Yankee News For Yankee Fans

[Yankee4Life]

Note: Pay close attention to the last paragraph of this article. It's short but says a lot.

The winter lesson the Yankees and their fans should heed

By Joel Sherman, New York Post.

Max Scherzer looms as a big prize of baseball's offseason if the Yankees choose to get involved.

The Yankees made this mistake: They spent $458 million last offseason on four big free agents. What they should have done was spend $258 million last winter and $200 million this winter as a way to avoid being accused of doing nothing.

Only the Yankees could be heading toward a payroll north of $220 million and be called cheap or inactive. It is mainly their fault. They have always tried to problem-solve with a wallet while offering championship-or-bust bravado. They trained a generation of fans and media to start screaming when others in the division – how dare they – try to build up to win.

You would think the Yankees’ recent history of adding famous, expensive players and not cashing that into championships would inform us the title-winners of winter are not frequently the trophy recipients come October. Instead, we are like bone-headed WWE referees who have to fall for the same diversion each week so the chair can get in the ring.

After all, following the 2010 season, the Red Sox obtained Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez at a time of relative Yankee inactivity. That was treated around here as pinstripe treason. By the way, the Yankees won the most games in the AL in 2011. The Red Sox missed the playoffs the next two years, a period during which the highlight for the organization was trading Crawford and Gonzalez – contracts the organization felt were choking its potential for success.

Following the 2012 campaign, the Blue Jays made two substantial trades to add Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buerhle from the Marlins and R.A. Dickey from the Mets. The Yankees again did little that offseason and once more the outrage was intense. Yes, the Yankees missed the playoffs in 2013 – but the Blue Jays finished last.

Russell Martin is introduced by the Blue Jays.

So now Boston and Toronto have made their boldest acquisitions since Gonzalez, Crawford, Reyes, Johnson, etc. The Red Sox have signed Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval while the Blue Jays have inked Russell Martin and traded for Josh Donaldson. Once again we are the WWE referee – when will the Yankees do something, those slackers?

Keep in mind the Blue Jays and Red Sox essentially did nothing last offseason when the Yankees went financially bonkers (and missed the playoffs, by the way). Toronto’s biggest free-agent sign last offseason was Dioner Navarro for two years at $8 million, and the Jays are trying to trade the switch-hitting catcher now that they have enlisted Martin. Boston’s big outside sign was reliever Edward Mujica on a two-year, $9.5 million pact. So if you like what the Blue Jays and Red Sox have done this offseason, then appreciate it was because they had the discipline to sit out a market they did not love last year (the Yanks are not big fans of this market, if you would like to know).

And if your argument is the Yankees should not be like other teams and should just spend, spend, spend because they can and their spending makes you feel better about life, then know the five teams who laid out the most on the free-agent market last offseason – the Yankees, Mariners, Rangers, Mets and Twins – all missed the playoffs in 2014.

Also, for what it is worth: The Orioles won the AL East last year and so far have lost their leading slugger, Nelson Cruz, and very well may lose their leadoff hitter, Nick Markakis, and their key setup man, Andrew Miller. Are the Orioles do-nothing fools, too, because they feel the sticker price is too high on those players?

Hanley Ramirez with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington.

We annually fall in love with the teams who collect the most known pieces (usually at the highest prices) each offseason despite there being little corollary between the big winter buy and a huge summer.

Now, just to assure you this is not about being a Yankee apologist, I will offer the following two statements:

1. I think the organization has done such a lousy job of player development plus making previous big-money procurements that pretty much no purchase or two would elevate the team to a likely championship contender next year while it almost certainly would further foul up future payrolls and maneuverability.

2. Conversely, as the Baseball Columnist for the New York Post, I would hope the Yankees would ignore all sanity and sign Max Scherzer and Miller, re-sign David Robertson and trade prospects Luis Severino, Ian Clarkin and Gary Sanchez for Starlin Castro. I am into interesting plotlines, not saving Hal Steinbrenner’s money. This would take the Yankees payroll near $300 million. Great. It would be fascinating. Contention or calamity. Both are terrific to cover. I am good with either.

But here in the real world, Steinbrenner has imposed payroll restrictions, and even the most aggressive corners of the Yankees front office are – for this offseason anyway – saying it would be folly to keep throwing more long-term money to fix the rickety roster. We will see how long that discipline lasts, if it even lasts this whole offseason. Remember, when the Red Sox did Crawford and Gonzalez, the Yankees blinked and – against the recommendations of general manager Brian Cashman – signed Rafael Soriano to the largest contract ever for a setup man.

Oh yeah, that might be the other thing to remember. We have just reached December. The Winter Meetings are still in front of us. My gut – and history – says we have not seen all of the Yankees shopping yet.

[Yankee4Life]

Five questions for Brian Cashman and the Yankees entering this week’s Winter Meetings Even after they’ve added shortstop Didi Gregorius and elite reliever Andrew Miller, the Yankees still need some answers.

