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The Flip Side of Surprise Is Disappointment

Andrew JohnsonPosted Aug 30th 2008 8:20PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Braves, Indians, Mariners, Padres, Rockies, Tigers, Yankees


If you're a baseball fan who likes surprises, then the 2008 season has been a special treat. The Rays are the most notable team that has exceeded expectations, but the Twins, White Sox and Marlins are also surprise contenders.

Of course, those pleasant surprises have come at the expense of several clubs expected to be much better this season. Whether because of a big free-agent signing last winter, a deep October run last season or the (hint, hint) crushing burden of a massive payroll, the baseball landscape is littered with flops as August comes to a close.

The following is a countdown of the seven most disappointing teams this season.

7. Padres: Mired in last place in the abysmal NL West, it's easy to forget that this team won 89 games last year and was a (phantom?) Matt Holliday slide away from a playoff spot. Even when they were winning division titles, the Padres operated on a thin margin. Injuries and underperformance are at the root of their struggles.

Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff and Brian Giles are the only offensive regulars who have played more than 100 games. Ace Jake Peavy spent a month on the disabled list, while No. 2 starter Chris Young has made only 13 starts. Veteran closer Trevor Hoffman has also been extremely shaky.
Continue Reading The Flip Side of Surprise Is Disappointment

Yankees Demote Melky Cabrera and Waive Richie Sexson: Is This a White Flag?

MulletPosted Aug 15th 2008 4:20PM by Mullet (author feed)
Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Transactions

Nine and a half games in back of the A.L. East leader and six and a half games out of the wild card spot is a very un-Yankee like place to be. And it's making the Yankees do some very un-Yankee like things.

Consider today's Yankee moves, where they demoted Melky Cabrera and waived Richie Sexson (I assume to give him his release). This comes on the heels of Hank Steinbrenner basically giving up on 2008 to focus on 2009, so getting rid of these two for callups Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom kinda fits that line of thinking.

But this is the New York Yankees we're talking about ... they never do things like this. And certainly they've proven lately that every time the baseball world buries the Yankees, they rise from the beyond and make everybody eat their words. Releasing Sexson and ... more telling ... sending a guy who's been up in the majors for two and a half seasons back down to the minors can be construed as a message to the rest of the roster to say "Hey, nobody's giving up ... and if you don't believe that, you'll be in the minors along with Melky."

But I'm not going to pretend to know what anybody in the Yankees' hierarchy is thinking, least of all Hank. Because at the end of the day with this team being where it is, any message that is being or isn't being sent isn't going to bring Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, or Jorge Posada off the DL. It may pick up some of the performances of the players on the roster, but how much? So while the season certainly is long from over, today's moves is an admission that the reaper grows closer.

Rumor Mill Roundup: July 23

Andrew JohnsonPosted Jul 23rd 2008 9:00PM by Andrew Johnson (author feed)
Filed under: Athletics, Padres, Pirates, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Yankees, MLB Rumors

With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.

- So what are those pesky Yankees up to anyway? First things first: they are absolutely in the AL East race, just three games behind the Red Sox and 3 1/2 behind division-leading Tampa Bay. They've also got clear needs -- namely pitching depth and offensive help, either at catcher, now that Jorge Posada's season is in doubt, or at one of the corners.


New York's top brass will meet tomorrow in Tampa to discuss what, if any, moves they should make before the deadline, but indications are that the team is willing to deal prospects and make a run. The name with the most heat is Mariners left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who wouldn't be a flashy pickup, but would give the Yankees a reliable innings-eater to put at the back of their rotation. He'd certainly be an upgrade over Darrell Rasner or Sidney Ponson. Seattle is not impressed with center fielder Melky Cabrera, but has been scouting New York's Double-A affiliate Trenton. That's where the Yankees' top hitting prospect, Austin Jackson, has been playing all year.

- Concerns about Huston Street's performance and stuff don't seem to be scaring off teams. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Reds have shown some interest in the Oakland closer. Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty certainly can't consider his team a contender, but there is reason to think it can make a run as soon as next season, and Street isn't eligible to be a free agent for another three years. He also has two players with uncertain futures -- Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. Dunn is the type of player you'd figure A's GM Billy Beane would covet, but he might have to send more than Street to land the slugger.
Continue Reading Rumor Mill Roundup: July 23

Melky Cabrera Can't Wave and Field at the Same Time

Eamonn BrennanPosted Jul 23rd 2008 2:50PM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Video



At Yankee Stadium -- maybe you've heard of it? -- the Bleacher Creatures have a tradition. (They probably have many traditions; this is merely one of them.) They chant each player's name in the first inning, and that player turns and waves, thanking the fans for their tireless support. Guh Yahankeeees! And so on.

