GIO, GARZA, DANKS ARE NYY’S BEST OPTIONS

Lets face it, the Yankees need a number two starter and there aren’t that many available on the free agent market. CJ Wilson is widely considered the best free agent pitcher, but there may be other pitchers who are on the trading block who are better options for the Yankees.

Here are the three best trade options for the Bombers:

Gio Gonzalez: It might not be easy, but if the Yankees could pry Gonzalez from Oakland, it would not only give them a solid number two starter, but also a second lefty, which would be a valuable asset against the Red Sox. Gonzalez, who went 16-12 in 2011 with an ERA of 3.12, is one of the best available starting pitchers. My offer would be Eduardo Nunez and Dellin Betances. The only two players I wouldn’t offer are Jesus Montero, who will probably be the Yankees designated hitter in 2012, and highly touted pitching prospect Manny Banuelos. 

Matt Garza: The Cubs righty may be the best option of them all. Though he didn’t get off to a great start, he went 6-3 in the second half with a 2.45 ERA. The fact that he was able to recover in a place like Wrigley Field, which is well known as a hitter’s ballpark, is pretty rare. My offer to the Cubs would be Austine Romine, Betances, Nunez, and David Phelps.

John Danks: Danks would be my plan C, as he doesn’t throw as hard as Gonzalez or Garza, and he gives up a lot of runs. The only reason I would pursue Danks if I were Brian Cashman is the fact that he’s only 25 years old and can still develop. My offer to the White Sox would be Eduardo Nunez and a second round draft pick.

My Rankings:

Matt Garza

Gio Gonzalez

John Danks

YANKEES FANS SHOULD BE HAPPY PAPLEBON IS A PHILLIE

Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Paplebon has signed a contract with the Philadelphia Philies. Though his numbers don't show it, he had a very solid year in 2011 and could return to dominance in 2012. This would not have been good for the Yankees, which is why they should be glad that Paplebon found a new address. They should also be happy that Daniel Bard will become the Red Sox closer.

Bard, who throws exceptionally hard, has difficulty against the Yankees and teams above .500 in general. While his overall career ERA is 2.88, he's 4-5 against winning teams with an ERA of 3.19. Against the Yankees, he's 2-1 with an ERA of 4.13. 

Bard has given up only 16 home runs in his career, but 7 were to the Yankees. The most he has given up against any other team is 2.

Paplebon, on the other hand, had an ERA of 1.93 against the Yankees in 2011.

Though Bard has even better velocity than Paplebon, he isn't as smart a pitcher.

WHERE EACH TOP FREE AGENT WILL LAND

1B Albert Pujols: The world champion St. Louis Cardinals’ best player (possibly baseball’s best) has hit the open market, but might not be as hot a commodity as expected. With the Red Sox and the Yankees already secure at first base, the only major competitors for Pujols are the Rangers, Cubs, and Angels. I think he stays in St. Louis.

PREDICTION: Cardinals

1B Prince Fielder: There is no doubt in my mind that he is leaving Milwaukee. I believe the suitors will be the Rangers, Angels, Orioles, and the Cubs. He also has the problem of a small first base market. Chicago is a perfect fit. It’s a small ballpark where he can hit a lot of home runs, they have a new General Manager who wants to make a splash, and they are rebuilding and can build around him.

PREDICTION: Cubs

SP CJ Wilson: Wilson isn’t an ace, but is looking to get paid like one. This may be an issue for some teams, but the one team I think will pay him is the New York Yankees, who badly need a number two starter. Brian Cashman said earlier on Friday that Wilson is “the most attractive” pitching option.

PREDICTION: Yankees

SS Jose Reyes: The Mets will likely be losing their best player, but to whom? He will have many suitors like the Brewers, Angels, and Red Sox. Though I believe he will become a hated Mets rival and will sign with Florida. Hanley Ramirez has already offered to move to third base for him.

PREDICTION: Marlins

SP Yu Darvish: This is a guy who has seven pitches, including a fastball that tops out at 97 miles per hour. The twenty five year old would be a great fit in Texas, especially if they lose CJ Wilson. JAPANESE

PREDICTION: Rangers

SP Mark Buehrle: Buehrle, who went 13-9 last year for the White Sox, would probably make a great fit for the crosstown Chicago Cubs. He knows how to get ground balls and not give up home runs, which the Cubs need.

PREDICTION: Cubs

CL Jonathan Paplebon: With Daniel Bard having a subpar second half of 2011 (his ERA was 5.28), the Red Sox probably wouldn’t want to run the risk of worsening their already suspect bullpen.

PREDICTION: Red Sox

DH David Ortiz: Though Ortiz has sounded frustrated with the lack of an offer from the Red Sox, it won’t be enough to pull him away from them

PREDICTION: Red Sox

SS Jimmy Rollins: The one team that may be able to lure Rollins away from Philadelphia is the Nationals, who are an up and coming young team who could use some veteran leadership. Rollins could fill that void easily.

