Guest Post: The Yankees’ non-existent strategy of keeping top prospects

Hey, I’m Ryan Kantor. I write a blog with my friend Tommy. Our blog is about sports, music, and politics, but we’re both Yankee fans and Lenny was nice enough to let me make a guest post on his wildly well-read Yankees Blog. So first of all, I want to thank Lenny for letting me do this and then I want to correct an incorrect perception.

You probably know about a lot of the young talent we’ve moved over the years (Mike Lowell, Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook) but since we decided not to trade Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain for Johan Santana (great decision) there has been a perception that Brian Cashman is keeping all of our top prospects and aggressively building the farm season, and that just isn’t so.

In 2008 the Yankees moved a big package of talented prospects for just a little bit of major league talent. New York shipped talented outfielder Jose Tabata, and right-handed pitchers Daniel McCutchen, Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf to Pittsburgh. Tabata is now Pittsburgh’s young productive No. 2 hitter, and Ohlendorf has been a consistent arm in their rotation (I’d take him over A.J. Burnett and save the $16 million). The Yankees received Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. Marte is currently on the DL while Nady is now on the Cubs.

This offseason, we moved another group of talented prospects in Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy, and most notably Austin Jackson for Curtis Granderson. Granderson’s struggles in New York and Jackson’s torrid start to the season have made some wonder if this was a wise move for the Yankees.

The point is not that Cashman is making bad trades and giving away prospects for nothing. Rather, it’s quite the opposite.

They gave up quite a lot for Marte and Nady. Nady only played in 66 games for New York, while Marte contributed a 5.40 ERA in 2008 and a 9.45 ERA in 2009. That being said, do you remember when Coke stopped getting people out in the 2009 postseason? Joe Girardi turned to Marte and he came through for them time and time again. Would we have won the World Series without him? Maybe, but who knows. Does the shiny set of rings justify the trade? Absolutely!

The Granderson trade looked pretty bad when Granderson was struggling and Jackson was raking, then Granderson went on the DL and it looked even worse. That said, would you rather have a rookie center fielder with two home runs and the AL lead in strikeouts or a 29 year old with some pop up at the plate in a meaningful October game?

The Yankees are at a point with their roster where it’s time to go all in. Exactly as the Los Angeles Lakers seem to recognize, Cashman and the Yankees know their core can only win 100+ games and add to the Yankees collection of World Series flags for another year or two. With Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriquez, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte at the end of their primes and CC Sabathia, Burnett, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher already deep into their primes, what will this team look like in three years?

A lot goes into being a great GM, knowing what your team needs is critical, but knowing when they need it most may be just as important. This could be their last shot to win it all before entering rebuilding mode, so Cashman is going all in and I applaud him. The Yankees are placing their bet on themselves, and giving it one or two more shots with Jeter, Posada, Rivera, and the classic Yankees we have come to know and love.

Here’s to #28!

Thanks, Ryan! Great stuff. Make sure to check out Ryan’s blog for more of his commentary.

Ex-Yanks season update No. 4

Here’s another regular season update on some of the key Yankees who left the team this offseason.

Hitter (team)	AB	H	AVG/OBP/SLG	HR	RBI
Johnny Damon (DET)	388	108	.278/.361/.425	7	39
Austin Jackson (DET)	436	132	.303/.355/.401	1	25
Hideki Matsui (LAA)	370	93	.251/.331/.416	15	59
Melky Cabrera (ATL)	349	94	.269/.329/.381	4	31
Xavier Nady (CHC)	169	39	.231/.304/.349	4	23
Jose Molina (Tor)	122	30	.246/.313/.377	4	9
Eric Hinske (ATL)	232	49	.254/.336/.461	9	42

Pitcher (team)	G	IP	ERA	K	WHIP
Ian Kennedy (ARI)	24	146	4.38	124	1.25
Phil Coke (DET)	56	49.1	2.55	42	1.32
Brian Bruney (WAS)	19	17.2	7.64	16	2.32
Chien-Ming Wang (WAS)	--	--	--	--	--

Notes on notables:
Melky Cabrera: Melky has finally picked up the pace for the Braves after an awful start. Since the last update, the Melk-Man is hitting .304 with a homer and seven RBIs.

Jose Molina: Slow-Mo-lina is in the midst of a rough stretch for the Blue Jays. All three of his averages dipped around 30 points since my last update.

Ian Kennedy: Kennedy has been a fairly steady presence in the D’Back rotation. But in his last six starts, only two have been quality.

