WHY THE YANKEES LET ANOTHER ONE GET AWAY

The Cubs and the former Pittsburgh Pirate lefty Paul Maholm are close to working out an agreement. That's coming from various reports but started with Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports. As you know, because of the Yankees being in the “Year of Wait”, we here at Bleeding Yankee Blue had suggested 3 pitchers the Yankees could go after, perhaps at a reasonably low price and still be able to save a few bucks waiting for a big splash in a future Free Agent market in the years to come. Read 3 PITCHERS THE YANKEES SHOULD CONSIDER. Paul Maholm is one of those pitchers and now it seems like he and the Cubs are only hours away from making a deal... here is Ken Rosenthal's Tweet HERE.

Let me re-state, not only do I like what the Yankees are doing right now, I appreciate and understand it. If they don’t want to pursue ANY help in their starting pitching and just have the guys they have duke it out with the youngsters like Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances to fill spots, I have nothing bad to say about it. It makes sense, sure… but that 1 quote from Hal Steinbrenner from back in November still continues to echo in my head…

" I’m still a little concerned about our rotation.”

Why did he say that if he wasn’t going to do anything? If Cashman said that to the media and did nothing, he would later say “There wasn’t anything out there we were interested in.” For a Steinbrenner to say that, well, that’s just unusual. Steinbrenners mean what they say and say what they mean… except Uncle Hank… he just says anything.

My point is there is pitching out there to be had and it's NOT expensive pitching. I'm a believer of spicing things up, stockpiling arms and have the boys compete for spots, especially if you aren't going to spend big money...which it appears the Yankees aren't. Sure, guys like Maholm or Rich Harden may not be better than what we have already, and you know my standards are high, but there is pitching out there. Maholm could have been an interesting alternative to throw into the mix. But, it appears that he and the Cubs may be wrapping up a deal soon, if you believe Ken Rosenthal at least.

The Free Agent market’s getting leaner Ladies and Gentlemen… how many days until Spring Training again? 37? Damn I’m ready.

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3 PITCHERS THE YANKEES SHOULD CONSIDER

This off season is no question “unusual” for the New York Yankees, and while it’s clear Cashman and Co. are counting their money for next winter’s off-season free agent market consisting of guys like Matt Cain and Cole Hamels, there are 3 guys that Bleeding Yankee Blue feels could be useful starters at low cost… especially if we’re going that route anyway.

Paul Maholm: Don’t dismiss this. It’s clear to many that as hard as the Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to get Maholm back, he’s not biting, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review…Read HERE. Maholm is only 29 years old and posted a 3.66 ERA last year. No idea how moving from the NL to AL will translate for him, but he’s a beefy lefty and I would welcome him fighting for a rotation spot this spring. We wrote PAUL MAHOLM: A LEFTY TO THINK ABOUT before many thought about him. Hey, he may not be Yu Darvish, but he could be a pleasant surprise.

Bartolo Colon: It’s obvious, but let’s face facts, he was reliable, a surprise in 2011 and he, Russell Martin and Rothschild are familiar with each other. If we’re not going to spend big and not going to part with the kids, Bartolo Colon should come back to the Bronx. Last year Colon was 8-10 4.00 ERA, 164.1 innings and 135 strikeouts and had a very impressive summer, he did however break down like many predicted and has a stint on the DL. But, nothing wrong with going back to that well though, especially if that’s the new way the Yankees roll.

Rich Harden: We believe that Harden is a diamond in the rough here at Bleeding Yankee Blue and if you don’t believe me, read this extensive post titled WHY RICH HARDEN'S A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. We like Harden. Ken Rosenthal says that Harden is now starting to get interest from different teams, read HERE. No doubt the Yankees are checking him out as well, but not sure how much they’d need to spend to lure him to New York. Last season Harden posted a 4-4 record and 5.12 ERA. He went 82.2 innings last year.

Look Ladies and Gentlemen, these guys may not the best scenerio for our New York Yankees, but it’s the best scenerio we've got right now. But, what do you think? Comment and let us know.

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WHY GARZA & THE YANKEES ARE A PERFECT MATCH

Here at BYB, we've thrown around ideas for that elusive potential number two starter that the fans desperately want. We've talked about higher profile names like Yu Darvish, Gio Gonzalez, Mark Buehrle, CJ Wilson, and Edwin Jackson to lower names that won't cost as much in terms of money or prospects like Roy Oswalt, Hiroki Kuroda, Chad Billingsley, Rich Harden, etc. But, we've only briefly talked about the guy we're going to profile who happens to be a perfect fit, and that guy is Matt Garza.

