Tag: Alfredo Aceves

Boston Red Sox Sign Alfredo Aceves to Major League Deal

Via Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

This just in: the Red Sox have signed Alfredo Aceves to a Major League deal.

This stings.

Aceves was great for the Yankees in 2009. He pitched 84 innings in 43 games with a 3.54 ERA and a 10-1 record. He missed most of 2010 with a back injury and is not expected to be ready to start the season after he needed surgery to fix his clavicle that he broke in a bike accident.

So Brian Cashman released Aceves because he didn’t want him on a guaranteed contract and eat-up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Yes, he released Aceves while Damaso Marte, who probably won’t pitch at all in 2011, still takes up a spot.

To me, this is a very minor move. Back injuries are nasty and there is no guarantee that Aceves will even pitch effectively in 2011.

But still, this didn’t need to happen.

The Yankees, who have nearly a $200 million payroll, were pinching pennies, and now lost a potential starter and difference maker in the bullpen to the Red Sox. For what, $500,000?

Again, I don’t want to overstate the importance of this move. The Yankees bullpen should be fine and Aceves wouldn’t have been the rotation piece that puts them over the top. Still, it makes no sense for this to have happened. Not everybody needs to be signed on a non-guaranteed minor league deal.

 

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Phil Hughes To Be Skipped, Alfredo Aceves and Damaso Marte Done for 2010


Here is a quick couple of updates via the Daily News:

Phil Hughes will be skipped one start in the Yankees rotation to limit his innings, manager Joe Girardi said before Wednesday’s series finale against Baltimore. Dustin Moseley will start Sunday in Texas, and Hughes will return to the rotation next Wednesday in Tampa.

Also, Girardi said Alfredo Aceves (back) will not return this season, and Damaso Marte (shoulder) will “probably not” be back in 2010.

Alex Rodriguez is in the lineup and Mark Teixeira is the DH, with Lance Berkman playing first base.

It’s a good idea to skip Hughes as often as possible between now and the playoffs. He’s currently at 155.1 innings pitched this season, which is the most he’s ever thrown in the majors and the most he’s thrown in his pro career since he threw 146 in 2006. He really looks like he’s hitting a wall, and if the Yankees are going to be successful in the playoffs this year, they are going to need a lot from him.

As for Aceves and Marte, this was expected. Either or both could have surgery. If they do, hopefully it is soon and they are ready to go by spring training.

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On Road To Repeat: Eight Things Yankees Must Do to Win The AL East

In sports or life, as an individual or as a team once you become a champion is beyond satisfying.

After many failures through dedication and hard work the sense of relief must be surreal.

Getting back there again surely loses it’s sense of urgency, that is why repeating is harder than becoming one in the first place.

The Yankees are the most winning franchise in all of sports. No other teams can really compete financially, historically, or geographically. The Yankees popularity spans worldwide, and MLB stadiums everywhere fill-up if they’re in town.

Beating the Yankees is an accomplishment on it’s on, even if it is just a regular season game. Teams put forth efforts that go unseen, but come out vs. the Bombers.

It inevitably makes the task of repeating actually much harder and the road to repeat truly tests each player’s individual character.

Certain situations and individual performances will hinder the outcome of 2010 more than others. Here are 10 that are almost crucial in winning the AL East Division:

  1. Steal more bases overall. Keeping the opposing pitcher distracted is key for any team, but the Yankees need to run more. Brett Gardner’s value has soared because he is such a pest on the base-pads. Curtis Granderson can be a base-stealing machine, along with the young legs of Carlos Pena, Francisco Cervelli and the old legs of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez can cause utter confusion for opposing teams. Just look at the Tampa Bay Rays as this is the team’s specialty.
  2. Since the addition of RP Kerry Wood to the bullpen, the Yankees middle relievers have been dominate. Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, Sergio Mitre have resonated confidence which is essential for the team’s survival. The return of Alfredo Aceves just adds to the most underrated group of players in baseball.
  3. AJ Burnett has to pitch with more consistency. Burnett is not being asked anything more than what he has shown in the past, aka. 2009. It is no secret that Burnett is a hothead and mentally can get in a funk. No one is trying to change Burnett because I believe his craziness is vital to his overall successful. This season, Burnett can’t keep the scale level. When Burnett implodes, it drives him to be better. Great performances can no longer heavily outweigh Burnett’s frustrations.  
  4. The 2009 season was full of walk-off wins for the Yankees, but this is 2010 and it’s just not happening anymore. Driving in runs in the first three innings seems to dictate more wins. It means the bats have to come out swinging harder than in the past from the get-go. 
  5. The 25-man rosters expand in two weeks to 40, meaning that non-contending teams will be bringing up rookies to test their potential. This means virgin pitchers will be on the mound and odds are the Bombers will get shutdown. This is unacceptable, embarrassing and that is a pathetic reason to get eliminated from the post-season. Harsh, but in the AL East one game might be the deciding factor in the end. Maybe the younger players need to be mixed in the line-up differently, who knows but figure it out ASAP.  
  6. Even with less than eight weeks left the Yankees motto about the importance of winning series should stay the same. It displays consistency, keeps the team driven and hard working. Sweeping to slumping mentally challenges any team and makes the job of winning just that much harder.  
  7. Alex Rodriguez should stay out as long as he needs to get healthy, same sentiments go for Andy Pettitte. We need these two 100%, rather than 85% and back to the DL they go. Without A-rod has caused problems in the batting line-up, but at this point in the season it shouldn’t dictate and so far it has not in the two games he has missed. This team can win, the Red Sox and Phillies have both dealt with a lot worse this season and are both still in the mix. This should not be any different in regards to the Yankees current situation.
  8.  Skipper Joe Girardi is a great manager. Does he over manage at times? Absolutely and it drives fans crazy, but only when it doesn’t work out. Fans need to back Girardi more, but Joe also needs to listen to his gut sometimes. This kind-of a change is least likely to happen because Girardi did lead then to glory in 2009, so something must be working. It would be appreciated if Girardi could take a stance on innings limits, because at this point it is quite unclear. Just don’t mess-up Phil Hughes because Joba has clearly suffered due to the uncertainty of these ‘rules’. Ok, this is more of a personal pipe dream from a confuse fan, but hey everyone can dream.

