IVAN NOVA: REVIEWING OUR PROJECTIONS

IVAN NOVA

• Projected: 13 wins, 4.10 ERA, 181 innings, 113 K's

• 2011: 16 wins, 3.70 ERA, 165.1 innings, 98 K's
  

My goodness, we expected a solid season out of the rookie Ivan Nova, but not this! He clearly exceeded expectations for sure, as he is on track to start Game 2 of the ALDS on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers. Since he came back from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 30th he's gone 8-0 with a 3.47 ERA. In fact, GM Brian Cashman had so much faith in him he decided not to include him along with Jeus Montero, Manny Banuelos, or Dellin Betances in a potential deal with the Colorado Rockies to acquire starter Ubaldo Jimenez at the Trade Deadline. You can read that blurb from July 30th HERE.

Anyway, here are some other pieces we put together on Ivan Nova.

WHY IT'S BUSINESS ARE USUAL FOR IVAN NOVA

WHY NOVA'S STOCK HAS RISEN

WHY NOVA HAS A SHOT AT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

WHY HE'S SUPER NOVA




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY CRUCIFYING BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP

(Photo: Getty)
I’m sorry, but I’m at the end of my rope with people continually ranting against AJ Burnett. Suggestions that AJ needs to be traded or released because he’s not pulling his weight are ridiculous. Let me give you an important piece of information. AJ Burnett is not a superstar. He’s never been a superstar. He’s a very good pitcher that sometimes gets into trouble and barely ever gets run support. That’s it, end of story. For anyone who thought we were getting CC Sabathia "light" was reading the wrong headlines. Read Baseball Reference. They have all of AJ’s career stats, and while some years look stellar, some don’t and guess what, it’s always been that way, so get used to it.

AJ Burnett was on a pitching staff with the Florida Marlins that consisted of Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Carl Pavano and when the Yankees played the Marlins in the 2003 World Series, AJ was hurt and didn’t even pitch. When AJ went to the Blue Jays, he was behind Doc Halladay in the rotation and while he had 1 great season winning 18 games in 2008, he had a few seasons that stunk. 2001 he was 11-12 with a 4.05 ERA. He was 10-8 for 2006 and 2007 with an ERA in the high 3's those 2 years. His best record ever? 2008, 18-10. Fact.

This is a pitcher that looks much better if his offense hits and scores for him and if not, whatever mistakes he makes on the mound are amplified ten-fold. This is nothing new about AJ Burnett. No, he’s no scrub, but yes, he has his problems, just like every other pitcher does. Larry Rothschild has really done some magic this season getting AJ right, and while it hasn’t always worked, I think everyone can agree, it’s gotten better. Last year AJ was lost, 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA, his worst season ever; No confidence and no great quality starts the second half. This year he started strong and while he hasn’t exactly continued strong, he’s in a much better situation than last year.

I don’t dislike AJ Burnett, in fact, I dig his stuff, but tweaks are continual with AJ Burnett and Larry Rothschild knows this. So, he’ll need to make them, and fast. Even in WHY CASHMAN BELIEVES IN HIS YANKEES, I even chose AJ Burnett as the 3^rd starter if we were to start the playoffs tomorrow. Who did I pick as our number 2? Bartolo Colon. I know, it sounds crazy but if you need consistency, you need to do that. Put it in perspective; If CC Sabathia were to win a Game 1 and Colon pitched like he’s been pitching all year and won Game 2, at least if AJ didn’t get run support, we’d only be down 2-1 instead of 1-1 and Freddy Garcia could use his veteran experience to take us to the next round. That’s not a slight against AJ Burnett, that’s the reality.

The Yankee brass sold us all a bill of goods in 2009 propping AJ Burnett up on a pedestal when he came over to the Yanks. CC, AJ and Teixeira came over and it’s was their brilliant P.R. machine at work, hinting about the Yankees new “aces” and a “1,2 punch” and yes, for 2009, it worked in their favor. But, honestly, anyone who knew AJ’s career numbers and injury record knew this was bogus. If you believed it, you were dreaming. Again, AJ Burnett is no superstar pitcher, he’s a talented pitcher that is constantly a work in progress and I’m fine with that because I never saw him as anything over than that.

