The Yankees have added Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in the last week, but the team is still in contact with Kevin Millwood, reports Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman (Twitter link). It could be that the Yankees just want to give themselves as many veteran starting options as they can, or, as Heyman opines, "they're growing more worried" that Andy Pettitte will retire. Pettitte's retirement would leave the Bombers with two open rotation spots that would be contested between Colon, Garcia, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Brackman, Ivan Nova and potentially Millwood.
Besides the Yankees, the Orioles, Royals and Indians have also been recently connected to Millwood. Like Baltimore, New York wouldn't be able to guarantee Millwood a rotation spot, but it's possible Millwood would take the risk for a chance to pitch for a contending team.
SpaldingBalls
I guess its like my fantasy football team that won the championship: sign as many guys as possible who have a bit of talent and hope with that many at least one is bound to work.
InLeylandWeTrust
The only point of your post was to inform everyone you won your fantasy football league wasn’t it?
SpaldingBalls
No, it was saying that if you put up a lot of bottles, you’re more likely to catch lightning in one than if you put up one bottle. If you have 5 bottles, lightning will be caught 5x more times than if you have 1 bottle. The fantasy thing was just an analogy
InLeylandWeTrust
I liked the fantasy analogy better than that one…
fitz
Dude nobody cares that you won your fantasy football league.
Besides everybody knows the only true fantasy sport is baseball.
InLeylandWeTrust
Preach it my man. Fantasy baseball is the ONLY way to go.
SpaldingBalls
That wasn’t the point. It was that the more low risk, high reward, players you have the more likely you are to get a high reward. sorry if that came out wrong
fitz
I’m just kidding with you I knew what you meant.
Tko11
You got lucky with your fantasy football team, I bet only one of Garcia, Millwood, Colon, will have an era between 4.5-5. Which I guess wouldn’t be horrible for the 5th spot. The real problem is the 3 and 4 spots in my opinion. They will most likely need a midseason trade in order to compete for the division.
MB923
“I bet only one of Garcia, Millwood, Colon”
And I bet at most, 1 of the 3 make the rotation (bearing an injury to another starter)
SpaldingBalls
That’s the point. I’m gambling, but its easier to get lucky when you have many opportunities to get lucky. And of course, I don’t expect any of those three to be an ace. But I think that your assessment of a 4.5-5 ERA is what the Yankees expect one of them to turn out.
Tko11
Yea but there is only so many roster spots on a fantasy football team. I love football but fantasy baseball is way better! I hate in fb that its one game per week and mainly if your quaterback and runningbacks do good, you win.
Dylan Zane
I really don’t think he will make a difference over what we already have.
CC
Hughes
Aj
Nova
Everyone else lol
danthebaseballman
It should be: Sabathia, Hughes, Burnett, Garcia, nova
wait_HOWmanyrings
agreed
danthebaseballman
It should be: Sabathia, Hughes, Burnett, Garcia, nova
Crawford Is LF
Millwood is too old. He has not been the same since joining the sucky Orioles.
d32123
Say NO to Millwood!
d32123
but I can see why the FO probably wants this guy. I just have irrational faith in Ivan Nova.
YanksFanSince78
I think Nova would have to have an awful ST not to win a spot in the rotation. IF..Milwood is signed it would probably have to be for guaranteed money. I would see the ST rotation being..
CC-AJ-Hughes-Milwood and then a battle between Nova, Garcia and COlon with Nova being the clubhouse favorite.
Joe Lally
The irony in this is that the Yankees are taking a starter that even the lowly Orioles don’t want. Maybe I should say the second place and wild card Orioles. Enjoy third place yanks
jjs91
you’re joking right, you really think the Os have a shot?
The_Silver_Stacker
second place and wild card Orioles? It would be a wishful thinking for them to even win 70 or more games
Kickme Inthenads
I pretty much agree with what people are saying. Colon and Garcia, ok because they’re not major league contracts. If they can get Millwood on one I would say no big deal either, but I think it’s going to take guaranteed money to bring him to spring training, and why spend money on a guy you’ll probably just end up cutting. Just trade for Gio Gonzalez already.
(waits for someone to say “the Yankees don’t have the pieces it would take to get Gonzales!”)
nictonjr
The have the pieces. Do they want to trade 3 big pieces for Gio Gonzalez is the question???
