Highlights of Jeter press conference. Jeter angry with the process.

He’s back, he didn’t want to go anywhere or take calls from other teams.

It doesn’t mean he is happy.

Here are highlights from Jeter’s press conference, from the NY Post:

• “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t angry at how this went,” 

• “I’m angry at the process and how I was portrayed,” Jeter said. “I heard about greed and all of a sudden I had an ego and arrogance.”
• The shortstop said he didn’t want to become a free agent and told Close not to take calls from other teams.

 

“I wasn’t negotiating with anybody,” Jeter said. “And salary demands? I’m in no position to make salary demands. I thought it was portrayed incorrectly.”

Jeter also said he wouldn’t be considering retirement anytime soon, despite the fact he’s coming off his worst offensive season, batting .270.

“I have a lot of years left to play as a productive player,” Jeter said. “Criticism is part of the game. I’ve never shied away from that. Yeah, I’m getting older, but so is everyone else in this room. I take it year-to-year. You don’t look to the end of a career when you’re in the middle of a career. I feel I’m in the middle of it. … I’m going to play as long as I’m having fun.”

“The thing that bothered me the most was how public it became,” Jeter said. “It was uncomfortable. I’ve prided myself on keeping things out of the public and I’m not happy about it. I let my feelings known. I never wanted to be free agent.”

Owner Hal Steinbrenner admitted it was not an entirely smooth negotiation.

Cashman also called Jeter “an above-average shortstop,” adding “we didn’t want him to go anywhere.”

Hmm, I wonder how Jeter liked the term “above-average”? Not excellent, not future-Hall of Famer, not All-Star, not best Yankee shortstop ever, but above average. True it may symbolize him now, but you think the other adjectives could have softened the “above average” line.     Hmmm….

In other news, Dave Eiland hired by the Rays to work for them in an executive capacity (per Joel Sherman). 

Update: Looks like Moseley is going to SD.

How high for Lee?

Joel Sherman guesstimates the Yanks going six years and $144-$150M for Lee. There are reports Lee wants 7 years and that one team will go there but that it isn’t the Yanks going to 7 years.

Speculation abounds as to what the Tulowitzki and especially the Werth deal means to the market, and especially to Lee and Crawford.

I always liked Ty Wigginton as a utility guy (1B, 3B, DH, 2B, corner OF) for the Yanks, but he is going to the Rockies. Decent bat, good versatility.

The Marcum from Toronto to Milwaukee deal went through. Melvin Mora signs with AZ and will get some of the playing time that used to belong to Reynolds.

The NY Daily News on Moseley:

…was non-tendered because he was looking for something greater than what New York had offered, and New York didn’t want to go to arbitration.

  

Update, 10:20 a.m. — Buzz is the Nats could be going 7 years and throwing a ton at Lee as they did to Werth?    

Update II, Noon—So what is it? Bold emphasis (from MLBTR) mine to show how one says yes, the other says no…

• There is nothing to Lee and the Nats, tweets Kilgore, and Heyman agrees.  An exec Morosi spoke to insists they are still “on everybody” though.
• Lee’s agent Darek Braunecker described his discussions with the Rangers and Yankees as “positive” and “productive,” talking to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan.
• The Nationals are prepared to offer Lee a seven-year deal, reports Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.  But talking to two Nationals sources, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that such an offer has zero chance of happening.  The contract length is very important to Lee, tweets SI’s Jon Heyman.  There is growing speculation among rival executives and agents that the Nationals will throw a huge number at Lee, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney.
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees have vowed not to exceed six years or the $161MM that they gave Sabathia for Lee. Sherman feels the Yankees will top out at $144MM-$150MM over six years. As GM Brian Cashman said, Sabathia’s presence as an ace makes Lee a “pleasant addition,” but not a necessity.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports discusses how signing Lee could affect Sabathia.

 

Gee, one says nothing to it, another says preparing to offer, another zero chance, another with speculation  ….   So what is the TRUTH? Sheesh.

