Yankees

I've been out of the loop for a couple important days in prospect land, so let's get right to it.

SaberScouting:

The Yankees have also made their signees official:

- INF Giancarlo Arias
- C/3B Jackson Valera
- OF Ramon Flores
- SS Anderson Felix
- RF Yeico Calderon

As mentioned above, Felix was for $500,000, and all of these players were fringe seven figure talents that the Yankees locked up early in the process. While the bonuses aren’t clear yet for all of these players, it appears all five were for below-market, value-type deals between $500,000 and $900,000.

Based on SaberScouting's prospect reports this looks like a good haul for the Yanks.  Instead of competing with the new kids in town, like the A's and Padres, who signed the top talent for millions of dollars ($5 million for Michel Inoa), the Yankees used their established network of scouts and their strong reputation to target several bats (the weakness in the system).

I try not to get too caught up in the hype around 16 year old baseball players, but I'm glad to see that two of the hitters mentioned in the prospect reports are lefties.  If one of those five becomes a fixture in Yankee Stadium by 2017 then we can all look back fondly at the 2008 signing period.

 

His first inning error set the tone for the rest of the game. Getting Manny to hit into a double play to end Boston's first plate appearance would have been a very nice way to get this game going, but Jeter throws it over Wilson's head, a run scores and Andy melts down the rest of the way. Derek usually is solid against Boston.

OK, everyone makes an error, but Jeter has been playing flat out terrible baseball most of the season. He's regarded as one of the best base runners in the league, yet  Derek was  picked off of second base that killed a rally a few weeks ago that really surprised me.  He was a guy you could count on to get that runner home from third base with less than two outs, but even he has struggled at that task of late. His overall is indicative of the team's overall play.

He was on a roll until he got hit on the wrist, but it's been a while now since then and he doesn't seem to be bothered by it so that's not flying..His .342 OBP isn't helping either.

PA pal Joel Sherman got into it with Girardi during the post game. Joe called a 30 minute team meeting as soon as they lost and visibly disgusted in the presser about their play. Sherman kept asking questions about the team meeting that Girardi refused to answer. Sherman almost made it turn confrontational when he said that there are over 4 million fans that want to know what went on in the meeting after Joe said it was private. Smoke came steaming out of Joe's ears and he used Sherman's name to repeat to Joel that it was between himself and the team.

Sherman: I'm sure the 4.5 million people that come to the games would like to know.

Girardi: It's between my team and me. (pause) Team meetings are not for everyone to hear.

Sherman: Sometimes they are?

Girardi: No, they are not.

Sherman: That's your decision.

Girardi: That's your opinion too.

Sherman: I said that's your decision, not your opinion.

That's your opinion.

Sherman: It's not really an example of you wanting to see everyone to do well at their job right to not give us any idea of what happened at your team meeting.

Girardi:

We can dance around this all night Joel. It's between Me and my team

I like it when reporters not suck up to players and whatnot, but Sherman's nagging sounded like he wanted Joe to fly off the handle and cause a controversy. He needs to do a better job too.

Brett Gardner is not in the starting lineup again today...

BOSTON RED SOX

Jacoby Ellsbury,  LF
Dustin Pedroia
J.D. Drew,  RF
Manny Ramirez,  DH
Mike Lowell,  3B
Kevin Youkilis,  1B
Coco Crisp,  CF
Jason Varitek,  C
Julio Lugo,  SS

 

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NEW YORK YANKEES

Johnny Damon,  LF
Derek Jeter,  SS
Bobby Abreu,  RF
Álex Rodríguez,  3B
Jason Giambi,  1B
Jorge Posada,  DH
Robinson Cano,  2B
Melky Cabrera,  CF
Jose Molina,  C

 

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PREGAME NOTES:

• Yanks have scored two runs or fewer a mind-boggling 28 times this season. 
  
• Billy Traber has been recalled from Scranton and Alberto Gonzalez has been sent back down.
• Pete Abe notes that Brian Bruney starts his rehab assignment today with the GCL.
• Josh Beckett is a lifetime 6-3, 5.87 ERA, 1.53 WHIP in 10 starts against the Yanks.  He is 3-4, 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP in 9 road starts this season.
  
• Darrell Rasner has never faced the Red Sox.  He is 3-1, 2.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP in 4 starts at home this season.
  
• Yanks' hitters vs. Beckett can be viewed here.

I don't really like the idea of tearing down Yankee Stadium; although, I am glad if there must be a new Stadium it looks like the original (now we just need to move the fences back to their original dimensions).

But I dislike the MLB revenue sharing plan even more.

I'm fine with the spirit of the idea- the biggest market teams should help improve the general quality of baseball.  But revenue sharing in practice doesn't work that way.  

Carl Pohlad cries poorhouse every season the Twins don't make the playoffs.  Billy Beane is still operating on a shoe string.  Peter Angelos may have finally noticed he's ruined the Orioles.  For the last couple of years the Marlins have run their entire team on less than their revenue sharing payments.

The system is badly broken because MLB neglected to create any accountability for how revenue sharing money is used.  Make it as complex as independent annual audits or as simple as a franchise payroll floor (spend your money on MLB players, or international free agents, or in the minor league draft, but spend it on baseball).

So I am thrilled hear about a loophole that will get the Yankees out of a good portion of their revenue sharing obligations for a long time.

The younger Steinbrenner said that through the pilot financing for the new stadium, the Yankees expect to pay a minimum of $50 million a year over 40 years to fund the cost of the construction of the new stadium. In addition, the Yankees will pay all of the maintenance and operation costs. ...

As per rules in the Basic Agreement, the Yankees, like any other team opening a new stadium, are allowed a credit against revenue sharing each season to pay down debt on construction costs. The Yankees, who pay rent at the current stadium and have no operational costs, are currently the highest payee into the revenue-sharing system, having contributed approximately $100 million alone last season, Steinbrenner said.

 It won't fix the problem; I'm sure MLB will find another way to punish the Yankees for being the Yankees.  But maybe if I keep yelling someone with the power to change things will realize that it's in the best interest of baseball to fix the system.

Now where could I find a man like that?