Brian Bruney: Bruney hasn’t pitched for the Mets’ Triple-A team since July 27. He has a 3.18 ERA in 11-1/3 IP for the Bisons.

Chien-Ming Wang: The latest report on Wang is he’s scheduled for a side session this Friday, but recently the Nationals manager said he “isn’t counting on Wang” to return this season. Wang has pitched in just 27 games since 2008.

Ex-Yanks season update No. 3

Here’s another regular season update on some of the key Yankees who left the team this offseason.

Hitter (team)	AB	H	AVG/OBP/SLG	HR	RBI
Johnny Damon (DET)	292	80	.274/.362/.421	6	28
Austin Jackson (DET)	313	94	.300/.354/.403	1	20
Hideki Matsui (LAA)	294	74	.252/.334/.398	10	47
Melky Cabrera (ATL)	270	70	.249/.312/.330	2	15
Xavier Nady (CHC)	138	31	.225/.295/.348	4	19
Jose Molina (Tor)	85	24	.282/.351/.400	2	6
Eric Hinske (ATL)	175	48	.274/.337/.480	6	34

Pitcher (team)	G	IP	ERA	K	WHIP
Ian Kennedy (ARI)	18	111.1	4.12	100	1.40
Phil Coke (DET)	42	36.1	2.48	30	1.32
Brian Bruney (WAS)	19	17.2	7.64	16	2.32
Chien-Ming Wang (WAS)	--	--	--	--	--

Notes on notables:
Hideki Matsui: Godzilla has cooled down since the last update, going six for his last 34. He hasn’t hit any homers in that span, and has just one since June 6.

Melky Cabrera: The Melk-Man is on a bit of a run since the last update. He even had a game-winning homer against the Mets just last week. But with Javier Vazquez pitching the way he has the past couple of months, nobody has second-guessed Brian Cashman’s trade since April.

Ian Kennedy: He’s thrown just one quality start in his last five starts after throwing eight in his first 13. His ERA has also increased in each of his last five starts.

Brian Bruney: He was signed by the Mets last week and is pitching for their Triple-A affiliate.

Ex-Yanks season update No. 2

Here’s another regular season update on some of the key Yankees who left the team this offseason.

Hitter (team)	AB	H	AVG/OBP/SLG	HR	RBI
Johnny Damon (DET)	218	64	.294/.395/.431	3	18
Austin Jackson (DET)	250	77	.308/.352/.412	1	14
Hideki Matsui (LAA)	223	60	.269/.343/.444	9	39
Melky Cabrera (ATL)	185	46	.249/.312/.330	2	15
Xavier Nady (CHC)	92	23	.250/.330/.424	4	17
Jose Molina (Tor)	52	15	.288/.373/.327	0	4
Eric Hinske (ATL)	117	37	.316/.386/.556	4	24

Pitcher (team)	G	IP	ERA	K	WHIP
Ian Kennedy (ARI)	13	82.1	3.17	71	1.12
Phil Coke (DET)	30	27	3.33	20	1.37
Brian Bruney (WAS)	19	17.2	7.64	16	2.32
Chien-Ming Wang (WAS)	--	--	--	--	--

Notes on notables:
Austin Jackson: It seems he’s the only one the Yankees are really missing. He’d be an upgrade over Curtis Granderson right now, but only slightly, as Granderson has been great since returning from the DL. A-Jax added only four RBIs since the last update a month ago.

Hideki Matsui: He’s picked it up since the last update, adding five homers and 24 RBIs. He’s been a big part of the Angels’ offense since Kendry Morales’s freak injury.

Ian Kennedy: He continues to be a solid starter for Arizona. A 3.17 ERA is solid even for the National League. He has a 3-3 record for the last-place D’Backs.

Chien-Ming Wang: He still hasn’t pitched yet this year. He should be ready at some point in July.

Ex-Yanks regular season update No. 1

Here’s the first of many regular season update on some of the key Yankees who left the team this offseason.

Hitter (team)	AB	H	AVG/OBP/SLG	HR	RBI
Johnny Damon (DET)	123	36	.293/.405/.439	2	15
Austin Jackson (DET)	148	51	.345/.390/.466	1	10
Hideki Matsui (LAA)	124	28	.226/.307/.371	4	15
Melky Cabrera (ATL)	107	21	.196/.283/.234	0	8
Xavier Nady (CHC)	43	8	.176/.327/.301	1	6
Jose Molina (Tor)	28	6	.214/.333/.250	0	3
Eric Hinske (ATL)	39	13	.333/.409/.538	0	13

Pitcher (team)	G	IP	ERA	K	WHIP
Ian Kennedy (ARI)	7	44	3.48	35	1.11
Phil Coke (DET)	18	17.1	3.63	14	1.50
Brian Bruney (WAS)	18	16.2	6.48	16	2.22
Chien-Ming Wang (WAS)	--	--	--	--	--

Notes on notables:
Austin Jackson: He’s still the league-leader in at-bats and hits. However, he also leads the league in strikeouts and hasn’t shown much production and/or power (as expected by Brian Cashman).

