Yanks Tell Melky to Sit

The Yankees have requested that Melky Cabrera sits out the Carribean World Series.

“We’ve asked that he shut it down at this point. It’s been a long year for him,” Newman said Tuesday on a conference call to discuss the team’s top prospects. “We thought he needed some rest.”

Melky is 22 years old. How much rest does he need? His body is too young to break down from playing in the winter. Cabrera will not even play every day in 2007 barring injury. Getting him at bats against such quality competition would have only helped his development.

Bernie Gets Invite

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Yankees have offered Bernie Williams a nonroster invitation to Spring Training. Bernie will decide whether he will accept it, trying to make the roster one more time for the only team he has ever known or retire.

SI.com has learned that the Yankees have made Williams a standing offer to come to spring training as a non-guaranteed, nonroster invite. While this wasn’t anything close to what he was hoping or looking for, all indications are that he is considering the proposal.

Williams still could decide to retire, too. But the third option, which is to sign a better deal with another team, seems to be out of the question.

Though Williams could have gotten a guaranteed contract elsewhere, people close to him say he considers himself a Yankee and only a Yankee.

Heyman’s sources are usually very accurate so even though no official word has been given, there is a high liklihood that this is the case. Things should have never gotten this far. It is bordering on absurd that the team is holding a roster spot for a AAAA player like either Andy Phillips or Josh Phelps while keeping Bernie out in the cold. Bernie Williams is a Yankee legend coming off a productive season in a reserve role. He offers a more viable righty bat off the bench than Phillips or Phelps. He also brings big game experience, clubhouse leadership in the example he sets for young players, and a penchant for coming through in big situations. Mientkiewicz and Miguel Cairo might be slightly less effective batting against lefty pitching than either AAAA superstar, but the difference is not great enough to cancel out the difference between Bernie and them. However, there is a silver lining. After 21 seasons with the organization and a solid 2006, 1 of the 10 greatest Yankees ever at least has a chance to show the team that he is more worthy of a roster spot than either of these nobodies. Now it’s up to Bernie to display to the team what should be evident anyway.

It Goes Both Ways

“There is really no other fair way to deal with a team that has gone so insanely far beyond the resources of all the other teams…It will suffice to say that we have a spending limit and the Yankees apparently don’t.”

-Boston Red Sox Owner John Henry on the Yankees trading for Alex Rodriguez

J.D. Drew: 5 years/$70 million

Julio Lugo: 4 years/$36 million

Daisuke Matsuzaka: 6 years/$103 million

Now maybe Todd Helton: 6 years/$90 million?

Blatant hypocrisy: Priceless

There are some things that money can’t buy…unless you have as much money as the Red Sox. Then you can buy anything.

Yankees Head to China

Brian Cashman along with a trio of other executives are heading to China this week to scout out future opportunities. This move makes incredible business sense for the team. The vast Chinese population is a market virtually untapped in baseball. The Yanks can become the first team to take advantage of this. Eventually they can foster interest in the sport and the team. Vast revenue streams could pour in from merchandise if the team establishes itself as the most popular in China. Developing baseball in the country could convince the nation’s best athletes to try baseball. The Yankees should leave themselves in prime position to land the best Chinese players. A Yao Ming of baseball could bring legions of new fans to the team and to the sport. A smart business finds opportunities to grow that others miss. The Latin American and Japanese markets have become highly competitive. By recognizing that China could become the next battleground in baseball before anybody else, the Yankees have given themselves a leg up on other teams in succeeding there.

Hughes: Baseball’s 4th Best Prospect

SI.com’s Bryan Smith ended his look at baseball’s top prospects by ranking Philip Hughes 4th. Homer Bailey of the Reds was the only pitcher ahead of Hughes.

4. Philip Hughes, 21, RHP, New York Yankees
2006 Stats (A+/AA): 2.16 ERA, 92H/146IP, 168K/34BB

If Roger Clemens does not return to the Bronx in 2007, Hughes will be the hot-button issue in New York come June. By then, Hughes will be dominating AAA with every outing. The Yankees have done a fabulous job preparing Hughes for his midseason call-up, slowly increasing his workload in the minor leagues. With 146 innings last year, Hughes should be able to pitch consistently through October, by which time he might already be the Yankees’ No. 2 starter. Far more impressive than Hughes’ heavy sinker or jaw-dropping curveball is his understanding of pitching; he is the most intelligent phenom in recent memory. Hughes does not give in to any bat, rarely allows free trips to first base, and gets groundballs consistently from the stretch. Hughes is as good as a New York pitching prospect has been in a long time.

Hughes is the total package. He has some of the best stuff in baseball. Last year at Spring Training, Jorge Posada said that Phil had the best arm of any pitcher in the organization. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi were marveled by his stuff when they stood in against him. The Yankees do need to take caution with the way they handle Hughes. His 146 innings last year were the most that he has ever thrown. He has had some arm problems in the past so they need to make sure that they do not overload him. Hughes probably will see some action in New York this summer. The best move to make would probably be to limit his innings early in the year at AAA Scranton when the weather is frigid. That way they can extend a bit him if he is needed late in the year in the Majors without putting too much extra strain on him. There have been plenty of highly touted guys who have flopped in the bigs so Hughes is not can’t miss. However, with his talent, it seems that injuries are all that could slow him down. His stuff is filthy. He has a battler’s mentality on the mound so the pressure of New York should not hinder him. He also is a very grounded guy as he is married at 20 and not one to have a crazy lifestyle. That means that he will not be derailed by the temptations that New York offer somebody who is suddenly rich and famous.

