2013 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[pilferk]

There is a very real possibility that the Yanks will have exactly two people (Cano and Gardner), on opening day, who was in their starting lineup on opening day last year.  And the BEST case scenario, right now, has three (Cano, Granderson and Jeter).

Swisher departed for Cleveland. Replaced by Ichiro.
Granderson is injured, likely replaced by Gardner (who was in the starting line up...even though he didn't play for much of the 2012 season due to injury).
Gardner will be playing Center, LF for 2013 opening day is still TBD.
A-rod is injured, likely replaced by Kevin Youkalis (though now...maybe they shift him to first and run Nix out there at 3rd).
Jeter is returning from injury, and, while it looks likely he' will be ready for opening day, there are no assurances.  If replaced, likely by Nunez.
Cano is playing in the WBC, and will likely be at 2nd base on opening day.
Tex is injured.  1B on opening day is TBD.
Martin departed for Pittsburgh.  Likely replaced by Stewart or Cervelli.
Ibanez departed for Seattle, likely replaced by Haffner.

That's a 66.6% turnover, in the best case scenario....not a good sign.

[AxlsMainMan]

The Cardinals are likely to be without Rafael Furcal this year as he has opted for Tommy John surgery.

[faldor]

There is a very real possibility that the Yanks will have exactly two people (Cano and Gardner), on opening day, who was in their starting lineup on opening day last year.  And the BEST case scenario, right now, has three (Cano, Granderson and Jeter).

Swisher departed for Cleveland. Replaced by Ichiro.
Granderson is injured, likely replaced by Gardner (who was in the starting line up...even though he didn't play for much of the 2012 season due to injury).
Gardner will be playing Center, LF for 2013 opening day is still TBD.
A-rod is injured, likely replaced by Kevin Youkalis (though now...maybe they shift him to first and run Nix out there at 3rd).
Jeter is returning from injury, and, while it looks likely he' will be ready for opening day, there are no assurances.  If replaced, likely by Nunez.
Cano is playing in the WBC, and will likely be at 2nd base on opening day.
Tex is injured.  1B on opening day is TBD.
Martin departed for Pittsburgh.  Likely replaced by Stewart or Cervelli.
Ibanez departed for Seattle, likely replaced by Haffner.

That's a 66.6% turnover, in the best case scenario....not a good sign.

People (me included) have been predicting the Yankees would start to break down for YEARS now.  Apparently it's finally starting to happen.  Though I'm not sure how much has to do with age.  Some teams just seem to get snakebit from time to time.  At least the Yankees still should have the pitching to allow them to get by while some of their key players are on the mend.  Though Phil Hughes is also dealing with an injury, but it looks like he'll be alright in a few weeks if not a few days.  But just something else to keep an eye on.  If injuries start to hit the pitching staff, then worrying can officially commence.

I'm not ready to welcome the Yankees to the bottom of the division with the Red Sox just yet.  Although at this point, I think the Blue Jays and Rays would have to be the favorites.

[pilferk]

People (me included) have been predicting the Yankees would start to break down for YEARS now.  Apparently it's finally starting to happen.  Though I'm not sure how much has to do with age.  Some teams just seem to get snakebit from time to time.  At least the Yankees still should have the pitching to allow them to get by while some of their key players are on the mend.  Though Phil Hughes is also dealing with an injury, but it looks like he'll be alright in a few weeks if not a few days.  But just something else to keep an eye on.  If injuries start to hit the pitching staff, then worrying can officially commence.

I'm not ready to welcome the Yankees to the bottom of the division with the Red Sox just yet.  Although at this point, I think the Blue Jays and Rays would have to be the favorites.

I think the O's, Jays, and Rays all look to be pretty good this year...though the Rays look to suffer from a lack of offense AGAIN this year, which might hold them back.  The O's are something of a mystery...I don't think there's any way they repeat what they did in one run games last  year...but I don't think last year was an anomoly.  The Jays....well, on paper, they're the best team in the AL East.  But then, Miami was, on paper, a pretty good team last year, too.  I need to see the Jays do it to believe it.  If they do, it won't surprise me.  If they flame out, it won't surprise me either.  We'll see.

