Results tagged ‘ Washington ’
Bats Power Yanks to Victory
HOLLER!!!!!!! The Yankees have once again taken a series and
everything…at least it seems…is right again with the Bronx
Bombers…everything has been going so good over the past 2 games that
even Arod decided to join the party! Hey Yankee fans, if you were
wondering how much of an impact Arod’s hitting has on the Yankees you
just have to look at the two past series, against Washington and
Florida, and then compare them to the two games they won against
Atlanta (Check last nights box-score here)…A
DIRECT CORRELATION! When Arod hits…he fuels the rest of the team and
therefore gets them more pitches to hit and then they score more
runs…and with last night as an example this team has the ability to win
when their pitching doesn’t show up…Pettitte was not impressive out of
the gate…even with a two run lead…and thankfully the Yankee bats were
there to back him up and beat up on a very good starter in Derek Lowe.
Two things can be a factor to what sparked this sudden burst of
offense…Joe Girardi getting tossed out or Cervelli’s first MLB homerun.
I would like to think it was Girardi but I might have to go with
Cervelli’s homer…here’s why…The Yankees were
at their best when they were relaxed and having fun with the game…when
they struggle (like any team and I can’t say I blame them) they aren’t
having fun, they try to fix everything at once, and therefore keep
digging themselves into a hole because they are pressing too hard…when
you press or try to hard to fix something you usually make it worse
because you do uncharacteristic things…i.e. Teixeira swinging at
pitches he usually wouldn’t chase…This example is mostly because he
felt the need to have to make up for what Arod was leaving behind…he
wasn’t getting pitches to hit so he was chasing bad pitches to try to
get the offense started…this continued last night as well as Lowe and
other pitchers attacked Arod (and rightfully so) because of his
horrific performance as of late and pitched around Tex and gave him bad
pitches to go after…and he did…going 0 for 5 last night…but if last
night is any indication Arod is back and hopefully starting one of
those HOTTTT streaks like we see from him where he hits .400, 10
homers, and 30 RBIs in a month…OR BETTER!!! If that is the case get
ready to see Teixeira’s numbers go wayyyyyy up…you can see Arod’s
impact on the top of the order as well…with Jeter going 4 for 5
yesterday…and getting a hit the night before…Side Track: Have you
noticed how many bases Jeter has stolen? If not he has 17 for the year
(and has only been caught once)…and one in each of the last 4
games…does he know how to play in the roles he is put in? Any doubters
on Jeter’s ability should just look at his career and how he changes
the game, and how much he understands it…bottom line is that Jeter
shouldn’t be a 2nd or 3rd ballot Hall of Famer…he proves year in and
year out why he should be 1st ballot…back to the top of the order…Damon
also had an impressive night at the plate going 3 for 4 while driving
in 4 ribbies…With Arod back you can imagine how many pitches these guys
are going to get…and if they start to click they can do A LOT of
damage…I’M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!
I am aware of how off track I just went there and that was a little
crazy…back to my point wayyyyyyy before with Cervelli’s homer 2 nights
ago…It fired this team up…they started to relax again and enjoy the
game like when they were young…it sparked this team and so far they
haven’t looked back…and hopefully this charge keeps them going through
this series with the Mets…tonite’s game isn’t looking too hot though 
…Now they can relax…Arod has the monkey off his back…and this team will
be dominate on offense again…I know everyone, me included, acted like
this little skid was the end of the Yankees…but look how quickly that
thought process can turn around…the good news is that they have
momentum going into bailout ballpark and might be the team to expose
the Mets and the farm team they are putting out every night…this series
is HUGE for the Yanks…and I am expecting HUGE things from them…I don’t
really want to touch on Pettitte because that’s a downer…he just was
flat out miserable last night…so let’s chalk that up to a bad
performance…he did only give up 3 earned 
hahahaha….But the bats are hot, the bullpen is looking GREAT!!! and we are ready for the Mutts.
