Tagged: Kevin Correia
McCann’s RBI Double Hands Tanaka 8th Victory
GAME 54
YANKEES 3, TWINS 1
When a hitter has a chance to deliver a big hit in a key situation and he fails, most times they can’t wait for a shot at redemption. That is exactly how Brian McCann felt as he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning on Saturday.
This time he delivered.
McCann slapped a double down the right-field line with one out to score Jacoby Ellsbury from third to break a 1-1 tie as rookie Masahiro Tanaka and New York went on to defeat Minnesota in front of a paid crowd of 44,346 on a rainy afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
McCann came up in the first inning with the bases loaded and one out and right-hander Kevin Correia induced him to hit into an inning-ending double play. So the veteran All-Star catcher was more than anxious to give Tanaka and the Yankees a lead.
Tanaka (8-1) gave up an unearned run on just four hits and two walks while he struck out nine over eight innings to earn the victory. Tanaka entered the game leading the American League in ERA and he lowered that league-leading mark on Saturday from 2.29 to 2.06.
David Robertson pitched around an error, one of three the Yankees committed in the game, and he struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 12th save in 13 chances this season.
With one out in the eighth, Ellsbury stroked a single to center off left-hander Brian Duensing (1-2) to extend his hitting streak to five games. He then stole second and took third when catcher Josmil Pinto’s throw to second rolled into center.
Brian Roberts drew a walk and McCann followed by slashing 0-1 pitch into the right-field corner to score Ellsbury and advance Roberts to third. Alfonso Soriano was walked to load the bases and the skies, which had been spouting rain throughout most of the day, opened up into a deluge and the game was delayed by rain for 34 minutes.
After the delay, right-hander Jared Burton replaced Duensing on the mound and he got on a infield popup Yangervis Solarte, who had accounted for the Yankees’ only run of the game prior to the eighth with his sixth home run of the season off Correia in the fourth inning.
Kelly Johnson then provided the Yankees an insurance run when he was able to leg out a ground ball to second baseman Brian Dozier for an RBI single that scored Roberts.
Errors, both physical and mental, plagued the Yankees most of the day and Johnson’s error in the first inning set the tone for it.
Dozier hit the first pitch from Tanaka to Johnson at third but the ball ticked off his glove for an error. Dozier then advanced to second on a one of two wild pitches Tanaka uncorked on the day.
Eduardo Escobar advanced Dozier to third with a groundout and, one out later, Josh Willingham plated him with an opposite-field single to right.
Though Solarte tied it in the fourth, the Yankees were unable to get any offense going against Correia, who entered the game with a 2-5 record and an ERA of 6.34, the worst ERA among all major-league starters this season.
The Yankees squandered a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the first on McCann’s double play. Brendan Ryan also hit into an inning-ending double play in the second with two on and one out.
In the sixth, McCann was on second with two out when Solarte slapped a lined single into right. Though third-base coach Rob Thomson smartly held McCann at third, Solarte attempted to take second on right-field Oswaldo Arcia’s throw to the plate. But Pinto cut down Solarte with a perfect throw to Escobar at second base.
As a result, Correia yielded just the one run despite being touched for nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts in six innings.
In Friday’s loss to the Twins, the Yankees managed just one run on seven hits and four walks in seven innings against right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who entered the game with an ERA of 6.12, the second-worst ERA in the American League to his teammate Correia.
The victory improves the Yankees’ season ledger to 29-25. They are in second place in the American League East 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays. The Twins dropped to 25-28.
PINSTRIPE POSITIVES
- With the Yankees struggling to score runs, Tanaka needed to pitch a near-flawless game and he did. The Yankees are 9-2 in his starts and he now has struck out 88 batters in 78 2/3 innings. The Twins managed just four singles. Two of them were infield singles and none of the four singles were hit hard. Without McCann’s hit Tanaka was headed for a very frustrating no decision. He deserved to win this game.
- McCann may be starting to get out of the hitting doldrums. He was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and with what proved to be the game-winning hit. He now has at least one hit in his past four games and he is 6-for-15 (.400) in that span. That has raised his season average to .232, which is as high as it has been since April 29.
- Solarte had fallen into a 7-for-47 (.149) tailspin from May 15 through May 28. Now Solarte is getting hot again. After not starting in the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Solarte was 3-for-4 on Saturday and is 5-for-8 (.625) in the two games against the Twins. After his average dipped to .283 he is now back to.299.
