Greed

is good.

I was afraid the Yankees were going to trade Melky because it would give them a way to bring back Bernie for yet another campaign. But apparently, the deal would cost them not only Melky but also Proctor, who may not be as good as gonzalez but is clearly not a whole Melky worse. but this is a three way, and I can see where the Braves think that giving up Laroche for Cabrera is no great shakes. Pittsburgh was the one making out on this deal and so when the Braves got greedy it all fell apart. Thank God.

Let Me Be the First to Say

don't do it. Word is the Yanks are mulling a trade of Melky for Mike Gonzalez, the Pirates closer until mid-August, when he went down with an elbow. That injuryt alone should be enough to worry prospective customers, but the truth is relievewrs are a mercurial commodity. You rarely know what you are getting. The Yanks want Gonzalez to set up for Mo, but that's exactly what they gaver Farnsworth a big 3 year contract to do last year. That didn't work out so well, but at least it's only money. Potential stars like Cabrera, who is still only 22, don't grow on trees, unlike 1 year relieving wonders, who do. Let Karstens or Rasner or britton or sanchez or Wheelan or Claggett, or any of those relievers you already dealt for or have in waitng give the set-up role. And if they don't work try the next on the list, or try Fanrsworth again. Someone will work on a list that long. But don't give Cabrera up, you might just be giving him away. For a talent that promising and that young and underpaid, you have to acquire a starter.

How Good

is D-Mat anyway? There seems to be a widespread perception that he will be a stone ace. Maybe so. The view seems to be based on 3 things primarily: an assessment of his stuff, which is not only electric, but various; his MVP at the World Baseball Classic; his record of last year 17-5, 2.13 ERA. I'm not sure that the MVP means that much, other than people utterly unfamilar with his stuff have trouble hitting it. The scouting reports do merit serious consideration, and his most recent season was a Pedro-esque performance. On the other hand, it was his 8th year in the Japanese major leagues, and by far his best season. His lifetime stats are less impressive, 108-60, which over the period averages out to about 13.5 and 7.5 per year, good certainly, but more like Mussina than Martinez. His lifetime ERA is 2.95, which would be very good if he was posting it in the NL and terrific if it was the AL. But as the last American tour proved, Japanese baseball is not major league baseball. I would venture to say its more like AAA baseball. And if there is a one run differential between NL and AL era's owing to the superiority of the latter offensively, and of course the DH, which Japan wisely eschews, then there is probably a differential between an ERA in Japan and one in the NL. So what is the total equivalence, atleast 4.00 for his career, probably more like 4.25. Of course he's better now than when he started (right out of high school--last year's AL equivalency would probably be just over 3.00, which is excellent--but there has not been a steady improvement over the years; it's been up and down between great, very good and good. How will he fare over the course of a season against the bigger stronger hitters in the American League? This goes in turn to the question of his stuff. Obviously it's great, which is to say MArtinez level, but then so is Josh Beckett's. That is only half the battle; the other half is control in the zone. The word is, from the same scouting sources that D-Mat tends to pitch up in the zone; that has gotten him inot whatever incidental trouble he has encountered in Japan. How will it play against bigger, stronger hitters more accustomed to mid-nineties fastballs than the Japanese hitters are. One further monkey wrench. D-Mat has evidently spent his career pitching every 6th rather than every 5th. That is why he has totalled roughly 1425 innings over an 8 year career, despite never losing serious time to injury. How will the added work, or pace of work, affect his velocity, and how will that in turn affect his ability to retire more formidable line-ups, without a nine hole in sight?

It is interesting that the Yankees look at Igawa, who has been a star in Japan as a back of the rotation guy, in effect their 5th starter. On that reasoning, D-Mat, a mega star in Japan should probably be projected as a middle of the rotation starter in the Al, better say than Wakefield, Beckett or Lester, but not another Schilling. As good perhaps, to be generous, as a Wang or a Pettitte in his prime, but not a Clemens (will his prime never end?) or a Martinez or a Santana or, before the injury, a Loriano. As good perhaps as Mussina recently, but not as Mussina at his best. With Lester a question mark, with Papelbon a double question mark (how good a starter, how reliable the shoulder, with Schilling a question mark (does the decline of the past two years continue), D-Mat is unquestionably a huge addition to the Boston staff, adn one that makes them a prohibitive favorite to join the Yankees in the playoffs (the Twins have gotten weaker, the White Sox have gotten weaker, the A's have gotten weaker, neithe the Angels nor Cleveland has as yet sufficiently strengthed), but having said that he too is something of a question mark. I think there is virtually no chance he'll be a bust, no Irabu or even a Nomo, despite the comparatively dismal record Japanese pitchers have fashioned in the states. But the chances of his success in Japan fully translating the way an Ichiro's or even a Hideki's has, hardly amount to a lock.

I Can't Define "Real Yankee"

but I know it when I see it. It looks alot like, no it looks exactly like, Andy Pettitte. Back in the day, long before this blog was even thought of, me and one Z. used to argue the merits of Pettitte as a big time star pitcher. Z. was dubious for some reason; I thought Pettitte was simply the man. Not David Cone, perhaps, I mean who is, but the next best thing when it comes to moxie, durability and a nice variation of out pitches. I think Pettitte was the best pitcher out there for the Yankees to get. Better than Schmidt who gets hurt alot, whose record over the past three years is not as good as Pettitte's, and whoi has never pitched DH baseball, let alone in NY. Better than Zito, who no longer is willing to throww his sub-90 fasball for strikes and so relies entirely on his curve. If that pitch isn't on, he's gone in the first theree innings, leaving your bullpen to get ravaged. Better than Clemens, who will probably only go half a season, and don't even get me started with Lilly and Meche. Pettitte did not have a great overall season last year, but 2005 may have been the best of his career (look at that ERA!) and the second half of 2006 was if anything evne better. Over his last 10 starts, he lowered his ERA by 2/3 of a run, and this in a season when he pitched over 200 innings. I can't believe we let this guy get away so we could pursue Kevin Brown!

Suddenly the Yankees look to be pitching rich! Slotting Wang in at # 1, Pettite at #2 (though it could turn out the other way round), Mussina in at #3, Igawa/Johnson #'s 4 and 5, you still have Karstens and Pavano competing for spots in the Spring, Humberto Sanchez and Phillip Hughes available by mid-season, and Tyler Clippard ready for September call-up. I've left Rasner off this list, because he's really struggled in the Arizona league, but it is still quite the plethora. What could be really great about this unprecedented depth at starting pitcher is that it could help shore up the bullpen. Sanchez could well go north with the team in a relieving role, as could Jeff Karstens. Karstens could start until Johnson is ready and if he does well, Igewa could get moved to the bullpen. In addition, since this is an older rotation, the added depth ensures quality pitching in the entirely likely event that someone goes down (I mean someone other than Pavano who just is down.

Speaking of Pavano, The Rockies have expressed interest, though they want the Yankees to pick up more than half of his booty..er salary. No reason to treat with them on that score unless of course they'd be willing to p[art with Todd Helton, who would solve in a manner far more satisfactory than Andy Phillips or the egregious Craig Wilson the Yankees last piece of the puzzle. Helton is a deadly professional Mattingly-like hitter, who would transform an offensively potent line-up into the 21st century equivalent of the Big Red machine. Which only goes to show you can dream big once you've got pitching.

Hooray!

The Braves signed Tanyon Sturtze. that really is a load off my mind. I was afraid the yankees would be counting on him as their keylong-middle reliever.