Before Garza joined the Chicago Cubs in 2011, he was pretty good, but not great, during his three years with the Tampa Bay Rays. Take a look at the basic stats and the advanced stats...

2008-2010:

34-31, 3.86 ERA, 592.1 innings, 7.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9, 38.9 GB%, 4.24/4.29 FIP/xFIP, 109 ERA+, 7.6 WAR

Again, good, not great, but when Garza joined the Northsider's, he really shined. Take a look...

2011:

10-10, 3.32 ERA, 198 innings, 8.95 K/9, 2.86 BB/9, 0.64 HR/9, 46.8 GB%, 2.95/3.19 FIP/xFIP, 118 ERA+, 5 WAR

Before you bring it up, don't let the deflated win total fool you, as Garza received 5.91 runs of support on average per start last year, which is basically middle of the pack (43rd highest among 94 qualifiers). If he joins the Yankees, expect a lot more run support and more wins as a result. Also looking at last year's numbers, you can see with Garza's much improved strike out, walk, and home run rates, it results in much better FIP and xFIP rates compared to years past. Expect this trend to continue if he keeps those numbers up.
Another difference that caught my eye was Garza significantly increasing his ground ball rate, which suggests he has pitched more in the lower half of the zone. And in terms of pitch selection between the two time periods, you'll see that he has matured, and by a lot. Take a look at these graphs...
(by Fangraphs)
To be honest, the difference is quite staggering, and pretty awesome too. The guy has matured by a large degree, and at age 28, I can see him becoming an elite pitcher if he keeps this up.

Now, I bet some of the Garza doubters are saying "Well, the reason he improved so much is because he was pitching in the National League." While that may be true to some extent, you have to give him the majority of the credit. Look at Garza's quality of opponents. In 2011, Garza's opponents had an average OPS of .755, which was 286th out of 707 players that threw a pitch. For comparisons sake, AJ Burnett--who pitches in the American League East--was 283rd. Check out the full list HERE. Also remember, Garza pitched in the National League Central with strong hitting teams that include the Cardinals, Reds, and Brewers who ranked 5th, 7th, and 11th, respectively, in runs scored last year.

Obviously, Garza is someone the Yankees would need to trade for in order to add him to their rotation. I'll throw out a scenario, but I'm sure it's unlikely to happen since I'm just a blogger with an opinion and not a GM like Brian Cashman or Jed Hoyer, but I say package Dellin Betances, Gary Sanchez, Adam Warren, and David Phelps for Garza.Now, of course that may sound like a lot to some, considering if all of those guys reach their potential, but try to think this one through. Betances has struggled with walk problems his entire minor league career (4.3 career BB/9), and could very well end up being a reliever, who knows. Sanchez is terrible, to say the least, thus far on defense to the point where Sanchez himself decided to not call for breaking balls while behind the plate. (Read HERE.) Also, at 18 years of age, he's still a long ways away, so anything can happen. Finally, you have Warren and Phelps. At this point, I'd say both of these guys could make a lot of major league rosters as back end starters or long men out of the 'pen, and nothing more going forward. To be frank, you have a better chance at winning the Powerball than you do with all of these prospects reaching their peak. This trade has got to be made.

We'll have to see what happens, of course, but I'm really high on Matt Garza. In fact, I've really liked this guy since the 2008 ALCS. Check this video out before you go on your way, as Garza finishes off the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS and earns ALCS MVP Honors...





--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer



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WHY RICH HARDEN'S A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

With Gio Gonzalez, John Danks, CJ Wilson, and Mark Buehrle all off the list of starting pitchers the Yankees could've acquired, to go along with the ridiculous trade prices of Mat Latos--who went to Cincinnati--and Matt Garza, we now have to avert to the next tier of starting pitchers. We know of Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda, but Brian Cashman hasn't been too keen of either one, or at least to the public. Like it or not, the Yankees may actually have a tight budget this winter. With that in mind, I looked through the Free Agent list, which you can read HERE, for some cheap alternative options, and I think I've found a guy that could be a fit. That guy is Rich Harden.

Before we go through the negatives with Harden, I want to look at the positives. Harden is a guy who misses bats (career 9.2 K/9), doesn't allow many hits (career 7.5 H/9), and limits runs (career 3.76 ERA).

Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. On the negative side, he walks too many batters (career 4.1 BB/9), allows a few too many homers (career 1.02 HR/9), and gets injured...A LOT. Harden has been on the disabled list nine times since 2005, with five of those DL stints being due to shoulder injuries. Check out Harden's injury history right HERE. It's not pretty, to say the least.
Not to mention, Harden hasn't been that great at all the last two years. Take a look...