PREDICTION: Nationals

MOVES THE YANKEES SHOULD MAKE THIS OFFSEASON

The Yankees offseason began on a good note as they signed CC Sabathia to an extension, which will keep him in pinstripes potentially through the 2017 season. Here are some other changes they should make:

Sign Mark Buehrle: Mark Buehrle is a pitcher who can get batters out without great stuff by getting ground balls and not giving up home runs. He is coming off another solid year, posting a 13-9 record with a 3.59 ERA. He would be a stable force at the backend of the Yankees rotation.

      Resign Freddy Garcia: He may not be the pitcher he once was, but he is good enough to be a fifth starter in the Yankees rotation.


             Cut Ties With Jorge Posada: I know Yankees fans have grown attached to Posada, but he’s just too old and is taking up other players time

        Trade Nick Swisher And Sign Grady Sizemore: Swisher has been good for the Yankees over the past three years, but if the Yankees could get a talented, blue chip prospect, he might be worth trading. Even though Sizemore has had a lot of injuries over the past three seasons, limiting him to 210 games, when healthy he is one of the most talented players in baseball. The twenty eight year old outfielder has 30-35 home run powers with the ability to hit for a high average. He also is a great fielder and has a very strong throwing arm. In 2008, his last full season, Sizemore hit .268 with 33 home runs and 90 RBIs. The only issue here is the fact that Boston is also likely to bid for the left handed hitting outfielder and the Yankees may not want to get involved in a bidding war.

Most people may think the Yankees should pursue free agent pitchers CJ Wilson, Edwin Jackson, and Yu Darvish. Another name that has been mentioned is Carlos Beltran. Here is why these moves wouldn’t work:

CJ Wilson: He seems like the type of player who might not be able to handle the scrutiny of playing in a
city like New York; he seems to not like criticism. Also, he is going to want a lot of money, which he may not be worth, considering his postseason track record.

Edwin Jackson: Jackson and AJ Burnett have had very similar careers. They both have superb talent, but can’t seem to translate that talent into wins. They each have thrown an obscure no-hitter (Burnett walked nine batters, Jackson walked eight.) So it would be no surprise if they both disappoint Yankees fans.

Yu Darvish: The recent lack of success by Japanese pitchers in the Major Leagues (Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Kei Igawa to name a couple) may make this move too risky for the bombers.

Carlos Beltran: Now 35, Beltran is no longer the player he once was, though he can still hit, he isn’t an upgrade over Swisher.

POSITION PLAYER CHANGES THE YANKEES SHOULD MAKE

The Yankees must go through a few changes in terms of their offense and defensive allignment if they want to improve in 2012. I have a few changes in mind. Though some may be far fetched, a man can dream.

The Yankees should start by having Jesus Montero split time at the Designated Hitter slot with Alex Rodriguez. Montero would be the DH against right handed pitchers and Rodriguez DH against lefties.

The reason Jesus Montero wouldn't DH against lefties is because he would be converted to left field in place of Gardner, who hit a mere .233 against left handed pitchers last season while Montero hit .500. Also, Montero has a good arm and hasn't been a catcher long enough to have bad knees. I think Montero would make a competent left fielder.

Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez, whose performance has begun to slip because of a recent string of injuries, needs to get some time off while staying in the lineup. Having him DH against lefties would be a perfect way to keep his bat in the lineup.While Rodriguez is the DH, Nunez would play third. I know Nunez made twenty errors this seasons, but only six of them  were as a third baseman.

Lineup vs RHP


1. SS Derek Jeter

2. CF Curtis Granderson

3. 2B Robinson Cano

4. 3B Alex Rodriguez

5. 1B Mark Teixeira

6. DH Jesus Montero

7. RF Nick Swisher

8. C Russell Martin

9. LF Brett Gardner

Lineup vs LHP


1. SS Derek Jeter

2. CF Curtis Granderson

3. 2B Robinson Cano

4. DH Alex Rodriguez

5. 1B Mark Teixeira

6. LF Jesus Montero

7. RF Nick Swisher

8. C Russel Martin

9. Eduardo Nunez

WOULD GREINKE AND WILSON MAKE UP FOR CC?

It would be great if the Yankees could get both Zack Greinke and CJ Wilson, but would it be worth losing ace lefty CC Sabathia? I say yes.

Sabathia will probably ask for something similar to his last contract, seven years-$161 million. It would be fine if it was a four or five year contract, but seven seems excessive.  He'll be 38 in seven years.

The Yankees should try to pry Zack Greinke, who went 16-6 with a 3.83 ERA, away from the Brewers by offering one of their two top pitching prospects, Manny Banuelos and Delin Betances, and sign him to a five year $80 million contract extension.

The Yankees should then sign Rangers lefty CJ Wilson, who went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA, to a five year $70 million contract.