The late great John Wooden said it best:

 “Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.” – John Wooden

 

 

READ MORE AT……LADY LOVES PINSTRIPES

 

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New York Yankees: Bullpen Resurgence Integral for World Series Repeat

With the way that the game has changed over the past few decades, relief pitching has become a substantially more integral part of baseball.

In the age of inning limits, pitch counts and match-ups, starters aren’t pitching as deep into games as was once the norm.  A bad bullpens can turn a decent team into a mediocre ones and a great bullpen can solidify a good team as a serious playoff contender.

For the first half of the season, the Yankees struggled with consistency once the starting pitcher exited the game.  Aside from Mariano Rivera, there was no reliever that inspired that much confidence in coaches, teammates or fans.

Chan Ho Park got off on the wrong foot and never righted himself.  Joba Chamberlain was handed the main setup gig and quickly lost it.  David Robertson looked nothing like the guy he was in the 2009 playoffs.  Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin were both serviceable long men, but nothing special.

The Yankees were burning through relievers left and right and we saw a few cameos from the likes of Jonathan Albaladejo, Rumulo Sanchez, Mark Melancon and Ivan Nova.

But the volatile nature of relievers came into play and changed the course of the Yankee bullpen sometime in June.  One by one, the New York relievers started putting it together.

After posting a 7.31 in his first eighteen appearances, David Robertson fixed something and has been a reliable late-inning strikeout machine since June rolled around.  In his last 23 appearances, he’s allowed five runs in 23.2 innings (1.92 ERA) with 28 strikeouts.

Boone Logan held a respectable ERA of 3.93 when he was optioned to Triple-A in favor of Dustin Moseley, but his peripherals were not as impressive.  He had a 13:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and had allowed 20 hits in 18.1 innings.  

He spent two weeks in Triple-A and obviously figured something out as he’s allowed just one run (1.04 ERA) and three hits in ten games since being recalled.  He has also improved his K:BB ratio, having struck out eight and walked only one in 8.2 innings.

Joba Chamberlain went through a stretch from July 10-25 in which he allowed runs in four of five outings and was relieved of his eighth inning duties.  Since then, he’s tossed 7.1 scoreless innings allowing two hits while walking three and striking out six.  

All six of those appearances have come against divisional foes Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto. There’s still improvements to be made, but there has certainly been progress.

The biggest wild card of all in regards to the New York bullpen could be trade deadline acquisition Kerry Wood.  Having alternated bouts of ineffectiveness with stints on the disabled list, Cleveland was more than willing to almost give away their high-priced veteran reliever.

The Yankees decided that his still electric stuff was worth a shot and acquired him to provide another late-inning option for Joe Girardi.  Having posted a 6.30 ERA in 23 games with Cleveland, Wood has looked marginally better since switching his Cleveland duds for the Yankee Pinstripes.

In 4.1 innings, Wood has allowed only one run (coming on a solo home run) while issuing three walks and striking out seven.  He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been better and the Yankees believe they can continue to harness Wood’s arsenal to make him a weapon late in games.

As unpredictable as relievers are, with Mariano being almost the only exception, the New York relief situation could change overnight.  But considering the recent improvements made by the current relievers, and with the prospects of healthy returns from guys like Al Aceves and Damaso Marte, the bridge to Rivera is looking increasingly more secure.

