What's Worse?

There's so many things that have gone wrong this past week and this game was a microcosm for the week from hell for the Yankees. I don't know what is worse about tonight's loss. The fact that they were getting embarassed on national television for the second night in a row and with our ace on the mound (until the ninth inning). Or the fact that they came back in the ninth, reeled me back into the game, and had me hanging on every pitch raising my hopes of a potential win. I spent the whole night wondering, how can we lose 2 of 3 to the Mets. They're the Mets! Then A-Rod comes up as the go-ahead run against K-Rod and then I started thinking "They're the Mets! Of course they'll blow it." But after holding my breath through that 8-pitch at bat A-Rod swung through a K-Rod curveball and I returned back to my frustrated state.

It's even more frustrating when you look at the bigger picture. The Yankees are 6 games behind Tampa Bay. The Toronto freakin' Blue Jays and their strangely potent offense are just one game behind the Yankees.

I want to put this loss and series behind and move on, but I can't because there's too many issues with this team right now. It's time to start sweating.

AP photo of CC Sabathia

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Yanks in 2010? World Series or SEE YA!

So we've gone through our predictions for the individual Yankees in 2010. Now we're going to take a look at how the standings will look at the end of the season.


National League
East:
Phillies 97-65
Braves 89-73
Mets 80-82
Marlins 79-83
Nationals 69-93

Central:
Cardinals 94-68
Cubs 87-75
Brewers 84-78
Astros 80-82
Pirates 66-96

West:
Dodgers 95-67
Giants (WILD CARD) 91-71
Rockies 90-72
Diamondbacks 81-81
Padres 70-92

AMERICAN LEAGUE
EAST:
Yankees 101-61
Red Sox(Wild Card) 95-67
Orioles 86-76
Rays 85-77
Blue Jays 69-93

CENTRAL:
Twins 93-89
Tigers 91-71
White Sox 85-77
Indians 76-86
Royals 67-95

WEST:
Mariners 94-88
Rangers 88-74
Angels 82-80
A's 74-88

PLAYOFFS:
FIRST ROUND
Yankees over Twins (I'm thinking they sweep and clinch it on the frozen tundra of Target Field)
Red Sox over Mariners (Unless Papelbon blows it, again)
Phillies over Giants (Though Lincecum and Cain in a short series will be tough)
Dodgers over Cards (Setting up a rematch in the NLCS)

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Yankess over Red Sox (In 7 games, thus taking another 10 years off my life)
Dodgers over Phillies (In 6, because if it goes 7, I think Roy Halladay wills the Phillies to victory)

WORLD SERIES
Yankees over Dodgers
The Yanks will take home their 28th World Series title in 6 games, and Alex Rodriguez will take home MVP honors after channeling his inner Reggie Jackson and bombing 3 home runs in the clinching game. You heard it here first.

What do you think? Leave a comment and vote in the poll on the right.

(Props to @brmeyer for inspiring the headline)

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A look at Yanks offseason pitching targets

With nothing really solid happening on the free agent market yet, we'll take a look at some of the names being associated with the Yankees in regards to offseason plans, and how realistic the chances are they are wearing pinstripes in 2010.

First, note that with the free agents, the Yankees are currently on the books for a 2010 payroll of $166,334,714. There's a great chart at Cot's Baseball Contracts of the future payroll commitments by the Yankees. That number is considerably ($41 million) less than 2009's payroll, giving the Yankees plenty of money to spend (or not spend, but when has that ever happened?).

We'll split this up over a series of posts, organizing them by position. We'll start with what I believe is the most important, starting pitching:

Starting Pitchers
John Lackey
Age: 31
Status: Free Agent
2009 Salary: $10 million

This first target is very familiar to Yankee fans, as they've seen Lackey as the workhorse for the Angels since he came up as a rookie in 2002. He's started at least 30 games 5 times in his 7 full seasons, but the two season's he didn't were 2008 and 2009. He is not a true ace, but would fill in nicely as the Number 3 man in the Yankees rotation behind CC and AJ. Personally, I also loved and respected the fire he showed on the mound when Angels manager Mike Scioscia went to take him out of the game during the ALCS saying, "This game is mine!"

He is apparently looking for the type of contract the Yankees gave AJ Burnett last year, $82 million over 5 years. Considering I thought the Yankees gave Burnett too much money, I'm not sure they should make the same mistake twice. The Red Sox, however, are also interested, which obviously means the Yankees will be involved, if only to jack up the price for Boston.

