YANKEE INJURY & THE BASEBALL FACTORY

With CC Sabathia on the shelf, the question has arrived by several Yankee fans as to what happens next.

Sadly, injuries happen in sports and happen in baseball as well. As players get older, there are aches and pains and we have seen it happen to some of the greatest athletes alive.  The latest Yankee casualty is CC Sabathia.  Sure, the Yankees think he’ll be ready in July, but I’m pessimistic. I never believe the Yankees. That doesn’t mean I hate them or anything. All it means is that I know how they operate.  They don’t want to cause panic, they want to assure the fan base that all will be fine.  The words  are chosen wisely when they speak to the media, and when the player is ready, or not, we will all know. But for now, the Yankees are buying time with CC and when they break it to the base, we’ll either throw our arms up as if the say, “Dammit CC”, like he did it on purpose or something. Or, we just grin and take it for what it is… an injury.

In the mean time, the Yankees need a replacement. I was thinking about all the Cliff Lee chatter that happened yesterday. There was an article claiming that Cliff Lee will be the Yankees big target at the deadline, read the Boston Globe HERE, Nick Cafardo saying:

"Owner Hal Steinbrenner said last week that the Yankees could buy pitching before the trade deadline, given they’ve already lost three starters to injuries. Michael Pineda (lat) and CC Sabathia (knee) are expected back, but for the Yankees to compete over the long haul they must add a significant arm.

Baseball executives think they’ll have their eyes on Cliff Lee if the Phillies fall out of the race. Of course, that’s a big if.

The Yankees would have plenty of competition for Lee."

What does it mean? Not much. I mean Cafardo throws a ton of names out there every week, rarely do any of his insinuations or predictions come to life, but the reality is, the Yankees need an arm, he's right about that and there is no question need to make a move for a big gun.

But the Lee talk... I mean, we’ve done this already, haven’t we? We do this every season around this time. But this time, it could be the real thing.  What would happen logically is, if the Yankees can get a “big gun”, then the blow of "No Sabathia" isn’t as bad.  CC then disappears until next Spring and comes back in 2015 fully healthy.  Without a “big gun”, Yankee fans get angry and keep asking “What now?”

It’s funny, I received quite a few of those questions yesterday.  I simply say this to you all; I am flattered you are asking me for inside baseball, but I am giving you my opinion, and that’s all I can do… CC will most likely be back by the end of the season, or not at all this year.  I also am 80% positive we will have a new pitcher soon, be it now or by the All-Star break.  Truth be told, we can’t wait, we need to act. But this is the baseball factory we know and love, and it appears that every time the Yankees get on some type of roll, the pitching seems to vanish.

(In Photo: Tim Redding)
We saw it many years ago when they thought they would strike lightening in a bottle with the likes of Darrell May and Tim Redding. That proved to be a disaster.

We tried Sidney Ponson, not once, but twice and that wasn't very good.  We checked out Brian Gordon, who then went to Korea, but is now back in our minor league system.  We even brought back Chien-Ming Wang for a minute last year, only to not use him and he eventually left.

Oh, and remember Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon? That was a fun year, but even they eventually ran out of gas.  It's the baseball factory, and it's all about pitching and if you're hot, you're in. If you're not, you're out, and sometimes, if you're just "there" you're in. But there is no question this year, the Yankees can't take chances on budget basement pitchers, they need to go big to secure a playoff spot.  After last season, not making it to the playoffs, they spent big, even though they probably shouldn't have.  But the did it, because the fan base was restless.  Plus, we're the  New York Yankees... we aren't supposed to ever miss the playoffs.

Look, the Yankees are down. We lost CC, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda. That means we have Masahiro Tanaka, David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, Hiroki Kuroda and Chase Whitley. I mean... really?  It ain't happening... the Yankees will sign someone big... they have to.

In the end, we will be fine, but it's getting there, it's the uncertainty that I hate.  We need stability in the pitching department and I believe we're going to trade for a big gun.

Lord knows we need to... but who will it be? Stay tuned...

