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Swisher on the Block?

According to a post on MLBTR, some National League teams are looking to land Nick Swisher (via Mark Feinsand). In a link from the same post, Braves beat writer Mark Bowman gives his take:

• Consequently, the Braves were forced to wait and possibly miss other opportunities to improve their team. They had some interest in Nick Swisher and might have been able to land him before the Yankees did last week. But to get Swisher, who could have filled their need for a left fielder, Atlanta would have likely had to trade some of the players it was offering to San Diego.

The Yanks are not going to trade a cost-controlled, young Moneyballer for Yunel Escobar, although for a team with a hole at shortstop (<cough> Boston <cough>) it would be ideal. So, who might “some of the players it was offering to San Diego [for Peavy]” be? Escobar, second baseman Kelly Johnson, outfield prospects Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer, and pitching prospect Tommy Hanson are the only players that I can recall being mentioned over the past few weeks. I don’t see a match unless Brian Cashman decides to add a positional prospect and either hope for his contribution (i.e. Schafer or Heyward) or try to get one of Casey Kotchman or Jair Jurrjens. If the Yanks trade him, I would rather the return be a Major League player, but it doesn’t seem to be the most likely scenario. Jurrjens would be interesting but I seriously doubt the Braves would trade the youngest and, maybe best pitcher from their rotation defecit. We shall see.

Yanks Acquire Swisher

It looks like my last post came to fruition – the Yankees are getting Nick Swisher and a pitcher for Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez. It just so happens they got a Texeira in the deal as well – Kanekoa Texeira, that is (the minor league reliever going to NYY).

I wouldn't ask him about his .218 average any time soon.

This is, by no stretch of the imagination, a great trade for the Yankees. They get a 28 year-old 1B/OF who can play some centerfield if necessary, has a reasonable contract for several more seasons, and did not cost anyone of importance prospect-wise. Betemit was the only guy that would have been much help in 2009, and his ~180 at-bats won’t be missed. Marquez is very far down on the pitching depth chart and Nunez, who has a very live arm, isn’t all that close to the bigs yet.

I really hope this doesn’t pull the Yanks out of the Teixiera bidding (though they have acquired one thus far), but if he decides to stick to Anaheim or head elsewhere, the Bronx will have a capable bat in his place.

Could We Swipe Swisher?

The recent rumors regarding walk machine Nick Swisher have Yankee fans drooling with desire. I’m a fan of his as well. I’m just not sure that Johnny Damon is going to to be enough to pry him away from the White Sox.

Swisher, who will turn 28 in November, is signed to a very team-friendly contract (from his Oakland days, I believe). It doesn’t make any sense for Kenny Williams to send him packing for a free agent to-be. If the White Sox are interested in IPK, it’s definitely worth looking at, and Swisher could prove to be a nice alternative to a Teixeira albatross.

Praise for Pavano?

I haven't seen this much mediocrity since I was in West Virginia.

Carl Pavano – everyone’s favorite whipping boy – finally went back to work on August 23, 2008. Oriole Park. Saturday Night. Numerous predictions of 5 innings or less.

And, Pavano delievered. Five innings, that is.

The Yankees won 6-3 thanks in part to the tall righthander who allowed three earned runs, 7 hits, one walk and racked up five strikeouts. But YES’ “Chevy Player of the Game”? Let’s be serious, here. His ERA is over the traditionally-mediocre 4.50, so I’m not giving him a trophy.

With the Red Sox loss on Saturday, the Yanks are now five games back. If that lead is the same or closer by the time the arch rivals begin their series on Tuesday, it will have big implications. After all, it seems as if the Sawx are hitting a snag of their own, and being forced to use less-than-desirable options to shore up the rotation. Beckett is on the fritz, too…

The Salary Dump Podcast: Episode 2

Ok, now we are 5.5 games behind as Boston won and the Yanks were idle. I tried to talk a bit about Hideki’s return, the trek against A.J. Burnett later tonight and the overall feel of the current team. Listen by clicking here, Salary Dump Podcast 8/19/08, and enjoy! It opens with Alice in Chains’ “Would?” and ends with “Here Comes the Rooster”. Sweet stuff dude. Sorry about the noises, my old swivel chair is very, very squeaky.

Just a Joltin’ Joe Away

Hopefully we will need to break out the 1 1/2 uniform soon.

You may have seen comments on River Ave. Blues under the name of “Joltin’ Joe”. Yeah, that’s me. Anyway, the Yankee Clipper’s fabled number five is also the number of games separating the Red Sox and Yankees in the American League East. Boston leads the Wild Card, and the last two days (and 2.0 game leap in the standings) has been a breath of fresh air for New York fans.

