GEICO Week in New York: Sept. 28-Oct. 4

Oh the difference a week can make in sports.

Last week around this time, Mets fans were panicking after a 2-4 week against the Marlins and Yankees. The Nationals had won six of seven and were lurking six games back in the NL East. Two weeks is rarely enough to make up that kind of ground, but Mets fans had seen this script before.

Fast forward a week later, and New York is coming off a four-game sweep of the Reds which saw their bats wake up to the tune of 36 runs in four games. The hitter-friendly environment of Great American Ballpark and the hitter-friendly quality of the Reds' pitching staff didn't hurt matters, but the Mets have their swagger back after clinching the NL East with a 10-2 win Saturday. Even with most of their regulars resting Sunday, the Mets completed the sweep with an 8-1 victory, all while the Nationals won just once and watched Jonathan Papelbon attack Bryce Harper in the dugout.

The Mets weren't the only New York team to watch their fortunes flip in the span of just seven days. The Giants sat in an 0-2 hole after blowing their second consecutive fourth-quarter lead with a key division game against the Redskins on Thursday night. In a typical Thursday Night Football slopfest, the Giants built an early lead on their way to a 32-21 victory. Just a week after sitting two games back of Dallas in the NFC East with fans wondering if they could avoid an 0-3 start, New York is just a game back of the division lead with the division's best quarterback.

The Jets were riding high after a big Monday night win over the Colts, but came back to Earth in a big way Sunday against the wounded Eagles. Philadelphia had struggled to run the ball through two games, but DeMarco's Murray injury opened the door for Ryan Mathews to shine. The Eagles gashed the perimeter of the Jets' defense on the ground and found themselves with a 24-0 lead late in the second quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn't lead the Jets to a comeback, and a team that had high aspirations after two weeks was sent back to the drawing board.

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GEICO Week in New York: June 22-28

Alex Rodriguez started the week sitting on 2,995 career hits. He ended it with 3,003. In between, the 39-year-old designated hitter became the third player to enter the 3,000-hit club with a home run, joining Wade Boggs and Derek Jeter with an opposite-field blast off Justin Verlander in the first inning of Friday's series opener with the Tigers. Both Boggs and Jeter accomplished the feat in Yankees uniforms, and Rodriguez joined them as the only Yankees to reach the 3,000-hit plateau.

The inevitable milestone was controversial for Rodriguez, who was suspended for the entire 2014 season for using performance-enhancing drugs. The Yankees, who have openly balked at paying the bonuses in A-Rod's contract attached to his climb up the career home run list, publicized and celebrated Rodriguez's 3000th hit. Despite everything the Yankees and Rodriguez went through last season, the slugger has been invaluable to the team's success this season, as he leads the club in batting average (.282) and on-base percentage (.384), ranks second in home runs (14) and third in RBIs (43). No matter your feelings on A-Rod, his importance to the Yankees 38-31 record is indisputable.

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Remade Pineda emerging as Yankees’ ace

Photo credit: Getty Images

From (5/6/15)

When Michael Pineda burst onto the scene as a 22-year-old rookie with the Seattle Mariners in 2011, he did it on the strength of a fastball that touched 99 mph at times. Throwing his heater 58 percent of the time, Pineda was an up-and-coming power pitcher with ace potential. The Mariners, in search of a big-time bat, shipped him to the Yankees with Jose Campos in exchange for Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi the following January.

What followed was two years of pain for both Pineda and the Yankees. The fire-balling right-hander didn’t throw a pitch in 2012 after being shut down in April with right shoulder tendinitis, which eventually turned into an anterior labral tear and required season-ending surgery. Complications from the procedure kept Pineda off the mound in 2013 as well, and while many around the Yankees suspected the Mariners knew their young stud was damaged goods, further news on that front never came to light.

Pineda finally made it back to the rubber in 2014, kicking off the season with three consecutive starts allowing one run or fewer. After a pine tar incident against the Red Sox got him ejected and suspended for 10 games, Pineda didn’t throw another live pitch until August after hurting his back during a simulated game. He picked up where he left off upon his return, allowing two runs or fewer in eight of his final nine starts.

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Meet the unheralded members of the Yankees’ bullpen

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By now, every Yankees fan knows the names Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances. Betances flourished in a set-up role last season in front of David Robertson, and was expected to close this year until his spring struggles led manager Joe Girardi to go with Miller instead. Miller has been spectacular with a 23:6 K:BB ratio and 10 saves in 13 1/3 innings. Neither Betances nor Miller has allowed an earned run in 28 combined innings.

