Avoiding Arbitration

There hasn’t been much news on the Yankees front recently. We still need another starting pitcher and could use an upgrade in center field.

Brian Cashman has been listening to offers for Nick Swisher, Xavier Nady and Robinson Cano, but so far the asking prices have been too high for anyone to give serious consideration to a trade.

Melky Cabrera and Xavier Nady have both settled on one year deals with the Yankees, although this doesn’t mean that they won’t be traded before the start of the season. Brian Bruney is still negotiating with the team.

Who knows what will happen at this point. Getting another starter most likely will happen and a trade may or may not go down, depending on the needs of other clubs. The Yankees have a few guys they could get rid of, but at this point they’re not going to let them go cheap.

Rotation Shaping Up

The Yankees went out and got two high profile starting pitchers in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. The Rotation is definitely coming into focus now, but there is still work to be done. Right now you’ve got CM Wang, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlain. That’s four guys and the Yankees will have to come up with a fifth soon. Chamberlain is doubtful to last a full season as a starting pitcher in my estimation, and so the Yankees really need a six man rotation this year. That means two additional starters need to be found.

You’ve got Hughes and Kennedy available, and re-signing Pettitte is still on the table. Ideally, I’d like to see the Yanks go out and sign Derek Lowe. I’ve been high on him for a while now and am surprised he wasn’t a higher priority than Burnett. Somehow, I think the idea of the Yanks getting another big name guy is pretty low. Still, with Burnett’s injury history, and Chamberlain’s durability problems, it would make sense to me to get another reliable arm. Even CM Wang had injury trouble last year. I’m extremely worried that this year’s rotation is going to blow up due to injury and we’re left scrambling to bring up guys from the minors and having another off season.

Andy Pettitte is available but I can’t see signing him for too much money, or a long term deal. 1 year at 12 million or so sounds about right. Again, Derek Lowe would be my first priority, but I think that is unlikely. I’ve lost faith in Hughes and Kennedy and think each needs to spend a full year in AAA ball, but the likely outcome is that one of them will be in the starting rotation at the beginning of the season and the other will get a start before too long.

The Yankees don’t seem to be too active in the Texiera hunt and with Boras as his agent, I don’t blame them. The deal with the Brewers for Cameron is currently off, but this on again, off again saga fluctuates on a daily basis. Cameron isn’t a huge pickup and the only reason the Yanks were looking at this was to make CC Sabathia feel at home with a friend of his on the field.

Center field remains a bit of a problem with Cabrera and Gardner looking like the best options at the moment. I’m not sure there are too many better options available. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Yankees give up a little offensive production for some better defense, and I don’t have a problem with guys like Nick Swisher playing first. On the other hand, injury issues with guys like Matsui and Posada could be a bigger problem without enough other big bats around.

Last but not least, thank goodness they got rid of Betemit. He was just awful and Girardi seemed to love to play him for some reason.

Things are winding down for offseason moves, but I expect one to two more announcements before the spring, namely the signing of Pettitte and possibly a trade for a CF or unloading Kennedy or Cabrera.

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.

Yanks Have Work Cut Out For Next Year

I want to describe today's game as heartbreaking, but the way this team has been playing lately, it's not surprising to see them falter yet again. Looking over the box scores for many of the recent games, I've narrowed down the Yankees needs for next year to two things - pitching and hitting. Yep, those are the two areas that need the most work.

In all seriousness, the team needs a major overhaul. Mussina pitched well this year, but he's going to be a year older. Pettitte has been spotty. Rasner and Giese were OK short term replacements, but not guys you want pitching on a regular basis as starters. Wang and Chamberlain should be stars if they can stay healthy and handle the load. So right now, I've got 2 starting pitchers penciled in - Chien Ming and Joba. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are both busts in my book, but could turn things around and end up starting.

Relief pitching has been a mixed bag. Other than Rivera, there are very few guys you can count on. Ramirez and Veras are the best we've got at the moment, and they are serviceable, but not quite as good as you'd like. Neither has truly emerged as the reliable set up man the Yanks need.

