Yardbarker: Hideki Matsui

Strike While The Iron Is Hot, Trade Howard Now

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:42:12 -0500

The Phillies have been actively working the phones over the past several weeks trying to make a trade that would bolster their pitching rotation. The Phillies lack of serious starting pitching was made to look even weaker after the Milwaukee Brewers traded for Indians' ace CC Sabathia and the Chicago Cubs traded for Oakland star Rich Harden last week. The Phillies were one of a number of teams that were in negotiations with Cleveland to acquire Sabathia's services, but in the end they just didn't have enough to offer. Instead of being able to trade for Rich Harden, who when healthy is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, it looks like the Phillies will wind up acquiring Joe Blanton from the Athletics. Blanton is Oakland's number two starter and despite showing some serious talent in previous years, has really struggled this season, going 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA. The Phillies have reportedly been negotiating with the Seattle Mariners over the past couple weeks in an attempt to acquire their disgruntled ace Erik Bedard, but it appears that they're not going to be able to pull off that deal, and Bedard is currently on the DL and wants out of Seattle. Even more importantly, Seattle wants Bedard out of Seattle. And all indications point to the Phillies not bringing him back to the East Coast. Why are they having such a hard time bringing in a legitimate quality starting pitcher? Because the Phillies have a very weak farm system. As you have noticed, I'm sure, by reading Jay's On The Farm columns, the subject of his pieces are the same handful of players over and over again. This is not to say that the Phils don't have any talent in the minors. There are several highly touted players in their farm system, most notably Carlos Carasco and Adrian Cardenas. Carasco is the Phils' most highly touted prospect. He has been rated as the number one pitching prospect in organization two years in a row by Baseball America. Cardenas is the most likely prospect to be traded as his primary position is second base, which is in all likelihood going to be occupied by Chase Utley for many years to come. Cardenas is ranked the number two prospect in the organization, and is batting .309 with 16 stolen bases. Other prospects are SS Jason Donald, C Lou Marson, LHP Josh Outman, 2B Brad Harman, OF Greg Golson, and LHP Antonio Bastardo. Other than Carasco or Cardenas, no one really blows you away, although the upside potential is definitely there will all of them. Nevertheless, the farm team is not teeming with trade bait. But the Big Show is. Ryan Howard is prime trade bait. In Howard's short career he has been named the NL Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, Home Run Derby Champion, and he has led the league in home runs and RBIs over the past three years. He also broke the single season record for strikeouts last year and is on pace to shatter that record this year. Howard, in his second year, demanded that the Phillies pay him $1 million. The Phillies wanted to give him $900,000, which was the record for a second year player. The two sides went to arbitration and Howard was awarded a $1 million contract. The next year he demanded $10 million, the Phillies offered $7 million. The two sides went to arbitration again, and again Howard won. It appears that Howard is going to take the Phils to arbitration to each off season until his contract is up in 2011, at which point he is going to demand (and command) a ridiculous contract. This is not the Phillies of old. This team is no longer afraid to shell out some money to bring or keep talent to Philly, but within reason. The Phillies are not going to be able to pay, or willing to pay, the kind of money that Howard is going to demand. And I do not entirely fault Howard for demanding the money he is, or will. How many players have the record that he does? If he continues to hit the way he did the last month before the all star break (.284, 11 HR, 30 RBI, .965 OPS), then he will right in the mix for his second MVP award. The man can hit, no doubt about it. When Howard doesn't strike out, he is hitting over .450. That being said, that stat is part of the problem. Howard has also struck out 129 times this year. He struck out a total of 199 times last year. He has only walked 48 times. That means he strikes out almost three times as many times as he walks. You also have to take into consideration that Howard continues to be among the tops in the league in intentional walks, which decreases the amount of walks that he gets through patience and a good eye. Let's face it, Howard is a one dimensional player, perhaps the most one dimensional player in the majors. He either strikes out, or hits a home run. In the past month, Howard has one double and one triple. So out of 13 extra base hits, 11 of them are home runs. That is terrible. Nevertheless, Howard is absolutely a key part to this team and its offense. You can't ignore the power numbers, which are the best in the game since he's been in the majors. That is why I think it is the perfect time to trade him. Unless Howard has indicated otherwise to Phillies GM Pat Gillick, it does not appear he is really planning on staying here. He wanted to sign a long term deal after his rookie season and instead the Phils offered him a one year deal worth the $900,000, which at the time was the record for a second year player. This disappointed Howard (and for the record, I think the Phillies should have bit the bullet and signed him for at least close to whatever he was asking for) and now I think he is just going to price himself out of Philadelphia. Instead of going year to year through arbitration, the Phils should deal him to either the Yankees or Red Sox. Both teams have the money and the record of giving huge contracts to their players, and both are going to have a void in the next couple years that Howard is perfectly suited to fill. Howard is a mediocre first baseman at best, but he isn't on your team for his defense. He is a player built for the American League and their stupid DH. Both the Yankees and Red Sox are going to be in need of a DH in the next couple years. The Yankees current DH platoon of Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui are about as banged up a bunch of highly paid veterans as you'll find anywhere in the majors. By 2011, at least two of these guys will be gone, whether through retirement or free agency. He would be the perfect replacement to fill the void that would be left by Giambi's bat. An equally compelling team are the Red Sox. Current Boston DH David Ortiz (33 years old) is not getting any younger and has had a somewhat disappointing year. His power is down this year, and there has been some speculation that this could be related to the release of the Mitchell Report this past off season. Whether Ortiz's power is down due to steroids or because he is having an off year or because he is starting to decline, he is getting older and is not going to start getting significantly better. To the contrary, Ortiz is going to start declining over the next few years, if he hasn't already started. Howard is young enough to play first base for a number of years in Boston, or New York, while the current DH plays out the rest of his career. Howard would bring the Phillies a serious number of prospects that they could use to a) bolster their farm system and help them build for the future or b) turn around and trade them for a serious starting pitcher that is on the same level as Sabathia or Harden. They should trade for Matt Holliday, who would help fill the void left by trading Howard. They can give up some of those prospects in the farm system right now for Holliday. Then by trading Howard, they can use those prospects for a starter. Yes, that depletes the farm system for a number of years, but this team is young enough right now to contend for the World Series for years to come. They don't need the farm system to be bountiful right now with the exception of using those players as trade bait. If Howard does actually want to stay here and will take a deal that won't make it impossible for them to sign and trade for other important pieces, then that's fine. Keep him here. I have no problems with Howard spending his entire career in Philadelphia. But I believe the Phillies are going to lose him eventually to free agency, so they should try and get the most for him that they can before he bleeds them dry and prices himself out of a trade. The time is now, they need to strike while the iron is hot. This is the best opportunity the Phillies have had to make it to the World Series in years and they need to take their shot now.

