Bleacher Report - Articles by Rob Abruzzese

Yankees take first game against Red Sox

Rob Abruzzese — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:02:46 -0400

The Yankees (98-56) beat down the Red Sox (91-62) 9-5 last night, led by Joba Chamberlain’s quality start and Alex Rodriguez’s perfect night at the plate. The magic number is now down to three.

Quick ‘Cap:
A-Rod drove in Derek Jeter in the first inning on a single, and then cranked a two-run homer into the second deck in left in a four-run third inning that also saw Jon Lester leave the game. Melky Cabrera smoked a line drive right back at Lester’s knee, but luckily he was able to slowly walk off the field.

Chamberlain was perfect for the first three innings, but Victor Martinez broke his bid up with a homer in the fourth. Chamberlain went on to finish six innings, and allowed a two-run homer to David Ortiz.

Joe Girardi, once again, had to use three pitchers in the eighth inning after Jon Albaladejo was ineffective and allowed two runs to score. Damaso Marte and Phil Hughes recorded the last two outs, and Phil Coke pitched an easy ninth. Full box score here.

Thoughts:
The story of this game was supposed to be Chamberlain, but it really spun around toward Lester and Jason Varitek. Lester left most of his fastballs high and the Yankees took advantage.

The Yanks stole seven bases off Varitek, including three from A-Rod and two from Jeter. I wasn’t aware of this weakness for the Red Sox until last night. One would think Varitek would have to be very good defensively in order to keep his job with a .208 batting average.

Line of the Night:
A-Rod: 3-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 SB. A perfect night and a triple shy of the cycle. And against the Red Sox? Who says he’s not clutch?

Up Next:
The series continues today at 4:10 p.m. with CC Sabathia (18-7, 3.31) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-5, 6.80) going at it.

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Aroldis Chapman Declared a Free Agent

Rob Abruzzese — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:27:05 -0400

According to Jorge Arangure of ESPN, Cuban defector and left handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman has been declared a free agent by major league baseball and is now free to sign with any team in the bigs.

Both the Yankees, Red Sox and others are expected to be interested in the fire balling 21-year-old. That seems to be just speculation so far, but it is not hard to see why. The Yankees should certainly be interested with so many questions about their pitching staff next year. Is Andy Pettitte coming back? Can AJ Burnett survive October in the Bronx? Will Joba Chamberlain rebound after a rough season? Speaking of Joba, is Phil Hughes‘ 2010 going to be just like Joba’s 2009?

All of those questions, combined with a weak free agent class for starting pitching, could force the Yankees to become serious bidders for Chapman. Expect the bidding to start at three years and $30 million, but it will probably end up closer to $50 million.

Jerry Hairston Dodges a Bullet

Rob Abruzzese — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:04:12 -0400

According to Peter Abraham of the Journal News, utility infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. underwent and MRI earlier today that determined that he has tendinitis in his left wrist, received a cortisone shot and will be day-to-day.

The Yankees dodged a bullet after Hairston left Wednesday’s game in the seventh inning after hearing a pop in his wrist. He initially injured the wrist earlier in the season while he was with the Cincinnati Reds and it has lingered ever since. It has gotten so bad recently that this is actually his second MRI and cortisone shot in the past 10 days.

Hairston has been hot and cold since becoming a Yankee. Over his first 14 games with the Bombers he hit .346 with a .952 OPS, but he came back down to Earth quickly batting .167 in 26 games since August 16. Could that be because of the wrist? Possibly.

What’s more important to note though is that Hairston has been very versatile for the Yankees since they acquired him. He’s played five different positions including short, third, and all three outfield positions, most often he has spelled Alex Rodriguez at third base.

As River Ave Blues points out, he’s been so versatile for the Yankees that if he were not able to play in the playoffs he would literally have to be replaced by two players. So lets say that if he were to miss the playoffs, or even just the first round, the Yankees would have to carry Ramiro Pena as an infielder and probably Freddy Guzman as an outfielder.

So maybe he can’t play both positions at the same time, but he’s probably a better hitter than either and at least as good on defense as both.

With Anthony Claggett Claim, Pirates Continue Quest to Become a Yankee Farm Team

Rob Abruzzese — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:35:28 -0400

Maybe the headline is a bit of hyperbole, but the Pittsburgh Pirates added their sixth Yankee pitcher over the past two years when they claimed right-handed pitcher Anthony Claggett off waivers today.

Claggett was designated for assignment by the Yankees 10 days ago to make room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Freddy Guzman.

Claggett was 7-7 with a 3.07 ERA in 39 appearances and 82 innings for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate this season. He had a brief and disappointing stint in the Bronx this season where he gave up 10 earned runs in 2.2 innings in two appearances.

The Yankees must have been pretty disappointed with Claggett to DFA him instead of Edwar Ramirez, who has been one of their most pathetic pitchers this season after having a decent run in 2008. It could be that Claggett stopped striking out batters like he used to. He averaged 4.7 K/9 this season after 8.4 K/9 in Double-A last season.

Claggett was initially acquired by the Yankees in the Gary Sheffield trade, which makes that deal look even worse after the main piece of that deal, Humberto Sanchez, has struggled just to stay in the organization after multiple injuries.

Claggett joins former Yankee minor leaguers Eric Hacker, Steven Jackson, Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen, and Ross Ohlendorf as pitchers on the Pirates roster. Another former Yankee, T.J. Beam, makes it seven pitchers, along with Jose Tabata, who have played for the Pirates over the past two years. That’s a pretty impressive list.

I wonder who they are eyeing next.

Pittsburgh Pirates Continue Their Goal of Becoming a Yankee Farm Team

Rob Abruzzese — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:35:28 -0400

So maybe the headline is a bit of hyperbole, but the Pittsburgh Pirates added their sixth Yankee pitcher over the past two years when they claimed right handed pitcher Anthony Claggett off of waivers today.

Claggett was designated for assignment by the Yankees 10 days ago to make room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Freddy Guzman. Claggett was 7-7 with a 3.07 ERA in 39 appearances and 82 innings for the Yankees triple-A affiliate this season. He had a brief and disappointing stint in the Bronx this season, where he gave up 10 earned runs in 2.2 innings in two appearances.

The Yankees must have been pretty disappointed with Claggett to DFA him instead of Edwar Ramirez, who has been one of their most pathetic pitchers this season despite having a decent run in 2008. It could be that Claggett stopped striking out batters like he used to. He averaged 4.7 K/9 this season after 8.4 K/9 in double-A last season.