Offense is simply atrocious. A-Rod is relaxing, enjoying his mega contract and not producing much in the way of results. The Yankees are stuck with him, for better or worse, for a long time. Matsui and Damon are getting more and more injury prone every year and their defense leaves a bit to be desired. Robinson Cano is a waste of a roster spot, but the Yankee brass hasn't quite figured it out yet. The Bombers need to address the upcoming vacancy at first, ideally with someone like Posada, who's catching days are numbered. I doubt that will happen, in which case the Yanks will have to shell out a lot of cash for someone like Texiera.

The list goes on, and this offseason should be a busy one for Yankee brass. Ideally I'd love to see a lot of the fat get cut but despite all the talk from the Steinbrenner boys, I expect to see a lot of the same underachievers back again next year.

Yanks Take Second Game From Sox

10-3 Yankees behind strong pitching from Andy Pettitte and the unstoppable offense of Robinson Cano.

Newly acquired Damaso Marte came in late in the game to face David Ortiz and got the job done, striking out Big Papi. If he can be reliable, the Yankees will definitely benefit from having a lefty in the bullpen. Xavier Nady didn't have any hits, but reached base on a walk and scored.

This was a great win for the Yankees although Johnny Damon appeared to come up lame after running to first late in the game. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed that it's nothing serious; the Bombers need his bat in the lineup.

There have been more roster moves today. Brett Gardner was optioned to Scranton which isn't surprising. He didn't do anything in his big league appearances other than run fast.

Latroy Hawkins was designated. I wouldn't be surprised if another team picked him up.

The earlier players I named in the trade with the Pirates wasn't accurate. Pittsburgh received Ohlendorf, McCutchen, Tabata and Karstens. McCutchen has potential and Karstens is serviceable. Pittsburgh got 3 a prospect and 2 guys with potential. Tabata could work out for them as well if he can behave. The deal sounded pretty one sided yesterday, but the actual details are more reasonable.

Nice Move for Yankees

The Yankees made a trade with the Pirates to acquire right fielder Xavier Nady and left handed reliever Damaso Marte. The Pirates will get Ross Ohlendorf, George Kontos, Phil Coke and Jose Tabata. This looks like a very good deal for the Bombers. Nady adds some much needed power and helps to fill in some gaps created by injuries to Matsui and Posada. Marte solidifies the bullpen nicely adding a lefty to the mix. I liked some of what I saw out of Ross Ohlendorf, but he really had some struggles in his big league appearances for New York. He still could turn into a big league reliever or even a #5 starter. Tabata had too many attitude and discipline problems and while talented, wasn't the kind of guy I'd want on my team.

The deal is pending on physicals by each team, but when completed, will definitely help the Yankees this year.

Exasperation

That pretty much describes my sentiments on watching the Yankees this season. Every up seems to be quickly met with a down. The Pinstripers seem to be permanently locked right around the .500 position, with little hope to move either up or down by a significant degree.

Mike Mussina pitched an excellent game yesterday afternoon and ended up losing. Statheads might have noticed that he had the highest game score of any starting pitcher yesterday (as noted over at baseballreference.com) - but still was on the losing team.

Does anyone remember Chien Ming Wangs brilliant outing where the Yankees lost 1-0?

On the other side of the pitching coin you have all those starters who left the game before the 5th inning. Then the crazy bullpen antics of Farnsworth and Hawkins who, for a while there, seemed to be having a competition to see who could give up the most runs.

Mariano Rivera has been one of the most dominating closers in the league yet in 2 of the last 3 games, he's failed to hold onto a tie.

The offense goes from scoring 10 runs to scoring 0. Giambi goes from cold to hot while others just flirt with mediocrity. A-Rod has had some big hits, but isn't quite living up to his paycheck.

I don't have any great suggestions or answers for what I would do to turn this team around. They lack any consistency. Perhaps Joe Girardi could pick a lineup and stick with it rather than changing every day. Players come and go on a regular basis due to the injury bug and a little roster stability would probably help.

All in all, it's been a frustrating season. Every time you think the Bombers are turning things around, they sink right back to average.