1 pm: From LoHud:

Meanwhile, the Orlando morning buzz is quickly becoming an afternoon non-story. There are now multiple reports that the Nationals are not in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. In this age of Twitter and 10-minute news cycles, this sort of thing is inevitable. Reporters hear something, and they report it. When it’s shot down, they report that too. This is the nature of the beast.

Mo coming back; while Cubs’ Santo dies at 70.

One down, a couple more to go.

MLB.COM is reporting that Mo is back with the Yanks on a deal worth $30M over two years. It isn’t confirmed yet, and apparently was done overnight.

Mo, with 559 career saves, is 42 behind leader Trevor Hoffman and should pass Hoffman in 2012. Rivera just turned 41 last week. Rivera is 74-55, 2.23 in his career and has another 42 saves in the postseason, where he is 8-1 with an unreal ERA of 0.71. His adjusted ERA+ of 205 (not counting playoffs) is the best all-time. Last year he was 3-3, 1.80 with 33 saves, and another three in the playoffs.

MLB.com also reported that even at 41, Mo drew interest (bold emphasis mine):

The News wrote that Cuza said the parties (Yanks and Mo) were progressing toward a deal and were “a little far apart,” but that the [Yankees] deal materialized, according to the Daily News’ source, when Rivera was offered a three-year deal and more money from another club.

And SI.com reported via Twitter that the mystery team was one of three clubs, including the Red Sox and Angels, that made Rivera three-year offers.

But the Yankees’ offer was good enough for Rivera, 41, who intends to retire in pinstripes.

“He wanted to stay loyal to the Yankees,” the source told the paper.

LoHud also reports on Mo. The deal could be official by the end of today.   

Meanwhile a Cubs’ legend and favorite has passed away. For years, Ron Santo has battled diabetes and heart disease and now cancer has taken his life at the age of 70. Santo already had lost both legs to diabetes. Santo has always been a good HOF candidate and I hope one day that he does get in. He hit 342 HR in his career, all but one with the Cubs (1960-1974). His final year was with the Chisox. Santo’s #10 was retired by the Cubs. His career BA was .277 (in a pitcher’s era; think of the 1960’s with Koufax, Gibson, Drysdale, Marichal, Seaver, Bunning, Short, Perry & more…). From 1961-1971, he rarely missed a game. Santo led the majors in triples (13) in 1964. He led the NL in walks four times, OBP twice. He was a nine-time All-Star. Four times he hit 30 or more HR in a year (1964-1967) and he topped 100 RBI four times as well. He also won five Gold Gloves.

His OPS+ was 125. I firmly believe that you have to judge players by their positions. As such, Santo, primarily a third baseman (he did put in very little time at other positions) was one of the best third basemen ever.

I hope one day he makes the Hall. His 162 g. average year (what he’d average if he played in all 162) was .277-25-96. His HOF monitor is a bit under the average HOFer, 88/100 and 41/50, but he was only 34 when he retired. A few more years of good health, and … ?    

Cervelli for Martin? BBD reports that the Yanks and Dodgers were talking a possible deal.  Good points made over there. Martin had a great 2007 (19 HR, 21 SB) but you wonder about the workload and injury (hip, same as what A-Rod had). He dropped off significantly from 2008 to 2009. I don’t think he’s worth the $5 M he made last year but he would (if healthy) be an upgrade over the offensively-challenged Cervelli (1 MLB HR in 365 AB) (101 OPS+ to Cervelli’s 82) and help to ease in Montero. He has been a 2x All-Star and has a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove. BBD also reports that the Yanks may want Aceves and Moseley back, despite the non-tendering. I happen to be an Aceves fan. He (if healthy) reminds me of Ramiro Mendoza—valuable as a starter, long reliever or short man. Versatile. Not only that, but Ace is 14-1, 3.21 in his MLB career.

Update: One guy that’s been on the Yanks’ radar has moved, but not to the Yanks. Scott Linebrink gets dealt from the White Sox to the Braves. Meanwhile, the White Sox re-sign Pierzynski.

