Yeah, ask him if he knows any good lefties for the Yanks' bullpen while you're at it!

For those of you have didn't get the reference in the title, its a quote from Entourage, one of the best shows in T.V. right now. I bring it up because, obviously, lefties has been something that has been lacking in the Yankees' bullpen for awhile now. At the start of the season, we had zero left handed relievers, and Pettite was the only lefty on the whole staff. Having these lefties is important, especially with the short porch out in right (hey, kind of like my blog title!).

As the 2008 season comes to a close, another area that the Yanks need to look at (albeit not as much) is the bullpen. This was a pleasant surprise for the 2008 Yanks, since the bullpen turned out to be a strength for us, something it has not been for years. With the mid-season acquisition of Damaso Marte and the eventual call-up of Phil Coke, we finally have a couple lefties for our 'pen.

Phil Coke is easy. He's young, cheap, left handed, and was surprisingly effective at the major league level. Coke pitched 14.2 innings in 12 games since his call-up, and has surrendered only one earned run and collected 14 strikeouts against only two walks, good for a 0.61 ERA. Very, very impressive numbers to say the least. Obviously, Coke will be given every opportunity to make the 25-man roster out of spring training. Hopefully he can repeat his performance, which I believe he will to an extent. Coke was drafted as kind of a long shot prospect, as we didn't take him until the 26th round back in 2002. However, since 2006 he has been putting up impressive numbers. Spanning from A Charleston all the way to the majors since 2006, Coke has an average ERA of 2.92 with 320 strikeouts in 363.1 innings. The only issue really, is to keep him in the bullpen, or move him back to a starter, which is what he was in the minors.

I think we can keep Coke in the bullpen. He's already had success there on the major league level, seems to have the right kind of mentality for a relief pitcher, and, quite frankly, we have enough starting pitching depth to allow that, especially if we sign a starter in the next couple of months.

Now Damaso Marte has been a bit more controversial. My two cents: pick up his option. The guy is 33 years old and has a career ERA of 3.29, which spans across eight years of MLB servie time. You know what that tells me? It tells me that Marte is a good pitcher who struggles early in his Yankee career. What most people don't know, however, is that Marte was allowed to throw 42 pithes in the span of a single game on August 4th! You just can't let a single-inning pitcher like Marte do that. Marte later admitted that he was pitching through pain for awhile afterwards. Marte was then shut down for a week or so. Since then, Marte has posted a 3.55 ERA in 12.2 innings with 15 strikeouts. In 9 appearanes in the month of September, Marte pitched 6.2 innings, giving up only 1 earned run (1.35 ERA) and logged 7 strikeouts.

His option is for $6 million. Let's be honest...that is pocket change for the Yankees. Despite Marte's early struggles, I will give him the benefit of the doubt because of his alleged forearm tightness. The Yankees are not going to get a lefty reliever better than Marte, especially one that is willing to give up the 9th inning. We would be foolish not to pick up that option. If Marte can pitch to his career 3.29 ERA all of next season (assuming he is utilized properly), our bullpen could be one of the toughest in the league.

About a 'Buck-Eighty Short`

The 2007 New York Yankees scored a grand total of 968 runs throughout the course of the regular season. With only two games to go, the 2008 Yanks have scored only 780. Being generous and assuming they score ten runs in the next two games, that puts the 2008 club at roughly 178 runs less then the 2007 club. Now, I know we have had a ton of injuries this year, but we need to find away to support what is shaping up to be a solid bullpen and a potentially good rotation.

Below this post, I advocated the Yankees letting Abreu walk. The decision is easy...offer him arbitration. If he accepts, we get Abreu back on a one year deal. If he declines, we get a first round draft pick as well as a supplemental pick (the potential equivalent of a Phil Hughes AND a Joba Chamberlain, respectively) . With the outfield logjam lessened, assuming Abreu walks (I will assume he wouldn't accept arbitration), our outfield looks like:

RF: Nady
CF: Gardner/Baldelli
LF: Damon/Matsui/Baldelli

DH: Matsui/Baldelli

That leaves some payroll flexibility, as well as a lineup spot for....Mark Teixeira. Yes, I know he is a Boras client, and he will require a monster deal. However, I think that the amount of years is not a huge deal. Tex is 28, will be 29 next season, and is in his prime. If we give him, say, six years, his contract would expire before he turns 35. And, let's be perfectly honest, first base is the easiest position for an aging slugger to play. When Tex is 33-35, I'm sure his defense will still be satisfactory and he will still be able to hit. Worst case scenario, he becomes a DH in the last year or two of his contract. Even a seven year contract wouldn't be too bad.

