On the Yankees beat

SI asked an un-named ALE scout about Huges and he said they should have him pitching with the big league club this year. He thought it was a waste to send him to Scranton if he could help the big league team. They (SI) predicted that he'd be called up in May and that he'd have a good ERA (slightly above 3) contributing some wins (can't remember the number of wins but they predicted up to 17 starts).

I'm impressed with his attitude and how level headed and laid back he is about everything. He's not completely buying into the hype. That will keep him hungry to always do better, like Jeter.

I have no doubt that he'll be up with the big clu this season, and help this club win. The main reason why they are sending him down is to continue to monitor his innings, which is something they cannot do if he breaks camp with the big league club.

Keep him at Scranton, where winning games isnt important, and let him get his work in, and pull him after 5-6 innings... they have made it clear his ceiling is 180 IP for the season, or something around there.

6 innings x 30 starts=180 innings ,Check Jaret Wrights totals for last yr something like 144 innings over 27 starts...if Hughes breaks camp w/ the Yanks he would be on a pitch count of 80-85 pitches or 6 innings which ever comes first.

Every year there is that silly optimism from the 36,000 BlowSux Fans. Then something really good happens, like a 3rd place finish, either missing the playoffs, losing 5 in a row AT HOME to their biggest rival. This year you will find out DiceK is Hideo Nomo2. Fear our future of bright young stars. Yanks, recently Ranked 4th best Minor League System, will be a force for many years to come. Enjoy your 1 little miracle in 86 yrs - it won't happen again.

Haven't seen this much "hoopla" concerning a young Yankee starter, since the anticipated arrival of Dave Righetti. Hughes being "homegrown", increases the fervor to an even higher level. As for the speculation concerning how many "innings" this "phenom" will be allowed to throw, I think the "innings pitched" will not be an area of major concern. It will be "pitches thrown", and to a lesser degree, pitches thrown "under duress" that Guidry will closely monitor. I'm anxious to see how Hughes has done after 3 Spring Training starts. Until then, branding Hughes the "Young Rocket", raises expectations to a level that is extremely difficult for a 20yr. old to achieve.

Man, I miss "Atticas" where are you "buddy"!

Hughes should come up in the middle of June and be used sparingly to get his feet wet and if he's having a lot of success, then from September through October he should be one of the starters, but I don't want to see him come up and struggle and still be thrown into a playoff game.

Jim A.:The Yanks have Pavano ,Rasner,Karstens,Sanchez,Ohlendorf who are all ahead of Hughes in terms of age and experience...if the Yanks trade Pavano it will allow at least 1 of these starters a shot ...and down at tripleA Scranton the rotation might look like this Rasner( if he's not traded) Sanchez,Ohlendorf,Hughes,Clippard,Matt DeSalvo(if he's back from personal problems)and possibly the lefty Chase Wright if he can make the jump from single A and Karstens if he can't cut it,but my guess is if Pavano is traded Karstens/or Sanchez will get the nod w/ like you said Hughes being called up if the Yanks need a boost or if Hughes is just to dominate at the Triple A level they have to promote him...I'm sure they won't hesitate to plug Hughes in if someone lands on the DL.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/02/23/is_recruiting_his_new_pitch/

Is recruiting his new pitch?
By Gordon Edes, Globe Staff | February 23, 2007

[quote]"Quote From Matsuzaka on Ichiro"

I had the opportunity to play on the same team with Ichiro for the first time ever in the World Baseball Classic," Matsuzaka said yesterday through interpreter Sachiyo Sekiguchi. "By being on the same team with Ichiro-san, I felt his greatness and his ability and also his reliability. I felt his greatness through that experience.[/quote]

Do you think Yankees will go after Ichiro If they don't resign Abreu?

can we stay focused on the 2007 season and let the future take care of itself!

If Hughes is still impressive after all of his ST starts then maybe he should brake camp on the team or soon after the season begins (maybe give hima a few starts at Scranton until the five man rotation is stable). They can still watch his picth count in the ML with 12 guys in the bull pen. Why carry the extra pitcher if it won't come in handy?

gottabelieve07- With the Yankees currently moving in the direction of "youth", and "cutting the team payroll", I don't believe they will be interested in the aging Ichiro. The only "older" free agents they might go after would be "proven" pitchers, or an area they couldn't cover through their minor league system. Tabata is a rising young outfielder, and they could use their "option" on Abreu in "08" if need be.

man is hitting 200 plus hits showing no sign of decline and is the Best option avail, the youth is not going anywhere in our system. plus to have that kind of talent under observing eyes would be a good thing just like the mets when they had ricky henderson. I would take ichiro in a minute

Isn't Tabata only 17 yrs old? It's hard to say he'll be anything right now, I don't see him replacing any of the current Yankee OF's as we may need a bridge guy (someone in the short term) to play RF or even LF as Matsui is getting older too. I don't see Damon finishing his contract as an everyday CF so Melky should be able to play that position but a lot can happen over, say 4 years when you are 17. I wouldn't put too much into Tabata's future right now, the kid hasn't had a pimple yet.

