MAYBE WE SHOULD BRING BACK GRANDERSON NOW!

I kid, I kid, but we have a great review on Curtis and you're gonna love to hear this.  MLB.com's Andrew Kappes (HERE) has a piece on Curtis Granderson and his huge step back to the Bronx!

Feel good about Curtis Granderson right now.  Last night, Granderson "homered in the eighth inning of his second rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Granderson went 1-for-5, but fans at PNC Field will remember his final swing of the night.

Granderson started the game in left field and batted second for the RailRiders.

'I was able to get a good swing on it and finally hit the ball out of the infield for the first time,' Granderson said of his homer, which broke a tied game and lifted the RailRiders to a 5-3 win. 'I knew it was hit decent, but I didn't think it was going out.'

He began his second rehab game with a hard grounder to second, but it resulted in a double play. He followed that up with a routine grounder to second in his second at-bat. He struck out in the fourth, and while Granderson hit a ball hard up the middle in the sixth, pitcher Luis Ayala knocked it down and threw him out at first."

The big question is soon coming... what happens when Curtis Granderson comes back? Are they just going to rotate, Vernon Wells, Ichiro Suzuki and Brett Gardner.  Are we going to use Vernon Wells as a right handed DH? Do we sit Ichiro Suzuki?

Questions are coming as our wounded get healthy, but I can tell you this... I'm psyched for Curtis!

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IMAGES OF YANKEELAND IN TAMPA: PART 6

I love Spring Training and watching our Boys of Summer working out the kinks and getting ready to kick some ass. Here is yet another great batch of photos of the Yankees this spring in Florida. Enjoy this...again!Raul Ibanez is right here and this is just a great shot. The more I realize Ibanez is with us, the happier I am. Watching the Yankees play the Phillies Saturday, I had to laugh then he came up to the plate in Clearwater and was booed. This is a guy that gave quite a bit to the Phillies... and now, the fans are booing him... I have a hard time understanding that.
CC Monster stretching it out. This pitcher is funny to me and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's CC's body type and the way he's stretching, I'm not sure, but I snickered when I saw it. Predicting now...CC gets 21 wins this year. Crossing my fingers.

Here's Nick Swisher enjoying a moment of Spring Training. To be honest, I'm not sure I've seen this guy NOT smile. Who doesn't love this guy? I pray Nick has a monster year, and a bigger post season... he deserves it.

Michael Pineda is looking good here and he appears to be having some fun. CC Sabathia was quoted last week as saying Pineda was "electric." I hope he's right and I hope Pineda has a bigger year than he did last year with Seattle. I suspect with the Yankees run support, he will.
Francisco Cervelli is having a moment where he's realizing that he is going to be the backup catcher again. Good for him. I was positive Cervelli was going to be one of the guys traded this winter. At the end of the day, I like Cervelli and love his passion to play the game.

Cory Wade is back with the Yankees and here he is throwing a few. Gotta love it. I would have liked to see Luis Ayala back too but he chose to sign with the last place Baltimore Orioles. That's fine, Wade can do the job and blends in nicely with our pen. Welcome back Cory.
Here's CC and Phil Hughes after a throwing session. CC looks like he's trying to read his stats on the scoreboard. Phil looks aggravated. No worries, both guys will be ready to go. Let's just hope Hughes' velocity is back. I haven't heard much about it and that concerns me, but hopefully he's impressed the Yanks spring and is on the road back!

You like these pictures? There will be more. Enjoy it and share them with your friends. There's something about Spring training pics that just gets me really psyched for Opening Day.

IMAGES OF YANKEELAND IN TAMPA: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4 & PART 5. You’ll have the time of your life.

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ORIOLES SIGN LUIS AYALA

Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets the Orioles have agreed to sign Luis Ayala, The deal, which is pending a physical, could include an option year, according to the tweets of Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Ayala, 34, posted a 2.09 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 50% ground ball rate in 56 innings for the Yankees last year. Ayala will be missed but who knows, maybe he will be back in pinstripes before the end of the 2012 season?

Keep it hear for all your Yankee news and be sure to #BYB on Twitter.