Claggett was initially acquired by the Yankees in the Gary Sheffield trade, which makes that deal look even worse because the main piece of that deal, Humberto Sanchez, has struggled just to stay in the organization after multiple injuries.

Claggett joins former Yankee minor leaguers Eric Hacker, Steven Jackson, Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen, and Ross Ohlendorf as pitchers on the Pirates' roster. Another former Yankee TJ Beam makes it seven pitchers and Jose Tabata, who has played for the Pirates for the last two years. That’s a pretty impressive list.

I wonder whom they are eyeing next.

Ian Kennedy Returns to the Yankees, Pitches a Scoreless Frame

Rob Abruzzese — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:34:17 -0400

Ian Kennedy returned for the Yankees yesterday in the eighth inning versus the Angels.

It was anything but an easy inning, as Kennedy loaded the bases with an hit batter and two walks. Kennedy also recorded a strikeout. The result was ultimately positive as he allowed no runs, recording the final out on a popup to Freddy Guzman.

So, how did he look?

Per Brooks Baseball, Kennedy’s four-seam fastball sat at an average of 92.01 mph, with a top speed of 93.1 mph. While IPK only threw two changeups, they came in at an average of 83.80 mph, representing about a 9 mph drop, which is right around where you want to be.

Perhaps it was that Ian was amped up to be back in the majors, but that 92.01 mph average is an improvement over his average fastball velocity from '08 (89.1) and '07 (90.4).

If Kennedy can keep up this small uptick in velocity, it would be a big step forward and could easily help him improve. Obviously, control is more important than velocity, but it seemed last year that Kennedy was afraid to throw his fastball even near the zone because it didn’t have as much on it.

This led to poor control, which led to poor results...and, yeah, we all know how 2008 went for Kennedy.

Regardless of his semi-struggles yesterday, it’s great to see Kennedy back on the field after his aneurysm surgery. He will be pitching in the Arizona Fall League after the season ends, and, hopefully, the Yankees can get him into some more games this season.

They will definitely have the chance to do so. The Bombers have already clinched a playoff berth and should be looking to rest their starters. Kennedy is a starter by trade and he should be used for multiple innings of relief of short starts by CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain.

John Kruk: Stick to TV

Rob Abruzzese — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:07:28 -0400

Now’s a good time to look at how various teams are lining up for the postseason—in fact I’m hoping to do just that in the next day or two—and consequently the front page of ESPN today has an article looking at every team’s postseason weaknesses, authored by “analyst” John Kruk.

You might know John for inexplicably being an All-Star baseball player in the early '90s despite having the athleticism of an asthmatic sloth or perhaps for his current role on Baseball Tonight, where his rants often defy the rules of both logic and grammar.

I know that picking on something Kruk writes is like critiquing a first grader’s macaroni art, but ESPN ran this thing on the front page. So in my mind, that’s fair game.

John presents us with the premise for his article:

Which of the teams likely headed to the playoffs have the most to figure out in the next two weeks? All of them except the Boston Red Sox.

As you can see, we’re off to a good start. Not only is John’s premise here—that the Red Sox are the only team with things figured out—absurd, but this reads like something Ralph Wiggum would say. Does ESPN not have editors? I guess it’s too hard just to say “The Red Sox have the fewest weakness going into the postseason.”

The Angels have to figure a number of things out. If they play the Red Sox in the first series, will Brian Fuentes be their closer?

Yes. Do you expect them to sign a new closer just to face the Red Sox? I know Fuentes pitched poorly against the Sox in Fenway, but to his credit, he had Nick Green struck out, only the umpire didn’t (or wouldn’t) call it.

Who is going to pitch for the Yankees? How does their rotation set up? Overall, A.J Burnett has been awful, excluding some of his recent starts, and besides CC Sabathia, which arms can the Yankees call on? Can you deem Andy Pettitte healthy after having to miss a start or two because of his shoulder?

The same guys who have been pitching all year. Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Joba. If they play the series with extra rest, they’ll only use the first three. You’re acting like only top starters can be allowed to pitch in the postseason. Do other teams have four pitchers of Sabathia’s quality?

I distinctly remember Jeff Weaver being allowed to start in the postseason a couple years back. Oh, and Jeff Suppan. I could go on. The Yankees won the most games in the majors so far using these pitchers. They can win the most games in the postseason using the same ones.

By the way, I also love the “AJ Burnett is awful overall, except when he’s not” line. Guess what? Albert Pujols is terrible overall, except for the times he gets hit and makes plays.

What they’ve done in monitoring Joba Chamberlain’s workload has been unbelievable, but he’s not even in the equation to start.

I know, it’s so insane that the Yankees want to keep Joba healthy. And not even in the equation? Girardi just said that Joba is still the No. 4 starter in the postseason. Sure, if Joba has a few more terrible outings, maybe you go to someone else. But I’m pretty sure he’s in the equation.

Boston is really the only team heading into the postseason that you can look at and say, “This team is ready for the playoffs.” Aside from the middle relief, which hasn’t been too good, Jon Lester is pitching well and Daisuke Matsuzaka has looked good. The Sox look to me to be the one, of all the teams likely headed to the postseason, that is the most dolled up and ready to play in the playoffs.

So let me get this straight: the Red Sox are the only team with no weaknesses, except their middle relief is a weakness. That makes sense. And you’re worried about Andy Pettitte—a proven guy who has pitched well all year—just because he had a start pushed back, but you’re sold on Dice-K after a couple starts?

Dice-K spent almost the entire season on the DL. How is he not a question mark? And I don’t know what it means for a baseball team to be the “most dolled up.” Is that baseball lingo for “just dropped two out of three to the Royals?”

John needs to stick to TV, where fat guys can sit on the couch and think, “Hey, I like that Kruk. I, too, like overeating and watching baseball, and pretty much only have the language skills for accomplishing those two tasks.”

Yankees Clinch Playoffs

Rob Abruzzese — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:49:28 -0400

When Mariano Rivera shut the door on the Yankees 6-5 win over the Angels last night they clinched at least a Wildcard victory and got back to the playoffs after missing them for the first time since 1994 last season.

There was no champagne or celebration though as they have their sights set on the division championship and beyond.

