7:53pm: The Yankees were the only team to watch Millwood today, according to Sherman (Twitter links). The Yankees clocked his fastball at 85 mph and say they'll only offer a minor league deal. However, Millwood still wants a Major League contract.
Millwood seeks $4MM and the Yankees are willing to offer a low seven-figure (presumably minor league) deal, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
3:38pm: The Yankees were among the teams that watched Kevin Millwood throw this morning, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). Millwood rejected a minor league offer from the Yankees less than a month ago, but the team appears to maintain interest in the right-hander.
Millwood posted a career-low ground ball rate and a career-high fly ball rate last year and allowed 30 homers. He posted a 5.10 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 last year in his first season as an Oriole.
The numbers aren't particularly impressive, but Millwood's durability is. The 36-year-old has averaged 31 starts per season since joining the Braves' rotation in 1998. Last year was typical for Millwood, as he started 31 games and logged 190 2/3 innings.
Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and Ivan Nova have pitched well enough that the Yankees don't seem as desperate for starting options as they did earlier in the winter, when Andy Pettitte first announced his retirement. The Cardinals, another potential destination for Millwood, appear to have found their fifth starter in former setup man Kyle McClellan, so they are not longer an obvious fit for Millwood, either.
whatever
Where is the RIP Nate Dogg thread?!
Lunchbox45
its in the cleaveland indians offseason review
Devern Hansack
How long until Cashman attempts to convert Joe Girardi into a pitcher?
Slopeboy
Girardi’s not pitching anytime soon.Cashman’s ‘desperate’ signings of Garcia, Colon and Prior have all looked good with only two weeks before Opening Day. At least one of the three won’t make the Yankees, but will mostly likely find a job with another team to start the season. Kevin Millwood had just one team looking at his performance today, that should indicate what a huge blunder he made in not accepting the minor league deal offered. If Millwood is throwing at 85 MPH, look for Jermaine Dye to invite him to play a few rounds of golf any day soon. He’ll have plenty of time on his hands.
Joshua William Novy I
Millwood seams like a Jason Marquis. Innings eater, a lot of starts but won’t make your post season roster. With that being said I like Millwood more then Colon and Garcia. As a Cubs fan I would love to see him pitch for the Cards.
steven118
aww only 1 team watched ya kevin =[
notsureifsrs
“fastball at 85 mph”
“wants a Major League contract”
does not compute
iheartyourfart
*****THAT DOES NOT COMPUTE
*****now entering Brian Sabean mode
*****must give Barry Zito $126 million
YanksFanSince78
I hit 72 mph at a local fair. That was w/ me 20 years removed from pitching when I was a kid. Out of shape. Wearing Timbaland work boots and right after having a funnel cake. Of course I was trying to impress my lady and ended up hurting my back but that’s another story. Let me get whatever excercise equiptment that’s been under my bed for the last couple of years, some cleats and 3 weeks on the mound and I might be able to hit 85.
Ben_Cherington
holy crap that sounds like me! i went from 88 to 68 in 10 yrs!!! haha man where does the time go?
Encarnacion's Parrot
I threw one once at 86 and thought I needed Tommy John Surgery afterward. Good times.
YankeePhan1234
fastball at 85 and he wants a major league contract? lol?
OrangeCards
Sherman needs to get his facts straight.
The workout was this morning, I was there scouting for my MSBL team, and I had him at 86 a few times but it may have been wind aided.
YanksFanSince78
Hey. I couldn’t catch todays game. What was Nova’s velocity like today, please?
mbonzo
The game is on YES right now. He isn’t at what he was last year yet. Mostly throwing 2-seamers 90-92 from what I remember. His slider seemed a bit faster than usual at 88. Brilliant pitching from him though.
MB923
Sad how Nova’s slider goes 3 MPH faster than Milwoods fastball.
East Coast Bias
If you’re watching, I don’t want to spoil it for you… but Ivan Nova impressed! And I think this is the first time the 9 full time players are on the field together.
Win Method
Who cares what his ‘velocity’ was. Nova pitched six magnificent innings allowing one hit batter that Jeter instantly turned into a DP with a sparkling defensive play going behind second base and flipping backhanded to Cano who turned the DP. The other base runner by Nova reached on an error by the sieve at third base Rodriquez.
iheartyourfart
i was kinda hoping nova, garcia, or colon would flop so that i could read the inevitable pedro martinez speculation.
start_wearing_purple
Well the inevitable “Hernandez for anyone but Montero, Banuelos, or Betances” will come first.
OrangeCards
You can’t have untouchable prospects and still trade for Hernandez …
TrueYankeeFanNYC
85 MPH heater. I’ll take it on a minor league deal only. Colon, Garcia, and Nova are all better options. Hows that 5 mill looking?
Win Method
Sherman posts more garbage than the ny times.
icedrake523
It’s funny how the Yankees won’t give him a major league deal when he was better than AJ Burnett last year and both have had VERY similar careers.
Guest 7009
That 85 mph fastball must be deadly to face…