More non-tenders and now free agents include Okajima (fine 2007 but his ERA has gone up each year since; 2.22; 2.61; 3.39 and 4.50; turns 35 Christmas Day). Jack Cust, Willy Aybar, Dioner Navarro, Lance Cormier, John Maine, Wang, Jose Veras, Ryan Church, Lastings Milledge (remember when he was supposed to be the Mets’ great coming?), Martin, Sherrill, Wil Nieves…     

 

Yanks non-tender Aceves, Moseley

Wow. I guess that bike accident pissed the Yanks off.

After missing most of 2010 because of back issues and having the start of 2011 going to be pushed back because of a broken left clavicle suffered in a bike accident this week, Alfredo Aceves was non-tendered by the Yankees. From 10-1, 3.54 in 2009 and a big part of the bullpen to this. I don’t know if he’ll be back with the Yanks, but I like Aceves.

I wonder if there is more to the back or the bike incident.

Dustin Moseley was also non-tendered.

They are now free agents.

Yanks re-sign Mitre, have others to consider; also upping offer on Jeter?

Hmm, more meatballs to be served?

 

The Yanks signed Sergio Mitre (Meat Tray) to a $900K deal which apparently means we see him serve up more meat balls. Last year for the Yanks he was 0-3, 3.33. He did seem to find his proper role, however. As a starter (3 games), 0-2, 5.93. But in relief as a long-reliever/mop-up man, Mitre went 0-1, 2.45. I feel as if that is the best place for him—the ONLY place.

From MLB.com:

Dustin Moseley will have his status examined as Thursday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline to tender contracts for the 2011 season approaches. Late Wednesday, Sergio Mitre agreed to $900,000 deal with the club and could earn an additional $200,000 in incentives, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.

New York must also offer deals to Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Boone Logan by that point. If a player is not tendered a contract, he immediately becomes a free agent and can negotiate with any team.

The question is whether they tender Moseley. You know they will the others (heck, right now Hughes is the #2 starter).

From Mlb.com again:

Finishing 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA in 16 games (nine starts), Moseley recorded all of his decisions in starting efforts. As a reliever, Moseley had a 3.77 ERA over 14 1/3 innings.

Moseley also pitched two scoreless innings of relief in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, earning his first postseason victory when the Yankees stunned the Rangers with a five-run eighth inning to post a 6-5 win.

It appears as if Derek Jeter may be getting a bit of a better offer from the Yankees. The Yanks may want this over and done with so that they can focus on Lee next week (not to mention Rivera and Pettitte). Apparently the sides met for hours on Tuesday and the Yanks may up the $$ but not the years. Maybe from $45M to $50M. The years are a solid sticking point. The Yanks don’t want more than three (at which point Jeter would be 39). It’s interesting to read that MLB is happy with the Yanks’ offer to Jeter—even if Jeter may not be.

Adam Dunn has signed with the White Sox (4 yr, $56M), which leads me to believe that they couldn’t get Paul Konerko back. MLBTR reports that the Orioles have been hot on the trail of Konerko, who had a great year in 2010. (.312-39-111). Konerko will be 35 next year and has 365 MLB HR. That bandbox in Baltimore may be a good fit for him. MLBTR also reports that White Sox GM Kenny Williams confirmed to Joe Cowley (yup, the same i—t who had Jeter so far down on his 2006 MVP ballot) of the Chicago Sun-Times that the team could re-sign Konerko, even after locking up Adam Dunn. I don’t know. I thought Dunn didn’t want to DH, which he most likely would do if Konerko returned (Dunn in the OF? Ugh). I think Konerko is gone. The Cubs are apparently looking at Konerko, too.

Eric Hinske re-signed with the Braves. Takahashi close to an Angels’ deal. Varitek back to Boston (to finish his career?)

Bobby Jenks is now a free agent. Nice addition for the ‘pen to replace Wood? It’d be nice, but he probably still wants to close. I don’t know if the Yanks would kick the tires on the big guy.

ESPN’s new Sunday night broadcast team: Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser and Bobby V. Hey, beats Morgan.

