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Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/2/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

MLB.com | Mark Newman: MLB Advanced Media has released a new way to track every play.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: Masahiro Tanaka's spring debut is just the first step in his transition.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Tyler Austin is hoping to resume throwing and swinging a bat on Monday.

New York Daily News | Anthony McCarron:CC Sabathia believes he can still be effective even with diminished velocity.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Masahiro Tanaka is relieved to have his fit spring training appearance behind him.

The Record | Bob Klapisch: We'll have to see if Tanaka's splitter is as effective in America as it was in Japan.

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Finding a comparable player to Slade Heathcott.


Yankees spring training TV schedule

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A list of all the networks covering the remainder of the Yankees spring training games.

If you missed yesterday's exciting game (CC, Kuroda and Tanaka!) and were kicking yourself because you didn't know it was on TV, then don't worry because PSA has your back for the rest of spring training. Listed below is the TV schedule for the remainder of March, including the expected coverage by MLB Network, YES Network, MLB.tv and WFAN. MLBN is showing a surprising number of games, although some of them are delayed by several hours (depending on where you live), which is also indicated in the list. ESPN is covering both of the Red Sox games, of course. WFAN has most of the weekend games if that happens to be your only option.

Sunday, March 2nd at Blue Jays - 1:05 PM

-MLBN (delayed-check your TV guide), MLB.tv

Monday, March 3rd vs. Nationals - 1:05 PM

-MLBN,YES, MLB.tv

Tuesday, March 4th vs. Orioles - 7:05 PM

-MLBN, YES, MLB.tv

Wednesday, March 5th at Rays - 1:05 PM

-Not broadcast

Thursday, March 6th at Phillies - 1:05 PM

-MLBN, MLB.tv

Friday, March 7th vs. Tigers - 7:05 PM

-Not broadcast

Saturday, March 8th at Astros - 1:05 PM

-MLBN, WFAN

Sunday, March 9th vs. Rays - 1:05 PM

-YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Monday, March 10th - No game

Tuesday, March 11th at Nationals - 1:05 PM

-MLBN (delayed), MLB.tv

Wednesday, March 12th vs. Tigers - 1:05 PM

-MLBN, YES, MLB.tv

Thursday, March 13th vs. Orioles - 1:05 PM

-YES, MLB.tv

Friday, March 14th vs. Twins - 1:05 PM

-YES, MLB.tv

Saturday, March 15th at Orioles - 1:05 PM

-MLBN, MLB.tv, WFAN

Sunday, March 16th vs. Braves - 1:05 PM

-YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Monday, March 17th at Pirates - 1:05 PM

-MLBN (delayed), MLB.tv

Tuesday, March 18th vs. Red Sox - 1:05 PM

-ESPN, YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Wednesday, March 19th at Braves - 1:05 PM

-Not broadcast

Thursday, March 20th at Red Sox - 7:05 PM

-ESPN, YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Friday, March 21st vs. Pirates - 7:05 PM

-MLBN

Saturday, March 22nd at Twins - 1:05 PM

-MLBN, MLB.tv, WFAN

Sunday, March 23rd vs. Blue Jays - 1:05 PM

-MLBN, YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Monday, March 24th - No game

Tuesday, March 25th vs. Phillies - 7:05 PM

-MLBN, YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Wednesday, March 26th at Blue Jays - 1:05 PM

-MLB.tv

Thursday, March 27th at Pirates - 1:05 PM

-MLBN (delayed), YES, MLB.tv

Friday, March 28th vs. Marlins - 7:05 PM

-Not broadcast

Saturday, March 29th vs. Marlins - 1:05 PM

-YES, MLB.tv, WFAN

Will CC Sabathia bounce back?

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An ungodly 2013 left many baseball fans wondering if the CC Sabathia that we once knew was gone forever. Luckily, that may not be the case just yet.

After a lackluster 2013 season in which he posted a 2.7 fWAR, the lowest of any season in his 13 year career, CC Sabathia will begin this season with both questions and hopes. As in, "Will CC Sabathia be better in 2014 than he was in 2013?" and "I hope so."

But, Sabathia's pitching woes last year might not have been all of his fault. As Beyond the Box Score editor Alex Skillin pointed out in January, Sabathia's HR/FB rate was an extreme 13.0% in 2013, almost four percent higher than his career rate and two-and-a-half percent higher than the league average in 2013. Although Alex concluded that Sabathia should lower that rate in 2014, he remained skeptical about how much that difference would help Sabathia's prospects overall as he moves forward, considering his age and the amount of work that he has put on his body.

While I tend to agree that he may be nearing a decline—after all, he's pitched nearly 3,000 innings and will be 34 by midseason—I still believe that the CC we saw in 2013 isn't all that different from the CC of the past. For reference, here are Sabathia's numbers from 2009 to 2013:

YearIPK/9BB/9BABIPHR/FBFIPxFIP
2009230.07.712.62.2777.4%3.393.77
2010237.27.462.80.2818.6%3.543.63
2011237.18.722.31.3188.4%2.883.02
2012200.08.871.98.28812.5%3.333.20
2013211.07.462.77.30813.0%4.103.76

The biggest difference, of course, is the aforementioned spike in HR/FB rate. In the last two years, he's posted significantly higher totals than any previous season (his only other double-digit percentage was in 2005, at 10.6%). Beyond that, though, much of his numbers from last year fall in line with the prior seasons. His K/9 was the same last year as it was in 2010, his BB/9 was lower than it was in 2010, his BABIP was lower than it was in 2011, and his xFIP was just about the same as it was in 2009 (although the FIP was far different, as 2009 was his lowest HR/FB rate of his career).

As far as how his numbers last year compare to his career totals, it's much of the same. Take a look:

YearIPK/9BB/9BABIPHR/FBFIPxFIP
2013211.07.462.77.30813.0%4.103.76
Career2775.17.752.70.2929.1%3.543.66

Some difference, sure, but nothing monumental other than that wretched HR/FB rate. So, what else could be affecting his performance? Well, for one, his velocity seems to have dropped in the past couple of years. Here are the average release speeds of all of Sabathia's pitches over the last five years, courtesy of Brooks Baseball:

Cc_sabathia_speed_by_pitch_09-13

The last two seasons show major decreases in speed. Since 2009, his fastball has dropped from 94.3 MPH to 91.28 MPH, his sinker from 93.65 MPH to 90.29 MPH, his changeup from 86.57 MPH to 84.52 MPH, and his slider from 80.92 MPH to 79.84 MPH. What's the cause of this, though?

