Kevin Millwood & Chris Dickerson in, Sergio Mitre out

After keeping quiet for most of spring training, the Yankees made a couple of moves this morning, less than a week away from Opening Day.

First, they finally signed Kevin Millwood. Second, they traded Sergio Mitre to the Brewers for center fielder Chris Dickerson.

Of course, the Yankees had to stir the pot right after I released my pitching projections.

Andruw Jones signs with Yankees for $2M

The Yankees finally found their fourth outfielder today. Andruw Jones, a five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover, agreed to a $2 million deal which includes an additional $1.2 million in performance bonuses.

As a backup the past few seasons with the Dodgers, Rangers and White Sox, Jones isn’t getting many hits but he’s making them count when he does — 50.3 percent of his hits have gone for extra bases.

Plus, as he’s done his entire career, he still mashes against southpaws — last season to the tune of .272/.380/.565.

What do you think of the Jones signing?

Give me Hairston. Either Hairston!

The Yankees are pursuing Andruw Jones. Yes, the 33-year-old longtime Braves outfielder who has not played a full season since 2007 or hit above .250 since 2006. But apparently his glove is still tempting, since the Yankees are looking for a backup outfielder NOT a backup DH.

Jorge Posada IS the DH, according to the Yankees.

I don’t think the Yankees should bother with Jones. His glove may still be gold, but who knows? He’s not healthy enough these days to judge that. The free agent outfield market is very thin, but here are the top alternatives:

Daily News: Lee tops Yankees’ to-do list, Werth and Crawford don’t fit

Via the NY Daily News:

According to a source, the Yankees aren't planning to make a hard charge for Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth, the top two offensive free agents available this winter.

The source reasoned Crawford or Werth wouldn’t fit in the Yankees outfield with Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson all expected back.

That sounds like a sensible reason to me. The current outfield is relatively inexpensive for a talented trio, and a slight talent upgrade wouldn’t be worth the huge price increase.

Some of you may be disappointed — don’t lose all hope, it’s just one anonymous source — but I do agree with this source and hope he or she is right about the Yankees’ plans.

As I posted Tuesday, the Giants proved last year pitching wins championships. If Cliff Lee is available, make him the priority. I’m pretty happy with the Yankees so far this offseason.

Curtis called up, Hughes rules implemented

Before tonight’s game, the Yankees made a couple of key team decisions. First, The Yankees announced Phil Hughes won’t make his next scheduled start on Friday in an attempt to keep his innings count under control. He will now make his next start a week from Tuesday against the Mariners.

Bryan Hoch reports he won’t be pushed back any more until at least after the All-Star break. To quickly sum up the plan, he’ll make three starts instead of four before the break, and then will rest an additional full turn in the rotation after the break.

I’m glad the Yankees are essentially ignoring the fact that Hughes is the co-league leader in wins right now and his 3.17 ERA. They’re looking ahead to the future, not getting caught up in one season. I have no problems with the move.

The Yankees second decision was designating extra catcher Chad Moeller for assignment, opening up a spot for minor league outfielder Colin Curtis.

Curtis was hitting .280/.357/.368 in Triple-A with 0 HR and 12 RBIs.

Curtis joins backup outfielder Chad Huffman on the bench. It will be interesting to see how Joe Girardi uses them. Even more interesting will be the mini competition between them to keep their roster spot when say Marcus Thames returns from the DL.

Guest post: Trade deadline ideas for Yankees — the Long way

By Susan Long 

The trade deadline feels so far away at the end of July - but it will be the All Star break soon and then the trade deadline will be upon us. The Yankees look like a solid team, 36-22 and two games behind Tampa. But the recent series against the Mets (1-2) and Toronto (1-2) exposed some key weaknesses.

There are two moves that the Yankees should make prior to the trade deadline in order to make a solid team even stronger. One, an offensive outfielder. Granderson has shown some pop since returning from the disabled list including the grand slam against the lowly Orioles, and Swisher is consistent but between Gardner, Thames and Russo, there is no power threat off the bench or in late innings. The second, a DH. Right now, Jorge is the DH since he cannot catch. However, he cannot hit either and between he and Cervelli who is in a slump, that’s two holes in the line up.