If Chase Headley (pictured) skips town, Martin Prado likely would be the third baseman instead of the second baseman.

Yankee GM Brian Cashman expects this week’s Winter Meetings to be quite eventful, so he and the rest of the baseball world could offer some clarity about all those Yankee roster holes.

“The Winter Meetings sequesters all of us and it’s the industry’s way of saying, ‘Make a decision,’” Cashman said. “Everybody’s had their chances to stare each other down, make their suggestions, turn each other down. It’s time to put all the chips in the middle of the table.

“I do expect a lot of activity is going to take place in the industry and I think free agents will come off the board, clubs will make a lot of trades and you’ll get a real feel for what rosters will look like.”

With that in mind, here are five questions the Yankees must deal with in San Diego, even after they’ve added shortstop Didi Gregorius and elite reliever Andrew Miller:

WHO’S ON THIRD?

This question could quickly morph into “Who’s on second?” if Chase Headley prefers another team or the Yanks decide they won’t meet his price tag, which could already be as high as $65 million over four years. Alex Rodriguez could see action at third, but let’s just be nice and say there are plenty of questions about his ability to play defense or stay healthy for long stretches nowadays. If Headley skips town, Martin Prado likely would be the third baseman instead of the second baseman, leaving the Yanks with youngster Rob Refsnyder, who has only 77 games of experience at Triple-A, or Jose Pirela manning second. But then where’s the depth? Maybe Cashman can answer that question with a move this week at the meetings.

ARE THEY REALLY OUT ON A BIG-MONEY PITCHER?

They have a vulnerable rotation, despite some big names. Masahiro Tanaka finished last season pitching with a partially-torn UCL and CC Sabathia’s coming off knee surgery. Who the heck knows what Michael Pineda can provide, even if he was terrific when healthy last season? Ivan Nova will start the season on the disabled list as he continues recovering from Tommy John surgery and the Yanks dealt away Shane Greene for Gregorius. They need rotation options and we don’t mean just one.

No wonder Cashman said both Adam Warren and David Phelps were told at the end of last season to prepare to compete as starters. Hiroki Kuroda could help out, if he decides to pitch in the majors again this year instead of retiring or pitching in Japan. Maybe prospect Bryan Mitchell wins a job?

The Yanks would like to retain Brandon McCarthy and could troll the second-tier starters market for someone such as Justin Masterson. But some in the industry believe they’ll ultimately be players for a starter such as Max Scherzer, who figures to get the winter’s biggest contract, even despite the Yanks putting out the vibe that they don’t want to do long-term, pricey deals for pitchers. We could get more intel on this at the meetings.

Will David Robertson be back with the Yankees?

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH DAVID ROBERTSON?

Did signing Miller mean Robertson won’t return as closer after Robertson’s successful stint as Mariano Rivera’s replacement? That’s a definite maybe. It seems to have lessened the chance and Cashman talked gleefully of all the bullpen weapons the Yanks have now with Miller in hand. But other club sources also indicated that there may be room for Robertson if his price dropped considerably from the so-called “Papelbon money” range. Cashman didn’t slam any doors, saying, “We’ll evaluate every opportunity. If something fits, we have to take a serious interest. David Robertson has been a tremendous Yankee, a world champion Yankee and he nailed that closer’s job. I can’t predict, as his free agency continues, where he’s going to land. We’ve been in touch with his agency and I’ll leave it at that.” Imagine a bullpen with Robertson, Miller and Dellin Betances? Might make even the Royals jealous. But Robertson’s market could intensify this weekend because the teams that missed on Miller — Houston and Boston — were said to be finalists, with the Astros actually offering more than the Yankees, and figure to still be hunting elite relief. And the Yanks themselves could decide on a short-term contract for a traditional closer type (Jason Grilli?) and deploy Miller and Betances in the seventh and eighth innings.

DO THEY HAVE ENOUGH OFFENSE?

The Yankees scored only 633 runs last season, 20th in baseball and 44 runs fewer than the American League average. Here’s how they plan to add more scoring: bounce-back seasons from last winter’s spending splurge and better health. For example: “We’re expecting ‘Carlos Beltran’ next year,” Cashman said. “None of our fans had a chance to enjoy him last year because he was playing with an injury. We expect Carlos to be what he’s always been.” But there’s no guarantee that fragile players such as Beltran, Mark Teixeira and A-Rod will retain health. And who knows if Brian McCann’s late surge was just a hot streak or really more representative of his talents? Sure, the Yanks have invested in run-prevention with good defensive shortstop Gregorius and Miller. But maybe the Yanks need to find a bat this week.

IS THERE A CHANCE THEY CAN ADD YOUNGER CORE PLAYERS?

Who knows what can happen when a bunch of baseball bigwigs gather in one place? An age-old (ha-ha) concern for the Yankees has been baseball-elderly players on the roster and they are still leaning heavily on some older stars — Sabathia, Teixeira, Beltran. Adding Gregorius may have helped that and importing another young contributing player via trade may help the team over the long-haul more than a quick fix.

