Joel Sherman's Hardball

Joel Sherman's Hardball

VIDEO: Joel Sherman on K-Rod, Mets

June 21, 2011 , ι NYPOST.COM

Post baseball columnist Joel Sherman and Mark Hale discuss the Mets' options for closer Francisco Rodriguez and the team's season so far.The financially troubled team must make decisions on Carlos... Read on

Post baseball columnist Joel Sherman and Mark Hale discuss the Mets' options for closer Francisco Rodriguez and the team's season so far.
	 
The financially troubled team must make decisions on Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes as it remains in contention for the NL Wild Card.
	 
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3UP: K-Rod, Alderson, Jeter

June 20, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. In Sunday’s Post I wrote this Hardball column about the Mets’ dilemma over whether to be buyers, sellers or stand pat as the trade deadline approaches. I received a lot of interesting feedback... Read on

1. In Sunday’s Post I wrote this Hardball
	 column about the Mets’ dilemma over whether to be buyers, sellers or stand pat as the trade deadline approaches. I received a lot of interesting feedback from executives and scouts offering various ways for the Mets to handle the deadline. There was just one universal feeling offered and it was this: Francisco Rodriguez must not be allowed to vest his $17.5 million contract for next year.
	 
A quick refresher on this oft-discussed topic: If Rodriguez finishes 55 games this year, his 2012 option becomes guaranteed for $17.5 million, which would be $2.5 million more than any closer has made in any season. K-Rod currently is among the league leaders with 27 games finished, which puts him on pace for 61 games finished this year.
	 
Terry Collins has consistently said no one from upper management has ordered him to avoid using K-Rod to finish games whenever possible. And, of course, the Players Association is scrutinizing this because the union would believe it would have grounds for a grievance if suddenly Rodriguez was not being used as in the past just as a way to dodge paying the option.
	 
Mets officials have always tried to downplay the significance of K-Rod’s contract for next year. The team structured his three-year, $37 million deal so he received $8.5 million in 2009 so that the Mets could have extra money to add J.J. Putz. They put a $3.5 million buyout on the end rather than pay K-Rod $12 million in the first year.
	 
So Rodriguez will either vest at $17.5 million or receive a $3.5 million buyout. In the Mets’ minds, because they owe him that $3.5 million no matter what, they have always thought of Rodriguez’s salary for next year as $14 million.
	 
I have never accepted that logic when it has been offered to me. But even if I did, the Mets would be ill served to even have Rodriguez at $14 million on next year’s ledger. There is no doubt their payroll is coming down from the $140 million-plus range. There are those around the sport who think the Wilpons are financially constrained to the point the payroll will be close to $75 million in 2012. The consensus when I ask is more in the $100 million to $115 million range.
	 
Either way, the Mets will not want a smaller piece of overall pay to be eaten up significantly by their closer. It will constrain what they can do with more limited funds, including potentially re-signing Jose Reyes. And it does not fit where the sport has been heading in recent years as, in general, closers have not found big money.
	 
So the recommendation offered widely by outside executives is that the Mets must do anything to get Rodriguez off their roster without vesting.
	 
”I would pay every cent of that contract including the buyout to make him more attractive in a trade,” an NL executive said. “It is a sunk cost already. They are committed to all of that money. They have to make sure not to be committed to the $17.5 million next year. That would be a killer for them.”
	 
There seemed to be a feeling that if the Mets were willing to make Rodriguez’s contract more reasonable, they could find a taker who would use Rodriguez as a setup man down the stretch, so they get the arm without being put into jeopardy of having him get the games-finished total that would trigger the option for the acquiring team’s payroll in 2012. Rodriguez probably would not like such a deal, but he would have to be on his best behavior with free agency beckoning in the offseason.
	 
Mets officials were surprised as of late last week that the Yankees and Red Sox had shown no interest in K-Rod as a set-up man. But if the Mets were willing to eat major dollars, maybe that would change, and I could see the Tigers, Rangers, White Sox and Cardinals being intrigued. In the cases of the White Sox (Sergio Santos) and Cardinals (Fernando Salas), they are going with inexperienced closers, so they could potentially obtain K-Rod, and once it is clear he no longer has a chance to reach 55 games finished, they could use him to close or close in tandem down the stretch.
	 
2. It also became obvious in talking to outside executives that Sandy Alderson is well-equipped to deal with a landscape as tricky as the one where the Mets find themselves. Mets officials have told me that Alderson already is implementing strategies for buying, selling or standing pat. Omar Minaya had strengths as a head of baseball operations, but one was not having the ability to orchestrate multiple scenarios and also explain and sell them well throughout the organization.
	 
Alderson definitely could use for the Mets to declare themselves in a better fashion as contenders or pretenders. My thought has always been that this team is not good enough to truly challenge for a playoff spot and that anything that slows down the engine of trying to assemble the next strong Mets club was foolhardy. But I do see how business considerations play into this. Mets fans have been infuriated by what has happened on and off the field with this organization in recent years, and that was clearly hitting into attendance figures and overall passion for the franchise. But, slowly, the fans were showing some renewed interest/pleasure with this particular team. And to break it up could have a financial implication that hurts future teams as much as not turning Carlos Beltran or Jose Reyes into the right group of prospects.
	 
So Alderson is going to have to be nimble in how he moves forward and also in how he sells whatever he plans to do. And, again, I keep coming back to K-Rod as a key because it so impacts next year’s team.
	 
I keep wondering if it is possible for Alderson to obtain a co-closer that would allow the Mets to limit K-Rod’s games finished. Obviously, the Mets are not going to give up big prospects to get someone (San Diego’s Heath Bell). But could they try to obtain Florida’s Leo Nunez.
	 
Perhaps as a way to show the fans they are serious about continuing to try to win this year the Mets could deal K-Rod to avoid the 2012 option, then obtain a closer-type (Nunez). Again, Alderson is going to have to be able to play a lot of hands at once this trade season.
	 
