THE NEWEST MANAGERIAL CANDIDATE IS SURPRISING...

I didn't see this one coming.

This new possible manager candidate comes out of left field.....literally, he used to play left field. Now the Yankees are tied with Jerry Hairston Jr as the newest possible skipper on a seemingly growing list. This list should be called the "Everyone but Joe Girardi" list since it's growing by the day. I don't think anyone even thought about this name...

It has been widely reported that the Yankees new manager will be someone that Brian Cashman has a relationship with already. If that really is the plan Hairston Jr doesn't even cross my mind as a possibility just due to the limited tenure he had as a Yankee. Back in 2009 he helped the Yankees get their World Series ring BUT.....he only played 45 games. Since his days as a Yankee he played on four different teams before retiring as a Dodger and has since been an analyst as SportsNet LA as a pregame analyst.

Photo: New York Daily News

I don't see the big connection there with Cashman, at least not compared to other candidates for the job that have long Yankee ties like Rob Thomson, Tony Pena and especially Joe Espada. If Cashman does prefer to have a manager that he has a relationship with already then Espada sounds like a more obvious choice. He has worked with Cashman in the front office, knows all of the young kids the Yankees have and he is an analytical guy that can help the Yankees in the coming years.

Photo: New York Daily News

Hairston is a third generation major league baseball player so he certainly has baseball in his blood. His grandfather Sam Hairston, father Jerry Hairston Sr., uncle Johnny and brother Scott Hairston were also all major league players along with several other family members who played in the minor leagues. Hairston's experience in both the infield and the outfield could give him an advantage if he does want to transition from commentary to managing since he has a lot of knowledge. His experience could help the Yankees in their youth movement but his lack of managerial experience though could also be a disadvantage considering how deep of a talent pool the Yankees have to choose from.

I guess since I have no personal favorite to fill Girardi's shoes at this point I just don't see anyone as the perfect fit. Maybe I am still in shock over it. I'm no expert, and maybe I am not giving Hairston Jr enough credit. Maybe his younger mindset could give the Yankees new life. It looks like we are behind the times here because I found an old ESPN article HERE from 2013 and he was considered an intriguing name for a managerial role years ago.

Maybe I am just wrong....or not willing to accept any name at this point. Who knows where the Yankees search will lead them as they look for their new skipper. Could it be Hairston Jr? I guess anything is possible at this point.

Stay tuned.




--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

#BYB Merchandise

MY YANKEES: AIMING TO WIN IN 2014

It’s about the kids and saving money. That's what the Yankees are now. They have made their statement. They have ignored requests from fans for player after player because this isn't about the fan, is it? No. This is about the Yankees.  It's always been about the Yankees. Stupid me for thinking otherwise.  We are the zombies who follow our team through fire and chaos no matter what. So us bitching now about all the reasons why we need top pitching, or a top catcher or a right handed outfielder (Cashman's words not mine) are just ignored. Why? Because we're zombies, and we'll be back Opening day no matter what guys the New York Yankees put on the field. And guess what, Yankee brass knows this.

Hey, this is actually a positive post.  I'm not kidding.  Yup, through the sarcasm there's an underlying message. The Yankees aren't looking to win in 2013. We're looking to win in 2014 and beyond. That's the goal. We’re now the future. But they'll never tell us that because that would show weakness.  And so, statements like "we ain't done yet" will come out over and over until we are blinded by the love of our Yankees in spring training. We'll forget, we always do. And this will then give the Yankee ownership more time and they’ll move a bit closer in time to 2014. WE'RE ZOMBIES!

Now, if our club DOES win it all with the talent we have in 2013, that’s great. It is possible after all. But just so you know,  It's my gut feeling that the goal right now is to develop young talent and save a couple bucks. And, if you got Brian Cashman into a corner at a party and fed him a scotch or two, I would bet he'd whisper that to you as well.

(In Photo: Dante Bichette Jr.)
Now, everybody knows I am the first person to tell you that I see great things in guys like Ty Hensley and Cito Culver and Dante Bitchette Jr and Tyler Austin and Mark Montgomery too.  In many regards, we need to be thankful these guys aren't trading chips.  But some also want the “pro ready” guy NOW, like a Giancarlo Stanton, or a Justin Upton, or Jason Kubel or ANYONE who can handle being a New York Yankee and represent. Why? Because we're used to it, that's why.

