WANNA REPLACE RAUL IBANEZ? TRADE FOR JASON KUBEL

A lot of Yankee fans were disappointed when Raul Ibanez bolted the Yankees to go back to the Seattle Mariners. However, I was not one of those fans. I felt Ibanez had a good run in New York, but it was time for the two sides to part ways. He hit some insanely huge home runs in both the regular season and postseason, but other than that he was pretty average. Average is something the Yankees don’t need, the Yankees need a middle-of-the-order bat that still has plenty of gas in the tank, and one target the Yankees could go after is Jason Kubel.

Kubel, 30, has quietly been a very solid player for the last several years with the Minnesota Twins and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Over the last six years (five with Minnesota, one with Arizona) and 3115 plate appearances, Kubel hit .270/.337/.474 with 124 home runs and 486 RBI. With ARod out for who knows how long, it would be great for the Yankees to fill the void with a power bat like Kubel, who could really benefit from the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium. Also, with Arizona recently signing Cody Ross, there are already reports that Kubel could be on the move.

Teams that have been linked to Kubel include the Yankees, of course, via Buster Olney, HERE. There’s no word whether the Yankees have asked the D’Backs about Kubel, but with Ibanez signing with the Mariners, I’d have to think Brian Cashman would at least ask Arizona about Kubel if he hasn't already. Kevin Towers is the D’Back GM, and in fact, he was in the Yankees’ organization just a few years ago as a scout. Perhaps he likes some of the minor league players the Yankees have and they could work out a deal. Either way, Kubel shouldn’t come at a lofty price; he’s a DH with one year remaining on his contract, so it’d be hard to imagine the two teams not coming up with a deal, unless Towers asks for the moon in return, or if Cashman completely low-balls an offer.

Maybe you have read this Kubel-to-the-Yankees rumor on other Yankee blogs, but BYB is throwing this idea out there because it makes sense. Though Christmas is around the bend and these two sides haven’t been linked yet, I’d have to think talks could heat up here pretty soon. Stay tuned with this one, Kubel could very well be your 2013 Yankee DH.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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CODY ROSS IS ON THE YANKEES RADAR

It's being reported by Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports that the Yankees are in fact in and interested in Cody Ross who is cheap, much cheaper than a Nick Swisher and perfect to man right field in Yankee stadium.  You can read Morosi's Tweet HERE.

Look, we all know Ross can play and he's a gamer but this is no superstar. This is a hole filler, although I can see him shining in the Bronx. In Boston last year, he batted .267 with 22 home runs. Ironically, Swisher hit .272 with 24 home runs. Very similar. The bad news, Ross struck out 129 times...something I hate. (Swisher K'd 141 times in 2012.)  Why don't we just sign Mark Reynolds too and those 2 and Curtis Granderson can hang out in the batting cage looking at the holes in their bats. I kid.

If anything happens, we'll tell you. Keep checking here at BYB.

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TORII HUNTER SIGNS WITH TIGERS... WAKE UP YANKS!

Look, I'm not even really super disappointed with this signing because if I was the Yankees GM, I already have a plan in place, because remember, I want to keep the big spending to a minimum, but look, it's being reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, HERE, that Torii Hunter has signed a 2 year deal with the Detroit Tigers worth $26 million, pending a physical.

Now, the Yanks have guys like Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, Cody Ross and Ichiro Suzuki all out there, so, after this Hunter signing, I would strongly suggest we get moving because now it's evident, the market has begun.

We'll try to bring you more about this over the next few days at BYB, you know, a few opinions. But for all you guys and gals that are disappointed the Torii was snatched up... you should be. Know this though, Torii just didn't want to come to New York in the end.  No problem.... I do wonder what the Yankees move will be though, if any...

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BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE PLAYER TRACKER #8

Shane Victorino: The Red Sox are interested, and his ability to play all outfield positions would give them a lot of versatility. They aren’t the only ones interested though, the Rangers, Indians and Reds are also inquiring. Read more HERE.

Cody Ross:  In our last update, BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE PLAYER TRACKER #7, we mentioned that the Phillies were checking in on Ross, read HERE. Now CBSSports.com reports HERE that the Braves also have interest in him. Torii Hunter’s decision could directly impact where Ross signs because the same teams are interested in both players.

Torii Hunter: There are new headlines on Hunter every day. Latest on Hunter is that he was in Detroit on Tuesday, and that both sides want to come to an agreement. Read the latest from Scott Miller at CBSSports.com HERE.  There is no contract yet, but it sounds promising.

Jed Lowrie: Several unknown teams have checked in on Jed and read about that HERE, but unless the Astros are overwhelmed with an offer they don’t have much reason to give him up. There are few shortstops that are available this year and he is under team control through 2014.

