We all remember the days when the Yankee farm system was a complete joke. The Yankees always drafted badly and when they did have a good prospect, they traded him for a veteran. But, the Yankee farm system has turned around the last few years, starting with Phil Hughes being drafted in 2004. Let's look at the Yankee 1st round picks since 2000 to see if the Yankees have improved, at least in terms of their first round picks.
In 2000, the Yankees drafted catcher David Parrish with the 28th pick in the draft. The Yankees also drafted him in the 10th round in 1997, but he didn't sign. Parrish had the potential to be a great defensive catcher. He threw out 30% of attempted base stealers his first 3 years in the minors. But, he made too many errors behind the plate, and never hit above .253 any of his years in the minors for the Yankees. He ended being a journeyman minor leaguer who never made the majors. Grade: F
With the 23rd pick in 2001, the Yankees selected Florida State outfielder John-Ford Griffin (no, his name is not a typo). At Short Season-A Staten Island in '01, he had a great season, hitting .311 with 17 doubles, 5 homers, 43 RBI, 10 SB, and a .413 OBP in 66 games. But, he was lost in the outfield, posting a .943 Fld%. In '02, he hit .267 with 16 doubles, 3 homers, 31 RBI, and a .344 OBP in 65 games for High-A Tampa before being promoted to Double-A Norwich. He hit .328 for Norwich with 3 doubles, 5 homers, 10 RBI, and a .400 OBP in 18 games. With his trade value at its absolute highest, the Yankees traded him to the A's as part of the blockbuster 3-team deal that sent Ted Lilly to Oakland, Carlos Pena to Detroit, Jeff Weaver to the Yankees, and Jeremy Bonderman to the Tigers. After hitting just .143 in 2 games for Double-A Midland, Oakland traded him to the Blue Jays for a player to be named (Jason Perry). He never hit .280 in any of his years in the Toronto, but he hit 13 homers in '03, 22 homers in '04, and 30 homers in '05. He made his major league debut in '05 for Toronto, hitting .308 with 1 homer and 6 RBI in 7 games. He also played in the majors for Toronto in '07, hitting .300 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in 6 games. Griffin played in the minors for the Dodgers and Cubs to finish off his career. He was pretty much a journeyman minor leaguer who had a couple of "cups of coffee" in the big leagues. But, he did have a role in the Jeff Weaver trade. Grade: D+
The Yankees had no 1st round pick in '02. In the 2nd round, they drafted RHP Brandon Weeden. He went 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 30 K's 7 starts, 4 relief appearances, and 34.2 IP in '02 for the Rookie ball Gulf Coast League Yankees. In '03, he went 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 31 K's in 9 starts and 3 relief appearances for the Rookie ball Gulf Coast League Yankees and the Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees. He was promptly traded to the Dodgers in the Kevin Brown deal. After posting ERA's of 5.39 and 5.70 at Low-A Columbus for LA, he was a Rule 5 draft pick (Triple-A portion) by the Royals and he posted a 6.03 ERA for them. Weeden went back to school, going to Oklahoma State University. He is now in position to be their starting quarterback this upcoming season, after starting QB Zac Robinson was drafted by the New England Patriots. Weeden did pretty well in the low levels of the minors for the Yankees and served a role in the Brown trade before completely falling apart. Grade: C-
There was a point when it seemed that 2003 first round pick Eric Duncan was going to be a star. Duncan, a 3rd baseman and the 27th overall pick in the '03 draft, hit .301 between the GCL and Staten Island Yanks in '03, with 17 doubles, 4 homers, 41 RBI, 6 triples, and a .364 OBP in 61 games. He then took his power up a notch in '04 between Low-A Battle Creek and High-A Tampa, hitting just .258, but with 43 doubles, 16 homers, 83 RBI, 75 runs, and a .357 OBP in 129 games. Duncan never hit that well again, and was stuck behind some guy named Alex Rodriguez at 3rd base. He was moved to 1st base in '06, but never hit well enough to be called up when Jason Giambi was injured. Duncan is hitting .285 right now as a Double-A utilityman for the Braves, but with just 4 homers. Duncan started off strong, but just completely fell apart. Grade: D
In 2004, the change started. The Yankees drafted some guy named Phil Hughes with the 23rd pick in the draft, who is 11-3 with a 3.99 ERA for the Yankees so far in '10. He struggled in '08 to the tune of a 6.62 ERA, but got back on track in '09 as a reliever and now is a pretty good starter. Grade: A
2005 first rounder (17th overall) C.J. Henry, a SS, never hit over .250 any year in the minors, although he was part of the Bobby Abreu trade. He is now a guard on the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. At least he was part of that trade. Grade: D+
In 2006, the Yankees drafted RHP Ian Kennedy with the 21st overall pick in the draft. Kennedy never had an ERA over 2.22 any year in the minors, but he posted a 6.03 ERA for the Yankees, including an 8.17 ERA in '08. He was part of the Curtis Granderson. Kennedy was a decent pick, but he certainly didn't live up to expectations. Grade: B
In 2007, the Yankees drafted RHP Andrew Brackman with the 30th overall pick. He immediately had Tommy John surgery after he was drafted, and didn't make his minor league debut until 2009. He went 2-12 with a 5.91 ERA in '09, but he has rebounded from a terrible start in '10 (13.50 ERA after 2 starts) to post a 4.94 ERA between High-A and Double-A. He still has a shot to make an impact in the future for the Yankees. Grade: B
In 2008, the Yankees drafted high school RHP Gerrit Cole. Cole didn't sign, and went to UCLA. After going 11-4 with a 3.37 ERA in '09 for the Bruins, he could be the number 1 pick in the 2011 MLB draft. The Yanks picked a great talent, but this was a terrible pick because they couldn't sign him. Grade: F+ (the plus is for effort)
In 2009, the Yankees drafted 5-tool OF Slade Heathcott with the 29th overall pick in the draft. He is hitting .277 with 5 doubles, 1 homer, 13 RBI, 8 SB, 19 runs, and a .351 OBP in 34 games. He hasn't done very well so far, but its hard to tell how good a player is through 37 pro games. At least he's stealing bases. Grade: ?
In 2010, the Yankees drafted high school SS Cito Culver with the 30th overall pick in the draft. Culver is the heir-apparent to Derek Jeter. After signing quickly, he is hitting .237 for the Rookie ball GCL Yankees with 3 doubles, 0 homers, 6 RBI, 1 triple, 1 SB, 8 runs, and a .310 OBP in 21 games. Definitely too early to tell for him. Grade: ?
The Yankees have improved in terms of drafting their first round picks. Their top picks from 2000-2003 were complete disaster, while 3 out of their 5 1st round picks from 2004-2008 were at least decent picks, and Cole would have been a great pick if they signed him. Their 1st rounders in 2009 and 2010 both have potential.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Do the Yankees need to trade for another bullpen arm?
The Yankee bullpen was a big strength for the team in 2009. No reliever who appeared in 40 or more game posted an ERA over 4.50. It has certainly been a different story in '10. Excluding Mariano Rivera, who has a miniscule 1.05 ERA, no Yankee reliever who has appeared in 13 or more games has posted an ERA under 4.08. Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Chan Ho Park have posted 5.79, 5.48, and 6.18 ERA's respectively. What's going on with the Yankee bullpen? Let's go through the stats of each current member of the bullpen individually.
