It doesn’t appear as if the Yankees are going to make any splashy moves before the end of the trading deadline, but they are reportedly interested in pitching–both starting and relief–as well as a center fielder. The only name that really jumps out and moves me is Grady Sizemore, but that just doesn’t seem realistic–at least not without losing Cano (which I think would be worthwhile). Here is the latest from the Times,the Daily News, Newsday, and the Newark Star-Leger.
The Yanks go into a three-game series against the Twins trailing the Red Sox by just one game in the AL East. Tonight offers a good pitching match-up in the Bronx: Radke v. Johnson. Be sure and check out how the other half lives by dropping in on Batgirl, John Bonnes, Seth Stohs, and of course, Aaron Gleeman.
1. All the good rumors involve teams other than the Yankees so far. The Dunn to the A's rumor is mildly mind-boggling. It's also interesting to note that Showalter has had his fill of Soriano, who doesn't appear to play the game Buck's way.
2. Is Sizemore projected to be a good defensive CF in the long run? I know he can hit, but the Yankees may have struck gold in Cano, a decent defensive 2B who can rake, and I don't know if that's rarer than a good CF. It's all rumor, vapor, and whisper, but analyzing stuf like this is a bit more fun than analyzing my TPS reports.
Thanks for the links to the Twins bloggers; I enjoy reading Gleeman, but I haven't in a few months since some of my bookmarks were misplaced in a computer switch.
3. I know he's said in the past that he's not interested in playing the OF, but does anyone think the Yanks could re-acquire Sori and make a CF out of him?
Admittedly, there are (at least) 3 problems with this:
1. Doing this in the middle of a pennant race is probably not the best idea in the world
2. He still looks like he's way too susceptible to the pitch that's low and away
3. Texas will likely want Hughes or another of the young pitchers, and we need to hold onto those guys. (At least they wouldn't want Cano, as they have Ian Kinsler all ready to go.)
But its interesting to contemplate . . .
4. I really wish Cano would stop being mentioned in trade rumors. The Yankees would be stupid to let him go.
As for Soriano, I've heard the Mets have been having a couple of conversations with Texas.
5. I enjoyed watching Soriano a lot when he was with the Yankees, but I would not be crazy about having him play center field. He's likable but he's also proved to be incorrigible: he makes the same hustle mistakes he did three years ago which suggests he isn't about to change.
I think he'd be an unmitigated disaster for the Mets. Look at his home-away splits. He's a pretty poor hitter away from Arlington, and Shea Stadium could really kill his career. Take away 5-10 home runs from him and he's not that valuable. It's not like he's a line drive hitter who could use Shea to get more triples. He doesn't hustle out of the box enough for that.
He's exciting. I still find him very watchable offensively, with that coiled stance of his. I always expect that something electric could happen. But I wonder if he'll ever elevate his game. It's possible but I don't know that I'd bet on it.
6. Oof.. if I had the chance to pull the trigger on a Cano-Sizemore deal, I would put a lot of thought into it; it's tempting. Two 22-year old bluechippers that have succeeded at the major league level? I like Sizemore for his speed, hustle, and OBP. I like Cano because he'll probably end up the 2nd best defensive secondbaseman in the AL as long as Orlando Hudson is in the league, but he's a much better hitter than Hudson.
In the end though, I have to keep Cano. He's increased most positive numbers in each month since his call-up, and more important than his homeruns, his doubles are going up, while strikeouts are going down. I just wish he'd take some walks.
Notice who has more errors than Cano this year in the AL - Soriano, I think he really needs to accept the truth and move to the outfield - he could be a heckuva left fielde, but like Alex says, he doesn't seem to have the drive.
As for a CF, what would it take to pry Ryan Church from the Nats?
7. Soriano cannot hit good pitching, more specifically, he cannot hit playoff pitching. And defensively, he has not improved. I don't think he's coachable, frankly, and Buck is tired of trying. I'd definately prefer Cano over Soriano. Sizemore is another matter. I'd still hang onto Cano; we'll find a CF in the offseason. What the Yanks need is pitching; any kind of live arm with a little gas left in the tank and I think we can make a run for it.
8. As for a CF, what would it take to pry Ryan Church from the Nats?
I think that's an intriguing idea and one I hadn't heard before. Anyone know how he rates defensively? I keep hearing he's got a lot of upside. Once the Nats have Nicky back he really becomes moveable. Someone call Cashman!
9. BP's Davenport translations give him a Rate2 of 111 as a CF, which sounds pretty good to me.
The problem is that Church is 26, and given that he's slugging .515 in RFK (!?) and the Nats are still alive, I don't think Bowden will move him. They need some combination of a SS who can hit, a 3B who can hit, an OF who can hit, and another pitcher . . . not looking like a good match, unless Bowden would like Andy Phillips, who seems to be bolted to the bench.
On a side note, look what ex-Yank (and Bronx native) John Rodriguez is doing for the Cards so far: .364/.417/.727. I know, small sample size (only 22 ABs), but shoot, he's 27, a lefty, can play CF, and his minor league numbers show he had power, could hit, and would take a walk. Sigh . . . the Yanks are starting to remember that young players can be good - if only they'd held on to this guy!