It could be age and workload, as I've already touched upon, but it's likely a change in his mechanics. More specifically, it seems that he's dropping his arm much lower than he used to. Here's that same time frame looking at his vertical release point, which influences a pitcher's velocity:

Cc_sabathia_vertical_release_point_09-13

Clearly, he has had a significant change in where he is releasing the ball on each pitch. To be exact, his fastball went from 6.38 ft to 5.93 ft, his sinker from 6.32 ft to 5.91 ft, his changeup from 6.16 ft to 5.79 ft, and his slider from 6.4 ft to 5.94 ft. If he can raise his release point, he just might be able to swing that trend towards a more favorable direction in 2014.

The elephant in the room, though—or lack thereof—is Sabathia's weight loss. In an interview with ESPN New York, Sabathia admitted that the massive weight loss prior to last season made him feel like he "wasn't physically ready to go out and play," and that he was feeling fatigued "by the fourth or fifth inning." So, it's entirely possible that this drastic change in his body contributed to his drop in production.

Maybe the thing we're missing, though, is something much smaller than weight loss... or an elephant. In 2013, the Yankees infield consisted primarily of Chris Stewart (844.1 innings) at catcher, Lyle Overbay (1,031 innings) at first base, Robinson Cano (1,350.1 innings) at second base, Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix (608.1 and 380.1 innings, respectively) at shortstop, and a mix of Nix, David Adams, and Alex Rodriguez (285.1, 253, and 233 innings, respectively) at third base. Here are those players and their defensive statistics from last season:

PlayerPositionInningsUZRUZR/150Def
Chris StewartC844.1N/AN/A11.9
Lyle Overbay1B1031.02.73.7-6.1
Robinson Cano2B1350.10.81.33.1
Eduardo NunezSS608.1-20.6-40.7-17.4
Jayson NixSS380.11.96.63.9
Jayson Nix3B285.1-0.2-0.20.3
David Adams3B253.02.011.02.4
Alex Rodriguez3B233.0-0.10.30.3

Why does this matter? In 2013, Sabathia's infield hit percentage was 10.0%. His career infield hit percentage is 7.5%, and it has only gone above 9% once. Also in 2013, Sabathia's bunt hit percentage was 38.5%, compared to a career 26.5%. While the fly balls turning into home runs certainly hurt Sabathia, the short grounders seemed to pain him as well.

Of course, it's not just some ground balls that turned into base hits that will determine CC's success this season. It will be a culmination of a witch's brew of age, innings pitched in his career, a drop in velocity over the past five years, a regression to the mean for his HR/FB rate, weight loss, and a hope that his infield improves just a little bit defensively.

Can CC bounce back? Yes, of course, he's likely a future Hall of Fame pitcher. But, will he bounce back? I say "yes," but we'll have to wait until April to see just how close he can come to his former self.

. . .

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Brooks Baseball.

Evan Kendall is a featured writer at Beyond the Box Score and co-founder of The Sports Post. You can follow him on Twitter at @Evan_TSP.

Don't expect Andrew Bailey to help the Yankees in 2014

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See you in 2015, Andrew

Signing Andrew Bailey was a great move by the Yankees, but before you get excited that he'll be the second closer in 2014, it's likely he won't pitch in many meaningful baseball games this season.

If you were unaware, Bailey was one of the many closers the Red Sox employed in 2013. Unfortunately, he went down with a shoulder injury, tearing both his labrum and capsule. He underwent surgery to repair the damage in July, but has yet to pick up a baseball.

When the signing was announced, many believed that he would be ready at around midseason and could represent an alternative to a trade deadline deal. Because of the seriousness of the injury –This is a career-threatening injury (Remember, Chien-Ming Wang suffered a capsule tear back in 2009)–and where he is in his recovery, it's easy to see that at no point should Bailey be counted on to contribute this year. If David Robertson proves to somehow be a lousy closer, Bailey isn't going to come to the rescue. If Shawn Kelley can't get the ball to the ninth, Bailey won't be the solution. If the 2014 bullpen runs into a problem, the Yankees are still going to have to find a solution.

He admitted that "there's really no timetable for this kind of thing. I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to do it right. The prototypical response is that it's a 12-month rehab and I'm seven months in, so you can take that and run with it." This means that he should be able to throw by this coming July. It could also take longer than that. He'll need to rebuild arm strength, get back onto the mound, start facing live hitters, do a minor league rehab assignment, and then maybe he can join the club, if he's healthy and represents an improvement.

What we all need to do is forget that he will even be around. Don't expect him and don't think he's in the Yankees' back pocket, because they're not expecting anything. When the Yankees signed David Aardsma, a former closer trying to return from injury, they got exactly one inning from him in September in the first year of the deal. They ultimately cut him before the 2013 season, but the point is that he was supposed to help in the second year of the contract. So now with Bailey, they'll pay him for his rehab and support him, but in return they get an extra year from him when he's healthy.

This signing isn't so much to help in 2014, but actually in 2015. If he ends up contributing in September, don't expect much, that's not what he's here for. What they hope Bailey represents is an insurance policy in case David Robertson signs elsewhere. He's their high-risk/high-reward signing for next season.

Spring Training Game Six: Yankees vs. Blue Jays

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Vidal Nuno will get the start against the Blue Jays in the Yankees' sixth game of spring training. Today's game probably won't match the excitement or anticipation of yesterday's game, but we can try.

The bench for today's game includes: Gary Sanchez (C), Francisco Arcia (1B), Corban Joseph (2B), Yangervis Solarte (SS), Jose Pirela (3B), Zelous Wheeler (LF), Antoan Richardson (CF), and Addison Maruszak (RF). Available to DH are Jose Gil, John Ryan Murphy, Peter O'Brien and Mason Williams. In addition to Nuno, Bryan Mitchell, Shane Greene, Bruce Billings, Fred Lewis, Matt Daley, Dan Burawa, Chris Leroux and Mark Montgomery are available to pitch.

This game will air on tape delay at 8 pm eastern on MLB Network, but can be seen on MLB.tv.

Jose Bautista homers, but Jays lose to Yankees

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Yankees 8 Blue Jays 2

Jays are now 3-2 this spring.

Happy thoughts:

  • Jose Bautista homered in the first, it didn't seem like he made great contact, but he was strong enough to knock it out.
  • Esmil Rogers looked good, he did give up 3 hits and a run in his 2 innings, but 2 of the hits were very soft contact. One went about 15 feet down the third base line.
  • Brett Cecil pitched a nice inning, he did give up two very soft hits, but also struck out two.
  • Munenori Kawasaki made a great play, very deep at short, making a strong throw to first to end the Yankees 7th inning. I didn't think he had the arm for that play.
  • John Stilson came into the game with the bases loaded, two outs, and got a nice strikeout.
  • Melky Cabrera was 2 for 3 with a double. Looks good at the plate, and is running better than last year (which, I know, is faint praise).
  • Adam Lind hit a ball to the opposite field wall (after 2 strikeouts in his first 2 at bats).
  • Jose Reyes and Edwin Encarnacion each had hard hit doubles. Reyes was also thrown out stealing second.
  • Dioner Navarro looks pretty smooth behind the plate. He had a single in 3 at bats.
  • Chad Jenkins had a quick 9th, with 2 strikeouts.