Yankees Agree To Sign Bonds On One Condition

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:12:46 -0500

Ca$hman floated the idea, but there was some resistance from the fanbase. Then Giambi stepped in and offered the perfect solution....

Will Cashman Break Down and Hire Bonds?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:29:01 -0500

With both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui injured and Matsui possibly facing season-ending knee surgery, Brian Cashman is not ruling out the possibility of hiring Barry Bonds. He spoke to reporters before the All-Star game last night and said, in part, "I would say rampant speculation on us involving a player of that magnitude would be extremely premature."

Don’t do this — please!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:33:31 -0500

Uh-oh! Hideki Matsui might be facing-season ending knee surgery. Johnny Damon has also had a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury. And New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman isn't denying that Barry Bonds might look better in the New York lineup than Brett Gardner or Justin Christian. Here is what Cashman said Tuesday about Bonds. "I would [...]

Quick Hits (Pre All-Star Game Edition)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:47:00 -0500

-Tim Lincecum will miss tonight's all-star game after being taken to the hospital and treated for dehydration and flu-like systems.

-Espn.com is reporting that both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui could be out longer than expected after both revealed setbacks in their rehab.

-A Babe Ruth cap was auctioned off for a reported 328 thousand dollars

-Enjoy the game tonight, post your predictions of winner, MVP and the score!