[Yankee4Life]

Inside the Yankees’ thinking on rejecting David Robertson

David Robertson.

SAN DIEGO – The Yankees ultimately thought Andrew Miller plus a compensation draft pick between the first and second round was more valuable to them than retaining David Robertson.

Once Robertson rejected the $15.3 million qualifying offer, the Yankees determined that they would rather have the slightly cheaper Miller and the pick than Robertson, according to sources familiar with their thinking.

The Yankees never made an offer to Robertson, but decided not to say anything publicly because they like the player and did not want to hurt his market. On Monday, Robertson’s agent, Scott Leventhal, asked to meet face-to-face with Yankees officials at the Winter Meetings to determine if an offer would be forthcoming.

At that meeting, Yankees officials told Leventhal definitively the Yankees would not be making an offer. A few hours later, Robertson signed with the White Sox for four years at $46 million.

The Yankees made their first offer to Miller – four years at $32 million – at the General Managers Meetings in early November. When they found out last week the Astros had made a four-year offer at what was believed to be at least $40 million, the Yankees upped their bid to four years at $36 million and got the lefty.

The Yankees had decided they were only giving out one sizeable contract to a reliever, and determined they would rather have the lefty-righty potential menace of Miller and Dellin Betances than Robertson and Betances.

But the draft pick was important, as well, for a club trying vigorously to improve their farm system. After the 2012 season, the Yankees put the qualifying offer on Nick Swisher and Rafael Soriano. Those players signed elsewhere and the Yankees got compensation picks between the first and second rounds that they turned into outfielder Aaron Judge and lefty Ian Clarkin, who are now two of their better prospects.

That influenced the Yankees to believe the compensation pick has real value and needed to be weighed even more favorably in decision making on their free agents.

[Yankee4Life]

Didi Gregorius says all the right things about replacing Derek Jeter as Yankees shortstop

Gregorius, who will be 25 in February, has a reputation for range and athleticism at short, as well as a strong throwing arm.

Didi Gregorius talks about Derek Jeter, improving his ability to hit against lefties among other topics as he chatted with New York reporters for first time since trade to the Yankees.

No matter how Didi Gregorius fares as Derek Jeter’s likely replacement with the Yankees, some folks will always call Gregorius “Sir.”

That’s because Gregorius, who was raised mostly in Curacao, was knighted there in 2011 after a national team he played for won a big tournament against Cuba.

“Instead of money, they knighted us, all the guys who had a clean record,” said the Amsterdam-born Gregorius.

“Some people actually call me ‘Sir Didi.’

“I don’t really mind if they just call me Didi.”

The Yankees are hoping they can call him a starter at shortstop. Judging from a conference call with reporters on Friday, Gregorius seems to have the temperament to take over for the Yankee icon, stressing multiple times that he knows he’s still learning and improving and that he welcomes the high expectations usually associated with the win-at-all-costs Yanks. And he’s always wanted to play in New York.

Points for knowing the right things to say, Sir Didi.

“Jeter is still Jeter,” he said. “Everything everybody is going to talk about is Jeter. I’m learning. Just try to focus on the game and win every game, not worrying about what’s going on.”

Gregorius, who will be 25 in February, has a reputation for range and athleticism at short, as well as a strong arm. Asked if he’s proud of his defense, he said, “I’m proud of everything I’m doing . . . just trying to keep improving.

“I have to improve on everything. I don’t want to think I know everything. I love working hard. People say ‘Your defense is really good,’ but I don’t want to think that. I’m still working on everything because every day’s a new day to learn something. For me, you have to keep learning to get better.”

Gregorius, who hit his first major-league homer at the Stadium on April 18, 2013 off Phil Hughes, said he did not know what to expect from Yankee fans who worshiped Jeter at short for so many years. “Wait till I get there and I’ll find out,” he said. “I’ve had some good comments on Twitter: ‘Just be you.’ They’re supportive, even though they don’t know how I play the game.”

Gregorius has struggled against left-handed pitching during his career, so much so that the Yankees may ease him into their lineup by playing Brendan Ryan against tough lefties, at least at first.

Didi Gregorius says while he's known for his defense, he still has much to improve on.

Sounds like Gregorius would prefer to be challenged. While discussing his problems with lefties — he has a .184 career average in 180 plate appearances — he said, “I haven’t been having (many) at-bats against lefties to get me going. I’m just trying to pick up the ball and make good contact, hit it hard somewhere.”

Gregorius said he’s never spoken to Jeter. He has, however, drawn him, showcasing on Twitter a picture of Jeter he drew last season. “He was ‘The Captain,’ ” Gregorius said. “Out of respect for the game, I just decided to do a picture. It’s fun, relaxing. I decided to draw him.”

Asked about Jeter’s game, the lefthanded-hitting Gregorius mentioned The Captain’s ability to hit in the clutch, “going oppo (opposite field) almost every time. The jump throw, that’s really awesome.”