NAGGING NEGATIVES
- After a solid April in which he hit .247 with four homers and 10 RBIs, Soriano has been virtually useless in May. Soriano was 0-for-3 with a strikeout on Saturday and he is now 4-for-30 (.133) in his past 12 games dating back to May 18. Soriano also dropped a routine fly ball off the bat of Dozier in the third inning for an error. Soriano leads the team in strikeouts with 52 in 179 at-bats.
- Bad base-running continues to plague the Yankees in this series against the Twins. Solarte’s base-running blunder brings the Yankees to four runners cut down on the basepaths in the past two games. On Friday, Derek Jeter was caught in a rundown after rounding first base too far. Roberts later in the game was thrown out at the plate by Arcia and he also was caught stealing after taking too big a lead at first. This just has to stop. Period!
- Johnson, Soriano and Solarte were also charged with errors in the game. Three errors in a close game can be very costly. Asking Tanaka to pitch around errors is asking an awful lot, even for a pitcher of Tanaka’s ability. Mental and physical errors seem to be spreading through the team like a virus. The team needs to stop pressing in the field, at the plate and on the bases.
BOMBER BANTER
Mark Texeira left the game in the sixth inning with a recurrence of the soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist. The Gold-Glove first baseman was administered a cortisone injection and he will miss at least the next two games, the Yankees told reporters after the game. Teixeira, 33, had missed three games and rested on the off day Thursday before returning to the lineup on Friday. He was 0-for-1 with a strikeout and three walks in that game. He struck out with the bases loaded in the first inning and grounded out in the third on Saturday before leaving in the sixth in favor of Roberts, who was 0-for-1 with a strikeout and a walk. . . . Right-hander Michael Pineda’s timetable to return to the roster from the disabled list has hit a setback. Pineda, 24, is feeling more discomfort in a muscle behind his right shoulder and an outing for him in an intrasquad game scheduled for Sunday in Tampa, FL, has been postponed. Pineda felt pain playing catch on Friday and flew to New York to have an MRI on Saturday that revealed inflammation of the teres-major muscle behind his right shoulder. Manager Joe Girardi said Pineda will be shut down and it is not clear when he will be able to resume throwing.
ON DECK
The Yankees will have a chance to win the three-game series against the Twins with a victory on Sunday.
Rookie right-hander Chase Whitley (0-0, 2.57 ERA) will look for his first major-league victory in his fourth start. Whitley held the Cardinals to no runs in the first five innings before being charged with three runs in the sixth on Monday. Whitley yielded eight hits and no walks with two strikeouts. The Yankees ended up winning the game and they are now 3-0 in games Whitley has started.
The Twins will start former Yankee right-hander Phil Hughes (5-1, 3.23 ERA). Hughes did not receive a decision either in his last start against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. Hughes left after surrendering three runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts in seven innings. Hughes was 56-50 in seven seasons with the Yankees. He was 4-14 with a 5.19 ERA in 29 starts for the Yankees in 2014.
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast by the YES Network.
Tanaka Has Just Enough As Yankees Edge Twins
GAME 26
YANKEES 5, TWINS 4
Sometimes the difference between good pitchers and great pitchers is how great pitchers deal with the fact that they do not have their best stuff that given day. Masahiro Tanaka proved on Saturday he can succeed on a day when he does not have command of his pitches.
Tanaka (1-0) yielded three runs on five hits and a walk and struck out six in 5 2/3 innings and the Yankees scored four runs in the fourth inning to back him up as New York won its seven straight Grapefruit League game by edging Minnesota in front of a record crowd of 9.298 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, FL.
The Twins got to Tanaka in the bottom of the first when Brian Dozier led off with a double, he advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a RBI groundout by Joe Mauer.
Trailing 4-1 in the sixth, the Twins scored two more runs off Tanaka when Kurt Suzuki singled, Josh Willingham was hit by a pitch, Jason Kubel stroked an RBI double to score Suzuki and Trevor Plouffe scored Willingham on a groundout.
That ended Tanaka’s afternoon and relievers Fred Lewis, David Herndon, Shane Greene and Yoshinori Tateyama held the Twins to one hit and one run the rest of the way.
Despite giving up a solo home run to Eduardo Escobar in the ninth inning, Tateyama was credited with a save.
The Yankees managed only one hit in the first three innings off Twins right-hander Kevin Correia (1-2). But they sent nine men to the plate and scored four runs off him in the fourth.