(Photo: Getty)

So understand it and accept it and tell me, what other pitcher out there is better than AJ Burnett? Ubaldo Jimenez? I doubt it. I put him at the same level as AJ. 15-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 2009 and 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2010. I’m sorry, 1 great and 1 good year does not a superstar pitcher make. Jimenez was 6-9 with the Rockies this year before going to the Indians. And what about Bedard? Erik Bedard was available. The Red Sox snatched him up. Well, they can have him. This is a guy that is always injured and to me, he’s over, lefty or not. There is no other starter that was available that I’d want on the mound in place of AJ Burnett.

So tonight AJ, you need to do your magic. Pitch, pitch, pitch and the offense, God willing, will get you the run support you need and hopefully that continues for you throughout the entire rest of the season. I’m pulling for you buddy, don’t make me look like a fool.

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WHY CASHMAN HAS 1 MAJOR FLAW

Look, don't get me wrong, Brian Cashman has done a good job for the Yankees as GM since 1998, if he hadn't he would be gone by now. But, there is one major flaw that Cashman has and that's his inability to develop elite starting pitching through the system.

Before we look at some pitchers that were drafted and developed in the Cashman era ask yourself this question: Since Andy Pettitte, how many starting pitchers have the Yankees built through their system and have become elite? Answer: Not very many, in fact, none. So, let's look at some of the top starting pitching prospects the Yankees have had.
(Photo: Getty)
Joba Chamberlain: In 2008 Joba was ranked #3 overall in the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list after a 0.38 ERA in 19 games. Joba was ahead of current aces on that list from Clayton Kershaw, David Price, and Clay Buchholz, so obviously, everyone around baseball believed he would be an elite starter. But, the Yankees had bullpen issues in 2007, so he needed to come up and be a reliever. In 2008, he continued as a reliever, then transitioned to a starter, then went back to a reliever all in one season. In 2009, he was a starter for the entire year, and then shifted to the bullpen going into the postseason, and he's been a reliever ever since. Now, he's currently on the shelf due to Tommy John surgery earlier this season. In his career, Chamberlain has started 43 games and has a 12-7 record with a 4.18 ERA, not exactly “ace” like.

As a reliever he has an 8-6 record in 150 career outings with a 3.03 ERA. Clearly he's a better reliever, and flip flopping back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen has screwed up his development as an elite starting pitcher. Believe me, Cashman didn't want Chamberlain to be a seventh or eighth inning pitcher considering he was the #3 prospect in 2008. You can read that prospect list HERE.
(Photo: Getty)
Phil Hughes: Like Chamberlain, Phil Hughes had to be rushed to the majors because of pitching issues. He came up in May 2007 because the Yankees needed a starter and he pitched pretty well for a 21 year old, going 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA. In 2008 he was terrible, going 0-4 with a 6.62 ERA. In 2009, he was a starter for the first part of the season going 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA. Just like 2007 and 2008, the Yankees had bullpen issues, and he was used there instead of being sent down to AAA to continue his development. However, he flourished in the bullpen going 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA. That's nice, but for the #4 ranked prospect in the 2007 Baseball America's top prospect list, I'm sure Cashman thought he'd be like aces Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Clay Buchholz, and Ubaldo Jimenez who Phil was ahead of that year. Sure Hughes went 18-8 last season, with his first career All-Star game, but he fizzled out in the second half going 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA. We all know about his issues this season with an ERA over 13.00 in three starts to begin the season before going on the DL with a dead arm and shoulder inflammation.. Since his return from the DL his velocity hasn't come back, and he's 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA.