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REFLECTING ON THE YANKEES FIRST HALF

I have been a Yankee fan a long time. Time and time again I remember something happening with our starting pitching right around the All-Star break and suddenly, in an emergency situation, the Yankees were bringing in guys to fill the holes and hopefully find lightening in a bottle.  Brian Gordan was a perfect example of that last season.  He didn’t pan out, and went to Korea (Read HERE) to continue his baseball career, but he came and tried to win here for the time we had him.

Before that, we had Sidney Ponson…twice and there was even that moment that Tim Redding and Darrell May came to the Yankees in the same day…. That didn’t pan out either, yet, we fought  the good fight and we finally won it all in 2009.  Now, with Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia out, there have been plenty wondering what the Yankees are going to do, yet again.  

Let me start by saying that guys like Ivan Nova, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes have stepped up big time.  Sure, Hughes wasn’t amazing in his last start by any means, but there’s no denying that the 3 of them knew they needed to come up big and have.  Freddy Garcia was handed the ball in CC’s absence and tamed the Red Sox pretty damn great last Saturday afternoon too…and it’s all part of it.  The goal is to win, and if Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman can work with the parts we have and make it work, they will. If not, believe me, they will not just leave the team and the fans high and dry, they will go out and get help.  Sure Adam Warren wasn’t ready and he’ll go back down and get more work, but I actually believe that Warren was being showed off.  I believe that Warren's debut was Cashman preparing for the Trade Deadline.  I really do.
Guys like Adam Warren or Dellin Betances, maybe even some guys currently on our roster that help out in a lesser role, may be on their way out, because if there is 1 thing I do know, the Yankee brass wants stability.  No, we’re not the "knee jerk" reaction team we used to be, George is gone, but we do think things through and make the right moves. 

Look, I believe that the New York Yankees are on their way to another championship.  When guys like Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez can step up the way they have from the bench, and guys like Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher are starting to get into a groove at the right time, that’s a sign of good things to come. Couple that with Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano and leadership plays a major role.  Just watching Jeet in a post game talking about a loss or a win, it’s comforting.  The guy leads this team by example, he’s truly incredible in everything he does.

There is 1 black eye, although, while his production is not his true self, he has contributed on a smaller scale of sorts…that’s Alex Rodriguez.  Alex is a lightening rod.  If he strikes out, he’s terrible.  If he homers, he’s a God again.  We need to face facts.  Alex is no longer a Super hero, he’s a regular ballplayer.  If we can get 20 homers from him with a .295 AVG, that may be the best we’re going to get.  Now I’m not giving up on him yet, but Kevin Long needs to get in the cage with him, speed up his swing, and convince him that he can still do it.  Because if you look at Alex, while he’s happy these days, he knows things are changing.  Do I think the Yankees will try and trade him off? Never. I think Alex is here to stay unless he doesn’t produce anymore, but something needs to change…he’s got to get that confidence back. He looks like a zombie some days and you know deep down it's eating at him.

Can the Yankees win it all? Yes. Will they get the extra parts they need to rally in the second half? Yes, but let’s face it, if Cashman can continue to move guys around from within, I see no reason why we can’t do it again…I mean, say what you will, but Cashman does know best…we’re just outsiders.

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WHY HOPE MOVES FROM PINEDA TO CAMPOS

Now  that Michael Pineda is on a shelf until May 2013, read HERE, all eyes will now be on Jose Campos, the “other guy” the Yankees got in the trade that sent Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners.  Some had suggested when the Pineda/Montero trade went down, Campos was the best nugget of the whole bunch.   

It’s way to early to suggest that in my opinion, but damn can that kid pitch. In the minor leagues this season, Campos looks like this in Charleston:

3-0 / 1.23 ERA / 22.0 IP / 3 ER / 23 K / 5 BB

We’ve written about Campos quite a bit here, just so our BYB readers can keep track of this kid, because, he could be something special. If you get a chance, read WHY WE CAN'T FORGET CAMPOS & NOESI , WHY JOSE CAMPOS IS OFF TO A HOT START and WHY JOSE CAMPOS' HOT STREAK CONTINUES. If anything, it will give you a glimpse of what this kid could offer. 