Tex would give us gold glove caliber defense a first base and a solid power bat to hit in front of (or behind) Alex Rodriguez. I have recently come to this decision myself while I was thinking about the problem with the free agent pitching market. Sabathia, by all reports, likes the west coast and loves the NL. Sheets is injured again. Burnette looks like he might sign an extension rather than opt to test free agent. Derek Lowe is an option (career 3.72 ERA in the AL East). although he is already 35. If we cannot get a top flight starter, we MUST get a bat for our lineup. A rotation of Wang, Joba, Mussina, and two of Hughes/Aceves/Wright/Rasner/Kennedy/whoever else. Not the best rotation, but if this is the worst case scenario, then I'm not too concerned. That said, if the Yankees fail to land a top flight starter, we need some bats to fill Abreu's void and provide some run support for the rotation.

The case for Teixeira:
A .309/.412/.553 line.
33 homers and 120 RBIs.
Gold glove defense.This season, Tex is 8 for 14 with the bases loaded with 21 RBIs.

He is also hitting .314 with runners in scoring position this year, and .500 with runners on third.

2009 NYY Lineup:
LF: Damon
SS: Jeter
1B: Teixeira
3B: Rodriguez
DH: Matsui
C: Posada
RF: Nady
2B: Cano
CF: Gardner/Baldelli

The bench is fairly up in the air, but the acquisition of Tex gives us what we need: power, defense, and age on the right side of 30. Besides, I hear he might want to play closer to home (he's from Maryland). New York is a hell of a lot closer than LA.

The Veteran Question - El Come Dulce

Another popular topic of debate among Yankee fans this offseason will be the decision about our free agent veterans. Some of them are easy choices, such as Giambi and Pavano; most Yankee fans seem to be in agreement that their stay in pinstripes will come to a close. However, a few others keep this offseason from being that clear cut.

First, we have Bobby Abreu. The Yankee right fielder is currently tied with Jeter for most hits on the team (179), leads the team in doubles (39), and is ranked in the top 5 in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBI's, and runs scored. Abreu has a hell of an arm, consistantly making strong, accurate throws when a runner is foolish enough to test him. Unforunately, his strange fear of the wall out in right more or less washes out any defensive advantage. He will be 34 next year, and given his type A free agent status, will likely require at least a couple years (2-3) and an eight-digit salary.

Resigning Abreu is a good option. The free agent market for right fielders is rather bare, and Abreu leads the pack. He has shown time and time again that he hits in the clutch (exemplified by his 10th inning grand slam the other night), and a .296/.369/.474 batting line isn't too shabby; especially when he's at 20 homers and 99 RBI's too.

However, I am going to say "no" to Bobby Abreu. His time with the Yankees has been great; certainly an excellent acquisition by Brian Cashman. However, in light of the Yankees' lack of defense and athleticism, and the outfield logjam we will have, I think we can afford to let Abreu walk. Nady can play right field, Damon can play left, and as I have stated in earlier posts, I think a tandem of Rocco Baldelli and Bret Gardner can hold down the fort in center until AJax is ready for the bigs. On top of that, we get a first round draft pick if we offer Abreu arbitration, assuming he declines (and he almost certainly will). This is very important, because it means we can use our own first round pick to sign a top flight starter, and receive a first round pick back when Abreu signs elsewhere.

The only potential problem in this situation is Nady. He is currently sitting on a very respectable .303/.355/.506 line with 24 homers and 94 RBI's. Overall, an excellent season for Xavier Nady. However, his line is at .260/.310/.460 since joining the New York Yankees. These numbers don't worry me too much. The X-Man has shown his ability to knock in runs in big spots, and he is really just the kind of player we need more of. The Yanks need more infusion of young, athletic, hard-nosed kind of players that just play the game of baseball instead of lingering in the spot light. Another point to consider is that Nady switched leagues halfway through the year. All of a sudden, he's facing pitchers that he is unfamiliar with in arguably the toughest division in baseball. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and predict that he will be fine once he can adjust to the new pitchers he will be facing and the higher level of competition.