3. Who would have ever thought that one day the argument to keep Derek Jeter as the full-time, no-questions-asked Yankees shortstop would be based on his defense?
	 
But that is where the debate is now shifting. Eduardo Nunez has shown a bit of electricity in his bat, the kind that has been missing from Jeter’s for most of the past season and a half. But Nunez is erratic in the field. Jeter has long been under attack for his lack of range defensively. But he is superbly sure-handed for what he can reach with an accurate arm. Is low-impact offense and steady-but-unspectacular defense and, of course, legacy enough to keep Jeter playing shortstop in the large majority of games when he returns?
	 
Well, until he gets 3,000 hits, the guess would be he is leading off and playing shortstop.
	 
But Nunez at shortstop and Brett Gardner atop the lineup are making themselves, at the least, intriguing

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3UP: Jeter, Kuroda, Gordon

June 15, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. I wrote this column in today’s Post about how the Yankees could be getting a blessing in disguise with the minimum, 15-day absence of Derek Jeter, who is now on the DL with a calf strain.Jeter was... Read on

1. I wrote this
	 columnin today’s Post about how the Yankees could be getting a blessing in disguise with the minimum, 15-day absence of Derek Jeter, who is now on the DL with a calf strain.
	 
Jeter was a burden on the everyday lineup, made more so by the refusal of Joe Girardi to lower an icon to the eighth or ninth slot where he belongs these days. Remember, memories don’t play these games. The 2011 version of Jeter, like the 2010 version of Jeter, is mainly an out machine who every once in a while hits a single. There are few extra-base hits, little impact, negative clutch. He offers steady, but rather range-less defense. There is none of the live-wire athleticism associated with his prime. As much as his most ardent fans want to close their eyes and pretend he is offering something special, he is not. He turns 37 in less than two weeks and age has robbed him of what was Hall-of-Fame greatness.
	 
But Girardi has been afraid to offend him in, say, the way the manager has dissed his pal, Jorge Posada, by dropping Posada in the lineup and out against left pitching. Jeter has retained a leadoff spot without any of the traditional leadoff attributes such as on-base acumen or elite speed, and there is no counterweight of at least he is giving power.
	 
So without the shadow of Jeter lurking and potentially sulking about jobs being taken away, the Yanks can now look at Eduardo Nunez at short and Brett Gardner atop the order for an extended period and see what they have. And what should also help the psyches of those trying to fill these shoes is this not Jeter circa 1999 or 2009. Nunez and Gardner can perform at league average and outdo the 2011 Jeter. But, obviously, the Yanks want to know if they have long-term answers. Gardner does have on-base skills and speed, but when given top-of-the-order responsibilities he has tended to fumble them in the past. Is he ready to assume this mantle, which would make it easier for Girardi to drop Jeter down in the lineup.
	 
In addition, it would go a long way to making Gardner more valuable to the Yanks and less likely to look for a replacement in July. The Yanks love Gardner’s defense in left and the energy he could bring to the lineup. And energy is an important issue here for Gardner and Nunez. Too often the Yanks play old and slow. There is a lot of life in the bodies of Gardner and Nunez. They can bring an important jolt to the lineup.
	 
You will get disparate reads on Nunez depending with whom you speak. There are organizations that think he is a ultilityman. But, for example, the Royals would not trade Zack Greinke to the Yanks unless Nunez would be put into the deal because Kansas City views him as having high-end shortstop potential.
	 
The Yanks definitely fit into that category, as well. If you remember, GM Brian Cashman refused to include Nunez in a package when Seattle walked away from an original deal for Cliff Lee. The Yanks are among many organizations that believe quality shortstop prospects at the highest level of the minors are rare these days, even more so than catching. Therefore, if you have one you need to treat it like gold. And the Yanks think Nunez is going to be a good everyday shortstop. They like that he does not rely specifically on outstanding tools, and is a worker, who is always out for early hitting, bunting or fielding. They also think that uninterrupted play will allow his abilities to flourish more than the erratic play so far this season.
	 
Nunez is certainly going to get that chance now.
	 
2. I asked an NL executive about the starting pitching market and he said something interesting: “The number of phone calls has picked up and if I were going to guess which team might try to jump the market, it would be the Dodgers. They just have so many financial problems that if they see a market for a Ted Lilly or a (Hiroki) Kuroda, I think they might go early just to make sure they can get rid of the dollars.”
	 
I tell you about this exchange because it is interesting, but also because Kuroda could be interesting to the Yankees. In the offseason, the Yanks put all of their emphasis on trying to sign Cliff Lee. But the two free-agent starters they had ranked after Lee were Kuroda and Jorge De La Rosa. The thing was that Lee stretched his decision to the point where De Le Rosa had gone back to the Rockies and Kuroda to the Dodgers. So the Yanks did not have the opportunity to pursue either after Lee spurned them to sign with the Phillies.
	 
But if Kuroda is available now and the Yanks believe that a true top-of-the-rotation type is not going to be available might they try to go after a good mid-rotation innings eater like Kuroda, who is on a one-year, $12 million pact, but has a complete no-trade clause?
	 
Remember, when the Yanks were considering Kuroda, neither Freddy Garcia nor Bartolo Colon were on the radar. Now both have pitched from good (Garcia) to very good (Colon) on favorable contracts. Kuroda is kind of like Garcia – a crafty righty who might have trouble with an elite lineup such as Boston’s. With Colon and Garcia, however, the Yanks have to be in constant fear of physical break down. Colon is on the DL right now with a hamstring injury, though multiple Yankee officials claim to me that he probably needed to miss just one start and the injury is not considered serious and that the DL stint was more big-picture precaution.
	 
3. The Yanks will officially sign righty Brian Gordon tomorrow. The righty was allowed to opt out of his minor league deal with the Phillies until June 15 and officially was to do that today. He might start tomorrow’s matinee against the Rangers.
	 