Jonny Gomes:  It looked like Gomes was headed to Oakland, but things didn’t pan out. Now that he is back on the market the Orioles are interested and could use him for DH and outfield duties. Read more on that HERE. 

Jason Bay: The Red Sox are a team that may be interested in a guy like Jason Bay and his services. Buster Olney tweets that HERE. Bay is looking for a job and the Red Sox know what he's capable of in Fenway.  I wouldn't give up on Bay just yet, I would just chalk up his problems in Queens as bad luck and nothing more. He's still solid.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


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BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE PLAYER TRACKER #7

Josh Hamilton: Add the Phillies to the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes. The Phillies don’t mind paying Hamilton a boatload of money, it’s just they’re not sure how many years they’re willing to commit to him. This is coming from Buster Olney, HERE.

Torii Hunter: The Tigers appear to be the frontrunner for Hunter’s services, read HERE. They’re willing to offer Hunter a two-year deal as it appears the Yankees will only offer him a one-year contract.

Russell Martin: There are five teams, including the always dangerous mystery team, that are interested in Russell Martin. Those teams include the Red Sox, Rangers, Pirates, and Mariners, to go along with the Yankees. Read that report from Andrew Marchand HERE.

Mike Napoli: After the Red Sox showed interest in Mike Napoli (Read BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE PLAYER TRACKER #6), the Yankees have appeared to jump in the Napoli sweepstakes, according to Bob Nightengale HERE. We don’t know how interested the Yankees are, but this could be an interesting back-and-forth between the two rivals.

Cody Ross: Along with Hamilton, the Phillies are also interested in outfielder Cody Ross, read HERE.

Jeremy Affeldt: Lefty reliever Jeremy Affeldt and the Giants are close to a three-year contract that’ll pay Affeldt $18 million through the duration of the deal (read HERE) The deal is so close, it may be completed by the time this post is published.
 


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse



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AROUND MLB RIGHT THIS MOMENT

Josh Hamilton: Free Agent Josh Hamilton wants 7 years, $175 million. That comes from the Dallas Morning News, HERE.  I cannot believe that.  I thought I read that wrong.  In this day and age, and looking at Hamilton's health every year, you really have to wonder if any team will go that big for him.  I know, he's productive at the plate, but he's not a great fielder and I wonder if he's just high balling just to get a more reasonable number or if he really thinks he's worth that.  We shall see, he's clearly one of the best free agents out there this off season.  But my goodness...

Bartolo Colon: The Oakland Athletics have signed Colon to a 1 year deal. According to the San Francisco Chronicle (Read HERE), "Colon, who will turn 40 in May, must serve the final five games of the suspension next season. Despite Colon's age and his suspension, the A's will pay him $3 million next year, and an incentives package could push the deal to between $5 million and $6 million - including provisions in the event that Colon pitches in relief."

Cody Ross: The Red Sox had exclusive rights to negotiate and possibly resign Cody Ross and, like Robert DeNiro said in Copland, they "Blew it!" According to WEEI (read HERE), Ross said "that he and the Red Sox never closed in on a potential deal leading up to the end of the period allowing the Sox exclusive negotiating rights.  'It hasn’t been really what I would say close,' said Ross. Ross said his agent, Mike Milchin, received calls from “multiple teams” after the midnight deadline expired Friday night expressing interest in the 31 year-old. It’s a dynamic that has altered Ross’ mindset heading into the rest of the off season." I'd be curious to see if the Yankees are one of those teams.

Dan Haren: According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, read HERE, the Red Sox were looking at Haren for Alfredo Aceves plus more, but now with Haren becoming a free agent, I believe the Sox will be aggressive trying to sign Haren. I'll tell you, having Haren on the Sox, a division rival, would boost their credibility a bit after their lousy 2012.  I know many of you are down on Haren, but I think he could do some damage... it's just my gut acting up.

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BYB TRADE RUMORS & FREE AGENTS: PART 1

It’s that time of year again ladies & gentlemen! As soon as Miguel Cabrera froze on an 89 mph fastball right down the middle from Giants’ closer Sergio Romo, the off-season had officially begun around Major League Baseball. Gotta love it!

With so many questions the Yankees have, you can argue that this is the biggest off-season since the off-season leading up to 2009. So, without wasting any more time, here’s BYB’s first installment of free agent and trade rumors leading up to the 2013 campaign. I'll have quite a few of these, so as you read them, share them, let's get the conversation going.