We’ll certainly learn much more about Gregorius’ game in the coming months. Sir Didi does, at least, seem to have something in common with The Captain in terms of off-season preparation — Gregorius already has been working out in Curacao.

“I’m in really good shape to start playing a game right now,” Gregorius said.

[sabugo]

Saying all the right things, I like him already.

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees’ cold-blooded A-Rod approach was missing with Jeter

Derek Jeter reacts after hitting the game-winning single in his final home game at Yankee Stadium in 2014.

The organization that talks more about winning-or-bust than any other — maybe more than all the others combined — last year prioritized Derek Jeter’s farewell tour over victories.

Let us count the ways:

Hal Steinbrenner ordered his re-signing — and at decent money — though Jeter was coming back from a horrific ankle injury, there was infinitesimal history of a shortstop succeeding at Jeter’s age and despite there being pretty much zero chance Jeter was going to soil his legacy by trying to get paid more to play somewhere else.

Brian Cashman never put a shortstop on the roster better than Brendan Ryan or Stephen Drew who would have offered a no-brainer alternative to Jeter. And manager Joe Girardi persisted with the absurdist statement that playing Jeter day after day at shortstop and batting him second gave the Yankees their best chance to win.

There was not a scout or stat that backed up that contention on either side of the ball. For example, just 89 players accumulated 200 plate appearances from Aug. 1 until the end of the season. Only one member of that group finished in the bottom six in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. And Girardi let that obviously tiring player be the only Yankee to hit that plate-appearance benchmark while desperate to find the wins to get into the playoffs. That player was, yes, Jeter.

If you did not see this decaying performance, you were watching with your heart, not your eyes, and/or you get all of your baseball information from The Players’ Tribune.

I understood the charade. Steinbrenner did not want to be the owner who let Jeter go and Girardi did not want to be the manager who benched him. Not in Jeter’s victory-lap season when an entire sport wrapped him in loving embrace.

But the contrast to how the Yankees are handling Alex Rodriguez is stark.

Alex Rodriguez

Now, before you have a coronary, of course, Jeter had earned preferential treatment from the Yankees that A-Rod has not. But there are many similarities — missed time, age, obvious decline — that the A-Rod entering 2015 has with the Jeter entering 2014. But the Yankees do not have to worry about being unpopular by diminishing A-Rod’s role, when most of the fan base wishes they would diminish him right off the roster.

Jeter missed most of 2013, and the Yanks brought him back to his role in full and without obtaining anything close to a safety net. He was a poor defender who was only going to have that exacerbated by his ankle misery/age, yet he still started 129 games at short and was never taken out for defensive purposes late in a close game despite the presence of two far superior defenders (Ryan and eventually Drew) who would have increased the chances of winning.

A-Rod missed all of last season, and the Yankees are saying stuff about him they never did about Jeter and assembling safety nets they never did with Jeter.

Cashman already is on record saying A-Rod’s third-base defense was lousy in 2013 and the Yankees have reacted by spending $52 million on Chase Headley, assuring A-Rod will start closer to zero games at the hot corner than 129.

The Yanks also have traded for Garrett Jones. That could reduce A-Rod to a DH against lefty starters.

The theory abounds that the Yankees are trying to embarrass Rodriguez into retirement — a theory that would hold up better if A-Rod had the capacity to be embarrassed.

GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi

This is just smart decision-making. Rodriguez has hardly played for two years, has endured two major hip surgeries, is 39 and might not be able to perform physically or psychologically as a clean player. The Yankees would be negligent not to put security blankets in place — just as they were actually negligent last year in this area with Jeter. At least if winning-or-bust really is your organizational mantra.

The Yankees don’t like Rodriguez. But, at best, embarrassment is a fringe benefit here. It is more embarrassing when media members act like it is controversy to make contingency or replacement plans when they are so obviously needed. This version of A-Rod might not play an inning next year or might not be able to play much or even at an average level, and if the Yankees wait until he makes any of that obvious, how exactly would they find alternatives?

The Yankees are going to make Rodriguez earn playing time and a place in the lineup. They never did this with Jeter. They actually allowed the batter with the AL’s second-worst OPS-plus (a stat that normalizes OPS for ballpark and league) to start at DH 15 times. Think about that: They let one of the worst hitters in the majors exclusively hit in 15 games.

The Yankees worried that using Jeter based on his 2014 abilities rather than his great career would leave him feeling disrespected and potentially bring unease — or worse — to the clubhouse. Funny that they would worry about that unless they did not believe Jeter was a selfless guy interested only in winning.

They will not have the same qualms with A-Rod. He is not going to DH if he cannot hit. He is not playing the field if he cannot move around effectively. Assuming he is healthy enough to be on the roster, Rodriguez would then have to decide whether to play the aggrieved victim, morph into his version of a WWE villain or try to be a supportive teammate regardless of his role.

The first move, though, belongs to the Yankees, who — rightly, by the way — have decided for 2015 to put winning ahead of the feelings of an aging infielder.