  

ALCS Game 1. Rusty CC is awful. Yanks come back with 5 in 8th to stun Rangers, 6-5.

Feel free to comment as the game goes on.

No jitters for Wilson as he has a 1-2-3 first. CC rusty? He walks the leadoff hitter. Gives up a hit on a 3-1 pitch.  3 run HR by Hamilton… on a 0-2 pitch. Ouch. A long out caught at the wall. Single. Walk. CC doesn’t have anything so far.  Popup. Walk. 35 pitches. A ball and a WP but the ball bounces right back to Posada who throws to CC to nail the runner at the plate. Lucky. 36 pitches that inning for CC. 3 walks. The Yanks are lucky it was only 3 runs.

Moseley should start warming up. Now. Yanks go down 1-2-3 in the 2nd, even though Thames did hit the ball well.

CC better straighten out. It seems like he is not finishing. Everything high and away, and he isn’t close. He gets a 1-2-3, and only on the final batter (a 3-pitch K) did he seem like he got his rhythm. 3-0 Texas after two. 50 pitches for CC.

In the third, with one out, Granderson singles and Gardner walks. Up comes Jeter, who has gone yard JUST ONCE since June 12th. No pop. Hits the ball the other way. Swings at the first stinking pitch. Flies to right-center. Swisher pops up. Opportunity wasted.

CC starts off Hamilton 0-2 and loses him. No command or control. Goes 0-2 on Bad Vlad and the count goes full. I wonder how long Joe sticks with him.  K but a SB. Balk. What else can go wrong? Groundout, runner holds. Groundout. Out of it.

After 3, 3-0 Texas. CC at 67 pitches. Laboring.

With two out in the fourth, Cano and Thames single but Posada lines out. Another chance for a run gone. Alex with two strikeouts. Now 1 for 15 off Wilson.  

CC gives up more in the fourth. A 2-run double for Young. 5-0.

If Texas does win this, how much pressure is on Hughes tomorrow?    

Good point by Sterling. Pull CC now  then bring him back for 4 and 7? Joba is up.

Wild pitch. CC is at 90 pitches. I pull him. He gets a K to get out of the inning but 5-0 Texas after 4.

I pull him. Now. 93 pitches. 4 IP, 5 R, 6 H, 4 walks and 3 K. Pull him in case you need him for Game 4. (Of course, A.J. may then have to be bumped to 5, so I don’t think CC will go in 4 anyway…)

Yanks get nothing in the 5th. Another GIDP by Jeter. His age and declining skills will really be a problem in that contract negotiation.

CC is out. An AWFUL outing. Joba in. Joba hasn’t pitched in a while so you worry about rust. But he DOES need the work. He has a scoreless inning. End of 5, 5-0 Rangers.

Even if the Yanks can’t come all the way back, you’d like the bats to wake up. The Yanks weren’t good against lefties at the end of the year. They DID beat Liriano and Duensing, but now back to …

Give Wilson credit though. Maybe Jeter or Posada could have gotten a big hit to put the Yanks back in the game, but they didn’t (age?).

Yanks down 1-2-3 in the 6th. Bats look dead, and A-Rod now 1-16 off Wilson.   

Moseley in to get some work. A-Rod makes an error, but Moseley is good, a scoreless inning with 2 K.

Someone woke up. Cano HRs. 5-1.

The quintet of Teixeira, A-Rod, Posada, Granderson and Gardner were 1 for 32 off Wilson entering this game. Tonight so far? 1 for 10 (Granderson single). Maybe Cervelli and Kearns (each 3 for 7) would have been better, who knows? But CC was awful and Wilson has been very good. Enough said.

House of Horrors? Should the Yanks lose, it’s five losses in six games at Texas. Such is the price of losing the division and being the wild card. First two games on the road.

Go figure. Moseley 2 IP of relief. 0 R, 0 H and 4 K.

Gardner’s hustle gives him an infield hit in the 8th. Jeter doubles him home. 5-2. In comes Darren Oliver, who has been around as long as the “Core Four.” Oliver lost a playoff game to the Yankees while pitching for Texas back in 1996.