Rivera has gone 2-1 with a 1.05 ERA, 20 saves, and 33 K's in 34 relief appearances and 34.1 IP. He has given up just 16 hits on the year for a tiny 4.2 H/9 ratio. That's less than 1 hit every 2 innings! He has walked just 6 batters on the year, or 1.6 per 9 innings. He has struck out 8.7 batters per 9 inning. Also, Rivera has given up just 1 homer all year, the grand slam to Kubel. He has been amazing and nearly untouchable.
Joba has gone 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA, 18 holds, 2 saves, and 40 K's in 39 relief appearances and 37.1 IP. He has a great 9.6 K/9 and a decent 3.4 BB/9, but what's been bad for Joba has been the amount of hits he has given up. He has given up 42 hits, more than a hit per inning, for a 10.1 H/9 ratio. It's all about the amount of hits given up. He's has struck out more than enough batters, and walked few enough batters, but he's just given up too many hits. More problems with Joba include a .293 BA against him by righties compared to a .269 BA by lefties, and allowing batters to hit .348 against him with runners in scoring position. But, all hope is not lost for Joba. He has been incredibly unlucky. Batters are hitting a ridiculous .370 on balls in play against him. That's .70 over the MLB average! Batters are even hitting .333 against him on ground balls! Hopefully that will turn around soon and Joba will end the year with a repectable 4.00 ERA. But, can Joe Girardi wait for Joba's luck to change? Joba has a critical role in the bridge to Rivera as the setup man. Should the Yankees acquire another reliever to be setup man? I think yes. The Yankees should acquire a player such as Octavio Dotel that can step into the setup role so Joba can straighten himself out in situation with less pressure. Then, when Joba does straighten himself out, he can move back into the setup role, while that acquired reliever remains an important part of the bullpen assuming he does well. Joba hasn't been good so far, but he's had bad luck on balls in play and his luck will eventually turn around.
Robertson has gone 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA, 6 holds, and 32 K's in 31 relief appearances and 29.2 IP. He has posted a great 9.7 K/9, but a below-average 5.2 BB/9. Also, just like Joba, he has given up 36 hits for a bad 10.9 H/9. Robertson has just allowed too many base runners. He has allowed nearly 2 base runners per inning. He has also allowed a .316 BAA against righties and a .283 BAA against lefties. Robertson has been even more unlucky than Joba, allowing an improbable .398 BA on balls in play. He has allowed a crazy .343 BAA on ground balls, a .357 BAA on fly balls, and even a .500 BA on bunts But, despite the extra base runners, Robertson has a better ERA than Joba. He has allowed a better .303 BA with runners in scoring position. I think Robertson will also straighten things out by season's end. With better luck, he could have had a 3.50 ERA or better. An acquired reliever would allow Robertson to appear in some situations with less pressure. Just like Joba, Robertson has had terrible luck that has led to his bad performance, and his luck will eventually turn around.
Chan Ho Park has gone 1-1 with a 6.18 ERA, a terrible 0 holds, and 22 K's in 21 relief appearances and 27.2 IP. He struck out a decent 7.2 batters per 9 innings, and posted a great 2.3 BB/9 ratio. But, the continued theme is too many hits allowed per9 innings. Park has allowed a completely terrible 11.1 H/9 ratio. Park has been a bit unlucky, allowing a .326 BAA on balls in play, but the real reason he has a 6.18 ERA is because he has allowed 2.0 homers per 9 innings. That's more homers than Rivera, Chamberlain, and Robertson have allowed per 9 innings COMBINED. He has just been terrible. I don't think there's anything the Yankees can do with him. They should designate him for assigment.
Damaso Marte has gone 0-0 with a 4.08 ERA, 9 holds, and 12 K's in 30 relief appearances and 17.2 IP. He has struck out 6.1 batters per 9 innings, but walked a bad 5.6 per 9 innings. He has allowed only 5.1 hits per 9 innings, so he has been hard to hit. Unlike Joba, Robertson, and Park, he has been incredibly lucky. Batters have hit just .161 against him on balls in play. He has a 4.08 ERA because of his 5.6 BB/9 and because he has allowed exactly 1 homer per 9 innings. He has been pretty good.
With Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre hurt, and Boone Logan and others sent down to the minors, the only other active Yankee reliever is Dustin Moseley. He has gone 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 2 games. I hope he can keep that kind of ERA going.
So, the Yankees do need another reliever. Joba and Robertson are still waiting for their luck to change, and Park is just a complete disaster. Another reliever could help every reliever in the bullpen be comfortable, and play well.
Rivera has gone 2-1 with a 1.05 ERA, 20 saves, and 33 K's in 34 relief appearances and 34.1 IP. He has given up just 16 hits on the year for a tiny 4.2 H/9 ratio. That's less than 1 hit every 2 innings! He has walked just 6 batters on the year, or 1.6 per 9 innings. He has struck out 8.7 batters per 9 inning. Also, Rivera has given up just 1 homer all year, the grand slam to Kubel. He has been amazing and nearly untouchable.
Joba has gone 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA, 18 holds, 2 saves, and 40 K's in 39 relief appearances and 37.1 IP. He has a great 9.6 K/9 and a decent 3.4 BB/9, but what's been bad for Joba has been the amount of hits he has given up. He has given up 42 hits, more than a hit per inning, for a 10.1 H/9 ratio. It's all about the amount of hits given up. He's has struck out more than enough batters, and walked few enough batters, but he's just given up too many hits. More problems with Joba include a .293 BA against him by righties compared to a .269 BA by lefties, and allowing batters to hit .348 against him with runners in scoring position. But, all hope is not lost for Joba. He has been incredibly unlucky. Batters are hitting a ridiculous .370 on balls in play against him. That's .70 over the MLB average! Batters are even hitting .333 against him on ground balls! Hopefully that will turn around soon and Joba will end the year with a repectable 4.00 ERA. But, can Joe Girardi wait for Joba's luck to change? Joba has a critical role in the bridge to Rivera as the setup man. Should the Yankees acquire another reliever to be setup man? I think yes. The Yankees should acquire a player such as Octavio Dotel that can step into the setup role so Joba can straighten himself out in situation with less pressure. Then, when Joba does straighten himself out, he can move back into the setup role, while that acquired reliever remains an important part of the bullpen assuming he does well. Joba hasn't been good so far, but he's had bad luck on balls in play and his luck will eventually turn around.
Robertson has gone 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA, 6 holds, and 32 K's in 31 relief appearances and 29.2 IP. He has posted a great 9.7 K/9, but a below-average 5.2 BB/9. Also, just like Joba, he has given up 36 hits for a bad 10.9 H/9. Robertson has just allowed too many base runners. He has allowed nearly 2 base runners per inning. He has also allowed a .316 BAA against righties and a .283 BAA against lefties. Robertson has been even more unlucky than Joba, allowing an improbable .398 BA on balls in play. He has allowed a crazy .343 BAA on ground balls, a .357 BAA on fly balls, and even a .500 BA on bunts But, despite the extra base runners, Robertson has a better ERA than Joba. He has allowed a better .303 BA with runners in scoring position. I think Robertson will also straighten things out by season's end. With better luck, he could have had a 3.50 ERA or better. An acquired reliever would allow Robertson to appear in some situations with less pressure. Just like Joba, Robertson has had terrible luck that has led to his bad performance, and his luck will eventually turn around.