Others: Here's some names you that most of you don't know that were top starting pitching prospects for the Yanks:
(In Photo: Ryan Bradley)
Ryan Bradley #25 in 1999
Adrian Hernandez #66 in 2001
Brandon Claussen #37 in 2002

There wasn't even a top 100 pitching prospect until Phil Hughes in 2006 when he was ranked 39th that year. You can read the entire list HERE.
(Photo: New York Daily News)
Currently the Yankees have two starting pitching prospects in the 2011 Baseball America Top 50 prospect list with Manny Banuelos at #13 and Dellin Betances at #26. We'll see soon enough if Banuelos and Betances can meet expectations, but based on the last 13 years I wouldn't be surprised if both of them didn't meet those expectations.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer






--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor




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WHY CASHMAN BELIEVES IN HIS YANKEES

Yes, so the Yankees may not have made any huge moves this Trade Deadline, but I will tell you one important thing and you need to respect it... Brian Cashman believes in his New York Yankees and because of that, I believe too.

Look, there were guys out there to be traded for, but what was REALLY out there that was better than what we had? Nothing in my opinion. Erik Bedard? Good luck with that. Ubaldo Jimenez? Let's see how he adapts to the American League with his new team, the Indians. All I'm saying is, if we took a chance and it blew up in our faces, you'd be crucifying Cashman. It's a tough game, but Cash believes in the Yankees and he's not going to just go grab guys because it "might" work, he just wants to be sure.
Now, King Felix factor still fascinates me. The Yankees love this kid, I love him, but the Mariners and the Yankees just don't get along since Cliff Lee and it's clear to me, unless the Yankees offered the farm to get Felix, he was staying put. So, what will they do? I say they save their dough and wait. They will wait it out until either the Mariners change their minds, or until King Felix becomes a free agent and then they do everything in their power to get Felix to the Bronx.
Heath Bell was out there and he's a top closer for the Padres, but was he REALLY available? We saw that Mike Adams was untouchable, according the Padres, yet, he was traded to the Rangers at the deadline. Remember when I told you no player is untouchable? I'm right. The Padres saw something they liked better than Adams and suddenly Adams is on a plane to Arlington. It's that simple.

Cashman is a tough guy and while he's saying he's not about to make a move, I believe he will, but only if it's better than what we got. The deadline may have passed, but moves can still be made and if anyone can make them, it's Cash. You can still make trades if a player is on waivers and believe me, if there is someone that works, they'll be snatched up by Cashman.But I'm getting ahead of myself. After the deadline on July 31st, it was revealed that Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos will be promoted. So, with no big names coming to the Bronx, Cashman demonstrates his patience and calls up the kids. OK, I like this idea. Read about it HERE and HERE. Manny Banuelos is going to Scranton Wilkes Barre and I guarantee you we will see this kid in the Bronx. Not only will he be the lefty specialist in the pen that I predicted, but if shit hit the fan and we needed him for a spot start, I bet you'd see him too. I believe this kid has the stuff.

Then there's Jesus Montero, who's batting .283. Look, Russell Martin, isn't doing too good these days and it makes sense. Reports are Montero will be up in the major leagues this year, after all the talk that he wouldn't be. That's right, Jesus is coming, the question is, when?

So while these moves are smart, my only concern is this; Will these 2 kids lead the charge to win the Playoffs and World Series for the Yankees? No. But it's exciting and if Cashman sticks to his guns, it's clear that he has a reason, a plan, a method to his madness... Let's hope at least.