Not so happy thoughts:

  • Todd Redmond did not look good, giving up 2 deep homers, 2 walks and 3 earned in his two innings. It's early but he didn't help his chances for the 5th starter spot.
  • Jeremy Jeffress got 2 quick outs, then gave up a single and 2 walks. He was lucky that Stilson came in and got the third out, without giving up a run.  I didn't think he looked all that bad, but then I like the guy.
  • Aaron Loup gave up a could of hits and a run.
  • Neil Wagner gave up 3 hits, including a 3 run homer.
  • Ryan Goins was 1 for 4. The one hit was a ground single that rolled through the infield. I shouldn't complain, but I haven't seen him make good contact yet.

Tomorrow the Jays play a split squad of the Twins, I think the game is on MLB.tv but it isn't  on Sportsnet. J.A. Happ gets his second start.

Yankees 8, Blue Jays 2: Trio of home runs give Yankees win

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Dingers.

The pitching was the major story following yesterday's game, but today wound up being all about the offense. Carlos Beltran, Eduardo Nunez, and John Ryan Murphy all homered as the Yankees cruised past the Blue Jays 8-2.

Vidal Nuno was the starter for the Yankees, and was decent, except for one at bat in the first inning. With two outs in the first, Jose Bautista homered off Nuno, giving the Blue Jays an early lead.

The Yankees went on to tie the game in the top of the second. Adonis Garcia led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Brendan Ryan singled. With two on and two out, Dean Anna singed to score Garcia, tying the game at one.

In his second inning of work, Nuno allowed a single to Dioner Navarro, but got out of the inning without that hurting him. In all, he pitched two innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts.

The Yankees' offense proceeded to have a big inning and take the lead in the top of the third. Jacoby Ellsbury drew a leadoff walk and then scored when Nunez followed with a home run. Beltran came up next and he too homered, increasing the Yankees' lead to 4-1.

The next pitcher in for the Yankees after Nuno was Bryan Mitchell. In his two innings, Mitchell allowed no runs on three hits while striking out three.

Following Mitchell would be Shane Greene, who entered in the fifth inning. Jose Reyes hit a two-out double in Greene's first inning, but that wouldn't amount to any Toronto runs. However, the Blue Jays did manage to add to their score in Greene's second inning of work. With one out in the sixth, Edwin Encarnacion doubled. Dan Johnson was brought in for Encarnacion and he promptly moved to third on a groundout by Maicer Izturis. Melky Cabrera doubled to score Johnson, cutting the lead to 4-2. Despite a fielding error by Corban Joseph, the one run was all the Blue Jays would get that inning.

The Yankees got that run right back in the top of the seventh. Garcia led off the inning with a double and moved to third when Gary Sanchez hit a single. Joseph sort of made up for his earlier error by driving in Garcia when he grounded out. That made it 5-2 and took the lead back up to three runs.

An inning later, the Yankees tacked on another three runs. Antoan Richardson and Yangervis Solarte both hit one-out singles, bringing Murphy to the plate. The Artist formerly known as JR hit a three-run home run, extending the lead to 8-2.

Bruce Billings, Fred Lewis and Matt Daley finished the last three innings without much trouble and the Yankees came away with an 8-2 win.

The Yankees will host the Nationals tomorrow at 1:05 Eastern. The game will be televised on YES. Meanwhile, today's will be airing tonight on MLB Network at 8 pm Eastern.

Box score.

Video: Manny Banuelos throws live batting practice

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ManBan is on his way back!

After missing a year while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Manny Banuelos has finally made it back to the mound. The finally healthy former top pitching prospect will try to regain some of his stock by proving he is the same pitcher that made him so highly rated before his injury. Luckily for Banuelos, he was so far ahead of similar prospects his age that missing a season wasn't too detrimental to his prospect status.

Chad Jennings of LoHud took some video of Banuelos throwing live batting practice to Dean Anna, Scott Sizemore, and Russ Canzler, Joe Girardi was pleased with how the ball was coming out of Banuelos' hand in his first real taste of live action this spring. There isn't a lot to see here, but it's nice to see actual evidence that another (hopeful) piece of the Yankees' future rotation is working their way back. Banuelos will likely compete for a starting spot in the rotation next spring.


Reds Crush San Diego, Break Gameday. CIN 15, SD 4.

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The Reds unleashed their hit parade today at the expense of the San Diego Padres.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Donald Lutz honked a solo Messerschmitt in the 9th to complement his earlier two-run single, and that matched with a groovy smile and a healthy love of braunschweiger earns Herr Lutz today's JNMHSotG.  Lutz is in an interesting position in the Reds system entering 2014, as he's been all but completely converted to being a full-time OF after coming up as a 1B throughout his early minor league career.  Given that the Top 4 position prospects in the Reds system are also OFs (Billy Hamilton, Phillip Ervin, Jesse Winker, and Yorman Rodriguez), it would behoove the Knockwurst to have the kind of season that his 2011 and 2012 seasons showed as possible.  Lutz, now 25, has shown the kind of power potential that few in the game possess, and showing that in a slightly improved frequency would help keep him high in the potential LF pecking order with Ryan Ludwick an aging question mark.

Honorable Mentions are due to:  Zack Cozart, who went 2 for 3 (which would have been 3 for 3 but for a late scoring change) with 3 runs scored and a stolen base; Jay Bruce, who went 2 for 2 with a triple that had Marty convinced had left the yard; Brandon Phillips, who went 1 for 3 with a 2-RBI triple (to go along with several vintage BP defensive plays at 2B); Roger Bernardina, who went 2 for 2 with a walk, double, and two runs scored; and every pitcher not named Daniel Corcino for completely shutting down the Padres' bats.

Key Plays

  • Cozart got the Reds' party started with a single in the Top of the 3rd, and his hit was followed by run-scoring doubles from Bernardina and Hamilton.  Bruce singled two batters later to score Phillips, who had reached on a fielder's choice.  Reds led, 3-0.
  • Todd Frazier singled to start the Top of the 4th, stole 2B, and scored when Cozart singled to CF.  A Bernardina single followed, Hamilton reached on a fielder's choice, and Phillips tripled to score them both.  Reds led, 6-0.
  • In the Top of the 5th, Bruce hit a laser off the CF fence that had the broadcast booth thinking it was a no-doubt HR, but he later scored on a Frazier sac-fly.  Cozart then reached on a would-be hit (an actual error), and he scored on a Devin Mesoraco double.  A Ryan LaMarre walk and a soft Skip Schumaker single later, and the Reds held a commanding 10-0 lead.
  • Daniel Corcino entered in the Bottom of the 6th in an out-of-hand game and proceeded to get the first two Padres out; then, the wheels fell off and hit the fan.  A few walks and a few singles ensued, and the Padres plated four.  Reds 10, Padres 4.
  • The Reds proceeded to break MLB.com's Gameday following that exchange, and some combination of Neftali Soto, Kris Negron, Chris Nelson, and Lutz managed to keep bashing while Lee Hyde, Curtis Partch, and others held the Padres at bay.  Who needs box scores, anyway?  Reds win, 15-4!
Ken Graphy, Jr.