Hideki Matsui: He’s gone downhill ever since Opening Day. He’s got four hits in 36 at-bats in May. This comes as a surprise to me, as I expected his bat to stay consistent. Also: he has played four games in left field so far — his first time in the field since June 15, 2008.

Ian Kennedy: The numbers don’t lie, he’s been a quality starter for Arizona this year. What’s his worst is Curtis Granderson, the player he helped acquire, has been resting on the DL this month and is off to a slow start.

Chien-Ming Wang: He hasn’t pitched yet this year. The latest update came yesterday afternoon from the Washington Post. The Nationals are targeting a July debut for Wang.

Ex-Yankee spring training stats

Here’s a look at how some of the Yankees that were traded away this offseason fared during spring training. Will the numbers have any bearing on the regular season? Who knows.

Hitter (team)	AB	H	AVG/OBP/SLG	HR	RBI
Johnny Damon (DET)	60	17	.367/.415/.550	2	9
Austin Jackson (DET)	73	26	.356/.434/.616	3	8
Hideki Matsui (LAA)	46	12	.261/.352/.348	1	9
Melky Cabrera (ATL)	70	20	.286/.342/.357	0	5
Xavier Nady (CHC)	34	6	.176/.222/.353	1	3
Jose Molina (Tor)	31	5	.161/.257/.290	1	5
Eric Hinske (ATL)	49	19	.388/.475/.551	2	12

Pitcher (team)	G	IP	ERA	K	WHIP
Ian Kennedy (ARI)	6	25	2.88	17	1.12
Phil Coke (DET)	11	11.1	6.35	6	1.50
Brian Bruney (WAS)	10	10	3.60	6	1.20
Chien-Ming Wang (WAS)	--	--	--	--	--

I’ll be keeping tabs on these players every once in a while this season.

Also, here’s a link to the current Yankees spring training stats.

lenNY’s Yankees hotstove.com Webcast

I spoke on a hotstove.com Webcast for almost a half hour today, touching on most of the offseason topics and looking ahead to this year. See below the video for a breakdown.

1:00 The additions of Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson
4:00 Health of Johnson
5:30 On Xavier Nady and Chien-Ming Wang
7:30 On Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera (I don’t know why)
13:30 On the AL East
21:00 Health of rotation
23:00 Javier Vazquez
24:00 Baseball’s best
25:00 Mark Teixeira
26:00 2009 Playoffs (A-Rod)
27:00 The hosts takeover

Sheets to A's, Nady to Cubs ... Damon?

Buster Olney reported yesterday if the Athletics didn't sign Ben Sheets, they'd go after Johnny Damon. Well, the best starting pitcher on the market, Sheets, agreed to a deal with the Athletics today. Meanwhile, Xavier Nady has agreed on a deal with the Cubs.

What this all means: The Cubs and A's are no longer possible suitors for Damon's services, therefore, the Yankees' chances of re-signing him grow.

This is big news. During last season, I expected the Yankees to re-sign Damon. After signing Nick Johnson, I thought he was long gone. Now, there are just a few teams that would even remotely need/want Damon. The Yankees are one of them.

What does it all come down to: The same thing as always. Money.

Link dump: Ankiel, Baldelli, Nady, Mets

The Yankees haven’t done anything to improve their major league lineup/pitching staff since Tuesday, but rumors are still swirling of acquiring an outfielder to platoon with or even take over for Brett Gardner. Here’s a link roundup, including some notes on the Mets, who I saw all over my Google Reader this morning.

• Rick Ankiel signs with the Royals ($3.25 million/1YR). Cross another name off the list for the Yankees.
• Mets reach deal with Gary Matthews Jr. Is he worth $23 million over two years? Absolutely not. But the Mets are only paying $2 million of that and giving up RP Brian Stokes. Good move for Mets.
• Not really news, but the Yankees are still considering Xavier Nady and Rocco Baldelli for the outfield. I’m surprised Ken Davidoff didn’t mention Reed Johnson too.
• Also from Davidoff, the Yankees were interested in John Smoltz before trading for Javier Vazquez. Now the Mets are interested in the 42-year-old. Umm. WOW! That makes me feel awesome with having Vazquez.
• Mets interested in picking up Chien-Ming Wang. They are one of 15 teams interested, Anthony McCarron reports. Maybe the Yankees should try and retain him for more depth?
• Mets might re-sign Fernando Tatis… Go Mets!