So far I haven't seen too many young prospects looking ready to take the reigns for next year. I'll put Chamberlain, Geise and Gonzalez in as new (not necessarily young) guys who are ready to take over. Other than that, I don't see much fresh blood. I'm officially calling Kennedy and Hughes a bust. Duncan isn't going to get any better, and no one else looks ready to move up from the minors. A lot of people are calling for Gardner to come up to NY, but I'm not sure he's going to be anything more than a mediocre bench player. The list of old guys who are past their prime, ready to retire or be let go at the end of the season is too long to type here.

At this point in the season, I'm pretty down on the team. I don't see much reason to hope that things will straighten out and the team will make a run for the wild card. I don't see a whole lot of improvement coming for next year's roster. Eventually, I think the Yanks are going to have to cut some dead weight, give a few younger guys some major league playing time, and make quite a few offseason moves.

Some of the blame has to fall on Joe Girardi. I'll give him a pass for his first year and will  put him on the hot seat day one of next season. He's done too much roster shuffling, made some questionable calls about who to play when and hasn't done much to impress anyone or show that he's capable of filling Torre's shoes.

Big Moves the Yankees Need to Make

None. That's right, none.

After watching last night's debacle, it became painfully clear that even the Yankees best pitcher, Chien Ming Wang is going to have off days. The bullpen won't always be able to keep a game close. The offense won't always score runs. This team, despite the close race in the AL East, has little chance of reaching the post season.

I'm willing to chalk up this season as a loss right now. I'm sure the Yankees will improve, but I doubt they'll end up first in the division and I doubt the runner up in the AL East will get the wildcard this year.

The Yankees would likely need to make two or even three high profile moves to get the team into contention again, and the quality of player required would come at a high cost. As such, I sincerely hope the Yankees sit tight and do nothing.

The moves the Yankees do need to make this year are getting the young guys some experience and sitting the overpaid veterans who won't be around next year.

Alberto Gonzalez could use more at bats to see more big league hitters. Even once A-Rod comes back, AG should be platooned in the infield as much as possible to give the stars a few days off and to get the plate appearances to help him develop. Wilson Betemit had better not see the majors again this year.

Giambi isn't doing anything for the team. He won't be around next year. Trade him, cut him, or bench him but give Shelley Duncan a few more at bats. I don't think Shelley is going to turn into the star many hope he will, but give him half a season's worth of regular starts and see what happens.

Ian Kennedy might turn out OK. I don't think he's a guy who can handle New York, but I could be wrong. What he needs is a decent long reliever in the bullpen behind him. When Karstens comes back, bring him up right away and use him for what a long reliever is supposed to be used for.

Right now Rasner is getting his chance which is good. There will be growing pains but let him pitch the rest of the season in the rotation. He might struggle all year long or he might settle into a solid number four or number five spot.

Move Joba into the rotation now. This talk of Joba possibly not starting in 2008 is ludicrous. If not now then when? When will the Yankees ever decide to use Chamberlain as a starter? At this point it just makes no sense. If you want him to transition to the Rotation, you need to have him starting games. The longer he pitches in relief, the less equipped he'll be for the rotation. Joba has done a great job in the bullpen and could be a dominant reliever, but so what? Chien Ming Wang would make a great relief pitcher as well so why aren't Yankee fans and brass clamoring to groom him to replace Rivera? The answer is simple - a good starter is more valuable to your team than a good reliever. The Yankees have plenty of good relievers and very few good starters.

I don't know what's going to happen with Phil Hughes, but if someone comes knocking on my door to trade for him, I let him go easily. He may have the stuff to be a big time starter, but his health issues are a monkey he can't get off his back. My one maxim in all of sports scouting is never to invest much if anything on an injury prone player. Sure, some may turn out well and be superstars, but the last thing a team needs is to get saddled with a roster full of Carl Pavanos. Hughes has had his chance and shows flashes of brilliance, but hasn't made it through a single season without injury. It's time to set him aside and let some of the other guys get a chance.

