.1 innings pitched.

Adding Wilson behind CC, assuming CC Sabathia returns, would certainly give the Yankees the most dominant pair of lefties in the game, which could prove to be a valuable commodity when facing the lefty laden lineups of Boston (who despite collapsing, is still an excellent offensive team) and the Rangers. That said, I don’t see the Rangers letting CJ get away. Don’t forget, the Rangers lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes too and have plenty of money sitting around to make sure he stays. Losing their ace in back to back off-seasons would be a PR nightmare, especially given the current free agent market. Sure, the Rangers could abandon CJ and make a run at Yu Darvish, but should they fail in that pursuit, they’re left with a staff led by… Derek Holland and Colby Lewis. And, could Neftali Feliz truly succeed in a starting role with only two pitches? As much as I’d like to have CJ Wilson, I don’t see him going anywhere. He seems to love playing in Texas and the fans love him back. Additionally, I don’t see how a 31 year old with all of 2 years experience starting in a division with the Athletics, Mariners, and Angels is a sure thing to perform in the AL East. If Yu Darvish doesn’t work out (Read WHY I’LL CONVINCE YOU ON YU), I’d go for CJ.

Clearly, Manny Banuelos is another lefty that could prove reliable and dominant for the Yankees, very possibly in 2012. And speaking of Banuelos, what do we do with those other B’s? If their performance in AAA is any indication of how they’ll look at the beginning of next year, Betances and Banuelos should be given a chance to make the rotation out of Spring Training and boot Phil Hughes to the bullpen, but more than likely they need to be sent back to Scranton Wilkes-Barre (or I guess Rochester seeing as they’ll playing most of their “home” games there next season) and given their chance to dominate.

As for Andrew Brackman, I say he should be in the bullpen on Opening Day 2012, ready to work late innings. He proved last season that he has huge flaws as a starter, but towards the end of the season, he was an utterly dominant setup man for the Yanks’ AAA affiliate. His fastball + power-curve combo works fantastically out of the bullpen, and adding him into a bullpen with Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera would pretty much a guarantee that the Yankees have the best bullpen in baseball for the second year in a row.
If all went according to my plan, we’d have a rotation resembling Sabathia, Darvish, Ivan Nova, Phi Hughes, AJ Burnett for Opening Day, and as the season progresses, I believe Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances could both try their hardest to beat out the latter three. That’s a damn nice 1-2-3, and if Hughes maintains the form he displayed in the end of the season, he’ll be one of the better 4th starters in the game.

Finally, an important part to all of this is an extra lefty in the Yankees bullpen. Casey has been ranting about the need for an extra one in the pen, and he’s right. Boone Logan is a fine relief pitcher, but a lefty specialist he is not. We were all set for Pedro Feliciano to be our hero, but his entire career may be in jeopardy, so forget about depending on him in 2012. Damaso Marte was never any good, except of course the 2009 postseason, but let’s face it, that was 2009. I’m not sure who’s out there, but it has to be done.

Look, at the end of the day, I have a plan, it may not be perfect or realistic to some, but in my opinion, I think it could work. Do you agree, maybe disagree? You can comment… let me know what you would do.

--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



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WHY ARE THERE BYB YANKEE NOTES? WHY NOT?

Here are some Yankee notes I wanted to pass your way so you can keep informed on what's going on in Yankeeland. Expect a lot to happen because, as you know, if the Yankees don't win the playoffs and the World Series, no matter how many games they win in the regular season, it's a failure. That's the Steinbrenner way. Anyway, check out what's happening:
Eric Chavez: According to Joel Sherman, HERE, Eric Chavez is thinking about retiring. Craig Calcaterra from Hardball Talk had this: "Chavez had more plate appearances this year than he had had since 2007 — a whole 175 of them — but the magic is long gone. He hit .263/.320/.356 with two homers in a utility role that, thanks to yet more injuries, was more limited than it otherwise would have been given A-Rod’s injuries. It’s hard to conclude anything other than 'it’s time.'"

Selfishly, I love Chavez in the role he had in the Bronx and I'd love to have him back in that capacity. That's not fair to him though and I wonder if he'd want to try and find a full time gig just one more time or if Sherman is right, maybe Chavez really is "leaning" toward retirement. We shall see.Jorge Posada: MLB Trade Rumors had a report saying that the Yankees are showing little interest in Jorge Posada now that the season is over. Read about it HERE. MTR had this: "The Yankees used him almost exclusively at DH this summer, in part because his defensive skills behind the plate have eroded, but also because of long-term concerns about head injuries. Posada did appear in 14 games at first base in 2011 (eleven starts)."