Other Notes
  • Brett Marshall, who was recently picked up from the New York Yankees' organization (which lead to Henry Rodriguez being DFA'd), got the start today in large part due to a sore Mike Leake.  Marshall tossed 2 effective innings (helped by a double play), and it was the start of 5.2 IP of no-hit ball to start the game for Reds' hurlers.  Leake, it appears, has an abdominal strain that isn't deemed to be serious, and he's expected to make a start at some point in the near future.  I'm chock full of specifics these days.
  • The Reds pounded out 20 hits, which seems like a lot.
  • After further research, I've determined that 20 hits is, in fact, a lot.
  • In fact, those 20 hits are more than the 18 the Reds combined for over their last three games.
  • In a note that's in no way, shape, or form related to the previous other notes, it's very entertaining to watch the would-be everyday lineup face off against a split-squad set of pitchers in Spring Training.
  • Tunes?  Tunes!

FSN West Pollo Loco Commercials

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...looks great, but how do you describe it?

So that Baja Shrimp menu commercial during Sunday's Angels telecast got the better of me this afternoon.

Bammo I was in the car and drove the six blocks to the Pollo Loco near my pad knowing finally I could get something there that my pescatarian wife would eat and hopefully enjoy.

The drive thru was quick and the woman even clarified that I had ordered the Shrimp Bowl when I pulled up.

Get home, pull of the lid and what did I find but a Shrimp-Chicken combo. WTF? I had ordered two Shrimp Salads.

Drove back with the merchandise and explained that It was not what I ordered.

The woman at the drive thru insisted she had asked me if I had ordered the Shrimp Bowl and that is what she gave me. I said that the salad comes in a bowl and she hadn't asked me if I had ordered the "Shrimp and Chicken Bowl".

So she gives me the proper thing I ordered - the Shrimp Tostada Salad and asks me to check it to make sure it is right.

The whole time I am interacting with her there is some loud "Charlie Brown Teacher" voice barking at her, practically screaming "Faster Wage Slave Faster!". I point out that the salad comes in a bowl and she says, incredulously "That is a Tostada, the bowl is different" like it is time to roll her ojos at the gringo. So I say "Entiende y tu tostada is shaped like a pinche bowl."

So I call the Pollo Loco complaint line, they answer with like three seconds on hold (maybe Pollo Loco should explain how to organize a call center to Anthem Blue Cross). Basically I told them that they gotta change the wording on the menu and assumed that probably already get a lot of complaints about the difference between thighs and breasts (the hotline operator affirmed this is a regular complaint) so why add to that mess with other confusing menu verbiage.

The operator was pleasant and understanding. She asked if there was anything else I wanted to add.

I took that opportunity to point out that someone away from the drive thru window was riding the server's ass a little too harshly ("...and the executioner's face, it is always well hidden" -Bob Dylan, 1962) and it left the poor girl flustered. Then I told them how delicious the new Baja Shrimp tostada salad was (even though the shrimp are not as big as the ones pictured and even though $6.49 is ehhh... maybe a buck too much).

And lastly, I pointed out that Mike Trout needs a contract extension through at least 2020 and that someone was going to have to pay for it, so if Pollo Loco continues advertising on Angels games, he won't join the Yankees and that will help finance a winning team which will, of course, mean a lot more people will see their adds for Shrimp bowls, salads, tacos and every freakin' part of the damn birds they serve.

She asked me if there was anything else I wanted to add and I just had to throw this one in: Heh heh, when was the last time someone mentioned "Trout" when complaining about Pollo Loco?

She replied: We get requests for fish and chips from some callers.

I thanked her and hung up but have to add here:

We'll supply the fish, keep them chips paying for those commercials.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/3/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: Ichiro Suzuki believes he can still start and plans to play for many years to come.

New York Times | David Waldstein:Shawn Kelley was a childhood friend of Jennifer Lawrence.

The Baltimore Sun | Peter Schmuck: The Orioles didn't take too kindly to Brian Cashman calling them a fluke in 2012.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Eduardo Nunez needs to show that he can play all over the infield if he wants to make the team.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Could the Yankees replace Derek Jeter with Jose Reyes?

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Looking for players who are comparable to Greg Bird.

The Record | Bob Klapisch: Evaluating Masahiro Tanaka's spring debut.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Joe Girardi believes that Michael Pineda has improved since last year.

Beyond the Box Score | Evan Kendall: Will CC Sabathia be able to rebound in 2014?

The Beanball | Ben Berkon: Did the Yankees change their mind about extending Brett Gardner because they lost faith in their prospects?

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Potential Fangraphs FANS projections for the New York Yankees.

Yahoo Sports | Mark Townsend: PSA was featured in a post about Masahiro Tanaka's debut!

CC Sabathia not concerned if his velocity doesn't return

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In his spring training debut, CC Sabathia's fastball clocked in at 88 mph, but he's not worried if his velocity doesn't return. Should WE be worried?

Although CC Sabathia has only pitched in two innings worth of spring training games so far, his fastball velocity, or lack thereof, has already generated a lot of buzz.

Sabathia first went on the DL with elbow soreness towards the end of the 2012 season, and ultimately ended up having surgery to remove a bone spur. When he returned in 2013, Sabathia failed to put up the numbers that Yankee fans had grown accustomed to. Through 211 innings pitched in 2013, he put up the following numbers: 7.46 K/9, 2.77 BB/9, 1.19 HR/9, 4.78 ERA, 4.10 FIP, 1.37 WHIP, .308 BABIP. He generated fewer strikeouts, allowed more walks, and gave up more home runs than normal. In fact, his 28 homers allowed put him in a tie for sixth-most in baseball with Dan Haren. 2013 also marked a significant decrease in his fastball velocity. In 2009, Sabathia's fastball velocity averaged 94.1 mph, and in 2012 it was in the mid-92s. Last year, continuing the downward trend, his velocity averaged just 91.3 mph.

In Saturday's spring training game, Sabathia's fastball topped out at 88 mph according to YES. In an interview later that day, Sabathia said, "My fastball is what it is. If it gets better, it will. If it's not, it won't. I can pitch. I'm fine. As long as I'm healthy, I'll be good." He also said that last year was all about finding his release point again and getting a good feel, coming off of the surgery. He was happy with his outing on Saturday, noting that he was behind everything and his arm felt good.