After loading the bases with one out by hitting Francisco Cervelli with a pitch, Correia unloaded a wild pitch allowing Eduardo Nunez to score the tying run. Scott Sizemore, in the same at-bat, followed with a two-run single to score Kelly Johnson and Cervelli.
Zelous Wheeler capped the inning one out later by drilling an RBI double that scored Sizemore.
The Yankees added what was an insurance run in the seventh off reliever Anthony Swarzak. But it ended up being the game-deciding run.
Zoilo Almonte led off the frame with a double and Wheeler followed with a single. One batter later, Raybell Herrera, a catcher who was added to the traveling squad and was making his first plate appearance of the spring, slapped an RBI single that scored Almonte.
With the victory, the Yankees improved their spring record to 15-9-2. The Twins are 7-12.
PINSTRIPE POSITIVES
- Though Tanaka was far from dominant, he did show that he could pitch his way out of trouble and limit the damage. He held the Twins to just the one run in the first after the leadoff double. With the bases loaded and two out in the third inning, he retired Willingham on a fly ball to left. There were stretches in his outing where he retired six and seven batters in a row, respectively. The bottom line is held the lead when he got it and he got credit for the victory.
- Sizemore, 29, is trying to make the Yankees’ roster after suffering two straight seasons in which he had to undergo surgery to repair ligament tears in the same right knee. He also is not likely to make the roster as a backup infielder because he needs to more reps in the minors. But he did come through a clutch two-run single in the fourth. Sizemore is 4-for-5 (.267) on the spring.
- Wheeler, 27, is also trying to make the team as a backup infielder and he also can play the corner outfield spots. He was 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI. Wheeler is now 11-for-32 (.344) with seven doubles and six RBIs in 20 games. But Wheeler also is not likely to make the team because Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte are playing well and are ahead of him.
NAGGING NEGATIVES
Considering the Yankees brought only two starters (Brett Gardner and Johnson), the fact that Tanaka was not at his best and the Twins were a determined bunch, the Yankees found a way to win. Every team has days like this and the Yankees proved they could adapt. There is nothing wrong with that.
BOMBER BANTER
Cervelli took an absolute beating in the game. The 28-year-old backup took two foul tips to the groin and was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Correia in the fourth inning. Cervelli, however, remained in the game until he was replaced by Jose Gil in the seventh inning. . . . The Yankees won a crucial replay challenge in the third inning that ended up helping them win the game. With Aaron Hicks on first after a leadoff single, Pedro Florimon at the plate and no outs, Hicks attempted to steal second. As Florimon swung at strike three, Cervelli threw a perfect strike to Sizemore at second. Hicks, however, stopped his right foot in the baseline and swung his left foot onto the base as Sizemore swept his right leg with the tag. Umpire Marvin Hudson ruled Hicks was safe. Manager Joe Girardi got word that Hicks was tagged on the right shin by Sizemore and he challenged the call. Within two minutes the call was reversed. Had the call stood the play would have changed the outcome because the Twins ended up loading the bases.
ON DECK
The Yankees will come back to George M. Steinbrenner Field on Sunday to play host to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees will start 25-year-old right-hander Michael Pineda, who has a chance to nail down the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation. Pineda (2-0) has not allowed a run in nine innings in three starts, giving up just eight hits and walk while striking out 14.
The Blue Jays will counter with veteran left-hander Mark Buehrle (0-1, 3.60 ERA), who will be celebrating his 35th birthday.
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network and locally by the YES Network.
CC Tosses 7 Scoreless As Yanks Win 6th Straight
GAME 25
YANKEES 4, PIRATES 0
TAMPA – After CC Sabathia ended the 2013 season with a disappointing 14-13 record and 4.78 ERA he vowed he would be better in 2014. Judging by his past two spring starts, he is well on his way to delivering on that promise.
Sabathia (2-1) threw seven shutout innings and fanned seven Pirates as New York went on to blank Pittsburgh 4-0 on Friday in front of a paid crowd of 10,890 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The slimmed-down left-hander gave up only four hits and a walk while stretching his current scoreless inning streak to 13. In his past two starts, Sabathia has yielded no runs on four hits and one walk while striking out 12 in 12 innings.
The Yankees handed Sabathia all the runs he really needed in the first two innings against right-hander Edinson Volquez (0-3).