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23


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YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 32

Luis Ayala: Alden Gonzalez of FOX Sports reported several days ago that the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have an offer into Luis Ayala, but there is no update on whether or not he will accept that offer or what the offer is. Perhaps he's holding out for more money, more years or whether or not the Yankees have any interest in having Ayala back in pinstripes. That story is HERE. Read Fox Sports' Jon Morosi's Tweet about the Angels wanting to add some relief is HERE. Don't forget, not only are the Yankees and Angels looking at Ayala, but at different points this off-season, so were the Orioles, Rays, Red Sox and Mets.
Yoennis Cespedes: The San Francisco Giants are NOT going to pursue Cespedes. This coming from Brian Sabean who says "The price tag is beyond his talent." Read that HERE from the San Francisco Chronicle's own Harry Schulman. Sorry to keep bringing Cespedes up, but we first wrote about Cespedes when we did YOENNIS CESPEDES: BYB'S TAKE back in November and we can't just write a piece about a potential superstar and then drop it. Don't forget, Cespedes is meeting in Miami next week with the Marlins, whom I predict will sign the kid. Read that HERE.Eric Chavez: Where are you pal? BYB doesn't understand the hold up with why Eric Chavez isn't a New York Yankee yet, do you? Andrew Marchand says Chavez can still return to the Bronx. Read that HERE. The big question is though, if the Yankees want him back and Chavez wants to come back, why is this on hold? It can't be about the money, I don't think Chavez should be demanding something outrageously high. I mean, even though he commanded a .263 AVG and collected 42 hits and 26 RBIs last year, let's not forget, Mr. Fragile got hurt again. That being said, I'd choose Chavez over many because I love the way he plays the game and let's face it, he contributes. Hopefully this deal comes down the pike this week. Who knows, maybe the Yankees are waiting in Bill Hall who confirmed on Twitter the other night to a fan that he and the Yankees are "going thru the process." Here's that tweet below:

Bottom line, the Yankees have a few more pieces to collect before Spring Training and their trying to complete their puzzle... Stay tuned for this.

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WHY IT'S UNLIKELY AYALA RETURNS TO THE BRONX

It's being tweeted by Puro Beisbol, a Mexican baseball magazine that former Yankeerelief pitcher Luis Ayala is close to signing with either the Baltimore Orioles or the Los Angeles Angels. The Yankees are apparently NOT in the teams interested in Ayala, according to them. Read that tweet HERE.

I liked Ayala and what he offered out of the bullpen for the Yankees. If he doesn't return, that sucks, but that's baseball and we can always find another Luis Ayala... it's finding a replacement for a Mariano Rivera that would be extremely difficult. While I hate to see Ayala go, he can be replaced and if he signs elsewhere, we wish him the best.

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YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 24

Matt Garza: Leave it the Cubs to continue making moves. First it was reported yesterday that the Cubs and Paul Maholm were about to strike a deal so Maholm would come pitch with them. Then the Chicago Tribune reported it happened. (Read HERE). Now comes word that the Tigers and Cubs are talking about a deal. Read it HERE. We believe the Yankees and Garza could be a perfect fit. Read WHY GARZA & THE YANKEES ARE A PERFECT MATCH. I'm just not so sure the Yankees are going to pull the trigger on him and give up guys like Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances.

Manny Ramirez: Everybody just gasped in horror. The reality is, the idea of Manny Ramirez being a DH on the Yankees is so far fetched. We first wrote about Manny Ramirez being reinstated into baseball in YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 20. Now comes word that he will hold a private workout (HERE) for teams to get a look. There is no doubt that I believe the Yankees should take a look. We here at BYB don't believe there should be anything future to come out of it.

Luis Ayala: The Yankees want Ayala back but there are 6 teams that are also after him so it should be interesting. Read HERE. I liked Ayala in the Yankee pen and I have not problem bringing him back. Ayala had a 2011 season consisting of a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings.

Hiroki Kuroda: Kuroda is the rumor that just won’t go away. NPB Tracker is reporting that Kuroda will stay in the United States but wants $13 to $14 million to pitch. Read about it HERE. Let's be honest, does any team REALLY think Kuroda is worth $13 million. I sure do think the Yankees or the Red Sox would be out of the mix on this one, especially since we are now preaching Yankee patience...I could be wrong though, and I'm fine with that. I just don't see how the Yankees would just dive in on Kuroda at that price, but we shall see.