Those two have played a huge part in a bullpen that ranks third in MLB with a 1.68 ERA while throwing the third-most innings in baseball. The Yankees have been able to shorten games in an attempt to cover up for a shaky starting rotation, and it’s not thanks to just Betances and Miller. The rest of the Yankees bullpen has proven solid as well, and it's time they get some credit as well.

David Carpenter, RHP; Justin Wilson, LHP

Carpenter and Wilson tend to handle the seventh inning for the Yankees, mostly depending on whether left-handed hitters or right-handers are due up. Wilson has proven to be more of the specialist, as he averages slightly less than two outs per appearance (13 appearances, 8 1/3 innings), while Carpenter is more often used for an inning at a time (10 appearances, 9 2/3 innings). Both have allowed just three earned runs through the first month.

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Early returns say Yankees may regret dealing Greene

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Last season, a 25-year-old non-prospect burst onto the scene for the Yankees, solidifying a rotation set back by injuries. Shane Greene was a complete unknown until July 7, 2014, when he won his first career game after throwing six innings of two-run ball against the Indians. Greene followed that up with 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Orioles at Camden Yards, including nine strikeouts.

Greene went on to allow three runs or fewer in nine of his final 12 starts, finishing the season with a modest 3.78 ERA despite an 81:29 K:BB ratio in 78 innings. His fastball velocity – Greene throws consistently in the low-90s – suggested that strikeout rate was fluky. In need of a replacement for Derek Jeter at shortstop, the Yankees were willing to “sell high” on Greene, sending him to the Detroit Tigers in a three-way trade that netted them shortstop Didi Gregorius from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Rough stat line doesn’t tell whole story on Sabathia

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CC Sabathia’s final line from Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays isn’t pretty. The left-hander allowed five runs - four earned - on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in his first start since May 2014. Behind those numbers, however, are some encouraging signs.

Unlike Masahiro Tanaka, whose first start of the season included few positives, Sabathia has things to build on. Of the 17 outs the veteran recorded, 15 of them came via strikeout (eight) or ground ball (seven). The five hits he allowed in Toronto’s four-run second inning were all singles, and while a few were hard hit, the Blue Jays weren’t able to lift the ball against him.

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Masahiro Tanaka struggles with control, approach in Opening Day loss

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Masahiro Tanaka made his long-awaited 2015 debut Monday on Opening Day, lasting just four innings in a 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays. Through two frames, Tanaka allowed just one baserunner with three strikeouts. Then everything fell apart in the third inning.

After falling behind No. 8 hitter Kevin Pillar 2-0, Tanaka allowed a single to left. He then walked No. 9 hitter Devon Travis and a throwing error by Chase Headley on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Jose Reyes allowed Pillar to score. Russell Martin singled in Pillar and Reyes and two batters later, Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer on a fastball right down the middle of the plate to open up a 5-0 lead.

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Joe Girardi should name Andrew Miller as Yankees' closer

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When the Yankees signed Andrew Miller to a four-year, $36 million contract this offseason, most assumed he would settle in behind Dellin Betances as a highly paid setup man. With Betances struggling to duplicate his 2014 velocity so far in spring training, however, Joe Girardi would be wise to turn to Miller to close games early in the season while Betances tries to recover the 100 mph fastball that fueled his 1.40 ERA last season.

Many managers prefer to avoid using left-handers in the closer’s role for two reasons: Most lefties have poor platoon splits, which makes protecting a small lead against multiple right-handed hitters in the ninth inning a risky proposition. In addition, many bullpens have only one left-handed reliever to use as a specialist, and most are used before the ninth inning.

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Should a Return to the Yankees Be in Joe Girardi's Future?

(Originally posted at http://sports.yahoo.com/news/missing-playoffs-york-yankees-manager-joe-girardi-hot-144200661--mlb.html)

COMMENTARY | Throughout the 2013 season, the possibility of Joe Girardi not returning to the Yankees in 2014 was broached by baseball reporters and Yankees fans alike.

Despite fielding a starting lineup consisting of multiple backup-caliber players for the entire season, some still considered Girardi as good as gone when his contract expired.

After keeping the Yankees in contention until the final week of season, Girardi is a better candidate for Manager of the Year than he is to be replaced by the Yankees. The job he did to keep this team in contention without its highest-paid players on the field was remarkable and there are multiple reasons the Yankees shouldn't be blaming their manager.