The Yanks had been pondering promoting either David Phelps or Adam Warren to be in consideration with Hector Noesi to make the start. But, instead, they decided to take a flyer on Gordon. They were concerned about making the debut of Phelps or Warren against Texas’ strong lineup, and potentially devaluing prospects that might not be quite ready for this forum. However, they also saw qualities in Gordon they liked. He was dominating the same International League that Phelps and Warren are competing in, going 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 12 games (nine starts). In his last three starts, he had struck out 31 in 19 2-3 innings.
	 
But don’t be fooled by the stats. Gordon is not overpowering. He is a 32-year-old converted outfielder who has been pitching since 2007. The three scouts I spoke to who have seen him this year likened him to Aarom Small and Dustin Moseley: A righty without tremendous stuff, but who commands what he has, does not get flustered and knows what he wants to do on the mound. The consensus was that he had a fastball in the 86-89 mph ranger that can be sneaky because he throws three other pitchers regularly. He changes speeds on his curve to keep hitters off-balanced. His change can be swing-and-miss on occasion. And he has a baby slider that he will show.
	 
One scout said Gordon had been mainly a mop-up man before this year and he did not think the Phillies were taking him seriously, adding “He shows some moxie in the minors and I think he has (fortitude), but piching in Yankee Stadium is a different thing. I think he will handle it. If he does, he has the kind of repertoire that can throw off a team that hasn’t seen him because there is a lot of variety at a lot of speeds.”
	 
The third scout also cited a lack of fear at Triple-A and said that Gordon’s history as a position player was helping him pitch because “he knows the psychology of the hitter, he knows what throws guys off from personal experience. You can see that for a conversion guy he has some aptitude. He knows what he is doing.”

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Yankees put Jeter on 15-day disabled list

June 14, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN and BRIAN COSTELLO

The Yankees have put shortstop Derek Jeter on the disabled list, delaying his chase for 3,000 career hits at least 15 days. Jeter was diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain after leaving Monday night’s... Read on

The Yankees have put shortstop Derek Jeter on the disabled list, delaying his chase for 3,000 career hits at least 15 days.
	 
Jeter was diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain after leaving Monday night’s loss to the Indians and can not play again until Wednesday, June 29.
	 
Prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium, Jeter said he would prefer not to go on the DL.
	 
"I'm still pleading my case," Jeter said. "If it was up to me, I'd rather not (go on the DL) ...
	 
"If they tell me it's 14 days, I'd rather not go on and be able to play the 14th day. But I don't know much about it," he added. "My opinion is if I'm able to play in four, five days, six, seven days, it's better than waiting 15."
	 
After the Rangers leave town Thursday, the Yankees play series at the Cubs and Reds.
	 
The 15-day stint on the disabled list would leave Jeter eligible to return June 29 for a home game against the Brewers that is followed by another before a weekend series against the Mets at Citi Field and a three-game trip to Cleveland.
	 
"I guess the timing wasn't very good. It's a little bit frustrating. But even I wasn't at this point I'd still be frustrated," Jeter said. "I don't like not to play. Whether it's going for 3,000 hits or 100 hits it doesn't make a difference to me. I'd rather be out there playing."
	 
The trips to play interleague games starting Friday could have forced the Yankees' hand. With no designated hitter, if Jeter were hindered at all, it would limit manager Joe Girardi’s options.
	 
Ramiro Pena is at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, a strong indicator Jeter could be headed for the DL. Eduardo Nunez is in the lineup at shortstop.
	 
Jeter left Monday's game after flying out in the fifth inning and limping to first base. In the third inning, he ran hard to first trying to beat out a ground ball and may have hurt himself then.
	 
"It was actually when I was coming off the field on defense. That's when it felt like it was a charley horse," Jeter said. "When I was on deck I was trying to stretch it out. I thought it was just a cramp or something.
	 
"I knew that something was wrong. I didn't think it was too serious because once I felt it I really didn't run very hard to first. I didn't want to take any chances."
	 
GAME PREVIEW
	 
Tuesday's Yankees lineup:
	 
Gardner LF
	 
Granderson CF
	 
Teixeira DH
	 
Rodriguez 3B
	 
Cano 2B
	 
Posada 1B
	 
Swisher RF
	 
Nunez SS
	 
Cervelli C
	 
Sabathia P
	 
With George A. King III

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Yankees put Jeter on 15-day disabled list

June 14, 2011 , ι By BRIAN COSTELLO

The Yankees have put shortstop Derek Jeter on the disabled list, delaying his chase for 3,000 career hits at least 15 days.
	 
Jeter was diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain after leaving Monday night’s loss to the Indians and can not play again until Wednesday, June 29.
	 
Prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium, Jeter said he would prefer not to go on the DL.
	 
"I'm still pleading my case," Jeter said. "If it was up to me, I'd rather not (go on the DL) ...
	 
"If they tell me it's 14 days, I'd rather not go on and be able to play the 14th day. But I don't know much about it," he added. "My opinion is if I'm able to play in four, five days, six, seven days, it's better than waiting 15."
	 
After the Rangers leave town Thursday, the Yankees play series at the Cubs and Reds.
	 
The 15-day stint on the disabled list leaves Jeter eligible to return June 29 for a home game against the Brewers that is followed by another before a weekend series against the Mets at Citi Field and a three-game trip to Cleveland.
	 
"I guess the timing wasn't very good. It's a little bit frustrating. But even I wasn't at this point I'd still be frustrated," Jeter said. "I don't like not to play. Whether it's going for 3,000 hits or 100 hits it doesn't make a difference to me. I'd rather be out there playing."
	 
The trips to play interleague games starting Friday could have forced the Yankees' hand. With no designated hitter, if Jeter were hindered at all, it would limit manager Joe Girardi’s options.
	 
Eduardo Nunez is in Tuesday's lineup at shortstop. Ramiro Pena will take Jeter's place on the roster.
	 