10. The names being bandied about certainly are the opposite of sexy. Here's ESPN's '05 scouting report on Randy Winn:
"Baserunning & Defense
Winn is a good athlete, having been a basketball player at Santa Clara. But he's proven to be a bad fit in center field. His arm is average at best, but where he really runs into problems is tracking flyballs. He takes bad routes, though he's sometimes able to overcome that because of his speed. He was moved to left field when rookie Jeremy Reed joined the team in September. Winn fared better there.
2005 Outlook
Scouts regard Winn as a good fourth outfielder on a good team. A notorious slow starter, his final piece of work doesn't look bad on paper. But if Jeremy Reed wins the center-field job in spring training, Winn looks like an average option in left field. The Mariners need a consistent bat with power, and Winn will never be that guy."
My question: If you replace the name Randy Winn w/ Bernie Williams, does the scouting report change?
Grady Sizemore? Just don't see him enough to have an educated opinion. Do know I LOVE Cano's poise. He fits like a glove on this team.
11. The more I think about it, the more silly the notion that the Indians would even entertain trading GS seems. Feels like classic trade-talk gossip and nothing more.
And I beg to differ on Soriano. If not for a famous 9th inning melt down, he would have been the hero of the 2001 World Series. That splitter he hit off of Schilling to give the Yanks the lead was a nasty, nasty pitch. And remember, Soriano had a game-winning home run against the Mariners earlier in the 2001 playoffs.
He's got a lot of flaws, and he's played poorly in the playoffs too, but he's also done pretty damn well too.
12. So, if the Yanks traded Cano for Sizemore then the team has a big hole at 2b and Womack in all his glory will there be there to fill it. No thanks.
13. Soriano also had the winning hit in Game 5 of 2001 WS
14. I was thinking the same thing Nick. Amazingly it seems that the Yankees are not going to trade the hot rookie for something (if the NY Times can be believed. . .)
Plus, I haven't heard of any starter being mentioned that makes me drool. Possibly A.J. but not enough to give up Cano. I think Bernie in CF (part-time) is not so bad; what we need instead are a couple of starters.
15. No doubt Soriano was clutch a few times in the '01 postseason, but he seems like the classic case of a hitter that got figured out by the rest of the league, especially (as stated above) in the case of playoff pitching. In the '01 postseason he was great, but what about the '03 postseason? 26 Ks in 66 ABs (and only 3 BBs btw), including a 4K game in ALCS Game 7. If I recall correctly, it was the breaking ball low and away that did him in most of the time. Like Shaun P says, he's still susceptible to that pitch. His failure to adjust is probably related to his "uncoachability".
At least Cano has a little while before pitchers figure him out, and hopefully when they do, he'll adjust. He'll never be a 40-40 guy like Soriano almost was, but I think with his better defense, he's more valuable overall.
16. I kind of like the Rueben has become Cano's mentor. He's a guy that has been through a lot career-wise and could teach the kid about mistakes to avoid and whatnot.
17. ESPN insider is reporting some kind of trade rumor involving Pavano. I don't subscribe to the service, anyone out there know if this is bubkis?
18. "Mentor" is fine, but, as I've said before, if Ruben's Cano's "de fact hitting coach" as many close to the team say he is, then the kid could be in big trouble.
19. I've heard Pavano to Seattle for Pinero and Winn, but Pavano reportedly has a no trade clause for this season, so I don't see a trade involving him likely. I think a lot of these rumors are coming out of the minds of Seattle sports writers.
20. I don't know, he never was a great player, but Ruben has had a very nice career. If Cano is still playing when he's in his late thirties I'm sure he'd be happy. Plus, we have no way of knowing what he's teaching the kid.
21. Meche and Villone are other SEA names being thrown around.
22. Speaking of Ruben, does anyone have an update on either his or Wang's injuries?
23. Re: Pavano and the trade clause. I might be reading too much into reports of communication problems between Pavano and the coaching staff and management (first, Mel expressed frustration over an inside pitch he made that ended up in the left field bleachers and a Yankee loss, and more recently his injury time table has been muddled because of apparent miscommunication between management and him), but I think he might be unhappy in the Bronx and willing to waive the clause. Maybe, he's expressed this to management and that's what leading to his name being dangled out there in trade rumors. The Mariner rumor is not the first one he's been involved in.
24. If Joel Pineiro is the answer to our rotation problems we might as well stick Womack back in CF because this season is over.
I am praying and hoping none of these rumors are true (Pineiro, Chacon, Millwood, Redmond) and Cashman comes from no where (a la AROD) to bring us a talented pitcher to bring us through the stretch.
25. Alex, my main concern is that Ruben will convince Cano that he needs to hit more homers, and/or that he needs to pull the ball all the time, and that it'll screw the kid up. Just because Ruben has had a nice career, that doesn't mean that his approach was the right approach. If, however, he's teaching Cano about pitchers, or situations, then I have no problem.
26. jedi, I'd say Millwood is a talented-enough pitcher. Redman too. Don't be fooled by their records. If the Yanks didn't give up any of the good prospects (Hughes, Duncan, even Henn) to get them, sounds OK to me.
