LET PITCHERS HIT IN THE HOME RUN DERBY!

I am a big @ESPN Sunday Night Baseball fan.  I don't care who is playing, I watch, religiously. Perhaps it is just the tradition.  Maybe it is the connection.  Certainly it is the connection I feel with my son when we watch the game together.

Over the last two weeks, a popular topic among the Sunday Night analysts has been whether or not Madison Bumgarner should be "allowed" to participate in the All Star Game Home Run Contest in San Diego this July.  I'll tell you what; my son and I would love it.  Bring it on, Bumgarner.  He is a joy to watch from the hill; I'd love to see him crack some over the fence.

According to USA Today, "Bumgarner has slugged 13 career homers -- two this season -- in the fewest plate appearances (457) to start a career than any pitcher since 1969. That's eight less plate appearances (465) than runner-up and former Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who finished with 24 career home runs."  And guess what, he wants to participate and since he's voiced his enthusiasm for the contest, other pitchers across the league want in too.

"If he's in it, I want to be in it," said Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta.  St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright chimed in via Twitter. "Well, if Madbum and @JArrieta34 want in on this #homerunderby...I might as well throw my name in the hat!" Even New York Mets' Ace Noah Syndergaard has indicated he would participate if given the opportunity.

"At this point, everyone is a little sick of the All-Star game and the format in general. So why not spruce things up a bit with a one-round, winner-take-all, pitchers-only Home Run Derby?" reported CBS St. Louis.

I say let them hit!  If pitchers want to compete and managers say why not? then let's go for it! Switching things up from time to time is a good thing.  I think this is one of those times that MLB needs to just do it.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof


 

 

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ROLLING THE DICE ON CARLOS ZAMBRANO

Wow.  Interesting chance the Philadelphia Phillies are taking.  It's being announced HERE, that the Phillies have signed Carlos Zambrano to a deal. Really.  Really and truly.  According to Hardball Talk's Aaron Gleeman, "...today the Phillies announced that they’ve signed Zambrano to a minor-league contract... Obviously the Phillies can use rotation help with Roy Halladay out indefinitely and John Lannan also on the disabled list, but Zambrano is pretty close to the bottom of the barrel at this point."

I echo that same opinion, but you never know, Zambrano is 31, not 41... he could actually be useful. I mean, look at the Yankees and the signing of Chien-Ming Wang? You never know if there is alittle extra left in the tank for some of these pitchers.

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THE YANKEES, RUMORS & THEIR PITCHING STRATEGY

The Yankees' starting pitching strategy in recent years is clear. Get top shelf guys for the top three spots in the rotation in CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte and then stockpile a bunch of low-priced undervalued talent for the bottom of the rotation and see if you can get a good year out of one of them. It worked out with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, and now that the Yankees have signed Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees are clearly looking to see what is available out there. While there is probably no one available who will win a Cy Young, there are still some very interesting opportunities out there. Check this out...

The Nationals unconditionally released starting pitcher Chris Young this week, and Bill Ladson tweeted that "he is not close to signing with a team."  This could be a gift, if the Yankees are paying attention. Yes, he finished 4-9 last year, but he had a respectable 4.15 ERA over 20 starts. Also, that record was with the Mets. If the Mets had scored at least four runs in each of his starts, that 4-9 record would have been 7-4 with two decision undecided. Twelve of his 20 starts were quality starts, and at 33 years of age, he probably has a lot left in the tank. If we are looking for that fifth starter, Chris Young could fit the bill.

Carlos Zambrano is another available pitcher that should get some attention. He is 31 years old; he has a career ERA of 3.66, which is respectable even in the National League, and a high career strikeout rate.  Last year started out well for him, with a 4-3 record and a 2.81 ERA for the lowly Marlins through the first week of June. Then things turned south, and by the end of July, they sent him to the bullpen. The thing that stands out to me is his pitch count. He was over 100 pitches as early as April 14, and for eight of his first 11 starts. Then the bottom fell out. Then as he appeared to recover somewhat in late June, they sent him out to four consecutive starts with over 100 pitches. Could his arm just not have the stamina to go that far into games? Could the Yankees benefit from his services if they kept him on a strict pitch count to preserve arm strength? It would not be the first time they did that. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune says Carlos "may sign in Japan on Taiwan if he can't land a major league deal this off season." Again, for a fifth starter, he might be a great catch.