[Yankee4Life]

This is all true but why wasn't this talked about during the season when everyone but the Yankees saw that Jeter was killing the team?

[Pims51]

Hiroki Kuroda goes back to Japan! I'm sure this forces the Yankees' hand to try to get Scherzer.

[sabugo]

Kuroda will surely be missed.

True about Jeter, and true what Y4L said. Everybody was just blinded by the captain's fairwell tour and afraid to do or say anything.

[Yankee4Life]

With Hiroki Kuroda gone, Yankees rotation has plenty of question marks

Michael Pineda is terrific when he pitches but that’s the problem, the injury-prone righty has made just 13 starts - all last season - since the Yankees acquired him.

The Yankees expect Masahiro Tanaka to be their ace next season, that is if his elbow is healthy.

With Hiroki Kuroda apparently ready to bolt, the Yankees’ rotation looks very shaky:

Masahiro Tanaka: 13-5, 2.77 ERA

The 26-year-old righthander was brilliant in his first season pitching in America but missed time due to partial tear in elbow ligament. Looked shaky in his last start and would be candidate for Tommy John surgery with further tear.

CC Sabathia: 3-4, 5.28

The 34-year-old lefty’s season ended in July due to season-ending knee surgery.

Michael Pineda: 5-5, 1.89

Pineda is terrific when he pitches but that’s the problem, the injury-prone righty has made just 13 starts - all last season - since the Yankees acquired him in January of 2012. His health could be the key to the Yankees’ chances in 2015.

Nate Eovaldi: 6-14 4.37

The 24-year-old hard-throwing righthander acquired in trade from Marlins has yet to win more than six games in any of his four seasons and gave up the most hits (223) in NL last year.

Ivan Nova: 2-2, 8.27

The 27-year-old righthander has shown flashes of brilliance but has not been reliable and is coming off a lost season, making four starts before having Tommy John surgery.

[Yankee4Life]

Stephen Drew still starting material for Yankees despite awful 2014 season

GM Brian Cashman projects Drew as 'hopefully our everyday second basemen' even after he only hit .162 last year in 271 at-bats between the Red Sox and Yankees, who paid Drew $5 million to return to the team in 2015.

The Stephen Drew that everybody saw in 2014 was just an aberration, according to Brian Cashman.

Brian Cashman believes in, as he put it, "the back of the baseball card" on Stephen Drew, rather than Drew's dreadful, abbreviated 2014 season.

That's why the Yankee GM said in a telephone interview Wednesday that Drew projects as "hopefully our everyday second baseman."

Cashman also seems to be anticipating newcomer Didi Gregorius to be the fulltime shortstop. There was talk when Gregorius was acquired that he'd platoon some with Brendan Ryan because Gregorius has struggled against lefty pitching.

But Cashman named the Yankee infield as "Chase Headley, Didi, Drew, (Mark) Teixeira. And then obviously performance or injuries could change that."

The 31-year-old Drew was successful for the Red Sox in 2013, notching 50 extra-base hits and slugging .443. But he got a late start last season after refusing Boston's $14.1-million qualifying offer and then had trouble finding a suitable deal as clubs balked at giving up a top draft pick to sign him.

He eventually re-signed with the Red Sox in May and was later traded to the Yankees. He hit only .162 last year in 271 at-bats between both teams. Drew, a slick defender, made 31 starts at second for the Yankees, so Cashman is comfortable with him there and gave Drew $5 million for one year to return.

"Hopefully, he can put last year behind him and be the player he was before then," Cashman said. "He has a history of being a really good player prior to a season that didn't play out the way anybody expected.

"It was just something that's so far out of the norm for his capabilities. The contract reflects that and we're certainly hopeful that he can revert back.

"At very least, he can play multiple positions and he's a helluva defender."

Drew's signing could block youngsters Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder, who at one point this off-season seemed poised to compete to take the second base job. Cashman said that roster moves such as adding Drew are "things Refsnyder and Pirela shouldn't worry about" and offered this comparison as a carrot -- Robinson Cano unexpectedly won the second-base job in May of 2005 when the Yanks believed Cano would outperform Tony Womack.

"They're on a journey to push their way into the big leagues," Cashman said of Pirela and Refsnyder. "They'll anxiously compete for a roster spot. They should fight for what they can get and we'll see how it shakes out."

[sabugo]

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees sign Scott Baker for pitching insurance

Scott Baker, who signed Friday with the Yankees, hurls for the Twins in 2011.

The Yankees have signed a right-hander. No, not James Shields.

In an effort to improve their pitching depth, the Yankees signed veteran right-hander Scott Baker to a minor league deal. If Baker does well in camp, the Yankees have found some help or at least a backup starter they can plant in Triple-A.

Baker will earn $1.5 million if he makes it to the major league roster, according to CBS Sports.

