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.

Yankees Speak to Hawkins

The New York Daily News reports that the Yankees are talking to free agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins about a potential 1 year contract.

According to sources, the Yankee GM was in talks with the agent for free-agent righthander LaTroy Hawkins, one of the few relievers on the market who isn’t necessarily seeking a multiyear deal. The two sides have discussed a one-year pact in the range of $3.25 million-$3.5 million.

Hawkins, who turns 35 on Dec. 21, posted a 3.42 ERA in 62 appearances with the NL champion Rockies last season. Hawkins has drawn interest from other teams, including the Tigers, Orioles and Rangers.

This is hardly exciting news. This guy has bombed whenever he has been in a closer role and has had struggles in big games. Last year was the first decent year he had since 2004. If it is a 1 year contract, it is worth the risk. Some pitchers like Roberto Hernandez have had inexplicable resurgences after a few bad seasons. On such a short term deal, the team could always cut him loose if he pitched poorly. This team is going to enter 2008 with a bunch of relievers who have the potential to be good. The more arms in the mix, the more likely it will be to find a somebody who pitches well.

Green, Woodward Signed

The Yankees have signed utility infielders Nick Green and Chris Woodward to minor league contracts. Green played for the Yankees in 2006. Woodword spent last season in Atlanta. Neither is a very good player. Their career batting averages are .240 and .243 respectively, and they do not hit for power. This move is unlikely to pay any dividends, but it cannot hurt to have a couple of versatile veterans around since the team did not have to guarantee either a roster spot.

Yanks Talk to Relievers

Bryan Hoch at Yankees.com reports the Yankees are actively pursuing multiple relievers. Luis Vizcaino is one name.

The Yankees have also had interest in retaining Vizcaino, who made a career-high 77 appearances in 2007 after being acquired from the Diamondbacks in January. But the sizable four-year, $19 million deal given to reliever Scott Linebrink by the White Sox may have skewed the market somewhat, and the 33-year-old Vizcaino could look for a similar offer.

The Yanks do not have much in their bullpen right now. Bringing back Vizcaino would be a decent move. He has a track record of consistency. He proved that he could handle pitching in New York as long as he is not given a Scott Proctor type workload. The Yanks should still look in another direction if he thinks the parameters should be in Linebrink territory. Just because the White Sox gave out an insane contract does not mean that New York should give a 7th inning guy an unwieldly contract. If Viz wants back at a reasonable price, the Yanks should listen. If he wants New York to commit to him until he is 37, Brian Cashman should thank him for his services, wish him luck, and take the Draft pick the team will receive as compensation for Luis signing elsewhere.

Ron Mahay was the other free agent mentioned.

The Yankees are considered to be the front-runners for Mahay, who posted a 2.55 ERA and limited opponents to a .218 batting average in 58 combined appearances with the Braves and Rangers this past season.

It is believed New York may offer as much as three years and $12 million for the 36-year-old left-hander. Cashman said on Wednesday that the club would like to add a capable left-hander into the mix, supplementing internal candidates Sean Henn, Kei Igawa and Chase Wright.

Where have we heard this one before? A Braves lefty reliever posts a career year in his mid 30’s, and the Yankees give him an inflated contract. This sounds like Chris Hammond all over again. Mahay is an aging mediocrity. He is no real improvement upon Mike Myers or Ron Villone. He is not likely to be much better than a combination of Chase Wright, Kei Igawa, and Sean Henn relative to price. Every team wants to have a lefty specialist in the bullpen, especially teams facing David Ortiz 18 to 19 times per year. Still, a good righty is a better bet in big spots than a bad lefty. The Yankees have a financial advantage over the rest of baseball. They should use that to overpay for quality, not to get tied down giving up roster spots and lucrative contracts to mediocrities.

And if not, the Yankees insist they could hold out and attempt to convert more of their Minor League starting pitchers into capable big league relievers — a formula that worked with great success for Joba Chamberlain.

To that end, Cashman rattled off the names of Alan Horne, Jeff Marquez and Steven White; all will be in Spring Training with the Yankees on Feb. 14 preparing as starting pitchers, but if necessity arises, the club could transition those pitchers over to a different work assignment with little advance warning.

“You might go that route just by default, because the evaluation might not match up with the cost,” Cashman said.

This is the best bet. Hard throwers like the starters mentioned will have to compete with young arms with upside like Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, Ross Ohlendorf, J. Brent Cox, Mark Melancon, Scott Patterson, Humberto Sanchez, and others. It is looking more and more like the only way the Yankees are going to have a good bullpen in 2008 is if some of their prospects develop into quality relievers over the offseason. It is at least better to gamble on youngsters with upside than to accept veteran mediocrity. Even if the team got both Vizcaino and Mahay, the prospects stepping up is the best chance to keep the Yanks from needing Joba Chamberlain to return to the bullpen.

Yankees, Giants Discuss Matsui

The Toronto Sun reports that the Yankees and the Giants have discussed the possibility of a trade involving Hideki Matsui and one of San Francisco’s young starting pitchers.

The Giants and the New York Yankees have discussed left fielder Hideki Matsui for a starter. Matsui does have a complete no-trade clause.

There are constant rumors swirling about the Giants looking to deal either Matt Cain or Tim Linceum for an outfielder. The Giants need hitting as Barry Bonds, by far their most dangerous offensive weapon, will not be back in the Bay Area next season. If the Yanks can turn Matsui into either prized youngster, they should jump all over it.

Cain and Lincecum are both under 24 years old. Cain is the more proven commodity as he posted a 3.65 ERA and threw 200 innings this past season. He throws a heavy fastball in the low to mid 90’s and compliments it with a changeup and hard breaking pitches Lincecum has slightly better stuff, sporting a fastball consistently in the mid 90’s, occasionally hitting the upper 90’s, a nasty curveball in the mid 80’s, a changeup, and a slider. He posted a 4.00 ERA in 146 Major League innings in 2007. His arm is still developing and might not be ready for a 200+ inning load. However, he has shown no durability problems thus far in his young career despite his slender 5′10″ build. He once threw over 140 pitches in a college game and played long toss the next day. With a few starting pitchers already slated for innings caps, Cain could be the better choice for 2008. Linecum might be a better longterm acquisition. Attaining either frontline starter for Matsui would be incredible.

The Yankees could play Johnny Damon in left and Jason Giambi at DH. This blog has stated its concern over how well the aging former stars will hold up, but if this team can get another potential young ace, it would be worth the risk. Matsui is a nice player, but he is getting older and has been battling injuries lately. The team has a logjam at outfield and DH. Given the age of the players in that logjam, depth is a good thing. Still, a young top starter is better to have than a big bat in reserve.

It is important to take these rumors with a grain of salt. Word from Toronto is that the Giants want more than Alex Rios in exchange for Cain or Lincecum. That means Matsui on his own will likely not get it done. However, if the reports that the Yanks are cooling on Johan Santana and Danny Haren are true, they should talking to the Giants a top priority. If the Giants do not get crazy in trade parameters beyond Matsui, the Yankees should do everything within their power to make a deal happen.