Then I got to thinking. If it was Game 1 of the Playoffs right now, this is who I would have pitch:1. CC Sabathia
2. Bartolo Colon
3. AJ Burnett

Now, is it what I thought we would have when I looked at our Yankees rotation in April? No, but believe me, it works. The only real issue is, can guys like Colon and Freddy Garcia stay healthy and not fade. That's the big question. Then you need to go further; Say we make it through both rounds and enter the World Series; This is who I would choose:

1. CC Sabathia
2. Bartolo Colon
3. AJ Burnett
4. Freddy Garcia

Now it's starting to be alittle more concerning, but, the good news is we have guys that we may need as long men or spot starters if things fall apart; Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes, Manny Banuelos. If one of the old timers shits the bed, that's our fall back. Again, is it ideal? No, but it works. Now, look at the Phillies:1. Roy Halladay
2. Cliff Lee
3. Cole Hamels
4. Kyle Kendrick

They have an ace in Halladay, but Lee is beatable and so is Hamels. And look at the Giants:
1. Tim Lincecum
2. Matt Cain
3. Madison Bumgarner or Ryan Vogelsong
4. Barry Zito

Lincecum is the ace for sure, and Cain, when on, has great stuff too. But Bumgarner, Vogelsong and Zito are beatable.

Look, this is the hand we're dealt, and while Cashman has dealt it, Cashman is smart not to be hasty. Plus, we can still get guys off waivers until August 31st if it works. So, understand this; What we have now is very possibly what we'll have come the playoffs. One thing you have to realize is there were and may not be any "key" guys out there that could make a difference or that we can get. Would you really take Erik Bedard over Bartolo Colon right now? No way, not me.

Cashman has a plan, he's sticking to his plan and you need to respect his plan. And guess what, if he's wrong, he'll expect to be crucified by the fans, but one thing is for sure, believing in a team because of their talent means something. Cash isn't filling holes for the sake of filling them, that's smart in my mind, but let's hope it works.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 5

The latest from the Trade front, right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.
(Photo: NY Daily News)
Ubaldo Jimenez: Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees believe that the Rockies may be lowering their demands for Jimenez today. Really? And I'm the Pope. The Rockies aren't going to just give Ubaldo away, although, in fairness to the Rockies, it would be smart to lower demands alittle. It's unrealistic to ask for Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Jesus Montero and Ivan Nova for 1 Ubaldo Jimenez... I mean, this is not Nolan Ryan. He's a 2nd or 3rd starter but in my opinion, not 5 times better than AJ Burnett. Instead, it's my estimation that Jimenez is a talented young pitcher with a few good years under his belt. If he comes to New York, it will be a huge help to the team no doubt, but Jimenez is being billed a Superstar... I'm not jumping on that bandwagon yet. Read HERE.(Photo: Getty)
Heath Bell: The Padres are looking to deal him ,along with Mike Adams and Chad Qualls. All are reliable relief and according to MLB Trade Rumors and Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are continuing to monitor these guys. The big thing to know here is, Mike Adams is someone the Padres really do not want to part with. As I've said time and time again though, no one is untouchable. Stay tuned on this one. Personally, having a likable and great pitcher like Heath Bell in the Bronx would be alright with me, any day of the week.
(Photo: Getty)
Hiroki Kuroda: The Dodgers would be willing to pick up Ivan Nova and a catching prospect for Hiroki, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and the Yankees are more inclined to go after Kuroda than Erik Bedard. Bedard apparently did horribly last night in his pitching performance. People like Kuroda, I don't think he's anything better than what we have, but if we did get him, I'd use him as our number 3 guy behind AJ Burnett. Read about it HERE.

Updates coming fast and furious, keep checking here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 3

New day and a new list of updates and names of players the Yankees may or may not interested in and my thoughts on some as well. Cashman has already stated that he expects the Yankees to have a quiet deadline, and if I know may man Cash, and I feel like I do, he may be right, but you know what happens, right? Sometimes these deals get done after the deadline, and believe me, the Yankees may be acting quietly, but I strongly believe that some type of move can be and will be made.

Erik Bedard: Bedard seems to be drawing some interest from the Yankees. Apparently they are scheduled to scout him today. This is a guy that had some injury in his career, but has some potential in the Yankees roster. Now, in my opinion, he really doesn’t offer what a number 2 starter needs to do, and to me, that's what the Yankees really need right now. The Red Sox like Eric Bedard too, according to Ken Rosenthal. Bedard is a lefty. The one issue with Bedard is he has not pitched since June 27^th because of the strained knee, yet another injury. We should watch this one, but I don’t like Bedard and I’m not so sure I want him in New York. His record this year though is a 3.00 ERA with a 4-6 record. Is he really any better than what we have already? Read about Bedard HERE.