Rick Porcello has been in the middle of trade rumors for some time now with a number of teams expressing interest. The Tigers were clearly on the fence about him, despite GM Dave Dombrowski's statements to the contrary. Earlier this week, the Tigers finally decided to name him as their #5 starter (HERE). Teams should be expressing interest in him, and the Yankees should be in the mix. His stats look somewhat mixed, but you have to look at the details. The fact is that when he is good, he is great. When he is bad, he is terrible. Hence the mediocre stats. In his quality starts in 2012, he was 6-3 with an ERA of 2.36. In the other starts, he was 4-9 with an ERA of 6.79. At age 24, this may just indicate inexperience. Personally, when I have seen him pitch, he has been dominant. I think there is talent there, and if the Yankees can get him at a good price, he may pay back big dividends.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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WHY WE'RE ON CESPEDES WATCH

FOX Sports is reporting that Cuban superstar Yoennis Cespedes will meet with the Miami Marlins next week. You can read Ken Rosenthal’s Tweet HERE. Look, we’ve been hearing about the Marlins being front runners on this kid for a while. We also heard that the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Bad News Bears and the South Carolina Buzz from Major League 3 are also involved. No question, everyone would like a piece of Cespedes, but who will get him?

In the end, I predict the Miami Marlins. I believe Ozzie Guillen and the Marlins have been waiting for this kid for months. If they weren’t, they would have signed other guys and forgot all about the kid. Ozzie will woo Cespedes like he did Carlos Zambrano, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes and Heath Bell. It’s the Marlins year to try and shine as a Major League leader, not a Major League chump. Hey like I’ve always said, if you have the money, use it. That used to be the Yankees way, how else do you compete? If you need talent and you don’t have it in your farm system, sometimes you have to buy it. It doesn’t make it wrong, it just makes you competitive. Again though, if the Marlins do throw money at Cepsedes and snag him, there will be nothing but praise about the Marlins. None of those headlines will be of the Marlins “buying championships.” No… instead it will be about how it’s “good for the Marlins and good for baseball.” Yet, if the Yankees did it, we’d be “buying championships.” Sure, hating the Yankees sells papers, but enough already.

In the back of my mind I’d love to see the Yankees snatch up Cespedes. I’d love to see them hand him a sack of money and I’d love to see what this kid can do in the Bronx. But with what we have in our outfield already, GGS is stronger than ever and I wonder if the Yankees will just not get involved, spending that kind of money on a guy that just has a really really entertaining Youtube video.

And if and when Cespedes is off the market on another team, will the Yankees seriously pursue another guy they’ve been keeping close tabs on, Jorge Soler. Then again, it’s being reported that Gerardo Concepcion, the 18 year old Cuban lefty pitcher is “close” to signing with a team. Read HERE in Spanish. Could the Yankees be that team? Stay tuned ladies and gentlemen…. I’m not sure why but in the back of my mind I feel like the Yankees are about to make 1 more move; be it Soler, AJ Burnett, Concepcion… who knows, but I feel like the other shoes about the drop.

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CARLOS ZAMBRANO IS MIAMI BOUND

Just a quick post about Carlos Zambrano who, after 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, is leaving Chi-town for the Miami Marlins to be with his good buddy Ozzie Guillen. Read HERE. That pitching rotation now consists of Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Ricky Nolasco and Zambrano. That's a pitching staff I'd get behind.

In the past we've written about Zambrano when rumors were circulating last summer about Z and a possible connection to the Yankees. If you get a moment, read: THE CHI-TOWN CONNECTION.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 3

New day and a new list of updates and names of players the Yankees may or may not interested in and my thoughts on some as well. Cashman has already stated that he expects the Yankees to have a quiet deadline, and if I know may man Cash, and I feel like I do, he may be right, but you know what happens, right? Sometimes these deals get done after the deadline, and believe me, the Yankees may be acting quietly, but I strongly believe that some type of move can be and will be made.

Erik Bedard: Bedard seems to be drawing some interest from the Yankees. Apparently they are scheduled to scout him today. This is a guy that had some injury in his career, but has some potential in the Yankees roster. Now, in my opinion, he really doesn’t offer what a number 2 starter needs to do, and to me, that's what the Yankees really need right now. The Red Sox like Eric Bedard too, according to Ken Rosenthal. Bedard is a lefty. The one issue with Bedard is he has not pitched since June 27^th because of the strained knee, yet another injury. We should watch this one, but I don’t like Bedard and I’m not so sure I want him in New York. His record this year though is a 3.00 ERA with a 4-6 record. Is he really any better than what we have already? Read about Bedard HERE.

