Weekly Recap

Last week we finally had some action from the Yankees giving us a glimpse into what the future holds.

1. Darrel Rasner was sold to Japan. This one seemed a little odd to me at first. I liked Rasner and thought he did an excellent job for the Yankees when they needed him. He started out strong and had a very rough finish, but I thought he had value as a long reliever. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that teams in major league baseball just don’t see the need for long relievers any more. Joe Girardi last year made it clear that he didn’t want to waste roster space with a long reliever if he didn’t have to. In the end, I think this move came down to something Rasner really wanted to do, and the Yankees let him. Best of luck Darrel.

2. CC Sabathia given a huge offer. There have been a few complaints coming out of the Brewers organization that the Yankees overbid for Sabathia, but the Yankees have the money to spend and don’t want to waste time getting the players they covet the most. I don’t see the Sabathia offer as being too extravagant. A little more than he probably deserves but that’s exactly what you expect from the Yankees. There have also been rumors that the MLBPA has been pressuring CC to sign the deal to help push up contract prices for players, but that claim sounds dubious at best. I predict that CC will talk to one or two other clubs early this week and be signed with the Yanks by the weeks end.

3. The Yanks want to go after Lowe and Burnett. Hank Steinbrenner let the cat out of the bag that the Yankees were going to be making offers to three big name pitchers, not just one or two. Most people seem to think that the Yankees are interested in signing two quality free agent starters, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more than that if the team can come to terms with the players it wants. The Yankees’ rotation was beat up last year and injuries took their toll. Joba couldn’t handle the physical stress of being thrown into a full time starting job at the end of last season and it’s still questionable how many innings he can throw this year. Mussina might not want to come back and the Yankees might not want Pettitte back. The most likely scenario is that the Bombers pick up two new arms, but don’t rule out them getting all three of their targets.

4. Yanks acquire Swisher from White Sox. Finally Wilson Betemit is jettisoned. He was a drain on the team more than anything else. His offensive production was abysmal and his defense was suspect as well. Joe Girardi insisted on giving him playing time rather than getting young prospects the at bats and innings they deserved. Marquez had some potential but wasn’t necessarily a guaranteed big league player. Kanekoa Texiera has potential and could possibly end up playing at Yankee stadium some day and his inclusion in the deal is a little surprising. Nick Swisher showed potential early in his career and then went and had an awful year this past season. He’s billed as a Jason Giambi type of hitter, but not quite as good (which, considering Giambi’s performance last year, is pretty scary). The hope is that last year was a fluke and that Swisher will continue to develop and reach the potential many thought he once had. His defensive skills are a significant improvement over last year and I laud the Yankees for placing a little emphasis on defense rather than just offense. Swisher also has the flexibility to play left and right field if needed. He’s a bit of a gamble, but the Yankees got him for a steal so you have to be pretty happy with this deal. The Yankees will still go after Mark Texiera, but their need at first base isn’t as dire and I think the Pinstripers won’t be offering quite as much as they would have if the hadn’t acquired Swisher.

Farnsworth Still Haunting Yankees

The New York Yankees managed to get a split out of their series with one of the best teams in baseball, and so all in all it wasn't too bad of an outcome. Unfortunately, Kyle Farnsworth is still Kyle Farnsworth and even if he's playing for a different team, he can still hurt the Yankees.

While pitching only one inning for Detroit, Kyle managed to give up 3 runs on 3 hits and helped Tampa beat the Tigers and preventing the Yanks from moving up a game in the AL East.

The Yankees game was certainly a wild one. Edwar Ramirez gave up a grand slam home run to Mark Texiera, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits in a single inning, yet still was awarded the win. Darrel Rasner was pulled after 4 innings of work in favor of long reliever Dan Giese.  I think Ian Kennedy is going to be given another shot at the rotation soon. Sidney Ponson may have stayed his execution another start or so with his last performance, but the hitters seem to be catching up with Rasner on a consistent basis now.

Xavier Nady went 4 for 5 with a home run, Ivan Rodriguez went 2 for 3 and the new Yankee lineup looks like it can definitely put some runs on the board. Still, consistency is the key and the team needs to find a way to avoid those 1-0 losses that seem to pop up every so often.

TYanks Win Big, Boss Says Trade Prospects

The Yankees had a timely win last night to bring them within 3.5 games of the league leading Tampa Bay Rays. Darrel Rasner was decent, throwing 5.2 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs, although the Bombers were down 2-1. It wasn't until Rasner left that the offense took off and the new wunderkind David Robertson, facing only one batter, got the win.