With those weaknesses in mind, there are two potential moves for the Yankees. One is significantly easier than the other: Ty Wigginton. I hear you already. They don’t need a 2B/1B man, they have Cano and Tex. True. Very true. But Wigginton has the power and consistency to DH. He could bring some much needed pop and oomph to the line up and spell either Tex or Cano without losing anything in the line up. He would also be a late inning power threat off of the bench.

The second is more of a challenge but very much a rent a slugger in the fashion of Cecil Fielder, Ruben Sierra, David Justice, et al. I think if the Dodgers are out of it, the Yankees need to trade for Manny Ramirez. Yes, Manny. That Manny. Yankee and American League pitcher-killing Manny. He can play the outfield or DH and he would be a threat. He wouldn’t want to play in New York? Yes he would, with the hope of a ring. Manny would wear pinstripes. And I don’t necessarily think that would be a bad thing. The Yankees need him - and he needs the Yankees.

As for who they’d trade for either of these? That’s a little harder. I think there’s some value in Juan Miranda, or even Brett Gardner if they’re serious about going after Carl Crawford in free agency. The Yankees brass is good at making lemonade out of spoiled lemons: A-Rod for Alfonso Soriano. Nick Swisher for Wilson Betemit? Cashman will make a solid move at the deadline and this team will be stronger for it.

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About the Author: Susan Long is a dedicated Yankees Fan who would love to give up her day job at Sell Property Quickly and keep those Yankees in line full time!

Granderson to start minor league rehab, could return next week

Curtis Granderson worked out with the Yankees before last night’s game and is meeting up with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on its road trip to play five games in six days, according to the Journal News. If all goes well, Granderson could be back in the Yankee lineup before the end of the month.

This is great news for the Yankees, as the weakened offense is certainly feeling the effects of losing Granderson, Nick Johnson, Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher full-time.

Johnson was transferred to the 60-day DL and Posada went on the 15-day DL to make room for Chad Moeller and Kevin Russo. Russo, the star on offense in last night’s game, will probably start in left again tonight if Marcus Thames isn’t ready to return from a sprained ankle.

Swisher has played the last two games, hitting left-handed, and is 2-for-8 with two runs scored.

Granderson’s return would give the Yankees seven Opening Day starters in their lineup and also would be a big help to the struggling outfield defense. Steve S. from The Yankee U wonders if he’ll be moved to left field upon his return. Like Steve, I wouldn’t mind it if he moved. As Steve said, Granderson has said publicly he wouldn’t mind it either. Does he really mean that? Who knows. I think with his professionalism he would be fine.

Spring training meant nothing for Thames

Remember when everyone was worried about left field with Brett Gardner, Marcus Thames and Randy Winn fighting for the last spot? Well, Gardner has been outstanding, Winn hasn’t even needed to pick up a bat and Thames has been red hot against lefties (16 of his 17 at-bats).

In 52 spring training at-bats, Thames collected seven hits. He already has more hits in a third of the at-bats this season. Against lefties, he’s hitting .625 with three doubles and a homer. That’s insane.

Meanwhile, Gardner is hitting .306/.386/.371. He’s also tied for the league lead in steals with nine. He’s on pace for 70 steals this season.

The Yankees have a weird lineup

The Yankees had the top offense in baseball last season, and are expected to repeat in that category this year (at least in the American League). What’s very unusual about this year’s lineup is they have their three outfielders at the very bottom of the order.

Sunday	Tuesday
7. Curtis Granderson	7. Nick Swisher
8. Nick Swisher	8. Marcus Thames
9. Brett Gardner	9. Curtis Granderson

Last year the Yankees had Johnny Damon batting second most of the time, but Nick Johnson, the designated hitter, replaced him this year. Now the Yankees will likely bat their three outfielders at the bottom of the lineup each game.

The Yankees have a weird lineup like this because of their two stars in the middle of the infield, Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter, which are normally weak-hitting positions. I did some searching through lineups this year and couldn’t find any other lineup doing the same thing as the Yankees. If you know one that does, please let me know!

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Interesting lineup note: According to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger, Joe Girardi said Thames will be “starting against most left-handers, though not necessarily always for Gardner.”

This was a lot more playing time than I was expecting for Thames. I’m not sure if I’m in love with the idea just yet, but I want to see a few more games before I take a stance.

It’s official: Granderson to play center

According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, Curtis Granderson — not Brett Gardner — will be the starting center fielder in 2010.