Swisher walks.  Tying run up with Teix. Alex and Cano after him. Yanks need to do it here. Teix walks. Bases loaded and no out.

Oliver out. O’Day in. Tying run on first. Oh, for a grand slam from Alex. Cano on deck.

2-run single! 5-4! 1st and 2nd, no one out and Cano up. Rapada in, a lefty, but Cano does hit lefties well, like Matsui did.

Hit! Tied! and an error puts Alex on 3rd. Huge. A SF can bring in the go-ahead run. The team MVP (Cano) comes through. Holland replaces Rapada. Thames up. Still no out.

SINGLE BY THAMES!! Yanks take the lead! Still no one out. 6-5 Yanks.  

…AND IT ALL STARTED WITH GARDNER’S HUSTLE!

Jorge almost hits a 3-run HR, but it is caught at the wall. Cano tags and goes to third.

Granderson up. A SF and an insurance run would be huge here. Nope. Curtis whiffs. Gardner grounds out. But a 5-run inning gives the Yanks the lead.

Great work by Joba and Moseley to give the Yanks a chance.

In comes Wood. He walks the leadoff man. Sheesh. Wood continues to struggle throwing strikes, but he does pick off Kinsler. Big out. Groundout. K.

You know who for the 9th, but I’d like insurance.

Leadoff double for the Captain. Does Swish bunt? He tries. Foul. He pops up a bunt. Rats. Should they have PH Golson for Swisher there? Maybe Golson bunts better. Golson will probably go to RF for defense next inning anyway. Teix pops it up. Alex swings at the first friggin’ pitch and pops up. 

6-5. Going to the bottom of the 9th.  

Rivera time. Golson in RF for D.

Ugh. Single. … and I remember that two of Mo’s three losses this year came in Texas. My nerves are shot. Andrus lays down a sac bunt—with two strikes. Tying run on second and one out.

Michael Young. A tough at bat. Big strikeout.

Now Josh Hamilton. Mo gets a groundout! Postseason save #42 for #42!

Yanks win 6-5! Heartbreaker for Texas.

Moseley gets the W, with 2 great (and probably will be overlooked?) innings of relief. Mo, of course, the save. 

Huge hustle by Gardner to start things off. 

3 hits, 2 rbi by Cano. 2 hits, GW RBI by Thames. Jeter 2 hits. 

…and maybe the most important stat. The Yankees bullpen. 

5 IP (Joba, Moseley, Wood and Mo). 0 R, 1 H, 2 walks and 6 K.   

Yanks up, 1 game to nothing. For Texas, a very tough one to swallow.

game 162. Yanks lose 8-4, have to settle for Wild Card.

Moseley vs. Lackey. The odds favored Boston.

The 8-4 loss handed the AL East to the Rays. But the Rays did win in extras, 3-2 in 12, so the Yanks would have finished 2nd even with a win.

The 96-66 Rays will face the Rangers in the ALDS, while the 95-67 Yanks take on the Twins.

Moseley gave up a 2-run HR to J.D. Drew in the 1st. Swisher got one back with #29 in the 2nd. A-Rod got his 125th RBI in the 3rd to tie.

But in the 5th, a 2-run HR by Jed Lowrie put Boston up to stay. Lowrie had 2 HR for the day.

5 IP for Moseley, 4 R, 5 H, 2 walks and 3 K. The two two-run HRs. 4-4, 4.96.

Ring may have pitched his way OFF the postseason roster. One batter. A hit, and he came around to score. 15.43. That one hit was a BUNT by Big Fatty. A bunt. Maybe the Yanks should take lessons.

Robertson came in and was awful. 1/3, 2 R, 1 H, 2 walks and a K. End of year ERA 3.82.

Logan for 2/3. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and a K. 2.92. Joba 1 IP. Struck out the side but gave up Lowrie’s 2nd HR. 4.40. Very disappointing for Joba.

Mitre a scoreless inning. 3.33.

2 hits for Jeter today. He ends the year at 2926. 74 from 3000.