Don't mess with the Law: Gardner ready for left

ESPN's Keith Law has become one of the most respected baseball analysts in the world, and I'm happy to say he agrees with me about one thing. That is, the person who should be patrolling the left field grass in Yankee Stadium this season. He had this to say in one of his Insider posts (thanks TYU):

“Either [Xavier] Nady or [Reed] Johnson represent marginal improvements that may not justify the cost. Neither is really a full-time player. Johnson is strictly a platoon player, and can back up [Curtis] Granderson, but they have [Brett] Gardner for that. Nady, even when healthy, was a platoon guy until ‘08. I’m not a Gardner guy, never have been, but their offense is fine even if they put a pointed stick in left field (if the ball hits the stick, the batter is out). So why not play for defense a little with the cheap guy in-house? Eventually, some other option will emerge and there’s no reason for the Yanks to spend money on left field simply for the sake of spending money.”

No need for me to reiterate the positives in going with Gardner. The one thing I would like to emphasize is the idea that the additional production of Nady or Johnson wouldn't warrant the cost of signing them. In other words, would an upgrade from Gardner to their caliber make a considerable difference in the lineup's ability to produce runs? Is the slight downgrade on defense worth it too?

Now, if you are still on the "bring back Johnny Damon" bandwagon, an upgrade to his ability at the price he'd have to accept to fit the Yankees payroll (let's say $5 million or less) would make more of a positive impact on offense. He'd be hitting second and popping more homers than any other candidate for left field can at this point. But he's also a major downgrade on defense compared to Gardner and his services on offense aren't required for the Yankees to make a run at repeating as champs. Ask anyone: Whose lineup is more feared than the Yankees'?

Sherman: Yanks allotted $2MM for LF

It sounds a little bit ridiculous, but according to Joel Sherman of the Post, "the Yankees are telling agents that they only have $2 million, at most, to spend on a left fielder."

That might be just enough to sign Jerry Hairston Jr., Rocco Baldelli or Marcus Thames, but the amount probably would fall short to acquire Xavier Nady or Reed Johnson (Sherman says all are Yankees targets).

Sherman also revealed the Yankees had competed a deal for Mike Cameron (now on the Red Sox) last July, but Hal Steinbrenner wasn't willing to pay the cost of $5.5 million to keep Cameron the rest of the year. If that doesn't show you the Yankees are serious about payroll, I don't know what does.

However, Cashman was able to convince Steinbrenner last offseason to expand the payroll to retain Andy Pettitte. Because of this, Johnny Damon remains a "remote" option for left field.

My thoughts, again, are: it is unnecessary to bring Damon back after acquiring Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson, and re-signing Hairston would suffice. Baldelli and Thames also are fine options, and I would prefer Johnson to Nady.

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While you are reading this, I'll be in an IMAX 3D theater watching Avatar. I've heard nothing but good things (except for those who "have no interest watching blue people roam around another planet").

Yankees Type A & B free agents

The  Elias free agent rankings are out, and all Type A and B free agents have been classified. (If you don’t know what that means, read this:)

Free agents are classified as Type A, Type B or not at all. The compensation applies to free agents offered arbitration by their former club by the Dec. 1 deadline or to those who sign before then.

If a team signs a Type A free agent, its first-round pick goes to the former team -- unless that pick is in the top 15, in which case a second-round pick goes to the former team. The former team also gets an extra pick between the first and second rounds.

If a team loses a Type B free agent, it gets an extra "sandwich" pick.

Two Yankees were misplaced, and the other two were placed correctly.

As expected, Johnny Damon is a Type A, and Andy Pettitte is a Type B. (Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Jose Molina were of course unranked.)

But, instead of calling Hideki Matsui being a Type B and Xavier Nady being unranked, they were flip-flopped!

Batting Stance Guy emulates 2009 Yankees

Here is the famous Batting Stance Guy imitating each player from the 2009 Yankees lineup.  In order, he emulates Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady, Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada, Jose Molina, Melky Cabrera, Ramiro Pena, Aaron Boone and Bucky Dent.