Tabata: Baseball’s 23rd Best Prospect

Yankees minor league outfielder Jose Tabata rates as the 23rd best prospect according to SI.com’s Bryan Smith.

23. Jose Tabata, 18, of, New York Yankees
2006 Stats (A-): .298/.377/.420, 15 SB in 319 AB

Like Rasmus, Tabata is a polished beyond his years. He’s a good right fielder with solid baserunning instincts and excellent patience, but the big question will be his power development. The phenom has an odd body type but should have enough core strength to be a home run threat down the road.

Tabata is a very highly rated prospect. This is mostly due to his potential. People still should be careful before anointing Tabata. He is only 18 years old and has never played above A ball. He has a lot of development to go through before he becomes a big leaguer, let alone an impact player. If he develops properly, he will be a very special player. However, a lot of touted prospects fizzle out because people misjudge how they will grow. A lot of variables go into something like that. Players just beginning the process like Tabata are the toughest to project because they have the longest path to follow and have not been able to prove themselves against top competition. It is the same thing as an NBA team taking a high school player. There is a lot of potential, but it is tough to tell whether that potential will ever be reached. Plenty can go wrong. With that said, Tabata’s defensive ability and patience are very good signs that he will come through successfully.

Cano Willing to Give Up 22

Robinson Cano has expressed a willingness to give up his number 22 if it can help bring Roger Clemens back to the Yankees according to the New York Post.

“I was happy to give up the number to a future Hall of Famer if Roger comes aboard,” Cano said in a statement. “Hopefully, he will be one of my teammates, I’ll have the pleasure of playing with him.”

That is a tremendous gesture by Cano. It shows how much he understands and respects all that Roger Clemens means to the game of baseball. It also shows that Cano is a team player, willing to sacrifice a jersey number if it can get a legend like Clemens back into pinstripes. Few players who hit .340 at age 23 would be so willing to check their ego at the door like Cano has. It shows that the Yanks have a special player on the field and in the clubhouse. When one considers the reason he would switch to 24 as reported on ESPN.com, it becomes even clearer what kind of respect he has for the history of the game.

Cano chose his new number because its digits reversed would be Jackie Robinson’s old number.

MLB Extra Innings Heading to Directv

The New York Times reports that MLB is coming close to striking an exclusive deal to show its MLB Extra Innings package on Directv. Previously the package had been available on Dish Network and cable. Extra Innings shows a large number of out of market games. It is the primary source for fans living outside of the New York area to watch the Yankees. The same goes for displaced fans of other teams and fans of the game who want to see more than the games that the local channels offer. Bud Selig has shown again that the almighty dollar is more important than the fans of the game. By taking Directv’s money, he is taking the option of watching more baseball out of 60 million American homes. My advice to any fans affected by this is to buy MLB.tv if you have a high-speed internet connection. Sadly you’ll only be putting more cash into Bud’s greedy hands, but at least you will be able to watch the games. MLB.tv comes cheaper than Extra Innings and offers more games live along with the option to watch replays of completed games on demand. It’s really a superior package anyway. If you do not have a high-speed connection, you’ll have to switch to Directv. If you want to watch the games, you do not have much recourse. Writing angry letters to Bud is not a bad idea, but it will not do a lot of good. The man has shown time and again in the past that he does not care about the game’s fans. Extra cash is much more important to him than happy customers.

No Naming Rights

When the Yankees move to their new ballpark in 2009, the New York Times reports that it will retain the name Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees, who would probably reap the most from a hot local naming-rights market, will not seek a corporate name when the new Yankee Stadium opens. “The Yankee brand is very significant and extremely in demand,” Randy Levine, the team’s president said, “and we expect to do many types of unique and creative sponsorships. But we will retain the dignity of the Yankee Stadium name.”

Here’s hoping that Levine is telling the truth. Few trends in sports are more disturbing than when a fan disregards its history for a quick buck. The name Yankee Stadium is a part of baseball history. The New York Yankees should never call a field of any other name home. Lord knows that the team is not strapped for cash.

Sanchez: Baseball’s 52nd Best Prospect

SI.com’s Bryan Smith continues his rankings of baseball’s top prospects. Number 52 on his list is Humberto Sanchez.

52. Humberto Sanchez, 24, RHP, New York Yankees
2006 Stats (AA/AAA): 2.63 ERA, 97H/123IP, 129K/47BB

With the Tigers, Sanchez would have entered spring training with questions surrounding his role. Given Joel Zumaya’s 2006 season, many fans would have wanted Sanchez converted to a reliever, hoping his powerful arsenal would add power in one-inning outings. Others would insist on Sanchez using his large frame to become an innings-eating starter. Now a Yankee, Sanchez is likely a reliever going forward, and his heavy fastball and big slider should make for one smooth transition.

It’s tough to see the Yankees turning Sanchez into a reliever at least at this point in time. The team has a very deep relief corps right now. There also is plenty in the reserves as T.J. Beam and J. Brent Cox should be ready to contribute if called upon this season. Starting pitching is another story. The Yanks have a number of starters who are injury risks. Kei Igawa and Carl Pavano make up a shaky back of the rotation on paper. Minor leaguers like Sanchez probably will get a chance to show what they have in 2007 to try and fortify the rotation. Regardless, getting a guy like this for Gary Sheffield, who served the team no use, was a stroke of genius by Brian Cashman.