WHY BYB YANKEE NOTES MAKE YOU SMILE

Just a few things you need to know about as we are just hours away from 2012.Aaron Laffey: Laffey signed a split contract with the Blue Jays. Read about it HERE. Remember Laffey, the lefty that showed up in the Bronx for a short amount of time? He did OK for us, but it was clear he wasn't going to be around long. In 11 games for the Yankees, he posted a 3.38 ERA in 10.2 innings. Good Luck to Laffey.
Darren Oliver: Gone. This lefty was signed by the Blue Jays, or at least close to it. Read HERE. This deal was a 1 year contract and a club option for 2013. Oliver is 41 and has been around, but having stability like him in the pen is important. Good for the Jays. We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue mentioned a need for a lefty like Oliver in a piece titled IF YOU TRADE FOR IT...THEY WILL COME from back in November. It's a piece that discusses how no real Free Agents are too exciting this off season, but if we had to pick, Oliver may be one we would consider.
Matt Garza: The Tigers are the latest team to jump on the Garza bandwagon. Read HERE. That makes it the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Blue Jays and the Tigers, who all have a legit shot to get him in a trade. But based on what the Yankees have done this off season, it wouldn't be in their pattern to trade for Garza. We'll have to see. Read WILL THE YANKEES TRADE FROM MATT GARZA? and a more in-depth piece on why the Yankees need Garza will be posted later today on Bleeding Yankee Blue. Look for it.

If anything happens, we'll post it on BYB, so check back.

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WHY BYB GIVES THANKS ON THANKSGIVING

I sit here and think about how it all went down and how we got here. Bleeding Yankee Blue needed to become noticed among all the other blogs on the Internet and we have quickly become one of the fastest growing Yankee Blogs out there. We do interviews with guys like Jack Curry and Scott Brosius… the others don’t do that. We’re funny… many aren’t, instead they just give you stats and keep it straight. We’re personable and because of that, you keep coming back… so thanks. But most of all, you like us, you really like us and we are truly blessed.

Today is Thanksgiving and unless something big happens in Yankeeland, you may not hear from us because while you guys are like family… my families really family and that’s where my heart is today.

This is a note to my writers. You guys kick ass, take the weekend off, you deserve it. You go above and beyond and I appreciate every one of you.

This is a note to all of you, the readers who read us... thank you. And to the bloggers who helped us get up and running in the beginning and the ones who we work with on occasion now, you are not forgotten...believe me...kindness makes the world go 'round, don't it? Thank you all, none of this would be possible without you.

If you’re bored today and want to find something to do, check out the BYB Archive, or the Bleeding Yankee Babes or watch our BYB videos. Or, comment on a few posts and be kind for crying out loud, this is Thanksgiving! Or, check this out, here is the list of the Top Ten Bleeding Yankee Blue posts of all time, from 10 to 1. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

10. YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 8

9. YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 9

8. THE STATE OF THE YANKEES PITCHING

7. YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 13

6. WHY WE LOVE (OR HATE) ALEX

5. YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 5

4. IS PRINCE FIELDER COMING TO THE BRONX?

3. WHY LINCECUM FOR MONTERO MAY HAPPEN

2. YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 11

1. WHY MARTIN'S A FACTOR

Eat hearty today!

-Casey

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IF YOU TRADE FOR IT...THEY WILL COME

What is a good lefty worth? Well, right now, it is definitely a coveted prize that the Yankees have been searching for, and spent a heavy investment on with no big return. Last year I was ecstatic when we signed Pedro Feliciano. I liked how durable he was; he set the MLB record for appearances three years in a row and I loved how effective he was, he really defined what a “loogy” was. Well, he did until he came to the Bronx and spent the season on the disabled list. The Yankees have Boone Logan , but you never know what you are going to get with him... it is like doing a coin toss. I am not going to rip on Logan, but fact of the matter is he is paid to get lefties out, and he can't always seem to do it. The Yankees need another lefty, Casey's been screaming about it for months and there are several free agents out there but who are they and how much will they cost?

There are only 2 free agents that I would even consider adding to my roster:

• Darren Oliver: Oliver has his good points and his bad points. He has posted an ERA under three every season since 2008. He is a Type-B free agent. Oliver is also 41 years old, another fact that scares me. That being said, he would be helpful.
• Dontrelle Willis: Time to face the facts, he is not a starter anymore but he is still a valuable weapon to a team as a reliever. He is pretty dominant against lefties posting 10.6 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9, good for a 10/1 K/BB ratio in 75.2 innings in 2011. His lack of experience as a reliever scares me a little, but not enough to shy away from a minor league contract and give him a shot.
  

While there are other names on the Free Agent market this year, none of them excite me like last year. So instead of spending a lot of money for nothing….like Feliciano’s $8 million contract, let’s play “let’s make a deal” with another team and use some of our resources.
If I were Cashman, I would pick up my phone and start talking to the Twins new Interim General Manager Terry Ryan about an overlooked pitcher named Glen Perkins. We wrote about him in YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 9... check it out. Perkins posted a 9.49 K/9, and 65 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched. His walks were a little high at 3.1BB / 9 however; the great mentoring of Larry Rothschild could fix that. Perkins is arbitration eligible and would not be an expensive investment. With the right offer, the Twins could move him.