Shin Soo Choo: With Nick Swisher all but gone, one of the questions the Yankees have is who will play right field. In the free agent market, there are guys like Josh Hamilton, BJ Upton, Michael Bourn, Shane Victorino, Cody Ross, Torii Hunter, and many more. Those players are nice, but for my money Shin Soo Choo makes the most sense, though unlike the names mentioned, Choo would have to be traded for, but it’s worth it.

Choo currently has one year left before he hits free agency after next year, so theoretically it won’t take a king’s ransom to acquire him. He’s a Scott Boras client, so things could get tricky in trying to extend his contract if New York acquires him, but anything is possible. Either way, Choo would be a perfect Nick Swisher replacement. He’s a very underrated, five-tool type of player. The 30-year-old batted .283/.373/.441 with 16 homers and 21 stolen bases in 686 plate appearances. He also has a cannon arm and plays a solid right field. You may be wondering “What about Ichiro?” but don’t. I have a plan where the Yankees can have both Ichiro and Choo in their 2013 outfield. I’ll elaborate in another post for another day about Choo. Look for it.  Oh and by the way, read BYB's piece about Casey's thoughts on right field too in SWISHER VS. ICHRIO: THE RIGHT FIELD DEBATE.

Anibal Sanchez: I know starting pitching wasn’t a problem in the postseason, It was actually a huge strength, but you’d be foolish to not try to upgrade, and Anibal Sanchez would do just that. Sanchez is coming off a season in which he pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 31 starts for the Miami Marlins and the Detroit Tigers. He’s been a rock over the last three seasons, pitching to an even 3.70 ERA in that span while logging at least 195 innings each season. Like Choo, I’ll have a separate post just for Sanchez. Stay tuned.

Scott Hairston: Another hole the Yankees will need to fill is a power righty bat off the bench. After a strong 2011, Andruw Jones crapped out in 2012 and because of it he’s been shown the door (at least so we think). Scott Hairston would be a great addition to fill Jones’ void. Hairston mashed left-handed pitching last season batting .286/.317/.550 with 11 homers in 199 PA’s. However, after a strong 2012 with the Mets, batting .263/.299/.504 in 134 games, Hairston may be looking for a full-time role, but we’ll see about that. Hairston isn’t the only candidate to replace Andruw Jones as the power righty off the bench, so I’ll have a separate post highlighting some other candidates.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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THE MAGIC OF RAUL IBANEZ

With the Yankees' magic number at two and the AL East Division championship on the line, many New York fans decided not make an emotional investment in their team on Tuesday night.  While some fans may not want to admit as much, the magnitude of the game against the Red Sox did not produce the playoff atmosphere that we have all seen in Yankee Stadium in years past in this type of situation.  There were many empty seats, as fans decided not to brave the soggy conditions in the Bronx for this huge game.  On September 27th, Michael Kay speculated that the dreary atmosphere in the Rogers Centre in Toronto was a contributing factor to the Yankees' poor performance and 6-0 loss to the Blue Jays.  Astoundingly, it seemed as if the same thing could occur at the Stadium on Tuesday night as fan interest and enthusiasm seemed much lower than usual! 

 

Although Yankee starting pitcher, David Phelps, pitched credibly, he yielded two runs in the first inning on an opening single by Jacoby Ellsbury, a double by Dustin Pedroia that drove home Ellsbury, and a sacrifice fly RBI by Cody Ross.  The Red Sox led 2-0, and for much of the game, it looked as if that would be enough to produce a Boston victory and a devastating Yankee loss.  The Yankees did manage a single run in the bottom of the second on an infield single by Curtis Granderson who was able to continue to second base thanks to a throwing error by Pedro Ciriaco.  

 

Granderson stole third and was driven home on an infield single by Eduardo Nunez.  Boston held that lead until a lead-off HR by James Loney off Rafael Soriano in the ninth gave the Sox a little breathing room and a 3-1 lead going to the bottom of the ninth.

 

The Yankees entered the bottom of the ninth without a single comeback victory when trailing after eight innings.  New York was the only MLB team without a victory in that situation during the 2012 season.  For a brief moment, it looked like the Yankees would end that ignominious situation in the bottom of the ninth.  They scored two quick runs on a lead-off single by Granderson that was immediately followed by a clutch line-shot, pinch-hit HR by Raul Ibanez.  Game tied 3-3.  Following an Ichiro ground-out, Derek Jeter doubled to left, Nick Swisher was intentionally passed, and Alex Rodriguez worked another walk to load the bases for Mark Teixeira.  Teixeira flied out weakly to center on a broken bat pop-up that was so shallow, Jeter was forced to remain at third.  Robinson Cano ended the inning with a ground ball to second for the third out.