Via Peter Abraham:

Not one bottle of champagne was popped. Joe Girardi gathered his team in the clubhouse, congratulated them on achieving the first of their goals and told them there was a lot of work to be done.

The Yankees knew weeks ago that they would be in the playoffs. Celebrating a wild-card berth they won’t even be using would have been pointless. Beyond that, they have a day game against the Angels and Scott Kazmir later on today.

“I’m glad we did it that way,” Phil Hughes said. “We have bigger things to celebrate. The division is something to celebrate and hopefully we can do that home with our fans.”

Said Nick Swisher: “We followed the what the team leaders wanted to do and they wanted it to be low-key. I think we all agreed. If we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll have our fun later on.”

The Yankees are currently six games up on the Red Sox as the AL East’s division leaders and five and a half over the Angels for the best record in baseball. So it’s no sure thing that they will take the division, but it has seemed like a forgone conclusion for a while now.

I’m not sure how people feel about them celebrating or not last night, but when teams do it too often, to me, it seems cheap. This is a team that has realistic World Series aspirations so I’m glad they skipped any celebrations last night.

How does everyone else feel about this?

Zack Greinke Afraid of Pitching in New York?

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:16:09 -0400

This blog might as well have its own section on Zack Greinke. The latest news surrounding the leading Cy Young candidate (to my dismay) is his statement about his fear of pitching in New York.

Greinke signed a four-year extension worth $38 million with the Royals prior to this season.

Had he waited until free agency, or even just until the end of this year, he would have been in line for tens of millions more. But security had substantial appeal, especially given that Greinke recognized that Kansas City offered him a comfortable environment, on and off the field.

“[The environment] had a lot to do with [signing the extension], for sure,” said Greinke. “Now, maybe New York would bother me, but I don’t think anywhere else would bother me anymore. Even though I’m in Kansas City, I’ve gotten used to it a lot more. New York, I still might have trouble in New York. I probably would. But I think almost everyone does.”

I find it very interesting that he publicly singles out New York as the biggest media-crazed baseball city. Wouldn’t he want to remain on good terms with New York, just in case the Yankees offered him big money?

Also, if a guy with a 2.14 ERA says he would have trouble pitching in New York, I think that shuts down all of the Yankee-haters that say it’s a cakewalk to pitch in the Bronx.

Please, discuss.

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Old Reliable Regains my Confidence in Yanks

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:06:32 -0400

The Yankees were beat last night by the bloody Angels, again. But Andy Pettitte proved he has moved past his left shoulder fatigue that caused him to miss his previous start.

Joba Chamberlain’s awful last nine starts coupled with Chad Gaudin taking Sergio Mitre’s spot in the rotation made me even more worried about the Yankees’ rotation heading into the postseason.

This is Pettitte’s 12th year in pinstripes, and is proving once again that he’s still got it. During his long career in New York, he is 191-108 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Those career totals closely resemble his numbers this season, which is more than I expected out of the 37-year-old southpaw.

I would also like to correct myself, and share with you that the Yankees are now 0-4 at Angel Stadium this season, and are 3-5 against the Halos overall.

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Jonathan Albaladejo: Should He Be On the Team For the Playoffs?

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:32:09 -0400

Right-handed reliever Jonathan Albaladejo gave up a run last night. It was the first earned run he’s allowed since being called up in the beginning of the month.

Over that span, he’s thrown 6.2 innings over six appearances with a 1-0 record, a 1.35 ERA, and a .588 OPS-against. Last night’s run ended a decent stretch, but it got me thinking Brian Bruney and Mark Melancon have been terrible.

With David Robertson's elbow problems presenting a question mark, should the Yankees consider bringing Jonathan Albaladejo with them for the playoffs?

Well, this one is a stretch, as the Yankees are likely to have anywhere from 10-12 pitchers on their team during the playoffs; and they have nearly that many who are considered a must for the roster. Here is a quick look at this list of guys: Sabathia, Pettitte, Burnett, Rivera, Hughes, Marte, Aceves, and we’ll throw Joba, Robertson, and Coke in there, too.

Considering there are still Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin who could be added, if the Yankees needed another pitcher, it could come down to Albaladejo and Bruney. If that’s the case, I’d much rather the Yankees go with Albaladejo.

What I’ve already said makes a lot of assumptions. It could happen, assuming Robertson isn’t hurt, Joba doesn’t get left off for ineffectiveness, and Phil Coke isn’t ignored because of his own ineffectiveness.

I guess my point is, Albaladejo has pitched well enough to at least be a topic in the conversation.

Pettitte's Shoulder Feels Good in Return

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:56:59 -0400

Last season, Andy Pettitte struggled with shoulder pain and put up a rather poor 5-9 record with a 5.16 ERA after July thanks to shoulder pain.

It made the Yankees question whether they should even bring him back this season, as they put off signing him until he nearly took a $11 million pay cut. They ended up bringing him back and it paid off, but just last week his shoulder issues sprung up again. It might have been memories of last season or thoughts of this year’s playoffs, but many were cringing.

Well last night, pitching on nine days rest, Pettitte threw six mostly-strong innings, allowing just three earned runs. He also threw just 91 pitches, the fewest he’s thrown since the last time he faced the Angels on July 11, and got pulled early after allowing six runs.

“Everything is good, things went well as far as me being healthy,” Pettitte said. “I felt pretty good. I scuffled in the first inning, when everything came back over the plate.”

Between the rest and the results, many Yankees fans are starting to breathe easier, and the Yankees' organization certainly is.

“I have a much higher comfort level than I had coming into the game,” manager Joe Girardi said about the 37-year-old Pettitte.

The Yankees are certainly going to be paying attention to Pettitte’s shoulder between now and the playoffs, but after last night’s start they are still penciling him into the playoff rotation.

Joba Chamberlain May Have Pitched His Way Out of the Playoffs

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:31:57 -0400

Despite what you think of Joba Chamberlain, the way the Yankees have handled him, and his future, it would be hard to argue that he has pitched well of late.

With a 1-4 record and an 8.25 ERA over his past nine starts, his spot on the Yankees playoff roster may be in jeopardy.

“He needs to declare himself,’’ Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “He’s no different than anyone else.’’

Chamberlain likely has two more starts during the remainder of the regular season. He hasn’t made it past the fourth inning in any start since Aug. 16, but the Yankees would like him to show them two things over his next couple of outings: that he can give them length and quality innings.