There are a few other pitchers in the minors who might deserve a chance to come up by the end of the season. McCutchen is climbing his way up through the ranks. Melancon might be ready soon. Patterson looked strong out of spring training. Bullpen guys like Farnsworth and Hawkins could easily be kept in the bullpen while young guys come out and prove themselves.

At this point I think the Yankees have nothing to lose. The season is looking pretty hopeless right now but they have a chance to build for the future. While the fans might not like it, it hurts more to lose with overpaid washed up stars than it would with budding young prospects.

I  have no idea what the Yankees will actually do as the season goes on. The new regime baffles me even more than the old.

Poor Pitching and Poor Hitting

The Mets beat the Yankees 7-4 yesterday afternoon and there weren't many positives to take away from the game.

Andy Pettitte started out sharp, getting 5 strike outs and a pick off in his first two innings. In the fourth inning, the wheels were coming off and Pettitte began giving up runs. He later settled down in the fifth a bit, but did hit a batter.

Later in the game Farnsworth came in and looked like the Farns of old, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits in one inning. I was trying to stay up on Kyle when it seemed he had turned a corner, but I think the book on him is closed. He'll pitch a few gems and look good, then at other times he'll get hit hard for quite a few runs. There's no way you can go to this guy in a close game. No way. A lot of teams out there need help in the bullpen, Farnsworth might be of some value in a trade.

The Yankees just cant hit. I know Posada and Rodriguez are big parts of the offense, but the rest of the guys are expected to perform a lot better than they currently are. I think the Steinbrenners and Giardi have been remarkably patient and calm throughout all of this. If it were me, I'd be reading the team the riot act.

Giambi and Cano are still struggling. Better lately, but still struggling. Ensberg and Duncan had a few good hits early on but are starting to settle down into poor hitters with a little power. Jeter and Matsui are the only offense the Yankees have. I can't hold replacement players Gonzalez and Moeller to too high of a standard and think they've done reasonably well. Johnny Damon has produced, but you'd like to see him doing even better. Melky Cabrera also seems to be delivering the goods mostly.

This team isn't going anywhere this year. Only being 5 games out of first, they're definitely still in the mix and have a very real chance of winning the division if they turn things around, but I don't see it happening. I think at this point the Yankees need to start focusing on next year. Start working on Kennedy and Hughes and settling them in, seeing if they really can handle the big leagues. Get Joba into the rotation now. If he reaches his innings limit by September, fine, the Yankees aren't going to be in the race by September.

If moves need to be made, get rid of over-paid, aged veterans who aren't producing, like Giambi. Get rid of someone like Cano, who has potential but doesn't look like he's going to find it again in NY. Get rid of guys who are afraid of the walls at Yankee stadium like Abreu. The Yankees have a decent bullpen with a few arms to spare and could easily trade Farnsworth or Hawkins.

A few veteran utility backups and young bats could also find a home somewhere else. Betemit needs to be dealt or cut. Ensberg and Duncan aren't ever going to be much more than they are now. Duncan seems like a great, fun guy, but he's not going to start hitting like Paul O'Neill anytime soon. I'd rather keep him than Giambi, but if the right trade offer came my way for Duncan, I'd take it.

Yankees Dejected in Second Loss

Injuries are the story of the day. Posada is getting second opinions, Bruney is getting second opinions, Rodriguez is on the 15 day DL and in a new startling development, Phil Hughes is injured.

No one really seems to have a good explanation but today Phil Hughes was placed on the 15 day DL with a strained oblique muscle. This means someone will have to get called up to fill in for Hughes' next start (my money is on Rasner). I'm not buying into this being any sort of actual injury, rather an attempt to bend the rules a bit by Girardi. Hughes can have a few days off to get his head screwed on straight, then can come back for a "rehab" start down in the minors.

Hopefully this will work out for the better, giving Phil a day or two off and giving Rasner a chance to strut his stuff.

The Yanks lost 6-2 tonight, and there weren't too many bright spots for the Bombers. Hitting was abysmal and the offense couldn't put enough runs on the board to bail out Andy Pettitte, who was roughed up a bit for 5 runs. Andy still has that magic pick off move, and got an easy out at first. That move is a thing of beauty.