Thrre things that make sense about this move:

1. For Gardner to take over in center, he would’ve had to convince the Yankees he was far superior, which he is not. Why?
   
2. Because Granderson was the top acquisition of the offseason, and it’s very important for him to feel comfortable. The Yankees didn’t notice a wide gap in the defense, so they kept Granderson in center.
   
3. Let’s say the Yankees went the other way and put Gardner in center. Then, Gardner loses his job due to awful hitting. That would result in switching Granderson back to center, which isn’t very easy on a guy who should be playing in the same spot every day.
   
   Granderson’s job in center is secure, and the only reason he won’t be out there is an injury.

Yankees roster, position battle notes

In light of a few recent roster moves, the Yankees Opening Day roster is nearly set. Here’s a quick recap of the moves and a look at the latest projected roster.

• Rule 5 pick Jamie Hoffmann cleared waivers and returned to the LA Dodgers. This opens the door for Marcus Thames as one of the backup outfielders.
  
• According to Ed Price, the Yankees placed Chad Gaudin on waivers early this morning. Gaudin had an awful spring, but he was more of a proven major league pitcher than Sergio Mitre, who now looks like the favorite for a long relief role.
  
• The projected Opening Day roster (via LoHud):
  
  Pitchers
  Alfredo Aceves
  A.J. Burnett
  Joba Chamberlain
  Phil Hughes
  Damaso Marte
  Sergio Mitre
  Chan Ho Park
  Andy Pettitte
  Mariano Rivera
  Dave Robertson
  CC Sabathia
  Javier Vazquez
  
  Catchers
  Francisco Cervelli
  Jorge Posada
  
  Infielders
  Robinson Cano
  Derek Jeter
  Nick Johnson
  Ramiro Pena
  Alex Rodriguez
  Mark Teixeira
  
  Outfielders
  Brett Gardner
  Curtis Granderson
  Nick Swisher
  Marcus Thames
  Randy Winn

Not bad at all.

Touching on the two major position decisions: Hughes is the odds-on favorite to be the No. 5 starter and Gardner will likely be the starting left fielder.

As for the batting order: Johnson should hit second, Cano fifth, Posada sixth and Granderson seventh. The rest should be obvious.

There’s your update! It looks like this team has resolved its spring training debates and is ready to repeat as champions.

Please, send along any questions you have about this season in the comments or my inbox.

Poll Results: Granderson better option than Matsui or Damon

The fans voted Curtis Granderson will have a better season than Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui in 2010 by a wide margin.

I was not expecting this.

Granderson is by far the healthiest, but that’s about the only thing going for him. Damon and Matsui have posted huge offensive numbers in the past few seasons, and I wouldn’t expect a significant drop off this year just because they are on different teams.

Next poll: Who deserves a spot in the bullpen more?

Cashman: Hoffmann’s spot is ‘his to lose’

Headline says it all, according to Chad Jennings.

I was surprised by Brian Cashman’s statement. The Yankees have a few outfielders vying for a spot on the roster, and I thought Jamie Hoffmann was last on that list.

The outfielders with a 99.9 percent chance of making the team are Cutis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner. Those three, plus a 12-man pitching staff, two catchers, the rest of the starting infield, a backup (Ramiro Pena most likely) and Nick Johnson, leaves two spots left on the 25-man roster.

Candidates:
Randy Winn
Hoffmann
Marcus Thames

Winn is an obvious pick for me, but it’s a coin flip between Hoffmann and Thames for the final spot. Hoffmann has better defense, Thames has more power and experience.

You could also make the argument for Juan Miranda (1B/DH) for the final spot. He might be the best hitter of the bunch, but he’d be third or fourth on the depth chart for first base (so he’s probably not the guy).

Check out this post for a breakdown of some of the high-up minor league outfielders that could see time in the Yankee outfield.

Cash says Granderson is the center fielder

Brian Cashman talked about the outfield situation on Sirius XM yesterday and gave more than just a hint as to how the outfield was going to look (via River Ave. Blues).

So we have [Nick] Swisher in right, Granderson in center and Gardner, assuming he holds it down and wins it, will be in left.

But Granderson’s our center fielder. He’s an above average center fielder and that’s why we acquired him.

I’m not marking it down just yet though. That’s not Cashman’s decision. It’s Joe Girardi’s.

At this point, however, I agree with Cashman.