Paul Byrd lost to the Doc in his Sox debut, and Toronto beat Boston again on Sunday. The New York Yankees Bretts pulled out a much-needed victory on Saturday and promptly thumped the Royals on Sunday afternoon to finish up a three-game set. The desolate seven-game lead for Boston is now a less comfortable five.

Does this mean the Yankees can just waltz their way into the postseason? Absolutely not. Tampa Bay is ailing and the Sox are choking a bit, but we cannot determine anything by guessing. The Bombers simply need to play their games – maybe the return of Joba, Phil Hughes or, ahem, Carl “Overflown Lootbag” Pavano can boost the rotation. The offense is, well, still eratic and only the stellar play of Xavier and the usuals has kept it alive. Brett Gardner is looking like he can handle the stick a little bit, and all for the better, seeing as how he is likely the team’s centerfielder from here on out. Sid the Kid is giving us his all. Mussina is determined to hit the 20-game marker for the first and, perhaps final time. We do have a lot to play for, that’s for sure. There’s also a cool 16 games left at Stadium. Make ’em count.

Insult to Injury

Dan Giese finally got a second chance in the Yankees rotation and threw a solid six innings, striking out five and allowing just one run (earned) against the Angels on August 9th. Now, he’s headed to the DL with rotator cuff tendonitis, which has also afflicted Joba Chamberlain. Perhaps Phil Hughes will skip his next start in Scranton in favor of the Bronx.

An Eye Towards ’09

At 6 games behind, with the Red Sox surging and Toronto creeping, the season is looking pretty desolate for the Yankees. At this point last year they had taken over second place securely. It looks like Brian Cashman is going to return to the front office next year, so I’m going to lay out my Christmas list for himself and the Brothers Stein.

LeBron wears Yankee caps and he's not playing for them. Yet.

• Pick a starting right fielder. With the Nady acquisition turning out to be a tremendous steal, I wonder about the future of Bobby Abreu. At 34 years old he is still capable of his recent seasonal numbers for a few more go-arounds, but it could well cost us $45MM over 3 years. With the X-Man arbitration-eligible after 2008, the business decision would be to simply let Abreu walk, offer arbitration to him, get rejected (in all likelihood, though an acceptance would be a huge bonus for the Yanks, allowing another one-year deal at below market rate) and receiving Type-A draft pick compensation. Abreu’s recent comments lead me to believe that NYY will try to bring him back for something reasonable, like two years, $25MM. If Nady and Damon split CF with the occasional spot start by Melky, Gardner or Christian, that still leaves room for Abreu. Hideki Matsui will have to DH nearly full-time in my estimation. My move: Sign Abreu to 2/$25MM deal. If he wants three years, let him walk.
• Find an ace starting pitcher. Wang is not a No. 1, Joba cannot be taxed for more than 180 innings and Phil Hughes basically lost a year of development due to injuries. We need a Cy Young guy, and his name is CC. Sabathia will either be a Yankee or a Dodger/Angel, because no other teams have the payroll flexibility (Mets and Red Sox possibly, but they have long-term pitching contracts on the books already). If CC doesn’t mind the NY spotlight, and the dough, he should be playing in Yankee Stadium II. Otherwise, he could opt for the competitive yet relaxed confines of Angel Stadium. The Dodgers are the longshot of the three, due to Los Angeles’ recent spending habits (Pierre, Jones, etc.) Ben Sheets is also going to be a free agent, and his price tag – as well as his durability – should be discounted compared to Sabathia. If CC nets something like 7/$150MM, Sheets might not get half that. He looks like a solid bet for 4/$70MM, but then again, Gil Meche got 5/$55MM and he is not nearly the pitcher Big Ben is. My move: Sign CC for 7/$150MM. Overpay as much as needed. Only a West Coast preference would keep him off of my club. Sheets is a longshot as a complementary signing, but if he could be had for 4/$70MM, the injury risk is worth it. The odds of him playing for NY are weak though, because the Yanks are not looking for discounts; they simply want the best.
• Don’t be tempted to overpay in cash or prospects for a first baseman. Mark Teixeira may stick with the Angels and Prince Fielder is going to be a pricey commodity on the trade market. First base is offensively one of the strongest and one of the least demanding on defense, so big splashes are not necessary. My move: Re-sign Jason Giambi to a 2/$30MM contract after buying out his option. Make a trade for a younger first baseman (not a prospect, just somebody who can play D) such as Conor Jackson, as Damon/Abreu/Matsui/Giambi cannot be expected to play every day. Wilson Betemit could be involved in the trade. The latter part is not essential but helpful.

If Cashman gets these three items crossed off the list, I think the Yanks will be in great shape for number 27 in ’09.

The Salary Dump Podcast: Episode 1

Let me know what you think. That’s Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” and Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow” respectively. Click the link to listen: Salary Dump Podcast 8/1/08