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WILL THE YANKEES SAY SO LONG TO LUIS AYALA?

Luis Ayala is currently a free agent and according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, there are rival Yankee teams looking for his services. Jon says that the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox have been interested in the reliever. Read that HERE. I have yet to read whether or not the Yankees have reached out to Ayala about an offer.

In 56 innings last year, Ayala had a 2.09 ERA. Not too shabby. Between he and Cory Wade, both Yankees really stabilized the pen and helped make it one of the more dominant bullpen's in baseball.

With all the talk about starting pitching, and so many youngsters making their way up from the minors, I'd be curious to see if the Yankees let Ayala walk, after all, there is a lot of new talent ready to come up and take over a role in the pen, plus, you need to believe that Joba Chamberlain will be healthy by next season to really be a driving force in the bullpen for the Yankees. We will keep an eye on Ayala for you.

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WHY WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT JOBA CHAMBERLAIN

With so much discussion about who the Yankees could sign or trade for this off season there is one Yankee pitcher who fans may be forgetting about; Joba Chamberlain. From everything I have read and even from Joba's own tweets (@Joba_62) he has been busting his ass and will be back better than ever in 2012. In fact, Brian Cashman said very recently:

"He (Joba) wants it yesterday. He's working his tail off."

That's certainly good news to hear. I mean, it looks like the earliest Joba could be back on the roster in early summer, but I don't think we can underestimate just how valuable he will be again for the Yankees. And, it certainly isn't unusual nowadays for these pitchers who have Tommy John surgery to come back stronger than before they were injured.

So when Joba does make his return, what do the Yankees do with him? Obviously a lot has to do with who the Yankees add to the rotation this winter. But I think it would be safe to say that Joba's role won't be as a starter. Before Joba got hurt this season he really found a home out in that bullpen as one of the setup men to Mariano. And with the emergence of David Robertson and, Rafael Soriano getting it together as the season went on, throw a healthy Joba back into the mix, the Yankee bullpen will once again be the best in MLB. Can u imagine how sick our bullpen will be again? Even if the Yankees do not add one single player to the bullpen here is how it might play out...

• Hector Noesi: Noesi proved he could give us a spot start when needed and certainly could be considered a very good long man for 2012. It will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with him this off season. I mean, if we don't pick up a big name starter do the Yankees give Noesi a chance in Spring training to win a spot in the starting rotation?
• Cory Wade & Luis Ayala: For the most part, Wade & Ayala both had very solid seasons as middle relievers. They surprised a lot of people and I think they keep their roles in 2012.
• Boone Logan: Logan has really become a target of many Yankee fans. Heading into this season I was one of his critics. But as a lefty specialist, I think Logan did a decent job this year and I think he improved as the season went on. Lefty batters only hit .260 against him. Look, I get frustrated as well when Boone would come in against a tough left handed hitter and give up a hit, but for the most part Logan actually did a really good job and got the big out when needed.
• Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, and Joba Chamberlain: Even though Joba won't be back in time for the start of the season, RaSo and DRob are the two best set up men n MLB, period. There is no better combo in the game.
• Mariano Rivera: The all time Saves leader will once again close out our games. Mo is the last guy we will ever have to worry about.
  

I am really looking forward to Joba's return to this Yankee team. I hope his rehab continues to progress and he comes back even stronger. Once the Yankees throw a healthy Joba back into the mix, fuhgetabou'it!

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23



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YANKEES CLINCH! DIVISION TITLE NEXT!

Today was pretty exciting. The game itself was slow going because James Shields was very very good today. In fact, he was dynamite. Finally, after the 7^th inning, things changed. The Yankees had 1 run until Eduardo Nunez cranked out a homer to tie it up.

Then , in the bottom of the ninth, Robinson Cano knocked a 2 run double to bring the Yankees ahead 4-2. But let me back up. If Brett Gardner didn’t slash that opposite field single to start off that inning and Derek Jeter didn’t work a walk, Robinson Cano's hit means nothing. That’s team work, that’s the Yankees offense, that’s a team hungry for the postseason.

