74 replies to this topic

[jon abbey]

Even if they want to give A-Rod and Jeter (ugh) some games at DH, NY needs to add a hitter after moving Montero. There are tons of possibilities, from most expensive to cheapest, here are some that have already been rumored:

Carlos Pena
Johnny Damon
Hideki Matsui
Wilson Betemit

Also Vlad Guerrero and Manny Ramirez are still out there, and that's just the FA possibilities, not potential trades. Other ideas? NY has said that they're only spending $1M-$2M on this spot, so that rules out Pena and probably Damon at least.

I'd think that Hughes is definitely available for the right hitter, maybe Hughes plus someone (David Adams?) for Billy Butler. KC has Clint Robinson in AAA to replace Butler, he can hit a ton but is currently blocked by Hosmer/Butler.

[jon abbey]

Butler might not be a great fit, only a .790 split against RHP and they already have Jones to hit lefties. Also he's under contract through 2014 at $8M ($4.8M net addition in 2012 if they move Hughes for him), and the goal still is to get under $189M in 2014, so that last year seems like it kills the idea (same thing with Adam Dunn).

[RedOctober3829]

They could fill it from within with Jorge Vazquez. 32 HRs in AAA last season and he's tearing up the winter league he's in. 1.015 OPS and 18 HRs in 212 ABs.

[rembrat]

The 2011 American League Champion Texas Rangers are the model for this sort of arrangement. During the course of the season, Ron Washington deployed a total of 11 players at the DH spot, with no one player making more than Michael Young‘s 69 starts. Mike Napoli (18 starts), Yorvit Torrealba (13), Adrian Beltre (11), Ian Kinsler (10), Josh Hamilton (9), Nelson Cruz (8), and Mitch Moreland (7) were all starters, at one point or another during the season, at another position.

In the Yankees’ case, manager Joe Girardi will want to find some way to protect the 38-year-old Derek Jeter and 36-year-old Alex Rodriguez, who missed 94 games combined in 2011. The emergence of Eduardo Nunez, who played both short and third in 2011, will allow Girardi to do that. Furthermore, utilizing some combination of Andruw Jones and Jorge Vazquez — and also outfielder Justin Maxwell, a right-handed batter who can handle center field — would allow Girardi to exploit platoon advantages while also resting his starters.

http://www.fangraphs...-market-for-dh/

Seems smart. Although I just think Cashman is trying to drive down Damon's price. I can still see Damon signing for a base salary of $2-3MM with some PA incentives.

[Guero]

They could fill it from within with Jorge Vazquez. 32 HRs in AAA last season and he's tearing up the winter league he's in. 1.015 OPS and 18 HRs in 212 ABs.

I haven't had the chance to really watch this guy, but he has been tearing the cover off the ball at AAA. He may not be the option they want in NY, as he's a righty, but they should at least try and find a buyer for him instead of wasting away at SWB again. Someone has to be interested in taking a chance on this guy with the power he's produced at AAA and in winter ball over the past 2 years. His biggest knock has been K's, but someone could benefit I would think from his power numbers.

[jon abbey]

Vazquez is a righty, with a .883 OPS against lefties and a .813 against righties last year and that was in AAA, I don't think he adds anything with Jones already on the roster. If he does make the team, he's just a placeholder presumably, but there are so many options out there right now. For instance, Betemit had a .865 OPS against RHP last year, .817 for his career, he'd be a nice addition if they can't work something out with Damon.

[jon abbey]

http://www.fangraphs...-market-for-dh/

Seems smart. Although I just think Cashman is trying to drive down Damon's price. I can still see Damon signing for a base salary of $2-3MM with some PA incentives.

I'm fine with them not having an everyday DH, but they need to add a hitter nevertheless, I think. Vazquez can sit in AAA and work on striking out less (164 Ks in 494 PAs last year).

[jon abbey]

Another name to maybe throw in the $1M range pool is Russell Branyan, who was awful last year but who has a 1.114 career OPS in the new Yankee Stadium, 8 HRs in 47 ABs, including his only AB there last year, when he homered off Rivera in August. SSS obviously, but dude really seems to like to hit in the Bronx.