I still think, if everyone is healthy, the Yanks can play with anyone in the AL East.  And..if you look at the guys who have been hurt recently (Granderson, Hughes, and Tex)...they're in their "prime" years, still.  Age shouldn't be a factor.

But that snakebit bit you included...THAT'S starting to look like it might be something to worry about.

[Falcon]

The Cardinals are likely to be without Rafael Furcal this year as he has opted for Tommy John surgery.

He should've had it last August when he was diagnosed but opted for rest and rehab.

The Cards now have over $20 million going to players (Furcal and Carp) who won't be contributing in 2013.

Yippee.

[faldor]

People (me included) have been predicting the Yankees would start to break down for YEARS now.  Apparently it's finally starting to happen.  Though I'm not sure how much has to do with age.  Some teams just seem to get snakebit from time to time.  At least the Yankees still should have the pitching to allow them to get by while some of their key players are on the mend.  Though Phil Hughes is also dealing with an injury, but it looks like he'll be alright in a few weeks if not a few days.  But just something else to keep an eye on.  If injuries start to hit the pitching staff, then worrying can officially commence.

I'm not ready to welcome the Yankees to the bottom of the division with the Red Sox just yet.  Although at this point, I think the Blue Jays and Rays would have to be the favorites.

I think the O's, Jays, and Rays all look to be pretty good this year...though the Rays look to suffer from a lack of offense AGAIN this year, which might hold them back.  The O's are something of a mystery...I don't think there's any way they repeat what they did in one run games last  year...but I don't think last year was an anomoly.  The Jays....well, on paper, they're the best team in the AL East.  But then, Miami was, on paper, a pretty good team last year, too.  I need to see the Jays do it to believe it.  If they do, it won't surprise me.  If they flame out, it won't surprise me either.  We'll see.

I still think, if everyone is healthy, the Yanks can play with anyone in the AL East.  And..if you look at the guys who have been hurt recently (Granderson, Hughes, and Tex)...they're in their "prime" years, still.  Age shouldn't be a factor.

But that snakebit bit you included...THAT'S starting to look like it might be something to worry about.

Yeah, I agree with you on all fronts.  The Jays LOOK stacked, but building teams through blockbuster trades or free agency has been tried many times before and has failed miserably.  So while they look like they should be great, it's not a certainty to happen by any means.  Look at Anaheim last year.  Many people had them as a World Series favorite with the addition of Pujols and that stacked pitching rotation and it took them most of the season to get things going.  And obviously the Marlins were terrible despite the big moves they made.  The Tigers too, took awhile to show their true colors but finally did and rode it to the World Series.  But for a time it looked like they weren't going to get things together and would miss the playoffs altogether.

I know a lot of people expect the Orioles to take a huge step back this year, but again, I'm not completely buying it.  I don't necessarily think they'll win 90+ again, but I think they should be a player again.  I agree with you on the Rays.  I'm always impressed how well they do with that somewhat pathetic offense they trot out there every season.  This year is no different, so I expect them to do well again.  Even losing James Shields, they always seem to pick the next guy in line without skipping a beat.  I do think the Yankees should be alright as long as these injuries don't continue to pile up.  It all comes down to their pitching really.  Their offense has been slipping the last few seasons, and they've become too reliant on the long ball.  But their pitching has seemingly gotten better during that time, so they've remained as a top contender.  As long as the injuries don't spread to the pitching staff, they should be alright.

