While the New York Yankees are still focused on making it to the postseason in 2012, it may be time to also start evaluating some of their key pieces heading into the 2013 season.We all know of right fielder Nick Swisher's impending free agency, and we are also all aware of the options that the Yankees hold on second baseman Robinson Cano and center fielder Curtis Granderson.It was common thought around the league that the Yankees would allow Swisher, a fan favorite, to walk at the end of this season. ...
The calendar will turn to September this weekend, and the New York Yankees will be playing an important series for the division lead. Usually, we would assume that their opponent is the Boston Red Sox; instead, the team on the other side of the diamond is the Baltimore Orioles, led by the favorite for AL Manager of the Year in Buck Showalter.Even up to a month ago, few people outside of Baltimore were sold on Showalter's team. Most people figured they would fall to the bottom of the division again. ...
As the American League East race has tightened up as we approach Sept. 1, it’s worth it to don the rose-colored glasses and peer into what September holds for the New York Yankees. At least what the best-case scenarios would be for the Yankees, anyway. Since September is the ninth month on the Gregorian calendar and baseball has a strong connection to the number nine, I thought it appropriate to continue that theme. So here, then, are the nine best-case scenarios for the Yankees to close out the regular season:Begin ...
On Tuesday, the Yankees got great news in Andy Pettitte's quest to return to the team.The 40-year-old threw off flat ground at Yankee Stadium, throwing three sets of 20 pitches, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.In the final set, Pettitte threw from his normal windup and looked good, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi.“For two of the sessions, he did not push off much,” Girardi said. “In the last session, he basically did 10 or 12 pitches where it was his normal windup. He ...
****UPDATE (5:20 p.m.): Joe Mauer cleared waivers on Wednesday, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Twins can trade Mauer to any team before Friday's deadline, but he has a full no-trade clause, making a deal unlikely.
#Twins’ Mauler clears waivers. Can be traded by Fri. 12 a.m. ET deadline for setting playoff rosters. Highly unlikely. Has full no-trade.— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 29, 2012
**************************************On Wednesday, another top name in baseball was dangled on the market as the Minnesota Twins placed Joe Mauer on waivers.With the Twins out of the ...
There was a time not too long ago when it was widely assumed that Joe Mauer would end up playing for either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. Most good players invariably do, after all.The Minnesota Twins put the kibosh on that when they had the nerve to sign their franchise catcher to a gigantic eight-year extension in 2010, when he was fresh off his MVP season in 2009. No doubt frowns were general in the New York and Boston front offices.But on Tuesday, both the Yankees ...
Over the next three weeks, the New York Yankees will face a schedule largely made up of American League East opponents. With a slim lead in the standings and division opponents lined up ahead of them, it goes without saying that these next few weeks are of maximum importance to the Yanks. But, are the Yankees fully equipped for the home stretch? Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Lowe and Casey McGehee have been valuable additions, but none of those players addresses the most immediate need: starting pitching. While the Yankees await the ...
After storming through their first-half schedule and attaining the best record in baseball, the latter portion of the New York Yankees 2012 campaign has been a grind, to say the least. Not only have the Bombers seen their lead in the AL East dwindle from 7 games to a measly 3, but injuries to several key contributors have inhibited the Yankees ability to win with consistency. That said, this team is still due for a deep playoff run.Even through the injuries, a dormant offense, and uncertainty on the pitching staff, ...
If there is a sore spot among New York Yankees fans as it relates to the glory years at the end of the 20th century, it is that so many of the players from those World Series teams of 1996 and 1998-2000 were linked to performance-enhancing drugs, either in the Mitchell Report (per ESPN) or subsequent revelations or investigations. So perhaps it wasn’t wise for general manager Brian Cashman to tell ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s Michael Kay Show on Tuesday (via ESPN, including audio clip) that he wasn’t “surprised” ...
With just over a month left in the season, Brian Cashman and the Yankees' front office are surely beginning to consider whether to re-sign the handful of free agents on the club. Among those free agents to be are Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda. Ichiro was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners a little over a month ago to fill the hole in the outfield left by Brett Gardner, who is out for the season after having elbow surgery. Ichiro has done well in pinstripes, hitting .287 with ...