Rasner got the job done and did what the Yankees needed him to do, and was pitching better than  he had in some prior outings, which is a good sign. The relief crew was outstanding. Jose Veras and Kyle "automatic" Farnsworth allowed no hits and no runs. Professor Farnsworth walked 1 but struck out 3. Dan Giese came on in the ninth and allowed a hit but no runs.

Robinson Cano. Wow. The guy has a .522 batting average over the last 7 games and has an OPS of 1.391. Talk about turning your game around. It's too bad he couldn't have found his swing earlier in the season. Bobby Abreu hit a long overdue homer.

The Yankees didn't get any production from the back end of the lineup, with Melky, Moeller, and Gardner being helpless at the plate (except for Brett's walk). This is an area that needs to be addressed.

SI.com had an interesting blurb in its Truth and Rumors section stating that Hank Steinbrenner has given the OK for Cashman to trade away any of its prospects. The league would have to approve of any deal involving Hughes who is on the DL and Melancon is rumored to be the only untouchable out there.  With the team playing well and only 3.5 games out, it certainly wouldn't surprise me to see the Yanks do some big time shopping soon. The idea of trading prospects doesn't really bother me all that much because no one has particularly impressed me stats-wise (I haven't had a chance to go and scout any of these guys in person).

There have been quite a few rumors about Jarod Washburn, a lefty from Seattle. This one seems to be getting the most traction right now. The Dodgers' Derek Lowe has popped up on the radar as well. Brian Fuentes has too many suitors at the moment and the asking price is likely to be too high.

Expect to see a move soon.

Yankee Hitters Can't Handle Perez

Darrel Rasner got saddled with another loss, but he didn't pitch all that badly. Sure, giving up 8 hits over 5.0 innings is a lot, but he only allowed 2 runs. Oliver Perez had no problems manhandling the Bomber bats and only gave up 1 run on 3 hits over 7.0 innings.

Justin Christian filling in over in right field didn't do much and David Robertson didn't inspire too much confidence in his relief appearance.

Joe Girardi has said that Ian Kennedy, who was activated off the disabled list, has his work cut out for him. Kennedy has been optioned (to Tampa) and isn't scheduled to return to the big leagues any time soon. Girardi has said that he likes the way the guys he has are throwing at the moment. It's an interesting statement from Girardi. Obviously he thinks Rasner, Giese and possibly even Ponson are doing a decent job.

Pete Abraham reports today that the Yankees have called up Brett Gardner. He seems to be an internet favorite, getting lots of blog fans clamoring for his call to the big leagues. Well, we'll finally get a chance to see what he can do. Also, it will be interesting to see who gets sent down in his place. Gardner's speed could be useful to the Yanks, who need to play a little more small ball and start manufacturing runs. Losing low scoring games gets tough to take after a while.

I Didn't Have the Heart to Blog This Morning

The Yankees were clobbered by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes, those pirates. One of the perennial basement dwellers and one of the teams with a ridiculously low payroll compared to the Yankees.

The painful part was the pitching. I really would like to see Rasner succeed at a starter, for Hawkins to turn his game around, and for Ramirez to solidify his job as a top-notch set up man. None of that happened last night. Rasner's success in his first few outings is starting to look like a fluke. If Hawkins ever looks good for an inning it's definitely a fluke, and Ramirez is dead set on showing me how inconsistent he can be, despite all the nice things I say about him on this blog.

In other news, Gary Carter continues to shoot his mouth off and prove that he's now officially a low-class has-been. It's sad to see one of baseball's former greats act so childishly.

Rough Pitching, Yanks Still Win

Darrel Rasner was having minor control issues and walked 5 batters last night. Fortunately, he only gave up 3 hits and 2 runs. The usually steady Edwar Ramires came in and pitched a beautiful 6th inning, then proceeded to give up 2 home runs in the 7th.  Kyle Farnsworth likewise gave up a homer in the eighth.

The good news was that the Yankee offense was swinging away and getting the job done. Damon went 3 for 5, A-rod went 3 for 4, and even the oft-maligned Wilson Betemit went 3 for 4.

The Yankees signed Sidney Ponson yesterday and will have him available as another option in the starting rotation. We'll have to wait and see what Geise does and keep a close eye on Rasner. If either one of these guys doesn't produce results, Ponson will bet a quick start. I don't have any early predictions of how Ponson is going to do in NY. He was pretty horrid the last time he visited, but has had a decent year in Texas so far. The exact issues that caused him to be released haven't been made public yet, but appear to be related to behavior. I think there's really no way to know what's going to happen if he gets a start in NY - which Ponson will show up. I hope it's the one with the lower ERA.