Of course, the other interesting Sabathia-related headline has been his weight loss. There was some debate last season as to whether the weight loss led to the decrease in velocity or mechanical issues (Answer: We'll never know). Sabathia lost more weight during the offseason, although he reportedly added somewhere between 7-12 pounds of muscle, and focused on developing his leg, core and total body strength. Hopefully his physical transformation adds up to a bounce-back season.

Before you write off Sabathia's season as doomed, it should be acknowledged that it is still early in spring training, and Sabathia has only pitched two innings. It is definitely possible that as he builds up his strength, he'll be able to increase his velocity. It's probably unrealistic to expect him to hit 94 mph like the days of old, though. I can think of another Yankee pitcher whose velocity was in the 88-89 range and who still managed to be a successful pitcher, so if Sabathia doesn't gain any velocity, he'll just have to focus on improving his pitch locations. As Joe Girardi said, "To me, if he's downhill and locating, I don't care what his velocity is. He's going to get people out."

Are you concerned that his velocity is down, or do you think it's way too early in spring training to worry about it?

Finding positives in the already-maligned Brian Roberts

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Like it or not, Roberts is the Yankees' second baseman for the foreseeable future. Before fans decide to bury Roberts entirely prior to his first official game, what benefits could he bring to the team?

Since the very moment that news of Brian Roberts's signing with the Yankees hit Twitter, the reaction to him stepping into the comparatively-Shaq-sized shoes of Robinson Cano at second base has been, shall we say, less than positive. It's difficult to blame fans for being skeptical about Roberts. His laundry list of faults is not short:

  • Following an outstanding 159-games, 56-double campaign for the Orioles in 2009, Roberts has missed 456 out of 648 possible games due to an injury history that just about runs the gamut of the human body: concussion, hip surgery, abdomen strain, hamstring surgery... Roberts has seen it all and is liable to break for good at any moment, a la Kevin Youkilis.
  • In 2013, when he actually did appear in his most games since '09 (77), he was not remarkable at age 35: .249/.312/.392, 90 wRC+, and 0.9 fWAR. Yay.
  • Despite his record, the Yankees gave him a $2 million major league deal for 2014, making it less likely that they would cut ties with him if it goes south in a hurry. You thought it took the Yankees too long to cut Ben Francisco last year? Roberts would probably get an even longer leash.
  • Roberts is almost certainly going to get hurt at some point, and the Yankees don't have much in the way of legitimate backup for him at second with Kelly Johnson set to start at third base.

All of these points have been hammered by pretty much every media source from national columnists to bloggers. They're simply the facts and cannot be ignored in any proper analysis of the embattled former All-Star at this point in his career. So is there any faint glimmer of hope for Roberts, or should Yankees fans just continue to rip into him with no regard for anything he could bring to the table?

It would not be surprising to see the Yankees run into problems with lefthanded pitching in 2014 since so many of their crucial lineup cogs are lefthanded themselves (Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, and Kelly Johnson). Roberts could help there--he's a switch-hitter and last year hit .284/.327/.441 with a 109 wRC+ against southpaws last year, commendable numbers for an infielder. Unfortunately, he wasn't nearly as good against righties, hitting a meager .227/.303/.362 with a 79 wRC+. Obviously that's not very good, but Roberts's splits get more interesting when spread out over the course of his entire 13-year career.  The tables are turned: .288/.357/.433 with a 109 wRC+ against righties compared to a .262/.342/.378 with a 92 wRC+ against lefties. Whether you put more stock in career numbers than the most recent season or vice versa, Roberts offers at least some hope. For the optimists, the evidence that there is a record of success against both sides of the platoon is certainly encouraging.

Roberts also does not stand to hurt much on defense or on the bases. He's a plus-defender and baserunner for his career, though currently, he is more of an average defender and baserunner than anything else since he's in his mid-30s. By FanGraphs measures, he had a 5.1 UZR/150 and 0.4 BsR year, both figures that equate to roughly league average. He's not going to be a better defender than the Gold Glove-caliber Cano, but he's arguably a better baserunner. Stolen bases aren't the only factor of baserunning ability; his injury history has slowed his basestealing skills to only four attempts last year, but Roberts is still capable of taking the extra base, going first to third, and avoiding outs on the bases. These are all crucial "little things" that will snatch an extra run here or there and are undoubtedly valuable.

As for Roberts's injury history, I offer a story of recent Yankees history that many people seem to have suddenly forgotten:

During the 2010-11 off-season, the Yankees brought in a veteran infielder with an ugly injury history who had spent his entire stellar career to date with one team. He had missed 494 of his team's 648 games over the previous four seasons due to a myriad of injuries, from his back to his shoulder and elbow. Regrettably, his 2011 was not much different--he spent time on the 60-day DL due to a broken foot and only posted an 80 wRC+. The Yankees liked him enough as a reserve infielder anyway to bring him back for a second try in 2012. He had not played in only 212 of his teams' previous 810 games. There was little reason for hope that he could stay healthy, but damn it if he didn't notch a surprising turnaround in 2012. He appeared in 113 games, his most in six years, and posted a superb .281/.348/.496 triple slash with a 126 wRC+. He ended up starting more games than expected and it turned out fine anyway. In fact, when another time signed him away from the Yankees during the 2012-13 off-season, there was an outcry from a fair amount of fans that the Yankees were fools to let him go with their starting third baseman scheduled to begin 2013 on the DL. They thought he could still get the job done as a starter.

By now, you've probably realized that the man is Eric Chavez. I definitely remember grumblings that they should have convinced Chavez to not move closer to his family with the Diamondbacks and instead bring him back for another campaign in 2013. If some people felt Chavez was a legitimate option to start at third despite his long injury history, why are they so bearish on Roberts? Yes, the Yankees are asking more of Roberts than they did of Chavez and injury is probable, but Chavez proved it is possible for the old, injury-prone infielder to somehow stay healthy enough to appear in at least 110 games (and he could very well have appeared in more, but he didn't need to since Alex Rodriguez was the starter).

Can't we have at least some hope that Roberts stays healthy enough to appear in that games? Sure, there were probably better options the Yankees should have signed from the free agent market instead of Roberts (looking at you, Jeff Baker), but it's all hindsight at this point. It's better to look forward. If Roberts only matches his 2013 offensive production in roughly as many plate appearances as Chavez had in 2012 for the Yankees, it would be roughly league average compared to the other 37 qualifying second basemen from 2013. Given his fine playing career and experience, it's more likely that Roberts could be league average as a starter than other second basemen in camp like career minor leaguers Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte, neither of whom are exactly piping hot prospects anyway. It's a cynical, self-fulfilling prophecy to just dislike Roberts before he gets injured or even plays a single official game for the Yankees. Let's at least see what he does at the plate and if he can stay healthy before piling on the guy.