Personally, I don’t see Campos coming up to the major leagues tomorrow, but remember what I suggested about Michael Pineda.  Brian Cashman sees the future, in fact, that was something that Girardi mentioned the other night and it rings true. Pineda wasn’t only for 2012…sure, if he was healthy and able to have a successful 2012, that would be a bonus. But Pineda and Campos and guys like Ivan Nova and Manny Banuelos…they guys are long term investments.  This group over time will be our rotation in 2013, 2014 and beyond.  Sure, the Yankees and Yankee fans are all about the “Now”, and this "future" stuff is new to us, but I see what the Yankees are doing, they’re trying to get the payroll down, groom these young guys and have a future of young rotation studs, led by CC Sabathia, the veteran of course.

Now, I will tell you, that doesn’t help the “right now” though.  Let’s face it, both Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia are stinking up the joint, so this is a problem, not because they’re good, but because they're terrible and the Yankees just don’t know who to drop from the rotation when someone like Andy Pettitte is ready.   

Plus, in the meantime they just have to deal with what they got and hope the offense can carry them on days when Hughes and Garcia are pitching.  If they were both great,  it would almost seem like an easier choice of elimination.  Look, right now the Yankees are in a position where they need to win.  That means they need to win with the pitching they have. If they don’t, they will in fact need to go out and find a veteran pitcher to help them get to the finish line this season, no doubt about it.  At the same time, they’ll want to keep their payroll down.  The solution, finding a veteran with 1 or maybe 2 years left on a contract this season.  No easy task, but do-able.  If they can’t find that, we need to push through with what we have and look toward the future.

I’m positive the Yankees will succeed this season, but it won’t be easy.  I feel like every year around June the other shoe drops and whatever rotation we had changes to temporary starters to just get them to limp to the All-Star break.  I remember the Sidney Ponson’s, the Tim Redding's and Darrell May’s of the world. I remember Brian Gordon last year.  Just once I’d like to be rolling in a routine, a rhythm and not have to worry about who’s going to pitch next.

Yes, Campos is the key to this Pineda trade…if he has a successful season in Charleston, Cashman will feel like a king, but only if the Yankees can piece together a solid rotation without Pineda this year...stay tuned.

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WHY THE YANKEE ROTATION PUZZLE WILL BE SOLVED

Yeah... BYB are a bunch of geniuses.  Jeana Bellezza wrote WHY YANKEE ROTATION QUESTION MARKS WILL SURFACE AGAIN. We wrote it as soon as that Yankee rotation was set.  No, we're not on the inside, we're Yankee fans, but truth be told, anyone could see this stuff lingering in the beginning of April. Yes, the Yankees came off an epic win yesterday, but tough questions are coming and it starts with Freddy Garcia.  There is no doubt about it,  Freddy Garcia as a New York Yankee is not in the cards for 2012.  Yesterday opened my eyes about The Chief...It's over.

In 2011, Freddy Garcia was the man, stepping up when we needed him too and delivering...all the time.  In 2012, he's the starter you just can't trust to get the job done.  Yesterday Freddy went 1.2 innings, allowed 7 hits and 5 runs. That's not only bad, it's Tim Redding bad.   Anthony McCarron brought this nugget up in his New York Daily News piece writing (HERE): "Garcia (0-1, 9.75 ERA) got a no-decision, but his outing was the shortest by a Yankee starter at Fenway since the immortal Tim Redding went one inning on July 15, 2005."  I love those types of nuggets, and it makes you think.

And so Freddy has forced the Yankees hand now, they clearly need starters to replace guys like Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia if their roads as starters continue this badly.  Luckily we know Andy Pettitte is making tremendous progress and all of Yankeeland is waiting and watching and thinking about Andy on the mound again... possibly by May.  Look, this isn't going to happen tomorrow. The Yankees are still going to need to get through the last month of April, but make no mistake, Garcia and Hughes are on notice.