Bill Hall: For the San Francisco Giants to make room for newly acquired Carlos Beltran, they needed to designate Bill Hall for assignment. Hmm, a thought. The Yankees were attached to Bill Hall on and off all year, perhaps there is something to this and perhaps, this is the extra bat help the Yankees are looking for. Hall can play second base and has a power bat. I’d be curious to see if the Yankees try pursuing Hall. It makes sense.

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Yankees are still attached to this kid, but I would not unload the farm for him like I would for the Mariners Felix Hernandez. The Rockies are being ridiculous asking for all they are for Jimenez; it’s just not a fair trade. One thing is for sure though, much like a said about Zambrano (see below), if they were to lure Jimenez to New York and unload a few farm guys that wouldn’t hurt us in the future, Jimenez would be a number 3 guy in the Bronx, in my opinion. Jimenez is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA this year. Read about Ubaldo HERE.

Hiroki Kuroda: Terrible record for Hiroki and I am not understanding the appeal of him to the Yankees. In my estimation, Kuroda is another pitcher that is no better and no upgrade to what the Yankees already have. Now, if the Yankees have a plan to help stabilize the bullpen with Freddy Garcia and move Kuroda in the rotation, that may make sense, but again, I’m thinking we need a number 2 guy in the rotation and to me, Kuroda is no number 2. Read HERE.

Carlos Zambrano: Buster Olney says the Cubs are doing everything they can to get the Yankees to take Zambrano, even offering money so they can take him off their hands, but the Yankees are not biting, yet. To me, I say work out a deal for Zambrano. He has potential and passion even if he’s no longer a number 2 guy, he is a number 3 guy in the rotation the Yankees have. You could easily have CC Sabathia 1, AJ Burnett 2, Zambrano 3, Colon 4, Hughes or Garcia 5. Yes, it’s true, this year Zambrano’s ERA is a high 4.70, but for this guy, maybe a change of scenery would help. Who knows.

Doug Fister: He’s a Mariner who pitches well, he’s in every game but his record isn’t too good, probably because he’s on the Mariners and their dropping like a rock right now. 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA. I like the ERA and if he was a Yankee starter, that record would improve because he’d have better run support. I don’t have an opinion on him yet, but I can tell you that many teams are looking at Fister and the Yankees should as well.

More rumors coming, and so is the deadline. Continue reading on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY YU COULD BE THE ANSWER

As I’ve said countless times, the Yankees have been skating by with a hodge podge rotation and frankly we’re lucky that it has held together to this point. The other day Bartolo Colon reminded us again why he’s more than a serviceable #2 pitcher with a dominant 7.0 IP, 2 ER outing against the Athletics. Freddy Garcia has posted some unexpected great numbers, despite his peripherals and FIP being almost identical to those he had last year.However, the fact that either of the two have made it to this point can be considered nothing short of a miracle, and if they can make it all the way through the season and perform well in the post-season it will be even more of a miracle. With the fact that we have been lucky, let me ask you this: What are we going to do next year? Maybe Colon continues throwing darts and maybe Freddy keeps getting lucky. But who’s to say they even stay with the Yankees if they’re still healthy? I’m not going to even get started on the question marks. I think I’ve made my point. Next year’s rotation is going to need a big addition. So who?Well C.J. Wilson is an option, but we can’t place all of our hopes in a converted reliever with 1.5 successful seasons under his belt, especially since we can’t guarantee we will sign him. There are the Killer B’s, Banuelos and Betances (sorry Brackman, get your ERA under 7 and we’ll talk…), but both have had troublesome command issues this season. There’s no reason to panic and give up on them, it’s just part of their development, but it shows that they are not ready to carry a rotation and there is no guarantee that both can perform exceptionally at the Major League level.