Roy Halladay
Age:32
Status: Under contract with Toronto Blue Jays through 2010 season
2009 Salary: $14.25 million ($15.57 million due in 2010)

The pièce de résistance of this year's trade market, Halladay will be the most talked about name until he is traded, whether it be this offseason, next season, or not at all. Halladay is not expected to resign with Toronto when his contract expires after next season, and the Blue Jays will try to get some value out of him. In a similar situation a few years ago, the Twins got fleeced in the deal that sent Johan Santanna to the Mets, so the Blue Jays won't want to make the same mistake.

Halladay is a bonafide ace and would give the Yankees two number one starters at the top end of their rotation, which would be devastating during the season and in postseason series. He has won almost 70 games over the past 4 years, and has had an ERA under 3.00 for the past two seasons.

The Blue Jays were reluctant to trade to an AL East team during the season, but a new general manager may see things differently. The Yankees would need to part with one of their top four prospects, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Austin Jackson, and Jesus Montero, to get this deal done. The talk is that the Yankees seem more inclined to give up Hughes or Joba in this deal, which makes sense. Halladay would come in and take up one of the rotation spots that would otherwise be filled by the two youngsters. Also, the Yankees would move to lock Halladay up long-term. If the Yankees gave him a 5-year extension, the top three spots in the rotation would be set through the end of Burnett's contract following the 2013 season.

As stated before, the Blue Jays will want the best package for Halladay. If they don't get that from teams, they could just sit back and take the two draft picks they'll get when Halladay signs with another team. Also, the Halladay situation could become a lot like the Sabathia situation during the 2008 season. The Indians didn't trade Sabathia during the offseason, but waited until midseason to do it. The Yankees decided not to pursue CC, and waited until he hit the free agent market and only gave up money for him (which the obviously have plenty of) instead of both money and prospects (of which they don't have many of high quality).

Aroldis Chapman
Age: 21
Status: Free agent
2009 Salary: N/A (Cuban Defector)

The other name you will hear a lot of from starting pitchers is Chapman. The Cuban defector has apparently been clocked at over 100 miles per hour by scouts. He pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, going 0-1 with a bloated 5.68 ERA while striking out 8 in 6.1 innings pitched. Besides those six innings, there really isn't too much to go on besides what he does in front of scouts. There are his stats from his time on the Cuban National team, but can you take them at face value?

As a Yankee fan, I'm a little wary of Chapman just because he is so young, and apparently has some control issues. He recently fired his agent and joined the Hendricks Brothers, Alan and Randy. The Hendricks also represent Andy Pettitte and formerly Roger Clemens, so they have a solid relationship with the Yankees. As always, the Yankees and Red Sox will be battling tooth and nail over a player, but I'm still not convinced I want to win this time. We already had the failed Jose Contreras experiment this decade, and no one is sure if Chapman is even ready for the majors, as there is talk he would start in the minor leagues. The AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees already have one starter with a huge salary (Kei Igawa, another failed investment in a foreign pitcher), I don't think they need two. Are the Yankees ready to invest upwards of $50 million in a big question mark, especially after the recent mistakes (Pavano, Wright, Vazquez, Igawa, Contreras, do I need to go on, because this is painful?)


So those are the big names attached to the Yankees right now. They could go for a cheaper option to just fill a spot in the back end of the rotation, or trust guys like Hughes, Joba, and Ian Kennedy to take one of those spots. There is also the question mark of Chien-Mien Wang. There's the possibility he comes back, which personally I would like to see. He won 19 games two years in a row, that doesn't usually happen on accident. And he would be the third starter, which would make it much easier on him than it was in 2006 and 2007 where he was the number one guy.

When looking at the plan of attack for the Yankees, or any team for that matter, you cannot simply focus on that year's class. The Yankees did this last year with Mark Teixeira. Brian Cashman knew that the 2010 free agent position players were limited to Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, so he made a push for Tex, and it worked.

The inverse situation exists this year in regards to starting pitching. While this year only has three big names, where one of them must be traded for and one comes with more questions than answers, that is untrue of the 2011 offseason. Some of the pitchers that will be free agents after next season include: Josh Beckett, Matt Cain (has a vesting option, so he will likely NOT reach free agency), Jeff Francis, Halladay (if he's not traded and signed long-term), Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly, and Brandon Webb. That's a very impressive class. Plus, with so many good pitchers on the market, simple supply and demand would indicate that the prices may be lower for these players than usual, if you strike early.