Chan Ho Park has gone 1-1 with a 6.18 ERA, a terrible 0 holds, and 22 K's in 21 relief appearances and 27.2 IP. He struck out a decent 7.2 batters per 9 innings, and posted a great 2.3 BB/9 ratio. But, the continued theme is too many hits allowed per9 innings. Park has allowed a completely terrible 11.1 H/9 ratio. Park has been a bit unlucky, allowing a .326 BAA on balls in play, but the real reason he has a 6.18 ERA is because he has allowed 2.0 homers per 9 innings. That's more homers than Rivera, Chamberlain, and Robertson have allowed per 9 innings COMBINED. He has just been terrible. I don't think there's anything the Yankees can do with him. They should designate him for assigment.
Damaso Marte has gone 0-0 with a 4.08 ERA, 9 holds, and 12 K's in 30 relief appearances and 17.2 IP. He has struck out 6.1 batters per 9 innings, but walked a bad 5.6 per 9 innings. He has allowed only 5.1 hits per 9 innings, so he has been hard to hit. Unlike Joba, Robertson, and Park, he has been incredibly lucky. Batters have hit just .161 against him on balls in play. He has a 4.08 ERA because of his 5.6 BB/9 and because he has allowed exactly 1 homer per 9 innings. He has been pretty good.
With Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre hurt, and Boone Logan and others sent down to the minors, the only other active Yankee reliever is Dustin Moseley. He has gone 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 2 games. I hope he can keep that kind of ERA going.
So, the Yankees do need another reliever. Joba and Robertson are still waiting for their luck to change, and Park is just a complete disaster. Another reliever could help every reliever in the bullpen be comfortable, and play well.
Setup men don't belong in the All-Star Game
Setup men have never been in the All-Star game before, and they should never be again. Hong-Chih Kuo made an ugly error and gave up a sac fly to Cano, while Matt Thornton gave up a walk and the 3-run double by Brian McCann that won the game for the NL. It was a complete disaster. All the runs in the game were scored when setup men were on the mound! Just put in more closers or starters!
Is it time for Montero in the Bronx?
The Yankees bench has seemed a bit short this season. Outside of Marcus Thames, the Yankees never have a good hitter to come off the bench. Should the Yankees call up top prospect Jesus Montero? He has been known as a great hitter, and can also be the 3rd catcher on the team. There have been times where the Yankees have pinch-hit for Cervelli with Posada on days that Posada initially got the day off, but they couldn't pinch-run for Posada because he was the last catcher left on the roster. Right now, Ramiro Pena is the 3rd catcher, and he has never played a single professional game at catcher in his life. Would it help to have Montero on the roster? Yes, certainly. But, should he be called up right after the All-Star Break?
Jesus Montero, the top prospect in the Yankees organization according to Baseball America, undoubtedly has the potential to b e a great hitter. In '08 with Low-A Charleston, Montero hit .326 with 34 doubles, 17 homers, 87 RBI, and a .376 OBP in 132 games. In '09, he hit .337 with 25 doubles, 17 homers, 70 RBI, and a .389 OBP between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. But, Montero hasn't done anywhere near as well at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, hitting just .252 with 19 doubles, 7 homers, 37 RBI, and a .328 OBP in 79 games. Why promote a .252 hitter to the majors? None of the players promoted by the Yankees to the majors this year who didn't make the team out of spring training have hit under .271 in the minors this season. But, Montero will definitely hit at some point and he'll have to adjust to the majors just like he's been adjusting to Triple-A. He's certainly a better hitter than Ramiro Pena or Kevin Russo. Do the Yankees really need two utility infielders? He has even done pretty well defensively this year, posting a .992 Fld% and a 21% CS% despite not being known as a good defensive catcher! Still, the Yankees will not promote Montero until September at the earliest. He is used to being an everyday player in the minors. But, that stop the Yankees from calling up Curtis, Huffman, Russo, and all these other guys! Well, Montero is a different case. He has no versatility. All he can do is catch and DH. In contrast, Curtis and Huffman play right field and left field, and Russo plays 2nd base, 3rd base, SS, and left field. But, the Yankees still called up Juan Miranda who only plays 1st base and DH! But, that was a different situation, as not only Nick Johnson was hurt, as he is now, but also Curtis Granderson was hurt. The Yankees don't have an open roster spot because of an injury that would allow them to call up Montero without sending someone down. An injury could change things, but at this point, it doesn't make any sense for the Yankees to call up Jesus Montero.
Jesus Montero, the top prospect in the Yankees organization according to Baseball America, undoubtedly has the potential to b e a great hitter. In '08 with Low-A Charleston, Montero hit .326 with 34 doubles, 17 homers, 87 RBI, and a .376 OBP in 132 games. In '09, he hit .337 with 25 doubles, 17 homers, 70 RBI, and a .389 OBP between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. But, Montero hasn't done anywhere near as well at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, hitting just .252 with 19 doubles, 7 homers, 37 RBI, and a .328 OBP in 79 games. Why promote a .252 hitter to the majors? None of the players promoted by the Yankees to the majors this year who didn't make the team out of spring training have hit under .271 in the minors this season. But, Montero will definitely hit at some point and he'll have to adjust to the majors just like he's been adjusting to Triple-A. He's certainly a better hitter than Ramiro Pena or Kevin Russo. Do the Yankees really need two utility infielders? He has even done pretty well defensively this year, posting a .992 Fld% and a 21% CS% despite not being known as a good defensive catcher! Still, the Yankees will not promote Montero until September at the earliest. He is used to being an everyday player in the minors. But, that stop the Yankees from calling up Curtis, Huffman, Russo, and all these other guys! Well, Montero is a different case. He has no versatility. All he can do is catch and DH. In contrast, Curtis and Huffman play right field and left field, and Russo plays 2nd base, 3rd base, SS, and left field. But, the Yankees still called up Juan Miranda who only plays 1st base and DH! But, that was a different situation, as not only Nick Johnson was hurt, as he is now, but also Curtis Granderson was hurt. The Yankees don't have an open roster spot because of an injury that would allow them to call up Montero without sending someone down. An injury could change things, but at this point, it doesn't make any sense for the Yankees to call up Jesus Montero.
Should the Yankees have traded for Lee?
Just looking at this title of this post, you're wondering what the heck I'll walking about. Didn't the Mariners call off the trade, not the Yankees? Let me explain. The trade was all but settled. Cliff Lee to the Yanks for minor leaguers Jesus Montero, a catcher, David Adams, a 2nd baseman, and Zach McAllister, a RHP. Apparently, that deal fell through because Adams is on the 7-day DL with a high ankle sprain and the Mariners were worried. The Yankees offered to switch Adams out for a different prospect (I would guess minor league INF Eduardo Nunez), but the Mariners wanted another pitching prospect also (Ivan Nova or Jeremy Bleich) and the price was too high. The Yankees pulled out of the trade. Then, the Rangers swooped in and acquired Lee and reliever Mark Lowe in exchange for Justin Smoak, a rookie 1st baseman, and minor league RHP's Josh Lueke and RHP Blake Beavan, along with minor league 2nd baseman Matthew Lawson.
Let's look at the players that the Yankee would have traded to Seattle for Lee. Should they pulled the trigger on the trade?
Lee has been ridiculous this year, going 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA and 89 K's in 13 starts and 103.2 IP. He has walked just 6 batters, and has 5 complete games including 1 shutout. He has been incredible.