(For more of this article, please visit the link above)

Jorge Posada: Hall of Famer?

(Photo courtesy of startworldnews.com)

With the official retirement of great Yankee catcher Jorge Posada, questions have been swirling about whether he's a legitimate candidate for the Hall of Fame. While Posada's credentials are far from first-ballot worthy, there really is no reason he shouldn't be a Hall of Famer.

Baseball is a game of statistics. Always has been, always will be. There are 13 catchers currently in the Hall of Fame and if Posada was to be enshrined, here's how his career stats would stack up against the others.

.273 batting average (10th out of 14)
.374 on-base percentage (5th)
.474 slugging percentage (7th)
1,664 hits (8th)
275 home runs (5th)
1,065 runs batted in (7th)
900 runs (8th)

Those numbers don't even count the most important one: World Series rings. Posada has five, regardless of how little a part he played in the 1996 championship team. Only Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey, fellow great Yankee catchers, have more.

Posada's numbers compare very favorably with the rest of the Hall of Fame catching crowd, but some may say that those numbers are skewed because he played in the "Steroid Era." Meanwhile, Posada has never been linked to any performance-enhancing drugs. Not once. Even with a .338 average, 20 home runs and 90 RBI in his age-36 season.

Since Posada played on loaded teams as a Yankee and in a time marred by performing-enhancing drugs, many will look to those facts as reason to exclude Posada from the Hall of Fame. But when you look at all of the reasons to induct him, you see a much more convincing argument than any against his legacy.

Posada deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I just wonder if he'll ever actually make it.

Yankees better off without Jimenez?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/784426-new-york-yankees-trade-rumors-4-reasons-they-shouldnt-trade-for-ubaldo-jimenez

Should the Yankees worry about Phil Hughes?

(Photo Credit: http://hammer41.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/hughes21.jpg)

Phil Hughes got off to a shaky start in his return to the mound Wednesday, but was that not to be expected?

Hughes walked Michael Brantley, the first batter he faced, and then allowed two singles, the second scoring Brantley. A Russell Martin throwing error led to another Indians run, but Hughes was able to get out of trouble down just 2-0.

Then he settled down...kind of. Hughes didn't have a clean inning all night but scattered three singles in the next three innings before hitting two Cabreras (Asdrubal and Orlando) and walking another batter in the fifth.

Hughes was able to get Lonnie Chisenhall to fly out to Brett Gardner to leave the bases loaded and end his night at 87 pitches.

All in all, it was a mixed bag of a return for Hughes. Five innings, ten baserunners, two strikeouts and 57 strikes compared to 30 balls. He worked his way into trouble in his first and last innings, but got out of the fifth without allowing a run or even a hit.

Stats are nice but what most Yankees fans are concerned about is Hughes' velocity. The 24-year-old right-hander hit as high as 93 mph on the radar gun and hit 92 at one point during his final inning.

But, as the New York Post reports, Hughes' average velocity dipped from 92.3 in the first inning to 91.5 in the third and 90.6 in the fifth, a bad sign for many who have questioned Ivan Nova's demotion to Triple-A to make room for Hughes.

While this drop in velocity may be reason for some to worry about Hughes' arm, it isn't for me. Most pitchers throw harder in the first inning than they do in the fifth, particularly one that hasn't thrown to major-league hitters in three months. Give the kid some time.

After allowing the first three batters he faced to reach base, Hughes allowed seven baserunners (still too many) and didn't allow a run on a hit, walk or hit batter. The late loss of control and two batters he hit are slightly worrisome, especially in the fifth inning when his velocity was dropping near pre-DL stint levels.

Overall it was a shaky first start back for Hughes, who obviously has some work to do before he gets back to his 2009 pre-All Star Break level. Some people I've talked to believe he never will, even before this start, while I'd like to see him throw a few more turns before I make any rash judgments.

Hughes is just 24 years old, an age where many pitchers are just starting their careers. Hughes already has an All-Star appearance and an 18-win season on his ledger, so he's earned a longer leash than one borderline start after a dead-arm period. I'm willing to be somewhat patient with him.

But are the Yankees? With Nova waiting for a rotation spot in Triple-A, the leash may be short if Hughes continues to struggle considering the way Nova was pitching since a rough April.