And as everyone, including myself, has suggested we could put together a package for Ubaldo Jimenez who would help for a few years, but the price is even higher than I predicted (they’re asking for Montero, Banuelos, Betances, and Nova) and it would ultimately be a deal we’d regret.

And then there’s Yu Darvish: 2x NPB MVP, 2x NPB ERA leader, 2x strikeout leader, and indisputable best pitcher in all of Japan.

Yu Darvish will be a hot commodity if he is auctioned off to the highest bidder, which is very likely for the 6’5” right hander. Through just over 5 years in the NPB, he has compiled a 75-32 to go with a 2.12 ERA. Since 2007, he has not recorded an ERA over 2.00 (2007-2010 ERA is 1.81), his WHIP has been under 1 in all but one season (2010), his BB/9 has been at worst an excellent 2.2, and his K/9 is consistently over or just under 9. He has pitched over 200 innings in every one of those seasons except 2009, and has pitched an absurd 40 complete games from 2007-2010. Mind you the Japanese season is shorter, so he’s had only 98 starts…and 9 of those were shutouts…. Wow.

If you need any more convincing, he’s having a career year with a 1.44 ERA and a 13-2 record (stats subject to inaccuracy, they’re difficult to find). He’s only 24 years old, and about to enter the 27-31 year age prime that is typical of ball players. He’s the Felix Hernandez of Japan.

Numbers only mean so much, so here’s a video to show you just what he can do:



Now to explain what he’s doing: Darvish has a mind blowing arsenal of 7 pitches, all of them nasty. He has a 4 seam fastball that sits from 91-94 and tops out at 97 (hit 100 once), a 2-seam/shuuto with heavy movement, a changeup, a splitter, a slurve, a curveball, and a cutter. Unlike many Japanese pitchers he does not have a particularly violent pitching motion, so health isn’t a huge concern.

Needless to say, if Darvish is available to MLB teams, every team in the league with any room on their payroll is going to be all over him. However at the risk of sounding entitled: we’re the New York Yankees, when it’s a bidding war, we get it if we want it. One could point out how we failed to sign Cliff Lee last offseason, but that wasn’t a bidding war, it was the man’s preference. Trying to get a player from Japan is essentially nothing more than a rich man’s auction, everyone interested gives their highest bid and if they win, they win. Kei Igawa’s horrific contract expires after this season ($4 million), Jorge will likely retire ($13 million), and we failed to sign Cliff Lee ($23 million-$14 million for Soriano=$9 million). That’s $26 million open on the payroll, not to mention the Steinbrenner’s can always dig deeper in their pockets. The Yanks have a lot of money clearing off the payroll next offseason, and they will undoubtedly have the money to win the bidding war for Yu Darvish and sign him to a big contract.

The Yankees are the clear frontrunners in the Darvish sweepstakes, but there are a few reasons we could fail to even get him. First off, the failure of Kei Igawa may leave a bad taste in the organization’s mouth. It’s safe to say that Igawa is no Darvish though, even before coming to the U.S. he was clearly declining and the Yankees signed him as nothing more than a response to the Red Sox winning the Matsuzaka bidding war. Second, there’s never a guarantee that a Japanese player will sign with us, even if we win the “auction.” Personally, I think we have a better chance of getting him than not getting him if he becomes available prior to the 2012 season. In yet another off-season which lacks big name free agent starting pitchers, Yu Darvish could be just the deadly arm the Yankees are looking for.




--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor



Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I SMELL A TREND

Quick, what do Ivan Rodriguez, Jerry Hairston Jr., Eric Hinske, Austin Kearns, Kerry Wood, and Lance Berkman all have in common? If you guessed that they are former Yankees, you're correct. If you guessed that all of those guys were acquired by the Yankees near the trade deadline over the last three years you would be correct as well. But, there's one thing you may not have guessed, and that is all of those acquired players were on their respective final years of their contracts when they got traded. With the trade deadline just over a week away, I smell a trend. The Yankees like to trade for players who are free agents to be. In other words, they like to get rental players.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the upcoming Free Agents HERE.