Look, There were multiple opportunities to pick up a big guy in a trade, but we never engaged anyone.  Even Scott Hairston got away, not that I expected him to come to the Yankees, but geez Yanks, at least lie to me.  Show me you are at least thinking about the fans.  I'd much rather hear Cashman say they made a great offer and "he didn't bite" rather than, "we didn't make ANY offer."  That is the Yankee ownership not doing their job. That's pathetic

(In Photo: Slade Heathcott)

I love Yankees youth.  Mix it in with veteran ballplayers and that produces a winning ball club.  Veterans become teachers. Youth provide energy and with that, there is talent, chemistry and wins. But if the Yankees keep touting our “great young” talent and we never see them, how frustrating is that?  At the same time, we’ve done nothing in the off season.  How frustrating is that?  Dare I say, if there was one athlete that fit the exact description of why Brian Cashman let Raul Ibanez walk,  it was Michael Morse.

Or hey,  look at Justin Upton. I would rather the Yankees step forward and say to all us Yankee fans “We have failed you” rather than (HERE) “I’m surprised to hear that there’s anger, if you see what we’ve done this off season...we’ve signed three or four of the top free agents on the market. We’re going to continue to field a championship-caliber team. I’m a little surprised to hear that.” Sorry Hal, you’re not your dad… and you’re not fooling anyone. Or, maybe he is… we’re zombies remember? We’ll forget as soon as pitchers and catchers begins because we’ll be in awe… our boys will be back!

Let me be clear.  I love my New York Yankees.  I also have amazing faith in a “hands tied” Brian Cashman, but for the love of God, there needs to be a very, very important reason why Yankee fans are being blantantly ignored and I rack my brain trying to figure it out all the time.  “We ain’t done yet” is repeated, over and over and then I crack open the New York Post and Justin Upton is traded… without so much as a flinch from Yankee brass.  Why?  What’s the reason the Yankees didn’t get Michael Morse?  Sure, there was no announcement from the Yanks that that was in the cards, but Jack Curry is great for 1 reason, he finds the nuggets and when he brought us THIS nugget below, we all knew why the Yankees were being patient, Michael Morse was about to be ours…  Then… in a flash…nothing.

So we settle and subliminally we’ll settle for 2014. Hey, that’s the goal I guess.  We wait for kids like Manny Banuelos and Jose Campos to lead the charge on the mound.  We cross our fingers Derek Jeter stays around and Mariano perhaps hangs on 1 more year.  We wait and hear about how “ready” Slade Heathcott is and how Brett Gardner will be in the best shape of his life and we do what we did in 2008 when we billed Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy as the future rotation on the Yankees, only to have it blow up in our face. 

OR… we do the right thing, the thing I've been screaming about for months. We gather a few stable veterans in trades now… sprinkle them in with Derek Jeter and David Robertson and Ichiro Suzuki and bring up some of the kids and we win in 2013.  Hey… that’s my goal.  It’s always been my goal.  We win today and you know what? We win in 2014 too!  Building to win in 2014 or 2015 is something other teams do… not the Yankees. We've always won now, but we’re doing something different now ladies and gentlemen, whether you want to believe it or not.  I can’t explain it, I can’t understand it and I can’t stand it… but we are.

That’s my take anyway.

NICE JOHNSON...

Sweeny Murti says HERE that the Yankees have signed Dan Johnson to a minor league deal and an invitation to Spring Training.  Johnson played for the White Sox last season and had a .364 average in 22 at bats.  This move shouldn't surprise anyone Yankee fans.  We knew this was coming.  The days of big spending are over. I will say this, for a spare part like Johnson, I like him but he ain't no superstar. Cashman is clearly looking for lightening in a bottle. Plus, if he makes it and hits a home run, a really want to hear John Sterling scream... Nice Johnson!

We also saw Justin Upton just get traded to the Braves today.  We wrote about that right before the deal happen last night  in CURRENT UPTON RUMORS LEAVE THE YANKEES ALL WET. Bottom line, the world knew Upton would not come to the Yankees and the Yankees missed the boat, on purpose of not will be determined later... but the Yanks, I believe never wanted Upton, even though Yankee fans did.

Finally, and this went on entirely too long...Scott Hairston finally decided that he didn't want to go to the Mets or the Yankees because neither team wanted to give him 2 years.  So... he walked and signed a 2 year deal with the Cubs.  Read HERE.

Again, this shouldn't surprise anyone... Yankeeland is in a tizzy and nothing is being done to change it. Nothing.

 

SCOTT HAIRSTON WILL DECIDE WITHIN "A MATTER OF DAYS"

Well, for his sake, I hope he wants to come to the Yankees...and I wonder if the Yankees actually made any type of offer to him.  We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue believe Scott Hairston would be a good fit with the Yankees.  We wrote a piece about him in something titled WHAT ARE THE BACKUP PLANS AFTER SCOTT HAIRSTON?

