A look at some news out of the American League East..
- It would make sense for the Rays to hold on to their surplus of starting pitching as they've needed at least seven starting pitchers in each of the past four seasons, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters that Eric Chavez's return isn't a sure thing, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
- Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine isn't expecting Jason Varitek in camp today, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. The manager added that the front office hasn't asked them to get the catcher's uniform ready, tweets Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. On Friday, we learned that Varitek is leaning towards retirement.
- There is some concern over the Red Sox's shortstop position in 2012 but Valentine told reporters that he was on board with the trade that shipped Marco Scutaro to Colorado, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
- Unloading A.J. Burnett's contract was a move that the Yankees had to make, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- The Burnett deal will likely be officially announced tomorrow, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Once the deal is official, the Yankees will have the money neccessary to sign another bat such as Raul Ibanez.
- With an annual average of $2MM in his new three-year deal, Rays skipper Joe Maddon would rank in the middle third based on current contracts, writes Topkin.
Wow, Joel Sherman, thanks for your keen insight.
he’s a genius, eh?
Might not be made official on Monday. It’s a holiday, President’s Day. A lot of office people take that day off since they can get away with missing work and the world still goes on as normal, not like for laborers.
Probably more likely to be made official Tuesday.
I think it would be intriguing if the Pirates, instead of acquiring A. J. Burnett, had instead acquired CAROL BURNETT.
It would just be a whole different team, thats all I’m saying.
That’s a very interesting thing that you just stated here. Carol Burnett would have been a solid acquisition. It would have been further improved if the Pirates looked into the availability of Tim Conway as well. The whole NL Central would have been turned upside down with such an interesting idea.
Tim Conway is a god. Best part of the Carol Burnett show.
no Harvy C. was
He was excellent too! The whole show was great.
How is the manager of a team okay with giving away talent for nothing? Good luck Boston.
thanks, houston
I learned after last night, not to bother talking. He is just going to rip on good teams for nothing. Maybe because, every team in baseball compared to the Astros, is a good team.
I can critique poorly run front offices regardless of the team I follow. The Yankees front office is terrible, but can compensate with money; the Red Sox WAS good, but seem to be making dumb moves this offseason. Again, you really haven’t given me any reasons for your opinions, and the fact that I follow the Astros is irrelevant. Thanks.
You can critique good teams it would just be better if you knew what you were talking and didnt say things like anyone can draft a bunch of players.
I’m sorry, the draft is a science, and there is no luck involved.
Cashman hasn’t done much at all by way of player development. You use the fact that he has ONE class in the top THIRD of the league as an indication that he operates a good farm system. On the other hand, you ignore the fact that Cano and Gardner are the only homegrown Yankees on the roster that Cashman can take credit for. Trading for Swisher and Granderson doesn’t make up for a terrible tenure as the Yankees GM.
You dont get a top system by luck sorry you’re just wrong. So nova isnt a yankee? He can also get credit for every player he traded for and for martin so it’s fine.
I’ll add Nova to the list of Yankee greats.
Even if he does work out, who else have the Yankees developed as far as pitchers go? How is Brackman doing? Joba? Hughes? Igawa?
Yes, you can stumble onto talent. Have a top system really doesn’t mean much, since the problem seems to be in developing that talent and keeping it in the organization, rather than trading it for garbage.
Kennedy doing fine thanks for asking joba is a pretty awesome reliever that would have been able to start effectivly if the media allowed him too, afterall his numbers as a starter are just as good as justin masterson.
I guess granderson, swisher and pineda are garbage?
Joba puts up a 1.5 WAR and you take that to mean that he is an important component of your team? Blaming the media is a poor excuse; your front office mismanaged his development.
Pineda isn’t the ace that you think he is, and you gave away a special hitter for him. Granderson and Swisher were good trades.
You have given me a list of Ivan Nova, who has less than 200 innings of major league experience, two solid trades, a mundane relief pitcher that you’re trying to pass as awesome, a decent – but not special catcher, and Kennedy, who doesn’t pitch in your organization. Next year we might be discussing Brackman, when he gets his stuff back while pitching FOR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION.