Now, most of you can agree that the Yankees will look into starting pitching, although they have six major league starters (with Ivan Nova in AAA), but like the old saying goes, you can never have enough pitching. So, let’s look at the starting pitchers who are free agents to be, here are some intriguing names that would make sense:(Photo: SI)

Mark Buerhle and Edwin Jackson (Chicago White Sox)

Right now the White Sox have six major league starters with Buerhle and Jackson along with Phillip Humber, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Jake Peavy--but they're currently 4.5 games behind Cleveland and Detroit in the AL Central. The White Sox rank 10th in the American League in runs scored, so that's an area they do need to improve on if they want to make the playoffs. They'll be looking for a good bat in return for one of their starters. Both Buerhle and Jackson would be a good fit but I would take Buerhle over Jackson because he is a veteran, and has pitched in big games before. Jackson doesn’t have quite as much experience, although he's younger and he has nastier stuff.
(Photo: Getty)

Hiroki Kuroda(Los Angeles Dodgers) and Jason Marquis (Washington Nationals)

Realistically, both the Dodgers and Nationals are out of their respective races, and are already looking forward to Spring Training next year. The Dodgers have Hiroki Kuroda, and the Nats have Jason Marquis. Both of these guys are veterans and can get the job done, but personally, I like Hiroki Kuroda because he throws harder. His average fastball is about 92 mph, whereas Marquis throws a fastball averaging around 89mph. You can check out Kuroda's stats HERE here: and Marquis' stats HERE.

Ultimately, I think the Yankees really need an elite number two starter, like Ubaldo Jimenez, but the price is too high for him. Cashman is always a little reluctant to part with his prospects in a blockbuster trade. We'll see.

Now, most of you believe that the Yankees may need a reliever. Personally, I think the Yankees only need another lefty, and they probably have that guy in their organization with J.C. Romero. But, for kicks and giggles let's take a look at some of the upcoming free agent middle relievers who could be intriguing:

• John Grabow- Chicago Cubs

• Kerry Wood- Chicago Cubs

• Michael Wuertz- Oakland A's

This season, Grabow hasn't had a very good year he has a 5.36 ERA in 42 games, but he's been solid against lefties--holding them to a .238 batting average. Boone Logan has a .250 opponent batting average against lefties this year, and this used to be a lot higher. However, if used correctly Grabow could be a nice addition. Kerry Wood and Michael Wuertz are both quality setup men, but they're not better than what the Yankees have right now. Everyone remembers Wood last year with the Yankees, 0.69 ERA in 24 games and Michael Wuertz has 437 career strikeouts in 408 innings pitched.

All three of these guys aren't significantly better than what the Yankees have right now. Luis Ayala and Cory Wade both have ERA's in the 1's right now, and the Yankees have the second best bullpen ERA in the American League behind Oakland, with a 3.09 ERA. They also have David Robertson, who has been tough as nails, and Rafael Soriano (remember him?) who should be back in the near future.

What I really think the Yankees could use is a versatile bat off the bench. Eric Chavez may be coming back soon, but he's always injury prone and one more injury could very well finish his career. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some intriguing names:

• Juan Rivera (Los Angeles Dodgers)

• Jerry Hairston (Washington Nationals)

• Scott Hairston (New York Mets)

• Omar Infante (Florida Marlins)

I wouldn't mind having any of these guys. Obviously, none of these players stand out, but what bench player does? Juan Rivera and Jerry Hairston are both former Yankees, so it would be easy for them to be reintroduced with the team. Rivera can play corner outfield and first with some pop, while Hairston can play just about every position except catcher and pitcher, and he provides speed. Scott Hairston and Omar Infante are both very versatile options as well.

More to follow, stay tuned to Bleeding Yankee Blue.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer






--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor




Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.