Its time for the Yankees to get younger. Just look at the Rays! Yankee fans need to ask themselves his question: Would you rather have Bobby Abreu and his contract, or would you rather have Nady in right and have a chance to draft the next Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain?

Stop-Gap Center

In my first post, I made a brief argument for signing Rocco Baldelli. I want to take a closer look at center field now, and evaluate all of our options. Center field is one of the most coveted positions in Yankee history, and who plays there has a profound effect on the dynamic in the outfield.

1. Play Damon in center. Damon has shown this season that he can in fact play center field on occasion, if you don't mind having the arm of a 12 year old girl in center field.

2. Play Melky in center. At this point, I think most Yankee fans have resigned themselves to accepting that Melky is really just the .240-.260 hitter that he has been for the past year and a half. Still, is more than capable of getting a pinch start in center as a fourth outfielder. He still has that cannon for an arm, and he was 19-57 (.333) in his stint at AAA.

3. Let Bret Gardner play center. This is one of our more legitimate options. Gardner may not be our long term center field solution, but he has shown in his limited time with the major league club that his defense saves runs and his speed on the base paths wins games. A guy with his speed can steal bases all season long, he can pinch run when he doesn't start, and he has plus range in the field. Gardner historically is slow to adapt to a new level of hitting, so I preach patience to you Yankee fans. Lets give the kid a legitimate shot. If our offense falters again n 2009, I'll have a hard time blaming Bret Gardner. If the 2009 lineup returns to form, Gardner should be able to hit at least as well as Melky (if not better), but has more tools that he does and adds another style of play to this team.

4. Sign Rocco Baldelli. Another great option. I think if we can get Baldelli for a 1 year deal (maybe with a team option) with incentives for amount of games played and whatnot, he could be a great pick up. Yes, he is often found on the disabled list, but he has a lot of talent, and would prove to be an excellent stop-gap in center for us. I think the best thing the Yanks can do is let Gardner and Baldelli fight it out in spring training. If they both do well, then have them split time in center. Baldelli could DH from time to time, or play a corner spot if need be. Of course in this scenario, Melky Cabrera is not on the 25 man roster. If Baldelli gets hurt and can't play center, then you have Gardner, Damon, and Cabrera to fill in.

5. Trade for Nate McLouth. McLouth, the coveted Pirates center fielder, is putting up a .280/.360/.510 line with 26 homers and 94 RBIs. Very respectable numbers, and I hear he plays a nice center field too. Still, After trading away their other two star outfielders (Bay and Nady), it would likely take a lot of acquire McLouth. I advise against this trade because trade talks would likely start with Cano or Hughes.

6. Trade for David DeJesus. DeJesus would likely not cost as much as McLouth. He is two years older (28) and plays a pretty poor center field from what I've read. Despite any defensive concerns, he has a .307/.365/.453 line for the Royals this year. I am wary of DeJesus for defensive reasons, so I would also not do this trade. Defense and general athletic ability has been something the Yankees has lacked, so I would prefer not to add to that. Still, he would be a nice pick up to try out in center if we could acquire him for not too much.

7. Trade for Matt Kemp. Kemp is the young star for the LA Dodgers, and would also likely require a good return. He has a very nice .289/.337/.455 line, and all indications are that he is also very capable in the field. Kemp is probably the most enticing trade option since he's only 24 years old. However, that also might make him the most expensive. I'm not sure what the price tag would be on Kemp, but I have heard rumors floating around about Hughes or Cano as the center piece for a package. If that's what we have to give up though, I would rather take my chances with internal options.

That's about all I can think of for now. The bottom line here is that we need someone to hold down the fort until Austin Jackson is ready. Jackson is really starting to shine as a center field prospect. His hitting has been solid for the past two seasons now, and he has shown some great ability on the field. In fact, AJax won the MVP for the Trenton Thunder's playoff series (Yanks AA team). In that series he hit a walk off home run in one game, and robbed not one, but two home runs from the opposing team. Lets all take a moment to knock on wood and hope he pans out the way he projects. Until then, the best option the Yankees have is to find serviceable stop-gaps until that time.