Before the preview I wanna touch on the bullpen quickly…what a GREAT
performance from these guys last night…Aceves came in for Pettitte in
the 4th and flat out dominated the Braves bats…only putting on 3
batters over the 2 and a third innings that he pitched. My boy Coke
came in and shut them down, only giving up 1 hit while striking out 2
over 2 innings…and even Robertson got in the action…too bad he gave up
a bomb to McCann (he’s really good by the way…REALLLLLLYYYY underrated,
in my opinion) but alls well that ends well…Mo got his second
consecutive save in a row (and he didn’t have to bat this time)…so
things are looking good ALL OVER!!! YES!!!! I’M PUMPED!!!
If this game actually happens tonite we see a pitching matchup that
is really lopsided…for the Mets of course…CC Sabathia against Mike
Pelfrey…my reference earlier was obviously sarcastic…but that gets lost
in writing 
…Tonite (or tomorrow, which may be the case) is a huge test to see is
Sabathia’s arm trouble was just a freak thing or if it is something we
have to be concerned about. I am going with a freak thing…muscles
tighten up all the time and it was a good thing they took him out…the
last thing we need is CC going down for an extended period of time…he
is wayyyyy to important to this team and their success…I am going with
the “he’s fine” route and there is no sign that anything different is
happening. CC has had success in his one and only start against the
mutts…pitching 8 innings of 1 run ball, putting on less than a runner
per inning, and striking out 3 and getting the win…this Mets team is
similar to last years…except for the fact that the lineup is filled
with Triple-A players (no matter how well they are playing) so Sabathia
should have a fun time on the mound, especially with how big this place
plays. Pelfrey is a kid with a lot of potential but struggles with his
command…in 1 start against the Yankees he is 1 and 0 with a 7+ ERA, he
obviously has struggled against this team buttttttttttttttttt…this is a
new year…..but with the way the Yanks are batting right now…I don’t
know if I would be so eager to pitch against them…I think the Yanks
take this one with power and a great pitching performance…could
potentially be a problem if they are only thinking long ball…but
Pelfrey will be afraid of Arod and Tex so expect Jeter and Damon to get
a lot of hittable balls…Sabathia can attack this whole Mets lineup with
out a worry…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!
Ummmmmm….Might be back later I feel like I am forgetting something….late!
Yanks Head to Atlanta for 3 Game Series
Let’s preview tonite’s game….shall we? Well to me the start of the
series is a very interesting one and one that can possible answer a lot
of questions on where Wang is in his “way back” to being a dominate, #1
form, starter again. He goes into Atlanta to face their famous, hard
throwing, #1 prospect Tommy Hanson, once again another pitcher the
Yankees have NEVER seen. This series is important for both teams to get
back on track, they both have lost their last 2 previous series, but
Atlanta is on a 4 series skid, so they are definitely looking to bounce
back and jump on the Yankees quickly tonite. The Yankees, as said
earlier, have lost their last 2 series to teams they should have beaten
and they go into Atlanta looking to prove they are within the ranks of
the elite ball clubs. Atlanta needs this series to try and stay
some-what afloat, but the Yankees need this series, not only for
confidence and momentum, because the Saux go into Washington and if
they continue to play the way they have been as of late, they should
take 2 from the Nationals easily. So to say the least the Yankees have to show up tonite and get a jump on this series.
Tommy Hanson has proved he has the stuff to be a dominate pitcher in
the big leagues. His first start in the majors was a rough one that had
him getting bashed around for 6 earned, but over his last two starts he
has given up only 2 runs in 11 innings pitched. This kid is a hard
throwing righty that has the ability to strike batters out, he must
have trouble with his command right now, because his k’s are
wayyyyyyyyyy down and he is getting smacked around a little bit…posting
a 1.58 WHIP….but obviously teams aren’t getting their runners in when
they are on base, so he has the ability to pitch in tight
situations…two starts ago against Baltimore Hanson put on 14
runners….YES 14!!!! but the Orioles could only manage 2 runs!!! That’s
insane…and that cannot happen tonite!!! AT ALL!!!