Some fans may be rooting for Hughes to fail and the team to bring back Nova, but I think that's a terrible way to look at the situation.

The Yankees need both youngsters in their rotation next season and, while Nova may be the odd man out as of now, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia are no locks to stay healthy and it's likely neither will be wearing pinstripes next season.

Rooting against Hughes is not the answer for Yankees fans in the short or long-term, regardless of how you feel about the situation with him and Nova. The Yankees will need both in 2012 and very possibly later this season as well - you want both of these guys pitching well, not just one.

Do the Yankees miss Derek Jeter?

(Photo Credit: http://jonathanjoyce.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/derekjeter.jpg)

Since Derek Jeter went on the 15-day DL with a strained right calf, all the Yankees have done is go 10-3 without their captain. Does this mean they are better off without him?

The answer to that question depends heavily on which Jeter we're talking about. Are we looking at the Jeter who has hit .260 in 62 games this season with just two home runs, 20 RBI and a .649 OPS? Or are we talking about the Jeter who has hit .312 for his career with an .832 OPS?

New York is obviously better off with a healthy and productive Jeter in their lineup but he has been anything but this season. Eduardo Nunez has filled in capably at the plate since taking over at shortstop, batting .295 (13-44) with a homer, 4 runs and 4 RBI.

The Yankees have actually performed better as a lineup without Jeter, averaging a full run more per game (6.1 to 5.1) and hitting .288 compared to .249 in the 20 games Nunez has started. Nunez also has three errors since Jeter hit the DL, while the captain had just four all season before his injury.

Defense aside, this brings up a legitimate point about New York's lineup: The Yankees are better off with Nunez batting ninth than they are with Jeter batting first.

Forgive my potentially blasphemous words, but shouldn't Joe Girardi consider batting Jeter ninth when he returns?

Despite sabermetricians' best efforts, Jeter is an obvious upgrade defensively over Nunez, diminishing range aside. While Nunez has hit well over the past two weeks, Jeter is also a better hitter. If the Yankees lineup is better with Nunez ninth than it is with Jeter first, wouldn't it be even better with Jeter batting ninth?

Brett Gardner is the only prototypical leadoff man on the Yankees roster. His .360 OBP this season trumps Jeter's .324 on-base percentage and that includes an awful April where people were questioning his spot in the lineup. In limited at-bats against left-handed pitching, Gardner's OBP is actually higher (.386) than it is against right-handers.

There's no need for a leadoff platoon at the top of the Yankees order. Gardner should be the man at the top and while Jeter has been a No. 2 hitter for most of his career, Curtis Granderson is thriving in that spot this season.

With the copious power running through the Yankees lineup in the next six spots, Jeter batting ninth makes perfect sense. He still has enough speed and base-stealing ability that he won't slow down Gardner and who else would you want to turn your lineup over?

If he doesn't hit, it's not a big deal; you don't expect heavy offensive contributions from your last hitter anyway.

If Jeter was truly a great Yankee captain, he would recognize that he hurts the team batting leadoff if he's not hitting .300 and I can't find many people who think he's still a .300 hitter. I sure don't.

Jeter has been the consummate team player throughout his career but he can add to his Yankee legacy by being open to batting ninth. New York may be in first place in the AL East right now, but they are not a championship-caliber team with a .260 leadoff hitter who has a home run in just one game this season.

Do the right thing, Derek. Offer to bat ninth when you come back, because Joe Girardi does not have the stones to pencil you in there. Your team will be better off and you just may have another ring on your finger.

Why the Return of Phil Hughes Makes the Yankees AL East Frontrunners

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/742569-phil-hughes-5-reasons-his-healthy-return-makes-new-york-the-al-east-frontrunner

Quarter-season state of the New York Yankees

(photo courtesy of http://blog.nj.com/yankees_main/2009/08/large_jorge.jpg)

The Yankees have had an eventful weekend, and not for good reasons. In addition to being swept by the hated Boston Red Sox to fall two games behind Tampa Bay and stay just a game-and-a-half out of last in the AL East, Jorge Posada's refusal to bat ninth on Saturday has caused much backlash throughout the organization.

Posada is hitting just .165 this season and, while his average has been low since Opening Day, hasn't shown the same power he flashed early in the season, which made his low average bearable in a small sample size. Manager Joe Girardi tried to bump him to the ninth spot in the order and Posada balked at his former teammate's idea.