Brian McCann started it with a two-out RBI double in the first and Carlos Beltran later scored on a wild pitch. Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter each delivered RBI groundouts in the second as the Yankees touched Volquez for four runs on five hits and two walks in five innings.
The Yankees backed Sabathia’s strong outing with four double plays and two of them came from McCann.
The seven-time All-Star catcher nailed Josh Harrison attempting to steal as Andrew McCutchen struck out in the first. Then in the third inning he did it again as Harrison struck out and he threw out Robert Andino.
The Yankees have now won six consecutive Grapefruit League contests and they outscored their opponents 36-7, with three of the victories coming via shutout.
The Yankees’ spring record is now 14-9-2. The Pirates fell to 11-9.
PINSTRIPE POSITIVES
- Sabathia arrived in camp more than 30 pounds slimmer and determined to regain his ace status despite reduced velocity on his fastball. This spring he has sort of reinvented himself much like Andy Pettitte had to do when he lost velocity on his fastball. For those who were ready to shovel dirt on Sabathia’s career may be in for a huge surprise. Sabathia has always been more of a pitcher than a thrower so he can adapt at age 33.
- When McCann signed a free-agent contract the Yankees knew they were getting one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. Though he is solid defensively, the weakest part of his game has been his throwing. On Friday, he looked every bit as good as Russell Martin and Chris Stewart. McCann’s spring batting average is now .235, but that is misleading. Even McCann’s outs are hit hard and the ball jumps off his bat. The Yankees might have found the perfect successor to Jorge Posada.
- Very quietly Brian Roberts has been getting better this spring. After a slow start, he is hitting .290 with his 1-for-3 night on Friday. Roberts has to prove he can remain healthy but his last season like that was 2009 with the Baltimore Orioles. That year all Roberts did was score 110 runs, blast 16 home runs, drive in 79 runs, hit 56 doubles, steal 30 bases and bat .283. The Yankees don’t expect that kind of production but don’t be surprised if he gets near those numbers.
NAGGING NEGATIVES
The Yankees have had their best week of the spring. The pitching has been magnificent. The starting lineup is beginning to hit and even the defense and the bullpen have been good. No need to dwell on any negatives here.
BOMBER BANTER
Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury tested his sore right calf on Friday by running on grass and he possibly could return to action as early as Tuesday. That would give Ellsbury five games before the season begins on April 1 in Houston. Ellsbury was the only starter not in the lineup on Friday. . . . Jeter played seven innings on Friday despite the fact he fouled two balls off his surgically repaired left ankle. Jeter told reporters after the game that he was fine. He said the ankle was sore but he hopes to be ready to play on Sunday. Jeter was not scheduled to play on Saturday. . . . MRIs taken on backup infielder Brendan Ryan indicate a pinched nerve in his upper back and it is almost certain that he will begin the season on the disabled list. Ryan has not played in a game since March 4. He was scheduled to start on Thursday in Fort Myers against the Boston Red Sox. But during infield drills, Ryan’s upper back stiffened and he had to be scratched. To replace Ryan on the roster, manager Joe Girardi told reporters that he will pick two players from among Eduardo Nunez, Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte. . . . Prior to the start of the game on Friday the Yankees infielder Greg Bird and right-handed pitcher Shane Greene were named winners of the 2013 Kevin Lawn Award as the Yankees’ minor-league “Player of the Year” and “Pitcher of the Year,” respectively. Bird, 21, batted .288 with 36 doubles, 20 home runs and 84 RBIs in 130 games with the Class-A Charleston RiverDogs. Greene, 25, played for both Class-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton, posting a 12-10 record with a 3.38 ERA over 27 appearances (26 starts). . . . Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins threw out the ceremonial first pitch for Friday’s game. Marino threw a strike to Posada, who is in camp as a special instructor.
ON DECK
The Yankees make the long trek to Fort Myers on Saturday to face the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium.
The Yankees have selected Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 1.93 ERA) to make his third start of the spring. Gardner, Francisco Cervelli and Kelly Johnson are expected to make the trip.
The Twins will counter with right-hander Kevin Correia (1-1, 6.00 ERA).
Game-time will be 1:05 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast nationally by the MLB Network.
Yankees Finally Part Ways With Good And Bad A.J.
When Gerald Ford assumed the presidency from a resigned Richard Nixon on Aug. 9, 1974 he told the American people in a nationally televised address that “our long national nightmare is over.”