 

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New York Yankees Need One More Win in Cleveland Before Heading To Tampa

New York Yankees CC Sabathia had a rare loss in his old stomping ground Tuesday night, falling 4-1 to the Cleveland Indians.

The Yankees are in first place, with a margin of only two games before they get caught.

This added a lot of pressure on an already erratic AJ Burnett. It was mandatory that Burnett put the team in a winning position.

Burnett surpassed all that was required, as he dominated the Indians batters. Burnett’s teammates helped make sure he had a chance to shine again and the Yankees won 8-0.

Another factor in the Yankees success is using David Robertson in the eighth inning.

It is no secret where the Yankees biggest weakness lies—in the bullpen.

With Alfredo Aceves on the DL since May, the Yankee bullpen has become a total mess. Chan-ho Park, Joba Chamberlain, and Boone Logan are not reliable at all and it has spelled trouble whenever they were called on.

Robertson was right in the mix, with a bad beginning to 2010.

The timing could not have been more perfect for Robertson to get find his form again.

Robertson thrived as the eighth inning guy even under the lights of the 2009 World Series. Translation: The pressure does not bother Robertson.

Skipper Joe Girardi realizes that he can count on Robertson to get the outs needed with no regrets.

Robertson’s small role has made the biggest difference since the All-Star break.

Still, the bullpen is the biggest roadblock for the Yankees. Most Yankees fans take comfort in the idea that Hughes will join Robertson once Andy Pettitte gets off the DL in a few weeks.

For now, the Yankees will head to Tampa following the fourth game against the Indians. Friday night starts a three-game set at Tropicana Field against the second place Rays.

This weekend series will be a literal battle royale for first place in the AL East. Both teams have their work cut out for them, as both are on fire right now.

Whichever team wins will purely be based on who played better defense and how each starting pitcher sets the tone.

Why?

Simply because both ball-clubs have proved they can hit the heck out of the ball, but if a pitcher is throwing heaters it will be considerably harder to accomplish.

This might be the most important series of 2010 thus far, because the Rays are just two games behind the Yankees in the standings.

Please check out Lady Loves Pinstripes, as the next three posts will break down each game pitching matchups.

*First pitch is at 7:10pm this Friday night, but Yankees have to win the last game against the Indians tonight…but trust me, this weekend will be some damn good baseball.

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Temporary Roster Fixes For the New York Yankees

The Yankees have been forced to shuffle around their roster due to injuries this season. Their bullpen and designated hitter spot in their lineup.  Players like Al Aceves, Sergio Mitre, Nick Johnson and Marcus Thames, who, while not bona fide stars, all do play a particular role on the 2010 Yankees.

The Yankees have had to make do with parts from other team’s scrap heap as well as from their own farm system. Players like Kevin Russo, Chad Huffman, Colin Curtis and Chad Gaudin have all come in some capacity to fill the voids.

But with most guys on the mend, the Yankees should look to make a few temporary changes before welcoming back all of their injured troops.

With the return of Marcus Thames and minor injuries to guys like Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson, Kevin Russo has become expendable in New York. He’s had only one at-bat since June 20. It would be much more beneficial for the Yankees to option him back to Triple-A Scranton for regular at-bats and time at multiple positions to develop his skills as a utility player.

The Yankees could then call up Juan Miranda to take his place as the left-handed half of a DH platoon with Marcus Thames while they wait on Nick Johnson to recover from wrist surgery. Miranda has nothing left to prove at the Triple-A level and has demonstrated an ability to hit Major League pitching.

In regards to the bullpen, which apart from Mariano Rivera has been a glaring weakness for the Yankees, they now are carrying two longmen with the call-up of journeyman Dustin Moseley. His presence on the team enables the Yankees to part ways with Chad Gaudin for the second time this season and promote Jon Albaladejo from Scranton.

Gaudin has been underwhelming since his return to the Bronx, pitching to an ERA near 5.00 in 16 innings. While we’ve seen the Jon Albaladejo in the majors before, he seems to have transformed himself this past year, moving away from his traditional two-seamer and relying more on a mid-90s four seamer with more offspeed pitches.

With Mark Melancon hitting a rough patch in Scranton, Albaladejo is a good choice to replace Gaudin. Albaladejo might be sent down when Sergio Mitre (who began a rehab assignment a few days ago) returns. If her performs well, the Yankees could opt to keep Albaladejo and part ways with the free agent dud Chan Ho Park instead.

Albaladejo could even stick around after Aceves returns. If the Yankees feel they have enough length in the bullpen with Aceves and Mitre and cut Moseley instead.

For the most part, the Yankees have avoided major injuries to key players this season. These are a few minor roster moves the Yankees could make to further improve what has been baseball’s best team over the first half of the season.

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The Yankees’ Bullpen Needs Major Help ASAP

So, does anyone right now trust the Yankees’ bullpen?