Hector Noesi started the game for the Yankees today. He was a last minute add because Phil Hughes was scratched with back spasms. Noesi pitched 2.2 innings, allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 2. Like I’ve said in WHY THE YANKEES PEN IS THE BEST IN BASEBALL, Noesi is a team player and does what is asked of him. He did it again today, this time starting and you have to tip your hat to this kid, he handled it well. But that’s not all, the pen was incredible and they deserve much of the credit in keeping the Rays held to 2 runs the rest of the game. The combination of Raul Valdes, George Kontos, Aaron Laffey, Cory Wade, Boone Logan, Luis Ayala (who earned the win), and Mariano Rivera was brilliant for a day game before this night game. Girardi mixed up the pitchers, righty to lefty and kept the Rays off guard. Terrific job today.

1 heads up base running situation that I wanted to point out which took place today and I loved it because you know I love speed if you read Bleeding yankee Blue. Eduardo Nunez stole second and third in the same inning (I believe the 5th.) No, it didn't give us a run, though it's important because it shows agression and pure grit. Gotta love it.

Final Score: Yankees 4 –Rays 2

Congrats to the Yankees for making the postseason for the 16^th time in 17 years. That is incredible. But no celebration yet. The Yankees have a night game with the Rays and CC Sabathia is on the mound right now. After a win tonight, then let's talk about party time...one game at a time.

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WHY THE YANKEES PEN IS THE BEST IN BASEBALL

Yeah, it’s early, we haven’t even made the playoffs, yet, with all the home runs by Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira and with all the well pitched games by CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova, many forget a true part of the New York Yankees that make them hum… the bullpen.

I remember the 1998 Yankees team and that bullpen made up of guys like Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson, Graeme Lloyd, Ramiro Mendoza and Mariano Rivera. Back then, that bridge clearly was the best in baseball, mowing them down every opportunity they had. The passion was clear. I remember Jeff Nelson getting super excited over a strikeout and the calmness of Mariano when he closed out the game was equally awesome. He's exactly the same today. It was that drive that was a huge asset in their World Championship in 1998. Now, years later… I feel like it’s happening again. While the names are different, the mission is the same.

Hector Noesi: Noesi does what he’s told to do and he does it well for a kid. He’s learning more from the Yankee pen than he ever would down in AAA. The experience and talent in the pen is diverse and being on the biggest stage of Yankee Stadium, it's allowed this kid to develop. Noesi gets some crappy assignments sometimes, mop up work or even coming in in blowouts, but his expression is always the same. He’s happy to be there and happy to contribute to this New York Yankees team.

Cory Wade: Wade’s been a surprise, a real good one. With all the worry about his arm getting blown out by Joe Torre when he was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wade is back and is proving that his injury is a thing of the past. Wade is a terrific addition to our club. This season he’s 6-1 with a 2.06 ERA. Not too shabby pal.

Luis Ayala: A gamer and another guy that has found his niche. Ayala is also a great surprise to me and I consider Wade and he a great mid-game combo. Mix in Boone Logan and you can easily go 5 to 6 innings if needed. I like this kid and I’m happy for him.

Scott Proctor: Proctor is a late addition this year, working his way back to the Yankees where he first started. Many don’t care for Proctor but this guy is tough. Proctor carries an arrogance about him that many pitchers don’t have on the Yankees. It’s almost considered not the "Yankee way." I say Proctor’s arrogance is actually confidence and I’d throw him out there against anyone in a 6^th inning situation. I’m glad Proctor’s back and I hope his contribution is huge down the stretch.

Boone Logan: Not perfect, and has good days and bad days. Lately though, he’s having more good than bad, and this is when we need that lefty most. It’s clear at this point that Brian Cashman is sticking with Boone Logan and we have to grin and bear it and maybe cross our fingers a bit when he comes out.

Rafael Soriano: Something's happened to Soriano when he came off the disabled list… reality happened. With David Robertson clearly taking over Rafael Soriano’s set up role, it was either do what Yankees needed him to do, or whine about it. Soriano choose to work and work he has bridging to Robertson and doing it beautifully and most important, without an attitude. I have seen a transformation in this angry guy that I love. He wants to be there to help his team and it doesn’t matter what the role is, he’s ready.