Baker, 33, has logged over 150 innings three times in his career, all with the Twins. He owns a career ERA of 4.25 with a 1.25 WHIP over nine seasons. He was with the Rangers last season, pitching out of the bullpen after bouncing back from Tommy John surgery in 2012. He has made only 28 total appearances the last three seasons.

Baker’s best years were a three-year span with the Twins from 2008-10, when he posted a combined 38-22 mark with a 4.11 ERA. The home run ball has been a problem for him in the past: He has allowed 1.2 homers per nine innings over his career, and he surrendered 15 last season over just 80 2/3 innings.

But, according to scouts, when he is right, his elevated fastball gets by hitters. Last season he also did every job the Rangers asked him to do, from starting to short relief, and is highly respected by teammates. The Yankees, who had an interest in Baker last season, are hopeful Baker is completely healthy now and can contribute.

[Yankee4Life]

Ivan Nova feels he can pitch now — and he’ll be ‘better’ in June

TAMPA — Matt Harvey isn’t the only right-hander anticipating a return to New York this season from Tommy John surgery.

While the Mets’ star pitcher continues his comeback under a bright spotlight, the Yankees’ Ivan Nova hopes to start throwing off a mound “soon” and be back in the rotation by June.

“To be honest, I feel right now like nothing happened,” Nova said Tuesday at the Yankees minor league complex, where he’s been rehabbing from last April’s procedure. “I don’t feel any pain. I don’t feel any tightness. I can do motions and lifting without any problem.”

He’s advanced to throwing at 120 feet, typically the last step before getting on a mound. And Nova is confident that whenever he does rejoin the rotation, he’ll be an improved pitcher from the one he was before the injury.

“I hope I can be better than what I was,” Nova said. “That’s the goal.”

He might need to be if the Yankees intend to compete for the AL East title.

Nova will soon be joined this spring by Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia, who will both come to camp with health concerns. Michael Pineda, no model of durability, is already here.

While Tanaka, Sabathia and Pineda are expected to be in the rotation Opening Day, Nova will have to wait some more; it typically takes at least 12 months before pitchers are ready to return to action following Tommy John surgery.

The 28-year-old should be entering his prime, but his career has been anything but predictable.

Following a strong first full season in the majors in 2011, Nova hasn’t been able to put together a consistent complete year.

His ERA ballooned to 5.02 in 2012 before bouncing back in 2013, going 9-6 with a 3.10 ERA, including a 2.69 ERA over his final 12 starts. But he was shut down after only four starts last season.

“Last year wasn’t really a good beginning,” Nova said. “I didn’t really have a chance to heat up. The way I finished up 2013, I have to go with the same mind-set: aggressive.”

Of his four outings a season ago, three were subpar.

And both he and the Yankees would like better luck in 2015, after Nova’s season was interrupted by the elbow injury, while Sabathia and Tanaka missed significant chunks of time after getting hurt, as well.

But Nova will have to be patient.

“I know it’s not time yet,” Nova said of his anticipated return. “I’m trying not to rush. … I was joking with [pitcher Jose] Ramirez that the way I feel, I can pitch right now. But I’ve got to understand I have to take it easy.”

He also is adjusting to life after Derek Jeter, who was a regular at the complex by this time every year.

“He always was the first one to get here and you would see that presence,” Nova said. “It’s like the year after Mariano [Rivera] retired. You looked to that locker and see David Robertson instead of Rivera. … It’s a little weird, but you get used to it.”

Kind of like the impending arrival of Alex Rodriguez.

“He’s a teammate and you’ve got to treat teammates with respect,” Nova said. “Personally, I’m gonna treat him the same way I’ve always treated him. He has been a good teammate to me.”

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees prospect Aaron Judge has a huge future in pinstripes

It’s hard to miss Aaron Judge’s 6-7, 275-pound frame around Yankee complex in Tampa.

TAMPA — The sound is startling.

Crack!

On a sleepy Sunday morning at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees are scattered around the complex, preparing for the exhibition season that begins only two days later.

Pitchers take fielding practice on Fields 3 and 4, while Alex Rodriguez headlines a group taking batting practice on the main field, drawing a big crowd of spectators, both in the stands and behind the cage.

Back on Field 2, the one tucked away on the right side of the development, four hitters take BP while a dozen or two onlookers watch from behind a chain-link fence.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner go through their routines, spraying balls to all fields. Ramon Flores, a Triple-A outfielder, works on his swing with the hopes of impressing the coaching staff.

Then Aaron Judge steps into the cage.

It's his power and all-around game that keep eyes - including those of coach Joe Espada (l.) - fixed on the 22-year-old prospect.

Crack!

You can’t help but take notice of the sound. Ball meeting bat creates a loud noise that makes you wonder if you’ve mistakenly wandered onto a shooting range. Judge — a 6-7, 275-pound specimen that looks like he should be playing right defensive end rather than right field — rips one line drive after another, trying to perfect an approach that has seemingly put him on the fast track to stardom.