Also, he has mammoth numbers against Beckett/Buchholz/Bard/Aceves in an even smaller SSS, 5 HRs in 26 ABs combined (3 off Beckett), .545/.962/1.507.

[terrynever]

http://www.fangraphs...-market-for-dh/

Seems smart. Although I just think Cashman is trying to drive down Damon's price. I can still see Damon signing for a base salary of $2-3MM with some PA incentives.

Why would Damon want to come back to the Yankees? He needs 277 hits to reach 3,000. That's two full seasons, or three platoon seasons. At age 37, time is running short.
I appreciate Damon is a great team player and might enjoy returning to pinstripes. Maybe he's a good fit for the Yankees, too. But 3,000 might be driving his employment intentions this winter. He needs to find a team that will get him at least 500 ABs this season.

[rembrat]

Exactly. Damon has had success in NY and I dont think anyone else in the AL has a spot for him in LF or DH.

It might be his best chance at a majorleague deal.

[Shaky]

Any chance of prying Giambi away from Colorado? He's nothing more than a pinch hitter/ interleague DH there, but he can still hit RHers. He's making $1M this year.

I don't know Colorado well enough to know what they might need in return, just throwing this out there.

[brs3]

Is there any chance that ARod sees more than a few games at DH? If DH'ing takes pressure off his knees at 3B, is it a no brainer? I guess it may need spring training to see how he responds to the surgery in Germany.

[MikeM]

I appreciate Damon is a great team player and might enjoy returning to pinstripes. Maybe he's a good fit for the Yankees, too. But 3,000 might be driving his employment intentions this winter. He needs to find a team that will get him at least 500 ABs this season.

It's Johnny Damon you are talking about there, who's a fairly good bet to have "Scott Boras client" included among the life-defining accomplishments selected for his tombstone. A few extra dollars > 3000 hits.

He'll generate his small pool of interest, with the highest 1 year bid winning the day.

[rembrat]

Don't look now but apparently Victor Martinez has a torn ACL and will be out for the season. The Tigers will probably enter the market for a DH.

[jon abbey]

Proud to say I beat RAB by about 10 hours on that Branyan call:

http://riveraveblues...e-for-dh-62479/

Make it happen, Brian.

[BigMike]

Is there any chance that ARod sees more than a few games at DH? If DH'ing takes pressure off his knees at 3B, is it a no brainer? I guess it may need spring training to see how he responds to the surgery in Germany.

I would think NY should be planning to have Arod take 25% of his starts at DH.

Honestly I don't get the Johnny Damon love. I think you are talking about a guy who likely gives you pretty pathetic numbers for a DH at this point in his caree. Probably an OPS in the mid 700s, and I don't really see much upside.

[MoGator71]

It's Johnny Damon you are talking about there, who's a fairly good bet to have "Scott Boras client" included among the life-defining accomplishments selected for his tombstone. A few extra dollars > 3000 hits.

He'll generate his small pool of interest, with the highest 1 year bid winning the day.

Interesting question for Damon. How much money do you leave on the table if another opportunity comes up that guarantees 500 ABs? How important is 3000 hits to Damon?

[Wingack]

Interesting question for Damon. How much money do you leave on the table if another opportunity comes up that guarantees 500 ABs? How important is 3000 hits to Damon?

He has won it all before. I would think the 3000 hits would be most important.

[Wingack]

Would JD Drew be the worst idea in the world as a semiregular DH? He could platoon and provide some outfield insurance.

I wonder if he would take an invite to spring training?

[Guero]

Would JD Drew be the worst idea in the world as a semiregular DH? He could platoon and provide some outfield insurance.

I wonder if he would take an invite to spring training?

In my opinion, no. He scares me. I could see him making it through Spring training healthy and showing enough to make the team, costing them at least a couple of million, then getting hurt in the first month of the season. I'd like to think there are better options available to fill the void, and I expect Cashman to let the market pan out more before making any decisions.

If nothing falls through, I can see the Yanks playing what they already have in the system and possibly making a move in the middle of the season.