Of the three pitchers I named, I don't see any of them as a real fit right now. Lackey isn't worth what he is asking, but will probably get it anyway. Chapman is too risky of an investment for a AAA starting pitcher or even a major league reliever. Halladay would work only if the Yankees were to give up one of the blue chips and not much else. I'd like to see if the Yankees can take the Sabathia approach with Halladay, but if that doesn't work, at least keep him away from the Red Sox. I would say let Joba, Hughes, and/or Kennedy show you what they can do, for real since it seems the inning limit (at least on the first two) are finally out the window, and go hard after the free agent class next year. A (healthy) rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte (assuming he comes back), Joba, and Hughes, with the Yankees' lineup, will probably be good for a division title and a good chance at #28.

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Game 146: Blue Jays at Yankees

YANKEES (93-52)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Gardner CF

Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (3-2, 7.02).

BLUE JAYS (65-79)
Scutaro SS
Hill 2B
Lind DH
Wells CF
Overbay 1B
Encarnacion 3B
Barajas C
Bautista RF
Snider LF

Pitching: RHP Roy Halladay (14-9, 3.03).

Not so Dandy: Andy Pettitte will be skipped in his scheduled start tomorrow because of shoulder fatigue. He is slated to go Monday instead. Chad Gaudin will get the nod tomorrow. I don't think this is a serious issue, the Yankees are just being cautious with the playoffs right around the corner.

Him again: Roy Halladay takes the mound for the Blue Jays after shutting out the Yankees in his September 4 start against them in Toronto while allowing only one hit and striking out nine.

2010: The 2010 preliminary schedule was released by the MLB and the Yanks will start the season in Fenway against the Sawks.

NESPN: ESPN recently launched ESPNBoston.com, a website devoted to Boston sports, to go along with the TV Channel they've had since 1979.

UPDATE 10:23: Luckily they have the 40 man rosters, because there are probably going to lose a couple of guys for several days.

UPDATE 10:33: So, Posada is going to be suspeneded for some time here. He was the only Yankees ejected, and hopefully the video tape doesn't show too much that makes MLB take more action.

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Home is where the heart is: Yanks win again in extras to end homestand

Blue Jays 3 14 1
Yankees 4 7 0

WP: Gaudin (1-0)
LP: Camp (1-6)

This is one of those games where it's a little obvious that the Player of, Play of, and Turning Point of the Game are all about Robinson Cano and his walk-off hit.

GAME NOTES

• Gaudin came in and got some big outs for the Yankees in advance of his start on Sunday. Hopefully the joy of going from last place to first place will help Gaudin lock in and pitch well down the stretch.
• Burnett didn't really pitch well today, allowing 12 base runners in 6 innings while throwing 107 pitches, but the Yankees were still able to pull through with a win. It's good that even when one of your top guys has a rough day on the mound, the offense can still hit well enough to win the game.
  
• The Yankees finish this home stand 6-1, and are 15-2 at home since the All-Star Break. Now they head out for a road trip that begins in Seattle tomorrow.

TOMORROW:
Yankees at Mariners
Sabathia vs Snell


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Oops! They Did it Again: Yanks go back-to-back in eigth to beat Jays

Blue Jays 5 8 0
Yankees 7 14 0

WP: Robertson (2-1)
LP: Carlson (1-5)
S: Rivera (33)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jorge Posada. The catcher went 2-4 with 2 RBI's, including the go-ahead home run in the 8th inning.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

PLAY OF THE GAME: Posada's go-ahead home run in the 8th.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: The Thrilla from Godzilla! Matsui's home run seemed to wake up the team, the Stadium, and certainly John Sterling (I was listening on the radio).

GAME NOTES:

• The Yankees win today's game exactly as they won Sunday's, with back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning after being down by one, hence the "Oops I Did It Again" headline.
• Rick Porcello is my new favorite player not on the Yankees, because he absolutely PWNED Kevin Youkilis. It wasn't as good as the Nolan Ryan v. Robin Ventura (which I can't seem to find a video of, but here's a picture) beat down, but because if was Pukelis, it will hold a special place in my heart.
  
• So the Yankees seemed to jolt themselves from the sleepwalk they were in after the Boston sweep. That's good because I'd like this divisional race to be over as soon as possible, and winning games is the only way that's going to happen.
• New Yankee Chad Gaudin will start on Sunday, with Sergio Mitre going on Saturday. This effectively gives them a 6-man rotation, at least for this turn. It basically helps them limit Joba's innings by pushing him back a day.
  