With Boston winning, the Yankees weren't able to close any ground, but they are tied for 2nd in the wild card race. Despite injury after injury, Boston keeps coming up with more and more starting pitching. Jon Lester has emerged as one of their best, and Justin Masterson has been doing well since he was called up and looks very promising for the future. The Tampa Bay Rays have been working the Cubs over pretty well the last few days, just beating Chicago in hard fought games that can take their toll on the losing team.

Rasner's Honeymoon Officially Over

Darrel Rasner finally had an off day, and boy was it a ugly. 9 hits and 7 runs over 3.1 innings. Rasner just kept hanging balls over the plate and getting hit hard, putting the Yanks in too deep of a hole to climb out of.

Ross Ohlendorf didn't have much control in his 1.1 innings, but Hawkins, Farnsworth and Ramirez got the job done afterward.

The offense wasn't bad, but not good enough to overcome an 8-run deficit. Giambi went 2 for 4 and had a home run.

After the game, Derek Jeter summed up the team best by saying they are "consistently inconsistent".  Once again the team is sitting back at .500 and each day that goes by is one less day they have to make a climb back to the top.

Yes, the Yankees had a similar record last year at this time and yes, they still made the playoffs, but that was an exception. It's certainly possible, but the probability of that happening gets smaller and smaller every day.

Rasner's off day will get him more attention during his next outing, as people will start to wonder if his early success was a fluke and maybe Ian Kennedy should get another shot in a few weeks when he gets back. I think Darrel will straighten around quickly and it shouldn't be too big of a deal.

Ross Ohlendorf didn't look very good either, and I think I'm officially putting him in the "too inconsistent to be trusted" category. I think he still has potential but for now, he's a Farnsworth type of reliever who should only be used in low leverage situations.

No Late Inning Heroics

The Yankees found themselves in a familiar position last night, down in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run at the plate, 2 outs. Unfortuntately, there were no last minute miracles to save the Yankees, who lost and once again fell under .500 for the season.

The unfortunate part is that Darrel Rasner's outing get's less attention and credit than it deserved. Ras pitched 8 solid innings, with 9 hits, 2 runs, 4 strikeouts and 0 walks. His 2.58 ERA is better than Mussina, Pettite, Wang, Hughes, and Kennedy.

Of all the new starters who have come into the rotation, Rasner is the one getting the best results. Where was all they hype about Rasner during the spring when YES network spent hours and hours covering Phil, Ian and Joba? At this point, it's pretty safe to say that just about everyone missed the boat on this kid.

I didn't have him pegged for a spot in the rotation either. I thought he should get the nod as long reliever and would fill in nicely behind the other kids if they had a rocky outing or could spot start when Pettitte's back acted up. Darrel has exceeded just about everyone's expectations. Let's hope he can continue to play at this level.

Edwar Ramirez finished up the 9th inning, and it was reassuring to me to see him settled back down again. He's our set-up man in my book.

The Yankee bats were quiet at the wrong times. There were 10 hits but only 1 run scored with 9 LOB. It wasn't necessarily a bad hitting night, but the team was unable to string together the offense to produce runs.

Someone needs to explain to me why Wilson Betemit is ever called in to pinch hit. Or play any other position for that matter.

Once again the Yankees were unable to keep their heads above water and over .500. It's hard to be overly critical, there wasn't any particular disaster to point out, but the end result wasn't good. Still, Rasner looked good and that's a sign of better days to come.

Rasner Struggles, No Run Support

Darrel Rasner didn't have his best outing to date, but was done in by Yankee hitting rather than Twins hitting. Hopefully this was just a temporary bump in the road for Darrel, and he;ll continue to shine in his next outings. While 8 hits and 2 walks is a little much, he did strike out five and made it through 5.1 innings. Earlier in the season, the frequent bouts of Mussina, Hughes and Kennedy getting pulled before getting through 5 IP took a heavy toll on the bullpen. In last nights game, Girardi was able to get by by using Patterson and Britton.

Scott Patterson had some difficulty and needed 40 pitches to get through 1.1 innings, and gave up a hit, a couple of walks and a single earned run. Chris Britton looked good throwing a hitless 1.1 innings. Poor Britton has been bounced back and forth so many times this season, has gotten warmed up in the bullpen and not called into games and finally got another legitimate chance to pitch again last night. He has shown a lot of patience and an ability to keep cool under the distracting situations. I'd certainly go to him in a heartbeat over LaTroy Hawkins.