Rumors have since flown about the Yankees' next move. The team nearly released Posada immediately but thought better of it, yet he sat again on Sunday against left-hander Jon Lester. A switch-hitter, Posada has yet to record a hit batting right-handed and yielded his lineup spot to Andruw Jones, who homered.

Many fans and people who follow the team, including myself, have been clamoring for top catching prospect Jesus Montero to be called up. I scouted Montero in person about a month ago when he played in Rochester; his defense could still use work, but the Yankees wouldn't be calling him up to catch. They have Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli for that.

Despite just two home runs in Triple-A and plate discipline questions (he's drawn only five walks), Montero's bat is ready. I think he's just bored and what better way to rejuvenate a talented player than with a big-league audition. He'll respond.

The Yankees haven't made a move towards calling up Montero just yet, however, and many within the organization don't see it happening before the June 15 Super 2 deadline, if at all. So where would that leave the Yankees?

Derek Jeter came to the defense of his long-time teammate on Sunday, saying he didn't see what the big deal was that Posada said he didn't want to play. None of us know how the conversation truly went, but it has certainly become a distraction.

A team captain like Jeter isn't going to throw a teammate under the bus within earshot when reporters move from Posada's locker right near Jeter's. Regardless, the organization wasn't happy with Jeter's comments. If we thought the bitterness between both sides stemming from this winter's contract squabble was through, apparently it's not.

The Posada situation isn't the only issue dogging the Yankees right now. Derek Jeter used his breakout performance last weekend to take the attention off of his slow start but now it's Alex Rodriguez creating worries for the Yankees.

A-Rod's swing mechanics have been all over the place of late and his numbers have dropped across the board. I think he'll be just fine, but it's nothing like the New York media to stir the pot over a few poor weeks.

Like Jeter, Brett Gardner was an issue in the early season but he has picked it up of late, bringing his average back over the .250 mark. Nick Swisher's struggles are probably the second-biggest issue with the Yankees lineup right now; after hitting .225 with one home run and 11 RBI in April, Swisher is at just .200 with one homer and 2 RBI halfway through May. At least he's still smiling.

The back end of the bullpen, which was viewed as a strength before the season and in the first few weeks, has turned sour. Rafael Soriano has struggled without the pressure of ninth-inning work on his shoulders, while Joba Chamberlain struggled with gopheritis against Boston and has an ERA in the mid-4s. Maybe it's time New York gave David Robertson and his 1.76 ERA a seventh-inning look.

Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia were rotation savers in their first few starts, but both have fallen back to earth of late. With Phil Hughes still on the disabled list, the Yankees' starting rotation remains laden with question marks, including C.C. Sabathia. I actually heard a New York sportswriter say, speaking on ESPN, that A.J. Burnett is looking like the Yankees ace. Burnett has pitched well, but why overreact to C.C. Sabathia's "struggles" early?

The panic over Sabathia's issues is unwarranted; he has a respectable 3.47 ERA and is a notorious slow starter in April and May. Over the last three seasons combined, would you like to know what his high ERA for any of the final four months is? It's 2.98 in July; the rest are under 2.60 and for August and September, he's under 2.40. He'll be just fine.

Overall, I still think the Yankees are in good shape. They have a few contracts attached to veteran players (Jeter, Rodriguez, Sabathia) that may come back to haunt them, but that won't be an issue for at least a few seasons. This season, the Yankees need a healthy Hughes back and to sort out the back end of their bullpen.

The Yankees also need a new DH unless Posada gets going in the next week or two and Montero is the answer, even just as the right-handed side of a platoon with the lefty-killing Jones. Montero also has the ability to spell the fatiguing Martin behind the plate, although I've always liked the spark Cervelli gives the lineup once or twice a week.

Despite a .249 team batting average and no .300 hitters (Curtis Granderson leads the team at just .281), New York is still third in the league in runs scored thanks to a league-leading .445 slugging percentage and the third-best team on-base percentage in baseball (.336). Even with a few players struggling they have so much talent that this lineup should never be worrisome.

This team's recent issues have been overblown, partially because no one involved with the Yankees likes being swept by the Red Sox. Both the starting pitching and the bullpen remain an issue, but that surprises nobody.

If the Yankees can fix their staff with one or two low-profile moves (please don't trade any big-name prospects) they will be fine, especially if Montero gets the call and fixes the Posada problem. Other than that, I'm not sure the panic is warranted.