Bill Hall: For the San Francisco Giants to make room for newly acquired Carlos Beltran, they needed to designate Bill Hall for assignment. Hmm, a thought. The Yankees were attached to Bill Hall on and off all year, perhaps there is something to this and perhaps, this is the extra bat help the Yankees are looking for. Hall can play second base and has a power bat. I’d be curious to see if the Yankees try pursuing Hall. It makes sense.

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Yankees are still attached to this kid, but I would not unload the farm for him like I would for the Mariners Felix Hernandez. The Rockies are being ridiculous asking for all they are for Jimenez; it’s just not a fair trade. One thing is for sure though, much like a said about Zambrano (see below), if they were to lure Jimenez to New York and unload a few farm guys that wouldn’t hurt us in the future, Jimenez would be a number 3 guy in the Bronx, in my opinion. Jimenez is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA this year. Read about Ubaldo HERE.

Hiroki Kuroda: Terrible record for Hiroki and I am not understanding the appeal of him to the Yankees. In my estimation, Kuroda is another pitcher that is no better and no upgrade to what the Yankees already have. Now, if the Yankees have a plan to help stabilize the bullpen with Freddy Garcia and move Kuroda in the rotation, that may make sense, but again, I’m thinking we need a number 2 guy in the rotation and to me, Kuroda is no number 2. Read HERE.

Carlos Zambrano: Buster Olney says the Cubs are doing everything they can to get the Yankees to take Zambrano, even offering money so they can take him off their hands, but the Yankees are not biting, yet. To me, I say work out a deal for Zambrano. He has potential and passion even if he’s no longer a number 2 guy, he is a number 3 guy in the rotation the Yankees have. You could easily have CC Sabathia 1, AJ Burnett 2, Zambrano 3, Colon 4, Hughes or Garcia 5. Yes, it’s true, this year Zambrano’s ERA is a high 4.70, but for this guy, maybe a change of scenery would help. Who knows.

Doug Fister: He’s a Mariner who pitches well, he’s in every game but his record isn’t too good, probably because he’s on the Mariners and their dropping like a rock right now. 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA. I like the ERA and if he was a Yankee starter, that record would improve because he’d have better run support. I don’t have an opinion on him yet, but I can tell you that many teams are looking at Fister and the Yankees should as well.

More rumors coming, and so is the deadline. Continue reading on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY YANKS ARE EYEING A SORIANO REUNION

If you had an opportunity to bring back Alfonso Soriano’s bat, would you? The Yankees are looking at a few options coming out of Chicago, the Chi-town connection that always seems to run deep between Joe Girardi and the Cubs (Read THE CHI-TOWN CONNECTION.) This time, it's not talk about Carlos Zambrano. Instead, there is talk about former Yankee Alfonso Soriano coming back to the New York Yankees to help out with some hitting help in the DH slot for their run at the playoffs. I have mixed feelings about this, money being part of it.

Alfonso Soriano has enormous power and plays a good outfield but the Chicago Cubs still owe him about $65 million on his contract through 2014. To me, I can’t imagine the Yankees paying that full amount and even if the Cubs pay say $40 million of it, that’s $24 million still owed on a home run hitter that also strikes out an awful lot.

That being said, the reunion could be fun and be truly effective if the Yankees want to make a serious run and bury the Red Sox in their division after the All Star break.

Soriano was loved during his time in pinstripes and after the 2003 playoffs, Soriano immediately was on Steinbrenner’s radar. Next thing you know, Soriano went to the Texas Rangers for none other than Alex Rodriguez. I remember it well, I was on my way home from a signing with Bucky Dent and Mike Torrez and heard it on the radio. It was a bittersweet day. Clearly I loved Alex on the Yankees, but seeing Soriano go was hard. The next few years Soriano went from the Rangers to the Nationals and then to the Chicago Cubs where he signed that monster deal.

Clearly the talent is there, and clearly Soriano is not the only player in baseball that strikes out a lot, yet delivers great numbers each year. If the Yankees can be smart about it, and still pick up some lefty relief and maybe even an extra starter too, I have no problem with this. The other part of this is the big question; Would Soriano go back to the Yankees? He doesn’t have to, he can veto the move, but I would imagine he would rather be with a contender than a loser. But look, this is all just talk at this point, I don't want to get ahead of myself.