Right now, according to Wally Matthews of ESPN, Scott Hairston is having ongoing talks with the Mets and the Yanks. Matthews writes: "According to Casey Close, Hairston's agent, talks are continuing with both teams and Hairston expects to make a decision about where he will play in 2013 in 'a matter of days.'" You can read the rest of Matthews HERE.

Hairston hit 20 home runs in 377 at bats for the New York Mets last year.  He's 32, right handed and can play outfield as well as second base.  It would be a good pickup if the Yanks can snag him.

We'll keep you posted.

DIAZ "EXCITED" & HAIRSTON STILL ON RADAR

The Yankees have continued interest in Scott Hairston, yet, we have seen no movement.  Why I wonder? It reminds me alot about the Yankees "pursuing" Eric Chavez and then didn't and then "reaching out" to Raul Ibanez and then didn't.  Anyway, you can read about the Hairston report HERE from the New York Post.

As Kevin Kernan writes simply: "The Yankees still have an interest in signing another outfielder and remain interested in Scott Hairston."  This nugget was in a bigger Kernan piece where he talked about the Matt Diaz signing with the Yankees and how excited he is to play with the Yanks.  He Tweeted it:

Reading Diaz in his own words kind of makes me feel bad for not getting excited about the Yankees signing him in the first place.

Clearly the guy is looking forward to this opportunity and clearly that's what we want in our Yankee players.  It goes back to what I wrote about in WE DON'T NEED SUPERSTARS, WE WANT BELIEVERS,  "...Trust me, while we have good players already, we don't need additional superstars, we need solid players, we need believers to fill the holes... that's it..."  Diaz fits that mold.

If anything happens with Hairston, or anything else, we will bring it to you, right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

 

WHAT ARE THE BACKUP PLANS AFTER SCOTT HAIRSTON?

The Yankees’ off-season shopping list is nearly complete. After filling the various holes at starting pitcher, closer, and right field, the only holes that remain are at DH, catcher (that might solve itself), and a righty outfield bat. The Yankees could fill that DH hole by re-signing Raul Ibanez, though there are other solutions if they don’t. In terms of righty outfield bats, the one problem is that there aren’t many options after Scott Hairston. The Yankees do have an opportunity to not worry about that, as they could sign Hairston and move on with their off-season plans.

Scott Hairston would be a really nice sign by the Yankees (they've even expressed interest in him numerous times this off-season), though he doesn’t come without flaws. Over the last two years and 287 plate appearances, Hairston has hit .274/.314/.504 with 12 home runs against left handed pitching. The power is very nice, but a .314 on-base percentage is less-than-stellar, to put it nicely. However, that shouldn’t stop the Yankees from signing him. It is imperative that the Yankees sign a righty outfield bat that can hit lefty pitching since all three of the current outfielders are left handed.

Now, what if the Yankees don’t sign Hairston? Well, they would need to look at the possible trade options, as the free agent market for righty outfield bats is very, very weak (see the list HERE). The team has reportedly shown interest in Vernon Wells (read SHOULD VERNON WELLS GO TO THE YANKEES?) Quick analysis regarding Wells: Stay away. Over the last four years and 556 plate appearances, Wells has hit .232/.297/.404 against left handed pitching. The Yankees are looking for an outfielder that can hit left handed pitching, and Wells hasn’t been able to do that for a while now. Add in the fact that he has a terrible contract (The Angels would have to eat nearly all of the remaining $42 million owed to him the next two years) and doesn’t do anything moderately well nowadays, the Yankees should pass on Wells.

The Yankees could look into trading for former Yankee Alfonso Soriano. Like Wells, Soriano is due a lot of money the next two years – $36 million, to be exact—so the Cubs would have to eat a large portion of that deal. The Cubs, according to Jon Heyman (HERE), are reportedly willing to eat $26 million while also receiving the “right” prospect in return. Your guess is as good as mine as to what prospect they’d want in return for Soriano.

Anyway, Soriano, unlike Wells, has been a productive player over the last three years, hitting .255/.312/.489 in 1671 PA’s while batting .276/.346/.552 in 440 PA’s against lefty pitching in that span. Long story short, Soriano not only hits lefties well, his overall numbers are good enough for him to be starting. With Alex Rodriguez being out for the unforeseeable future, Soriano would be able to soak up the DH at-bats before Rodriguez returns. The problem, though, is that Soriano wouldn’t have a position once ARod comes back (Assuming Kevin Youkilis is healthy enough to play third base and ARod comes back to be the full-time DH.), so maybe that's a roadblock that may not get resolved.