If I had my say, Jorge Posada would retire a Yankee and immediately become an advisor for the catchers. That won't happen. Look, Jorge Posada auditioned this ALDS. He proved to many teams that he can still hit. Jorge doesn't want to leave the Bronx, but he wants to play and if he can get a job for a couple bucks somewhere else and still swing the bat, he may just go for it.
CJ Wilson: Jon Heyman believes that the Yankees are favorites to snatch CJ Wilson when he becomes a free agent. I say, how does he know? The playoffs are still going on and the Rangers are in the ALCS. Could there really be some kind of dialog between the Yankees and Wilson's agent or is this just a guess? I believe the Yankees will make a big push for the "Pretty boy" as I refer to him, but not if the Yankees resign CC Sabathia if exercises his opt-out clause. Read about the story HERE.Kevin Long: George King III had a piece about the Yankees and their lack of the "big hit" in the ALDS. Read about it HEREKing quotes long: "

"We scored almost 30 runs in five games and that's six runs a game... If you look at it that way we hit, but if you don't come up big in the postseason, it's magnified."

"We scored some runs but unfortunately it's not about that, it's about winning games... We had plenty of offense but when it came down to getting the big hit, you've got to get the big hit. We didn't."

I love Kevin Long. At the end of the day, the big boppers didn't get the big hit, that's not Long fault. Bottom line.

More Yankees news when it's needed. Stay with us on Bleeding Yankee Blue. Thanks.

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WHY YU COULD BE THE ANSWER

As I’ve said countless times, the Yankees have been skating by with a hodge podge rotation and frankly we’re lucky that it has held together to this point. The other day Bartolo Colon reminded us again why he’s more than a serviceable #2 pitcher with a dominant 7.0 IP, 2 ER outing against the Athletics. Freddy Garcia has posted some unexpected great numbers, despite his peripherals and FIP being almost identical to those he had last year.However, the fact that either of the two have made it to this point can be considered nothing short of a miracle, and if they can make it all the way through the season and perform well in the post-season it will be even more of a miracle. With the fact that we have been lucky, let me ask you this: What are we going to do next year? Maybe Colon continues throwing darts and maybe Freddy keeps getting lucky. But who’s to say they even stay with the Yankees if they’re still healthy? I’m not going to even get started on the question marks. I think I’ve made my point. Next year’s rotation is going to need a big addition. So who?Well C.J. Wilson is an option, but we can’t place all of our hopes in a converted reliever with 1.5 successful seasons under his belt, especially since we can’t guarantee we will sign him. There are the Killer B’s, Banuelos and Betances (sorry Brackman, get your ERA under 7 and we’ll talk…), but both have had troublesome command issues this season. There’s no reason to panic and give up on them, it’s just part of their development, but it shows that they are not ready to carry a rotation and there is no guarantee that both can perform exceptionally at the Major League level.

And as everyone, including myself, has suggested we could put together a package for Ubaldo Jimenez who would help for a few years, but the price is even higher than I predicted (they’re asking for Montero, Banuelos, Betances, and Nova) and it would ultimately be a deal we’d regret.

And then there’s Yu Darvish: 2x NPB MVP, 2x NPB ERA leader, 2x strikeout leader, and indisputable best pitcher in all of Japan.

Yu Darvish will be a hot commodity if he is auctioned off to the highest bidder, which is very likely for the 6’5” right hander. Through just over 5 years in the NPB, he has compiled a 75-32 to go with a 2.12 ERA. Since 2007, he has not recorded an ERA over 2.00 (2007-2010 ERA is 1.81), his WHIP has been under 1 in all but one season (2010), his BB/9 has been at worst an excellent 2.2, and his K/9 is consistently over or just under 9. He has pitched over 200 innings in every one of those seasons except 2009, and has pitched an absurd 40 complete games from 2007-2010. Mind you the Japanese season is shorter, so he’s had only 98 starts…and 9 of those were shutouts…. Wow.

If you need any more convincing, he’s having a career year with a 1.44 ERA and a 13-2 record (stats subject to inaccuracy, they’re difficult to find). He’s only 24 years old, and about to enter the 27-31 year age prime that is typical of ball players. He’s the Felix Hernandez of Japan.

Numbers only mean so much, so here’s a video to show you just what he can do:



Now to explain what he’s doing: Darvish has a mind blowing arsenal of 7 pitches, all of them nasty. He has a 4 seam fastball that sits from 91-94 and tops out at 97 (hit 100 once), a 2-seam/shuuto with heavy movement, a changeup, a splitter, a slurve, a curveball, and a cutter. Unlike many Japanese pitchers he does not have a particularly violent pitching motion, so health isn’t a huge concern.

Needless to say, if Darvish is available to MLB teams, every team in the league with any room on their payroll is going to be all over him. However at the risk of sounding entitled: we’re the New York Yankees, when it’s a bidding war, we get it if we want it. One could point out how we failed to sign Cliff Lee last offseason, but that wasn’t a bidding war, it was the man’s preference. Trying to get a player from Japan is essentially nothing more than a rich man’s auction, everyone interested gives their highest bid and if they win, they win. Kei Igawa’s horrific contract expires after this season ($4 million), Jorge will likely retire ($13 million), and we failed to sign Cliff Lee ($23 million-$14 million for Soriano=$9 million). That’s $26 million open on the payroll, not to mention the Steinbrenner’s can always dig deeper in their pockets. The Yanks have a lot of money clearing off the payroll next offseason, and they will undoubtedly have the money to win the bidding war for Yu Darvish and sign him to a big contract.