In general, he seems to over exaggerate the small quirks he notices from hitter to hitter. However, I think he does a great job with Gardner, Jeter, Matsui and Posada.

Also, it is clear that the people filming are not Yankees fans, as they were disappointed when he did Boone and Dent.

For more Yankees batting stances from the Batting Stance Guy, check out this video.

Would you be surprised if the Yankees traded for Matt Holliday?

The Yankees have always been known to make a significant move at the trade deadline. The bullpen seems to be the only place due for an upgrade, while the outfield is neither a weak spot nor a strong spot. Judging from the Yankees history — and Xavier Nady’s Tommy John surgery — I would not be surprised if the Yankees traded for Matt Holliday or another star outfielder.

The Yankees have not officially been linked to Holliday, but he seems to be the biggest player available at the deadline as of right now. Another possible target could be Jermaine Dye of the White Sox.

Here’s a list of recent moves by the Yankees at previous trade deadlines.

2008: Acquired Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte and Ivan Rodriguez
2007: Acquired Wilson Betemit
2006: Acquired Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle
2005: Acquired Shawn Chacon and Alan Embree
2004: Acquired Esteban Loaiza

Notice: the Yankees have acquired an outfielder in each of the past three deadlines.

I feel that the Yankees will make an unexpected significant move right before the deadline, because they know they will need more than they have to beat the Red Sox and make a run at the World Series.

For once, starting pitching is not a concern whatsoever, and the infield is stuffed with impact players at every position. The outfield and the bullpen should be the only focuses at the deadline.

Nady expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, may miss next season too

Outfielder Xavier Nady pulled himself from a rehab game in Scranton last night after making a throw in the fifth inning, and it sounds like will undergo Tommy John Surgery, according to George A. King of the New York Post.

According to several teammates, the Yankees outfielder told them late Thursday night that his right elbow requires Tommy John surgery, a procedure that often takes 12-14 months recovery.

That’s too bad for Nady. He tried to bypass surgery with a special procedure on his elbow, but I guess it didn’t work.

Nady would have added even more depth to this young and talented outfield.

I believe this opens the door for Brian Cashman to look for a decent bat at the trade deadline. But I think it is clear the main goal for the deadline is to acquire a bullpen arm.

Nady’s setback answers outfield overflow

Bryan Hoch’s report on Xavier Nady via twitter:

Nady hurts elbow on throw at Triple-A ... Cashman said it could be the worst case scenario.

He has no return timetable set as of right now, but I’m assuming an MRI is coming and then we’ll go from there.

 

Nady would have forced a couple of tough decisions on who to keep in the outfield. If Cashman’s belief proves true, Nady’s looking at Tommy John surgery, and we all know what that means.

Xavier Nady to begin rehab Wednesday in AAA, the debate continues: Nady or Nick?

The rehabbing Xavier Nady (elbow) went 2-for-3 and made throws to second and third base in a simulated game yesterday, according to a release from the Yankees (via PeteAbe). He is on his way to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre today, and will see game action tomorrow.

 

Barring any setbacks, Nady should be back in pinstripes within the next couple of weeks. His return will spark a familiar dilemma mentioned on this blog: Who to start in right field, Nady or Nick Swisher?

 

Swisher is steadily maintaining his offensive numbers in June (.245/.383/.505), after a blazing start in April and an ice cold May. Just to give you a glimpse at the improvement: he has eight doubles already in June compared to just one in all of May. He is an average right fielder defensively, but also carries a quirky and entertaining persona that lightens the mood of the clubhouse.

 

Nady’s numbers were on the rise heading into the 2008 trade deadline (.301/.353/.482 in three years with the Pirates), and it seemed he was entering his prime. With the Yankees, his production has dropped down slightly (.270/.319/.469) and I believe is a cause of concern. Compared to Swisher, he has the edge defensively — more range and stronger arm — but is not as valuable offensively.

 

If GM Brian Cashman plans to keep both outfielders on the roster, one will be in right field and the other will be on the bench or at DH. Either one would join Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner on the bench. Sounds like a lot of outfielders to me, not to mention Hideki Matsui hogging the DH spot.

 

My verdict is to trade Nady (along with a minor leaguer) for a reliable reliever — preferably Huston Street. Overall, I feel more confident with Swisher on the team, and I feel the bullpen needs to be addressed. The Yankees have plenty of slugging outfielders in Triple-A (Shelley Duncan, John Rodriguez and Austin Jackson), while a quality bullpen addition would be a diamond in the rough in this year’s trade market.