So once again what do we have to practice tonite??? PATIENCE!!!
YAY!!! The Yankee bats have to be calm and take pitches, not only to
get pitches to hit but to put pressure on this kid…plus it wouldn’t
hurt to get to the Atlanta bullpen…pssssst their bullpen isn’t very
good at all…The Yanks have batters who walk a lot, Teixeira, Arod,
Swisher but they also have people who strike out a lot…and if counts go
deep they could be too eager and sitting fastball and get a hunk of
off-speed glory that will have them swinging out of their shoes. The
middle of this order has to be patient and take pitches…get into
hitters counts and drive the ball to the gaps…we are in a power
shortage so just swing for hits boys…PLEASE!!! The long ball isn’t
always the answer to victory…small ball is too…GIRARDI!!! send runners
once and a while and try hit and runs…get this kid confused and
worried…don’t let him pitch his game…you have to rattle rookies and
young pitchers and the Yankees haven’t done that AT ALL this year…if
they can make this kid throw a lot of pitches the Yanks have the
advantage….if the Yankees swing early and give into the kid this will
be a long night, especially if Wang doesn’t perform.
What a segue!! Wang is the ONLY
key to tonite’s game for Yankee victory, at least in my opinion. He
showed confidence and poise in his last start and actually had some of
his old stuff back, and considering where he has started this year I’ll
take a 5 inning 3 run performance every time. Wang has to be on tonite
and give the Yanks a chance to stick it to this kid and relax…if they
start pressing they are playing to Hanson’s hand and he will be able to
pitch his game and clam down and rely on his great ability. I will be
happy with 5 or 6 innings from Wang giving up 3 or 4 runs, I truly
believe that is all the Yankees need to be able to hang in this game
and possibly win it. I have confidence in our bullpen to take over
after Wang leaves the game, and if they get a lead along with it, I am
even more confident for them to hold on to it. Wang has to keep the
ball low, and if he stays away from the long ball, he shouldn’t be
dejected and lose any confidence he has coming off his last start. He
is starting to show signs of getting his sinker back and if he can get
his fastball back to 93-95 he will be back to his original form and
dominate once again. It is wayyyyy to early to give up on Wang, he has
much to much talent to just throw him away, and he can be an asset in
the rotation. He is on his way back, and if he strings back to back
quality starts together…that makes it even better. If the bats are
patient and willing to sit back for their pitch and Wang can get his
sinker and fastball working together, it could be a great night for the
Yankees and an even better start to the series. This series is very
important and can become a catalyst for the Yankees getting back on
track and taking the momentum into Citi Field…LET’S GO YANKEES!
That’s it…Late!
Stammen Bests Joba, Nats Take Series 2-1
ummmmmmmmmm…was I sleeping or something along those lines? Because I’m pretty sure I just had a nightmare that the Yankees couldn’t handle the WORST TEAM in baseball (possibly ever)…and dropped 2 of 3 to them. Really? Is that what you guys are about? I know teams go into slumps…yada, yada, yada…but right now? AGAINST THE NATIONALS??? I hope you guys didn’t have people fooled earlier this year when you looked like a championship caliber team…because this week you looked like you belonged in AAA. The worst part about it is that the pitching was there…BUT WHERE WAS THE HITTING!!! This team is an offensive juggernaut and they scored a total of 7 runs!!! 7 runs!!! Is this a joke or something? I understand the struggles hitters have when they don’t know a pitcher or have never seen him before…but a whole team? And whyyyyyyy are you swinging so early? They clearly had NO strategy going into this series…what a horrible performance by a team that should’ve averaged 6 runs per game against Washington…but I guess that’s what happens when you expect to win and become lackadaisical.