We can look through all the free agent/trade candidates after Scott Hairston, but most, if not all, aren’t as good as fits as Hairston is. Though it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, it could be a problem if the Yankees don’t sign him. I have no idea how contract negotiations are going between the two sides, but I wouldn’t doubt the Yankees being sort of reluctant to sign him to a multi-year deal, as the team wants to have the most money freed up for 2014 as possible. We’ll see how this one plays out, but it’d be great if the Yanks could fill this need of a righty outfield bat by signing Hairston.

  


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

 

SHOULD VERNON WELLS GO TO THE YANKEES?

I'm a pretty level headed guy. When it comes to my Yankees, I get the way baseball works, how teams work and how the business of the game has become bigger than all of us.  I also hate hearing all about "who" the Yankees discussed or "should have signed" after the fact.  When I read it, emotions run through fast. I get annoyed at the publisher and aggravated that the Yankees didn't make the move. I know, it's silly, but that's just me.

I read that the Yankees spoke of Vernon Wells to the Angels at the Winter Meetings and the possibility of a trade, read HERE. Now it's gaining steam. It annoys me that we are finding out about it now and not then, but I guess that's the genius of Brian Cashman... he's stealth like Solid Snake sometimes.

The reality is, the Yankees have done really nothing this winter, so any "new" name is a name to get attached to. Right now, Vernon Wells is the flavor of the week... or weekend and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure how Wells fits into the Yankees "Puzzle of Cheapness."

I know the Angels just signed Josh Hamilton "big" in Los Angeles, so they were willing to unload an outfielder.  It was reported that Mark Trumbo or Kendrys Morales were the guys they were thinking of trading although the Angels insist Trumbo isn't going anywhere (read HERE) and to tell you the truth, they'd be smart to say that. But I have never believed in the "untouchable" player. Team change their minds all the time when they see something better dangling on the other side. Besides, the idea of Mark Trumbo in our outfield sounds great to me.

He's 26, he's a home run hitter and he would work out just fine in our outfield allowing a guy like Ichiro Suzuki a chance to still play every day and give the other guys in the outfield a rest throughout the season.  But I'll tell you, while I appreciate the way Vernon Wells plays the game, I don't really know if we need a less agile outfielder than Ichiro playing right field for the New York Yankees... plus, the guy's 34.

Didn't we sign enough old guys this season? Don't we still need to sign 40 year old Raul Ibanez too? My point is, I'm not sure a trade for Wells is the smartest idea we've ever had, you know what I mean?

Now look, I'm open minded. If Cashman can get creative and can figure out a good fit for the Yankees without giving away good young ball players, I am all in, but I have to tell you, I'm just not sure about Vernon Wells...not at this point in his career at least.

And while we're on the subject, what the hell ever happened to Scott Hairston? Wasn't he on the radar not too long ago? What do the Yankees do that get them sidetracked and not signing guys we believe can fit? That seemed to be the problem at the winter meetings... that, and lack of funds.

Vernon Wells, or any new names the Yanks are attached to in the offseason is exciting, but let's all calm down and really think about what fits our needs. That means let's think about money, age and talent... that's how we need to re-program right now... clearly the Yankees are.

 

SHOULD THE YANKEES EXTEND PHIL HUGHES' CONTRACT?

With the signing of Kevin Youkilis, the Yankees need to find a catcher, a right fielder, and a right handed outfielder who can come off the bench before they can call it an off-season. The catcher vacancy could solve itself, as I could see a Francisco Cervelli/Austin Romine competition in Spring Training. The right field problem could be resolved here pretty quickly as the Yanks are closing in on signing Ichiro (read ICHIRO DEAL WITH YANKEES “LIKELY” ). The Yankees could then sign Scott Hairston, who would be a great fit off the bench as a righty bat, to conclude the off-season. Anyway, this post doesn’t involve just 2013, it involves the years beyond it.

Fast forwarding to 2014; I see only one starting pitcher on the current roster who is guaranteed to be in the starting rotation, and that is CC Sabathia. I’d bet that both Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda are gone after 2013, as the former could retire, while the latter could go back to Japan and pitch one more season there. David Phelps and Ivan Nova, like it or not, are still question marks. 2013 will be a big year for both guys. Finally, we have no idea how Michael Pineda will do coming off his shoulder surgery. For all we know, he could comeback and never be the same or not even pitch in 2013 altogether. So, this brings us to Phil Hughes. He is a free agent after the 2013 season, and with all the potential holes in the 2014 rotation, should the Yankees try to extend his contract?

