Yankee spring training news

[Sampo Gida]

Maybe teams just don't think Drew is a lock to be all that good. Or enough of a lock to risk multiple years.  If he was more of a sure thing, or if he'd take a 1-year deal, I think he'd have a job right now.  Probably in Boston.  It's not like the Sox aren't assuming a bit of risk at 3B and SS.  

 
He offered to take a 1 yr deal for the Tigers since he would be playing SS and there was nobody behind him threatening to grab playing time from him like in Boston
 
Nobody is a lock for anything.  Not like its that kind of huge investment that's going to kill a team.  He was worth over 3.4 wins last year and projections which seem a bit conservative have him at close to 2 wins.

 

[Rough Carrigan]

Maybe teams just don't think Drew is a lock to be all that good. Or enough of a lock to risk multiple years.  If he was more of a sure thing, or if he'd take a 1-year deal, I think he'd have a job right now.  Probably in Boston.  It's not like the Sox aren't assuming a bit of risk at 3B and SS.  

Yeah, but the more I think about it the more I like where they are now.  Let's be a frigging baseball team.  Bring up guys with promise.  See if they pan out. Hell, they have Cechini (sp?) doing a pale imitation of Boggs there for 3rd base in a year if Middlebrooks doesn't pan out.  There's also possible reward with accepting risk.  Middlebrooks might bring a good bit more on offense than Drew such that the overall ss-3b combo is better. 

 

[jon abbey]

Pineda is named the fifth starter, allegedly with no innings limit (I don't believe it, but I also think they'll deal with that if and when he gets close to it). 

 

[billy ashley]

Happy to see Pineda is healthy. Sucks to see a guy that talented get derailed by injuries... even if they play on a rival.
 
I'm with the folks that think it's premature to bury NY's 2014 season. While the comparison to the 2013 Red Sox isn't perfect there are some parallels (mainly the health of several important contributes.  Though, I think it's important to note that for NY, they're also a whole lot older. Additionally while both teams were very active on the FA scene, Boston went after role players while NY signed the second and third best FAs available, while also losing Cano). 
 
Basically, they got excellent top end talent, not much depth and a lot of age. Like the 2013 Red Sox, a lot of people are viewing 2014 as a transition year but also like the the 2013 Red Sox, there's some upside, if things pan out.
 
There defense is going to suck, but they should score a lot of runs and Tanaka, Sabathia, Kuroda and Pineda should all have considerable upside (and risk).  

 

[luckiestman]

I havent been able to follow Spring Training as much as I would like. That being said, the only parallel I see with last years Red Sox is that sentiment seems to have the Yankees being bad when they could be really good if a couple of things go their way. 
 
Im more worried about concentration camp sabathia than I am excited about Pineda.
 
Im just going in with low expectations and if they win more than they lose, cool. 

 

[glennhoffmania]

I don't see many similarities between the 2013 Sox and the 2014 Yankees at all.
 
-Boston had a shitty 2012 after many injuries and awful managing but going into 2013 they had a very solid roster and a huge improvement at manager.  NY had a mediocre 2013 due to being old and not that good, and going into 2014 they're still old and not that good.
 
-Boston fixed its problems by signing some mid-tier FAs to go along with the core.  NY signed a bunch of overpriced guys, some of whom are are either older (Kuroda, Beltran) or totally unknown (Tanaka).
 
-Boston's core was pretty young except for Ortiz- Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Buchholz, etc.  NY's core is very old- Jeter, Sabathia, Teixeira, etc.
 
-Boston had a deep pen, which they obviously needed after Bailey and Hanrahan went down.  NY's pen is a guy who's never closed before and then nothing special.
 
-Boston had solid to great defense at key spots with Pedroia, Drew, Middlebrooks/Iggy, Ellsbury, and Victorino.  NY's infield defense could be historically bad.
 
-Boston had a ton of depth to deal with injuries.  NY's depth is questionable at best, and on paper they're far more likely to have injuries than the 2013 Sox were.

 

[terrynever]

I'm actually more interested in how the 2014 Yankees stack up against everyone else's 2014 teams. Boston had an amazing season last year ... and it's over. Don't care about Boston or anyone else. Just play the games. Maybe by mid-May we'll be able to evaluate things better. The Yankees have a chance to contend if everyone stays healthy but if injuries hit even two key players, they have no backups who can carry on. There is no quality depth here. So that's the big worry going into 2014. Yeah, if everyone stays healthy, they could be good, but you could say that of any team in the AL East.

 

[glennhoffmania]

I agree, Terry.  I just pointed out what I thought was an incorrect comparison that several people seem to be making.

 

[terrynever]

I agree, Terry.  I just pointed out what I thought was an incorrect comparison that several people seem to be making.

Your post was on money, Glenn.

Pet peeve rant when it comes to linking NYY and Boston. Living in Pawtucket, it is pounded home to me almost every day in baseball season how much organizational depth Boston has in the minors. The past couple of years have been ridiculous. Look at how many Pawsox players helped Boston in 2013. And the pump is hardly primed yet. So I just don't see any comparison between the two organizations. The Yankees have a few more options in Scranton this year but last year they got virtually nothing from the minors. Injuries will occur in 2014. Who's going to plug the holes in the Yankees' ship?