All Good Things Must Come To An End...A Tribute To Yankee Stadium

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:26:45 -0500

Take it Deep: www.letsgodeep.com When you think of the most famous stadiums in baseball history, there are only 3 acceptable answers…Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. The 2009 season will begin a new era for the New York Yankees and Yankee Stadium, as we know it, will be a parking lot. Love 'em or hate 'em, the New York Yankees are a big part of baseball and as such, everyone wants to take in a game at Yankee Stadium. Many people have had the pleasure to do so, but so many others will never get that chance. Through the 2007 season, 154, 533, 824 people have attended a game. If you're part of that 154 million and counting, there's a good chance that you saw a memorable game, as the Yankees have been a staple in the playoffs for as long as anyone can remember. The list of Hall of Famers that have played there is impressive enough, but "The House that Ruth Built" will always be known as the home of Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series. There has always been a debate about whether Yankee Stadium has been more favorable to the right or left handed batter, but there just isn't enough data to settle that debate. According to the Yankees, there has been 5,100 + HR's hit in Yankee Stadium since 1976, but there isn't a breakdown of which area of the park the homeruns were hit. The dimensions of the park have changed several times over the years with the right and left field foul poles moving out and center field and both power alleys moving in. With the foul poles always being around 300 ft, it's fair to say that hitters who pull the ball have had plenty of success there. If there was an accurate HR total starting with the 1923 season, I'm sure that the numbers would show more than a 2 HR per game average, but that could also be attributed to Ruth, Maris, Gehrig and Co. It doesn't matter if a righty or lefty is more likely to hit a HR or if the Yankees win or lose. It's doesn't matter if you worship Manny Ramirez or if your dog's name is Buckner. Baseball just won't be the same next season. Certain players, team and venues will always be special and Yankee Stadium will always have its place in baseball history! Tenant: New York Yankees Capacity: 56,937 Surface: Grass Cost: $2.5 Million, $48 Million (renovations) Opened: April 18, 1923 Architect: Osborn Engineering Owner: City of New York Naming Rights: None - Named after the Yankees Dimensions: 318-Left Field, 408-Center Field, 314-Right Field New Yankee Stadium Opens: April 2009

Longoria, Hart Win Fan Vote on MLB.com. Record Set

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:27:19 -0500

Tampa Bay Rays rookie third baseman Evan Longoria and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Corey Hart were chosen by fans as the winners of the Monster 2008 All-Star Game Final Vote in record-shattering voting exclusively on MLB.com (http://mlb.com/), the official website of Major League Baseball. Baseball fans supported the 10 candidates named by All-Star managers Terry Francona and Clint Hurdle in unprecedented fashion by casting a record 47.8 million votes since the program commenced on Sunday, July 6 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT). This year’s record number of votes represents an increase of 107 percent from the previous mark of 23.1 million set in 2007. Since its inception in 2002, the Monster All-Star Game Final Vote has now recorded nearly 130 million votes. The American League winner, Longoria, received the highest total number of votes ever and led all vote-getters with nine million en route to becoming the second consecutive rookie to win the balloting, following Boston’s Hideki Okajima last year. He was followed by Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox; Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees; Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles; and Jose Guillen of the Kansas City Royals. On the National League ballot, Hart became the second Milwaukee player to win the Monster All-Star Game Final Vote by holding off a late charge from David Wright of the New York Mets to claim the final spot on the National League All-Star roster with a final tally of eight million votes. Hart and Wright were followed by Pat Burrell of the Philadelphia Phillies; Aaron Rowand of the San Francisco Giants; and Carlos Lee of the Houston Astros. Previous winners of the Monster All-Star Game Final Vote include: Okajima (AL, 2007); Chris Young (NL, 2007); A.J. Pierzynski (AL, 2006); Nomar Garciaparra (NL, 2006); Scott Podsednik (AL, 2005); Roy Oswalt (NL, 2005); Hideki Matsui (AL, 2004); Bobby Abreu (NL, 2004); Jason Varitek (AL, 2003); Geoff Jenkins (NL, 2003); Johnny Damon (AL, 2002); and Andruw Jones (NL, 2002).Source: MLB Advanced Media Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

Bum shoulder for Jorge?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:59:28 -0500

New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada has been limited to designated hitting duties the past few days, which would lead one to ask is his shoulder starting to get worse again? Molina has now started in six straight games at catcher (including tonight's game against Pittsburgh). During that time, Posada has taken up the role as the team's DH. Could this mean his shoulder getting worse? Yes, it's possible. Personally thou, I think the team is taking it easy on him and at the same time putting themselves in the best position to win.