The second-to-last ball he hits clears the wall in left-center field with ease, a shot that catches his veteran teammates’ attention. The next ball is launched to straightaway center field, where it crashes into the top area of the black batter’s eye, a blast that might have landed on Dale Mabry Highway — or perhaps on the 50-yard-line of Raymond James Stadium across the street — if the big black screen hadn’t intervened.

“You just got that one,” Gardner jokes, almost at a loss for words for the power display he’s just witnessed.

Judge is the Yankees’ top hitting prospect, a towering package of power, athleticism and plate discipline. Mason Williams, a fellow outfield prospect, calls him “a created player” — as in the player he creates when he plays Madden 2015 on his Xbox.

A first-round draft pick selected 32nd overall in 2013, Judge hit .333/.428/.530 with nine home runs and 45 RBI in 65 games at Low-A Charleston last season, earning a midseason promotion to High-A Tampa.

The move didn’t slow him down. Judge hit .283/.411/.442 with eight homers and 33 RBI in 66 games, firmly establishing himself as a rising star in a system desperate for one.

“I think power in general is a scarcity, but especially righthanded power,” said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ VP of amateur scouting. “It gives him a great value to us, but so does his makeup and a number of other things that go with him. He’s not just a guy that turns and launches; he’s a good runner, a good thrower and a graceful athlete with great plate discipline. I think that gets lost in his size.”

As Judge shot past the 6-foot mark in high school, the football schools began actively recruiting him. A wide receiver and defensive end, Judge received letters from Notre Dame, UCLA, Michigan State and Stanford among others.

“It was fun going up against little cornerbacks,” said Judge, who grew up in Linden, Calif., about 90 miles east of San Francisco. “I was 6-7 and they were about 5-8 standing across from me. It was pretty funny.”

Football was fun, but baseball was his passion. Judge was drafted in the 30th round of the 2010 draft by Oakland, but choosing to attend Fresno State rather than signing was an easy choice.

“I didn’t think I was ready — physically or mentally — to get into pro ball,” Judge said. “I knew that a couple years at Fresno would help that out. I was going to college the whole way.”

In his first season in the Yankee organization (over two levels) Aaron Judge put up some impressive numbers.

“He was raw,” Oppenheimer said.

After graduating high school at about 220 pounds, Judge started lifting weights, filling out his frame with another 30 or 40 pounds. He mashed his way through college, earning first-team All-Conference honors in all three seasons. Judge led the Bulldogs in home runs, doubles and RBI during his junior season, but it was his .461 on-base percentage that stood out to him.

“That’s what wins ballgames,” Judge said. “If you get on base, the guys behind you can drive you in.”

Following his sophomore season, Judge played in the Cape Cod League, a veritable training ground for potential draftees. There’s a day during the summer when all position players in the league are brought to Fenway Park for a workout, a session that stuck with Oppenheimer as he was preparing for the draft nearly a year later.

“I distinctly remember sitting there, watching this guy — finally — in a big-league park,” Oppenheimer said. “Cape fields are basically high school fields, so it’s really neat to see these guys at Fenway and gauge it. He was one of the few guys that was rattling balls up in the lights. His tools were all there.”

The size and strength stand out — observers regularly draw comparisons to Dave Winfield and Giancarlo Stanton — but it’s what Judge does off the field that leads the Yankees to believe they may have found a special player.

Judge, who the Yankees drafted with a first-round pick in 2013, is a top hitting prospect.

“From everything I’ve ever heard from the player development side, this is a leader of men,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “People gravitate to him in the weight room, on the field and in the clubhouse. He’s the guy that people turn to to show them the way.”

P.J. Pilittere, Judge’s hitting coach in Tampa last season, learned right away what type of teammate the youngster was.

“In his first game when he got promoted last year, he came up in a big spot and he didn’t get the job done,” Pilittere said. “I wanted to see how the kid responded to that. He came back to the dugout, put his helmet and bat away and immediately started cheering for the next guy at the plate. That told me all I needed to know about him.”

Pilittere played eight seasons in the Yankees’ minor-league system, attending big-league camp with the likes of Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. He’s not ready to anoint Judge as a superstar just yet, but Pilittere believes his temperament is ideal for success.

“The good ones that play this game can control their emotions; it’s a special talent,” Pilittere said. “The fact that he can already do it is a promising sign of things to come. He’s a genuine kid that loves the game and wants to be better.”

The Yankees use a metric called exit velocity, which measures the speed at which a ball travels off a hitter’s bat. Assistant GM Billy Eppler said Judge’s number ranks in the 90th percentile of major-league hitters, evidence of the damage he can do with each swing.

“We like the total package,” Eppler said. “Power is what people like to talk about, especially with a guy of his size. Watching him take BP is fun; it’s like going to a long-drive contest.

“But watch him go get a ball in the gap, watch him throw, watch him do the other things. Everybody wants to see a bomb in the batter’s box, but we just want him to have a quality at-bat and win every pitch. He does a lot of things we like our hitters to do. He fits our offensive DNA.”