Well, on Feb. 17, 2012 I am hear to tell Yankee Universe that our own “national nightmare” is indeed over.
The New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates have tentatively reached agreement on a deal that would send enigmatic 35-year-old right-hander A.J. Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for two minor leaguers and $13 million in cash.
The deal has not been officially announced and it still would require the approval of Commissioner Bud Selig because of the amount of cash involved. But the fact that the Pirates have released the names of the two players the Yankees are acquiring in the deal is proof that the negotiations are down to one last detail: The payment schedule on the $13 million the Pirates will pay the Yankees.
Burnett is in the fourth year of a five-year, $82 million contract he signed with the Yankees in 2009. The Yankees have insisted in their trade talks with the Pirates that they would have to assume some of the roughly $33 million still owed Burnett over the next two seasons.
In addition to the $13 million the Pirates have agreed to pay, the Yankees will receive 25-year-old right-handed reliever Diego Moreno and 20-year-old outfielder Exicardo Cayones. Both players are natives of Venezuela.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Moreno is entering his sixth season in the minors and was a combined 2-4 with a 3.63 ERA in 41 games with Class-A Bradenton in the Florida State League and Double-A Altoona in the Eastern League.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Cayones is entering his fourth minor-league season and hit a combined .228 with no home runs and 12 RBIs between the Pirates’ Class A Gulf League team and Class-A State College in the New York-Penn League.
Neither Moreno or Cayones are listed among the Pirates’ Top 20 prospects rated by MLB. com.
The main reason the Yankees are unloading Burnett without much in return is because he has been a disappointment during his three years in pinstripes and huge salary is a albatross around the Yankees’ necks. Burnett was a combined 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA in stint with the Yankees. His average of 3.98 walks per nine innings was second in the American League and fifth in the major leagues, according to STATS, LLC.
Burnett also became expendable when the Yankees traded catcher Jesus Montero and right-handed pitcher Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for 23-year-old right-hander Michael Pineda and 19-year-old right-hander Jose Campos. The Yankees then added to their rotation by signing former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $10 million contract.
That left Burnett, 25-year-old right-hander Phil Hughes and 35-year-old right-hander Freddy Garcia left to compete for the No. 5 spot in a Yankee rotation that already boasted ace left-hander CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova, who was 16-7 in his rookie season,
The Yankees were basically seeking some salary relief from the Pirates in order to sign a designated hitter and a backup infielder for the 2012 season.
The Yankees seem to be most interested in 39-year-old left-hand-hitting outfielder Raul Ibanez to pair with 34-year-old right-hand-hitting outfielder Andruw Jones in a platoon at designated hitter. Ibanez, a free agent, has told the Yankees he would willing to sign a contract for less money in order to play with a playoff contender.
Ibanez hit .245 with 20 home runs and 84 RBIs with the Phillies last season but he hit only .211 against left-handers. He hit .256 with 16 home runs and 60 RBIs against right-handers.
If the Yankees fail to sign Ibanez they have two left-handed-hitting options at DH in former Yankees Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, who are also free agents.
The Yankees also would like to re-sign 34-year-old backup corner infielder Eric Chavez, who hit .263 with two home runs and 26 RBIs in 58 games with the Yankees last season.
Once the deal for Burnett is complete and approved by the commissioner, the Yankees expect to act quickly to sign Chavez and one of the free agent DHs.
As for Burnett, the Yankee front office, teammates and fans alike will shake their heads on how a pitcher with such unhittable stuff could pitch so poorly for such a good offensive team like the Yankees.
When he was signed, Burnett was looked upon as the No. 2 starter behind fellow free agent Sabathia for the next five years. They both delivered a world championship in 2009 when Burnett was 13-9 with a 4.04 ERA.
But Burnett will be best remembered for rescuing the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series against the Phillies after Cliff Lee had bested Sabathia in Game 1. Burnett threw a spectacular seven innings and evened the series the Yankees eventually won in six games.
Unfortunately is was mostly downhill from there. Burnett was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA in 2010. In 2011, the Yankees hired pitching coach Larry Rothschild largely on the basis of his proposed fixes to help Burnett get back on track. However, Burnett was 11-11 with a 5.15 after Rothschild tinkered with his delivery.
Burnett also was embroiled in some odd incidents. He cut his finger on his pitching hand angrily trying to open a clubhouse door. He arrived for a start in 2010 sporting a black eye that he refused to explain. He also had an clubhouse run-in with Joe Girardi after he left a start in Minnesota last August.