Jeter left Monday's game after flying out in the fifth inning and limping to first base. In the third inning, he ran hard to first trying to beat out a ground ball and may have hurt himself then.
	 
"It was actually when I was coming off the field on defense. That's when it felt like it was a charley horse," Jeter said. "When I was on deck I was trying to stretch it out. I thought it was just a cramp or something.
	 
"I knew that something was wrong. I didn't think it was too serious because once I felt it I really didn't run very hard to first. I didn't want to take any chances."
	 
GAME PREVIEW
	 
Tuesday's Yankees lineup:
	 
Gardner LF
	 
Granderson CF
	 
Teixeira DH
	 
Rodriguez 3B
	 
Cano 2B
	 
Posada 1B
	 
Swisher RF
	 
Nunez SS
	 
Cervelli C
	 
Sabathia P
	 
With George A. King III

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3UP: Reyes, Colon, Heat

June 13, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. In Sunday’s paper, I wrote this column about why I think signing Jose Reyes is a risk for the Mets, but not signing him would be a disaster.In general, I am against super long-term contracts... Read on

1. In Sunday’s paper, I wrote
	 this columnabout why I think signing Jose Reyes is a risk for the Mets, but not signing him would be a disaster.
	 
In general, I am against super long-term contracts (pretty much anything beyond four years) that take a player into his 30s. The success rate is just putrid on such contracts. New Mets GM Sandy Alderson essentially has the same philosophy. I still remember that he was the most publicly furious at the Winter Meetings after the 1998 season when the Dodgers signed Kevin Brown to a seven-year, $105 million contract. At the time he was serving as one of Bud Selig’s lieutenants. But his feelings did not change as Mets GM last offseason when he was critical of the Nationals for signing Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $120 million contract.
	 
Reyes is going to worry Alderson for a variety of reasons: 1) Even a five-year contract will take Reyes to age 33. 2) Reyes has a history of leg injuries and speed is central to his game, so between pain and age, you have to wonder how much his legs will deteriorate over the course of the contract. Luis Castillo is not nearly as good a player as Reyes, but he was a good player and you could see how worthless he became in the course of a four-year contract as his legs diminished. Seattle gave Chone Figgins a four-year, $36 million deal after the 2009 season because of his speed/defense/on-base skills, and today Figgins is arguably the worst player in the majors. 3) You do not want to become enchanted by a player having a big year in his walk season and overpay.
	 
And this is before we even get into that Alderson was brought into be a payroll assassin for an ownership in financial freefall.
	 
But what I keep thinking about is this: If Reyes played for another team wouldn’t the Mets be going crazy trying to sign him in the offseason? Especially if they were pretending to be the big-market team that ownership wants to claim this franchise still is?
	 
In the column I made the point that Alderson and ownership should do what I would say is usually a foolish thing: Listen to the emotion of the fans. In general you want to dispatch that because fans are always passionate about retaining players they know and like and don’t care about the baseball actuary tables that show spending big money on veterans past their primes is foolish.
	 
However, this group of Met fans feels abused by their franchise for the way events have transpired in the past four-five years. Right now, this team is slowly winning back the faithful with hard, generally successful play. It would seem a bad business decision to now dispatch the best/most popular player.
	 
I think the Mets see that to an enough of an extent that they are now leaning heavily toward not trading Reyes during the season, especially if they continue to be at least in the periphery of playoff discussion come late July.
	 
Will the Mets make an offer to Reyes during the season? They have hinted yes, but I am not so sure. I believe this: Reyes is not giving the Mets a discount. Plus, players who get to this kind of service time generally want to play the second half of their walk year out and experience free agency. With that the case, I do not think the Mets can win Reyes now with a good or even a very good offer. He sees the lessons of Werth and Carl Crawford from last year; that if you are a strong player in or near your prime some team will come along to far exceed the expected payday. Yes, that means I think there is a good chance that Fred Wilpon will be wrong. If Reyes does not get Crawford money (seven years, $142 million), he is going to get close to it if his MVP-caliber season continues.
	 
Remember that it takes just one team to be willing to pay and, I believe, Reyes will have anywhere from 6-12 teams seriously interested in his services. Keep in mind how bereft the sport is currently of high-end shortstops – and not just in the majors, but in the upper levels of the minors, as well. So it is possible that even if the Mets were willing to do something big now such as a six-year, $114 million deal ($19 million per) that Reyes would probably wait to see if the bids will go higher – and I see no indication that the Mets are ready to explore that high now.
	 
So it might be in the Mets’ best interest now to simply wait. That would allow them to see if Reyes actually finishes the season strongly, arming them with more information. Plus, they can see exactly what kind of bidding field at what dollars emerges so they know exactly what Reyes’ market value is. In addition, it would give the Mets a longer period to know the state of their franchise economics. Does David Einhorn get approved as a minority owner? Does K-Rod’s $18.5 million vest (if not that gives the organization a lot more disposal income for, among other things, to include Reyes into next year’s budget)? Does an agreement come along with the Madoff trustee that does not suffocate the Wilpons?
	 
At this point, the strong money would be on the Mets keeping Reyes all year, but not making him a free-agent offer until sometime in the offseason.
	 
2. A few weeks back I was talking to a couple of members of the Yankees and was wondering if the best-case scenario for Bartolo Colon would be if he incurred an injury at some point during the season that would keep him out, say, a month, but allow him to return for the second half. The thinking was that Colon had not come anywhere near pitching a full major-league season since 2005 and that the chances of him going from April through September and strong into October were, what, 5 percent? 10 percent? Certainly nothing strong.
	 
I joked that this was the “El Duque Plan.” Orlando Hernandez generally found a way to take a DL pit stop or two during the season to be fresh for the postseason, in particular. Of course, in Hernandez’s days the Yankees were all but guaranteed a playoff spot. The road to October is trickier this year, made more so now by Colon’s hamstring injury. Colon was filling a co-ace role with CC Sabathia 10 years after their lone full season together with the Indians.
	 
