Christmas Comes Early for Yankees

As of the day before Santa hops into his sleigh to deliver all the treats to the good little boys and girls of the world, the Yankees have been hard at work filling empty space under the tree.
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I was once taught by my mother and father that the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade ends with Santa Claus waving to all those watching because with that brilliant ploy of marketing and advertisement the Christmas (shopping) season could begin. The fat man waved, and the Yankees' Brian Cashman, Yankees' General Manager and co-architect of the last Yankees' dynasty wasted no time. He barnstormed the winter meetings, and trade markets spurring a flurry of off-season movement across the league.

In the first major trade of the off-season The Yankees picked up Curtis Granderson from The Detroit Tigers in a thre-way trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In order to obtain Curtis "Sugar-free" Granderson, (His only superstition is he needs to have sugar-free gum at all times during games) the Yankees had to let go Lefty reliever Phil Coke, and highly touted prospects outfielder Austin Jackson and pitcher Ian Kennedy.

Phil Coke and Austin Jackson went off to Detroit along with pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona, while Kennedy headed to the Diamondbacks along with Detroit's pitcher Edwin Jackson.

In Granderson the Yankees got one of the most liked players in baseball on and off the field. He is a great addition to any clubhouse and regarded as a leader and team player by past coaches and teammates. On the field last year he hit 30 homers, 71 RBIs and stole 20 bases last year while being selected to his first All-Star game. However, he only batted .249 (he batted .302 in 2007), continuing a trend of a falling batting average while struggling mightily against lefties. Most know Granderson for his acrobatic top-ten catches throughout the season, though some who watch him day-in day-out question his daily focus and defensive instinct. The Yankees believe with the help of hitting coach Kevin Long and a short right field porch can alleviate Granderson's approach against lefties and raise his batting average. I wouldn't worry too much about his glove play, because of Girardi's clinic on fundamentals during spring training.

What Granderson brings with potential and clubhouse demeanor outweighs what they gave up in Coke, Kennedy, and Jackson. Phil Coke's left arm helped the Yankees through the middle of games last year, but by the end of the playoffs, Girardi had no faith in Coke. Kennedy was once part of "The Big Three" or "The Three Amigos" along with Hughes, and Chamberlain. He was great in his first assignment in the majors but has little production in the last two years due to injury. He has the potential to be a quality if not above average starter in the league, but nothing spectacular. And in the case of Austin Jackson who the Yankees kept out of trade talks for so long? He is now free to start his major league career. The Yankees didn't project his arrival date in the big leagues for at least another year. With the trade, years of his potential won't rot in the farm system like a past Yankee hot-prospect Nick Johnson. I wish Jackson well, and hope he has a wonderful career, who knows he may come back like two of the additions this winter.

A day after the trade for Granderson during the winter meetings Brian Cashman wasted no time re-signing Andy Pettitte on a 1-year deal for $11.75 million. The contract is a raise from last year, where with incentives he brought his 2009 season price to $10.5 million. Andy went 14-8 on the season, while starting and winning each series-clinching game in the playoffs. The home-grown Pettitte is a key member of the Yankee family, Yankee rotation, and has proved himself time and time again in big game situations.

Speaking of that former highly-regarded prospect Nick Johnson, look whose back. The Yankees not on the same page with Johnny Damon (yet?), and seemingly not interested in World Series MVP Hideki Matsui (who signed with the Angels) decided on re-acquiring Washington Nationals' 1st baseman Nick Johnson off of free agency. Johnson is a tactician with the bat hitting .291 combined for Washington and Florida last season with more importantly an on-base-percentage (OBP) of .426 and 99 walks. His power numbers are much less impressive last year with eight homers, and 62 RBIs. He has an average but declining glove at first. But it is his OBP that is most important because he will fill the number 2 spot in the line-up vacated by Johnny Damon and move into the DH position left by Matsui's departure. The only two players with a higher OBP this past season were MVPs Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer.

Johnson ($5.5 Million) and Matsui (6 Million) both had about the same price tag for a one year contracts. The Yankees felt it was more important to sign a player who has a high on base percentage (Johnson) than to have a power lefty hitter who can hit against lefties (Matsui). The reason being Granderson strikes out a lot, and it would take too long and wouldn't be worth it to teach Granderson the desired and needed plate discipline to bat #2 in the lineup. Johnson's first stint with the Yankees ended after the 2003 season. He was involved in a trade for starter Javier Vasquez who was then on the Montreal Expos (which later became the Washington Nationals).