As for the Red Sox.  They HAVE to be better than they were last year.  The Bobby V. experiment was a disaster, and the amount of injuries they faced last year was ridiculous.  The lineup they were trotting out there at the end of the season was like a AAAA club.  Yes, that's 4 A's, as in career minor leaguers/fringe major leaguers and no big time prospects.  Their lineup is a few injuries away from returning to that form, and those injuries are somewhat likely.  You have 3 main middle of the order bats who all could be injury prone.  Ortiz, Napoli, and Middlebrooks are all coming off injuries.  If one of them goes down it'd be a huge blow to the lineup.  Guys like Salty and Gomes would be thrust into the middle of the lineup, which is a scary proposition.  For them, as is the case for most teams, it comes down to pitching.  Their pitching COULD be good, but I'm not expecting them to be great which they'd need to be for them to really make some noise.  I'd expect Lester to return to form, though I expected the same thing last season so who knows.  Buchholz can't seem to hold up through an entire season and until he proves he can do that my expectations for him will be tempered.  Lackey returns, some people think he'll be better coming off of TJ surgery.  Others say it takes about 2 years to really see the improvement.  He was pretty bad before, so I can only hope he improves.  Felix Dubront had an encouraging season last year, yet he showed up to camp out of shape and overweight.  Not exactly a good sign of progress.  And while I wasn't thrilled with the signing of Ryan Dempster in the off-season, I'm warming up to it a bit more.  He should at least provide quality innings.  I wouldn't expect him to put up equal numbers that he did in the NL, but he actually pitched pretty well for the Rangers last year after getting roughed up his first few starts.  

Their bullpen looks pretty deep, though I've said that before.  Tazawa (who had a great September last season) Aceves, Morales, Miller, Uehara, Bailey, Hanrahan.  Aceves had another episode earlier this spring.  He pitched batting practice with minimal effort, frustrating new manager, John Farrell.  He's apparently back on good behavior now, but you never know with that guy.  I think he should be on a short leash at this point  But apparently his trade value is minimized by his behavioral issues.  Then there's Daniel Bard.  He was one of the best setup men in the game 2 years ago.  He was a disaster last year, so which way does he go?

Also, it looks like they might have gotten some pretty good arms in that Dodgers deal from last season.  Both De La Rosa and Webster throw in the mid to high 90's and have looked good in the spring so far.  De La Rosa looks to project more as a reliever at this point, but Webster is certainly on track to be a starter somewhere down the line.  But a lot of people viewed that trade as simply a salary dump, which was its main purpose.  But it appears they may have actual talent on the field to show for it when all is said and done.  Not to mention, Carl Crawford is AGAIN having injury issues with LA.  Man, what a horrible contract that continues to be.

[tim_m]

The day all Yankee fans and baseball fans have dreaded is upon us. The great Mariano Rivera on Saturday will announce that 2013 will in fact be his last. So long to the greatest closer the game has ever seen. Its been an honor and a pleasure to watch you pitch the last 13 years. See you in Cooperstown in 2018.

[pilferk]

The day all Yankee fans and baseball fans have dreaded is upon us. The great Mariano Rivera on Saturday will announce that 2013 will in fact be his last. So long to the greatest closer the game has ever seen. Its been an honor and a pleasure to watch you pitch the last 13 years. See you in Cooperstown in 2018.

First ballot hof, for sure.

Presser on sat at ten to officially announce it.

[pilferk]

Oh, and David Robertson now has pain in his shoulder.

[tim_m]

The day all Yankee fans and baseball fans have dreaded is upon us. The great Mariano Rivera on Saturday will announce that 2013 will in fact be his last. So long to the greatest closer the game has ever seen. Its been an honor and a pleasure to watch you pitch the last 13 years. See you in Cooperstown in 2018.

First ballot hof, for sure.

Presser on sat at ten to officially announce it.

Absolutely, logic says that there shouldn't be anyone who doesn't vote for him, but someone won't just so he's not the first inductee to get 100% of the votes.

[tim_m]

Oh, and David Robertson now has pain in his shoulder.

Great....

[faldor]

The day all Yankee fans and baseball fans have dreaded is upon us. The great Mariano Rivera on Saturday will announce that 2013 will in fact be his last. So long to the greatest closer the game has ever seen. Its been an honor and a pleasure to watch you pitch the last 13 years. See you in Cooperstown in 2018.

First ballot hof, for sure.

Presser on sat at ten to officially announce it.

Absolutely, logic says that there shouldn't be anyone who doesn't vote for him, but someone won't just so he's not the first inductee to get 100% of the votes.

There will certainly be someone who doesn't vote for him.  They'll use the "closers are overrated" excuse, or something along those lines.  Only having to get 3 outs 4 times a week on a good week.  There's always someone.