The Yankees are looking at 2 other Cubs as well, Aramis Ramirez and lefty reliever John Grabow according to SB Nation. I’d be curious if they can snag someone like Soriano and Grabow. Again though, Soriano has a lot of money owed to him, that will be tricky. I know one thing, as a New York Yankees fan, I ‘ve seen it time and time again... when they need a bat, or a pitcher, they go out and get it. Why? Because they can, they’re the God damn New York Yankees, so while this might just be talk... it fun to think about the reality of this. Stay tuned.

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WHY WE NEED BIG Z & WOODY

In the 2011 season, the Chicago Cubs are a miserable 29-40. Rabid Cubs fans would never admit it, but they've reached the point where their only real option is to sell expensive players and begin rebuilding, which makes them the perfect candidate to sell some players by the deadline.

Jesse Schindler already discussed the possibility of Kerry Wood coming to the Yankees in Part II titled: WHY WOOD SHOULD BE ON THE RADAR. Believe me, I'm quite fond of of this idea.

Wood’s a proven success in the Bronx, has a one year contract right now, so the Cubs will take whatever they can get. Even if he wants to be known as a lifelong Cub, I'm pretty sure the way things are going in Chi-town, he'd be more than willing to waive his no-trade clause and have a chance at winning his first career ring. He wants to keep his family situated in Chicago, but he could take a three month long “business trip” and sign right back with the Cubs (or White Sox if he wants to be on a team that isn't a disaster) when the playoff run is over.

Since Jesse covered this idea recently, I want to suggest the addition of another piece in the trade: Carlos Zambrano. Yes, it's true that reports are out suggesting that the Yankees have ZERO interest in Zambrano (Read HERE), but I am not so sure that's true. I think Zambrano would be a good fit. Now if you're a Yankees fan and reading me on Facebook, you probably just deleted or blocked me. I understand what just went through your head: “What?!?! That guy who is just one step short of braining an ump with a bat?!?! Are you insane?!”

Bear with me here. Big Bart's recent injury and Ivan Nova's general inconsistency has reminded us all that even though this pitching staff has performed far beyond what anyone imagined, it is still very much a work in progress. Who knows if Nova can handle the spotlight, if Colon and Garcia can stay healthy all season, or if Brian Gordon is the real deal. Talks about the Yankees trading for an elite pitcher have died down due to Colon's unfathomable comeback, Garcia's puzzling (he’s hardly changed his approach from last year) success, and the fact that the trading block this year is expected to be mostly junk, with the exception of a possible Jose Reyes dealing. However, adding one more veteran arm with post-season experience could be huge for a team relying so heavily on guys who still come with some question marks.So why Zambrano? Well, first I'd like to address the question… why NOT Zambrano? The answer to that is obvious because the man is a ticking time bomb, and could throw a temper tantrum if he so much as gets a bad strike call. He's snapped bats over his knees, yelled at umpires, and smashed Gatorade containers in the dugout... Wait... smashed Gatorade containers? Where have I heard this before?Think back to the days of the Warrior Paul O'Neill, he was the “heart and soul” of the late '90s dynasty according to the late George Steinbrenner. His behavior was controversial, but there's no denying that he brought energy to the team and got everyone fired up, and in the end everyone loved him for it. 1-8 record against Boston be damned, this has been a great season so far, but in the few moments when our beloved Bombers have disappointed, there was one thing clearly noticeable on the field: a lack of energy in my opinion. Zambrano could be a catalyst, both on the mound and in the clubhouse. He's not afraid to get pumped up whether he shows it through positive or negative energy. Big Z may sound exactly like the kind of guy who would be disastrous for clubhouse chemistry, but odds are just as good that he'd be exactly the kind of boost they'd need to break out of slumps quicker, or turn around a post-season series.Now that I've addressed the reasons of why it would be a bad idea to sign Z, let's move on to why he's a good, realistic target. Similar to Kerry Wood, the Cubs would be insane to expect Montero or a Killer B in return; Cashman would laugh his ass off all the way home if they asked for that. If the Cubs were willing to deal Zambrano, it would be a straight salary dump. The Cubs owe him nearly $36 million for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. As I said, the Cubs are looking to rebuild, and if they can clear $18,000,000 from their 2012 payroll, they'll have huge money to work with in the off season. There have been rumors about the Cubs making a run at Albert Pujols this off-season; so wouldn't a Zambrano trade help their chances quite a bit? Of course, his massive salary would make the deal a gamble, but as Casey recently said, Cashman likes to take gambles, and if he thinks this one would pay off, he'll be willing to pull the trigger.