Piliere on Yankee OF Greg Golson

Yes, another post on Frankie Piliere’s scouting reports. Chad Jennings asked him what he thought about the Yankees’ newest 40-man roster addition, outfielder Greg Golson.

“I think it’s a fantastic deal,” Piliere wrote. “Zero risk. (Mitch) Hilligoss was pretty limited, I think. Golson can absolutely fly and can play the outfield. I think it’s a great gamble. It wasn’t very long ago that he was a top prospect. He wasn’t awful in AAA, not great but not bad. I think he can continue to develop.”

So, Golson is a Brett Gardner type — fast, plus-defense and not much bat. Here’s what Joe Girardi said his plans were for both players (also via LoHud):

“We expect Gardy to have more playing time, and (Golson) gives us another guy like Gardy (off the bench) if we feel there’s a need.”

I didn’t post about him yesterday when the Yankees added him because I didn’t think he had a chance to play a role on the Yankees in 2010. But it seems now he does.

Also, check out Piliere’s in-depth scouting report on Pat Venditte, the switch-pitcher in New York’s farm system.

Photo credit

Final thoughts on Brett Gardner

All signs say the Yankees will add someone else who can play left field this offseason, but as of right now Brett Gardner is the guy. The addition most likely will not be any big piece, according to Brian Cashman. I trust Gardner as a starter, and here’s why.

Brett can hit: Gardner is not that bad a No. 9 hitter. At all. A hitting line of .270/.345/.379 may look bad, but it’s actually quite good if you factor in his speed on the base paths. He stole 26 bases in 31 attempts last year, and surely would make a run at 50 thefts in a full season in left. Not bad for a No. 9 hitter, especially when this was the average AL hitter’s line in ‘09:  .267/.336/.428.

Gardy’s got D: Gardner is also a quality defensive outfielder. He is even considered by most a better center fielder than newly acquired Curtis Granderson. Since Gardner’s spot in the lineup isn’t nearly as secure as Granderson’s, I’d keep Granderson in center, rather than making him switch back and forth between left and center, especially if the Yankees acquire another left fielder to platoon with Gardner.

Lacking depth: Despite my trust in Gardner, I don’t think it is greedy of Yankees fans to be asking for another outfielder. The Yankees have a great lineup, but lack depth. If injury prone DH Nick Johnson goes down, New York has nobody but the unproven Juan Miranda to back him up.

Don’t need Damon: I believe a bat like Jeremy Reed would suffice in this situation, but a lot of fans like the idea of bringing back Johnny Damon. Damon doesn’t make sense unless he and Scott Boras significantly lower his price tag, but that won’t happen because other teams still need a left fielder. Also, the Yankees already found a replacement for him with Johnson. There’s simply no need.

Balanced lineup: I really like the flow of the current lineup with Gardner at No. 9. Whenever Gardner singles or walks, the Yankees can hit and run with Derek Jeter every time to avoid the double play. Here’s a look at the lineup vs. righties:

Player	Pos.	Bat	‘09 OPS*
Jeter	SS	R	.871
Johnson	DH	L	.831
Teixeira	1B	S	.948
Rodriguez	3B	R	.933
Granderson	CF	L	.780
Posada	C	S	.885
Cano	2B	L	.871
Swisher	RF	S	.869
Gardner	LF	L	.724

* MLB average OPS was .764

Gardner is the only player in the lineup with an OPS below the league average, and I think his speed easily makes up for the lack of power. Overall, the lineup has a great balance between power and speed. Don’t mess with it!

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Knowing my luck, Cashman will go out and sign Matt Holliday tomorrow.

Yankees pursuing left fielder in spite of fans, DeRosa near deal with Giants

Peeking over at my poll on the left, the first outburst of fans are trusting Brett Gardner to start in the outfield in 2010. However, Jon Heyman is tweeting the Yankees are looking to add an outfielder and will be disappointed if Mark DeRosa signs with the Giants.

Those talks have been moving slowly since last week, but it appears they’re really trying to close the deal soon.

You might be wondering why Brian Cashman doesn’t just outbid the Giants for DeRosa. If you are, you should know the Yankees are reportedly looking to avoid a big increase in payroll, as they currently stand at approximately $200 million for 2010.

Also, Heyman attempted to minimize the talk about the Yankees’ interest in Jermaine Dye by tweeting other teams have more interest. I don’t think his poor defense belongs in the Yankees outfield anyway. Jeremy Reed sounds like a cheaper and better option to me.

