NoMaas offseason idea #7
NoMaas'
Lane Meyer says the Yankees should trade for 23 year-old 1B Casey
Kotchman. Why? How? Read
here.
12.03.2006 Plan B starting pitchers
NoMaas offseason idea #6
NoMaas'
Marty McFly profiles the free-agent SPs on the market and why he feels
the Yankees should go after a familiar face. Click
here to read the article.
11.22.2006 Craig Wilson
NoMaas offseason idea #5
According to reports, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed 1B so Giambi can become the permanent DH. We have read about interest in players like Wes Helms and Eduardo Perez. But, a better option exists, and he was on the team last season: Craig Wilson.
Wilson was acquired from Pittsburgh for Shawn Chacon in a Ca$hMoney carjack. NoMaas was very excited about the deal, but unfortunately, Wilson performed poorly in his audition with the Yankees, sporting a .613 OPS in 109 plate appearances. That sample size, however, is not reflective of Wilson's true ability. For his career, he has a 115 OPS+ and has destroyed left-handed pitching with a .395 OBP / .543 SLG / .938 OPS. He basically turns into Gary Sheffield when he faces LHP.
He's also decent against RHP with a .793 OPS.
Are
you really going to find a better option? The only reason why Wilson
won't be re-signed is because he might be in Torre's doghouse. Yet, we
would rather judge a player on his career trends than just 109 plate appearances.
11.19.2006 Stay out of the market
NoMaas offseason idea #4
Seriously. Stay away from the free agent market. Let teams like the Red Sox and Cubs pay ridiculous prices. It will come back to haunt them.
Even league-average pitchers like Ted Lilly are asking for big bucks. According to the NY Post, Lily wants 4 years, $36 million -- that's $9 mil per year for a career 99 ERA+.
So for the Yanks, whose biggest need is starting pitching, let kids like Rasner, Karstens, and newly acquired Humberto Sanchez battle it out for the lower spots in the rotation. We'll likely get around league-average production, but for the MLB mininum salary. Plus, Hughes and Clippard should be ready at some point in 2007.
Let's
be smart, cost-efficient, and flexible...unlike Boston and Chicago.
11.11.2006 Time to say goodbye
NoMaas offseason idea # 3
"We certainly hope if Bernie wants to play, this is the only home he's ever known, and I like having him around," Torre said. "I've talked to Bernie several times this winter and I told him if I know something I'll call him." (Source)
In 2006, Bernie was about average at the plate with a 101 OPS+. He was excellent against LHP with a .936 OPS. In fact, one may entertain the notion of using him strictly as a right-handed pinch hitter.
However, since Joe Torre is our manager, we fear he will continue to use Bernie in excess. What happens when Damon needs a day off? What happens if someone gets hurt? If we could be guaranteed Joe would use Bernie solely as a PH, we wouldn't mind seeing him back. Given Bernie's veteranitude is off the charts, we believe Torre will play #51 much more than he should...and that isn't good for the Yankees.
Time
to say goodbye to Bernie Williams.
NoMaas offseason idea #2
Yeah, we know. His crappy range and crappy arm are made up for by his quick reactions and release -- Whatever. Melky Cabrera was rated the #1 defensive outfielder in the system until Brett Gardner and Jose Tabata came along for a reason, and shows better range in virtually every fielding statistic. In addition, he’s going to be 22 next year, and may still be improving as a fielder. Matsui is 32, and 32 year-olds do not get better in the field. The opposite happens.
So, by putting Matsui in a position where less athleticism is required, we decrease the defensive damage he can inflict on the Yankees. Furthermore, this gets Jason Giambi off the field, where he struggles to stay healthy and is one of the worst fielders in MLB. Matsui will have an entire off-season to learn first base, and I think we all know we do not have to worry about him putting in the necessary effort to learn the position.
10.22.2006 Bonzai
NoMaas offseason idea #1
We're definitely not the first people to bring his name up, but we're fans of Daisuke Matsuzaka.
He's 26 years old, has a plus fastball, and has put up excellent numbers in Japan. He also has an array of other pitches, some of which have mind-boggling movement. It is rumored he throws a gyroball, although Matsuzaka says he does not. Regardless, check this out.
The knock on Matsuzaka is he's thrown a ton of innings for someone his age. He's played Japanese pro ball for 8 years, and has already registered 1,402 innings. However, this could prove his durability as an innings-eater.
Here are some career numbers:
8.70
K/9 (9.10 K/9 over the past 3 seasons)
2.70
K:BB
7.07
Hits/9
0.72
HR/9
2.95
ERA
He was also named MVP in the World Baseball Classic. Here's a clip of him pitching in the championship game versus Cuba.
He's definitely a better option than other free-agent pitchers available, including Barry Zito.