LaTroy Hawkins gave up 1walk and no hits in a scoreless inning. Edwar Ramirez looked sharp, giving up 1 hit and 1 HBP in his inning. In between those two was Kyle Farnsworth who was typical Farnsworth - he threw hard and gave up a home run.

I don't want to dwell on the poor starting pitching and the anemic offense, and so I'll wrap things up.

In other roster news, Chad Moeller cleared waivers and was brought back up with Stewart being sent down. Wilson Betimit is better and is playing a few games in SWB before heading back to NY.

2009 Free Agents

Just for kicks I thought I'd take a look at who will become a free agent at the end of the season. I'm listing all the important Yankees, and a few non-Yankees of interest.

First Base:

Jason Giambi*

Third Base:

Morgan Ensberg

Outfielders:

Bobby Abreu

Starting Pitchers:

Mike Mussina

Andy Pettitte

Relief Pitchers:

Kyle Farnsworth

LaTroy Hawkins

 

At first base, Mark Texiera will become available, and at 28 still has quite a few good years left in him. Several of the Yankees are getting a bit old at their position and might want to consider sliding over to first (Jeter, Posada). I don't see any way Giambi gets re-signed and wouldn't be surprised to see him get traded or cut if he continues to struggle. Also in the wings is Shelley Duncan, the utility OF/1B who has shown promise in the minor leagues but hasn't hit well in the majors this year.

Morgan Ensberg is more of a utility guy for the Yankees right now, and could get a better offer from someone else who wants to make him a starter. He is nice to have around, and currently adds more value to the team than Giambi. There are always youngsters like Eric Duncan and veterans like Cody Ransom ready to step in.

Bobby Abreu is an afterthought at this point. The Yanks already have too many outfielders and unless they trade someone, there's no need to keep Abreu around. Damon, Cabrera and Matsui can handle the job and guys like Duncan and Brett Gardner can fill in and you still have Tabata in the wings.

Mussina will likely be gone, Pettitte might sign on for another year if he holds up but the Yankees are going to need someone to fill in at least one spot. Assuming everything works out and Joba, Ian and Phil all come around as productive starters, Wang will still be an ace and then you've got one spot to fill. If Pettitte comes back you've got 5 but that's a lot of if's. Especially the way the staff is struggling right now, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Yanks pick someone up this year and then only re-signing Pettite if someone else doesn't work out.

I can't see the Yankees keeping Farnsworth around, despite Girardi's fascination with the hittable reliever. Hawkins is definitely gone. By next season Bruney should be healthy again and you've got Albaladejo,  Ohlendorf, Betances, Melancon and Patterson ready to take over.

There's a chance another minor league guy could be ready to try starting in the bigs. Darrel Rasner has been pitching well in the minors, but I see him as more of a long reliever. Jeff Marquez and Daniel McCutchen will get their shots eventually.

The Yankees have a lot of prospects that could play a role on next year's team. It would be hard to justify signing an overpriced veteran on the decline to a big contract when you've invested so much into bringing the young talent along. Then again, we're talking about the Yankees here, who am I kidding.

Traber Sent Down, Duncan Called Up

The Yankees sent Billy Traber back down, not a surprising move given his recent poor outings. Shelley Duncan has been called up and is in the lineup for Saturday's game.

The Yankees no longer have a lefty in the bullpen.

They still don't have a long reliever.

Roster Updates

Brian Bruney has a Lisfranc injury to his foot and likely will require season ending surgery. He has been put on the 15 day DL for now.

Chad Moeller is getting designated for assignment. If he clears wavers, he said he'd like to stay with the organization. It wouldn't surprise me to see a team pick him up, however.

Jonathan Albaladejo and Chris Britton are being called up from Scranton. Rumor has it that Shelley Duncan is also on his way but someone would have to be sent down or put on the DL to accommodate him.

