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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.