[tim_m]

The day all Yankee fans and baseball fans have dreaded is upon us. The great Mariano Rivera on Saturday will announce that 2013 will in fact be his last. So long to the greatest closer the game has ever seen. Its been an honor and a pleasure to watch you pitch the last 13 years. See you in Cooperstown in 2018.

First ballot hof, for sure.

Presser on sat at ten to officially announce it.

Absolutely, logic says that there shouldn't be anyone who doesn't vote for him, but someone won't just so he's not the first inductee to get 100% of the votes.

There will certainly be someone who doesn't vote for him.  They'll use the "closers are overrated" excuse, or something along those lines.  Only having to get 3 outs 4 times a week on a good week.  There's always someone.

Agreed, but i think we can all agree he's a first ballot HOF and its not even questionable.

[pilferk]

Interesting Mo stat (courtesy of Mike and Mike on ESPN):

More men have walked on the moon (12) than have scored off Mo in the playoffs (11).

[Bodhi]

Good article on the Yankee's and their payroll situation, too long to post so I included the link

The End of the Yankees' Evil Empire
The Bronx Bombers are in danger of falling below .500 for the first time in 20 years
By Rany Jazayerli on March 7, 2013

Last month, a franchise synonymous with winning scored another victory. The New York Yankees won a court ruling against a company that had attempted to register the phrase "Baseballs Evil Empire." The Yankees may not have appreciated it when Red Sox president Larry Lucchino first used the term to describe them in 2002, but if anyone was going to make money off the phrase, damn it, it was going to be them. Even if it means, as written in the judges' decision, "The record shows that there is only one Evil Empire in baseball and it is the New York Yankees."

Defending your brand is Business 101, but in this case, I'm not sure the Yankees should be so quick to embrace the trademark. It's not simply that the Evil Empire was, you know, evil; I think the Yankees made their peace with that a long time ago. Maybe the Steinbrenner family made the mistake of watching the Star Wars saga in numerical order, and gave up after Episode III ? and let's be honest, most of us would have done the same thing ? but if they did, they would have missed the fact that (spoiler alert) the Evil Empire lost in the end.

Today's Yankees aren't used to losing, but there was a time when the New York Yankees weren't The Most Successful Team In American Sports. Once upon a time, the team wasn't even in New York. The franchise began in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles; it took two years for management to rip through all five seasons of The Wire and realize they needed to hightail it to New York. There, they were known as the Highlanders, but after a middling decade and two 100-loss seasons, they finally tired of trying to behead their opponents and rechristened themselves the Yankees in 1913.


continued..
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9025135/the-evil-empire-new-york-yankees-to-fall

[tim_m]

Interesting Mo stat (courtesy of Mike and Mike on ESPN):

More men have walked on the moon (12) than have scored off Mo in the playoffs (11).

With all the postseason games he's pitched in that is just incredible.

[pilferk]

Vernon Wells to Yanks from Angels.  Angels eating most of the contract. Not sure what Yanks are giving up (I'm hearing not much, but we'll see).

Jeter out til at least April 4th (so no opening day).

Mo had a CAT scan. He's been having headaches.  Docs say it's migraines and nothing to be worried about.  Drugs and hydration for treatment.

[Falcon]

The annual predictions:

AL East: Rays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Angels

NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Reds
NL West : Giants

AL Wild Cards: Jays, Rangers
NL Wild Cards: Braves, Dodgers

AL Champs: Angels
NL Champs: Nationals

WS Champs: Nationals

[AxlsMainMan]

AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Angels

NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Giants

AL Wild Cards: O's, A's
NL Wild Cards: Braves, Dodgers

AL Champions: Blue Jays
NL Champions: Giants

WS Champions: Blue Jays

[pilferk]

The annual predictions:

AL East: O's
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Angels

NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cards
NL West : Giants

AL Wild Cards: Rays, Rangers
NL Wild Cards: Phillies, Dodgers

AL Champs: Angels
NL Champs: Nationals

WS Champs: Nationals

For the first time in a LONG time, the Yanks AND Red Sox are on the outside of the playoff picture in the same year.  And MLB weeps.