Recently, they started holding him back in his starts, often not allowing him to go past three innings. In his past start against Seattle, they were hoping he could go at least five, though, and he couldn’t make it.

If he can’t manage more than three innings in either of his next couple of starts, he could be a liability in the playoffs, and the Yankees might be better just leaving him home.

“Everybody loves his tenacity,’’ Cashman said. “But we’re going to take the best 10 guys. There’s no assumptions there.

“He’s put himself in a position where the manager has to make a decision that there’s not one guy ahead of him that he needs to give the ball to. He might not realize it, but he’s in competition with any number of guys to take the ball.’’

The Yankees' other options are Sergio Mitre, who pitched five great innings in relief the other night, or Chad Gaudin, who has been better than expected since becoming a Yankee. Alfredo Aceves, who didn’t pitch in a tight spot last night, could also be in the mix as a starter during the playoffs.

Peter Abraham's Move from Yankees to Red Sox Media Has Unintended Consequences

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:22:26 -0400

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is one of the biggest in sports, and as the two teams are getting closer to a possible 2004 rematch, it is hard to imagine the showdown becoming more intense.

It seems that the rivalry may have spilled over into the writers thanks to beat reporter Peter Abraham of the Journal News. Abraham, who is originally from the Massachusetts area, recently took a job with the Boston Globe and will cover and blog the Red Sox next season.

The other beat writers mostly understand the move. Abraham went from a smaller suburban newspaper to a much larger daily out of Boston, and he presumably got some sort of a raise. In an age of shrinking newspapers and a struggling economy, job security is becoming ever more important.

“Fans may not comprehend how somebody can go from covering the Yankees to covering the Red Sox,” Yankee beat writer Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News said, “but unlike fans, we don’t root for the team. Our team is our newspaper, and to go from a suburban paper—even a quality one like the Journal News—to the Boston Globe is a no-brainer.

“Good for Pete. The fact that he’s from Massachusetts and is going to live near his family is an added bonus for him.”

Still, a few of the writers are realizing that this affects more than just his readers. Every year the beat writers of each team, the Yankees and the Red Sox, play a couple of baseball games, and with bragging rights on the line, this move has gotten their attention.

“Mostly, I’m looking forward to him playing on the Boston media team in our annual home-and-home baseball games,” Feinsand said. “If I have a chance to take him out with a hard slide, I’m doing it. Don’t be surprised to see Tyler Kepner put one in his ribs, either.”

On the other hand, the Boston media are already looking at the benefits of bringing someone from the other side aboard. Ian Browne of MLB.com, who covers the Red Sox, points to Kevin O’Connell, a backup quarterback released by the Patriots and who recently helped the Jets, as an example of how this could help them.

“I think the biggest advantage of bringing Pete over to this side is he can share all the intelligence of the New York team,” Browne said. “I think Abraham can give us all their signs, and that could be the difference!”

Though he declined to comment, we at Bronx Baseball Daily wish Peter luck and hope that he watches out for those inside pitches.

Looking Ahead: New York Yankees 2010 Starting Rotation

Rob Abruzzese — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:07:19 -0400

A good portion of the success of the 2009 Yankees comes from the team’s starting rotation. A weak point last year, the rotation was bolstered by the additions of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Along with returning starters Andy Pettitte, Chien Ming Wang, and Joba Chamberlain, C.C. and A.J. have returned the Yankees to a state of strong pitching.

For next year, I’d say three fifths of the rotation is an absolute lock. Those three? Sabathia, Burnett, and Chamberlain.

The questions marks are Andy Pettitte and, unfortunately, Phil Hughes.

I say that Hughes is unfortunately a question mark not because I don’t want him to start, but because I have this lingering doubt in the back of my mind that he won’t start the season in the rotation and will end up doing an ‘08-Joba that could hinder his growth.

However, I do generally have faith in Cashman and Girardi to make the right call and put Hughes in the fifth starter’s spot for 2010, regardless of who he’d be in back of.

Pettitte is also a question mark in my mind, and a slightly bigger one than Hughes. While Pettitte has said he’s interested in coming back, he said the same thing last year.

The Yankees played hardball with Andy before bringing him back. If Pettitte decides to go, or the Yankees decide that they don’t want him back, there are a few options.

The first would be to solve the problem internally and let the last spot in the rotation be decided in springing training in a competition between players such as Ivan Nova, Alfredo Aceves, Ian Kennedy, or someone else brought in during ST for that competition, like Brett Tomko in 2009.

Chad Gaudin is also another internal option, as he is still under team control in 2010 ,and has proved to be pretty serviceable as a starting pitcher.

There are also some external options. Looking at the potential free-agents for 2010, we see a few pitchers of interest, despite a generally weak class. Let’s give them the rundown and see what could pan out:

Two interesting names we see are Rich Harden and Tim Hudson. Both have the talent to be great, but both of them have injury red flags.

Hudson is coming off of Tommy John Surgery and Harden hasn’t pitched 30 games since 2004.

Ultimately, I think Hudson will return to the Braves—making one of their starters, probably Javier Vasquez open for a trade.

Harden may not be back with the Cubs, but I’d expect him to stay in the National League, where he has a better chance to keep pitching at a higher level. He seems like Ben Sheets did in the last offseason: the Yankees will probably be interested, but will want to see his medical reports first.

John Lackey is probably the best option that will definitely hit the market. However, I think the Yankees are definitely going to stay away from him. He wants a lot of money and wants a long term deal.

With Sabathia under contract for seven years and A.J. Burnett for five, and with some improved pitching prospects in the minors, I don’t think the Yankees will want to get locked in to a pitcher for a long term deal. (This is also why I don’t think they’ll be too focused on the Matt Holliday sweepstakes, but that’s a post for another time).

Brandon Webb is another possibility to hit the market, though it isn’t 100 percent likely. The Diamondbacks hold an $8.5 million option on the right hander, including what is now a $2 million buyout, thanks to three finishes in the top five of the Cy Young voting from ‘06-’08 (1, 2, 2).

The Diamondbacks don’t have a ton of money, but an $8.5 million option is pretty cheap for a pitcher of his caliber.

Cliff Lee of the Phillies has a similar option and there is no way he’ll hit the market. Ruben Amaro may have given a stupid two year deal to Jamie Moyer, but he’s not dumb enough to pass up a cheap option on Lee.

There are, however, reasons for the D-Backs to let Webb go.