Truth be told I am usually not a fan that overreacts or flies off the handle like that…but this series was horrible and continued a trend that has been seen in years past. TEAMS WILL HAVE YOUNG PITCHERS IN THEIR ROTATION!!! You guys obviously have to prep better, because if you can’t hit off pitchers you have never seen before, it’s gunna be a longgggg year. How come a team of vets couldn’t work a walk off a rookie who is making his first start in Yankee Stadium? That’s crazy….young pitchers walk batters…YETTTT…there they go swinging away at the first pitch…I’ll give the John Lannan his due, because he pitched a good game and has at least been around long enough, but this kid Stammen is a ROOKIE!!! C’mon guys…YOU’RE THE YANKEES!!! Now I will admit that the Nats made some good plays in the field, saving a few big hits…but the Yankees looked flat the whole series and didn’t have that fiery attitude, like the one the exuded all through the first 2 months. I really don’t know what else to say about the performance of this past week so I am going to leave it along…butttt how do you get 7 hits in a game and not get one guy in? Where is the small ball?
I do, for a moment, want to talk about the pitching. THE ONLY BRIGHT SPOT TO THIS SERIES!!! All 3 starters pitched extremely well only giving up 3 runs each, and, more importantly, keeping the team in the game, and within striking distance at all times. But the praise doesn’t really fall to them, but I don’t want to overshadow their performance, it goes to the bullpen. If anyone has taken notice the ‘pen has been pretty solid lately and are becoming something, if they can keep it up, that the Yankees can rely on, and not be afraid to use. Over 8.2 innings (or basically a whole game) the bullpen didn’t give up ANY earned runs. Now you can go back to what I was saying earlier, and how the Nats are a bad team and all that…buttttthey are a product of bad pitching (starting and bullpen) and defense, they are actually a very good hitting team. So in my opinion the fact that the Yankees kept the bats at bay through the whole series is impressive, especially with all that power and the way balls fly out of Yankee Stadium right now. Side Track: The streak has been snapped at 35, there were no home runs hit in last nights game, pretty impressive. So there is the silver lining for this series and hopefully this is a trend they can keep up, a good bullpen will win you games and keep you in the hunt. And although I was “ranting” before about how bad this series was, the Yanks are only 3 games out of first, due to a Boston loss yesterday…so maybe I shouldn’t be going so crazy…but sometimes it’s fun to do that.
Tonite’s game: Pettitte vs West…a battle of south paws…and it should be a fun one to watch…I actually enjoy watching the Marlins play and think that this series is a very interesting one. Tonite’s matchup is hard to breakdown because this kid West is a rookie and has had ups and downs. He has shown a lot of potential and promise, including a June 8th performance that had him bringing a no-hitter into the 7th while facing a very intimidating Randy Johnson. The thing that scares me is that the Yankees haven’t seen this kid yet either…and if this series against the Nationals is any indication, then the Yankee bats will struggle tonite too. West is a hard throwing lefty who doesn’t put a lot of batters on to begin with, so this might be a long night, and Pettitte has to show up. Andy might be showing signs of his age, I hate to say it but it’s true, and you almost have to go into a game expecting him to give up 3 or 4 runs, so the bats have to wake up to give us a shot tonite. Now Pettitte has been much, much better on the road then at home this year, so I am hoping that we can see him perform at his highest level tonite. He is getting hit around a lot but Florida plays in a big ballpark and that should help him, considering that he has given up 10 homers this year, but only one of them has been on the road. This should be an interesting game, and should almost be a pitchers duel, unless the Yankee bats can wake up and hit this kid West, they are on a 2 game skid (I use that term loosely) so this game is important especially with Boston facing a struggling Braves team. Calling all Yankee hitters…we need you tonite, more importantly we need you on base…take your time against this kid, make him make mistakes, AND TAKE PITCHES!!! Don’t let him get comfortable…PLEASE!!!!…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!