Spring Training Game Seven: Yankees vs. Nationals

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Ivan Nova makes his second start of the spring when the Washington Nationals visit Steinbrenner Field this afternoon. Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner, and Brian McCann are the cast of regulars expected to start the game. Ross Detwiler will oppose Nova on the mound for the Nationals. Nova was charged with two runs in 1.1 innings his last time out once his inherited runners scored after his departure from the game.

You can catch today's game on YES, MLB Network, and MLB.tv starting at 1:05 pm Eastern Time. Of course, if you're stuck at work without video access you can always follow along in the comments below.


Lineup

NEW YORK YANKEESWASHINGTON NATIONALS
Brett Gardner CFDenard Span CF
Derek Jeter SSDanny Espinosa SS
Brian McCann DHTyler Moore DH
Brian Roberts 2BScott Hairston RF
Francisco Cervelli CJose Lobaton C
Kelly Johnson 3BMatt Skole 1B
Ichiro Suzuki RFZach Walters 3B
Zoilo Almonte LFWill Rhymes 2B
Corban Joseph 1BEury Perez LF

The Yankee bench includes J.R. Murphy (C), Jose Gil (1B), Zelous Wheeler (2B), Addison Maruszak (SS), Jose Pirela (3B), Ramon Flores (LF), Mason Williams (CF), and Adonis Garcia (RF). Francisco Arcia, Peter O`Brien, Gary Sanchez, Dean Anna, Yangervis Solarte, and Antoan Richardson will all be potential designated hitters for today's game.

Today's bullpen will be made up of David Robertson, Shawn Kelley, Danny Burawa, Yoshinori Tateyama, Robert Coello, Jim Miller, Chase Whitley, Mark Montgomery, and Brian Gordon.

Yankees 4-2 Over Nationals In Grapefruit League Action: Ross Detwiler And Tanner Roark Pitch

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Two of the starters competing for the fifth spot in the Washington Nationals' rotation were pitching this afternoon. Ross Detwiler and Tanner Roark both got work in what ended up a 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees in Tampa's George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Ross Detwiler made his first Grapefruit League start this afternoon in Tampa, Florida's George M. Steinbrenner Field, where the 27-year-old left-hander and the visiting Washington Nationals took on the New York Yankees.

After an injury-shortened 2013 campaign, the '07 1st Round pick is competing for the fifth spot in the Nats' rotation, with right-handers Tanner Roark and Taylor Jordan the other top candidates.

"It factors in a lot. He knows the league. He knows hitters. He's been there." - Matt Williams on Ross Detwiler's experience edge

Detwiler has a significant advantage in experience over Roark and Jordan, both of whom debuted in the majors last summer, and before today's game new skipper Matt Williams said Detwiler's history with the organization definitely plays a big part in the evaluation process.

"It factors in a lot," Williams told reporters. "He knows the league. He knows hitters. He's been there. But again, we want to build everybody to be in that spot. That's the only thing you really can do, is build these guys, so we've got a number of starting pitchers that we have to make sure to build their innings up."

In order to get all of the pitchers the innings they need, the Nationals are stacking starters early this spring. That set up a situation this afternoon that saw Roark following Detwiler on the mound against the Yankees.

Detwiler was throwing a 93-94 mph fastball in the first inning against New York as he got through a quick, 11-pitch, 1-2-3 frame, striking both Brett Gardner and Brian McCann out looking around a groundout to short off Derek Jeter's bat. Gardner got a 94 mph fastball outside. McCann watched a breaking ball fall in across the zone for a called strike three.

Brian Roberts worked the count full against Detwiler in the bottom of the second, spitting on a 2-2 curve and then lining a single to center on a 3-2 fastball. Yankees' backstop Francisco Cervelli was first-pitch swinging and singled to left when Detwiler tried to throw a fastball inside on the first pitch of the next at bat. Detwiler got up 0-2 with an 0-1 curve outside to Kelly Johnson, but gave up an RBI double to left that gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead and two runners in scoring position.

A throwing error on Zach Walters allowed two more to score as the shortstop rushed trying to get Ichiro Suzuki on a slow chopper and fired wide of first. 3-0 Yanks. Left fielder Zoilo Almonte hit a ground-rule double out to right on a high heater from Detwiler and catcher Corban Joseph's RBI ground ball through second made it a 4-0 Yankees' lead, pushing Detwiler up to 31 pitches before he recorded an out.

Detwiler's 36th pitch was a 2-2 curve that got a check-swing strike three from Brett Gardner, but it ended Detwiler's day earlier than he probably would have liked.

Tanner Roark took the mound in the third, surrendering a line drive single to left in the first at bat, when Brian McCann ripped into a 1-1 change. Roark's fastball sat around 93 mph. A 1-2 curve to Brian Roberts got a weak fly to center for the first out of the frame. A 6-4-3 DP off Francisco Cervelli's bat got Roark threw a quick nine-pitch inning.

Kelly Johnson lined out to second a 92 mph 2-2 fastball from Roark to start the Yankees' fourth. A 91 mph heater to Ichiro Suzuki got a fly to left for out no.2. Zoilo Almonte chased a 1-1 curve into the dirt, took a 92 mph fastball inside for a ball then went the other way with a 2-2 fastball outside only to get thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Tyler Moore got an outfield assist for the strong throw in to second.

Two scoreless for Roark on 22 pitches.

Zach Walters homered for the first time this spring (6 for 7, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR) in the Nationals' fifth, taking Yankees' right-hander Shawn Kelley deep to center field for a solo blast that got the Nats on the board. 4-1 NY.


Xavier Cedeno got some good matchups as he fights for a spot as the second lefty in the Nats' pen. The left-hander abused Yankees' left-handed hitter Corban Joseph in a lefty vs lefty matchup in the fifth, striking the catcher out to start the inning. Brett Gardner, another lefty, got ahead 3-1, fouled off a 90 mph fastball then lined a double to the left-center gap on a full-count fastball high in the zone. Gardner hustled around to second to beat the throw in.

A groundout by Derek Jeter brought a third lefty to the plate in the form of Brian McCann, who lined out to right. Scoreless innings for Cedeno.

Eury Perez and Denard Span hit back-to-back singles to start the Nats' sixth and an error by Derek Jeter on a Danny Espinosa grounder up the middle allowed Perez to score and make it a 4-2 game.

Christian Garcia worked a scoreless inning for the Nationals in the sixth, giving up a ground-rule double and a walk but no runs. Aaron Barrett gave up back-to-back singles to start the Yankees' seventh, then retired the next three batters for a scoreless frame of his own. Manny Delcarmen worked a scoreless eighth for the Nationals.

No comeback today though, Yankees win, 4-2 final.


Yankees 4, Nationals 2: Nova shines as New York wins fourth straight

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Ivan Nova pitched three hitless innings with four strikeouts and without allowing a walk as the Yankees picked up their fourth straight win in Grapefruit League play on Monday afternoon. The offense put up a crooked number in the second inning against Nationals starter Ross Detwiler, scoring all four of their runs before there were even two outs in the inning.