Patterson turned a few heads in spring training but Girardi didn't think he was ready. He didn't exactly dominate down in the minor leagues and I think Joe had a better eye about this guy than myself and a few other Yankee bloggers who wanted him on the roster. I don't think keeping him in NY is a bad idea, but he still needs time to develop and won't be an overnight reliever sensation.

Morgan Ensberg has been DFA and likely won't be seen in NY again. Wilson Betemit was back in the lineup to continue his competition with Robinson Cano to see who can be the worst Yankee hitter.

The Yankees might be calling up RHP Dan Giese to fill in the long reliever roll. I can't believe I just typed that. The 2008 Yankees have a long reliever? Can't be. Seriously though folks, here's another thought and question. When Ian Kennedy comes of the DL, what do the Yankees do with him? Send him down to AAA to finish out the season and get more experience, or keep him on the roster as a long reliever?

I've been thinking about that for a while now, that Kennedy could have some utility in the long reliever roll. My guess is that he'd probably struggle just as much there as in the rotation, but possibly not. It would be  a pleasant surprise if he turned into a guy that could give you 2, 3 or even 4 solid innings in relief (but couldn't make a start to save his life). Unlikely, but a possibility.

Easy Come, Easy Go

The Yankees big wins over Seattle seem like a thing of the long past, having now lost two straight to Baltimore.

Darrel Rasner looked good on Memorial day, giving up only one run in his six inning outing. Because his teammates failed to provide any run support during that time, Rasner got saddled with the loss. So far this season, I think Darrel has proven to be the biggest surprise and the best performing  fresh face.

Ian Kennedy left last night's game after pitching three innings and giving up four runs. Ike had a muscle strain near his ribcage. The number of Yankee injuries this season has been absolutely staggering.

Relief pitching proved to be the Yankees weak spot in Tuesday's late night game. Ross Ohlendorf gave up 4 hits and 4 ER in 2.1 inninngs to blow an early 4 run lead and later, Latroy Hawkins gave up 2 ER on 3 hits in the 11th to end the game. The night before Hawkins gave up 3 ER in 0.2 innings and Jose Veras gave up 2 ER over 1.1 innings.

The other big factor in last night's game was 3 errors by the Yankees and a baserunning mistake by Jeter. The errors really come back to haunt you in close games. Also, Jeter, who got thrown out taking too big of a lead at second (after successfully stealing) cost the team a potential game winning run with A-Rod coming to the plate.

Tonigh Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to pitch another extended outing. He may get a chance to start soon if Kennedy is out for an extended period of time.

It's hard to find too many silver linings in the clouds of the last two games. The Yankees had some offense but still left 8 and 9 runners on base. Darrel looked sharp in his start but the bullpen is coming undone. While I've been very high on Ohlendorf, he's really showing a lack of consistency. Latroy Hawkins is just plain bad. Veras had a bad outing and Farnsworth is completely unpredictable. Edwar Ramirez is looking like the only dependable bullpen guy right now, but that observation is based on very few appearances and doesn't account for much.

Just when you think these Yankees might be digging themselves out of a hole, Baltimore sends them sliding right back in.

Rasner Win Overshadowed by Joba News

Let's get one thing straight, Darrel Rasner pitched one heck of a game last night. 7.0 innings of work, 6 strikeouts and only 1 walk with 0 runs. You can't ask for anything more from a starting pitcher. It's something no other Yankee pitcher has come close to in their recent starts. For a guy called up in the middle of the season, Rasner is doing a commendable job. It wasn't a flawless performance, as Rasner got himself in trouble once or twice, but just as quickly he got out of the jam without giving up a run.

I like what I see from Darrel. I'm not putting him down as the next Cy Young winner, but I think he could prove a reliable back end guy. If he could pitch like he did last night all of the time, he'd be the ace on someone's rotation, but not all of the games will go as smoothly as what we just saw.

The big news generated after the game was Joe Girardi's comments about Joba Chamberlain stating that the process had begun and that the Yankees were beginning to stretch out Joba's innings to prepare him for a starting role. More news has been coming out from various sources that Cashman had talked with Joba and the young star confirmed that he's mentally ready and wants to give starting a try. That is the most important part of the equation for me. I was getting worried that Joba would become too comfortable in his set-up role and might not look favorably on the move to the rotation which would subconsciously kill any real chance of him ever succeeding in that role. The fact that Chamberlain thinks he's ready is a good sign. It's also a good sign that the Yankees still have some baseball sense about them and realize what a tragic mistake it would be if they didn't give him a shot as a starter.