David Robertson: What can you say about this guy? Robertson is a BYB staple for sure, we love him here. He has proven to the world that he may just be the best 8^th inning guy, not only in baseball, but in history. I remember all the talk about Daniel Bard bridging to Jonathon Papelbon and how great that 1,2 punch was. Well, in the time it’s taken for the Red Sox to implode, the DRob, Mariano 1,2 punch has proven they are better. Look for DRob to continue his success now and in the future. I see this kid taking over for Mariano in 3 years and it’s about to get awesome.

Mariano Rivera: The King of Closing, Mariano Rivera is the best ever and it’s about to get better. How the hell do you compile 602 saves in a career? Longevity and talent. Mariano has both and you add heart in and there's no one better. Mariano Rivera has done something so great for not only the Yankees but for baseball, and it cannot and will not ever be denied.

The New York Yankees bullpen… better than the rest? Yes, without a doubt. While there were question marks early involving our Yankees bullpen, there is no question we now get a big pick me up from these guys, some young and some old, but ultimately, the perfect blend of youth and veteran grit. I’d pick these guys over any other bullpen in baseball…how about you?

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WHY YANKEE FANS NEED LEADERS NOT LOSERS

The Blue Jays played like champions tonight. The Yankees, well, that's another story. Yes, we started strong, but when you fold like a house of cards, there's really no excuse. I'm a broken record at this point, you can never, EVER lose to a division rival this close to the playoffs...but we did and now we have to move on and win tomorrow as well as the rest of this series without a doubt.
CC Sabathia is my guy, but one thing is happening right now, and this is just a hunch; too much rest for the big guy may not be a good thing. Look, this is simple for me to understand and I think I'm right. In the Yankees haste to make sure we have a 6 man rotation to give them time to figure out what pitchers are strong enough, we have left 1 very important pitcher's opinion out of the equation, and that's CC Sabathia. CC doesn't like a rest longer than normal and he's voiced his opinion. I found this nugget that I spoke about a week ago brought to you by the Bergen Record:

"Sabathia prefers to work on four days' rest, but manager Joe Girardi is mindful that his ace left-hander has thrown 239 pitches over his past two starts." Read the full piece HERE.

This may offer nothing to you, but it offers a lot to me. Joe, while trying to help CC may be hurting him. Yes, we need Sabathia strong for the playoffs, but if our ace is messed up with extra rest and he can't pitch effectively, hey, we'll be losing and won't be IN the playoffs. My suggestion? Joe needs to give CC what he wants and it's time to make a rotation decision so we can narrow it to 5. It's getting late early.

But enough about my educated guess, the Yankees lost tonight, and that does not make me happy. CC went 5.2 innings tonight. He allowed 10 hits, and 4 runs and struck out 8. Was he incredible? No, but he grinded hard, but again, you need to question his rest schedule. Sabathia left the game with the bases loaded in the 6th and Luis Ayala was able to get out of the inning. Thank God.(Photo: Getty)
Rafael Soriano pitched the 7th inning tonight and had 3 strikeouts. That, my friends was definitely the pitching highlight of the night for me.

Boone Logan got the loss tonight... what else is new? He left the game in the 9th inning after Adam Lind hit a double off of him. Adam Lind is a lefty. Boone Logan is a lefty. I'm just making a point here... this is ridiculous already. Anyway, Cory Wade came in. Jose Molina, the former Yankee was the guy who killed us all tonight. Molina drove in the winning run in the 9th off Wade, a heart breaker if you will.
(Photo: Getty)
Offensively, Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez did some great work tonight, but it wasn't enough. Swisher had a single and a double tonight with 2 RBIs. Chavez crushed a homer to center and had 2 RBIs.

Final Score: Blue Jays 5 - Yankees 4

I'm not happy, in fact, I'm aggravated. The Yankees need to win, especially against a 4th place team. Next up is Bartolo Colon and Lord knows, I am uneasy about him pitching. The last win Colon has is from July. That says a lot. I'm getting worried Ladies and Gentlemen, please soothe me.

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