Here is what the Yankees rotation would look like:

1. RHP Zack Greinke

2. LHP CJ Wilson

3. RHP Ivan Nova

4. RHP Phil Hughes

5. RHP Joba Chamberlain

Something to think about: these proposed contracts add up to $150 million. In 2009, CC Sabathia signed a seven year $161 million contract. If both Greinke and Wilson get the contracts they deserve, the two contracts together still cost $11 million less then Sabathia.

JOBA BACK TO ROTATION?

Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who is currently recovering from Tommy John Surgery, may need to reinvent his pitching style if he ever wants to perform up to the level everyone expects of him.

I believe the best way to go about this is to have him work on his curveball and changeup instead of relying so heavily on his fastball and slider. He threw those two pitches a combined 85.6% of the time. If Joba can regain some of his velocity and can become a little more economical with his pitches, it might be worth giving him another shot in the rotation.

I know this may spark some strong feelings, but if Joba can successfully reinvent himself, it would be like a fresh start for a guy who might be better off in the rotation, pending his velocity.

If a pitcher throws his fastball at about 96-100 miles per hour, he can get away with more mistakes because of the extra velocity. On the other hand, if a pitcher's fastball velocity goes from 92-94 miles per hour, occasionally hitting 95-96, it is a lot easier to cath up to, and those mistakes fly over the center field fence.

I also believe that Larry Rothchild is the perfect pitching coach to help the twenty six year old righty change himself, seeing as he has worked with quite a few phenom pitchers who can't stay healthy (Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, etc.)

ORTIZ TO NEW YORK?

For nine years David Ortiz has been the face of the Boston Red Sox, but will he be trading in his red socks for Yankee pinstripes? It's not out of the question.

 A few days ago, David Ortiz was interviewed by ESPN's Colleen Dominguez, and when asked about staying in Boston, he said "There's too much drama. I have been thinking about a lot of things. I don't know if I want to be a part of this drama next year." When asked about the possibility of joining the Yankees, Ortiz said "It's great from what i hear. It's a good situation to be involved in. Who doesn't want to be in a great situation where everything goes the right way?"

It may just be a negotiation tactic, but if Ortiz, who has the most home runs ever by a DH, is at all serious, he would a major asset to the Yankees lineup, which already features two MVP candidates in Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson, along with  slugging third baseman Alex Rodriguez and first baseman Mark Teixeira.

There are two problems I see with signing David Ortiz. One being that it would mean letting catcher Russell Martin walk because Jesus Montero would have to be moved to catcher as the DH slot would be filled by Ortiz.

Also, it might be wise to move the oft injured third baseman Alex Rodriguez to designated hitter, which could make the difference in terms of his health, which could carry over to his performance.

EPSTEIN FOR CASTRO OR CASHNER?

If recent reports are true, Theo Eptein will be the Cubs next general manager. This would put the Red Sox in a position to ask for something big in return. If I were the Red Sox I would ask for Starlin Castro, the Cubs young shortstop who led the National League with 207 hits.

Castro, who would add to an already stellar Red Sox lineup, might even get better because he would be able to hit balls off the green monster. Also, his defense will improve over time, which will make him a five tool threat in whatever lineup he's penciled in to.

If this option fails, then the Sox should ask for Andrew Cashner, the Cubs twenty five year old, hard throwing righty, who could either become a top of the rotation starter or a top notch reliever.

His talent became apparent when he posted an ERA of 1.69 in seven games for the Cubs last season.

As for the Cubs, if they want to end their 103 year drought, Epstein is the gut to put that championship team together.

MOVES THE YANKEES SHOULD/SHOULD NOT MAKE

SHOULD

1. RE-SIGN CC TO A 7 YEAR, $165 MILLON, FRONT LOADED CONTRACT: There is no question that the Yankees must resign their lefty ace, who won 19 games or the third straight season, but it will cost them. Sabathia will definitely want more years, which means more money. If they front load the contract, giving him most of the money in the first four years, they won't have to pay him for the end of his career, which will allow them to potentially trade him, or move him around in the rotation.

2. SIGN CJ WILSON TO A 4 YEAR $80 MILLION CONTRACT: Wilson would make a great number two starter behind Sabathia. Also, he is a lefty, which is always a good thing when the major competition is  the lefty heavy lineup of the Boston Red Sox.

3. SAY GOODBYE TO POSADA: Jorge Posada can no longer catch, and has proven that he doesn't have the power to be a Designated Hitter.

4. PICK UP OPTION ON NICK SWISHER: I think he deserves another shot. He has been consistently good for the Yankees and is good for 25 home runs and 85-90 RBI.

5. BRING BACK MARTIN: Though Russell Martin is not an offensive star, he is competent with the bat, and is a great defender.

SHOULD NOT


1. TRADE JESUS MONTERO: Even if the Mariners change their mind about trading Felix Hernandez for a package centered around Jesus Montero, I would say no. Jesus Montero looks like the righty hitting Adrian Gonzalez to me because of his opposite field power. He could be a force in the middle of the Yankees lineup for years to come.

2. SIGN YU DARVISH: I don't see much of a difference between Darvish and Dice-K. Also, do you remember Kei Igawa? Enough said.