Off-season Report Card: New York Yankees

 

It?s 20 days until pitchers and catchers report, and the off-season movement is almost over with. Yes, there is 74 free agents left (not counting the ones who have officially retired), but, with the exception of Magglio Ordonez, all the good ones are taken, and the wheeling and dealing is pretty much done. So how did these teams off-seasons go? Let?s take a look, starting with the New York Yankees.

 

 

 

2004 Record: 101-61, lost in ALCS to Boston Red Sox

After the biggest collapse in post-season history, everyone knew George Steinbrenner had something big planned for the off-season. And while the Yankees did make some big moves, and now have a payroll above the $200 million mark, this off-season wasn?t quite as big as expected (more particularly, they didn?t sign Carlos Beltran or Pedro Martinez). Still, they made the biggest move of the off-season, boosted the rotation, bullpen, and offense, and have their sites set on #27.

 

Trades:

 

RP Felix Heredia to the New York Mets for RP Mike Stanton

Grade: B+. Trying to relive the glory days of the dynasty, the Yankees maneuvered a deal to send mediocre relief pitcher Felix Heredia across the Triburough Bridge to the Mets for Mike Stanton, who pitched for the Yankees from 1997-2002. After a breakout year in 2003, in which he had a 2.69 ERA in 87 IP with Cincinnati and the Yankees, Heredia had a miserable 2004 in which he posted a 6.28 era in 38.2 IP. Stanton on the other hand, had a 3.16 ERA in 77 IP. He provides veteran leadership, and a good, reliable, left handed arm to the Yankees bullpen.

Bottom line: Provides a much needed left handed arm to the bullpen, and a reliable one at that.

 

RP Kenny Lofton to the Philadelphia Phillies for RP Felix Rodriguez

Grade: C+. Yes, Felix Rodriguez does put up good numbers on paper wit, but he always performs at his worse when the games on the line. On top of that, he?s the last guy you want on the mound in the post-season. For a guy that couldn?t handle pressure situations in a city like San Francisco with a tame media and forgiving fans, how?s he going to handle it in New York? To put it this way, he?ll help the Yankees win a few extra games in the regular season, but Joe Torre better leave him off the post-season roster if he knows what?s good for him.

As for Lofton, losing him won?t make much of a difference.

Bottom line: Rodriguez improves the Yankees for the regular season, but you don?t want him pitching in October.

 

SP Javier Vazquez, and minor leaguers Brad Halsey and Dioner Navarro to the Arizona Diamondbacks for SP Randy Johnson.

Grade: A-. George Steinbrenner finally completed his longtime quest to get the Big Unit in a pinstripes uniform. Ever since Johnson made Yankees batters look like fools in the 1995 ALDS, the Boss has been on a quest to get him. He tried to get Johnson from Seattle that off-season, but Seattle wouldn?t trade him. He made a move to get Johnson when he was demanding a trade back in 1998, but Houston gave Seattle the best deal. He tried to sign Johnson when he was a free agent the off-season following that, but chose the Diamondbacks instead. Even last year, he tried to work out a mid-season deal, with no luck. But now, after months of trade talks, Randy Johnson is finally a Yankee, and all they had to give up was Javier Vazquez and a couple of prospects. Of course, there are risks in this trade, considering that Johnson is 41, and losing Halsey and Navarro makes their already weak farm system even weaker. Regardless, what matters is 2005, and this move will definitely help the team a lot this year.

Bottom Line: This accomplishes two major goals for the Yankees: it adds an ace to the rotation, and it gives them a much needed left handed starting pitcher.

 

Free Agent Signings:

 

1B Tino Martinez 1 year, 3 million

Grade: B-. Another move trying to bring back the glory days of the late 20th century, the Yankees brought back fan favorite Tino Martinez. After six good seasons in the Bronx from 1996-2001, Martinez was shown the door in favor of Jason Giambi, who was two years removed from his MVP season and was signed to the second largest contract given to a first baseman in Major League history. Martinez then went to St. Louis to fill the shoes of recently retired Mark McGwire, coincidentally a close friend to Giambi.

After a disappointing two years in St. Louis, Martinez went to Tampa Bay and put up decent numbers. Meanwhile, we all know what happened to Giambi. After delivering in 2002, Giambi had a slight drop-off in 2003, followed by an awful campaign in 2004, in which he batted .208 with a .342 OBP and .379 SLG in 311 plate appearances. If anything, this move helps the Yankees fill a spot in case Giambi doesn?t return to form.