Last night, an inopportune liner was hit at Melky Cabrera, and he couldn't decided whether to field the ball or wave at the Creatures. As the above video shows, he chose ... poorly.

(HT: Rob Neyer)

The Dugout: The Inevitable A-Rod/Madonna One

BPosted Jul 6th 2008 3:33PM by B (author feed)
Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip, The Dugout

This is the best and the worst time of year for Dugouts. The trade deadline looms and we'll get a chance to cover a lot of teams we don't normally cover. At the same time, the newsmakers of baseball start making news, and most of the time that involves a steady stream of unbelievable stories from the Yankees and the Red Sox. I want to do more Pirates Dugouts, but nobody in Pittsburgh just had their marriage broken up by a random assemblance of pop musicians. Nobody from the Pirates ran up a wall and high-fived a guy.

We've been sitting on this for a few days, waiting for the logical "oh THIS is what really happened" to come along. It just... isn't coming along. So today we attempt to handle this from an educated, even-handed perspective.

Today's Dugout, which should've just been about the Royals again, is after the jump.
Continue Reading The Dugout: The Inevitable A-Rod/Madonna One

Duncan, Melky, and Gomes Suspended for Wednesday's Brouhaha

Yankees ChickPosted Mar 14th 2008 3:45PM by Yankees Chick (author feed)
Filed under: New York, Yankees, Rays, AL East, Tampa Bay

The Yankees and Red Sox have been rivals for ... forever .. but after Saturday's home plate collision incident and the subsequent "retaliation" pulled by Shelley Duncan on Wednesday, it appears that the Yankees have cultivated a rivalry with another AL East team -- the Rays.

If you recall, Saturday''s game featured a rough collision at home plate by Elliott Johnson that broke Yankee catching prospect Francisco Cervelli, and on Wednesday slid cleat-first into Rays' second baseman Akinori Iwamura. The benches cleared, five players were ejected, and now the three players that were most integral in the action have been suspended. Obviously, Shelley "Spirit Coordinator" Duncan was one of the three; he will miss the first three games of the season, as will Melky Cabrera. Jonny Gomes will only miss two for his tackle job. They'll also all be paying fines, but I'm not sure how much they'll be ponying up

It's no surprise that those guys were penalized. I, for one, think they absolutely deserved it. It seemed very obvious that Duncan's wacko slide was intentional, and I don't think it was appropriate to pull that move, particularly in Spring Training. If this was a late September game that the Yankees had to win in order to get closer to a playoff spot and were down by a couple runs, maybe I would feel differently. Is that fair of me? Probably not ... but I have a feeling a lot of fans feel similarly. Am I right? Comment away!

Bill Smith Simply Waited Too Long

Matt WatsonPosted Jan 30th 2008 2:35PM by Matt Watson (author feed)
Filed under: Boston, Minnesota, New York, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, MLB Rumors

Johan SantanaSo just how exactly does a GM bungle the most anticipated trade of the winter? Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record explains:
Twins' general manager Bill Smith, in a panic to move Johan Santana, called the Yankees and admitted surrender: Phil Hughes was no longer a prerequisite, he said. Instead, the Twins asked for Ian Kennedy, Melky Cabrera and a top prospect. Would the Yankees still be interested, Smith wondered?

The Yankees considered the idea, but only briefly and not seriously. Their passion for Santana started waning as far back as December, when Andy Pettitte announced he was returning to the Bronx. The Yankees' internal straw vote was unanimous: The Twins had waited too long. On Tuesday Yankees' GM Brian Cashman told Smith he was passing on the deal, prompting the Twins to call the Red Sox. Equally devastating news awaited. Both Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester were unavailable.
The rest is history. When Smith came to the Mets asking for Fernando Martinez, GM Omar Minaya didn't blink and refused to give in, instead holding fast on an offer comprised mostly of good-but-not-great pitching prospects. With Santana forcing Smith's hand to do something, he had to pull the trigger, even if it was for the least impressive package of players mentioned all winter.