One is that Arizona could use the young talent Webb would bring back from compensation picks. Since he’s missed essentially all season, Webb profiles as a Type-B free agent this season, but the Diamondbacks, ranked 26th in Baseball America’s 2009 Organizational Talent Rankings could use any help they could get in the minors.

The other reason is because Webb has missed all of this season, there could be injury concerns.

If the Diamondbacks, the team that knows Webb best, let him go, that could set off a red flag for other teams not to sign him. This report from the Arizona Republic says that if the option is not picked up, Webb will test the FA waters.

If he does hit the market, the Yankees should be in on Webb. He is a top-shelf pitcher and if the medicals clear, he’d be an incredible addition to the team on a short term deal. The aforementioned Ben Sheets could also be brought in on a similar deal, if he is deemed healthy.

If another pitcher is signed before Andy Pettitte makes his decision on whether or not to pitch again, I would like that signing to be the end of the Andy Pettitte Era (part two) in the Bronx.

We all know and love Andy, but he shouldn’t be kept if another pitcher signs, thus blocking Phil Hughes’ development again.

If I had to bet something of importance on the 2010 rotation, though, I’d put it on the five-man rotation looking like this: C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes—with Aceves, Kennedy, Nova, and others either working as long men/spot starters out of the pen, or guys at AAA ready to come up when need be.

Joba Chamberlain's Lack of Results Directly Tied to Lack of Emotion

Rob Abruzzese — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:53:25 -0400

This is my first post for Bronx Baseball Daily, and what better topic to lead off with than Joba Chamberlain, who must own the record for most words written about a pitcher with a 94 ERA+.

I think everyone knows the story by now: Joba was the hottest pitcher after the All-Star Break, and there was a time you could make a serious case for him being the Yankees’ No. 2 starter. A few mediocre starts later, followed by the implementation of two sets of new “Joba Rules,” and now Joba looks pretty terrible.

So what’s wrong? A pitcher with Joba’s ability should not have a slump like this.

I can’t help but notice, however, that Joba’s entire demeanor changed once he started scaling back his starts. It’s like he’s throwing a bullpen session, and even his comments after his starts seem to support that. Results don’t interest Joba these days; instead all of his focus is on the individual pitches he worked on.

Consider some of his comments after his last start (via Pete Abe):

My delivery was great,” he said. “I threw some great changeups. My slider velocity was great. My fastball velocity was more consistent.”

That sounds like a guy who’s just out to get his work in. If you consider the way he acts while pitching as well—a weird lack of emotion—you have to wonder if at some point Joba was told to not just scale back his innings but to scale back the wear and tear of those innings.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Joba is out trying to lose. But with the Yankees’ sizable lead, they can afford to run Joba out there for three innings and have him give up a couple runs. They’ve managed to win a good number of these starts after all.

Now, all that said, I think Joba’s last start was particularly disappointing, as it seems like Joe Girardi is ready to take the training wheels back off, but Joba isn’t responding. Can Joba turn it back on again? Clearly, Girardi thinks he will, going so far as to suggest Joba is still the fourth starter for the postseason.

I’ll feel better, though, when I see the emotion in Joba again; I want the guy who looks upset when he gives up a hit and pulls out the old fist pump after a big strikeout.

New York Yankees-Los Angeles Angels Series Preview

Rob Abruzzese — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:00:36 -0400

The Yankees (95-55) begin a three-game set with the playoff-contending Angels (89-60) tonight.

Head-to-Head:

The Yanks have already won four out of six against the Halos this season, and have won all three in Los Angeles. This is a pivotal series because of the potential rematch in the ALCS this postseason.

Series Preview:

Date:	Yankees starters	Angels starters
Mon., 10:05 p.m.	Andy Pettitte (13-6, 4.14)	J. Saunders (13-7, 4.75)
Tues., 10:05 p.m.	Chad Gaudin (5-10, 4.81)	Ervin Santana (7-8, 5.43)
Wed., 3:35 p.m.	A.J. Burnett (11-9, 4.22)	Scott Kazmir (9-8, 5.08)

My Outlook:
A single win this series ensures a season series victory with the Angels, which is pretty uncommon for the Yankees. By no means have the Yanks separated themselves from the pack, as they are still monitoring each of the starting pitchers very closely, except CC Sabathia. Pettitte,

Gaudin and Burnett all have something to prove this series, and any quality performances are weighted highly because of the opponent.

Another note: One win this series means a clinched playoff berth for the Yanks. This is a moment I am sure manager Joe Girardi is highly anticipating.

Remaining opponents weighted winning percentage: 53.0 percent
Magic Number: 9

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Robertson Returning Soon; Guadin in Rotation

Rob Abruzzese — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:29:10 -0400

A couple of notes via Peter Abraham of the Journal News:

Right handed pitcher David Robertson threw for the third time in the past week and seems ready to take the next step in his rehab from elbow pain.

He could be pitching by this weekend.

“I really liked what I saw when he was throwing. He was letting it go,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Robertson will pitch from a mound either Tuesday or Wednesday and could be in a game after just two or three more sessions.

With the Yankees playing the Red Sox this weekend, he will likely pitch then if he can.

Also, right handed pitcher Chad Gaudin has been officially placed in the rotation taking Sergio Mitre’s spot.

Girardi has also informed reporters that he is in consideration for a playoff roster spot as a long reliever.

Gaudin has no record with a 3.20 ERA, 19 strikeouts and 11 walks in 19.2 innings as a starter. He is is 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA overall.

Aroldis Chapman Nearly Ready for Free Agency

Rob Abruzzese — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:04:39 -0400

According to Melissa Segura of SI.com, Cuban defector and left handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman has been granted residency by the small European country Andorra, which clears the biggest hurdle in the process of becoming a free agent pitcher.

Chapman’s Andorran residency clears the first and most difficult of the three major hurdles to becoming a major league free agent. Because Chapman had his passport — an almost unheard of occurrence for a Cuban defector — establishing residency took a fraction of the time needed for most defectors and may make him available for free agency before the playoffs begin, his agents say.

Supposedly 21-years-old and listed at 6′4″ and 180 lbs., Chapman is a lefty fireballer with a 102 MPH fastball and some not so polished secondary pitches.

Earlier this season he was considered one of three best pitchers not in the majors along with Japan’s Yu Darvish and the recently drafted Stephen Strasburg.