Kickme Inthenads
I agree, the price would be very high. Montero and probably their best or 2nd best pitching prospect at a minimum. Having a young hard throwing lefty for the rotation would be pretty tempting for Cashman I’m sure.
levendis
lets be honest now, the yankees are probably not winning the WS, so i dont see whay they just throw Brackman and Nova to start and see how the youngsters do. Im curious to see how theyll do, let this year, be a year to develop those starters in the system a lil bit quicker. I can still seeing the Yankees making the Wild card with that rotation. Just give these guys a chance (banuelos, noesi, etc.). Lets see how they do, if they can show glimpses of that potential.
S
Because the Yankees learned their lesson w/ Kennedy/Joba/Hughes a few years back. Better to wait until they are ready.
Slopeboy
If you really want to see how the youngsters do, take a ride to Scranton-Wilkesbarre .
TheGuvnr
Nobody in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre even goes to see that team. I live 5 minutes from there and never go there. There used to be good crowds when the Phillies AAA team was here.
YanksFanSince78
Odd isn’t it? 5 consecutive league titles and yet dead last in attendance in the international lge? Weird. You would think Igawa would draw in the Asian market. I guess Cashman’s marketing ploy failed!
Mr. Furious
There’s not much of an Asian market in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton metroplex. Now if they brought in, say, Don Newcombe to cater to the elderly population, they might be onto something.
levendis
and im not saying throw the season away, bc i can still see them make the playoff, but i doubt freedy garcia or millwood will get them any farther than nova or brackman
Gary.Le
With Garcia, Colon, Millwood and Pettitte in the rotation, the Yankees are a lock to win the 2005 World Series.
bbxxj
Is there any team reliant on one single starter than the Yankees are on CC? If be goes down or fades they could be in some serious trouble having to deal with Boston and Tampa for playoff spots.
I really expect the Yanks to be major players for any frontline starter that becomes available during the season.
Kickme Inthenads
and IF my aunt had a crank, she’d be my uncle. Let em play the games.
S
Now, THERE’S a hole with no bottom.
Ryan
Well, on the bright side, the Yankees caterer just jumped for joy.
With Milwood (230), Garcia (250), and Colon (240?) in town, its gonna be a heck of a summer!!!!!
Gary.Le
You forgot to mention the current Krispy Kreme majority shareholder CC Sabathia
bbxxj
KK Sabathia?
RedSoxDynasty
And Joba the Hut!
MB923
According to B-R, and I have no idea how accurate this is but I’m sure it is, Colon weighs only 185
TheGuvnr
Baseball’s elite team: the Philadelphia Phillies. No dumpster diving for our rotation….even our #5 would be a #3 on most teams, including the Yankees.
EL CABALLO 626
Blanton would be number 4 on the Yankee rotation, #5 if Pettitte returns. Besides in 2-3 years the Phillies will be in trouble when they’re paying a declining Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels will most likely be gone
TheGuvnr
No…he’d be 3 even as a Yankee. I would rather Blanton anyday over Burnett. At least you know what you’re probably going to get with Blanton. A guy that will win 12 games (maybe more if he was #3 rather than #5) with an ERA in the low to mid 4’s. With Burnett, you have the risk of a complete meltdown like last year.
TheGuvnr
Millwood would be a great pickup….if this was 2002.
YanksFanSince78
And with Mo, Soriano, Joba, Robertson, Feliciano and Logan I think that bullpen is better than average. A 5-4 win going into the 7th can be a easier victory with the bullpen we have, if they pitch up to their potential.
Victor Kipp
I think the best hopes for Millwood is that he can just eat innings. I don’t think he’d be as bad as he was last year but it’s not the first year his ERA has been over 5. He started out good then just fell apart last year. Overall though its great signing for the Yankees if they can get it done. I’ve been clamoring all off-season for the Mets to get and put him in the valley called Citi Field.
Raymond
Even if pettitte comes back, he will probably miss at least two months with injuries. That taken with the likely mediocrity of Burnett and Hughes, kind of necessitates have as many potential arms around as possilbe. So Millwood is good to add, and perhaps Bonderman. Why not? My guess is that Millwood alone could replicate the stats of that entire cast of characters that trotted out after CC last year. Gives them time to search for a quality starter through a trade during the regular season.
Alex Ginebra
If they add Millwood, the collection of 2002-2004 All-Stars in 2010 would be complete for the Bronx Bombers.
Steve_Farrs_bestest_buddy
There are 2 plausible theories as to why the Yanks would consider Millwood:
1) Cashman is trying to guilt Pettitte into returning
2) Cashman bet Pettitte that he could get Pettitte to LOL at a hot stove story
Can anyone say “hoy gavol” with a Texas twang?
TheGuvnr
Maybe they figure that 2 of MIllwood, Colon, and Garcia will end up in AAA and might put some butts in the seats in Scranton with some big names.