TOMORROW:
Blue Jays at Yankees
Romero vs Burnett


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Halladay Bronx Bound? Don't Count On It

There has been lots of talk about pitcher Roy Halladay lately since Blue Jays GM JP Ricciardi said he would listen to offers for the 32-year old pitcher. Much of that talk has been taking place in, you guessed it, New York. Fans have been calling in on talk-show radios and blogging about the possibility of the Yankees getting Halladay. Well the reason I am writing this post is to tell you that it is NOT likely to happen.

First, the Blue Jays are in the AL East, the same division as the Yankees. The Blue Jays want to be able to compete for the division down the road. By sending Halladay to the Yankees, you are giving them a rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Halladay. That is unbeatable. There is no way they'd send him to their own division, thankfully, that probably means the Red Sox won't have a shot either.

Secondly, the Yankees would not part with their top prospects for the younger, left-handed, Johan Santana two years ago, what makes you think they'd change their minds now? A deal for Halladay would have to blow away GM Riccardi, meaning Hughes, Joba, Cano, Jackson, and Montero would be the names they'd want to hear to consider a deal. Possibly 4 of the 5 would have to be in the actual deal.

Finally, Ricciardi has reiterated that they are only listening to offers. They want to see what the price is for a pitcher of Halladay's caliber. If Ricciardi doesn't see anything he likes, Halladay will remain on the team. If such a case does happen, expect Halladay to be dealt in the offseason with only a year left on his contract. Brian Cashman will monitor the situation at hand, but it is unlikely he will come up with a better offer than someone like the Phillies or White Sox.

Despite the aforementioned reasons why the Yankees won't end up with him, I have come across one theory that I actually like. Steve from WasWatching introduces the idea that the Blue Jays could take the same route the Marlins did with Beckett, who would only deal Beckett if the other team took Lowell. He wonders, would the Blue Jays only deal Halladay if the other team took Vernon Wells? Wells has a big contract, and the only teams who would have the money on their payroll to do that would be the Yankees and Red Sox. If such a case would happen, it would be a two-horse race between these two teams.

However, SI's Jon Heyman is being told the Blue Jays would be hesitant to deal within the division.

Yankees fans should look at it this way: The Phillies are the favorites to get him and that is most likely where he will end up. As Pete Abe put it, "It’s addition by subtraction from the American League for the Yankees." Arguably the best pitcher in the league, would no longer be in their division, making the games in their division an easier task to handle.

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Blue Jays 7- Yankees 6

Blue Jays 7 8 0
Yankees 6 12 0

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Ricky Romero. Romero held the Yankees down very nicely, until the 7th inning when he began to tire. But only allowing 3 runs was enough because Pettitte allowed 6 and then the Bruney allowed another one to bring the total to 7.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Alex Rios's 3-run home run in the 3rd inning that gave the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead. The second base umpire had just blown a call at second base to keep the inning alive and Rios took advantage of it.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Scott Rolen's 2-run double in the 7th inning made the Toronto lead too much to overcome. And it was very important considering the rally the Yankees put up in the ninth.


GAME NOTES:

• The Yankees obviously have the fire power to overcome big deficits, but there is a few things they need to do. First, they need to stop giving up tack on runs. When they fall behind, it is extremely important that the pitchers stop the bleeding, and hold the opposing team down from there on in. Second, the Yankees need to stop waiting until the end of the game to score runs. They scored 1 run in the 5th and then a combined 5 runs from the 7th inning on. Whatever switch they are flipping needs to get flipped earlier.
  
• It is also a lot easier to score runs when you get hits with men on base. The Yankees had 12 hits today but were 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
  
• The Yankees seemed to sleepwalk a little bit through the first part of the game. Maybe it's all the day games, or maybe its the fact that they already won the series, but it needs to stop happening. When they have there opponents by the throat in the series, they can't let up. Winning series is great. Sweeping them is better.
• The Blue Jays defense was excellent today. That makes you wonder if this team can make a run to get back into this AL East race.
  
• Nobody should try to blame the game on the umpires. I'll be the first to say that the umpires sucked (and if you know me, I usually am the first to say that the umpires sucked), but if you want to blame somebody for the loss, it's Andy Pettitte.
• Oh, and in case you didn't hear it a thousand times on YES, the Joe Girardi Show is on tonight.
  

TOMORROW:
Yankees at Minnesota


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