In two starts during this year’s World Baseball Classic, while pitching for Cuba, Chapman threw 6.1 innings with a 5.68 ERA behind eight strike outs and four walks.

Segura’s article speculates that Chapman could sign for at least the same amount fellow defector Jose Contreras signed for back in 2003, 4-years and $32 million.

She also speculates that the Yankees and Red Sox will be among the first in line to sign the young and talented lefty, but notes that not everyone is very high on Chapman.

One scouting director said he expected him to be a middle reliever.

As she noted though, in a shallow free agent pool, Chapman may be a good alternative.

I do believe she is right about the Yankees being interested, although when it comes to big names when aren’t the Yankees interested?

The reason is that Andy Pettitte will be 38-years-old next season and Joba Chamberlain has done little of late to be confident about.

The Yankees could be highly motivated too if they are knocked out of the playoffs earlier than hoped. Especially if it is one of their high-expectations pitchers letting them down in the playoffs.

It's Time To Shut Down Joba Chamberlain

Rob Abruzzese — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:38:13 -0400

It’s time to shut down Joba Chamberlain for the remainder of the year. Why? It's simple, he doesn’t have it anymore.

Chamberlain was supposed to pitch five innings last night and get the win, what would have been his first since Aug. 6 against Boston.

I’ve said it all year that Chamberlain should be in the rotation because he had a chance to be a better starter than relief pitcher. This is not the case anymore.

Chamberlain lived off his 98-plus MPH fastball out of the pen, and kept hitters guessing with his nasty slider. As a starter, he’s completely different. His 93 MPH fastball has no control whatsoever, and has a knack for winding up in the middle of the plate and the sweet spot of the batter’s bat.

Jorge Posada faults the Joba plan for Chamberlain’s failure.

"It’s tough to pitch when you don’t know what’s going on," Posada said. "It is hard. You pitch three innings and they give you 10 days to pitch. It’s tough to pitch like that."

This is entirely untrue, and is just a made up excuse because he has no explanation. He’s been pitching every fifth day since Aug. 25, and he is told how many pitches he will get ahead of time.

The fact is, he is not an effective starter anymore. When he used to throw 100 MPH, it didn’t matter where the pitch ended up, as long as Posada could reach it. Now, when he’s throwing 93, any major league hitter will make him pay, especially a guy like Ken Griffey Jr.

If you were watching, most of the hits are on fastballs right over the middle of the plate.

I don’t know if his arm is injured, but he will not be a successful starter in the majors with a 93 MPH fastball with no control. He said his slider’s velocity was "great", which it was, but his nibbleness was way down. Compared to a game out of the bullpen in 2007, his nibbleness was much lower as a starter for all of his off-speed pitches.

Let’s face it, there is no way Chamberlain is going to build up his arm strength to full starter form for the playoffs. And there is no way the Yankees will have any confidence in him to make a start in the ALCS (if they get there).

So he should be in the bullpen, right? Wrong. The Yankees have already messed with his arm too much this year. There is no sense in risking his arm’s health for next year.

My proposed plan would be to shut him down for the rest of the year, and have him start next year as the closer for Triple-A to make sure he can gain his velocity back up to triple digits. I will unequivocally state on this blog that he has no future as a starter in the major leagues if he can’t learn to control his fastball.

I know he is still young and I have heard all of the comparisons, but when I see him make starts, he just doesn’t have it in him.

Unfortunately, Joe Girardi has other ideas.

"This is not an easy game," Girardi said. "He’s a young starter, and we’ve seen him really good and we’ve seen him struggle. He’s one of the guys that has gotten us to this point and we’ll continue to go with Joba."

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Yankees-Mariners: Joba Chamberlain Rocked in Finale, M's Take 7-1 Win

Rob Abruzzese — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:26:59 -0400

Mark Teixeira and Sergio Mitre pitched in winning efforts, but Joba Chamberlain’s effort was a losing one and it counted the most. He gave up all seven runs in the 7-1 loss to the Mariners (78-72) as the Yankees (95-55) lost another series.

Quick ‘Cap

The Mariners jumped on Chamberlain early for two runs in the first and five in the second, capped by Ken Griffey Jr.’s three-run homer. Mitre took over in the fourth and only allowed one hit the rest of the game.

The only other bright spot besides Mitre was Mark Teixeira, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and scored the only run for the Yankees in the sixth on Jorge Posada’s double.

What hurts the most? Ian Snell, the guy who the Yanks could have traded for at this year’s trade deadline, earned the win in a quality effort.

Full box score here.

Thoughts

I warned them from the beginning not to take the Mariners lightly. Not counting Saturday’s blowout, the Yanks only scored three runs. As expected, the M’s pitching staff was ready for the Yanks’ high-octane offense.

As for Joba, I’m making it a separate post. Check it out on Monday.

Line of the Night

Teixeira: 3-for-4, 2B, R. I’ll keep on giving him the line of the night if it helps his MVP campaign.

Up Next

The Yankees head a little south to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a three-game series. Get ready for two more 10:05 p.m. games. I’ll have the series preview posted before the first pitch, as always.

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Yankees Rookie Hazing Pictures

Rob Abruzzese — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:51:29 -0400

As the Yankees left Seattle after a 7-1 loss, their rookies donned 1960’s Batman costumes as part of their annual rookie hazing.

Mark Melancon was dressed as Batman, Michael Dunn was dressed as the Riddler, and Ramiro Pena was Catwoman.

Joining them was radar gun operator Brett Weber as the Joker, video coordinator Anthony Flynn as Robin, and massage therapist Lew Potter as the Penguin.

Last year’s theme was the Village People and in 2007 it was the Wizard of Oz.

Yankees Annual Rookie Hazing - 1960's Batman

Yankees rookies dressed as Batman as part of 2009 hazing ritual.

Mark Melancon as Batman

Mark Melancon again as Batman

Mark Melancon as Batman & video coordinator Anthony Flynn as Robin.

Michael Dunn as Riddler and other Yankee rookies dressed as Batman in the clubhouse.

New York Yankees Call Up Ian Kennedy

Rob Abruzzese — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:24:18 -0400

After throwing three perfect innings in his last outing in Triple-A, Ian Kennedy has been called up to finish the remainder of the season with the Yankees.

“This is crazy,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t dream of this happening. After not pitching all year, this seemed crazy. When he called me and told me it was going to happen...I’m still in shock.”