All of Nova's stuff seemed to be working the way it does when he looks nearly unbeatable. Thirty-one of his 35 pitches went for strikes. It's still early in spring training but it's really nice to see an important part of the rotation already looking the way that Nova did today. He was replaced in the game by David Robertson making his spring training debut. Robertson pitched one inning allowing only the first batter to reach base via a hit by pitch before his day was done. Shawn Kelley was next out of the bullpen, giving up a home run to Zach Walters and striking out two in his inning of work. Danny Burawa, Robert Coello, Yoshinori Tateyama, and Jim Miller completed the reliever brigade with Burawa giving up the only other Nationals run after some bad luck on ground balls and an error by Derek Jeter. Addison Maruszak also made an error in the field.

New York's scoring got started with Brian Roberts being driven in on a Kelly Johnson double. Francisco Cervelli singled and scored with Johnson on an Ichiro infield hit that resulted in a wide throw by the shortstop. Zoilo Almonte joined in the hitting with a ground rule double before coming around to score on a Corban Joseph single. A Derek Jeter double play ended the inning.

Brian McCann, Jose Gil, Mason Williams, and Jose Pirela all chipped in singles in the game. Brett Gardner and Cervelli each had a double and Almonte tacked on another single for a two-hit day. The catchers in spring training continue to all hit the ball very, very well. That could be extra important if the Yankees are looking to unload one of the five they have on their 40-man roster at some point in the near future.

Tomorrow marks the first night game of spring training for the Yankees when the Orioles visit Steinbrenner Field at 7:00 pm. David Phelps will start the game for New York opposite Wei-Yin Chen for Baltimore. Derek Jeter is expected back in the lineup at DH, along with other expected starters Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran.

Box score

Joe Namath calls Derek Jeter an angel at Yankees spring training

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The Hall of Fame quarterback met with the future Hall of Fame shortstop on Monday, causing quite the frenzy at Yankees camp.

Few players have meant more to sports fans in New York than Derek Jeter and Joe Namath. On Monday, the two legends met in Florida at the Yankees spring training facility.

Namath wore a No. 12 uniform (of course) and chatted at length with the Yankees' captain. He also threw out the opening pitch prior to the exhibition game with the Nationals.

That's right -- Namath called Jeter "an angel" when he met with the media:

"Knowing the scrutiny that he's had over the years, I can't imagine how the guy could be an angel like this," Namath said. "He's to be respected in every phase of his life, it seems.

"Many of us fell short with some of that, but you learn to bounce back. It's human to err, and I know about that. We do our best to come back. Derek hasn't made many errors that I've witnessed."

The Hall of Fame quarterback wasn't the only big name in Yankees camp on Monday. Jets head coach Rex Ryan was in attendance and stayed for the entire game. Andy Pettite made an appearance in camp as a special instructor, and also went into the YES broadcast booth during the game.

A John Ryan Murphy-Didi Gregorius trade makes perfect sense

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The Yankees have a wealth of catchers, and the Diamondbacks a wealth of shortstops. It makes good economic sense that they make a trade happen.

A basic concept of micro-economic thought is that of marginal utility. In layman's terms: how efficient is a business for each unit of time? In baseball, teams don't use time as their margin but instead use each position to determine if they are extracting the maximum dollar value, much like how a factory would not have two workers doing the job that one can do just as well. The Yankees and Diamondbacks are in such a position, the former with a wealth of catchers, and the latter a glut of shortstops. Two perfect candidates for a trade deal, as has been mentioned before, are John Ryan Murphy (formerly J.R.) and Didi Gregorius. How will these players would be used on their teams now, and how could they be allocated if their teams were swapped?

The Yankees at catcher are solid in their new acquisition Brian McCann, who is projected to provide 3.3 fWAR over 480 plate appearances, with a variety of backstops rounding out another 0.4 fWAR. On their infield end, it's wide open, as is well-documented. Second base, the position that a potential trade target would slot into in 2014, is projected to only produce 1.5 fWAR over the course of the season.

The Diamondbacks are solid at both catcher and shortstop, but they face an issue of marginal utility. At catcher, they have Miguel Montero, who should tabulate about 3.1 fWAR, but should injury strike, Henry Blanco and Tuffy Gosewich are not viable alternatives. At shortstop, Gregorius is likely to win the starting spot, but top prospect Chris Owings is a long-term option who has a much higher ceiling, and Cliff Pennington is a competent backup. Shortstop, total, is projected to put up 2.1 fWAR.

So what happens if they do in fact swap Murphy for Gregorius? For the Yankees, it's an obvious steal. They'd marginally lose nothing at catcher as McCann would still take most of the plate appearances, and at second base, they'd gain about 0.5 fWAR, as Gregorius is projected to be about a 1.6 fWAR player with Dean Anna projected to score about 0.5 fWAR, totaling at 2.1 instead of 1.6. This is not only relevant for 2014 but beyond, when Gregorius could easily slot into Derek Jeter's open spot, a spot that they would now have a cost-controlled and long-term solution to.

On the Diamondbacks' side, it's more of a tough sell, but still an improvement similar to that of the Yankees. Kevin Towers has stated that he wants a "d'Arnaud" level of talent, but with Montero behind the plate, a viable backup is something that could be more valuable. Murphy's projected to put up 1.5 fWAR in 500 plate appearancers; obviously he would not get that many with the Diamondbacks, but that would come out to about 0.7 if he even gets half of that. Montero, getting about 500 plate appearances would still put up 3.0 fWAR, basically gaining the Diamondbacks a little more than half a win. And on shortstop, the Diamondbacks could easily slot in Owings with Pennington as a backup and put up arguably the same fWAR total.

This trade, in my opinion, is a win-win for both teams. The Diamondbacks can clear the way for Owings and provide a stable alternative to Montero, and the Yankees can clear up their catching glut and secure a replacement at second base and for Jeter long-term. And it may seem like splitting hairs that each team could gain a half-win from this trade, but that extra five runs could be crucial in such tight wild card races down the stretch.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/4/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

Baseball Prospectus | Jason Parks: Where do the Yankees rank among organizations with talent 25 and under?

Minor League Ball | John Sickels: A discussion about the Yankees farm system.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: It's way too early for people to be worrying about CC Sabathia's fastball velocity.

Baseball Prospectus | Bret Sayre: Where does Gary Sanchez rank among the most valuable prospects in baseball?

Pinstripe Pundits | Derek Albin: What would be a fair contract extension for David Robertson?

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Manny Banuelos and Jose Campos pitched simulated games and Mark Teixeira had some at-bats.

It's About the Money | Michael Eder: What will Brian Roberts offer the Yankees in 2014?