The Yankees and Colon were trying to portray this injury as minor and that Colon could be back in two weeks. But there are no minor hamstring injuries for out-of-shape, 38-year-old pitchers.
	 
Beyond what competitive desires Colon has, he has a financial reason to want to get back as quickly as possible. His base salary this year is only $900,000. His more significant dollars are tied to bonuses for games or games started. At this point, he had made 10 starts, which was worth an extra $150,000 in bonuses. But, for example, if he gets to 15 starts the bonus for just that level is $300,000, then $450,000 for 20 starts, $550,000 for 25 starts and $1 million for 30 starts. So he needs to be on the mound to make his money.
	 
In addition, Colon is clearly auditioning to extend his career and to make something more significant than $900,000 in base salary next year. So he wants to pitch to show that he does have some durability.
	 
3. If you read this blog, thank you very much, first of all. But you know that I keep it almost exclusively to baseball. But it is hard to ignore the completion of the NBA finals and, in my case, what I feel is a stupid storyline that has emerged from the finals.
	 
The story line is that a collection of players cannot win a championship, only a team can.
	 
So if this theory is to be believed than a collection of players (in this case the Heat) is good enough to win three rounds of the playoffs and two games in the finals, but not win a title. Think how dumb that is. In other words, two wins from a championship, then and only then did the Heat suddenly realize it wasn’t a team? For goodness sake, the Heat led Game 2 by 15 points with seven minutes left. If Miami holds onto that lead maybe it sweeps. We are talking about the Mavericks clanking one extra shot in what was pretty much a perfect end game for them.
	 
I get it: In general, most folks hate the Heat and want to pile on, and seizing on the idea that Miami is a group of greedy individualists rather than a team is a pretty easy belly blow. But that is disrespectful of the Mavericks. The Mavs won the finals not because they were the “only” team in the series, but because they were the better team. Look at what they did in sweeping the Lakers. Would anyone claim the two-time defending champions were not a team, and the Lakers went out two rounds earlier than the Heat and with a heck of a lot less resistance against Dallas.
	 
This is not an excuse for LeBron James. His immaturity clearly seeps into his game at the most contentious moments; I do see the pre-2009 A-Rod comparisons in that the most talented player can only stop himself and he does by over-thinking it and/or exerting too much pressure to justify his salary, his place in history and his unpopular push to a new locale, whether it is South Beach or the South Bronx.
	 
But James and the Heat were a good enough TEAM to win three rounds of the playoffs. It was not all about individual talent. The Mavs, a better, deeper TEAM, found ways to neutralize Miami’s strengths while finding the gumption to make big plays at huge moments. Yes, a team won. That doesn’t mean a team also didn’t lose.

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3UP: Betances, Montero, Joba

June 10, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. In today’s Post, I wrote this column about why the Yankees should consider the best of their arms in the minors to be called up to the majors.Brian Cashman is hesitant to do this for a variety of... Read on

1. In today’s Post, I wrote this
	 column about why the Yankees should consider the best of their arms in the minors to be called up to the majors.
	 
Brian Cashman is hesitant to do this for a variety of reasons: 1. In the big picture, he believes stunting minor league development is wrong. 2. In the equally big picture, he believes that his best pitching prospects’ greatest value – either to the Yankees or in trades – is as starters, so he wants to keep them there. 3. In the small picture, he is absolutely horrified about how the rotation can crumble and need multiple pieces to replace it. For example, Hector Noesi was sent back to Triple-A because the Yankees are beginning to have internal worries if Ivan Nova has the gumption to handle a rotation role in New York in a pennant race.
	 
I get all of that. But the 2011 Yankees have a crisis, right now. Four key relievers – Rafael Soriano, Joba Chamberlain, Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte – are out with arm injuries and there is some possibility that the Yankees will not get another single inning in 2011 from any of them. Certainly they are not getting innings from them any time soon.
	 
Maybe Cashman can find reinforcements in the market place. Righty relief, for example, should be in abundance. But the history of getting great results from acquired relievers is not strong. Kerry Wood’s success with the Yankees last year is the exception and, interestingly, if he is willing to waive a no-trade provision, Wood would be available again since the Cubs are quite bad again.
	 
I still believe that even if the Yankees get some outside help that part of the solution, especially in the short term must come from inside. The first try is going to be with an actual reliever as the Yankees are leaning heavily toward promoting Kevin Whelan sooner rather than later.
	 
But as far as higher-end arms they would have consider Dellin Betances, Manuel Banuelos, Adam Warren or Noesi. Betances is particularly interesting because he has such high-end stuff and he is excelling at Double-A (1.75 ERA, 58 strikeouts in 51 innings).
	 
The Yankees are determined that Betances and Baneulos pitch 120-plus innings this year to put them in line to potentially pitch 150-160 innings, possibly in the majors, next year. But I don’t see any reason why Betances could not get 70 innings in the majors the rest of the way, if he shows he can handle relief work. With their current pitching staff, there is going to be need for someone to pitch between the fifth and seventh innings in close games.
	 
Also, if you like what you see from Betances, why can’t you spot start him on occasion?
	 
Again, I don’t see the Yankees doing this. Betances has had an injury-checkered minor-league history with the Yankees and now that he is finally pitching at a high level well, I don’t think Cashman will want to risk changing his role or pushing him to the majors too fast.
	 
But my gut tells me that if they do not get some better arms in their bullpen – and soon – the Yankees will imperil the 2011 campaign.
	 
2. Quite frankly, if I ran the Yankees I would not stop there in trying to inject some higher-end talent onto the roster and onto the field.
	 
Can Jesus Montero, for example, really be that much of a worse defensive option than Francisco Cervelli? Montero is just returning to the lineup at Triple-A from a brief eye injury, and his power bat and patience have not really manifested as hoped this year.
	 