If the Yankees miss the playoffs, it will be because Tampa and Boston are just better. There's no quick fix for that.

Jeter's Big Day: Tease or Turnaround?

(photo courtesy of sportsnet.ca)

Through 29 games this season, many Yankees fans were worried about Derek Jeter at the plate. His batting average was hovering in the .250 range, which isn't really a big deal considering he had just 117 at-bats on the season. One three or four-hit game could quickly turn that number into something respectable.

The real issue was his lack of power. After stroking 43 extra-base hits last season and at least 35 in every season since 1996, the Yankee captain had just three this season, all doubles. Jeter hadn't hit a home run in 62 games dating back to last season and many thought this was a sign of a rapid and surprising decline.

Even at Jeter's advanced age of 36, his track record pointed to a bounceback from last season's struggles (.270 average, 10 home runs, 67 RBI). But the early-season returns, especially in the power department (0 home runs, 6 RBI) left a lot to be desired.

That all changed in Sunday's 12-5 win over the Texas Rangers, where Jeter not only hit his first home run in almost half a season but knocked two balls out of the park in his typical fashion; over the right-center field fence. He finished the day with four hits, two runs, two home runs, three RBI and his first stolen base of the season.

Is it too rash to say Jeter is back? Jeter has been hitting an inordinate amount of ground balls this season and, despite a lower strikeout rate, has struggled to be the line-drive machine he has been throughout his career. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) was just .278, well below his career number of .355.

It was difficult for me to believe he would stay at .256 all season, but I was starting to come to the realization that Jeter's ceiling may have been an average in the .280-.290 range with 85-95 runs, five home runs and 50 RBI. Those HR and RBI numbers would represent career lows in a full season for Jeter and considering Jeter has hit below .290 just once and scored under 100 runs only twice, the average and run production left something to be desired as well.

Will Sunday's performance, in which Jeter homered against the likes of Dave Bush and Arthur Rhodes, be the spark he needs to turn around his season after a disappointing first month?

I warn Yankees fans not to expect too much from Jeter after his big day in Texas. I was a believer in a bounceback for Jeter after a disappointing 2010, but I still didn't think he would hit .300 or reach double-digits in home runs. Scoring 100 runs is still a possibility in the always-potent Yankee lineup, but expecting a .300 average and 15 home runs is setting the bar too high.

Jeter is an all-time Yankee great and while his career may be on the downswing, he's not done just yet. Just make sure to accept his skills for what they are and, at a position that can be considered the shallowest in the major leagues, those skills still place him well inside the top-10 at shortstop.

Scouting Yankees prospect Jesus Montero

(photo courtesy of thegoldensombrero.com)

Working with the Rochester Red Wings, I have the opportunity to see a lot of baseball's top prospects in person. Last year, it was Stephen Strasburg, Aroldis Chapman, Freddie Freeman and Yonder Alonso.

Strasburg and Freeman performed at a high level when I saw them play and reached the majors in 2010, although Freeman didn't get there until September. Chapman struggled with his control as a starter during his visit to Rochester, but he has been great throwing 100 mile-per-hour fastballs out of the Reds bullpen since getting the call last season.

Alonso also came to Rochester and raked at the plate but likely needs to be traded to see a starting job in the big leagues anytime soon, considering Joey Votto's presence in Cincinnati. The possibility of playing Alonso in the outfield remains, but the Reds are set there with Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs and Jonny Gomes as well. With Gomes' contract expiring after this season, Alonso could take over left field in 2012 if he's still a Red.

Like Alonso and Freeman before him, Jesus Montero comes highly regarded. As the fourth-rated prospect by ESPN's Keith Law, expectations are high for the 21-year-old prized catching prospect.

Montero projects as a player who will hit for both average and power and all of his hitting skills were on display in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's four-game series against the Red Wings. Rochester may not have a lights-out pitching staff but Montero looked awesome with three three-hit games and a two-hit game, going 11-for-21 in the series.

Montero had four extra-base hits (three doubles and a home run), drove in two runs and scored six in the series. He even hit the ball hard when he recorded outs and while he didn't draw a walk in the series, two out of every three balls he hit were frozen ropes. He has an effortless right-handed swing and produces a lot of power with his 6-3, 235-pound frame.

Montero was also solid behind the plate and is far from a liability at the catching position, with a good arm and decent quickness and reaction time blocking balls in the dirt. The obvious drawback to him catching in the big leagues would be the necessary time off required, taking his bat out of the lineup on days where he doesn't DH.