Montero is hitting .253 at Triple-A Scranton with 19 doubles, 6 homers, 35 RBI, and a .329 OBP in 77 games. In '09, he hit .337 with 25 doubles, 17 homers, 70 RBI, and a .389 OBP in 92 games between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. His '09 season solidified him as a top prospect. In fact, Montero was considered the top prospect in the Yankees' system enering this year by Baseball America. Montero, just 20 years old, is not considered to have a future as a catcher in the big leagues. By staying within the Yankee system, he remains the Yankees' DH of the future if nothing else.
Adams is hitting .309 at Double-A Trenton with 15 doubles, 3 homers, 32 RBI, 5 SB, and a .393 OBP in 39 games. In '09, Adams hit .286 with 40 doubles, 7 homers, 75 RBI, 8 triples, 11 SB, and a .373 OBP in 132 games between Low-A Charleston and High-A Trenton. That season solidified Adams as the Yankees' 22nd best prospect in their system entering this year according to Baseball America. Adams, a third round pick by the Yankees in '08, is considered to be a decent defender. Adams was definitely an X-factor in this trade because after the Mariners made the Yankees pull him out of the trade because of his injury, the Mariners asked for 2 players to replace him. Adams, already 23 years old, doesn't seem to be young enough to have a future as a starter in the Yankee infield.
McAllister has gone 7-5 at Triple-A Scranton with a 4.45 ERA and 57 K's in 17 starts and 95 IP. He was the Yankees 5th rated prospect by Baseball America entering this year after going 7-5 with a 2.23 ERA and 96 K's in 22 starts and 121 IP for Double-A Trenton in '09. McAllister, 22 years old, was a 3rd round draft pick out of high school in '06. He certainly has a chance for a spot in the Yankee rotation at some point.
Nunez is hitting .304 at Triple-A Scranton, with 19 doubles, 3 homers, 40 RBI, 18 SB, and a .352 OBP in 86 games. He was the Yankees' 14th best prospect by Baseball America entering this year after hitting .322 with 26 doubles, 9 homers, 55 RBI, 19 SB, and a .349 OBP in 123 games for Double-A Trenton in '09. Nunez, who recently turned 23, is a solid defender who has played mostly SS in the minors. He also has experience at 2nd base and 3rd base. Nunez is probably going to be a utility player for the Yankees in a year or two.
Nova has gone 7-2 with a 3.04 ERA and 73 K's in 16 starts and 97.2 IP for Triple-A Scranton. In a brief major league call-up, he made 2 relief appearances, giving up no runs on 4 hits in 3 IP. He was the Yankees' 16th best prospect entering this year by Baseball America after going 6-8 with a 3.68 ERA and 90 K's in 24 starts and 139.1 IP between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton. He will also be competing for the Yankee rotation in a year or two.
Bleich, a 23 year old lefty, has gone 3-2 at Double-A Trenton this year, with a 4.79 ERA and 26 K's in 8 starts and 41.1 IP. He was the Yankees' 9th best prospect entering this year by Baseball America after going 9-10 with a 4.86 ERA and 116 K's in 27 starts and 144.1 IP between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. He has good stuff, but has had some control problems. He seems at least 3 years away from having any impact in the majors.
So, in the original trade, the Yankees would have given up their best, 5th best, and 22nd best prospects in exchange for a perennial Cy Young candidate. That sounds like a fair trade. But, when you take out the 22nd prospect and put in the 14th best prospect and the 9th or 16th best prospect, it would seem that the Yankees would be giving away too much. Maybe pulling out of the trade could be a good move by the Yankees. They can keep their prospects and sign Lee this offseason.
Let's look at the players that the Yankee would have traded to Seattle for Lee. Should they pulled the trigger on the trade?
Lee has been ridiculous this year, going 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA and 89 K's in 13 starts and 103.2 IP. He has walked just 6 batters, and has 5 complete games including 1 shutout. He has been incredible.
Montero is hitting .253 at Triple-A Scranton with 19 doubles, 6 homers, 35 RBI, and a .329 OBP in 77 games. In '09, he hit .337 with 25 doubles, 17 homers, 70 RBI, and a .389 OBP in 92 games between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. His '09 season solidified him as a top prospect. In fact, Montero was considered the top prospect in the Yankees' system enering this year by Baseball America. Montero, just 20 years old, is not considered to have a future as a catcher in the big leagues. By staying within the Yankee system, he remains the Yankees' DH of the future if nothing else.
Adams is hitting .309 at Double-A Trenton with 15 doubles, 3 homers, 32 RBI, 5 SB, and a .393 OBP in 39 games. In '09, Adams hit .286 with 40 doubles, 7 homers, 75 RBI, 8 triples, 11 SB, and a .373 OBP in 132 games between Low-A Charleston and High-A Trenton. That season solidified Adams as the Yankees' 22nd best prospect in their system entering this year according to Baseball America. Adams, a third round pick by the Yankees in '08, is considered to be a decent defender. Adams was definitely an X-factor in this trade because after the Mariners made the Yankees pull him out of the trade because of his injury, the Mariners asked for 2 players to replace him. Adams, already 23 years old, doesn't seem to be young enough to have a future as a starter in the Yankee infield.
McAllister has gone 7-5 at Triple-A Scranton with a 4.45 ERA and 57 K's in 17 starts and 95 IP. He was the Yankees 5th rated prospect by Baseball America entering this year after going 7-5 with a 2.23 ERA and 96 K's in 22 starts and 121 IP for Double-A Trenton in '09. McAllister, 22 years old, was a 3rd round draft pick out of high school in '06. He certainly has a chance for a spot in the Yankee rotation at some point.
Nunez is hitting .304 at Triple-A Scranton, with 19 doubles, 3 homers, 40 RBI, 18 SB, and a .352 OBP in 86 games. He was the Yankees' 14th best prospect by Baseball America entering this year after hitting .322 with 26 doubles, 9 homers, 55 RBI, 19 SB, and a .349 OBP in 123 games for Double-A Trenton in '09. Nunez, who recently turned 23, is a solid defender who has played mostly SS in the minors. He also has experience at 2nd base and 3rd base. Nunez is probably going to be a utility player for the Yankees in a year or two.
Nova has gone 7-2 with a 3.04 ERA and 73 K's in 16 starts and 97.2 IP for Triple-A Scranton. In a brief major league call-up, he made 2 relief appearances, giving up no runs on 4 hits in 3 IP. He was the Yankees' 16th best prospect entering this year by Baseball America after going 6-8 with a 3.68 ERA and 90 K's in 24 starts and 139.1 IP between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton. He will also be competing for the Yankee rotation in a year or two.
Bleich, a 23 year old lefty, has gone 3-2 at Double-A Trenton this year, with a 4.79 ERA and 26 K's in 8 starts and 41.1 IP. He was the Yankees' 9th best prospect entering this year by Baseball America after going 9-10 with a 4.86 ERA and 116 K's in 27 starts and 144.1 IP between High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. He has good stuff, but has had some control problems. He seems at least 3 years away from having any impact in the majors.
So, in the original trade, the Yankees would have given up their best, 5th best, and 22nd best prospects in exchange for a perennial Cy Young candidate. That sounds like a fair trade. But, when you take out the 22nd prospect and put in the 14th best prospect and the 9th or 16th best prospect, it would seem that the Yankees would be giving away too much. Maybe pulling out of the trade could be a good move by the Yankees. They can keep their prospects and sign Lee this offseason.