Bottom line: Not a headline making signing, but still a good move, especially if Giambi doesn?t rebound.

 

SP Jaret Wright, 3 years, 21 million

Grade: B. After being a lousy pitcher for almost the first seven years of his career with Cleveland and San Diego, Wright was claimed off Waivers by Atlanta of the 2003 season, and with helped of pitching guru Leo Mazzone, all of a sudden turned into a star pitcher. In his first month in Atlanta (which was the last month of the 2003 season), he had 11 appearances, posted a 2.0 era and 9 strikeouts in 9 innings pitched. In the first five months with San Diego, Wright pitched 47.3 innings and was 1-5 with an 8.37 era in 39 appearances.

In 2004, Wright was placed in the Braves rotation, and had a great year, going 15-8 with a 3.28 era and 159 strikeouts in 186.1 innings pitched. However, you have to give a big part of the credit to Mazzone, considering his ERA was nearly two points better than his lifetime ERA of 5.09. He?s always had good stuff, but Mazzone has been the only guy that has been able to get him to use it properly. Expect his numbers to be somewhere between last year and his career.

Regardless, he?ll definitely be an upgrade over Jon Lieber/ Orlando Hernandez.

Bottom line: Most likely a one year wonder, but still an upgrade

 

SP. Carl Pavano, 4 years, $39.95 million

Grade: B+. Another likely one year wonder, Carl Pavano had a breakthrough 2004, going 18-8 with a 3.0 ERA. However, his lifetime stats are average at best, with a career record of 57-58 and ERA of 4.21. But the question is not whether or not he?ll be a good pitcher in New York, the question is will he be worth is almost 10 million a year he?s getting paid? Not likely, but still expect him to win 15 or so games a year with an ERA in the mid-high threes. However, he has a much better chance of continuing what he started last year than Wright. And of course, $10 million is nothing to the Yankees, so even if he isn?t worth that money, it?s not that big of a deal.

Bottom Line: Expect him to be a good pitcher in New York, but not worth the almost 10 million a year he?s getting paid (not that the amount of money matters when you?re wearing pinstripes).

 

2B Tony Womack, 2 years, $4 million

Grade: C. This is a low impact signing, and not that good of a pickup, but a slight upgrade to what they had in 2004. Enrique Wilson was Neifi Perez- like at the plate with a lousy glove. Miguel Cairo, who was the starting 2B for the majority of the season, had a better year than Womack, batting .292 with a .346 OBP, .417 SLG, and .763 OPS, compared to Womack?s .307-.349-.385-.732 (which was a career year for him), but if you throw in the fact that Wilson was the starting second baseman for half the season, it?s a slight upgrade. Maybe the Yanks should?ve tried to bring back Aaron Boone.

Bottom Line: No bat, no glove, but at least it?s not Enrique Wilson.

 

Players Lost to Free Agency and the Impact it Will Make on the Yankees

 

John Lieber (signed with the Philadelphia Phillies): Very low. With the additions of Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright, and Carl Pavano, they have three better pitchers.

Orlando Hernandez (signed with the Chicago White Sox): Very low. See: note above. Plus he was only there for half the season.

Enrique Wilson (signed with the Baltimore Orioles): Very low. What?s there to miss?

Esteban Loaiza (signed with the Washington Nationals): Very low. See: note on Hernandez.

Tony Clark (signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks): Low. Martinez is an upgrade both offensively and defensively.

C.J. Nitkowski (signed with the Minnesota Twins): Very Low. I?ll bet 95% of the people who read this will say ?Who??.

 

Overall Outlook:

 

Teams three biggest off-season needs:

Add at least one reliable lefty to the bullpen: yes, Mike Stanton

Add a good left handed starter to the rotation: yes, Randy Johnson

Improve the lineup to make it on par with the Red Sox: not yet, it all depends on whether or not Giambi returns to form.

Improved/ weakened:

Offense: slightly improved

Defense: slightly improved

Rotation: greatly improved

Bullpen: improved

Prediction:

First place AL East

Stanton? Reliable?

 

Please tell me you didn't write that.

Stanton? Reliable?

 

Please tell me you didn't write that.

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He's certainly better than Heredia

That's not saying much. Stanton is a bum, he's not worth the roster spot he's using up. Why do you think the Mets took back Heredia AND paid a million dollars of Stanton's salary? Because he's one of the worst relievers in the league. The LAST thing Stanton is, is reliable.

What is the point of this thread?

who wrote this?

 

i didn't read anything past the first paragraph, but the grammatical errors tell me this isn't some legit sportswriter.