The Yankees really need to get Darrel Rasner up here to fill in as the long reliever. With two unrealiable young arms and Mike Mussina pitching erratically, the Yankees have been eating up the bullpen. A decent long reliever would do wonders for everyone else's effectiveness, getting them a little much needed rest.

Hank Tells it Like it is

Hank Steinbrenner is back to being Hank Steinbrenner, giving baseball fans some noteable quotes and a little indication of what he'd like to see.

Most notably, and unsurprisingly, Hank wants Joba in the starting rotation. This is good news to many Yankee fans, who have been clamoring for him to start for a while now. This will also disappoint some misguided fans who still cling to the idea that Joba is more valuable to the team only pitching one inning in relief every two or three days.

"I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now. There is no question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have to be an idiot to do that.”

Hank (hopefully) realizes that it's probably not best to throw Chamberlain and his injury history into the rotation too early, and that Joba needs to be brought along gradually until he is ready to pitch a full season as a starter.

“The mistake was already made last year switching him to the bullpen out of panic or whatever. I had no say in it last year and I wouldn’t have allowed it. That was done last year, so now we have to catch up. It has to be done on a schedule so we don’t rush him.”

“I think once Hughes and Kennedy get plenty of starts and get Joba back, and with Wang and Pettitte, we will be fine.”

It's good to see that a Steinbrenner, coming from a family not known for its patience, realizes it will take time for the two young pitchers to come along. The young boss is still disappointed that he doesn't have Johan Santana in his starting rotation, but he recognizes that Hughes and Kennedy will be productive starters in time.

Notice that he doesn't mention Mussina in that last quote. When addressing Moose, Hank said he "just needs to learn how to pitch like Jamie Moyer," and doesn't come across as being pleased with his veteran arm.

The good news is that Hank isn't ready to give up on Kennedy and Hughes, and he's not going to rush Joba into the starting lineup too soon. There is frustration building, however, and don't expect Hank and the rest of the Steinbrenner family to wait too long before doing something drastic about the current season.

Jays Cut Big Hurt

Frank Thomas has been released by the Toronto Blue Jays. Thomas has been in a slump all season long and recently has been complaining about a lack of playing time. The disgruntled DH further added that the limited plate appearances he's had this year aren't enough to judge his productivity by, but manager John Gibbons had seen enough.

Who's next to fall? Big Papi?

The DH is a tricky spot, if you don't hit, you don't have value to your team. A top-notch defensive player or utility infielder can have value despite poor hitting but a slumping DH is nothing but dead weight.

There are options out there for teams. Barry Bonds is available, Mike Piazza is also ready to step in. The Yankees have too many players who are best suited as a DH and might entertain offers. I wouldn't be surprised to see another team try to pick up Thomas for a one year deal or try to get him cheaply.

There seems to be a trend to move away from aging veteran power hitters and focus on young talent for many teams. If a younger guy (who may have other utility as well) is ready to step in and DH when called upon, guys like Frank Thomas are on a short leash.

Wanted: Starting Pitching

At this point I think it's safe to say the Yankees are going to be looking for some help with the starting rotation. The Yanks had to option Jonathan Albaladejo back down to AAA in order to bring up Edwar Ramirez because he hadn't pitched in 3 days. Yeah, starting pitching is putting that much of a burden on the bullpen.

Some have said the Yankees need a number 3 pitcher to be a contender. I think they need a number 2 and then some. Chien-Ming Wang is their ace. Andy Pettitte can still hang in there, but I hesitate to think of him as a number 2 guy on a championship contender. Pettitte is more like a number 3 or 4 guy in my book, but I'm probably overreacting. You can hang onto one young pitcher like Kennedy or Hughes, but two is proving to be too much. Kennedy looked better the other night, but Hughes wasn't sharp again for the 3 consecutive start.

LaTroy Hawkins had a big setback tonight, looking more like the LaTroy we saw in his first two appearances. The Yankees are going to have to bring in a long reliever who can pitch 4 innings or more when the starters struggle, and they're going to have to bring in another starter. Mussina cannot be counted on. Hughes has lost his confidence and Ian Kennedy is still going to have frequent bad outings.