 

Mark Teixeira was very nearly the Yankee "goat" for the game.  He was 0 for 6 on the night, but that does not tell the entire story.  In innings one and three, he batted with one out and runners at first and third.  Both times he responded with ground ball double plays (6-4-3) to kill the rally and the inning.  In the fifth, Tex batted with Swisher at first and two out, and produced yet another ground ball to short to end the inning.  He also fouled out to first in the 8th inning, and grounded out to third in the 12th, to go along with his weak fly out in the ninth that left Jeter stranded at third with the winning run.  Teixeira may have been happy about the relative sparse and unenthusiastic crowd at Yankee Stadium, because he was treated to a scattering of "boos" following his last two plate appearances. 

 

It should be noted that Rafael Soriano received similar treatment when he yielded the extra Red Sox run in the ninth inning.  Yankee fans were not in a happy mood for much of the evening!

 

With Andrew Miller on as the eighth Boston pitcher of the game in the twelfth inning, something finally broke for the Yankees.  New York could not clinch the division due to the fact that the Orioles had already defeated Tampa Bay 1-0.  Nevertheless, the Yankees could cut the magic number to one, and they did just that with two walks (Francisco Cervelli & Granderson), followed by another clutch hit from Ibanez.  

 

Raul grounded a ball to the left side that just made it into left field over a leaping Francisco Cervelli who rounded third and beat the throw home for the winning run.  Yankee fans who braved the wet conditions and who stayed for the duration were rewarded with a 4-3 victory, made all the more sweet by fan-favorite Cervelli scoring the winning run!  The Yankees retain control of their own destiny and can win the AL East title tomorrow with another victory over Boston or an Oriole loss in Tampa!

 

Tuesday's final:  New York 4  Boston 3 in 12 innings.  

 

 

--Frank Gentry, BYB Writer

Twitter: @yankeefrank23

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YANKEES HOLD ONTO VICTORY AT FENWAY

Tuesday night’s loss was pretty awful considering the Yankees had a multitude of opportunities to put the game away early, but they failed to do so before David Robertson lost the game in the ninth. I can tolerate the losses to teams like the Rays and Orioles to some extent since both of those teams are in contention, but losing games to Boston at this time of year is basically unacceptable. However, the Yanks were able to pick themselves up off the mat and hold onto a 5-4 victory at Fenway.

The Yankees followed up last night’s 1-for-12 showing with RISP with an 0-for-13 showing on Wednesday night. Thankfully, the Yankees were able to club three home runs, two of which were by Curtis Granderson. The Grandyman hit his first off Aaron Cook in the fourth, a solo shot, before hitting his second in the seventh, good for a two run shot. In between those two homers was a two-run shot by Robinson Cano over the Green Monster in the fourth off Cook.

Speaking of Cook, he shut down the Yanks through the first three innings before they were able to get to him for three in the fourth. He lasted 5 innings while allowing three runs.

In what could be David Phelps’ last start, he was able to prove that his last two starts against the Orioles were a fluke. He pitched a strong 5.2 innings, allowed just one run on five hits while punching out five and walking just one. With the possible return of Andy Pettitte next Tuesday, this could theoretically be Phelps’ last start of the season, unless of course another injury arises. Either way, big ups to big Phelps.

Following Phelps was Clay Rapada in the sixth. With two out and a runner on at first, he was able to strike out James Loney in what was a 3-1 game at the time. Cody Eppley and Boone Logan combined to get one out while allowing a run each in the seventh. Joba followed Logan, and he allowed his inherited runner to score on a Mike Aviles double. David Robertson picked up two outs in the eighth before Rafael Soriano came on to attempt for a four-out save.

The game was 5-3 when Rafael Soriano came in following a James Loney double. He was able to punch out Cody Ross on a nasty slider, and moments later, he and Bobby V were both ejected for arguing the called strike three. Soriano was then able to finish off the save in the ninth, though he certainly made it interesting. He gave up a long solo homer to Jarrod Saltalamacchia to lead off the frame. He nearly gave up the lead to the next batter, Daniel Nava, as he flew out to the wall in left. Soriano, thankfully, picked up the final two outs for his 37th save of the season.

A scary moment in this game for the Yanks came in the eighth, as Derek Jeter suffered a bone bruise in his left ankle after grounding into an inning-ending double play. However, after the game he said that he’ll play on Thursday. Read JETER TAKEN OUT OF GAME, INJURY POSSIBLE, for more info.