Nady and Bruney move closer to return

Xavier Nady and Brian Bruney are both targeting a return in 10 days or less, just in time for the nine-game stretch in National League cities, according to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News.  Both players are recovering from right elbow troubles, and have missed a significant chunk of the season so far.

Xavier Nady
Nady’s bat seems to be fine—he’s gone 7-for-20 with three homers in five rehab games—but the Yankees are more worried about his throwing.

When Nady returns, he will create a little bit of a logjam in the outfield and DH spots.  Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera aren’t moving anywhere, but Nick Swisher, Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner and Nady will battle for right field and DH positions on a game-by-game basis.

I expect Nady to start the majority of games in right, and Swisher and Matsui to rotate the DH spot.  This would leave Gardner as a late game defensive replacement and pinch runner.

Brian Bruney
Bruney said he felt good after throwing 30 pitches on Sunday, and he will throw breaking balls in the bullpen today for the first time since he went on the DL on May 26.

Last season, Bruney was one of the most reliable pitchers out of the pen, and everyone would love to see him return to that form.

He tried to make his return last month, but he quickly was put back on the DL when his elbow started acting up again.

The Yankees bullpen is starting to come together with Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, David Robertson and Brett Tomko stepping up, but Bruney’s addition would only mean good things.

Yankees injury updates: Bruney, Marte, Nady

Right now, the Yankees are the most healthy they have been all season, though, these three could make a big impact on the Yankees when they return from the DL.    

This from Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News:

• Brian Bruney (right elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday and said he could be ready to pitch for the Yanks in two weeks or less.  Bruney was their 8th inning guy, and Girardi plans to reinsert him into that role when he has proven he’s ready. 
  
• Damaso Marte (left shoulder) threw 25 pitches –including some sliders- from a short distance.  Marte has not been very effective for the Yanks, but has a lot of potential – especially with that sidearm slider from the left side.
  
• Xavier Nady (right elbow) threw from 75 feet and doubled in a rehab game (1-for-4).  Girardi said it was “encouraging news.”  Nady is an everyday bat and would give the Yankees a lot of depth in the outfield.

Yankees injury updates: Nady, Molina, Marte, Ransom and other news

The Yankees are on a roll, but they could be even better when some rehabbing players return from the DL.  Here’s a quick rundown gathered from Peter Abraham & Jenny Vrentas of the NJ Star-Ledger:

• Xavier Nady (partially torn ligament in right elbow) – He started a throwing program on Monday and experienced some soreness very early on.  However, he “felt much better” on Tuesday, only experiencing soreness on two throws according to Joe Girardi.  Nady will take the day off today and continue throwing on Thursday.
• Jose Molina (strained left quad) – While playing in an extended spring training game in Tampa, he felt pain in his left quad and exited the game early.  MRI test results are coming soon, and the Yankees will make decisions from there.
• Damaso Marte (tendonitis in left shoulder) – He’s been on the 15-Day DL since April 26, so the Yankees are taking it very slow with him.  He will pitch a bullpen session this Friday in Tampa.
• Cody Ransom (right quad injury) – He was placed on the 60-Day DL on April 25, but seems to be ahead of schedule.  He will report to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment.

Unfortunately, it sounds like none of the four are close to a return.  But I still think Nady will have a huge impact on Nick Swisher when he returns, and Ransom should be a slight upgrade to Ramiro Pena.  To be honest, I don’t think Molina’s return is necessary because of Francisco Cervelli’s emergence.  Marte has not pitched well with the Yankees yet, but remember, he did help Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox win a World Series in 2005.

After Andy Pettitte left his start against Cleveland early because of back issues, there was some doubt as to whether he would make his next start.  But the lefty has, continually reassured he would make the start.  His latest reassurance,

“I feel good.  We haven’t even talked about me missing a start.  I am making my start.”

Chien-Ming Wang could be used as an emergency starter if something drastic were to happen.  Regarding Wang’s future in the bullpen, Girardi said, “We’re happy with the progress that he’s made.  But at this point we’re staying on schedule.”  On schedule meaning that Phil Hughes will make his start against David Price and the Rays on Friday. 

The Yankees highly-touted hitting prospect, Austin Jackson, is batting .346 as the everyday center fielder for Scranton.  Tyler Kepner of the NY Times wrote a wonderful feature on him, and focused a blog entry on him.  Both are highly suggested reads, as Jackson could make his debut with the Yankees by the end of this season.

Last but not least, a Quinnipiac friend from the newspaper, John Healy, has started a new Yankees blog along with another friend.  Check it out!