Bringing Joba into the starting rotation is an option, but with the hypothesized 150 inning limit the Yankees are thinking with him, I think they'd rather wait a while before moving him up into the starting spot.

The Tampa Bay Rays have an excess of starting pitching right now and are rumored to be shopping some of their young arms around, but I can't see an inter-division trade happening. Don't be surprised to see someone like Rasner or Igawa brought up before long and the club to trade for a starter.

A Flurry of Moves

Molina has an injured hamstring, but hasn't been placed on the DL.

Posada still isn't ready to start, although he did some throwing today.

Chad Moeller has been brought up and is starting tonight behind the plate.

Jeter is back in the lineup and Gonzalez is filling in at second base while Cano has the night off. Ensberg is filling in for Giambi at first.

Wilson Betemit has come down with Pinkeye and is on the 15 day DL, making room for Moeller.

Joba is spending time with his ailing father and has been placed on the Bereavement list for a minimum of three days. Our thoughts are with the Chamberlain family.

Jonathan Albaladejo has been  brought back up to fill in for Joba in the bullpen.

Rumors abound on the internet about the Yankees looking for a veteran catcher to bring in.

Moves the Yankees Need to Make

Get a quality utility infielder.

With Jeter getting injured lots of ideas have been thrown around about how to fill in at his position. Some have suggested that A-Rod could move over and play in his old spot. Wilson Betemit has no place on the team. His defense is below average and his hitting is poor. Robinson Cano has fielded poorly this year and hasn't had a terrific bat. The Yankees need a solid defensive replacement off the bench to fill in for Jeter or Cano. A guy with speed who could be used as a pinch runner would be an added benefit.

Currently the Yankees have brought up Alberto Gonzalez who is hitting .375, but no one expects these numbers to hold up. Gonzalez is decent in the field, which is a plus and he can play second. If Gonzalez can keep hitting halfway decently he could fill in but he's probably not quite there yet.

Keep Gonzalez on the Roster or try to sign someone with a bit more experience.

Betemit should be let go.

Get a decent backup catcher in the system

Right now aged veteran Chad Moeller is the backup catcher behind Molina. If Posada continues to have trouble throwing he'll need to be moved to the DH spot or possibly first base. With Francisco Cervelli's broken arm, the Yanks are depleted in the catching position.

Straighten out the DH/1B/OF situation

The Yankees have Damon, Matsui, Giambi, and Posada who are all looking more like DHs than full time position players. Duncan is more of a novelty than anything else. Morgan Ensberg makes a nice addition to fill in at first when needed but perhaps Posada should consider a move if his arm continues to struggle. Matsui and Damon bring different tools to the plate, but the team really doesn't need both. Giambi has become the starting first baseman, but he's getting older and more prone to injury in addition to having an abysmal offensive start. Ensberg isn't the guy you want starting full time and the Yanks don't have too many other options to play 1st other than bringing Shelley Duncan back.

The bottom line is that there are too many players for too few positions here. Perhaps the Yankees could trade one to fill another need or arrange a two for one trade. The problem is that it can be difficult for the Yanks to get anyone to take over one of their veteran's contracts.

Get a long reliever

The Yankees have quite a few question marks with their starting pitchers. You never know when one of the young arms gets pulled out of a game early or when an injury to a starter needs a quality spot starter to fill in.

Right now the Yanks don't have any long relievers on the team. Karstens was injured at the end of spring training and Rasner and Igawa were sent down to the minors. I'm not thrilled with Rasner but Karstens and Igawa aren't up to the challenge.

It wouldn't hurt to give Rasner a chance. The Yankees can easily clear room on the roster by getting rid of Farnsworth and Hawkins. Albaladejo should be brought back up as soon as possibly also.

So there you have 4 areas that the Yankees need to address. They've got a few guys who are 100% expendable like Farnsworth, Hawkins and Betemit. They also have a dearth of sub-par outfielders who could be traded. Not all of these areas need to be addressed through outside help and one or two could be filled from within if Gonzalez performs well or Rasner gets brought up.