Leyritz Arrested for DUI Suspicion and Vehicular Homicide

ESPN.com reports tragic news this morning out of Florida. Former Yankees World Series hero Jim Leyritz has been arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular homicide for his role in a fatal car crash. The American legal system presumes innocence until guilt is proven. I cannot pretend to know more than our legal system so I will refrain from commenting until this case is concluded.  All that I will do is use this as a platform to discourage people from drinking and driving, whether or not that is what Leyritz did. I will never understand what drives people to take such a stupid risk. You can hurt other people and destroy your own life in the process. If you want to drink, arrange some means of transportation.

TPA’s Top Yankees Prospects

As you may have noticed, posts will be sporadic over the holiday season. A reader named Ben asked me to pass along his prospect rankings a few days ago. He has rated his top ten Yankees prospects at topprospectalert.com. In one of the most unshocking conclusions of all-time, Joba Chamberlain is the top prospect in the system.

Mitchell Report Names Numerous Yankees

The Mitchell Report was released to the public today. Numerous former Yankees were named as steroid users. David Justice, Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch, and Randy Velarde are among those named. The two biggest fish were Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. I will spread out my comments over the next few days. There are numerous aspects of this Report that deserve attention. This coming Wednesday, I will be on a 4 hour train ride, which will give me a chance to actually examine this thing closely. These are my opening thoughts.

*ESPN, the “objective” source for sports news, could not have put Clemens’ and Pettitte’s pictures up more. The talk centered on them, even though a former MVP, Miguel Tejada, was also implicated along with scores of others. This network cannot get enough Yankee bashing. It generates interest. This is like how the network made Clemens’ perks a major news story once he came to the Yankees after he got the same treatment in Houston for 3 years.

*As a fan, most of these names really do not affect me. I have become jaded with the times. Everybody knew that steroid abuse in baseball went far beyond what we knew before today. Very few names would have surprised me. While I loved the championship teams with guys like Stanton, Justice, and Knoblauch, I never really identified with any of them personally. Even though I rooted for Knoblauch, I really could not stand the guy when he was with the Yankees. I never even developed a major fondness for Clemens. I rooted for and defended him, but he was always a great pitcher who happened to be a Yankee. He was not a great Yankee.

*Pettitte is a different story. He is a true Yankees, who came through the system. He seemed like a great guy and a good family man. He has shown time and again that he cares about more than just money, a refreshing change from the egotistical culture of modern professional athletics. He plays hurt and comes up big in huge spots. He is very likable and easy to identify with. He provided me with some of my best childhood memories. I now know how the kid who said, “Say it ain’t so, Joe,” felt.

*I am really not sure what to believe in the Pettitte case. On the one hand, a person cannot simply ignore these charges. On the other, the case Mitchell laid out was hardly beyond a reasonable doubt. The only evidence against him seems to be the testimony of a man, Brian McNamee. McNamee’s story seems relatively logical, but how can anybody really confirm it? There is something for him to gain by lying. Before today, nobody knew the name of Brian McNamee. Now he can be remembered as the guy who took down Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. How can one handle Pettitte even if this testimony was true. All that the report appears to indicate (and as a disclaimer, I have not read it closely yet) is that Pettitte took HGH in 2002 to recover from an elbow injury. Mitchell does not suggest steroids turned him into a high quality pitcher before or after this. It claims that Clemens met McNamee in 1998, but his late career resurgence began a year earlier. Nowhere does it say anything about Clemens taking steroids in 1997. Again it seems plausible that the Mitchell Report is accurate. Clemens avoided aging by taking steroids, and Pettitte was his protege. Still, I am not sure there is bulletproof evidence that this took place. I am not comfortable destroying a man’s reputation without that kind of proof. There are plenty of plausible explanations and little in the way of solid evidence beyond McNamee’s hearsay.

Potential Nontender Targets

Looking at the list of nontendered players across the league, the Yankees have a number of chances to go bargain shopping.

Akinori Otsuka: Otsuka should immediately become Brian Cashman’s top priority. The rebuilding Rangers did not feel like paying the 35 year old coming off an elbow injury. Otsuka suffered no structural damage and did not need major surgery. He is a proven setup man in the American League with a career 2.44 ERA. Right now Mariano Rivera is the only reliable thing in the bullpen. The addition of Otsuka would help relieve some concerns over the state of the relief corps. He is infinitely better than anything this team currently has as a bridge to Mariano Rivera (excluding the possibility of moving Joba Chamberlain back to the bullpen).