Sports On Earth | Matthew Kory: Figuring out the best time to be a fan of every team.

SB Nation | Scott Coleman: Joe Namath hung out with Derek Jeter yesterday after he threw out the first pitch.

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Discovering comparable players to Yankees prospect Mason Williams.

Comparing the A.L. East shortstops

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If you had to pick one of the A.L. East shortstops to be on your team in 2014, who would you go with? I say J.J. Hardy.

We continue our series comparing the A.L. East positions today with a look at shortstop. I have ranked each player by who I think will be best in 2014 and I have to say, it's a lot more fun writing up these comparisons now that the Orioles have good players. Take a look at my ranking and tell me what you think. Am I right on? Total off base? Blinded by my love for J.J. Hardy?

1. J.J. Hardy - Baltimore Orioles

G2BHRAVG/OBP/SLGwOBAwRC+
Career1118207158.260/.312/.4280.32295
20131592725.263/.306/.4330.32299
2014 ZiPS1452622.263/.304/.4280.31897

Am I homer? Quite possibly. The shortstop position in the A.L. East has a lot of good names. If I were picking a complete career to have on the Orioles at this position, I'd go with Derek Jeter and probably Jose Reyes. If I were picking a shortstop to have from this moment going forward, I'd take Xander Bogaerts. But for 2014 alone, I find it tough to go with anyone other than our own James Jerry.

Over the past three seasons with the Orioles, Hardy has hit a total of 77 home runs, by far the most of any shortstop in that same time span. Even Troy Tulowitzki only hit 63. Of course, the flip side to that is that he hit all of those bombs while maintaining a disappointing .298 OBP. The combination make him basically a league average bat, although getting power from his position is certainly a bonus.

The thing that makes Hardy one of the best shortstops in baseball is that, combined with his power numbers at the plate, he is an outstanding defender. FanGraphs ranks him as the third-best A.L. defensive shortstop in 2013, and over the last three seasons he ranks first. He has good range, sure hands, and a strong and accurate arm. When the game is on the line, he is the guy you want the ball hit to (well, him or Manny Machado). ZiPS agrees with me that he should be the best shortstop in the A.L. East in 2014, projecting him to be worth 3.4 WAR.

2. Jose Reyes - Toronto Blue Jays

G2BHRAVG/OBP/SLGwOBAwRC+
Career1303279102.292/.342/.4390.338107
2013932010.296/.353/.4270.343114
2014 ZiPS1272911.289/.339/.4300.333108

There are some days when I might rank Jose Reyes as the top shortstop in the A.L. East. I consider myself a Reyes fan, and there is no denying that when he is good, he is very, very good. He has been playing in the majors for eleven seasons already and he won't be 31 years old until June. Even last year, when he was on the field, Reyes was pretty good. But the key point is that he has a lot of trouble staying on the field.

Since 2009, Reyes has managed to stay healthy for an entire season exactly once. He was struck with injury again last year, his first season with the Blue Jays. He got off to a quick start for the Jays but suffered a high ankle sprain the took him out of commission for 66 games. He returned in June and played 83 games over the rest of the season. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't the Reyes the Jays thought they were getting. His power was down some and one of his major assets, his ability to steal bases, just wasn't there.

There's no reason to think that Reyes isn't fully healed after having an offseason to recover and strengthen his ankle, and if he is and can stay healthy for the the full year, I think he could easily be the best shortstop in the A.L. East.

3. Yunel Escobar - Tampa Bay Rays

G2BHRAVG/OBP/SLGwOBAwRC+
Career93716762.278/.350/.386.328102
2013153279.256/.332/.366.311100
2014 ZiPS142228.255/.321/348.30091

The Tampa Bay Rays have no issue with taking on players with character issues, and Escobar is no exception. He is far from an offensive powerhouse, but at shortstop he doesn't need to be. He has slugged just .374 over the past three seasons, but he generally gets on base at a decent, although not outstanding, clip.

Both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference ranked his 2013 WAR over 3 (3.3 bWAR and 3.9 fWAR), and that was on the strength of his defense as he showed himself to be about league average at the plate. His UZR/150 of 12.2 was far beyond any other single season mark in his career (the next highest being 5), so there is reason to think he could regress defensively in 2014.

With a bat that rarely reaches league-average territory, Escobar is reliant on his defense for much of his value. He's been a good addition to the Rays so far, and he'll likely be a solid, but not extremely valuable part of their team in 2014. I'm just glad he's not an Orioles, because rooting for a guy who puts homophobic slurs in his eye black is not something I'm capable of doing.

4. Xander Bogaerts - Boston Red Sox

G2BHRAVG/OBP/SLGwOBAwRC+
2013 - MLB1821.250/.320/.3640.30386
2013 - AAA69119.284/.369/.4530.374133
2013 - AA56126.311/.407/.5020.409153
2014 ZiPS1392816.289/.339/.4300.333108

I don't know where I should rank Xander Bogaerts, honestly. He is one of the best prospects in baseball, ranked #2 by Keith Law going into this season. He's had killer numbers in the minors, and he is being given the starting shortstop job in Boston with just 18 games of MLB experience. Part of me says that he'll be young and inexperienced and, even if he has a long and successful career ahead of him, it's very possible that success won't happen in 2014. But on the other hand, for a team like the Red Sox to think he's ready for the job, he must be very special.

Keith Law says about him: "Bogaerts has explosive potential as a hitter, as the ball comes off his bat exceptionally well, and the fact he sees the ball so well and makes good decisions as a hitter bodes well for his ability to adjust to major league pitching." and that he could be a player similar to Troy Tulowitzki, which means he's special. ZiPs ranks him favorably but not outlandishly, and predicts a 2.7 WAR.

It's possible that next year or the year after, Bogaerts will be at the top of this list. But he'll have to prove himself first.

5. Derek Jeter - New York Yankees

G2BHRAVG/OBP/SLGwOBAwRC+
Career2602525256.312/.381/.4460.365121
20131711.190/.288/.2540.24748
2014 ZiPS69125.259/.322/.3570.30386

It's hard to know what to expect from Derek Jeter in 2014. On one hand, he was injured most of last year and it's uncertain how he'll bounce back from that. And he certainly hasn't been the same player over the past four seasons that he was earlier in his career. But on the other hand, he might be bolstered by his retirement tour, and let's face it, the Yankees practice dark magic.

I think that it's a real possibility that Jeter will bounce back to have a decent season at the plate, but positives on that side of the ledger will surely be canceled out by the fact that I can't imagine a world where his defense isn't horrible. In his prime years Jeter was passable, at best, on defense. But now he is a soon-to-be-forty-year-old shortstop coming off of major ankle injury that limited him to just 17 games in 2013. For what it's worth, ZiPS projects him to be worth 0.4 WAR this season.

Poll
Who do you think will be the best shortstop in the American League East this year/

  28 votes |Results

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