Friday, July 9, 2010
A review of every significant Yankee trade since '08
Nearly every year, the Yankees make a deal or two to acquire some veterans in exchange for some prospects and/or young major league players. Let's look at these trades (since '08), how the former Yankees and Yankee prospects have been doing, and how the players acquired in the trades by the Yankees have been doing in order to see whether the trades have ended being a good trades for the Yanks. I'll go through these in reverse chronological order.
In December of '09, the Yankees acquired RHP Javier Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan in exchange for major league OF Melky Cabrera, left-handed pitching prospect Mike Dunn, and right-handed pitching prospect Arodys Vizcaino. Melky has hit .257 for the Braves with 12 doubles, 2 homers, 23 RBI, 3 SB, and a .314 OBP in 82 games. Dunn has gone 2-0 at Triple-A Gwinnett, with a 1.11 ERA and 54 K's in 31 relief appearances and 40.2 IP. Vizcaino went 9-3 with a 2.34 ERA and 66 K's in 12 starts and 69.1 IP for Low-A Rome before being promoted to High-A Myrtle Beach, where he has gone 0-0 with a 4.61 ERA and 11 K's in 3 starts and 13.2 IP. It's too early to tell, but this has been a pretty even trade so far. The Yankees traded a decent major league player and two good prospects for Vazquez, who is starting to pitch like a great pitcher, and a pretty good reliever in Boone Logan.
Also in December of '09, the Yankees, Tigers, and Diamondbacks made a 3-way trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yanks, Edwin Jackson and Yankees RHP prospect Ian Kennedy to the D-backs, and Arizona right-handed relief prospect Mark Schlereth and right-handed major league starter Max Scherzer going to Detroit along with Yankee CF prospect Austin Jackson and major league lefty reliever Phil Coke. Let's look at how Kennedy, Coke, and Jackson have done for their respective teams. Kennedy has gone 3-7 with a 4.16 ERA and 95 K's in 17 starts and 106 IP. He has been a pretty starter for the D-backs. Coke has been a great reliever for Detroit, going 5-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 28 K's in 40 relief appearances and 34.2 IP. Jackson has hit .306 as the regular centerfielder for the Tigers, with 20 doubles, 1 homer, 20 RBI, 4 triples, 13 SB, and a .355 OBP in 75 games. I guess we have to compare Jackson to Granderson. Granderson has hit .225 with 8 doubles, 7 homers, 23 RBI, 4 triples, 7 SB, and a .300 OBP in 60 games. He missed nearly a month with a groin injury. Jackson has posted a better BA, OBP, and he stole more bases than Granderson so far in '10, but despite the missed time, Granderson has posted better power numbers and tied Jackson in triples. It's a debate who's better, but trading Jackson along with Kennedy and Coke for Granderson does not seem like a good trade for the Yankees. Of course, Granderson could turn it on at any time and make all of us forget about these prospects. But, he hasn't yet, so we have to consider this trade a bad trade for the Yankees right now.
At the trade deadline in '09, the Yankees traded minor league catcher Chris Weems to the Reds in exchange for utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. Weems is hitting just .222 at Low-A Dayton, with 2 doubles, 0 homers, 3 RBI, and a .263 OBP in 14 games. Hairston hit .237 with 5 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, and a .352 OBP in 45 gamesfor the Yankees in '09 while playing every outfield position, and every infield position besides 1st base. He's hitting .245 for the Padres in '10, with 8 doubles, 5 homers, 30 RBI, 5 SB, and a .286 OBP in 76 games. This trade was a steal for the Yankees. They traded a struggling prospect for a good major league utility player.
One month before the trade deadline, the Yankees traded minor league LHP Casey Erickson and catching and outfield prospect Eric Fryer in exchange for Eric Hinske, who plays both corner outfield and corner infield positions. Erickson has gone 3-2 for High-A Bradenton, with a 4.02 ERA and 43 K's in 16 relief appearances, 6 starts, and 53.2 IP. Fryer is hitting .274 at High-A Bradenton, with 13 doubles, 7 homers, 34 RBI, 4 triples, 5 SB, and a .373 OBP in 57 games. Hinske hit .226 with the Yankees in '09, with 3 doubles, 7 homers, 14 RBI, and a .316 OBP in 39 games. He really didn't play very much at all. He had just 84 at-bats with the Yankees. With the Braves in '10, he has hit .278 with 16 doubles, 6 homers, 34 RBI, and a .342 OBP in 71 games. This trade was a bad trade for the Yankees. They traded a pretty good prospect in Fryer and a decent prospect in Erickson in exchange for a player who barely played for them.
Five days before the trade deadline in '08, the Yankees traded right-handed pitching prospects Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen, major league right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, and LF prospect Jose Tabata to the Pirates in exchange for left-handed reliever Damaso Marte and OF Xavier Nady. Karsten has gone 2-3 with a 4.71 ERA and 36 K's in 10 start, 6 relief appearances, and 72.2 IP. He went 1-2 with a 7.31 ERA and 12 K's in 4 relief appearances, 1 start, and 16 IP. McCutchen has gone 1-4 for Pittsburgh in '10, with a 8.58 ERA and 16 K's in 6 starts, 1 relief appearance, and 28.1 IP. Ohlendorf has gone 1-6 with a 4.39 ERA and 45 K's in 12 starts and 67.2 IP. He went 11-10 with a 3.92 ERA and 109 K's in 29 starts and 176.2 IP in '09. Tabata is hitting .235 for the Pirates with 6 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBI, 7 SB, and a .304 OBP in 25 games. Nady hit .270 with 15 doubles, 12 homers, 42 RBI, and a .319 OBP in 66 games with the Yankees between the '08 and '09 seasons. He missed nearly all of '09 with an elbow injury. Marte has gone 6-2 with a 6.02 ERA in 76 relief appearances with the Yanks from '07 to '10. But, Marte was untouchable in the '09 postseason, giving up no runs on 2 hits in 8 relief appearances and 4 IP. The Yankees traded 4 prospects who Pittsburgh has called up already for a player who was injured most of his time with the team and a reliever who has posted below-average numbers. This trade has been a complete disaster for the Yankees, but at least it gave Marte the opportunity to perform the way he did in the '09 playoffs.
The Yankees have not made good trades the last few years. Among these trades, I would say that only 1 trade (the Hairston trade) was a good trade for the Yankees, 2 trades were bad (Hinske and Nady/Marte) with the Granderson trade seeming to be bad, but it's too early to tell, and the Vazquez trade being a pretty even trade. I hope the Yankees can make better trades at the 2010 trade deadline and during the 2010 offseason.
In December of '09, the Yankees acquired RHP Javier Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan in exchange for major league OF Melky Cabrera, left-handed pitching prospect Mike Dunn, and right-handed pitching prospect Arodys Vizcaino. Melky has hit .257 for the Braves with 12 doubles, 2 homers, 23 RBI, 3 SB, and a .314 OBP in 82 games. Dunn has gone 2-0 at Triple-A Gwinnett, with a 1.11 ERA and 54 K's in 31 relief appearances and 40.2 IP. Vizcaino went 9-3 with a 2.34 ERA and 66 K's in 12 starts and 69.1 IP for Low-A Rome before being promoted to High-A Myrtle Beach, where he has gone 0-0 with a 4.61 ERA and 11 K's in 3 starts and 13.2 IP. It's too early to tell, but this has been a pretty even trade so far. The Yankees traded a decent major league player and two good prospects for Vazquez, who is starting to pitch like a great pitcher, and a pretty good reliever in Boone Logan.