Mark Prior: Considering Prior’s extensive injury history, a lot of people would view him as an unappealing target. People need to remember that he is only 27 years old. The Cubs mistreated a shoulder ailment for years. Dr. James Andrews finally cleaned up his shoulder earlier this season. He was once an elite pitcher and has a 3.51 career ERA. The Yankees would not have to depend on him to be part of the rotation. He could start out in the minors and work back at his own pace. His fastball will not have the same velocity it once did, but he still could salvage it as an above average pitch to go with a terrific curveball and impeccable control. Guys with this kind of potential do not hit the open market on a discount often. All signing Prior would cost this team is money. He is worth a flier.

Morgan Ensberg: After a great 2005, Ensberg’s career fell off a cliff. Even when he posted subpar 2006 and 2007 numbers, he killed lefty pitching. He would not be a bad guy to have as a bench player or put into the mix as part of a first base platoon.

Kevin Mench: Mench is another great hitter against lefties. He would be a good reserve outfielder.

Dallas McPherson: The 27 year old was once a top prospect for the Angels. Injuries hampered his career, but a change of scenery might help him harness that untapped potential.

Kiko Calero and Juan Rincon: The Yankees should target these guys for minor league deals. Both are former terrific middle relievers who got lit up in 2007. Either could come back strong. If they want guaranteed roster spots, it would be best to let them go elsewhere. This team is already guaranteeing one shaky veteran commodity, LaTroy Hawkins a roster spot. Giving either of these guys similar treatment could end up blocking a younger player performing. It is best to keep flexibility in the bullpen unless adding something terrific like Otsuka.

Three Nontendered

In order to clear room on the 40 man roster for Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, and LaTroy Hawkins, the Yanks nontendered a trio of pitchers. They are Matt DeSalvo, T.J. Beam and Darrell Rasner. If a team does not offer a contract to a player without enough service time to otherwise become a free agent before a given offseason deadline, that player is considered nontendered and allowed to hit the open market.

DeSalvo is not much of a loss. He was never a big prospect. He throws an array of unspectacular pitches from unique arm angles. At best, he will become a junkballer in the mold of Paul Byrd. He is a smart pitcher who throws the kitchen sink at the opposition but probably would not have the natural ability to get consistent outs in a division as loaded as the AL East.

Beam is a decent relief prospect with a big fastball. He probably would have had a shot to make the big club in 2008. He posted an 8.60 ERA with the Yankees in 2006 before having a solid 2007 in the minors. The only reason Sean Henn stayed over him is that Henn is a lefty. Sean has already gotten an extensive opportunity to perform in the majors and failed to do so. It would have been better to see what Beam can do.

Rasner is the best-known of the trio. He has a 4.13 ERA in 17 career Major League outings. He induces grounders successfully by keeping his fastball down and owns a solid curveball. While Rasner is not a major prospect, there is no reason he cannot be a useful innings eater in a long relief role. It is unclear how Jeff Karstens made the cut over Rasner. Karstens has no above average pitches.

Losing Rasner and Beam will not decimate this team, but these nontenders do open a lot of questions. One can only guess that Carl Pavano was uncooperative with the team in its attempts to get him to take a minor league deal. His selfishness knows no limits. The Yankees also wasted a roster spot a few weeks back by adding a low ceiling catcher nowhere near ready for the Majors, Francisco Cervelli. That move makes no sense in light of the nontenders.

Patterson an Option?

George King reports that the Yankees could sign Corey Patterson from Baltimore if they trade Hideki Matsui to the Giants.

On the surface, trading Matsui, who is coming back from recent knee surgery, would mean the Yankees would be retaining Melky Cabrera, a key part of their discussions with the Twins in the Johan Santana talks. However, the Yankees have an interest in free-agent center fielder Corey Patterson.

This makes absolutely no sense. Patterson is a terrific defender but a horrid offensive player. His career on base percentage is .298. Since he plays great defense at a premium position, he does have some value on a team with an established lineup, but the Yanks already have Brett Gardner in the minors. Gardner will be just as good defensively would be cheaper, and is young enough to improve markedly. There is no way Patterson is a significant upgrade from Gardner. Spending money on Patterson would then be a waste of money.