Yankees vs Nationals Preview
Needless to say this series is a BIG one…if the Yankees play the way
they should, and exploit the horrible Nationals pitching this SHOULD
be a sweep, and there is no excuse if they don’t come out of this 2 to
1. The only concern I really have in this series is that the Nationals
have BIG bats and have shown their muscle in the past…plus they also
play in a bandbox in Washington so they know how to play on a ballpark
that is similar to theirs. The Yankees should be on a high after their
2 to 1 series win over the Mets and especially the win yesterday over
Santana, where their bats were absolutely on fire! If
that carries over, I wouldn’t want to be a Nationals fan, or pitcher
for that matter. I don’t see the Yankees coming out of this series as a
loser…the Nationals are too weak of a team and they must take advantage
of that to stay close to Boston who are facing the Florida Marlins, a
scrappy underrated team who needs this series to stay afloat…and in my
opinion have the pitching advantage in the first two games of this
series. If Florida can play Boston hard we can see the Yankees down by
1 in the standings….I can’t see the Sox getting swept at all…However
the Yankees can’t bank on Boston losing so they must take advantage of
the upcoming series.
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Sabathia vs Martis
I don’t think I really have to say this buttttt….the advantage is
clearly Sabathia in this matchup. Martis has shown this season that he
definitely has potential, and even for a short period of time he was
looking dominate and was the best pitcher in the Nationals
rotation…however the batters caught up to him and exposed what he
really is and now he posses a bloated ERA but still has an impressive 5
and 1 record despite his ERA is 5.04…although over his last 2 starts
…or 12 innings…he has shown that promise again…only giving up 3 earned.
Still the pitching advantage is clearly in the Yankees corner with the
Veteran workhorse Sabathia. CC has had 2 bad starts in a row (for his
standards) and is looking to bounce back and against a weak opponent it
is a great time to do it. Sabathia definitely has not forgotten about
his performance in Boston and that loss has left a bad taste in his
mouth, no doubt. I really can’t see the Yankees losing this game, the
bats (even in losing efforts) have been hot lately, and they, for the
most part (except against Nieve), have been hitting bad pitching REALLY
hard! The Yankees must take advantage of teams they can beat and this
matchup should almost guarantee a victory…oh by the way Sabathia is 1
and 1 with a 1.65 ERA against the Nationals in his career…if they can’t
win this game…this might be a longggg series.
Game 2: Wang vs Lannan
The real ace of this Nationals staff is facing the once ace of this
Yankees staff, and has fans wondering if this will be the game where
Wang finally turns it around and salvages his rotation spot for this
year. I can’t believe I am saying this but Washington has the pitching
advantage in this one. The ONLY key to this game is if Wang pitches or
not…I think the Yankees can score off Lannan, but if they can’t they
definitely have to knock him out early and then attack the Nationals
less than stellar bullpen. However if Wang doesn’t show up and gets
hammered that allows Lannan, who is TERRIBLE on the road this season,
to calm down and pitch his game with a lead. Wang must pitch well and
eat up some innings…the bullpen will be rested, because of Burnett’s
performance and the day off today, but if he doesn’t eat up innings
that isn’t good for his progress and, truth be told, means that he
didn’t have a good pitching day. Wang, in my opinion, is the ONLY key
to the game…if he doesn’t pitch well I think the Yankees will have a
tough day…I think they can hit Lannan but if he has a lead he can pitch
the way he wants, anddddd if Wang is off against the Nationals line-up,
they will put up BIGGGG numbers on him…if he keeps the ball high in the
zone Zimmerman and Dunn will hurt him badly…and I am positive Dunn is
licking his lips and hoping he gets balls to hit…and if he does we will
see some of the longest homeruns we have ever seen fly out of Yankee
Stadium.
Game 3: Joba vs Stammen
Again the Yankees have the pitching advantage…I can’t see how they
can lose against a struggling rookie, especially at home. The key to
the game is Joba, he NEEDS to eat up innings, he can’t have another 4
inning performance…he must calm down and take his time and again, trust
his stuff…if he does it’s a no doubter to me…he’s too dominate when he
is on and I can’t see the Yankees NOT knocking around this kid.
Key to the Series:
Starting Pitching…bottom line! If they pitch well against this
potent, but underrated, lineup they should have no problem winning
these games, especially if it turns into a bullpen shootout…the
Nationals bullpen is abysmal so the Yankees should take pitches and get
the National starters out of the game…quickly.