Other than my love for Matsui and wish he could finish in pinstripes, there is really noone on the market that I would devote 2 to 5 million towards at this point, tying up salary that could be used later near the deadline.

[MoGator71]

Re: Drew, he looked pretty bad last year. Lots of weak contact, more K's than usual, I tend to think he's toast.

He has won it all before. I would think the 3000 hits would be most important.

I'd think so too, though the prevailing wisdom seems to be that Damon is a greedy as they come and wouldn't leave a penny on the table under any circumstances. But I kind of agree with you, I think he'd look for playing time.

[jon abbey]

I wonder if Cleveland might go for a Hafner for Burnett deal, if NY picked up the contract difference ($17.25M).

Cleveland is hurting in the rotation with the questionable status of the former Fausto, and Hafner is a DH-only who will be a FA after the year (assuming his $13M option is refused), and one who can't really hit LHP anymore (.638 OPS last year). But he can still hit RHP (.886 OPS last year), so would make a nice platoon partner for Jones at DH. NY could maybe throw in a B-level prospect, but considering CLE would be getting an extra year of Burnett essentially for free, this might be pretty equitable as is.

[rembrat]

They traded for Kevin Slowey after the whole Fausto/Roberto thing went down so I think their rotation is set. If they were going to take on a SP it would probably be Jake Westbrook who becomes a trade candidate if the Cardinals sign Roy Oswalt.

AJ Burnett is pretty much untradeable at this point unless the Yankees eat like 70% of the contract.

Edited by rembrat, 29 January 2012 - 01:26 AM.

[jon abbey]

Raul Ibanez came up also this week, his agent called Cashman. I think they can do better, he is 40, but his HR chart from last year shows you why he shouldn't be entirely ruled out:



http://www.hittracke...300&type=hitter

[Sampo Gida]

Why not give Manny a shot?. He would be cheap even if he would not be available until June, and the upside is pretty large. I know he is tainted with the PED's, but so is A-Rod.

edit- just noticed the thread opener suggested this as a possibility, but given the lack of response, I say why not? It would probably have to be a minor league deal, with an opt out.

Edited by Sampo Gida, 29 January 2012 - 04:57 AM.

[jon abbey]

Branyan and Manny works for me.

[jon abbey]

With the Indians signing Kotchman, Hafner likely becomes at least a bit more expendable. Kotchman and LaPorta both can only play 1B/DH, plus Carlos Santana will probably get some time at 1B/DH.

[derekson]

At this point I'd be quite surprised if the Yankees DH in 2012 is anything other than a Damon/Jones platoon. I think the Yankees are just waiting for Damon to take whatever offer they have on the table, because they know he really has no other (good) options. I'd guess they've offered him something like $2-3M for a one year deal, and he's still holding out for 5-6. But there really aren't any other teams in the AL desperate for a DH, so Damon really doesn't have any leverage.

Edited by derekson, 06 February 2012 - 01:03 AM.

[jon abbey]

Girardi talked about this publicly a couple of days ago, saying NY needed to add a left-handed bat still, and mentioning Damon, Matsui and Ibanez as possibilities:

http://newyork.yanke...ws_nyy&c_id=nyy

[crow216]

MLBtr reporting that the Yankees are closing in on an agreement with Ibanez.

[Wingack]

He is certainly on the decline. And I don't know what kind of defense he will be able to give us. But as long as he is healthy the possiblity exists that he could rebound to his 2010 stats which when combined with Andruw Jones against lefties could give the Yankees some pretty nice overall production. He also can play first base in a pinch.

[BigMike]

I think Ibanez is a better choice for the Yankees. Bot he he and Damon are very much on the decline and huge question marks. The one Big advantage of Ibanez is if he stinks he can be easily replaced/benched.

If you sign Damon you are locked into him. He is going to whine like crazy any time he isn't in the lineup, especially against a righty, and should it not work out well and you have to bench him or release him it could become a very bad situation

[jon abbey]

The crazy thing is that Posada had much better numbers against RHP last year than either Damon or Ibanez, it's kind of a shame that the Montero/Pineda deal didn't happen a month or so earlier.