What's interesting to me is that the Mariners were never mentioned as a serious contender, despite their claims to have put the best deal on the table. Of course, this is probably because they're still neck-deep in negotiations for Erik Bedard (and may be holding onto damaged goods with key negotiating chip Adam Jones), but given the pace those talks have gone, you would have thought they'd at least stay in the loop.

Twins Lower Demands for Johan Santana?

Josh AlperPosted Jan 7th 2008 12:45PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, Mets, MLB Rumors, The Word

Now that baseball is back from its holiday break, the Hot Stove is back in business which means that it's time to check in on the Johan Santana discussions. There was a report over the weekend that Hank Steinbrenner, he of the deadline on a trade, said he's leaning toward pulling the trigger and that he, not Brian Cashman, has final say on such matters.

In and of itself, that's not earth-shattering news. But taken with his earlier comments when the new Boss appeared fine with a hefty contract extension and LaVelle E. Neal's article from this weekend's Minneapolis Star-Tribune, it does seem like Santana could be pinstripe-bound. The Twins have reportedly relinquished their demand that the Bombers include Ian Kennedy in their package and expressed a willingness to accept other players along with Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera. One would likely be minor-league hurler Jeff Marquez and, according to Neal, the other could be Kei Igawa.

On the surface, that seems outlandish. Igawa was terrible in New York this season and won't ever be more than a back of the rotation starter. He has four years at $4 million per left on his deal which you'd think would make the Twins leery of him but may actually help foster a deal. The Yankees have expressed a desire to slice some payroll if they add Santana's salary and moving Igawa would be a way to make that happen.
Continue Reading Twins Lower Demands for Johan Santana?

Yankees in the Lead for Johan Santana (So Say the Yankees)

MulletPosted Jan 3rd 2008 1:55PM by Mullet (author feed)
Filed under: Minnesota, New York, Yankees, Twins, AL East, AL Central, MLB Rumors

It's been a while since we heard anything Johan Santana related, hasn't it? It's been what, a whole week? In Santana-time, that's a lifetime. There's been so many Johan updates this off-season that I imagine that a lot of baseball fans just want to be woken up when he's traded or he signs an extension. Well not so fast. Because the horse race is ever changing in the Santana landscape, and today emerges a clear leader for his services: The New York Yankees.

They can pay the most money, and can offer the best prospects. While the first part of that is probably indisputable, that last part is a matter of opinion. And the opinion that puts the Yankees in the lead doesn't exactly come from a neutral party.
After what he described as a "slow holiday season" for baseball business, Hank Steinbrenner is returning to his office Thursday to begin working on "a final decision" regarding a trade for Johan Santana. And he believes the Yankees have made the top offer for the Minnesota ace.

"I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one," Steinbrenner said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "I feel confident they're not going to trade him before checking with us one last time and I think they think we've already made the best offer." (...)

Steinbrenner would not divulge the Yanks' offer, but multiple reports have pegged it as (Phil) Hughes, outfielder Melky Cabrera, pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and another prospect. Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, probably would require a huge extension with his potential new team to waive his no-trade clause. Some reports have said it could be as much as six years for $120 million.
Is that enough prospects to get him? Is six years enough to get him to sign on the dotted line? Is Hank Steinbrenner just being Hank Steinbrenner? Don't worry, we'll wake you when something happens.

Yankees Stopped Pursuing Johan Santana Because of Money

Josh AlperPosted Dec 5th 2007 1:30PM by Josh Alper (author feed)
Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Rumors

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought yesterday's blockbuster deal that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit might force the Yankees to reenter the bidding for Johan Santana. After all, only three of the Sox, Yanks, Tigers and Indians can make the playoffs, and the stakes got a whole lot higher with that trade. Today's New York Daily News, though, suggests that won't happen, though, because Brian Cashman doesn't want it to happen.

The paper reports that the Yankees backed away from a deal that would have sent Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera and two lesser prospects to Minnesota. The reason will probably be surprising to longtime watchers of the Pinstriped payroll.
In the end, Cashman prevailed, convincing Hank and Hal Steinbrenner of something he could never have done with their dad - that trading for Johan Santana was simply too expensive for the New York Yankees.

The Yankees have added $400 million to the ledger by resigning Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez. Santana would push that number well over $500 million and the annual tally close to $200 million. So its not like Cashman is crying over a nickel here or there.
Continue Reading Yankees Stopped Pursuing Johan Santana Because of Money
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