Also in December of '09, the Yankees, Tigers, and Diamondbacks made a 3-way trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the Yanks, Edwin Jackson and Yankees RHP prospect Ian Kennedy to the D-backs, and Arizona right-handed relief prospect Mark Schlereth and right-handed major league starter Max Scherzer going to Detroit along with Yankee CF prospect Austin Jackson and major league lefty reliever Phil Coke. Let's look at how Kennedy, Coke, and Jackson have done for their respective teams. Kennedy has gone 3-7 with a 4.16 ERA and 95 K's in 17 starts and 106 IP. He has been a pretty starter for the D-backs. Coke has been a great reliever for Detroit, going 5-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 28 K's in 40 relief appearances and 34.2 IP. Jackson has hit .306 as the regular centerfielder for the Tigers, with 20 doubles, 1 homer, 20 RBI, 4 triples, 13 SB, and a .355 OBP in 75 games. I guess we have to compare Jackson to Granderson. Granderson has hit .225 with 8 doubles, 7 homers, 23 RBI, 4 triples, 7 SB, and a .300 OBP in 60 games. He missed nearly a month with a groin injury. Jackson has posted a better BA, OBP, and he stole more bases than Granderson so far in '10, but despite the missed time, Granderson has posted better power numbers and tied Jackson in triples. It's a debate who's better, but trading Jackson along with Kennedy and Coke for Granderson does not seem like a good trade for the Yankees. Of course, Granderson could turn it on at any time and make all of us forget about these prospects. But, he hasn't yet, so we have to consider this trade a bad trade for the Yankees right now.
At the trade deadline in '09, the Yankees traded minor league catcher Chris Weems to the Reds in exchange for utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. Weems is hitting just .222 at Low-A Dayton, with 2 doubles, 0 homers, 3 RBI, and a .263 OBP in 14 games. Hairston hit .237 with 5 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBI, and a .352 OBP in 45 gamesfor the Yankees in '09 while playing every outfield position, and every infield position besides 1st base. He's hitting .245 for the Padres in '10, with 8 doubles, 5 homers, 30 RBI, 5 SB, and a .286 OBP in 76 games. This trade was a steal for the Yankees. They traded a struggling prospect for a good major league utility player.
One month before the trade deadline, the Yankees traded minor league LHP Casey Erickson and catching and outfield prospect Eric Fryer in exchange for Eric Hinske, who plays both corner outfield and corner infield positions. Erickson has gone 3-2 for High-A Bradenton, with a 4.02 ERA and 43 K's in 16 relief appearances, 6 starts, and 53.2 IP. Fryer is hitting .274 at High-A Bradenton, with 13 doubles, 7 homers, 34 RBI, 4 triples, 5 SB, and a .373 OBP in 57 games. Hinske hit .226 with the Yankees in '09, with 3 doubles, 7 homers, 14 RBI, and a .316 OBP in 39 games. He really didn't play very much at all. He had just 84 at-bats with the Yankees. With the Braves in '10, he has hit .278 with 16 doubles, 6 homers, 34 RBI, and a .342 OBP in 71 games. This trade was a bad trade for the Yankees. They traded a pretty good prospect in Fryer and a decent prospect in Erickson in exchange for a player who barely played for them.
Five days before the trade deadline in '08, the Yankees traded right-handed pitching prospects Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen, major league right-hander Ross Ohlendorf, and LF prospect Jose Tabata to the Pirates in exchange for left-handed reliever Damaso Marte and OF Xavier Nady. Karsten has gone 2-3 with a 4.71 ERA and 36 K's in 10 start, 6 relief appearances, and 72.2 IP. He went 1-2 with a 7.31 ERA and 12 K's in 4 relief appearances, 1 start, and 16 IP. McCutchen has gone 1-4 for Pittsburgh in '10, with a 8.58 ERA and 16 K's in 6 starts, 1 relief appearance, and 28.1 IP. Ohlendorf has gone 1-6 with a 4.39 ERA and 45 K's in 12 starts and 67.2 IP. He went 11-10 with a 3.92 ERA and 109 K's in 29 starts and 176.2 IP in '09. Tabata is hitting .235 for the Pirates with 6 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBI, 7 SB, and a .304 OBP in 25 games. Nady hit .270 with 15 doubles, 12 homers, 42 RBI, and a .319 OBP in 66 games with the Yankees between the '08 and '09 seasons. He missed nearly all of '09 with an elbow injury. Marte has gone 6-2 with a 6.02 ERA in 76 relief appearances with the Yanks from '07 to '10. But, Marte was untouchable in the '09 postseason, giving up no runs on 2 hits in 8 relief appearances and 4 IP. The Yankees traded 4 prospects who Pittsburgh has called up already for a player who was injured most of his time with the team and a reliever who has posted below-average numbers. This trade has been a complete disaster for the Yankees, but at least it gave Marte the opportunity to perform the way he did in the '09 playoffs.
The Yankees have not made good trades the last few years. Among these trades, I would say that only 1 trade (the Hairston trade) was a good trade for the Yankees, 2 trades were bad (Hinske and Nady/Marte) with the Granderson trade seeming to be bad, but it's too early to tell, and the Vazquez trade being a pretty even trade. I hope the Yankees can make better trades at the 2010 trade deadline and during the 2010 offseason.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Yanks call up Dustin Moseley
The Yankees have called up pitcher Dustin Moseley to the majors for Friday's game. Who is Dustin Moseley?
Dustin Moseley was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the 34th pick of the 2000 MLB draft. His 1st pro season was 2001 with the Low-A Dayton Dragons. He went 10-8 with a 4.20 ERA and 108 K's in 25 starts and 148 IP. He had a 6.6 K/9 and a 2.6 BB/9. In '02, Mosley was promoted to the High-A Stockton Ports. He went 6-3 at Stockton with a 2.74 ERA and 80 K's in 14 starts (2 complete games) and 88.2 IP before being promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. He didn't as well for Chattanooga, as he went 5-6 with a 4.13 ERA and 52 K's in 13 starts and 80.2 IP. Overall on the year, he went 11-9 with a 3.40 ERA and 132 K's in 27 starts and 169.1 IP. He posted a 7.0 K/9 and a 3.1 BB/9. Despite the letdown at Double-A, '02 was still an improvement for Moseley.
In '03, Moseley returned to Chattanooga. Once again, Moseley posted a 5-6 record, but this time with a 3.83 ERA and 73 K's in 18 starts and 112.2 IP. He was then promoted to the Triple-A Louisville Bats, and he showed a lot more improvement. He went 2-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 27 K's in 8 starts and 50 IP. Overall in '03, he posted just a 7-9 record, but a 3.49 ERA and 100 K's in 26 starts and 162.2 IP. He posted a 5.5 K/9 and a 2.3 BB/9. In '04, the Reds sent Moseley back to Chattanooga. It doesn't seem to make that much sense, but Moseley's K/9 went down from 5.8 to 4.9 between Double-A and Triple-A in '02, and his ERA went up from 2.2 to 2.5. That's the only explanation I can come up with. In '04 in Chattanooga, Moseley went 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 40 K's in 8 starts and 47.1 IP. His K/9 shot up to 7.6, and his BB/9 went down to 1.9. Then, he was promoted to Triple-A Louisville again. But this time, he didn't do nearly as well as he did there in '03. He had his worse stint in the minors to this point, going 2-4 with a 4.65 ERA and 48 K's in 12 starts and 71.2 IP. His K/9 was still a good 6.0, but his BB/9 went all the way up to 4.3. At that point, the Reds gave up on him. They traded him to the Angels for Russ Ortiz.