Zambrano has had a less than stellar start to the 2011 season, posting a 5-4 record and a 4.59 ERA. This may make him seem like a less appealing trade option, but I have a feeling he's missing Larry Rothschild and a reunion could work wonders for him. Casey calls Rothschild “Yoda” because of how well he is able to coach his pitchers mentally. Zambrano has the stuff; his performance is almost solely dependent on his mental game. The Yankees could grab him for cheaper than he's worth, and end up with another ace to add to the ever improving rotation.

It is for the same reason that I think he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause. As much as players love the money, none of them like to go out and suck. If a reunion with his old pitching coach could help him get the results he has the talent to get, he wouldn't hesitate to come to New York. Additionally, Zambrano has voiced his disdain for his current club publicly, comparing them to “a AAA team” and saying, “We stink, that's all I've got to say.” Clearly, he's not too happy with his current position, so does anyone think he would turn down a chance to win a World Series?

This is less important because of the existence of the DH in the American League, but Zambrano is one of the best hitting pitchers in recent years. He's a three time Silver Slugger (finished 2008 with a .337 average/.892 OPS) and is batting .313 this season. If the Yanks don't want to trade for Zambrano, this certainly isn't going to change their minds, but having a ninth potent bat in the lineup in a World Series away game could be that tiny little bonus that swings things in our favor.

Like it or not, Zambrano is a clear target for a trade. He'd be dirt cheap, could be packaged with Kerry Wood to cover all bases, and could help anchor an elite rotation. Assuming Phil Hughes recovers and Colon stays healthy beyond his current DL stint, we could be looking at a post-season rotation along the lines of:

• Sabathia

• Colon

• Hughes

• Burnett

• Zambrano

That's not just a decent rotation we are talking about, it is a World Series Championship rotation. Not a single one of those pitchers can legitimately be called anything less than a #2 guy. Big Z would keep the kids in the minors to develop, but also not create a need to deal them for help now. He's the closest thing the Yankees have to a good trade target. It would be a risk for public relations and the team's success, but it might be the best option we've got...




--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor

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THE CHI-TOWN CONNECTION

Joe Girardi’s connection to the Chicago Cubs runs deep. It’s almost Mob like the way he has contacts and friendships in Chicago all these years and they always deliver. Whatever he needs, he gets, and it goes back to Sergio Mitre and that bizarre relationship they had and continues with Rothschild, Carlos Silva, Kerry Wood and now apparently Carlos Zambrano. The latest report is that Zambrano would wave his no-trade clause and that report comes from Fox Sports.

Chicago loves Joe Girardi and Joe Girardi loves Chicago, so in my opinion, I see this Zambrano trade happening. The question is, when and for what? The Chicago ties are amazingly strong so I expect Zambrano in the Bronx by July 31^st or sooner, especially the way this rumor has gained steam the past 24 hours. Look, it would seem appropriate that the Yankees would be in Chicago to play ball and probably have a meeting to have discuss pitchers like Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano. I would expect nothing less. The big question is, can it happen or will it end up being someone like Ryan Dempster instead. Dempster is also on the wish list apparently.

(Photo: Getty)

There are 2 issues with Dempster though. Ryan Dempster is more consistant than Zambrano and is someone the Cubs would rather not part with. Zambrano on the other hand, has been alittle inconsistent and has had emotion issues recently. My guess is the Cubs would love to unload him.

Larry Rothschild knows Carflos Zambrano in and out and have worked together on the Cubs for almost a decade. Having Zambrano come to the Yankees would make sense, he could do his Yoda mind trick on him again like he’s done to transform the entire Yankees pitching rotation.

And while were on the discussion of the Girardi Chi-town Family Mob, let’s revisit the idea of bringing back Kerry Wood. As far as I’m concerned, Wood would be the most ideal choice. The Yankees would use a another veteran in the bullpen and Wood was just so good for us last year, it would be a great reunion. But what the hell do I know.

Girardi seems to be a powerful cat and he knows what he wants. The question is, will he and the Yankee Brass bite on Zambrano or will they instead try and pry Dempster away from the Cubs. Better yet, for my sake, will Kerry Wood be in pinstripes again? Stay tuned…