The Twins are in the process of rebuilding their team after losing 99 games and not claiming the central title after two years of being on top. So, what would it take to get him? Not much, possibly just a lower level minor league player and throw in some cash to go with him….and that sounds like it would benefit both sides.

The Yankees don’t need to focus only on signing free agents to be successful this off season; they have a large amount of resources to tap into including the farm system and they can be smart not giving away to truly valuable pieces. Plus, There are no lefties on the free agent market that I would want to throw a lot of cash at at this time, let’s save it for the big fish. It's the off season... and it's getting good!




--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor



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YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 8

Tim Lincecum: I would like Tim Lincecum to be a New York Yankee. Let me rephrase that… I would LOVE Lincecum on the Yankees, I’ve always loved "The Freak" and the similarities between he and the kid from Dazed and Confused are amazing. I almost wish Lincecum WAS the kid in that movie, it would have been a cool story, from Hollywood to pitching superstar. Anyway. I’m getting off track. I love this rumor, but this is a rumor and it's about as far-fetched as Felix Hernandez coming to the Bronx this winter. It involves a trade and it involves a talent that we would need to trade solid prospects for. I just don’t see it. The being said, Dave Cameron from Fangraphs makes the most exciting argument ever for getting Lincecum to New York. Read it HERE. He suggests the Yankees would take Lincecum and $12 million of the remaining contract of Aubrey Huff and the Yankees would unload Jesus Montero and Eduardo Nunez to help give the Giants some stability on their end. Look, I never want to part with someone like Jesus Montero, but for the love of God, pitching is what the Yankees need and the idea that the Giants would "possibly" be willing to part with one of their top guys would make me bite immediately. And by the way, there is no way in hell the Giants only except only Montero and Nunez. The Giants will probably want more, probably prospect pitching... Dellin Betances anyone? Manny Banuelos anyone? That’s why this rumor is very far-fetched because yes, Brian Cashman could pursue a Tim Lincecum all he wants, but even he has stated the need to keep these kids with the Yankees. It’s fun to dream of a short-haired Lincecum in pinstripes but we need to slow down, this is a rumor, nothing more.Hiroki Kudora: He’s 36, he’s not someone I look at and say “The Yankees need him.” Kudora gave up 24 home runs last season and his win loss record isn’t too nice to look at...13-16. The Dodgers and he seem to be very happy together and to be honest, he’s not interested in coming to New York. This is my final opinion on Kudora… we don’t need him and don’t want him, maybe the Royals can use him, not the New York Yankees. We need pitching and there are plenty of younger, better pitchers out there to choose from.Darren Oliver: The Yankees need a lefty to work with Boone Logan in the bullpen and I've always said that, but to tell you the truth, the starting rotation needs to be a top priority. Besides Darren Oliver, there are other lefties out there and I will bet Brian Cashman will be keeping an eye on all those lefty pitchers. But in the end, it’s about starting pitching first... it has to be. Just for your own satisfaction though, here is Darren Oliver’s line in 2011: 5-5 2.29 ERA / 41 K / 51 IP.

More Rumors as it happens, be sure the check out Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER LEFTY IN THE YANKEES PEN

Boone Logan lasted through another Yankee season and much like Joe Girardi’s fascination with Sergio Mitre in the past, I feel like he has a strange attachment to Boone Logan. Look, I’m not going to sit here and hammer Logan for 2011. I feel like the guy has good and bad moments. One thing Logan was not, was stellar. Getting out a lefty didn't really work for him, even though it was his job. I have always felt that another lefty in the Yankees bullpen would help. I've said it for a while now. Anyway, these are Logan's numbers this season:

5-3 3.46 ERA / 41.2 IP / 46 K / 13 BB / 16 ER / WHIP 1.344

I'll tell you what, and I know he’s gone, but I liked the small batch of Raul Valdes that I saw down the stretch for the Yanks. He impressed me quite a bit and I wanted to see more of the guy. In fact, I suggested he be part of the ALDS Roster. Read WHY I KNOW THE YANKEES 2011 ALDS ROSTER, I made my case there. Here are his numbers as a Yankee:

6 G / 2.70 ERA / 6.2 IP / 8 K / 2 BB / 2 ER/ WHIP 1.500

So, who’s out there that the Yankees could snatch up? Here's the list of Free Agents that could be interesting:Hideki Okajima

Brian TalletDarren Oliver

John Grabow

Dennys Reyes

Also, earlier in the year, I was even so desperate, I suggested the Yankees bring in Scott Kazmir, let him pitch to one or 2 batters every few games and train the guy to become a specialist and a reliever. I could have been a diamond in the ruff. It also could have blown up in our faces, but many starting pitchers have reinvented themselves that way and I was convinced Kazmir could have done the same. Kerry Wood did it and that guy's been to hell and back. I’m just saying, lefty pitching in the pen is important and I don’t believe 1 works, I just believe 2 helps tremendously... you can mix and match.

So, Who would you choose for the extra Yankee lefty in the pen? Comment and tell us who and why. We love to hear from you.

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