He sounds really happy to be back...almost too happy...

Kennedy has always been dominant in the minors (19-6, 1.95 ERA, .985 WHIP), but the numbers didn’t translate last year (0-4, 8.17 ERA, 1.92 WHIP).

Most of the beats believe he could play a similar role to Phil Hughes next year. That would be a huge bonus to the Yankees for someone who has left some people’s radar.

Good luck, Kennedy!

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Yankees-Mariners: Tex Leads Bombers In Blowout

Rob Abruzzese — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:55:05 -0400

Behind Mark Teixeira’s huge night and CC Sabathia’s dominant pitching, the Yankees (95-54) cruised past the Mariners (77-72) to a 10-1 win last night.

Quick ‘Cap:

Teixeira’s three-run homer in the fifth inning broke the game open, and gave Sabathia a 6-0 lead. Sabathia and the Yankees experienced a near-miss in the bottom of the fifth, when Franklin Gutierrez hit a line drive back at Sabathia’s chest. He didn’t even have to throw a warm up pitch following the scare and finished the inning.

Robinson Cano cranked three doubles, a single, and scored twice. Teixeira homered again in the ninth, falling a double shy of the cycle. Sabathia lasted seven innings, and Brian Bruney and Jon Albaladejo closed out the game. Full box score here.

Thoughts:

This was exactly the type of win the Yankees were looking for. They excelled at all facets of the game. Besides Alex Rodriguez’s run-scoring error in the fifth, it was a sound game all around.

Line of the Night:

Teixeira: 4-for-5, 2 HR, 3B, 5 RBI, 2 R. He is only two homers shy of tying Carlos Pena for the league lead.

Up Next:

The rubber match is set for today at 4:10 p.m. between Joba Chamberlain (8-5, 4.39) and Ian Snell (6-10, 5.17).

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Oh No! It's Ichiro! Mariners Walk Off vs. Mo

Rob Abruzzese — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:15:28 -0400

Mariano Rivera had struck out the first two batters of the ninth with ease, but then long-time Royal Mike Sweeney pinch hit for Josh Wilson. Sweeney doubled, and Ichiro homered to give the Mariners (77-71) a walk-off, 3-2 victory over the Yankees (94-54).

Quick ‘Cap

The Yanks used a pair of sac flies from Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira to take a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning. Nobody in the world expected Rivera to blow the game after the first two batters went down on strikes, but it happened. It’s tough to take, especially if you are A.J. Burnett.

Burnett pitched one of his best games of the second half: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. He had very sharp stuff all night, and left the game in the normally trustworthy hands of Phil Hughes and Rivera. Hughes did his part, but Rivera just couldn’t convert his 37th consecutive save. On a positive note, his second strikeout was his 1,000th of his career. Congrats, Mo. Full box score here.

Thoughts

It just happened so fast. Sweeney and Ichiro swung at the first pitch and met the ball solidly. You have to wonder if that’s the best strategy against Mo. Because once you have two strikes on you, Mo has so many strikeout pitches.

Jose Molina had a chance to add an insurance run in the seventh inning with Nick Swisher at third base with one out. Instead, he grounded into a 6-4-3 DP to end the inning. Where was Francisco Cervelli?!

Line of the Night

Felix Hernandez: 9 IP, 8 H, 2 R, ER, BB, 3 K. His stuff was equally as nasty as Burnett’s tonight, but Felix lasted the whole game while Burnett left after seven.

Up Next

The Yanks look to even the series on Saturday night with CC Sabathia (17-7, 3.42) on the mound against Doug Fister (2-3, 3.53).

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

Can Ian Kennedy Make the Playoff Roster?

Rob Abruzzese — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:30:59 -0400

According to Tyler Kepner of the NY Times,

Yankees right handed pitcher Ian Kennedy could be joining the Yankees after making two successful minor league starts including three perfect innings for the Scranton Yankees while recovering from aneurysm surgery.

"Juan Miranda on roster, sounds kik(sp)," Kepner tweeted. "Sounds like Ian Kennedy to follow soon. (sorry)"

Kennedy’s first start back was a two inning performance where he only gave up one hit with one strikeout on Sep. 12 for the high-A Tampa Yankees. His next performance was with the triple-A Scranton Yankees where he lasted three innings and allowed no hits or walks while picking up six strikeouts.

It looks like he’s bouncing right back from aneurysm surgery just like David Cone did in 1996. That year Cone had the surgery and made his comeback just 99 days after his last start. His first game back he threw seven no-hit innings, but was pulled before he could pull off the gem because of a strict 85 pitch count.

He continued to throw four more games during that regular season and during those five games he went 3-1 over 32 innings, a 3.94 ERA, and 36 strikeouts. He had only one mediocre start during the stretch that inflated his ERA (5 IP, 6 ER).

He also pitched three games during the playoffs including a six inning, one run performance during the World Series. My point is that Cone managed to come back quickly, came back strong, and helped the Yankees win their first championship since 1978. Perhaps Kennedy could do something similar and possibly help the Yankees in the playoffs.

He doesn’t have much time to prove to manager Joe Girardi that he can come in out of the bullpen. Having pitched last Wednesday the Yankees probably wouldn’t use him at least until Monday against the Angels. After that they are likely to be conservative with him and maybe only use him three more times.

Four games is not a lot of time, but Cone had just five games to prove to Joe Torre that he was ready. Obviously Kennedy doesn’t have the track record of Cone, but he could be a better option than Brian Bruney, Mark Melancon, or even Chad Gaudin or Sergio Mitre.

If he’s healthy the Yankees may be tempted to use him over one of those pitchers especially if he manages to throw eight or nine innings and proves to be a viable middle relief option.

However unlikely it is, Kennedy could be this year’s version of Phil Hughes a la 2007.

Update: Here are some quotes from Joe Girardi (h/t Bryan Hoch):

Girardi: "I don’t know if they had a timetable on how fast he was going to move," Girardi said. "I know they’re very happy with what he’s doing. They said he was really, really good the other night. They’re very happy with his progress.

"If he was to help us, it would probably be good for him," Girardi said. "I think any time anyone gets big league experience…there’s a lot to be learned from it."

Kennedy: "I’ve been throwing since July, and pretty much through this whole process I haven’t had any symptoms or soreness to my arm," Kennedy said. "Because they didn’t cut into any muscle, my arm has been feeling pretty much back to normal."