King also discusses the potential parameters of a Matsui trade.

Listen closely to the silence and it’s easy to reach the conclusion that the Yankees are contemplating trading Matsui for pitching help. They likely can’t get right-handers Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain from the Giants, but lefty Johnathan Sanchez could be the start of a Giants package. Four of Sanchez’s 33 appearances last year were as a starter. He was 1-5 with a 5.88 ERA.

If Cain and Lincecum are off the table, the Yankees should walk away. Sanchez is a decent prospect, but the team has plenty of young pitching options of equal or greater talent. If the Yanks are desperate to get rid of Matsui, they should be able to get more in exchange, considering the crazy contracts which outfielders get on the free agent market. Sanchez has displayed control problems, which makes relying on him as a reliever a scary proposition. He is in no way on the level of Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain. He might never be good enough to beat out Alan Horne or Ian Kennedy either. There may not ever be a spot in the rotation for him. He has potential, but he is not worth Matsui by himself.

Pavano Mulls Minor League Deal

With Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, and LaTroy Hawkins not officially signed, the Yankees need to make room on their 40 man roster for them. One idea is to release Carl Pavano, since the starter will make his salary whether or not he pitches in 2008. There is a complication. The team would probably have to resign Pavano to a minor league deal to get insurance to pick up the tab on his contract. Given how much money Carl has conned this team for, most people would try and do something to help the Yankees, especially considering the fact he would not have to give up any money and get the chance to rehab at the team’s minor league facility. According to the Hartford Courant, though, Pavano might be unwilling to do so.

Carl Pavano is still mulling a Yankees proposal to release him and then re-sign him to a minor league contract. He said Monday he is not close to a decision.

“I’d be giving up a lot of options if I signed a minor league deal,” Pavano said.

Lord knows what options he would be giving up. How can a guy who never pitches be upset about losing options? This guy is getting $40 million from the Yankees. He has come up with every excuse imaginable to keep from pitching for them. He now will not even budge a little to help out the club from whom he has taken so much and given so little. There ought to be a special spot in hell reserved for people this selfish.

Pettitte Accepts Arbitration; Sardinha Designated for Assignment

Andy Pettitte has accepted the Yankees’ offer of arbitration. It is odd that the sides could not come to terms on a deal by themselves, but the important thing is that the lefty is officially back in the mix. To clear room on the 40 man roster, the team designated Bronson Sardinha for assignment. Sardinha is not much of a prospect. Hitters like him are not hard to find. His only role with the team would have been as a pinch runner and a defensive replacement in the outfield. If the Yanks become desperate for somebody to fill that role, Brett Gardner is waiting in the wings. Gardner is superior in both areas.

Yankees Sign Hawkins

The Yankees have signed LaTroy Hawkins to a 1 year, $3.75 million contract. This was a rare affordable contract for a veteran reliever. After a few shaky years, Hawkins had a bit of a renaissance last season in Colorado, putting up a 3.42 ERA in 55.1 innings of work.

There is no guarantee this will work out. Hawkins has been a case study in showing just how volatile reliever performance can be from year to year. The Yankees have a thin bullpen right now. Hawkins has an above average fastball and does not walk many hitters. He also improved his secondary stuff last year to post a 3.06 grounder to flyball ratio. This might be an anomaly, but it also could be an indication that he has reinvented himself. He is a decent bet to replace Luis Vizcaino’s production at least in a 6th or 7th inning role. Instead of giving Vizcaino a 3 or 4 year deal, the Yanks only have to dish out a 1 year contract and get a Draft pick for letting Luis walk.

This team has a number of options in terms of relief arms. A few need to step up to give the club a quality relief corps. The more men in the mix, the better the chance of finding quality relievers. Hawkins is worth the chance, given the cheapness of the contract.

Phillips Becomes Free Agent

Andy Phillips has refused an assignment to AAA Scranton and has become a free agent. It is tough to blame Andy. He will be 31 years old in April and has spent 9 seasons with the Yankees mostly in the minors. If the team will not give him a shot now with first base up in the air and Phillips coming off a relatively productive year, he is probably going to need to go elsewhere to get another opportunity. Andy is by all accounts a great guy and has persevered through years in the minors and personal difficulties. Here’s wishing Andy Phillips luck in his next destination.