With Russell Martin enjoying a resurgence behind the plate and Jorge Posada entrenched as the Yankees' designated hitter for the rest of this season, there really isn't a spot for Montero in the majors. That's a shame because his bat is ready and he has nothing left to prove in Triple-A.

If an injury were to befall either player, the Yankees would not be in dire straits. As much as I like Francisco Cervelli, he's nothing more than an energetic backup on a championship-caliber team. Montero should be the starting catcher in New York if they lose Martin for an extended period of time and probably should move into the DH role if an injury hits the aging Posada, something freaky like running the bases or getting hit by a pitch.

The Yankees could use Andruw Jones in the DH role as well, at least against left-handers, who he's proven he can hit already this season. But Montero could platoon with Jones and get the majority of at-bats against righties if he produces right away.

At the tender age of 21, Montero and his bat are ready for the show. Whether he will hit right away like Albert Pujols and Ryan Braun did remains to be seen, but there is little left for him to accomplish at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It will take an injury to a key Yankee for Montero's time to come in 2011 but if it does, New York has no reason to worry. The kid is for real.

Red Sox wake up, take series from Yankees

(photo courtesy of boston.com)

After scoring 16 runs in their first six games this season, the Boston Red Sox lineup finally came alive against Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and C.C. Sabathia, scoring 17 runs in the three-game set at Fenway and taking two of three games against New York.

Hitting Hughes, whose fastball has been ordinary in two starts so far this season, and Nova, who is in his first full major-league season, is no real accomplishment. That's especially true considering the Yankees bullpen came in and shut down Boston's lineup in game two once Nova was pulled.

Making Sabathia work, however, is a great sign for the Red Sox. Sabathia labored through 5.2 innings, throwing 118 pitches, allowing nine hits and walking four batters. Boston worked the count against the Yankees ace and got him out of the game before the seventh inning, allowing them to load the bases and score twice against Joba Chamberlain in the seventh.

The Yankees were able to beat up on John Lackey and Clay Buchholz in the first two games, but couldn't solve Josh Beckett in the rubber match. Beckett allowed just three baserunners in eight innings and struck out 10, a far cry from his struggles against New York in recent seasons, especially at Fenway.

Am I worried about the Yankees' bats? In a word, no. They scored at least four runs in their first eight games and were missing Alex Rodriguez in the middle of their lineup. I'm far more worried about the rotation behind Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, who has pitched surprisingly well in his two starts this season and has kept the walks to a minimum (11 innings, three BB).

It's still early in the season and it may just be a case of Hughes needed to get his arm completely loosened up, but the Yankees need him to be productive. They should be able to score enough runs during the regular season to withstand average starts from Hughes, Nova and Freddy Garcia but come playoff time, New York cannot have just two starters pitching well, especially since Burnett is no lock for consistency.

Like the Yankees, Boston has rotation issues behind ace Jon Lester. Lackey and Buchholz both struggled this weekend and while Beckett threw well, he's as much of a guarantee as Burnett in New York. Daisuke Matsuzaka has proven he's no more than a fourth or fifth starter.

The AL East will be a hitting-heavy division this season if the first week-and-a-half of the season is any indication. That still favors New York and Boston in the long run, but Toronto's lineup is dangerous and if Baltimore's young pitchers continue to throw well, they may be able boast the division's best rotation. Could the AL East be more interesting this season than people expected?

Teixeira's homer binge propels Yanks to 2-1 start

(photo courtesy of newyork.cbslocal.com)

To say Mark Teixeira struggled last April would be an understatement. Teixeira has always been a slow starter, but his .136 batting average, two home runs and nine RBI marked the worst April of his career.

This season, Teixeira homered in all three of the Yankees games in their opening series against Detroit and his RBI total (seven) is just two less than he had all of last April. If Teixeira can keep this momentum going, who's to say he can't contend for the American League MVP award?

Teixeira is widely known around the league as a second-half player but if he puts together an MVP-caliber first half, what will he do for an encore after the All-Star Break? This is the same player who finished second in the 2009 MVP balloting behind Twins catcher Joe Mauer after hitting .200 with three home runs and 10 RBI that April. He finished 2009 with 39 home runs and 122 RBI.

Combine a big season from Teixeira with Robinson Cano, who was third in MVP balloting last season and a healthy Alex Rodriguez and there is no lineup in baseball that can compete with the Yankees, both in the middle of the order and top to bottom. Not even Boston, who just finished getting swept by last year's AL champion Texas.