Final was 5-4, Yankees

The Yankees have been alternating wins and losses for a week now, and that pattern continued with a win on Wednesday. Hopefully they’ll break that trend and pick up the series win on Thursday. If they do, it’ll be the first time they’ve won back-to-back games since winning the second and third game of the series against the Rangers on August 14 and 15. That’s nearly a month’s worth of baseball without winning consecutive games. No wonder they’re hanging on for dear life in the AL East Standings.

Anyway, the Orioles walked off against the Rays, so we’re still tied in the race for the AL East crown. In the rubber game against the Red Sox on Thursday, the Yanks will send out team win leader Phil Hughes (14-12, 4.13 ERA) against Felix Doubront (10-8, 5.21 ERA).




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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TROUBLE FOR BOBBY V IN BEANTOWN?

All Yankee fans are not fond of Booby Valentine. Plus, there are a ton of  Red Sox fans that don’t like Bobby either. I’m going to suggest something, being a Yankee fan…I agree with all them, we are in concert on this one.  I have never liked him as a manager but more than that, I think I just don’t like the fact that the baseball world think his word is law when it comes to sports analysis. I don't get it.  I still don’t get why Michael Kay has him on as a guest every week on his radio show. What could Bobby Valentine add? Have a Yankee on regularly.  Have a former Yankee on regularly...no one in New York wants to hear from Bobby V. Come on Michael, it's strange! True, Kay’s entitled to do what he wants and he doesn’t have to listen to little me. 

Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston has a piece that caught me eye…basically because I don’t like the Bobby as a manager.  He says that the clubhouse is falling apart in Beantown and writes:  “David Ortiz publicly stated his support recently for the manager, but another respected player on the team said privately that it was all for show. That same player has gone weeks without speaking to Valentine and said that the manager doesn’t have the support of “anyone” in the clubhouse. ..Valentine went out to the mound in Chicago for a visit with his pitcher and all the infielders joined him for the conference except star second baseman Dustin Pedroira, who remained at his position."

Now comes a report from the Boston Herald, read HERE that says that Cody Ross was "bamboozled" by his benching from Bobby Valentine. Valentine chose Ryan Sweeney over Ross.  It's clear to me, players are not happy and are quickly losing respect for Bobby Valentine.

Look, you lose respect for the manager and you go through the motions, you really have problems as a club.  That basically means the players do what they want within the framework of what the manager wants but there is no extra effort. 

I’ve said it a ton of times, Bobby V hasn’t ever won anything, yet, he’s continually held up on a pedestal in Major League Baseball. He's the Uncle Rico of baseball, living in the past, be it winning a championship in another country...Japan, or bringing the Mets to the World Series...only to lose to the Yankees.   He’s missed a lot in baseball, it’s changed since he was in Japan…It almost sounds like the Sox would like him back there right now.  Good piece by Edes. Well done and thanks for keeping us all in the loop.

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NOVA DOMINATES; YANKEES TAKE 3 OF 4 IN FENWAY

These Yankee/Red Sox games really take a lot out of me. They’re intense, hard fought battles no matter where the teams are in the standings, and Sunday night’s game was no different. Ivan Nova picked up his 10th win of the season as the Yankees won the game, 7-3, over Jon Lester and the Sox.

Ivan Nova pitched very, very well in this one. He went a total of 6 innings, allowed just two runs (one earned) while striking out 10 and walking just a pair.

On the season, Nova is 10-3 with a 3.92 ERA to go along with a strong 3/1 K/BB ratio. Also, in his last 33 starts dating back to June 10 of last year, Nova is 22-3 with a 3.59 ERA. If that’s not good, I don’t know what is.

The offense came from many contributors as the Yankees got multi-hit games out of Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, and Andruw Jones. Jones went 2-for-5 including a mammoth two-run homerun seventh. It was his 10th homer of the season and his fourth in his last three games. Robinson Cano also extended his hitting streak to 15 games as he hit a rocket off the Green Monster for a double in the ninth off Alfredo Aceves.

The Captain, Derek Jeter, had a pretty weird game. He went 3-for-5 while also committing a rather embarrassing error in the first inning. Cody Ross popped up an Ivan Nova pitch a mile high, which appeared to be the final out of the frame, but the ball hit the heel of Jeet’s glove and feel onto the grass. It also appeared that something was up with Derek’s right shoulder as he was favoring it early in the contest, but he stayed in and it didn’t seem to affect him as he collected those three hits.

This was a pretty big win for the Yanks as they now go into the All Star break with a 52-33 record, best in Major League Baseball. They have the largest division lead in MLB with a 7 game lead over Baltimore. They also have 7.5 and 9.5 game leads over Tampa and Boston, respectively, which is more important to me since those were the two teams at the beginning of the year who were supposed to be the biggest threat to the Yanks.
 


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse

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