The most recent move and the one I (think I) liked most during this off-season was the re-acquisition of Javier Vasquez (aforementioned) from the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees shipped off home-grown, and beloved outfielder Melky Cabrera, along with left-hander Mike Dunn, right hander single-A pitcher righty Arodys Vizcaino, along with a purse of $500,000. In return the Yankees got a close-to-top-tier starting pitcher and a left-handed reliever in Boone Logan who can replace the gap left by Coke's departure in the Granderson trade.

The Yankees gave up Javier Vasquez after only one season at the end of 2004 season for Randy Johnson. Cashman and others in the organization never wanted to give up Vasquez, or at least had a really hard time because of what he brought to the table. The very last images of Vasquez in pinstripes are not pretty. He got shelled in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, Boston moved on and won it's first World Series since 1918. But, that year for the Yankees, Vasquez was an All-Star, went 14-10, pitched 198 innings, and struck out 150 with a bum arm through the second half of the season. Since 2004 he is one of two pitchers to obtain 1,000 innings, and 1,000 strikeouts-the other, Johan Santana. (The Yankees passed on Johan's steep price 2-years ago, to go after Sabathia and Burnett last year.) Over the last ten years Vasquez is averaging a little over 200 innings and double digit wins per season.

His ability to eat up innings, and high strikeout numbers, along with his 4 pitch arsenal make him an undeniably strong 4th starter in a rotation of work horses. It helps the Yankees at the back end, and allows for either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain to move into the bullpen full time, while using Chad Gaudin or Alfredo Aceves as a spot starter and/or long relief pitcher. My guess, Joba goes back to the 8th inning. The addition of Boone will be a good left-handed option in the game for lefty-on-lefty matchups.

The Yankees deal a young pitcher in Mike Dunn who is still in development. Arodys Viscaino has pitched in two short single-A seasons and scouts believe has some live stuff in his arm. He is still very young and far from big league competition. In giving up Melky, the sentimental hurt outweighs the actual hurt to the team. Fans loved Melky, they loved his handshakes, they loved his aggressiveness on the field, they loved his wide turn around first when running the bases. He will be remembered for the catch he made against Boston as he took a homerun away from Manny Ramirez, and the game-winning or tying hits he had this season. He will always be a part of Yankee trivia: "Who was the last Yankee to hit for the cycle? Answer: Melky Cabrera against the Chicago White Sox on August 2nd, 2009." But, in the end he was at most an above average player who loved playing the game and who Yankee fans loved watching. By no means was Melky a superstar the caliber of Granderson, or Vasquez. Pitching wins championships, and gets a team through a season. The Yankees were lucky to get through the playoffs with 3 starting pitchers, especially since they had no choice. Now there is a 4th quality starter, and a choice should they reach the playoffs again.

There may be some questions about left field without Melky, but the Yankees have been stern on holding onto speedy outfielder Brett Gardner. If the Yankees are serious about not spending more than $200 million this year, then they are all but done this off-season. Meaning Gardner may play his first full season at left field, or the Yankees are willing to either fill the void internally or trade mid-season.

So as of the day before Santa hops into his sleigh to deliver all the treats to the good little boys and girls of the world, the Yankees have been hard at work filling empty space under the tree. Most holes in the lineup have been filled, if not shuffled around and patched up. The Yankees have also gained a step in speed. The starting rotation looks better than it did at the start of last year. More importantly the Yankees rotation can stand up to rotation of the Red-Threat up in Boston. If Santa could bring me one more pinstripe stocking stuffer before the New Year, it would be a Johnny Damon equipped with a 1-year option at around $8 million dollars a year. The truth of it all, is he is the best suited # 2 hitter, and left fielder for the Yankees.

But, perhaps, I am being greedy. One must be cautious when it comes to greediness, as the Yankees fell earlier this decade. The farm system was left depleted and championship number 27 proved elusive. Christmas has come early for Yankees fans, who can expect maybe 1 or 2 more moves before the pitchers and catchers report in Florida but should be grateful for what they have. A happy holiday to all, and to all a good night.

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