You figure with RJ and Moose, what we really need is a 3rd/4th starter (presuming Wang can't come back, and Pavano is the other). I think either Millwood or Redman could fill that role nicely. And, FWIW, they both have postseason experience.
On the other hand, I agree completely on Chacon and Pineiro. I'd avoid both like the plague - both have had recent injury issues, and neither has shown anything this year (records aside, their stats are awful - and Pineiro plays in a pitchers' park!).
27. Awww, c'mon, guys, Mel will fix 'em up. He's good. Won 4 World Series with him as pitching coach. Why, worked wonders with Jeff Weaver and Javy Vazquez. And ain't Carl Pavano been working out real good?
28. MANNY WANTS OUT, HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
Boston.com
It'll never happen, but he apparently requested a trade. Listen, I'm not naive enough to believe this really matters at all; he'll hit like he always does and the team won't have to worry about him. They're not trading him and nobody would want that contract anyway. Still really really funny. Sheff won't report if traded, but the World Series MVP on a 1st Place Team wants out. HAHAHAHA!
29. AP reporting that Brown and Pavano are scratched for Thursday and Saturday. Shawn Chacon here we come!
30. A few thoughts:
1) To trade Cano for Willie Mantle Mays still leaves us with a hole to fill. It makes no sense to gain one position and lose another unless it is a GIANT upgrade.
2) When is the last time a Yankee rookie had a better first year? Jetes? Nick? Sori? What we are seeing in Cano is pretty rare.
3) A high quality 2nd baseman is harder to find then a high quality outfielder.
4) Since Matsui can (and prefers) to play CF (at little loss), we don't need a CF... any outfielder that fits our needs will work.
5) For this year, Bubba or ANY guy who can catch slightly above average or better will due. We don't really need another bat.
6) If we get Willie Mantle Mays for free, we are not that much better off in terms of winning in the PS, as long as we have our current pitching staff.
7) We would be be better off using whatever trade bait we have to get ONE high quality pitcher. Starting would be best, but a quality pen guy would be a tremendous upgrade for the team.
I don't know why we are obsessing about CF. Willie Mantle Mays would be NICE, but we don't readlly NEED a CF to win.
We need PITCHING and a decent defensive guy in CF. I'm told Budda is al least average, or not above average with the glove.
Forget the outfield until the winter. Give Melka or another youngster a shot in the outfield. We need PITCHING.
What are the 3 golden rules in Real Estate?
Pitching, Pitching and Pitching.
It may seem crazy, but for ONE YEAR only, for THIS year only, paying an unGodly amount for a pitcher might get us to the PS.
Are you listening Roger?
31. Sori - .283 .322 .504 .826 Lifetime (7,500,000)
Cano - .307 .330 .489 .819 Lifetime (cheap cheap)
I really loved Sori, but I think we are doing pretty well right now
32. Dan M....
I don't know why the attitude on Ruben.
Years ago, Torre all but threw him off the club. Now he likes and respects the guy. What does that say? How about Cano's numbers? And his poise and attitude? If he has been under Ruben wing now for a while, I say keep it up.
Having a friend, confident and mentor that speaks your language (literally) is a great thing for a kid. It's not like Joe and Mattingly aren't there. The only issue is getting this kid to be patient, and work on his OBP. Hopefully, once he fully has his Major League legs, this will happen (and he won't pull a Sori).
I don't know why we fans always assume the worst. This kid looks like he could be a core player for a while (along with Jetes, Matsui, Giambi and ARod). I like that. I wouldn't trade him for anybody.
33. Giambi's OBP is going to go to about 0.900 if he keeps hitting in front of Bernie, Tino, and Flaherty.
Bad day to face RJ.
34. Soriano has very quick bat speed and can often get around on pitches that would strike out other hitters; he often hits these pitches into the seats. He also strikes out an ungodly number of times in doing this--both during the season and in the playoffs. His OBP is so-so and his defense is about the worst in the AL. He has skills, and has the tools to be one of the best players in the game, but he has the brain of a pea. By and large, against good pitching Soriano is a bust (with the occational HR off a pitch out of the zone). The 2003 series convinced me that he has been largely figured out. I'm sure he was told, whatever happens, take the first pitch; and he promptly swung over his head. He has hitting weaknesses that he has not bothered to correct because he figures he is going to hit 35 HR's and who would care. I think his best seasons are behind him. And I'm sure you all saw the single he hit off the wall in the last Texas series. Cano has a lot of upside, is a fine hitter, shows solid D, and can be had for a very modest salary.
35. I wouldn't be surprised if we see Nomo in pinstripes by the weekend.
36. I'll stand by my position: it's great that Ruben is a friend, watch-dog, mentor, etc. to Cano. But Ruben has had - and continues to have - bad habits at the plate. I don't want Cano to fall into those habits. That's all I'm saying - period. I've never advocated trading Cano (and think it would be crazy to do so), so I don't know where that came from, singledd. As for Cano's OBP/plate discipline, yes it could improve. But we said the Sori a few years back.