Burnett also had to deal with a loss in velocity on his fastball, which had made him more hittable.
With the Pirates, Burnett likely will become a co-ace with free-agent left-hander Eric Bedard in a rotation that also includes Kevin Correia, James McDonald and former Yankee Jeff Karstens. The Pirates’ right-hander Charlie Morton is recovering from left hip surgery and he is not expected to be able to pitch when the season starts.
In Pittsburgh, Burnett will face less pressure to win and less expectations to succeed than he did with the Yankees.
Though the Yankees and their fans will forever miss “Good A.J.” and his post-game celebratory pies in the face in walk-off victories, those same people will not miss the inevitable unraveling of “Bad A.J.” on the mound.
Speaking for Yankee fans, thanks A.J. for 2009 and good luck in trying to get back on track in the National League.
Pirates Offering $10 Million To Obtain Burnett
The trade talks concerning pitcher A.J. Burnett between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees are apparently continuing through the weekend, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The talks reportedly no longer include first baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones.
The Pirates seem to be more willing to keep the 30-year-old Jones, who is projected to be their starting first baseman against right-hand pitching, and the team prefers to pay more money towards the 35-year-old Burnett’s $33 million salary over the next two seasons.
CBS Sports reported that the Pirates would be willing to assume $10 million ($5 million per season) of the $33 million Burnett is owed as part of a five-year, $82 million contract the right-hander signed with the Yankees in 2009.
That would be good news to the Yankees, who are looking to open up some salary room in order to sign a left-handed-hitting DH from among a group of free agents that includes former Yankees Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui and former Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez.
The Pirates have been openly trying to add to their rotation this winter, having made a three-year contract offer to free-agent right-hander Edwin Jackson, who subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals.
Burnett’s role as a starter was left in question this winter when the Yankees traded with the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Michael Pineda and signed former Los Angeles Dodgers Hiroki Kuroda as a free agent.
Burnett was 11-11 with 5.15 ERA with the Yankees last season but has made at least 32 starts in each of last four seasons and he carries a career strikeout rate of 8.2 per nine innings.
The Pirates seem to be set with five starters that include former Yankee Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia, Charlie Morton, James McDonald and newly signed left-hander Erik Bedard. However, Morton had surgery in October to repair a torn labrum in his left hip and he may not be ready for Opening Day. Karstens and Correia struggled last season with fatigue and a strained oblique, respectively.
Bedard, 32, has not started more than 28 games since the 2007 season due to a series of injuries.
Burnett does have a limited no-trade clause in his contract which precludes the Yankees from trading him to 10 teams, however, the Pirates are not among those teams.
Yankee fans might be disappointed somewhat that the Pirates are refusing to part with Jones because he could have been a valuable backup at first base and the corner outfield spots as well as been the left-hand part of platoon at DH with Andruw Jones.
However, the money the Pirates are offering would be enough for the Yankees to make an offer to sign a free agent to DH and the Yankees would be rid of Burnett, who has been unable to harness his great stuff consistently enough to be successful with the Yankees the past two seasons.
STAY TUNED
Burnett Could Be On His Way To Trade To Pirates
If the reports and rumors are true the New York Yankees soon might finally be rid of starter A.J. Burnett.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Pirates have inquired about the 35-year-old right-hander and a deal could be in the works.
If the reporta are true, Burnett would be a perfect fit for the Bucs. Burnett would join a Pirate rotation that includes former Yankee Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia, Charlie Morton, John McDonald and Erik Bedard.
Bunrett was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA and it was his second consecutive season with the Yankees in which he posted an ERA above 5.00. He is 34-35 in his 98 starts overs three seasons with the Yankees.
The Yankees recently added 23-year-old right-hander Michael Pineda and 37-year-old right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a rotation that includes ace left-hander CC Sabathia and right-hander Ivan Nova, who was 16-4 in his rookie season. The Yankees said that Burnett will have to battle 25-year-old right-hander Phil Hughes and 35-year-old right-hander Freddy Garcia for the fifth spot in the rotation.
Burnett is currently owed $33 million on the two years left on his contract and the Yankees reportedly have offered to pay about $8 million of it. However, the Pirates may be looking to the Yankees to pay more toward that contract in order to accept a deal.