In '05, Moseley was assigned to the Angel's Triple-A franchise, the Salt Lake Stingers. He went 4-6 with a 5.03 ERA and 38 K's in 17 starts and 82.1 IP. His K/9 went down to 4.2 and his BB/9 was 3.3. It was obviously a disappointing season for him. In '06, Moseley returned to Salt Lake. He went 13-8 with a 4.69 ERA and 114 K's in 26 starts and 149.2 IP. His K/9 went back up to 6.9, in his BB/9 was 3.1. It wasn't a great season, but he definitely showed improvement. He actually made his major league debut on July 17th for the Angels, going 5 innings and giving up 4 runs on 10 hits while striking out 2 and walking none. It was a decent start, but it was an emergency start, and he was promptly sent right back down to the minors. He resurfaced in September, throwing 2 scoreless innings in relief on September 16th of that year. He didn't pitch again until October 1st, 2 weeks later, and he was very rusty when he started that day. He pitched 4 innings and gave up 7 runs on 10 hits that day, while striking out and walking 1.
In '07, Moseley finally spent his first full season in the majors. He went 4-3 with a 4.40 ERA and 50 K's in 8 starts, 38 relief appearances, and 92 IP. He posted a 4.9 K/9 and a 2.6 BB/9. It was a decent year. In '08, Moseley started the season in the Angels' rotation, but he went 1-3 with a 7.85 ERA in 6 starts and 1 relief appearance in April and early May, and was sent back down to the minors. He posted a 7-10 record and a 6.73 ERA in 21 minor league starts between High-A and Triple-A. He returned to the majors briefly in July, going 5.1 innings in a start and giving up 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4 and walking 1. Still, he was sent back down to the minors where he continued to struggle. He returned to the majors again in September, and after one bad start during which he gave up 4 runs in 1.1 IP, he went 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA and 12 K's in three 5-inning starts to end the year. Moseley started '09 in the Angels rotation, and went 1-0 with a 4.30 ERA and 8 K's in 3 starts and 14.2 IP before landing on the DL with tightness in his elbow. He then suffered a nerve injury while rehabbing in extended spring training. He missed the rest of the year.
After the year in December, the Angels didn't offer him a contract, and he became a free agent. The Yankees signed him to a minor league contract in February. Part of the contract was that Moseley could opt out of his contract if he wasn't called up by July 1st. In '10 with the Yankees' Triple-A franchise, the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees, Moseley went 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA and 55 K's in 12 starts and 72.2 IP. He posted a 6.8 K/9 and just a 2.2 BB/9. The Yankees thought that was good enough and have called him up to the majors for Friday's game with the Blue Jays. A corresponding roster move will designate either Chad Gaudin or Chan Ho Park for assignment. Moseley seems to be at least a decent player. I hope he succeeds as part of the Yankee bullpen.
Dustin Moseley was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the 34th pick of the 2000 MLB draft. His 1st pro season was 2001 with the Low-A Dayton Dragons. He went 10-8 with a 4.20 ERA and 108 K's in 25 starts and 148 IP. He had a 6.6 K/9 and a 2.6 BB/9. In '02, Mosley was promoted to the High-A Stockton Ports. He went 6-3 at Stockton with a 2.74 ERA and 80 K's in 14 starts (2 complete games) and 88.2 IP before being promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. He didn't as well for Chattanooga, as he went 5-6 with a 4.13 ERA and 52 K's in 13 starts and 80.2 IP. Overall on the year, he went 11-9 with a 3.40 ERA and 132 K's in 27 starts and 169.1 IP. He posted a 7.0 K/9 and a 3.1 BB/9. Despite the letdown at Double-A, '02 was still an improvement for Moseley.
In '03, Moseley returned to Chattanooga. Once again, Moseley posted a 5-6 record, but this time with a 3.83 ERA and 73 K's in 18 starts and 112.2 IP. He was then promoted to the Triple-A Louisville Bats, and he showed a lot more improvement. He went 2-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 27 K's in 8 starts and 50 IP. Overall in '03, he posted just a 7-9 record, but a 3.49 ERA and 100 K's in 26 starts and 162.2 IP. He posted a 5.5 K/9 and a 2.3 BB/9. In '04, the Reds sent Moseley back to Chattanooga. It doesn't seem to make that much sense, but Moseley's K/9 went down from 5.8 to 4.9 between Double-A and Triple-A in '02, and his ERA went up from 2.2 to 2.5. That's the only explanation I can come up with. In '04 in Chattanooga, Moseley went 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 40 K's in 8 starts and 47.1 IP. His K/9 shot up to 7.6, and his BB/9 went down to 1.9. Then, he was promoted to Triple-A Louisville again. But this time, he didn't do nearly as well as he did there in '03. He had his worse stint in the minors to this point, going 2-4 with a 4.65 ERA and 48 K's in 12 starts and 71.2 IP. His K/9 was still a good 6.0, but his BB/9 went all the way up to 4.3. At that point, the Reds gave up on him. They traded him to the Angels for Russ Ortiz.
In '05, Moseley was assigned to the Angel's Triple-A franchise, the Salt Lake Stingers. He went 4-6 with a 5.03 ERA and 38 K's in 17 starts and 82.1 IP. His K/9 went down to 4.2 and his BB/9 was 3.3. It was obviously a disappointing season for him. In '06, Moseley returned to Salt Lake. He went 13-8 with a 4.69 ERA and 114 K's in 26 starts and 149.2 IP. His K/9 went back up to 6.9, in his BB/9 was 3.1. It wasn't a great season, but he definitely showed improvement. He actually made his major league debut on July 17th for the Angels, going 5 innings and giving up 4 runs on 10 hits while striking out 2 and walking none. It was a decent start, but it was an emergency start, and he was promptly sent right back down to the minors. He resurfaced in September, throwing 2 scoreless innings in relief on September 16th of that year. He didn't pitch again until October 1st, 2 weeks later, and he was very rusty when he started that day. He pitched 4 innings and gave up 7 runs on 10 hits that day, while striking out and walking 1.
In '07, Moseley finally spent his first full season in the majors. He went 4-3 with a 4.40 ERA and 50 K's in 8 starts, 38 relief appearances, and 92 IP. He posted a 4.9 K/9 and a 2.6 BB/9. It was a decent year. In '08, Moseley started the season in the Angels' rotation, but he went 1-3 with a 7.85 ERA in 6 starts and 1 relief appearance in April and early May, and was sent back down to the minors. He posted a 7-10 record and a 6.73 ERA in 21 minor league starts between High-A and Triple-A. He returned to the majors briefly in July, going 5.1 innings in a start and giving up 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4 and walking 1. Still, he was sent back down to the minors where he continued to struggle. He returned to the majors again in September, and after one bad start during which he gave up 4 runs in 1.1 IP, he went 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA and 12 K's in three 5-inning starts to end the year. Moseley started '09 in the Angels rotation, and went 1-0 with a 4.30 ERA and 8 K's in 3 starts and 14.2 IP before landing on the DL with tightness in his elbow. He then suffered a nerve injury while rehabbing in extended spring training. He missed the rest of the year.