The series has to go to the Yankees…I really see them sweeping the
Nationals but to me there is no way they don’t win at least 2 of 3,
especially at home. This is too big of a series for them to be flat and
not perform they must come out and play like the championship caliber
team that they are…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!
That’s It…Late!
What if Hughes Fails?
I know this is a touchy subject but I thought about it earlier and
it is something that the Yankees might have to really consider and
truly answer. Better yet what will they do if the unthinkable happens
and Huhges gets hurt? Of course this is all speculative and it can only
come true if the Yankees, in fact, do something with Wang that results
in him coming out of the starting rotation…more than likely this will
happen, especially if he continues to pitch the way he has…but in that
case what will happen to Wang then? This is my thought process:
Let me start off by saying that the Yankees, their fans, scouts,
everyone is high on Hughes, he is the future of the Yankees and will be
in the rotation for years to come. There is no reason to think that his
current stint in the bullpen is long term, it is just a fix and a
reason to keep him out of the minors, where he can’t grow or learn any
more, he’s too dominate down there and is just a waste of his and the
Yankees time. So finishing up this thought is that the Yankees will be
back in the rotation and probably this year…but what if…
Hughes Fails: What do the Yankees do then? Side
Track: I don’t usually use numbers in my Blogs but to be honest I am a
numbers ***** so this post will be full of them…enjoy!!..Although he
has been pitching very well as of late, including his last 4 starts and
2 relief appearances, we saw his ERA go from a robust 7.56 to a
manageable and acceptable 5.26 while striking out 29 in his last 27.2
innings, he does have the ability to get hit around and give up runs.
Let’s not forget the debacle in Baltimore where he gave up 8 earned in
1.2 innings (that was also his last loss), I know I am being picky but
I have to give examples from both sides. Assuming, again, that Wang
isn’t gunna be what we need him to be, we can’t run him out there every
5 days to get smacked around, Hughes will be in the rotation again and
can hopefully work on recent success. But what if he runs into trouble?
We saw it earlier this year, he would lose command and give up hits and
runs, he does look more confident now but teams can score on him early
on in games and he would have to be taken out…remember last year too?
Side Track: Injuries are generally to blame for last years performance,
and I believe it too…so we can kinda let him slide a little on that
one…But there is a possibility that he will fail…he doesn’t have the
cleanest track record in the Majors…although all points do point to
success what will the front office do if he fails or even worse than
that, gets hurt…
First: What to do with Hughes?
My inclination is to put Hughes back into the pen if this would
happen. I think he is great out of the bullpen and a huge asset for
their success…like I have said in the past he bridges the gap from the
8th to 9th and can be used in long relief if necessary too…He has too
much potential to be used as a long reliever though and I would rather
see him in an important role like being a set-up man for Mo. People
might want Hughes to be in the Minors but that doesn’t do anything for
him…he dominates AAA and he can’t learn anymore from being there…he
would have to stay in the pen and face major league hitters and in
pressure situations you usually end up pitching to the cream of the
crop.
Second: Who Takes that Place in the Rotation?
WANG: With Wang presumably in the minors or on the
15-day DL at this point and getting starts in AAA he might be the first
option for filling that role. Getting Wang the necessary starts that he
was pulled out of a few weeks ago may be the key to his success. Wang
was pitching to his big league potential in the minors which makes me
feel that it is more mechanics and nerves at this point. Check out his
stats here.
To break them down quickly Wang pitched 13 innings gave up no earned
runs, struck out 7, and threw a complete game shut out. If he can
replicate these numbers, if he is sent back down, over 5 or 6 starts he
may find himself back in the rotation.