 

[jon abbey]

I read recently that 70% of productive seasons currently come from players still in their first six years of team control. Until NY fully realizes this and starts to build this way, they'll always be fighting an uphill battle against younger teams. 

 

[terrynever]

I read recently that 70% of productive seasons currently come from players still in their first six years of team control. Until NY fully realizes this and starts to build this way, they'll always be fighting an uphill battle against younger teams.

Blame it on Boss Steinbrenner, dating back to the Willie McGee trade in the early 1980s.

 

[jon abbey]

Blame it on Boss Steinbrenner, dating back to the Willie McGee trade in the early 1980s.

 
Well, the system was wildly different then than it is now. It worked just fine for them for a long time, but the relative inattention to the farm system in recent years really hurts now, with the new CBA etc. 

 

[glennhoffmania]

Heyman's status update on Jeter, which he somehow made both ominous and ballwashingish.

 

[terrynever]

Heyman's status update on Jeter, which he somehow made both ominous and ballwashingish.

Read it earlier, thought same thing.
 
Hey, Glenn. Got a question. It's probably old news for Sox fans but I see where Boegarts is wearing No. 2. Any story behind this?

 

[InsideTheParker]

Read it earlier, thought same thing.
 
Hey, Glenn. Got a question. It's probably old news for Sox fans but I see where Boegarts is wearing No. 2. Any story behind this?

May I answer? I heard on the telly it was in honor of Jeter, his fave.

 

[terrynever]

May I answer? I heard on the telly it was in honor of Jeter, his fave.

Oh. I thought he changed in honor of Tulo!

 

[glennhoffmania]

Read it earlier, thought same thing.
 
Hey, Glenn. Got a question. It's probably old news for Sox fans but I see where Boegarts is wearing No. 2. Any story behind this?

 
Well there's this, which doesn't make me very happy:
 

 
The number 2 that the 21-year-old has been given by the Sox is the same one that he always tried to claim while growing up in Aruba, a nod to the player he idolized: Derek Jeter of the Yankees. As long as Bogaerts has been cognizant of baseball, he's watched -- been mesmerized by -- Jeter.
 

 

[terrynever]

I better learn how to spell Bogey's last name soon. Seems like pitchers are starting to game plan the kid in spring training, loading up on breaking balls, getting ahead in the count. I bet he turns the tables on them by mid-May.

Jeter gave Yankee fans great joy and pride for so many years. Expect the same thing from Xander and Sox fans. You're talking about a high character young man conversant in maybe 3 languages, polite and respectful, even of the writers. I don't care who you root for, this is a player we can all respect.

 

[glennhoffmania]

Well let's first wait and see what he includes in his gift baskets.

 

[Ed Hillel]

Will Sabathia change his number to 85 in honor of his fastball?

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

struck out zero against the Bucs, but he also gave up zero runs.  Again.

 

[Pedro 4 99MVP]

Teixeira quoted today that he doesn't trust his wrist. The MFY could have the worst offensive infield in baseball. An injured 1B who hasn't hit at all this spring, a soon-to-be injured 2B (what is the over/under for Roberts?), an aging and declining SS, and Kelly Johnson or Eduardo Nunez or Scott Sizemore (really??? these are your options) at 3B.

 

[jon abbey]

It will be worse than that, odds are good it will be historically bad, not just the worst this year.

 

[nattysez]

The prodigal Aceves returns!
 
https://twitter.com/Joelsherman1/status/449661573611913217

 

[Hoplite]

The prodigal Aceves returns!
 
https://twitter.com/Joelsherman1/status/449661573611913217

 
What could possibly go wrong?

 

[terrynever]

Girardi chooses Yangervis Solarte for final spot on 25-man roster over Nunez. Solarte switch-hits, is a better 2B than Nunez and Yanks feel they need backup help at second behind Roberts. Dean Anna is the SS backup until Brendan Ryan gets healthy.

Bottom line, Yankees don't trust Nunez in the field. Also, Solarte hit over .400 this spring. He is not yet on the 40 so one more move must be made before Tuesday.

 

[jon abbey]

If Nunez can't make this team even with Ryan out, maybe the 40 man move should be DFAing him. 

 

[terrynever]

Girardi on Solarte, from LoHud.com:
 
“He’s played a little bit more second and third than Nuney has in his career,” Girardi said. “We thought he won the spot in spring training. We talk about open competitions for those spots, for bullpen spots, for the fifth starting spot, and we felt that guys won competitions here.”

 

[terrynever]

If Nunez can't make this team even with Ryan out, maybe the 40 man move should be DFAing him. 

They have 48 hours to figure it out and maybe trade him for a tin cup.

 

[derekson]

If Nunez can't make this team even with Ryan out, maybe the 40 man move should be DFAing him. 

 
The Yankees just did, in fact, DFA Nuñez: 
 
https://twitter.com/FeinsandNYDN/status/451088251885871104