Andy Pettitte in his last start in the minors looked sharp. In 5 innings, he allowed only 2 runs on Friday which makes his next start a promotion to Trenton where he will play with the Thunder, read HERE.  In that last start he threw 66 pitches and 58 of them were strikes. The goal is to get his pitch count up to between 80 to 100 pitches.  That would suggest 3 more starts and then, if all goes well, he'll be in the Bigs again.  I can't wait.

Poor Michael Pineda took a step back in his extended spring training.  We reported it first on BYB yesterday in NOT SO FAST MICHAEL PINEDA. It turns out that Pineda experienced pain in his shoulder and they shut him down after just 15 pitches.  You really have to feel for this kid.  According to Marc Carig, the Yankees were stunned when they found out about his lingering pain.  Read Carig HERE. He goes on to say: "Even under the best of circumstances, the setback will likely sideline Pineda until at least June. The worst case scenario is that follow-up exams reveal damage that was missed in the first round of tests. After an examination in Tampa Saturday, Pineda is headed to New York, where he is scheduled to visit with team doctor Christopher Ahmad Monday. He will also undergo a dye-contrast MRI exam."

So, if you thought alittle pain in the shoulder didn't matter... think again.  Not only is it devastating to Yankeeland who gave up Jesus Montero, it's a very serious situation for 23 year old Michael Pineda who was handed an opportunity of a lifetime and all he did was "try" to get a rotation spot... and the whole thing fell apart.  Again, you have to feel for this kid, no one deserves this, I wish Pineda well.

In the meantime, the Yankees must continue to power through it. They can and they will and they're already piecing it all together.  Is it something we as fans should worry about? No.  The Yankees have taken the balls away from the Red Sox and have humiliated Bobby Valentine.  That alone will give them enough momentum to move them through the next week of April...then, they'll re-evaluate Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia and see what type of progress Andy Pettitte has made.  I'm sure they'll also see if someone like David Phelps could help out in a spot start if needed.  Believe me, the wheels are in motion...  the Yankees have a plan...we'll just have to sit back and let it all happen.

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WHY NOT GO AFTER A TOP FREE AGENT IF WE'RE THE YANKEES?

Several days ago, Mark Feinsand (HERE) had a piece that highlights the Yankees meeting with Joel Pineiro’s agent and the whole time I’m reading it thinking about last winter when the Yanks thought it was 1995 and Bartolo Colon was available. Except, it was 2011 instead. Yes, we dodged an absolute collapse and Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia did pretty good for us, but I don’t want to do that again.

We are the mighty Yankees and we should be looking at quality pitchers and any time the Yankees are lumped into talks with the Mets for 1 pitcher, like Joel Pineiro, you know we don’t belong there. The Mets are broke. The Mets need pitchers that can get through some starts but at the same time, don’t cost a ton of dough. The Yankees don’t usually do this. This is a new world for me and many of you and I just don’t want to be caught up in a scotch-taped rotation again in 2012.

(In Photo: Tim Redding)

I don't need Brian Gordon joining us to get us through a start in the middle of the summer, or better yet, Tim Redding...remember him?

If we were to sign someone like Joel Pinerio and he shits the bed, it's the same thing as Colon breaking down in September for us, we just don't need it. The Colon-Garcia Saga happened once, and it was brilliant, but that was last year, it can't be this year.

I know, the market is light this year, but if you’re going to go that route, signing Garcia was fine for a back end rotation guy, now we need a top pitcher to sandwich in between CC Monster and AJ Burnett. Joel Pineiro is not that pitcher. You know what I mean?

Now, people are going to read this and say “Casey, don’t panic. You don’t know what your talking about, the Yankees are merely looking at Pineiro, no offer has been made.” I’m here to tell you I know that, but I also want to bring it to you straight, that's why you read us. Do I see Cashman signing Joel Pineiro now? No, but if things start moving, there is no doubt, he could...I just don't want to fall into that web again...I like certainty.

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