IGAWA: Now I know it’s gunna be hard for anyone to
swallow this one but if something was to happen to Hughes, such as an
injury that sidelines him for any period of time this might be the
person they call up. Igawa has been a HUGE and i mean HUGE bust for the
Yankees, after the Red Sox signed Dice-K the Yanks felt compelled to
sign a Japanese born player, and it blew up in their faces. But hear me
out, Kei, although not having a great season by any stretch (see stats here)
he is one of only a few starting pitchers in the Minors that has major
league experience. There are some more young guns down there, but they
are probably too young and immature (in a Major League sense) to get
called up. There is one other veteran down there, Casey Fossum, but he
has had limited success in the Majors and that was while being in the
bullpen as a reliever. The truth of the matter is that Igawa has had
some success in the Majors and might be the best choice if Wang isn’t
available, at least until they can find a long term solution. He would
probably be more likely to come up in the event that Hughes gets hurt
and they need someone in the rotation right away.
Trades: The Yankees are no strangers to making
trades before the deadline and spending money to keep their team
winning and in the playoff hunt. If all these situations fail or they
decide that Igawa or other youngsters in the Minors can’t cut it you
might see the Yankees hitting up small market/falling teams that can
use money and prospects. Unfortunately this wouldn’t happen to later in
the year but as of right now here is who they can go after, in my
opinion.
First off you can forget every team in the AL East so here we go…
AL Central:
Kansas City: Now most people are going to think I’m
gunna say Greinke, nope, no way! The Yankees will not give up the
prospects or money for what the Royals will want for him. I can see the
Yankees going for the once Mets prospect Brian Bannister…he has put up
decent numbers this year and is a good 5th starter for the Yankees and
it will cost them a little bit but I don’t see it being someone like
Kennedy or Jackson. Keep an eye out…see his stats here
Cleveland: Too young, and no one really going after…we’re not gunna go after Pavano again are we?
AL WEST:
Seattle: The one guy on this team that is always mentioned in trades is Jarrod Washburn.
The Yankees have pursued him in the past so I think they could look his
way if need be. The thing going against the Yankees is that he is
having a great season (click on his name to see stats) and Seattle is
giving him a ton of money, that more than likely the Yankees would have
to swallow. If the Yankees take the load of his money they might get
away with just throwing some secondary AA players at Seattle.
Oakland: Too young to deal with, no track record and no need to go after youngsters down the stretch.
NL East:
Washington: The only team in the East I think the
Yankees will deal with. They have youth in their rotation but all of
their numbers are inflated, because of the bandbox they play in, but
there is some talent in that pool. More than likely the Yankees
wouldn’t deal with them because of youth but if the Yankees were
willing to deal Swisher they can take a shot at Lannan as long as
prospects are going with him…Not likely to happen at all but that’s the
only deal I see happening there.
NL Central:
Pittsburgh: This might be a stretch, but the
Pirates have to be kicking themselves that they are using a huge chunk
of salary on a pitcher that isn’t pitching to his potential. Ian Snell
is a guy who has a whole lot of potential and isn’t doing much with it
this year, he isn’t making much money is Pittsburgh which might make
him more attractive to other ball clubs and lets the Pirates go after
position players to build their offense back up. Let’s face it the
Pirates aren’t going anywhere this year so I can see them shopping
Snell for some AAA batters to get their offense back to it’s glory
years.
NL West:
Arizona: The only person I can see the Yankees going after from the NL West is Doug Davis.
The main problem is that Davis is a lefty and do they really want 3 in
their starting rotation? The Diamond Backs also always find a way to
squirm back into the race in the NL West due to the fact that it’s a
horrible division. I don’t see this happening at all but it’s worth
mentioning, it will cost the Yankees a lot due to the fact that Davis
is having a pretty good year and he is getting paid a good amount.
I really don’t see the Yankees shopping anyone but you never really
know. Out of all these players I can see the Yankees really going for
Washburn (I know a lefty too) but he always comes up and it won’t cost
them as much as some of these other players will.
Of course all these situations are merely based on speculation and
may never come to fruition and hopefully never will. I like Hughes A
LOT!!! so I hope I’m not coming off as someone who doesn’t want Hughes
on the team. But these things do happen so I wouldn’t be surprised to
hear these things talked about soon if things don’t work out right.
robertfpeterson
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