The Yankees are the clear frontrunners in the Darvish sweepstakes, but there are a few reasons we could fail to even get him. First off, the failure of Kei Igawa may leave a bad taste in the organization’s mouth. It’s safe to say that Igawa is no Darvish though, even before coming to the U.S. he was clearly declining and the Yankees signed him as nothing more than a response to the Red Sox winning the Matsuzaka bidding war. Second, there’s never a guarantee that a Japanese player will sign with us, even if we win the “auction.” Personally, I think we have a better chance of getting him than not getting him if he becomes available prior to the 2012 season. In yet another off-season which lacks big name free agent starting pitchers, Yu Darvish could be just the deadly arm the Yankees are looking for.




--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor



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WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE YANKEES?

Now that the All-Star break is over, what should the Yankees do to bring them to the next level?
Our Crosstown Rival, The Mets just traded away their closer Francisco Rodriguez for prospects to make the first deadline deal. The Mets are clearly in a rebuilding stage, and are trying to dump salary, but our Yankees are trying to figure out what it will take to bring them to the next championship.Let's take a look at which areas we need help with, and which possible candidates could be used to fill these voids:

• RELIEF: We are missing a solid 6th inning reliever. Joba Chamberlain went down with an injury earlier in the year, and David Robertson stepped up to take the 8th inning spot until RaSo comes back. Then, I think DRob will probably be moved back to the 7th inning spot, but who will be used to pitch in the 6th inning? I say call up someone from AAA or AA such as, Andrew Brackman, Lance Pendleton, or maybe even Mark Prior among others.

• TOP FLIGHT PITCHER: We are it and it could carry us through the playoffs if we had one. I say trade for someone such as Mark Buehrle or "Pretty Boy" CJ Wilson.

• EXTRA HITTING: Any team could always need another bat. I think having another person for some power or average is a threat in the lineup could really spice things up. I say trade for a 3 month rental and see how it pays out. My few candidates to trade for are Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, or if a miracle were to happen, Albert Pujols.
  

IMAGINE this lineup:

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Pujols/ Prince Fielder DH
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Teixeira 1B
7. Swisher RF
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

seems like Murderers Row 2.0, right?

Let me know what you think by commenting on this post or hitting me on Facebook. Or, if you have a blackberry you can add the Bleeding Yankee Blue group on BBM and we can converse in there. Thanks.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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FIVE GEMS TO GET YANKEE FANS THINKING

Yankeeland is swirling with names and potential moves. Instead of giving you a ton on individual posts on each tell you nothing, I’m going to give you a rapid fire with just facts and opinion so I don’t bore you.

Rafael Soriano: I don’t miss him but I understand his talent can help us. RaSo was on the road back, but suddenly after throwing this past Tuesday he was placed on the 60 day DL to make room on the roster for newbie Cory Wade. Read it HERE. What’s the reasoning? Give Soriano time, we’re fine right now, no need to rush back.

CJ Wilson: He’s a “Pretty Boy” but if he comes to the Bronx, he’ll be our pretty boy. There have been stories circulating suggesting that because Wilson’s girlfriend lives in the Big Apple, it’s only logical that he would come to New York as a free agent after this season. Read it HERE. This rumor has legs, especially for the mere fact that CC Sabathia has the option to opt out after this season. Many suggest CC will leave, I’m not so sure yet. From everything I can see, he’s content and settled in the Tri-state area and doesn’t want to keep moving his family. I do wonder though, does it matter if he moves to another team? He doesn’t HAVE to relocate his family. See what I mean?

Scott Kazmir: Kazmir was released by the Angels and he’s having a hell of a time getting back into Kazmir form. Some are suggesting it’s the end of the road for this guy and that’s sad, he was so talented. Recently, Kaz has been attached to the Yankees (HERE) and I’m not sure why unless we think this lefty could be good in the pen. Look, Boone Logan is struggling a bit and maybe someone like Kazmir could be the lightening in the bottle we need, and extra lefty specialist who goes 2 batters or 1 or 2 innings if needed. We could sign him cheap and we could reinvent him. It's something to think about at least.

Phil Hughes: Hughes had a great outing in an inter-squad game this week hitting the low 90’s on the gun. To me, this is a huge sign. If he gets back on track, we could have the kid laying down the law again in the Bronx. Is next start is Sunday for the Staten Island Yankees. That report comes from the New York Daily News. Read it HERE.

Erik Bedard: Yes, Bedard is back. I feel like the Yankees and Bedard are attached to each other every couple years, so this year is no different. Read it HERE. Bedard is back on track this year and attractive, but Seattle is not in last place, they're in 2nd, so a trade would have to be equally appealing to both teams because both the Yanks and Mariners have a shot. I don’t think this will happen.

There’s a lot of yapping but no moves yet. Some potential gems being discussed and some progress from Hughes and that makes for a great Yankee summer. Looking forward to it, are you? Comment and let me know.

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