But my suspicion is that Montero is a little bored in the minors. Does that suggest a good trait? Not particularly. However, there are Yankee officials who believe Banuelos’ Double-A control struggles are attributable to him trying so hard to impress everyone so he can rocket to the majors immediately. Remember, these are young people who have a very delectable carrot in front of them, which leads to all kinds of strange behavior.
	 
Anyway, I don’t see why Montero can’t catch twice a week and DH twice a week. It is a good time for an audition, so the Yankees can see if he can handle the role, which would probably keep them from having to add a bat at the trade deadline.
	 
Also, I believe the Yankees should find more playing time for Eduardo Nunez. He has a lively body and bat, both of which I think would become more of a factor if he played with greater regularity. Joe Girardi already is using him more regularly to give Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez DH days to rest their older bodies. Nunez also played some outfield in spring and I don’t see why he shouldn’t get a start a week in left and right to see if he can bring a jolt of energy to the team.
	 
3. Chamberlain’s torn elbow ligament and almost certain need for elbow surgery has re-ignited debate about the Yankees’ implementation of the Joba Rules and if they were ultimately good for Chamberlain or a contributing factor in his injury.
	 
I will not criticize an organization for trying to figure out ways to protect pitchers. It is an evolving debate and there seems little doubt to me that teaching pitchers to handle increased workload with a judicious eye is common sense.
	 
But I also think there is no firm formula and probably will never be. There are just humans who can genetically handle this bizarre torture of the arm and most who can’t. Every pitcher comes with a warranty of roughly between zero and several thousand innings, and most are going to fall a lot closer to zero.
	 
I think Chamberlain simply resides in that category. Heck, the only reason he is a Yankee in the first place is because he was such a human red flag for injury. Other teams are not universally blind; they saw Joba’s high-octane possibilities while he was at Nebraska. But he slipped to the 41st pick in the 2006 draft and the Yankees, to some large reason, because everyone saw his max-effort delivery in which he generates almost all of his power – and thus puts incredible strain – on his arm. This is one reason the Yankees decided ultimately to keep Chamberlain in relief because all of their beliefs after seeing him regularly in the rotation were he would break down even more surely and quicker as a starter.
	 
Maybe the philosophy in baseball will become with pitchers such as Chamberlain – and maybe with even a larger swath – heck, they are going to break down, then let them go as hard and as long as they can before their arm surrenders.

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3UP: Jeter, Burnett, Ayala

June 08, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. In today’s Post, I wrote this column about Derek Jeter’s quest to reach 3,000 hits before the Yankees’ current 10-game homestand is complete.The Yankees had hoped, obviously, that Jeter would... Read on

1. In today’s Post, I wrote this
	 columnabout Derek Jeter’s quest to reach 3,000 hits before the Yankees’ current 10-game homestand is complete.
	 
The Yankees had hoped, obviously, that Jeter would march to 3,000 hits in 2011 how he had marched to the franchise hit record in 2009: Playing as well as ever. This way it would just be a non-stop celebration, no weird moments.
	 
Instead, one of the great hitters of the generation is hitting .263, which was 87th in the majors before yesterday’s action. He was never a big extra-base hit guy, but 10 in 58 games is woeful. He was tied for 212th in the majors, with such other faded stars as Miguel Tejada, Derek Lee, Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins.
	 
Thus, there is little impact in his game as he approaches one of the large impact moments of his starry career. Thus, Jeter’s greatness is currently defined in his career accumulation of a big, round milestone number. There is just not much 2011 greatness that is overt.
	 
2. The Yankees have the greatest plausible deniability guy on the mound tonight if they actually want to try to get some retribution against the Red Sox. Since the beginning of the 2007 season, A.J. Burnett has hit 53 batters, which is six more than anyone else in the majors.
	 
So if there is a whoops moment, well, Burnett can always plead total lack of control and have history on his side.
	 
As for actual retribution, I will say that I don’t think Jon Lester was trying to hit either Mark Teixeira or Russell Martin last night. As for David Ortiz’s disdainful bat toss after taking Hector Noesi deep, the best advice for the Yankees would be to actually stop Ortiz from hitting so many homers against them.
	 
OK, the Yankees might want to discomfort the Red Sox hitters some more, especially Ortiz. But Burnett is not exactly a guy you want to start complicating the game for by giving him sniper orders or by putting extra men on the bases.
	 
I do find it interesting that Burnett has now begun the second half of his five-year contract with the Yankees. You would not exactly give him a sterling grade at the midpoint. He contributed to a championship in 2009, was among the worst pitchers allowed to stay in rotation regularly in Yankees history in 2010. So far, in 2011, he has performed at about a league-average level.
	 
On the positive side that means he has not sunk the Yankees. On the negative side, it means it is yet another season in which Burnett’s results do not match his high-end stuff.
	 
Give Burnett credit for not rolling into the fetal position after last season, which was troubling for him personally both on and off the field. He has tried to be a mentor to Ivan Nova and develop a third pitch (changeup) and be a little less high maintenance than in the past.
	 
Here is the absolute best element of Burnett’s work with the Yankees: Durability. He had spent so much of his earlier career struggling with injuries. But Burnett had made 78 starts with the Yankees.
	 
Since the beginning of the 2009 season seven pitchers had started more often: Felix Hernandez (82 starts); Justin Verlander, Dan Haren and CC Sabathia (81); Derek Lowe, Jered Weaver and Randy Wolf (80 starts).
	 
3. Luis Ayala suddenly has taken on an important role in the Yankees bullpen; mainly to make sure that manager Joe Girardi does not blow out Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson.
	 
The Yankees had thought they were building a deep bullpen for this year and that would provide Girardi a variety of options and make sure that all of Mariano Rivera’s set-up men stayed fresh. But the plans of the offseason have met the reality of the season.
	 
The two expensive bullpen purchases of the offseason – Pedro Feliciano and Rafael Soriano – are on the disabled list. Boone Logan has not followed his strong 2010 in 2011. That has left Girardi without a dependable lefty or the person (Soriano) he anticipated being his primary eighth-inning man. Thus, a greater burden has fallen upon Chamberlain and Robertson; the two relief arms that Girardi trusts.
	 