Other encouraging signs from Opening Weekend for the Yankees:

-A.J. Burnett had a strong outing on Saturday despite fighting a cold. He lasted just five innings and allowed three earned runs, but his six strikeouts compared to just one walk was very encouraging, especially after he struck out 11 and walked none in 13 spring innings.

If Burnett can bounce back and Phil Hughes can pitch like he did in the first half of 2010, the Yankees rotation come playoff time won't be as bad as most people think. Hughes will need to bounce back from allowing two home runs to Miguel Cabrera in his next turn, but more importantly he needs to regain the 2-3 miles per hour he's lost on his fastball.

-The bullpen looks dominant. And with the question marks surrounding New York's rotation, their relievers will be key this season. The combination of Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera is baseball's best in the eighth and ninth innings and if Joba Chamberlain can pitch up to his potential in the seventh, the Yankees can turn most of their games into six-inning affairs for opposing lineups.

-Russell Martin looks fresh and Jorge Posada looks locked in at DH. Martin is hitting the ball well and even stole third base on Opening Day, showing signs that he can tap into some of the potential he showed in his first three major league seasons.

Posada had two homers in Sunday's game and without the wear and tear of catching five times a week and an increase in at-bats, he could see a return to the 25-homer level he hasn't hit since 2003.

Yankees trade Mitre, clear up potential rotation

(photo courtesy of nydailynews.com)

I haven't been writing much about baseball during Spring Training but with Opening Day less than a week away, I think it's about time. It also helps that the Yankees traded Sergio Mitre, who was in the mix to be their fifth starter, to Milwaukee for outfielder Chris Dickerson.

Ivan Nova seems on track to be the Yankees fourth starter, having allowed just two runs in 14 innings and boasting a solid 7:2 K:BB ratio. You would like to see more than a strikeout every other inning, but if he can continue to show the kind of control he has in his small Spring sample you won't find me complaining.

The battle for the fifth starter's role is a little more interesting, with Freddy Garcia supposedly still the frontrunner despite a rough spring. Bartolo Colon has pitched well but hasn't thrown a major-league inning in two seasons, leading Joe Girardi to believe he's better suited taking Mitre's 2010 role in long relief.

Even if the Yankees do go with Garcia over Colon, New York may only need to use their fifth starter two or three times in April. If Garcia's struggles continue while Colon does good work out the bullpen, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Yankees change their minds. Spring performance is one thing but once the real games hit, you need to go with the pitcher who's performing better, which very well could be Colon.

It's no fun as a Yankees fan debating between Garcia and Colon, two washed-up has-beens who are shells of their former selves. It sure would have been nice to see Andy Pettitte in pinstripes in 2011, but he seems perfectly content to watch this baseball season from his couch.

The other major question facing the Yankees heading into the season is: Who will bat leadoff? I think Brett Gardner is the most logical option with Derek Jeter sliding down to the two hole, where he's spent most of his career. Girardi has talked about leading off Gardner against right-handers and Jeter against left-handers, but I think it should be Gardner every day.

Jeter hit 69 points higher against lefties last season than Gardner (.321 to .252) but Gardner's OBP was still .373 compared to Jeter's .391. The OBP numbers aren't even close against right-handers and while Jeter has hit .338 against lefties over the past three seasons, I see no reason to shuffle the leadoff spot when Gardner gets on base almost as often and possesses far superior speed.

Either way, the Yankees lineup will be their strength this season. Their bullpen looks good at the back end with Mariano Rivera and Rafael Soriano anchoring the eighth and ninth innings but I still have issues trusting David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain, who somehow got fatter, in the sixth and seventh innings.

With A.J. Burnett's potential inconsistencies and Nova and Garcia/Colon likely being unable to last deep into games, Yankees fans will see a lot more of Chamberlain and Robertson than they may like. New York may recognize the need to shore up their middle relief at the trade deadline if their starters struggle like many expect.

The Yankees should be okay when C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes start, but the other three spots leave a lot to be desired unless Burnett can bounce back and Nova can outperform expectations. This has the potential to be a long season at Yankee Stadium and by long, I mean as few as 85 wins and difficulty making the playoffs.

That's okay for a lot of teams, but not the Yankees. Missing out on Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke may prove more costly than whatever money they would have wanted if we got them.