2012 was arguably Hughes’ best season as a starter (You can make a case for 2010), as he led the team in wins with 16 while posting a decent 4.23 ERA. On top of that, he had very solid strikeout (7.8 K/9) and walk (2.2 BB/9) rates while logging a career-high 32 starts and 191.1 innings. However, the home runs are a concern, as he allowed 32 of them, third most in all of baseball. Hughes has also never put together back-to-back seasons like this – mainly because of injuries and/or ineffectiveness – and he’s yet to really pitch a full season in which his overall results stand out to the point where everyone clamors for his contract to get extended, so you can say it would be a bit of a risk if the Yankees do end up extending his contract.

Now, if the Yankees take the risk in trying to extend his contract, what is a deal that could work? I was thinking something in the range of three years at around $12 million per year. Maybe add an extra year and a few more bucks, but you get the idea. With this hypothetical extension, you’re covering years 2014-2016 and ages 28-30, so you’ll likely get peak seasons out of him at a reasonable salary. Of course there are two sides to contract negotiations, and Hughes can simply choose to wait this out until next year, but then it’ll be fair game for everyone to try and sign him.

If Phil does become a free agent, I can totally see him ending up in Southern California as an Angel or a Padre. Hell, you can’t count out the Dodgers these days with free agents, so I suppose they’d be in the mix as well, though their rotation seems to be set for the next couple of years. Either way, he's from Southern California, those first two teams have needs in their respective rotations while those some teams sport fly ball-friendly ballparks, something Phil could benefit from. Anyway, with the question marks in the Yankee rotation come 2014, it would be nice if the team could solve one of those problems by taking a risk and re-signing Hughes while he’s still relatively cheap and theoretically has his best seasons ahead of him.
 


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

 

THE YANKS AIN'T GETTING NOTHING FOR CHRISTMAS

Shhh.  Don't tell anyone... The Yankees have a secret gift coming, right?  I mean, there are moves happening all around us. The Red Sox have already snatched up Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli, HERE. There were conflicting reports about whether or not the Detroit Tigers offered a 2 year offer to Scott Hairston, the same Scott Hairston the Yankees were claiming to be in the mix for, read HERE.

Joakim Soria seems to have sealed his 2 year deal, with a 3rd year option with the Texas Rangers...read HERE.  Even Eli Whiteside was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays, read HERE. Good, now someone else can write about Eli Whiteside. I had my fill HERE.

There has to be some type of surprise gift that the Yankees are about to get.. I know it. Right Santa Claus? Come On!  Brian Cashman can't actually seem this quiet and sluggish unless he's got something up his sleeve.  I mean, let's face it, even Santa's confused... Cashman's list is in pencil with plenty of cross outs and eraser smudges. Time seems to be running out just because it looks like after Day 1 of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, moves are happening quickly and teams are engaged..except for the Yankees. Instead, Cashman is trying to figure out if he can sign an infielder with next to no money, a few tokens from Chuck E. Cheese and some Box Tops.

The Yankees are really sticking to that Luxury Tax stuff huh?  It's killing me. I'm a child of the Steinbrenner Era, I like movement...yet... Nothing.

The Yankees needs seem complicated, but they aren't. I mean, from the outside looking in, there are easy fixes under that small budget we have been allotted. First off, there hasn't been a single word from the Yanks on Raul Ibanez and Ichiro Suzuki lately. Why? You want to lock up right field and get a DH at a cheap price? You can do it for about $7 million between the 2 of them. How about a steady infielder or bench player...part-time 3rd baseman? Jeff Keppinger is available, all the Yankees need to do is call. Eric Chavez is playing in 2013, that's been established. I'm not sure why next year would be any different than this year with Chavez... he's 34...sign him.

Now look, the catching situation is no easy task, but the reality is, we have Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine but Lord knows Brian Cashman wants to upgrade the backstop. And yes, right field is definitely a concern for him, I get feel it. I know he wants a right fielder with power, not Ichiro, because if he truly wanted Ichiro, he would have signed him already. So what will happen? Watch... Ichiro will slip from our grasp and Cashman will be behind the 8 ball again. Let's hope that's not the case. I like Ichiro in pinstripes.

Look, I am praying for a gift this December. Something the Yankees can be proud of, but based on the way things are going, I need to tell you, it don't look good...

And it's a damn shame too because we've been good all year, haven't we?