So now your claiming that kennedy was developed in arizona wow just wow, and yes a reliever that puts up a fip of under 3 is awesome. That would inlclude the contributions of Joba, robertson, and clippard. The yankees developed kennedy and karstens it doesnt matter where they found success, not to mention hughes has also had success in the majors. You can keep denying fact if you like but cashman is easily one of the gms in baseball.
LOL. K.
Who did you get in exchange for Clippard? Robertson won’t be as good next season, and Joba was mishandled. The Yankees don’t develop pitching well. Plain and simple. Betances looks like a reliever, and Banuelos was rushed into triple-A last season. More of the same from the Yankees FO?
Cashman as one of the best GMs in the game. LOL. K.
It’s clear baseball isnt your forte, anyway can just say things like next year will be the first year jeter’s d doisnt made up by his bat or that robertson for some unknown reason not seeen in his perhpeals wont be as good next year. but some actaully base predictions of f of things that actually exist.
Jeter’s ISO. If you can’t see that, you are deciving yourself. He had negative value on the bases, and he was never good in the field.
You don’t understand peripherals then. Robertson had almost a 90% lob%! His HR/FB was well below his average marks, and his BABIP was low too. Most importantly, we’re looking at a relief pitcher with a small sample size. I know baseball well enough to look at something other than FIP when I talk about peripherals.
Also, you’re the one calling Cashman a good GM….
Thats being cashman is one of the best gms in baseball as anyone that knows the sport would tel you. I guess if you want to take the only yr in jeters career that he was a bad base runner you could but it doesnt actually mean much.
Oh? The fact that he can’t hit for power anymore, that his defensive stats are declining, and that his base running are all falling apart at once is a coinsidence, and not a sign that he’s too old?
Tell me more about the genius of the GM who still doesn’t have a plan for when Jeter falls on his face.
Yes looking at a one yr trend at base running is a bad idea Was there a downward trend in that area before last yr? Nope there wasnt and that has nothing to do with power or defense. Either way your suggestion of signing barnes after seeing everyone else trasHing that signing tells us how youd manage a team.
So range, power and speed aren’t at all correlated? A shortstop on the wrong side of thirty five, who has never been good defensively, I might add, won’t lose those things together? Really? You don’t think there is anything to that?
Not to mention the yankees could easily trade for a utility fielder like barnes is with their farm system being the state thats its in.
BarMes. And he isn’t a superstar, but he would be a better asset to the team than the platoon DH idea that is being talked about.
And Barmes got a fair deal. That’s about right for a veteran shortstop. (One that can syill play the position. I’m not talking about the Jeter type.)
Joba puts up a 1.5 WAR and you take that to mean that he is an important component of your team? Blaming the media is a poor excuse; your front office mismanaged his development.
Pineda isn’t the ace that you think he is, and you gave away a special hitter for him. Granderson and Swisher were good trades.
You have given me a list of Ivan Nova, who has less than 200 innings of major league experience, two solid trades, a mundane relief pitcher that you’re trying to pass as awesome, a decent – but not special catcher, and Kennedy, who doesn’t pitch in your organization. Next year we might be discussing Brackman, when he gets his stuff back while pitching FOR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION.
I think Vicki Lawrence would be a nice pick up for the Pirates
No – you mean Brian
maybe joey lawrence? whoah!
It’s just too bad Harvey Korman isn’t available anymore.
“Now go do that voo-doo that you do so well!”
It’s Hedley!
You might think that Varitek died on the shores of Tripoli or something. Come on guys, look, I am not a Sox fan or anything, but isn’t this getting a bit melodramatic now?
“The manager added that the front office hasn’t asked them to get the catcher’s uniform ready”
sniff, sniff….
Front office lingo for “are you still here? Why are you always hanging around? Go home”.
“The Burnett deal will likely be officially announced tomorrow, tweets
Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Once the deal is
official, the Yankees will have the money necessary to sign another bat
such as Raul Ibanez.”
I never, ever expected such penny pinching and delayed gratification from the Yankees