After the year in December, the Angels didn't offer him a contract, and he became a free agent. The Yankees signed him to a minor league contract in February. Part of the contract was that Moseley could opt out of his contract if he wasn't called up by July 1st. In '10 with the Yankees' Triple-A franchise, the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees, Moseley went 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA and 55 K's in 12 starts and 72.2 IP. He posted a 6.8 K/9 and just a 2.2 BB/9. The Yankees thought that was good enough and have called him up to the majors for Friday's game with the Blue Jays. A corresponding roster move will designate either Chad Gaudin or Chan Ho Park for assignment. Moseley seems to be at least a decent player. I hope he succeeds as part of the Yankee bullpen.
Who's ahead in the race for the NL ROY?
The NL Rookie of the Year race has so many good candidates this year. You have Stephen Strasburg, Jason Heyward, Mike Leake, Jaime Garcia, and Ike Davis. Let's go through the stats for each player and see who's really ahead in the ROY race.
Stephen Strasburg has lived up to all the hype. He is 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA and 48 K's in 5 starts and 31.2 IP. His K/9 ratio is 13.6 and his BB/9 is 2.0, both incredible. His K/BB, is 6.86. In addition, he has given up just 7.1 hits and 0.7 homers per 9 innings. His record is only 2-2 because the Nationals haven't scored any runs for him twice, and they only scored 1 run for him once. On a better team, he could be 4-1 right now. Strasburg has really been incredible so far this year.
Jason Heyward of the Braves has proven to be a good hitter so far this year. He is hitting just .251, but with 13 doubles, 11 homers, 45 RBI, and a .366 OBP in 71 games. He hit just .181 with 1 homer and 7 RBI in June, so that's why his numbers don't stand out as much as they did earlier in the year. He has still been a very clutch player, despite the recent slump, as he has hit .306 with runners in scoring position and .298 with runners on base at all (he hits .209 with the bases empty). I did a post on Heyward earlier in the year (http://11ornothing.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-going-on-with-jason-heyward.html), if you want to check that out. Despite the slump and injury, Heyward is certainly a competitor for the NL ROY.
Mike Leake of the Reds skipped the minors and has done well for the Reds so far in '10. He has gone 5-1 with a 3.30 ERA and 62 K's in 15 starts and 95.1 IP. He has posted a sub-par 5.9 K/9, but a decent 3.6 BB/9. Leake has had bad starts (5 or more earned runs) in 3 of his last 4 starts to almost pull himself out of this race. But, if he gets on a roll like he did at the beginning of the year, he will have a shot.
After faltering in an '08 callup, Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals has returned to the majors and excelled. He has gone 7-4 with a 2.27 ERA and 70 K's in 15 starts and 87.1 IP. He has posted a 7.2 K/9 and a 3.8 BB/9, for a 1.89 K/BB ratio. He has also been hard to hit, giving up just 7.5 hits and 0.4 homers per 9 innings. Garcia wasn't very well known before this year, but he really has a shot to win the NL ROY.
Mets 1st basman Ike Davis has been a pretty good hitter so far in '10. He has hit .261 with 14 doubles, 9 homers, 34 RBI, and a .335 OBP in 65 games. He has also been a great defensive 1B. After hitting .324 in April with a homer and 6 RBI (he debuted on April 19th), he hit just .235 in May with 4 homers and 9 RBI. He did rebound with a .264 BA, 4 homers, and 19 RBI in June, but he still is hitting just .261. He is hitting .284 with runners in scoring position. In addition, Davis has been a great defensive 1B. Davis has really cooled off from his hot start. He'll have to get back to that level in the 2nd half of the year to be in NL ROY contention.
At this point, it seems that Stephen Strasburg and Jaime Garcia are the leaders in the NL ROY race. But, all young starters have an innings limit, so that will certainly hurt them. If he can stay healthy, Jason Heyward could sneak up on them and win the award. Of course, it's also possible that one of the other rookies that I may or may not have listed here could get hot in the 2nd half and be the NL ROY. Like everything else in sports, we'll just have to see what happens.
Stephen Strasburg has lived up to all the hype. He is 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA and 48 K's in 5 starts and 31.2 IP. His K/9 ratio is 13.6 and his BB/9 is 2.0, both incredible. His K/BB, is 6.86. In addition, he has given up just 7.1 hits and 0.7 homers per 9 innings. His record is only 2-2 because the Nationals haven't scored any runs for him twice, and they only scored 1 run for him once. On a better team, he could be 4-1 right now. Strasburg has really been incredible so far this year.
Jason Heyward of the Braves has proven to be a good hitter so far this year. He is hitting just .251, but with 13 doubles, 11 homers, 45 RBI, and a .366 OBP in 71 games. He hit just .181 with 1 homer and 7 RBI in June, so that's why his numbers don't stand out as much as they did earlier in the year. He has still been a very clutch player, despite the recent slump, as he has hit .306 with runners in scoring position and .298 with runners on base at all (he hits .209 with the bases empty). I did a post on Heyward earlier in the year (http://11ornothing.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-going-on-with-jason-heyward.html), if you want to check that out. Despite the slump and injury, Heyward is certainly a competitor for the NL ROY.
Mike Leake of the Reds skipped the minors and has done well for the Reds so far in '10. He has gone 5-1 with a 3.30 ERA and 62 K's in 15 starts and 95.1 IP. He has posted a sub-par 5.9 K/9, but a decent 3.6 BB/9. Leake has had bad starts (5 or more earned runs) in 3 of his last 4 starts to almost pull himself out of this race. But, if he gets on a roll like he did at the beginning of the year, he will have a shot.
After faltering in an '08 callup, Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals has returned to the majors and excelled. He has gone 7-4 with a 2.27 ERA and 70 K's in 15 starts and 87.1 IP. He has posted a 7.2 K/9 and a 3.8 BB/9, for a 1.89 K/BB ratio. He has also been hard to hit, giving up just 7.5 hits and 0.4 homers per 9 innings. Garcia wasn't very well known before this year, but he really has a shot to win the NL ROY.
Mets 1st basman Ike Davis has been a pretty good hitter so far in '10. He has hit .261 with 14 doubles, 9 homers, 34 RBI, and a .335 OBP in 65 games. He has also been a great defensive 1B. After hitting .324 in April with a homer and 6 RBI (he debuted on April 19th), he hit just .235 in May with 4 homers and 9 RBI. He did rebound with a .264 BA, 4 homers, and 19 RBI in June, but he still is hitting just .261. He is hitting .284 with runners in scoring position. In addition, Davis has been a great defensive 1B. Davis has really cooled off from his hot start. He'll have to get back to that level in the 2nd half of the year to be in NL ROY contention.
At this point, it seems that Stephen Strasburg and Jaime Garcia are the leaders in the NL ROY race. But, all young starters have an innings limit, so that will certainly hurt them. If he can stay healthy, Jason Heyward could sneak up on them and win the award. Of course, it's also possible that one of the other rookies that I may or may not have listed here could get hot in the 2nd half and be the NL ROY. Like everything else in sports, we'll just have to see what happens.
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