Yankees-Mariners Series Preview

Rob Abruzzese — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:24:22 -0400

The Yankees (94-53) begin a three-game set with the all-but-eliminated Seattle Mariners (76-71) tonight.

Head-to-Head

The Yanks have already taken three out of four in Seattle this season, and have won five out of seven overall.

Series Preview

Date:	Yankees starters	Mariners starters
Fri., 10:10 p.m.	A.J. Burnett (11-9, 4.33)	Hernandez (15-5, 2.52)
Sat., 10:10 p.m.	CC Sabathia (17-7, 3.42)	Doug Fister (2-2, 3.53)
Sun., 4:10 p.m.	Chamberlain (8-5, 4.39)	Ian Snell (6-10, 5.17)

My Outlook

The Yanks cannot take this team lightly. The M’s still have the best ERA in the American League, and Felix "The Cat" Hernandez and Doug Fister are two of their best. Friday and Sunday mark key starts for Burnett and Chamberlain. Burnett has returned to his incredibly inconsistent ways since August, and every start is important for Chamberlain here on out.

Remaining opponents weighted winning percentage: 52.3 percent

Magic Number: 10

This article is also featured on lenNY’s Yankees.

What's At Stake: Andy Pettitte and Contract Incentives

Rob Abruzzese — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:07:10 -0400

After a long drawn out contract dispute with the Yankees last offseason, Andy Pettitte finally settled on a one-year deal that only guaranteed him $5.5 million, but gave him an opportunity to earn as much as $12 million if he reached certain incentives.

Then there is this bit from SI’s Jon Heyman:

“Andy Pettitte begged the Yankees to keep pitching through his shoulder fatigue—though it appears he’s going to make almost all his incentives and more than double his $5.5 million salary, anyway. Yankees people realize they need Pettitte in the playoffs.”

What Heyman is insinuating is that Pettitte wants to pitch more for his salary than anything else while River Ave Blues thinks differently:

“I doubt Andy wants to pitch just so he can reach his incentives. He knows as well as anyone what’s at stake right now, and if his shoulder really was an issue he wouldn’t be begging into September games when the team has a playoff spot all but locked up.”

I tend to agree with RAB. Maybe in the back of his mind he’s thinking about incentives, but Pettitte has earned a ton of money during his career. Do I really believe that after all this time at the age of 37 he cares more about three-quarters of a million dollars more than he does about being healthy and helping the Yankees in the playoffs? Absolutely not.

After all, he can do a lot more in the Yankees eyes by pitching well in October than he could by reaching all of his incentives.

For those of you wondering what his incentives are and where exactly he’s at, let’s take a look.

Pettitte started this season with a $5.5 million guaranteed salary. He could earn up to $2 million in roster bonuses, $0.1 million for 120 days on active 25-man roster; $0.2 million for 130 days; $0.25 million each for 140, 150 days; $0.4 million each for 160, 170, 180 days. He’s going to reach all of those meaning he’s up to $7.5 million so far this season.

He can also earn up to another $4.5 million based on how many innings he throws. $0.5 million each for 150, 160, 170 innings; $0.75 million each for 180, 190, 200, 210 innings pitched. He’s thrown 178.1 innings so far at an average of just over six innings per start. That’s good for another $1.5 million so far and $9 million total.

If he makes one more start this season, based on his average innings, that would put him at about 184 innings and $9.25 million. Two more starts and it’s 190 and $10 million, three more and it would be about 196 and the same $10 million, but if he could manage to get 22 innings out of his next three starts, possible, that would put him at $10.75 million.

Is Pettitte really willing to risk the playoffs for $0.75 million? Probably not. In reality, he probably just feels fine and the Yankees are being overly cautious.

(Contract info via Cot’s Baseball Contracts)

Peter Abraham Leaving Journal News for Boston Globe

Rob Abruzzese — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:57:01 -0400

According to the Journal News, the Blog Father Peter Abraham is leaving the Journal News as he is jumping ship and will cover and blog about the Red Sox for the Boston Globe next season making him the anti-Johnny Damon. Red Sox fans are getting a damn good journalist. Hopefully they appreciate him, I’m sure they will.

He will be missed.

I’m leaving The Journal News after nearly 10 years and going to work for The Boston Globe.

I’ll be covering baseball—yes, the Red Sox—and blogging for Boston.com. The Globe approached me in August, right around the time my newspaper was going through some painful restructuring that you all heard about.

But that was incidental. For many years now, my life has been my job. I covered the UConn basketball team for 13 seasons for The Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin and then the Mets and Yankees for the The Journal News. It was tremendous fun to work for a small paper and then to move up a step on the chain.

Now I get a chance to move up again and live closer to my family. I’m the oldest child in my family and my mom and dad are retired. It means a lot to me to be around them and other members of my family. For years, they’ve been imploring me to come home and now seems like a good time.

But it wasn’t an easy call. I have literally not slept for 48 hours pondering this decision. The Journal News has treated me better than I had any right to expect and tried very hard to convince me to stay. I also really, really love covering the Yankees. It has been the highlight of my professional career. I’m close friends with several other beat writers, too. We try to beat each other’s brains out in the paper, but it always has been with a sense of camaraderie and great respect.

I’m not sure who is going to take Peter Abraham’s place as the must read Yankees blog. My guess is it will come down to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com or Joel Sherman of the NY Post, but we all know that nobody will actually be able to fill his shoes.

From his constant updates, witty headlines, terrible pictures, and often lame jokes, Abraham has been head and shoulders above about 200+ other Yankee blogs and was the first mainstream reporter in New York to start a blog.

Thanks for all the good times Pete.

David Robertson Started Rehab

Rob Abruzzese — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:45:29 -0400

The New York Yankees right handed reliever David Robertson, who threw from 60 feet yesterday, said he felt good, and will do it again today before tonight’s game against the Seattle Mariners. If all goes well he is estimated to return by September 28th.

The Yankees have no need to rush Robertson back this season, but they’re going to do all they can to make sure he’s ready for the playoffs. Since he’s been out, Brian Bruney has stepped up in the hypothetical depth charts and has continued his terrible season.

In four appearances against 10 batters he’s managed to get only five of them out while giving up a run, with two hits, and three walks.

Bruney has just been plain awful and if Robertson doesn’t pitch in the playoffs Bruney is likely to bring that awful form with him in October.