Posada ended the year at .248. His lowest BA since he hit .245 in 1999. I think the Yanks have trouble with him in 2011. It’s the last year of his deal, he turns 40 in August and is slipping, offensively and defensively. He should announce that 2011 will be his last year and the Yanks should use him primarily at DH.

So the Yanks have the Twins. Texas have the Rays.

In the NL, the Braves and Giants won. Phils vs. Reds, Braves vs. Giants.

Tough one for the Steelers. Lost in last minute, but 3-1 without Big Ben. I’ll take that.

Nice to see McNab come back, beat the Eagles and have the last laugh (for now).   

            

Game 162. Season finale. Wild Card or Division Champ? Who next?

The Division comes down to the last game. Cano finally gets a little rest, as he is DH-ing.

Yanks 95-66, tied for 1st in AL East with Rays, but Rays have the tiebreaker.
OPS+ 108, ERA+ 107; 2 games worse than Pythagorean record.
If the Yanks get the division, they get the #1 seed, home field until the WS.
If the Yanks get the wild card, no home field at all.

 

Brett Gardner CF .275-5-47-47sb/56 att; OPS+ 104;  most SB by a Yankee since Rickey Henderson’s team record of 93 in 1988.
Derek Jeter SS .269-10-66-18/23; 89     2924 hits. Has gone yard just once since June 12th. 45 pts. below lifetime BA. Leads AL in PA.
Mark Teixeira 1B .258-33-108-0/1; 125 Leads AL in Runs scored.
Alex Rodriguez 3B .270-30-124-4/7; 123   2 RBI behind Miguel Cabrera for MLB lead. 
Robinson Cano DH .320-29-108-3/5; 141
Nick Swisher RF .288-28-88-1/3; 127  30 HR a goal today for Cano, Swish.
Jorge Posada C .250-18-57-3/4; 116   Lowest BA since 1999. What does 2011 hold for a catcher who will be 40 in August, 2011?   
Marcus Thames LF .288-12-33-0/0; 123
Ramiro Pena 2B .232-0-18-7/8; 38      35 hits, just two for extra bases.

Dustin Moseley RHP 4-3. 4.77   ERA+ 91

Thames in LF? At least it isn’t Kearns.  

Catching Yanks as well as some NFL. Enjoy.  

It’s Moseley for Game 162 and possible division title.

In my post earlier today, I was guessing Gaudin as today’s starter. I knew Vazquez wouldn’t go on 3 days rest. I forgot about Moseley.

Moseley it is. A guy who spent most of the year in AAA, a journeyman pitcher who is 4-3, 4.77, ERA+ 91 will be starting the final game of the year to see if the Yanks win the division (Tampa would have to lose and the Yankees win; any other scenario has the Yanks as the wild card). If it were for playoffs or go home, CC would be going, but since the Yanks are in the playoffs no matter what, Moseley goes and CC gets saved for Game 1. Who and where CC will pitch is, obviously, still unknown right now.

Still unknown is the NL seedings. Will the Braves make it? The Padres? Will the Padres and Giants need a playoff for the NL West title? What seed will the Reds be? With all the seedings unknown going into game 162, a wild finish could be forthcoming.

The DH yesterday/earlier today, with both games being one-run extra inning affairs, didn’t help the Yankees as they were trying to get the division title. It’s hard to sweep a DH, and when you have to run through so many pitchers…

…and, another Kearns-bash. Had the guy come through just once with men on last night in Game 2, maybe the Yanks are division champs. … and not just last night. Remember the games the Yanks played in Tampa where Kearns stranded (it seems) half of the civilized world? 102 AB as a Yankee. 38 strikeouts.

Kearns wasn’t alone. The Yanks were 4 for 37 with RISP in the DH. With numbers like that, bunt.

 

           

The Yankees’ pitching dilemma, and Derek’s power dropoff.