Except now here is Ayala, putting together a strong run and pushing himself potentially into a more prominent role. Girardi turned to Ayala yesterday in the second inning to try to stabilize the game after Freddy Garcia’s abysmal start. Ayala worked 1 1-3 innings. Girardi did not push further with the 33-year-old righty, thinking both big picture not to potentially hurt him, but also to keep him fresh for potential use later in this series.
	 
In 14 games and 18 1-3 innings, Ayala has a 1.47 ERA. It is not a huge sample size. But what choice do the Yankees have but to trust a hot hand. Girardi is always diligent about trying not to burn out relievers. But he has had little choice but to push Chamberlain and Robertson a bit.

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3UP: Yankees draft, relievers, Mets fans

June 06, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. The Yankees lost their first-round pick in today’s draft in the offseason when they signed Rafael Soriano, who was a Type-A free agent. They do not select until the 51st pick. By the time that pick is reached, the rest of the AL East will have made 14 picks: one by the Orioles, three by the Blue Jays, four by the Red Sox and six by the Rays. The Yankees’ second selection does not come until the 88th pick. At that moment, they will have picked once while the rest of the division will have picked 25 times: Baltimore twice, Boston five times, Toronto seven times and the Rays 11 times.
	 
This is considered a strong draft. So there is potential for the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rays to do some major re-stocking while the Yankees sit idle.
	 
2. In Sunday’s Post, I wrote this
	 columntrying to determine why there has been such a deflation of offense in the majors in recent years, notably this one.
	 
One item I did not delve deeply into is how much better relief pitching has been this year. Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long recently said to me that the volume of good arms with multiple strong pitches come out of bullpens has definitely been on the rise.
	 
And then late last week, MLB sent around its note package in which it showed that 42 relievers had posted an ERA of 2.00 or lower (Minimum 0.1 IP / Team Games or 50.0 IP/162 Team Games), going into the weekend. Last season, 13 pitchers finished the season with a 2.00 ERA or lower, while 10 did in each of the three prior seasons (2007-2009). Thus, in the four-year period from 2007-2010, 43 total relievers did what 42 were on pace to do this year.
	 
I did find it interesting how many had ties to the Yankees: David Robertson is still with the club and Daniel McCutchen (traded for Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte), Mark Melancon (Lance Berkman) and Tyler Clippard (Jonathan Albaladejo) were all drafted and developed by the Yankees and sent away in trades. Three others from the group of 42 – Kyle Farnsworth, Ramon Ramirez and Sergio Mitre – either pitched for the Yankees or in their system in the case of Ramirez.
	 
The Yankees also have drafted and developed three of the better left-on-left pitchers working right now in Randy Choate (lefties are hitting .080 against him), Michael Dunn (.143) and Phil Coke (.179, working as a starter mainly). They traded all three away in various deals, as well: Choate (Nick Johnson), Dunn (Javier Vazquez) and Coke (Curtis Granderson).
	 
I think about it now because one of the undercurrents of the Red Sox-Yankees series beginning Tuesday is that both teams have terrific lefty hitters (especially now that Boston’s Carl Crawford is hot) and both teams are in the marketplace for lefty relievers. Boston thought it might have solved the issue with Rich Hill, but now he is hurt. The Yankees have Marte and Pedro Feliciano on the disabled list, and Boone Logan not particularly effective.
	 
The Yankees will probably try to use Robertson quite a bit in key set-up situations against lefties. He has held lefties to a .167 average and no extra-base hits in 42 at-bats. Again you will find plenty or righties with Yankees ties who have done a good job against lefties so far: Melancon (.146), Farnsworth (.148), Clippard (.172) and Alfredo Aceves (.175). Aceves is currently pitching very well for the Red Sox.
	 
3. I keep having this recurring thought: If the Mets of the past few years had played with the overt intensity of this current group would this current group be playing before larger crowds?
	 
It is kind of a Catch-22. The poor often-indifferent play of the recent past combined with the fans’ dislike for the current ownership has been the main combination keeping customers away from Citi Field. Yet at the same time Mets’ fans actually seem to like this current club. It is surprising to me how well the Met faithful speak of a group that has consistently been below .500. There is a bit of the underdog/homegrown spirit running through the current Mets that fans do seem to gravitate toward.
	 
But my wonder is if it will ever register into actual attendance in 2011. Or will the lingering distaste for ownership, the probably lack of true contention and, perhaps, the ultimate dismantling of the product at the trade deadline lead to fans continuing to stay away from Citi?

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3UP: Mets trades, Granderson, Hughes

June 01, 2011 , ι By JOEL SHERMAN

1. I talked to a GM last night who feels he definitely would be contacted if the Mets were making any of their major players available and this executive said no such signs have emerged yet. Nevertheless, he says that day is coming, maybe in another month. This GM views the Mets as non-contenders who will be forced to see what they could move from their expensive section to hasten rebuilding.
	 
This GM, however, cautioned that Met fans should be realistic what to expect in return for the most desirable commodities such as Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Francisco Rodriguez and David Wright.
	 
“You look at the history of the July deadline and position players heading into free agency do not get big value,” the GM said.
	 
That would be Beltran and Reyes. When I pressed the GM on Reyes, the executive pointed out that as desirable a player as Reyes could be for clubs such as San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati, that the limited number of games before free agency was a huge stumbling block.
	 
“Think how little the Braves got for Mark Teixeira (in his walk year in 2008, when he went from Atlanta to the Angels).”
	 
VIDEO: SHERMAN, HALE ON YANKEES ROTATION
	 
The injury history of Reyes and Beltran, the GM felt, also would potentially minimize the return in a trade while K-Rod’s vesting option (he gets $17.5 million in 2012 if he finishes 55 games this year) is a large bugaboo in potential trades. Wright can be controlled through the 2013 season. But the problem is that Fred Wilpon was right: He is not viewed as a superstar around the game.
	 