The Yankees haven’t drafted and developed an All-Star position player in pinstripes since Jeter. Judge could change that.

In big-league camp for the first time, Judge is doing everything he can to take advantage of the opportunity. He’s picked Carlos Beltran’s brain about what it takes to succeed in the majors and watched the way Mark Teixeira prepares each day. He knows he’s likely ticketed for Double-A Trenton to open the season, but Judge figures as long as he’s here, why not dream big?

Aaron Judge

“I just want to give them something to think about,” Judge said. “Try to soak up as much as I can, talk to everybody, learn as much as I can. Put on a show and make it tough for them to send me across the street.”

The Core Four is gone. Robinson Cano, once believed to be the man to take the baton from Jeter, now plays in Seattle. Could Judge be the next great homegrown Yankee?

“That’s everybody’s dream,” Judge said. “Even as a little kid, you want to grow up and be one of the legends, one of the greatest of all-time. One of my dreams is to be one of the next great ones, but I know I have to work hard every day to work toward that goal.

“This is where we all want to be. Getting a taste of it here, I want more. Now I have to go out there and get it.

[Yankee4Life]

Yankees’ run-saving plan: ‘Really good’ overhauled unit

From top left, clockwise: Chase Headley, Mark Teixeira, Stephen Drew and Didi Gregorius

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Provided nobody suffers an injury before Opening Day, the Yankees will have a significantly better infield defensively than a year ago.

On April 1, 2014, the Yankees’ infield from first to third base in Houston was structured this way: Mark Teixeira, Brian Roberts, Derek Jeter and Kelly Johnson. Eventually, Yangervis Solarte hit his way into third base.

Only Teixeira remains from a year ago. Stephen Drew is at second, Didi Gregorius is at short and Chase Headley is at third.

“I think our defense has a chance to be really, really good,’’ manager Joe Girardi said Saturday at Osceola County Stadium where the Yankees beat the Astros, 9-4, with six runs in the ninth. “You have two shortstops in the middle for one and hopefully you have your first baseman back. And you have an outstanding third baseman back who played really well for the two months we had him.’’

First base, where Teixeira’s physical woes and quiet bat didn’t affect his defense, is the only infield spot where the Yankees haven’t made a significant upgrade.

Headley’s soft hands and accurate throwing arm dwarfs Johnson and Solarte. Gregorius’ range and arm are among the best in baseball. Jeter’s arm was never an issue because it was accurate and even at 40 the Yankees wanted the ball hit at him late in close games. Yet, his range was an issue before the broken ankle. Though Drew still is transitioning from short to second, Brian Roberts was on fumes when he signed with the Yankees.

“Our defense has a chance to be really good, overall, everywhere,’’ said Girardi, who brought the starting infield to face the Astros.

There is a lot of talk about run prevention as important as run production. And though a three-run homer is far sexier, a diving stop on a searing one-hopper that starts an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded and the team up a run is equally productive.

“It has a cumulative effect,’’ Girardi said of plays not made in the field behind a pitcher. “Each out is less pitches on the starter and the bullpen. And that all adds up over the course of the year.’’

Gregorius is an elite defender capable of the “wow’’ play. The only question is if he will hit enough for Girardi to play him every day. The left-handed hitter is a career .184 (30-for-163) with a .490 OPS against lefty pitchers.

“He has had success against right-handers, he needs work against left-handers,’’ Girardi said. “We knew we were getting a really good defender.’’

When Gregorius was acquired from the Diamondbacks, the Yankees didn’t believe they were getting a finished product. They even went so far to say he might need help against lefties. However, the light-hitting Brendan Ryan, a right-handed hitter, is really the only option in a platoon.

“I want to see him against lefties,’’ Girardi said of Gregorius. “Obviously, you would love to have an everyday shortstop. Sometimes you start a platoon and that relationship you build with the infield is not as tight in a sense.’’

Asked if he didn’t get enough at-bats against lefties in Arizona, Gregorius said, “I am not the one who makes that decision.’’

With March moving from the first week to the second and still plenty of exhibition games to provide a chance for Gregorius to quiet the fears that he can’t hit lefties, Girardi is thinking he can.

“He has the ability to hit left-handers. A times you can get pegged early in your career,’’ Girard said. “I want to see him against lefties.’’

So how much does Gregorius have to hit to play all the time? Remember, Jeter batted .256 with a .304 on-base percentage and .617 OPS in his final season. Gregorius batted .226 in 80 big league games last year with a .290 on-base and .653 OPS.

If Gregorius adds 15 points and hits .241, is his glove good enough to play regularly?

[Yankee4Life]

Pitcher Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 9, 2015 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

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Pitcher Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch during the second inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 9, 2015 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

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Nathan Eovaldi of the New York Yankees pitches during the third inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 9, 2015 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

[Yankee4Life]

Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hits a single during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 9, 2015 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida.

[Yankee4Life]

Aaron Judge

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Aaron Judge

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Andrew Miller

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Brett Gardner

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Chase Whitley