The Yankees would like to clear salary room in order to sign a left-handed-hitting designated hitter from among a group of free agents that includes former Yankees Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui and former Phillie outfielder Raul Ibanez. The Yankees would also like to re-sign veteran backup infielder Eric Chavez.
The Yankees are not likely looking for a player currently likely to make the Pirates 25-man roster in return. They probably are looking at obtaining some minor-league prospects in general manager Brian Cashman’s effort to stock the Yankees’ minor-league system.
So Yankee fans who are thinking the Pirates will trade former Yankee outfielder Jose Tabata or star center-fielder Andrew McCutcheon for Burnett are dreaming. The Pirates will be looking to keep their young stars on the roster but might part with a prospect or two that could help the Yankees down the road.
STAY TUNED
A-Rod Continues Torrid Spring Assault As Yankees Roll
- Even Rodriguez’s outs are hit hard. After his two-run home run, Rodriguez lined out sharply to right-fielder Garrett Jones in the fourth and his scorched grounder in the sixth was flagged down deep in the hole by shortstop Ronny Cedeno and it took a spectacular throw from shallow left to nail him at first.
- Newcomer Chris Dickerson made an immediate impression with his new team. He started in left-field and was 3-for-3, including an RBI single in the fourth to score Nick Swisher and stretch the Yankee lead to 3-1. Unfortunately, Dickerson had to leave the game after his third hit in the seventh inning. He complained of cramping and spasms in his left hamstring. He will be re-evaluated on Sunday.
- Swisher is finding his stroke late in spring. He contributed two hits and scored a run. His spring average is now at .250 after struggling at the plate earlier while recovering from a shoulder injury.
- Ayala, a former major leaguer who is a non-roster invitee, is going to be a tough cut this spring. His ERA is 0.84.
- Though Banuelos got credit for the victory, he did not pitch a very sharp three innings. He gave up two hits, walked three and threw 28 balls in 57 pitches. To his credit, he was not hit hard. But he will have to learn to get his breaking pitches over more consistently.
- The Pirates teed off on Mariano Rivera, Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain for six hits in 2 2/3 innings but only managed one run off Soriano in the fifth on a Neil Walker sacrifice fly.
- Jorge Posada may want to brush up on the baseball rule book. In the fourth inning, Posada was on second and Dickerson was on first with one out when Eduardo Nunez hit an infield pop-up. By rule, Nunez was automatically called out and the runners choose advance on their own. Pirates catcher Jason Jaramillo lost the ball and it dropped behind him in fair territory. Posada chose to run to third and he was nailed in a double play when Jaramillo fired the ball to third baseman Pedro Alvarez for the easy tag.
- You hate to point out the lack of offense but it is there. Other than Rodriguez, Swisher and Dickerson, the Yankees got two hits from reserves. Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Posada and Eduardo Nunez were a combined 0-for-14.
Colon, 4 Others Fan 16 As Yankees Power Past Pirates
- Colon, 37, looked sensational in the first inning when he struck out the side on just 12 pitches. He was touched for two runs in the second on a sac fly by Steve Pearce and an RBI single by Chris Snyder. Colon has given up three runs in nine innings this spring.
- Russell Martin started the Yankees offense by blasting his first home run of the spring in the first inning. Martin went 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.
- Andruw Jones finally connected for his first spring home run. His opposite-field blast off Charlie Morton closed out the scoring for the Yankees. Jones is batting .211 this spring and has struck out five times in his 19 at-bats.
- Rafael Soriano made his spring debut in the fifth inning and pitched a scorelss frame, giving up a single and striking out one.
- The Manny Banuelos Legend continues. The 19-year-old phenom lefty struck three batters in two innings. But the way he pitched through adversity in the eighth was the story. He hit Chase d’Arnaud with a pitch and Josh Fields singled. After a line out moved d’Arnaud to third, Fields stole second. So protecting a 4-2 lead with two on and one out, Banuelos fanned Andrew Lambo and Garrett Atkins to end the threat.
- The Yankees have been very aggressive on the bases, which is a good thing. However, against the Pirates they ran into some outs being aggressive. In the fourth inning, Melky Mesa was thrown out by Snyder attempting to steal. In the ninth inning Eduardo Nunez singled and stole second but was thrown out from right-field by Lambo trying to take third on a fly ball out.
- Justin Maxwell and Melky Mesa were the only two starters not to contribute a hit in the game. They were a combined 0-for-5 with a walk
Bottom of the Ninth 