The comparison I would make is to Giants QB Eli Manning, who is probably, what, the 10th or so best quarterback in the NFL but so often is viewed as a superstar because of his last name, his Super Bowl MVP and the fact that he plays in New York. Wright also is elevated by his association with a New York team; he is looked at as a better player here than around the baseball landscape. The perception in the industry is that he is not a star and that he is potentially trending, already, in the wrong direction. The general consensus I get when I ask outside teams about David Wright is very good player, but would be best served if he were the third or fourth best player in the lineup and not asked to hit third.
	 
Of course, the Mets would get offers for Wright. There are certainly organizations that feel that he has been overwhelmed by the combination of Citi Field’s size and the seemingly ceaseless Met problems. He is just 28. But the reality is that even interested teams are going to make offers based on who Wright is and not what he might become liberated from the Mets.
	 
The puts the Mets in a difficult spot with Wright, and really all of their desirable, moneyed players: Do they make the best deals possible as a way to a) turn the page, b) renew the vitality of the farm system as best as possible and c) put the team on a better financial footing, which would probably appeal to ownership at this moment. And the one other item to consider with Wright is if the Mets do not deal him soon, his value will slip as he moves toward free agency at the same time the Mets will be faced with their Reyes-esque question two years from now about their third baseman: Do they go long term with a fan favorite, but one who they are not sure will be a good long-term buy?
	 
2. Curtis Granderson hit yet another homer off of a lefty last night, connecting off of Oakland’s Brett Anderson. He has nine homers off of southpaws in 2011, three more than anyone else in the majors. His transformation from dud against lefties to force has been staggering.
	 
And what is impressive is not just that Granderson is delivering power against lefties, but he is delivering power against lefties who generally deflate power vs. lefty hitters.
	 
Going into last night, Anderson had not given up a homer to a lefty hitter in 90 at-bats this season and none in 234 at-bats dating to Aug. 25, 2009 when Russell Branyan connected off of him. But Granderson homered as the second batter in the game and Robinson Cano connected in the fifth inning, as well.
	 
Also this season, Chris Capuano has given up one homer in 67 at-bats to a lefty; the homer is by Granderson. David Price has given up one homer in 70 at- bats to a lefty; the homer is by Granderson. Jon Lester has given up one homer in 66 at-bats to a lefty; the homer is by Granderson. Arthur Rhodes has given up one homer in 21 at-bats to a lefty; the homer is by Granderson. Felix Doubront gave up one homer in five at-bats to a lefty; the homer is by Granderson. Phil Coke has given up one homer in 67 at-bats to a lefty; the homer is by Granderson. Matt Harrison has given up three homers in 56 at-bats to lefties; and two of them are by Granderson.
	 
3. I keep having this feeling that the success or failure of Phil Hughes’ recovery is going to be a key issue in this Yankee season for two main reasons: 1. There does not currently project to be a difference-making starter in the July 31 market and as pitching coach Larry Rothschild recently told me, “If we can get Phil back that would be like making a trade.” 2. More and more, I wonder if the Yankees’ big move at the deadline will be for a bat and that is where they will have to direct their minor league assets.
	 
When I asked Hughes recently about his motivations, he said, “I can be negative about this situation, but that is not going to help me. It is not like my season is lost. I can still get back and help this team win. That is what my focus is on.”
	 
Right now, the Yankees rotation is holding its own. The Yankees must take CC Sabathia as the given. For if anything happens to him, then there season is probably over – he is the most indispensable player on the team. The Yankees, though, also have three starters 34 or older (A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia); the only team in the majors that can say that. They also have Ivan Nova, who has flip-flopped between showing signs of growth and growing pains. The idea that the team is going to get through the rest of the season with those four starters is slim and none, and you can remove the slim.
	 
There are starters the club likes at Triple-A such as David Phelps and Adam Warren, and there is always the long-shot possibility they rush one of their prized prospects such as Dellin Betances or Manuel Banuelos. But none of those guys won 18 games in the majors last year, 17 as a starter, like Hughes.
	 
Whether the Yankees find a high-end starter or not in the trade market place, they certainly can use Hughes for depth to protect all the soft spots. And just in case they continue to have a bunch of dead spots in the lineup, the Yankees may have to address a more significant piece in the trade market. Now the most likely place to seek a replacement is at DH with Jorge Posada struggling so badly, and acquiring a DH type such as Beltran or Minnesota’s Jason Kubel might not be prohibitive because both are free agents after this season. They may even get Eric Chavez back to help, at some point, or turn to Jesus Montero.
	 
But what if the Yankees feel like they have to inject greater life into their corner outfield situation than they are currently getting from Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher? The Yankees will be reluctant to give up on Gardner because he is so cost effective and also because they view him as providing possibly the best left field defense in the sport. And Swisher has shown signs of offensive life on the Yankees’ current trip. However, if Swisher continues to stumble, the Yankees will not be anxious to pick up his $10.25 million option. At that point could they make a play for someone such as Andre Ethier or Carlos Quentin, should the Dodgers or White Sox be non-contenders in July?
	 
Both Ethier and Quentin will get big pay raises for 2012, their final year of arbitration eligibility, before hitting free agency following the 2012 season. So there current clubs must think about if they want to go long-term with these players and, if not, have to more seriously weigh whether it is better to trade them before their walk years.

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About the Author

JOEL SHERMAN Joel Sherman has been at the Post since 1989, serving as Yankees beat writer from 1989-95 and baseball columnist since 1996. His Hardball blog won a 2008 Best Sports Blog honor from the Associated Press Managing Editors Association. Joel’s books include "Birth of a Dynasty, Behind the Pinstripes with the 1996 Yankees." He served as a weekly baseball analyst on New York 1 from 2000-05, was a regular contributor on the MSG Network from 2000-08, and was part of the My 9 Yankees postgame show for the past two seasons. He graduated from NYU in 1985. Columnist Archives