MLB Injury Extra: Replacements (Week 14)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:47:45 -0500

Screaming Sports' Drew Thibodeau breaks out another Screaming Sports original. With so many valuable fantasy studs going down with injury, Drew decided it was time to take a look at several replacements. So if you're one of the many fantasy GM's who have been ravaged by injury, then this piece is exactly what the doctor ordered.

The Yankees need Ichiro to cheer up America

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:55:48 -0500

Let me do something that no other sports blog has done before. I am going to take a sports scenario and make it seems absolutely plausible and give some reasons why I feel it could and should happen.

Upcoming 9 Big For Yankees

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:55:55 -0500

It's the end of June and the Yankees find themselves in third place, five and a half games behind the first-place Tampa Rays. That can all change in just 10 days as a few key match ups put the Yankees in a good position to move up in the standings. The Yankees are 16-and-8 since June 4 and hope to continue their winning ways as they take on the Texas Rangers at home. The Rangers are one game above a .500 winning percentage and have struggled to stay at that point all season. Aside from their mediocre record they are facing two of New York's best pitchers in Mike Mussina and Joba Chamberlain. Meanwhile the Boston Red Sox host the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series. No matter what the outcome of that series the Yankees will have the opportunity to move up in the AL East standings, the AL Wild Card, or both. After those pair of series are over the Yankees will host the Red Sox over the weekend for four games before Tampa comes to the stadium for a pair. That puts the fate of the standings directly in their hands. For instance, winning six of the next nine games could put them right back into the race for first place. The way the rotation lies is actually in the Bomber's favor as it stands right now. Against the Rangers the Yankees are expected to send Mussina, Joba, and Dan Giese (or Sidney Ponson) to the mound. They should be able to take two-out-of-three in that series. Andy Pettitte, Darrell Rasner, Mussina, and Joba are expected against Boston. But the Red Sox are a tough team so the Yankees are going to need all of their pitchers to bring their A-games to gain ground on Boston in this series. Same goes for the two game series against Tampa. For the Yankees to have made any real progress they're going to have to win both games. As it stands right now Pettitte and Rasner should be the starters in this series. With the pitching probables the way they are the Yankees can easily win all three of these series, but the offense can certainly help. There is good news here as their three hitters who have struggled the most this season, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Bobby Abreu have been hot lately. Jeter has hit in 16 of his last 17 games, Cano has been hitting .455 since June 24, and Abreu has ended a terrible June on a strong note hitting .478 over his past six games. What won't be helping them are the injuries. It looks like Hideki Matsui could be out for a long time as he is now on the DL and could need surgery for his problematic knee. The injury bug has also kept Johnny Damon out of lineups and brought his batting average back down to earth recently. Since sitting out against Pittsburgh he has a pedestrian .200 batting average with no extra base-hits or stolen bases. If things go right they could be right back in the AL East race or at the very least real Wild Card contenders. If they lose these three series things will be worse, but luckily for the Yanks there is still half a season to play which, as history shows, is plenty of time for the Yankees to mount a comeback. But their luck has to run out sometime, right?

Brett Gardner major league debut

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:18:28 -0500

Tonight was the long awaited debut of one of the New York Yankees top hitting prospects, Brett Gardner. Gardner is a speedy center fielder who challenged Melky Cabrera for the starting job back in spring training. He failed to win a job then, but after leading the International League with 34 stolen bases through today it was time to give the chance. Ok, it really wasn't that but that helped him be the player selected to help replace Hideki Matsui and the aching Johnny Damon.

Yankees injury round up

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:46:21 -0500

Numerous injuries and returns to talk about when it comes to the New York Yankees. Two key players (Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon) have some nagging injuries, while two young prospects (J.B. Cox and Humberto Sanchez) make their returns.

MLB Injury Report from The All American Home Run Derby (Week 12)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:40:20 -0500

Take it Deep: www.letsgodeep.com www.passitdeep.com Written by Consigliere Chipper Jones Jones will sit out his 3rd straight game due to his quad. He should return soon. Eric Byrnes Byrnes should be back with Arizona very soon and he's had plenty of time on the DL to recover.

Fantasy Impact: New York Yankees

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:57:38 -0500

Everyone always talks about the New York Yankees and their standing in the AL East, but people rarely take an in-depth look at their fantasy value. Screaming Sports' Andrew Thibodeau changes that as he takes a look at a handful of Yankees and examines their fantasy value.