From LoHud:

Burnett is 4-13 with a 6.67 ERA since the end of May. He’s won one game since the end of July…

So who do you want as your #4 starter in the postseason? A.J.? Vazquez? (see my previous post about the two biggest reasons it looks as if the Yanks won’t repeat.)Reason #3, hate to say it, could be Derek Jeter, who has hit one out the park just once since 6/12, who is hitting .243 vs. RHP this year, and just .236 on the road. How bad is Jeter’s power dropoff? Let’s check out Baseball Reference:

Jeter 1st half. .274-8-43  SA .392  OPS .732  OBP .340
Jeter 2nd half. .255-2-22 SA .338 OPS .668   OBP .330

Could Jeter’s fade be
reason #3 the Yanks
may not repeat?
(After #1 A.J. and #2 Vazquez?)

Something else from LoHud:

The Yankees have now lost the past eight games against left-handed starters.

Think Liriano or Lee isn’t salivating over that stat?

Back to the pitching.  

A.J. Burnett 10-15, 5.33 ERA + around 81. Three more years of this?
Ivan Nova 1-1, 4.54. ERA+ 96. Just 7 MLB starts so far, just 39 2/3 innings. No problems when no one is on, but when he goes from the stretch, trouble.
Javy Vazquez 10-9, 5.07 ERA+ 85. Pulled from the rotation. Has pitched 4 innings since 9/10. Playing out the string on Yankees career. Definitely gone at the end of the year.
Dustin Moseley 4-3, 4.77 ERA+ 91.

So, which one of these four do you trust as your #4 starter in the postseason?

How bad have Vazquez and Burnett been? Let’s compare them to starters in the latest Yankees “Dark Ages” era. 1989-1992.

1989: Andy Hawkins 15-15, 4.80 ERA+ 81; Dave Lapoint 6-9, 5.62 (69); Clay Parker 4-5, 3.68 (105); Greg “Life is a” Cadaret 5-5, 4.58 (84) and Walt Terrible Terrell, 6-5, 5.20 as a Yankee that year (74). Burnett similar to Hawkins. Both worse than Clay Parker, of all people. Vazquez similar to Cadaret.

1990:  Tim Leary 9-19, 4.11 (97; Leary, bad as he was, pitched better in 1990 than what we are seeing from AJ or Javy this year!); Hawkins 5-12, 5.37 (75); LaPoint 7-10, 4.11 (97; see Leary above!); Chuck Cary 6-12, 4.19 (95; Chuck Cary?!); Mike Witt 5-6, 4.47 (90); Look at the ERA +s. This last place team had Leary, LaPoint, Cary and Witt all with ERA+ numbers better than that given by Vazquez or Burnett this year. Pathetic.    

1991: Scott Sanderson 16-10, 3.81 (109); Jeff Johnson 6-11, 5.95 (70); Leary 4-10, 6.49 (64); Wade Taylor 7-12, 6.27 (66); Pascual Perez 2-4, 3.18 (131) and Dave Eiland (yup! our current pitching coach) 2-5, 5.33 (78). I hope never to see a rotation with a trio as bad as Leary, Taylor and Johnson were that year.

1992: Melido Perez 13-16, 2.87 (138); Sanderson 12-11, 4.93 (80); Scott Kamieniecki 6-14, 4.36 (91), Leary 5-6, 5.57 (71); Burnett similar to Sanderson.

A.J. and Vazquez are as bad, or worse, than some members of those terrible teams from 1989-1992. Worse than some members of the last-place 1990 team!

…Really, who do you trust among AJ, Vaz, Nova and Moseley to be your #4 starter? Girardi may be forced to start Nova…on an extremely short leash, and be ready to mix and match as early as the 4th or 5th inning with (God Forbid!) Gaudin, Moseley, Mitre, Logan for 3 innings before getting the ball to Robertson, Joba, Wood and Mo.

After all, 4 2/3, 3 R from Nova would be better than the 2 1/3, 7 R that A.J. gave last night.  

Not the recipe for success.

A new season starts next week. If A.J. is the #4 (will Vazquez even be on the roster?) he obviously needs to step it up.

Will he? Can he?  

…and a return to form by the Captain wouldn’t hurt either.