On the other side of the ball, Alex Rodriguez was on fire. Officially he had 3 hits including 1 home run and 2 RBIs, but anyone watching on TV saw the replay clearly indicating that one hit ruled a double was clearly a home run. There was no doubt about it in anyone's mind and it will again cause a bit of talk about the idea of instant replay in baseball. A-Rod looked good at the plate and seemed to run well also, hustling out plays and going near full speed. Even in his absence, the Yankee hitters should have been producing more runs and playing better than they had. I'm not buying the lack of A-Rod as a valid excuse for their previous struggles. Having A-Rod back, having a guy who starts making contact and hitting the ball can provide a spark that jump starts some of the other players.

Lastly I want to comment on another guy who's doing an outstanding job, Chad Moeller. Moeller seems to be doing an excellent job of reading his pitchers and hitters. He's made some nice defensive plays and has been hitting decently. Last night he went 2 for 5 and brought his average up to .262. Despite being placed on waivers earlier in the season, Chad indicated he would be happy to remain with the organization even in the minors. When he was called back up he continued to perform well. This guy has done all that you could ask and more. I don't know what his future with the Yankees will be, considering you've got Posada, Molina and Cervelli, but he certainly has served the team well.

Another Win for Rasner

Six innings pitched and two earned runs for Darrel Rasner in his second major league appearance of 2008 and his second straight win. Darrel threw 87 pitches - 61 for strikes. He only walked one batter and generally looked sharp all afternoon.

The Farns had a slightly rocky outing, giving up 2 quick hits and allowing one inherited runner to score. Although the stats don't look that bad for him, Farnsworth had us all holding our breath. Chamberlain and Rivera did their job although Rivera did give up a hit. Pete Abraham over at the LoHud Yankees Blog summed Farnsworth up nicely by saying "If he pitches and you still have the lead, that’s a plus." I'm trying to stay positive about the up and down Farnsworth, but he sure can keep a game interesting.

Most of the offense was provided by Derek Jeter, who went 2 for 5 and hit a home run. Jeter scored twice and drove in a run. Jason Giambi hit a nice double but later was thrown out after he completely missed the signal to stop at third. That most likely cost the Yankees a run.

Wilson Betemit left the game after hitting a double and straining his hamstring. I can't say I'll miss him if he goes on the DL.

Jeff Karstens threw today and continues to make progress in his rehab. He'll be a useful tool to have either as a long reliever or a spot starter. For some reason the Yankees are insisting that Igawa is still scheduled to make the start next Wednesday. I don't see how they could let him take the mound again unless they had a fully rested bullpen ready to pitch 7 innings of relief.

Rasner Makes Strong Case to Stay

Darrel Rasner pitched well in his 2008 major league debut. Rasner landed in trouble early and gave up 2 runs in the first inning on a single and a 2 run home run. After that he got 3 quick outs in the second inning, pitched out of a jam with 2 on in the fourth and went 1, 2, 3 in the fifth inning. His total numbers were 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR, 76-49 Pit-Str.

I don't know what kind of roster shuffling we're going to see in the next few weeks, but I hope we get to see more of Rasner. With a few days off this month the Yankees could get by with four starters, but I have a feeling we'll see Igawa getting a few starts.

I'm a bit surprised Girardi didn't let Rasner throw a seventh inning, but the Yankees have nine guys in the bullpen and Joe had plenty of fresh arms to finish the last three innings of the game.

Ross Ohlendorf gave up 1 hit and no runs, as did Kyle Farnsworth. Mariano Rivera wasted little time getting the last three batters out in order.

I don't remember ever seeing Rivera pitch this well. He's just dominating as a closer.

The Yankees had plenty of offense. Derek Jeter had 4 hits and brought his average up to .313. Melky Cabrera had a nice 2 run home run and was followed by a solo shot from Robinson Cano. Cano went 1 for 4 and Giambi went 0 for 2 with a sacrifice fly. Bobby Abreu had 3 hits and drove in a run. The team LOB was 8, which is a respectable number, but could be a little better.

The big picture

This was a very good win for the Yankees and should do a lot to settle down restless fans (I can't be the only one). Darrel Rasner made a strong case to stay in the rotation or to serve as a long reliever. The Yankees offense came alive, delivering the type of scoring that makes you worry less about your pitchers.

The bullpen guys have looked good for a few days now. Ross Ohlendorf and Kyle Farnsworth both looked in control, throwing strikes and getting ahead in counts. I get the feeling Joe has a lot of confidence in these guys as long as he can limit them to one inning.