WHY I DIG BRANDON LAIRD

"I'm still speechless. It's just a dream come true." --Brandon Laird tells ESPN

(Photo: Getty)
Last night was very cool for a 23 year old like Brandon Laird. Sure, he was a New York Yankee and that was great, but he was playing in the Bronx in front of us fans and in front of his family. That would be enough to give you chills, but to top that off, he got his first hit and his first RBI of his Major League career and I think we have something here. The best part is, today he will start his first game and no one is happier than me.

ESPN had a great nugget which I missed last night. It turns out Laird was a pinch hitter in the seventh inning for Derek Jeter. That's not the nugget, the nugget is the reaction from Nick Swisher:

"When he picked up a helmet in the Yankee dugout, Nick Swisher was confused. 'I was like, 'What do you think you're doing?' Swisher said with a laugh."(Photo: Getty)
Brandon Laird was called up during the Rays series and I quickly wrote WHY I CHOOSE LAIRD OVER NUNEZ. I was immediately debated publicly on Facebook which is the reaction I was going for. But again, let me reiterate. I'm not saying I don't like Eduardo Nunez. What I don't like are his errors and all I am suggesting is we give Brandon Laird a shot at 3rd, just to see what the kid's got. After all, Nunez didn't exactly earn the third base role for his defense, we all know it's for his offense, which is superb. Luckily for us, we will see if Laird has what it takes to be a big league third baseman, today is his day.

Laird by the way is a former 27^th round pick. Brandon's brother Gerald is a member of a St. Louis Cardinals. This is a baseball family. Like so many families before; the Hairston's which consisted of Jerry Hairston, who played for the White Sox in the 80's and his sons Jerry Hairston Jr. and Scott Hairston. Then you have of course, the Griffey's and the Swishers. Yup. Nick Swisher's dad Steve Swisher played before him. There are so many baseball families. If you're a card collector, have fun looking for those gems. Check out Steve Swisher below. The point is, I like the trend and I'm rooting for Laird. If Brandon can compete on a major league level and share responsibility with Nunez at third, the worry of filling the void until A-Rod comes back goes away, plus, Laird can also fill in at first base and outfield. Diversity is important and it's an advantage for Laird.

Good luck today pal, do your thing today, you know I'm rooting for you.

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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




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WHY I LIKE THE BROTHERS HAIRSTON

They're not home run hitters, they're not speed demons, they're not All-Stars... They're brothers who are probably the most versatile bench players the game has right now.

Jerry Hairston Jr. had played for several years before he slide home in the playoffs in 2009 with one of the most exciting photographs ever. Scott Hairston played for the Diamondbacks for years and showed consistency at the plate as well as solid defense in the outfield. Each plays off each other's strength and when they are together, they can probably supply the most options for any team, a lethal bench you can't compete with. But, the most important thing about the Brothers Hairston... They're inexpensive.

Scott Hairston, as of recently had played for the Padres and Athletics. His average has never been stellar, although he was solid for the Pads in 2008 batting .299 with 17 home runs. The Pads signed the brothers for 2010 and Scott didn't deliver as expected, batting only .210 in 100 something games. Defensively, he's solid. While the Yankees are looking at Andruw Jones for a 4th outfielder role, mostly because of his "pop" and his keen eye for hitting lefties, Scott Hairston can provide a late inning replacement or give an extra option to the Yankees in the outfield. Scott Hairston is due for a monster year, but my opinion is it just should be in less plate appearances and a utility role. He would be more valuable.

Jerry Hairston Jr., Scotty's brother, we are more familiar with. Hairston can start, or be a late inning replacement. Hairston hit .244 for the Padres last season. In the 2 seasons before, he hit .281. Hairston can play every position except for pitcher, catcher and first base. He gives the Yankees plenty to work with.

• Cano needs to come out in the 6th? BOOM, here comes Jerry.
• Gardner needs a rest? Hairston OR Hairston can come in...BOOM.
• Tie game, 9th inning. Swisher on second, one out. Jerry Hairston is a pinch runner for Swish. BOOM...Yanks win 5-4 on a walk off single, Hairston scores.

See what I mean? Options are unlimited. Now could the Yanks bring in both Hairstons? Now that Soriano is a New York Yankee, money is a much bigger issue, Plus, don't forget, the Yankees have a "money reserve" in their back pocket if Pettitte wakes up tomorrow and says "Let's make a deal, I'm coming back." Bottom line, the Brothers Hairston aren't $10 million dollar players, They're not even $4 million players if they take the role I've advertised. So maybe, just maybe, this is something that can provide the Yanks some stability both athletically and financially. Disagree? Comment and tell me.

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