Jermaine Dye returns to Yankees radar

The Yankees are reportedly interested in signing free agent Jermaine Dye, according to Phil Rogers, and it wouldn’t be the first time Brian Cashman showed some interest in the soon-to-be-36-year-old right fielder.

Dye is coming off a rough year with the White Sox. Let’s look at his last three years with the White Sox:

Year	G	R	2B	HR	RBI	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2007	138	68	34	28	78	107	.254	.317	.486
2008	154	96	41	34	96	104	.292	.344	.541
2009	141	68	19	27	81	108	.250	.340	.453

That’s definitely respectable production, especially in comparison to Brett Gardner’s. I’d project the righty to post a similar year offensively to 2009 with the Yankees in 2010, but perhaps more RBIs because of who would be in front of him in the lineup.

However, if the Yankees sign him, they’ll have to switch Nick Swisher to left and put Dye in right. Swisher’s played 117 games in left in his career while Dye has spent 98.6 percent of his career manning right. Dye is a quality right fielder, but is aging and his range is definitely inferior to Gardner’s.

UPDATE: Jason over at It’s About the Money, Stupid! informs me Dye is an AWFUL right fielder. Good to know.

I’m not sure how much money Dye is looking for, but I’d guess maybe a two-year deal worth $7MM/yr. If I’m the Yankees, I stick with the speed and defense of Gardner or keep an eye out for Reed Johnson or Jonny Gomes.

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Note: Rogers said the Yankees were shopping Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin. Why not kill two birds with one stone by trading one or both of them for a left fielder? Just a thought.

Yanks’ outfield picture: Who’s in left field?

And his name better not be “Why.” – Abbott and Costello

After trading A starting outfielder (Melky Cabrera) for a starting pitcher (Javier Vazquez), the Yankees answered the rotation’s need for a pitcher but opened up a new hole in the outfield. Here's what the Yanks can do to fill that void:

Brett Gardner
The first option is to fill the whole from someone within the organization, namely, Gardner. Can he handle the starting job with Jamie Hoffmann as his backup? I say yes! Most believe he’s an awful major league hitter — I did too until I bothered to look at his numbers (.270 BA/.345 OBP/.379 SLG, 26 SB in 284 plate appearances). To me, that’s easily good enough to be a No. 9 hitter — even in the Yankees’ loaded lineup. Instead of acquiring someone to take his place, they could add a better backup than Hoffmann.

Free Agent disclaimer from Brian Cashman:

"I will continue to look at any remaining piece," Cashman said. "But it won't be a big piece. Any speculation about some high-end player who has big ability and dollars attached on a large scale would be inappropriate."

Going by that, Cashman is looking for a cheap, possibly one-year deal — so he can pursue next year’s strong FA class — so don’t expect a big name in left field in 2010.

Mark DeRosa
This is who the Yankees seem most likely to deal for if any at all. He’s at the top of the Yankees’ wish list, according to Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record. He’s been a journeyman over the past six years, playing for five teams (two in AL). He usually brings a solid bat to the table, but his numbers have declined considerably over the past three years (.293 to .250 BA). He’s only played 412 innings in left field, but he gives the Yankees some flexibility if they want to give an infielder a day off. If he won’t accept a one-year deal around $5MM, I say he’s not worth it.

Matt Holliday/Jason Bay/Johnny Damon
This is where you have to use your instincts. You’ve read what Cashman said about not looking to sign a big piece this winter. However, he also said that last year and then he signed Mark Teixeira. Let me start off by saying it would be a disgrace if Damon came back at this point. He already rejected a two-year, $18 million contract from the Yankees. That won’t go over too well with the fans if he's in pinstripes next year. I say, he’s out of the picture. But then again, he’s an “idiot.” Who knows.

As for Holliday and Bay, I don’t think either is a guy the Yankees want to make a key part of this franchise. Their core group is already intact, and with their payroll hovering around $200 million right now, I don’t see them jumping another $15 million.

Random Trade
Cashman is loving the trades this offseason. He’s made three big ones so far, two being huge. As far as I know, he’s probably finalizing a trade right now with Ichiro, and somehow he’ll keep Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Jesus Montero on the team!

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Thought I’d bring back this photoshopped image below to remind you how crowded last year’s outfield was.