2010-2011:

35 games, 33 starts, 9-9, 5.36 ERA, 174.2 innings, 1.52 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 1.8 HR/9

Now, after going through all the negatives I bet you're asking why he would be a good fit. First, his stock is basically rock bottom at this point, thus it will probably only take a one year deal worth around $2-3 million, could be less, who knows. The Yankees have a tight budget, but I don't think it's that tight, so money shouldn't be a problem here.
I'd give him a shot in Spring Training, and if he produces good results, while out-pitching other guys like AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes, etc, I bring him to the Bronx and have him in the starting rotation. If he craps out, so what? It's a low risk, high reward type of move for a guy with a lot of upside. Remember, it's just a one year deal, so they can DFA him and go a different route if he struggles. If it works out, great, Cashman will look like a genius, again.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer



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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 4

More names and more rumors and no one knows for sure what will happen, but the trade deadline is approaching, so maybe, just maybe there's something to these rumors. Take a look.Rich Harden: The Yankees scouted Harden, according to Ken Rosenthal, but the Red Sox are too. I like Harden although, is he better than AJ Burnett? Bartolo Colon? Freddy Garcia? Look, if we were to get this guy from the Athletics, to me, he's a 3rd starter. There is nothing overly outstanding about Rich Harden, he will however help the rotation without a doubt. This year Harden is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 5 games. Read about Rosenthal's story HERE.Kyle Farnsworth: That's right, I said it, yes, he's available, but do we really want to go there again? While we're at it, why don't we talk about bringing Pavano back, right? This post wasn't to scare you, it was just to tell you Farnsworth is on the trading block and this nugget comes from Buster Olney. I strongly doubt the Yankees will bring Farnsworth back. The bullpen will be too small for the ego's of Soriano and Farnsworth. Don't worry, it's not happening. Read about it HERE.
Craig Breslow: Breslow is in the Athletics bullpen and the A's are willing to not only part with Breslow, but also Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour, for the right price of course. Breslow's a lefty and that's a positive. He's 0-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 45 games. He has 31 strikeouts and 13 walks. I'd pull the trigger on this one. Boone Logan has lost it and a lefty specialist would be nice right about now. Read about it HERE.Sean Burnett: Ken Rosenthal has it again, suggesting the Yankees are talking about Sean Burnett but the Nationals have not engaged in talks as of yet. Who knows, I know this, Burnett's ERA is not nice to look at and it worries me a bit. If I need to choose at this moment between Burnett and Breslow, I'm going Breslow hands down. Burnett this season is 5.59 ERA in just 29 innings.Yes, he could improve, but we don't need adjustments in August, you know what I mean? Read about it HERE.

Keep it at Bleeding Yankee Blue all weekend for opinion and news on trade rumors and your favorite team, the New York Yankees.

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WHY MATSUI MADE THIS YANKEE LOSS STING

(Photo: New York Times)
I really wanted this win. I wanted it so the Yankees could be up 2 to zip in this series and I wanted it for AJ Burnett. Burnett needed a confidence builder and the Yankee fans needed confidence in AJ and our sometimes wobbly rotation. Today, AJ wasn't awesome, he was just OK, and that wasn't good enough. And to make this loss sting the most, Hideki Matsui's home run off of Boone Logan to make it 4-2 in the game was the difference. Yes, Matsui burned us because even though we scored that 3rd run in the 9th, Godzilla came back to the Bronx to continue "the homer show" and as nice as it was to see Matsui get a standing ovation at Yankees Stadium, Matsui put the game out of reach for the Yankees and there is no excuse for allowing that homer to happen. None.(Photo: AP)
AJ Burnett went 5.2 innings, allowed 6 hits and 3 runs. Again, that 4th and lethal run was allowed by Boone "I can't do my job" Logan giving up that homer. That was the difference. If Joe Girardi stopped looking at his binder and started to use his gut and realize that his lefty specialist isn't so special, maybe he'd throw someone else in the mix in that situation. Surely you know that Matsui hits lefties very good Joe, don't you? What's wrong, that's not in your book?
Rich Harden pitched 5.1 innings for the A's and kept the Yankees at 2. Russell Martin was able to knock an RBI single off him in the second. Derek Jeter walked once and had 3 hits today and Nick Swisher cranked out a solo shot. It was later on that Mark Teixeira had a sacrifice fly to score the third and final run of the game for the Yanks. We just fell short.

Final Score: Athletics 4 - Yankees 3.

Tomorrow, Gio Gonzalez will face Bartolo Colon. 2 things have to happen; the Yankees need to hit and score runs and Colon needs to redeem himself and prove to the Yankees not to fear when Big Bart's on the mound. Hopefully tomorrow he's back to his dominant self and all in Yankeeland will be great once again. Damn I hope so.

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