Robbie Cano, Don't Ya Know?

Robinson Cano has been a rather hot topic among Yankee fans this season. His 2008 performance is obviously not up to expectations, both in the field and at the plate. Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge Robbie Cano fan. I own only one authentic jersey, and I chose Robbie's number. So maybe I am a little biased, but that's the beauty of a blog, eh?

Without further ado: DO NOT TRADE ROBINSON CANO! I cannot stress this enough. We all know Cano's 2008 was disappointing, but let's take a step back and look at the facts. Robbie is a mere 25 years old already in his fourth season. In his first three seasons (05, 06, and 07), Cano hit .297/.320/.458, .342/.365/.525, and .306/.353/.488, respectively. For a guy in his early twenties playing through the rigors of New York, I'd say those numbers say one thing: Talent.

Cano has shown the potential to hit 25 homers a year and his defense (for the most part) is silky smooth. He has committed a few well-publicized errors, but by no means is he a "bad fielder". Do you know what Cano's biggest problem was this year? April. Robbie hit an abysmal .151 in April. Since May 1st, Cano is hitting .290, which isn't such a bad number. He started slumping again in September, made a few bonehead defensive plays, and got benched. I fully endorse Girardi's decision to bench Cano, and I hope he does it more often if it is necessary to whoever the player in question is. That said, since being benched, over the last week Cano has gone 7 for 20, and 6 of his last 9. Even when he's making outs, he is hitting the ball hard and flashing his power again. I fully believe this season is a fluke.

All that aside, it is simply not smart baseball to sell low on your star players. We sold low on Jose Tabata, who still got us a good return, but all this talk about Hughes and Cano being traded is nonsense. Cano can easily return to all-star caliber playing next season, and we'll feel like idiots for even discussing it. Trading Cano would also leave a big hole at second base that would not be easily filled. Orlando Hudson is the only good FA option for second base, and we have no options in our own system. Hudson is hitting to a .305 tune this year, which is plenty good. The problem is Hudson can have trouble staying healthy at times, while Cano plays in almost every game, every year, and Cano certainly has the potential to exceed a .305/.367/.450 line. Oh, and Hudson is 5 years older than Robbie, and he is a type A free agent, meaning we would have to sacrifice a draft pick to sign him. That doesn't exactly fit the mold of getting younger and more athletic.

The bottom line is, I regard trading Cano as a silly idea. The kid as immense talent, and has already shown in his first three seasons that his talent translates well to the majors. Maybe he just needs a little more tough love, or maybe this was just a fluke season. Either way, its far too early to give up on a guy like Cano.

Welcome to Short Porch Baseball

Hello Yankee fans. This is my first post on my second attempt to run a New York Yankees blog. A few things about me: I'm a junior at the University of Vermont, although I am originally from New Jersey. I've been a Yankee fan all of my life (obviously).

I'm going to dive right into things here...Center field!

I think 2008 has shown us that Melky Cabrera is not our long term center fielder. I also don't think anyone is expecting Damon to be the regular center fielder either, although I'm sure he can play it in a pinch. So what then? Trade for a a center fielder? The trade market is weak for centerfielders, as it is for catchers and shortstops. Why? Well, they are some of the toughest positions to play and players who play them well are at an absolute premium. Most of the good players are untouchable. The free agent market is also very bare this year. There is only one person that I can see on that list in pinstripes next year.

Rocco Baldelli has an ugly injury history, but he is healthy now, and if he can remain healthy, he is certainly an upgrade over Melky. It would require a rather low-risk committment from the Yanks, probably a 1 year deal, maybe with a club option with incentives, and not too much money. I say its worth it. Baldelli would prove to be a very serviceable stopgap in center field until either Austin Jackson is ready to take over or we find our permanent center fielder via trade or FA signing.

Thoughts? Would Baldelli be worth the investment, or would we be wasting our time? Is there another option you would prefer? Discuss, and more posts to come.