I still want Branyan.

[Carl Everetts Therapist]

Bill Hall just signed on with the Yankees.... It's on aminor league deal and he's looking at a utility/Part time DH type role.

The Yankees can do worse, especially if Hall puts up similar numbers to 2010

[jon abbey]

I think Hall's a candidate for the other open bench spot, the one that Chavez filled last year. A LHH bat is still almost certainly coming.

[Sampo Gida]

The crazy thing is that Posada had much better numbers against RHP last year than either Damon or Ibanez, it's kind of a shame that the Montero/Pineda deal didn't happen a month or so earlier.

I still want Branyan.

Imagine if the deal had happened before Papi had accepted arbitration.

[jon abbey]

That would have been fascinating, especially with NY's seemingly self-imposed budget constraints. One of the two teams would have ended up paying a lot more than they wanted to.

[Guero]

Hope to god it isn't Ibanez........I really, really don't want to hear that stupid "Raaaaaaauuuuuuuullllll" junk in YS.

[crow216]

I still want Branyan.

Done.

Just signed a minor league deal with the Yankees.

[StuckOnYouk]

I'm pretty happy if they don't hook up with Damon again. I don't care how old he is, he's tailor-made for that park and would still find a way to run into some big HR's there next year.

[jon abbey]

Oh, I am excited. My post above from three weeks ago, check out those numbers against the top Sox pitchers:

Another name to maybe throw in the $1M range pool is Russell Branyan, who was awful last year but who has a 1.114 career OPS in the new Yankee Stadium, 8 HRs in 47 ABs, including his only AB there last year, when he homered off Rivera in August. SSS obviously, but dude really seems to like to hit in the Bronx.

Also, he has mammoth numbers against Beckett/Buchholz/Bard/Aceves in an even smaller SSS, 5 HRs in 26 ABs combined (3 off Beckett), .545/.962/1.507.

[jon abbey]

Even better, 7 HRs in 36 ABs in the new Yankee Stadium over the last two seasons, I really hope he gets a genuine shot to be the DH against RHP.

[derekson]

Isn't Branyan the only person besides Brandon Allen to truly hit a home run into the upper deck in RF in NYS?

[jon abbey]

Isn't Branyan the only person besides Brandon Allen to truly hit a home run into the upper deck in RF in NYS?

Also still the only one to hit one off the glass facing in center field (July '09 off Aceves), he is a beast.

[DanoooME]

So are they done acquiring bats? If not, a Burnett & cash for Abreu swap makes a lot of sense for both teams. Angels have the 5th slot open and Abreu satisfies the need for the lefty bat. Unless they need more power? Or is there some residual issue from his last stint in NY?

[jon abbey]

I don't think there's a residual issue, I brought up his name earlier (I guess on a different thread). I don't know what the Angels are planning, but they certainly have too many guys. Both Abreu and Trumbo seem extraneous now: Wells/Bourjos/Hunter in the OF with Trout waiting in the wings, Pujols at 1B, Morales at DH. I can see keeping Trumbo as Morales insurance, but Abreu seems really buried.

[jon abbey]

Interestingly, Montero is trying to become only the second Mariner to hit 30 HRs in the last six years. The first? Russell Branyan in 2009.

[derekson]

Interestingly, Montero is trying to become only the second Mariner to hit 30 HRs in the last six years. The first? Russell Branyan in 2009.

It would be beyond shocking to see Montero hit 30 any time soon while playing half his games at Safeco.

Maybe in his age 25-27 seasons he'll have a shot when he's at his peak, but that's a lot to ask from a young kid playing in a park that's death on RH power.

[Savin Hillbilly]

According to Olney via MLBTR, it's Ibanez:

http://www.mlbtrader...aul-ibanez.html

As a Sox fan, I like this move.

[jon abbey]

Yeah, not thrilled about it either, but at least not much of a commitment, and it'll be easy to Randy Winn him if he sucks. Hopefully they can keep Branyan in AAA...