If you’re like me, you are shaking your head saying no. And right now, you have every reason to.

Now, I know the Yankees are 25-13 and just three games behind the Rays for first place in the American League East, and most fans of other teams will tell the Yankees to stop complaining because they could be worse.

Yes, the Yankees could be the Pirates and be completely doomed. But, they’re not.

The Yankees are at 25-13 and probably could have an even better record if it weren’t for the disasters and early failures of the bullpen.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the culprits so far.

The biggest one may be David Robertson. I’ve written about how Robertson might need to go back down to the minors, but so far, he’s still a Major Leaguer.

Robertson is 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA. His ERA was well over 10 last week, but by pitching two scoreless innings against the Twins, he got it down. Last year, Robertson was one of the Yankees best relievers, but that seems so far ago. If he continues to get pounded, they may have no choice but to send him back down.

Chan Ho Park has been another one that has pitched lousy with the Yankees.

He pitched well last season for the Phillies, but we’re also talking about the National League here.

In the games with the Yankees so far, he’s 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA. His ERA is due to getting destroyed by the Red Sox twice. He’s also spent a good month on the disabled list, and after Monday night’s performance against Boston, fans are hoping he’ll go back on really soon.

Park was never great in the American League to begin with. When he got signed to be the Rangers’ starting pitcher several years ago, he was an absolute bust. He was so much a bust that he was transformed from a starter into a reliever.

Park belongs in the National League, but for right now, the Yankees are stuck with him.

Now, the next one has been one of the most talked about topics from the winter. From reliever to starter and back to reliever, Joba Chamberlain has had his ups and downs.

But lately, Joba sucks.

Before Saturday, Joba was at a 2.16 ERA with a 1-1 record.

On Sunday, Joba couldn’t get the outs needed in the eighth inning and helped start the Twins’ rally, while watching his ERA go up to a 3.63 and a 1-2 record in the process.

On Tuesday night, with the Yankees up 5-1, Joba came into the game and gave up the lead and allowed the Red Sox to go from looking dead to alive and back in the game at 5-5. Joba’s ERA is now at a 4.91 after his last two outings.

From a 2.16 and pitching well to 4.91 and looking like he can’t get anyone out is where Joba has gone to. He’s supposed to be the setup man to get the games to the best closer in baseball, but right now, he couldn’t get little leaguers out.

Joba needs to get his stuff together because he could lose that setup job really quick if he continues giving away leads and games.

Speaking of the best closer in all of baseball, Mariano Rivera hasn’t been too sharp the last few days.

On Sunday, after Joba allowed a couple of runners, Rivera gave up his first ever grand slam to Jason Kubel and allowed the Twins to win 6-3. It was the first blown save for Rivera in 2010.

On Tuesday, Rivera looked like he would cut through the Red Sox order in the ninth, but Marcus Thames dropping a routine pop up and Jeremy Hermida’s RBI hit made it a 7-5 lead. The Yankees got it to 7-6, but fell just short of a comeback.

Now, because Rivera is the best closer ever and lately has been suffering from a hurting side and hasn’t been pitching much, he kind of gets a free pass because we know Mo will bounce right back.

But Robertson, Park, and Chamberlain do not get a free pass, so they take a ton of the blame.

Now, a big part of the relievers struggling is that Alfredo Aceves, one of the better relievers for the Yankees, is on the disabled list. Aceves can go multiple innings and takes a lot of strain off the Yankee bullpen, and his presence right now is missed. Aceves needs to get back to the bullpen ASAP.

Now, Joe Girardi could give opportunities more to Mark Melancon and Boone Logan with Damaso Marte as the lefty specalist.

The Yankees could also go outside the team to find relief options, and two of them who were former Yankees just recently became available again.

First is Chad Gaudin, who started out in Spring Training with the Yankees, was released and picked up by the Oakland A’s, who just released him a couple of days ago since they barely used him.

Gaudin pitched very well for the Yankees in both starting and relieving roles, and if the Yankees need another arm, they know Gaudin can be reliable.

The other is Brian Bruney, who was pitching for the Nationals this year but just got released due to struggles.

Now, Bruney was also inconsistent with the Yankees at times, but he’s also had some success being in the Yankees’ bullpen and could give the Yankees another hard-throwing reliever who could be looking for a second chance.

The Yankees need to do something quick, because what happened Tuesday night with the bullpen blowing CC Sabathia’s gritty performance against Boston cannot keep happening.

The Yankees’ rotation of Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and Javier Vazquez are all a combined 20-5, which is outstanding. That leaves the rest of the bullpen at 3-8, which isn’t so great.

Whether the Yankees need to bring back some older arms, bring up new people from the minors, or go out and make a few trades, the Yankees need to fix up that bullpen and fix it fast.

 

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