Ichiro's arm in RF would be, as Giambi says "filthy"!

Ichiro is old. If they let Abreu go Melky will be the man in right field in 08. Tabata is still far away froming being on the Yankees ML team. The 4th OF would probably be Thompson, he'll take over Melky's current spot not Tabata.

Got Melk?

YUP!

I'm surprised we're talking about Ichiro with all the enthusiasm expressed about Melky and all the attention that is and will be paid on getting him as many AB this year as possible. The Yankees are probably already planning on him to be the everyday RF in 08.

His strong acurrate arm in RF will be super filthy for more years than Ichiro can give. I'd love to see people tagged out at the plate after tagging up on a fly ball.

The Yankees are looking to go younger, and with Melky you have youth, talent and NY experience.

Not only is Ichiro old, but signing him would be a commitment of both numerous years and a lot of money. He is certainly a great player, but he does rely on "speed" for a major portion of his game. His age and the inevitable decline of that speed, would make the Yankees look elsewhere for an outfielder if need be.

yeah ok . listen i'm trying to win and a player who hardly strikes out is superior speed and has a arm and is a gamer . if this player is available RIGHT now and wants to spend TWO years i'll sign him now. yeah he can decline , balh blah blah , but as of right now he has'nt, and to add him to our lineup would be a big advantage! between ichiro and damon pitchers will be tired out by the time the big bats come to bat.

melky is good no doubt but ichiro is a STAR NOW we now what he can do , and i seriously doubt melky can put up Ichiro 3 6 YEARS old numbers. I would not sell the farm for him but if he came and wanted a small term deal , then yes. that signing would knock the wind outta boston and the D-MAt craze, you would have two of japans best hitters on the same team! D-MAts would do whatever to be a Yankee

What we seem to forget is this.

Melky is an example of the Good and Bad of free agency

Long ago the yankees would have had no choice but play him. Now with FA there are better options at times.

Imagine if Free Agency was around since the begining , Joe D would have been a Issue, Walter Johnson would have bolted, and perhaps even Ted Williams, and other players would have been cut way earlier than they did originally.

free agency dampens the views of your home grown talent. in other words if your not wowing people with some highly impressive stats.

They need to keep being conservative with him, but I do expect him up in May or June.

If it came down to signing Ichiro for 2yrs, or using the "option" on Abreu for 1yr/$16 million, I would go the Abreu route.

I agree Roy. Someone needs to clue in "Anonymous" and let him/her know that the days of buying old FA are over and that we actually have talented young guys that can play. Oh, and it seems that Yankees are very happy with Melky and his upside to take him aside and discuss their plan for him it's something to be noted.

The Yankees dont' HAVE to play Melky, they're going to WANT to. All the FA we've bought in the past has got us no where, we're finally in a good spot to have a balanced roster of young guys and superstars with an occasional FA when absolutely needed.

But People pay to see people play! and if the best product is avail, then here in NY it is what it is.

let's say Ichiro goes to Boston right and we have melky in right and he bats. lets say 280 12 ,60 rbi's 15-20 steals,

and lets say ichiro is over 300 50 steals and a ton of runs and lets say Boston first inning scoring increases (this is where real sports statician come in) and the pitching is stable and the team goes all the way. add the fact that we turned down Ichiro for melky , the fans here would not let melky breathe. (ask arod) so for the luxury of a PAYING yankee fan signing probally one of the BETTER energy players today to propel even further your lineup is a must see. a two year deal for a 36 year old PRODUCTIVE SUPERSTAR who's abilities can actually HELP is not a issue. The yankees are a win now team. deal with it

trust me melky did'nt impress enuff in mgmt eyes or else they would invited matsui the idea of dh'ng and dealt with jason at first. The big thing more than anything is when giambi's contract expires. that is the hold up with the yankees

sorry, i disagree, with all the salary dumping and cash's refussal to overpay for FA this year it's a sign that times are a changing, no more trading away the farm for a player "with experince" and no more overpaying for aging stars.

we dont' need a super star at every position to win now. look at the past WS winners, we need to balance the line-up and add some guys that can get a single and some doubles here and there setting the table for the bigs guys. i'm not worrying about the red sux, let's see how they finish this year. isn't manny a FA soon too. ichiro is not the best OF FA on the market in 08 and the yankees don't need another aging all star. they've done that in the past to only get mediocre to lackluster performances in the playoffs.

keeping melky on the bench stunts his growth and he's the future of the OF.

from one paying fan to another, i'm tired of leaving the layoffs early and ready to watch the young guys play if that means balance and play-off wins.

stocking up on big names only means more sell outs it doesn't imporve your chances in the playoffs.

LETS CUT THE BS ABOUT ICHIRO BEING OLD.... THE ITCH TURNED 33 IN OCTOBER.
LAST SEASON HE HIT 322 AND STOLE 45 BASES AND IS ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYERS IN THE GAME. WITH DYE,HUNTER AND JONES ALSO FREE AGENTS YOU BETTER BELIEVE THE YANKEES WILL BE IN THE HUNT TO UP-GRADE THE OUTFIELD AND THE ITCH MAN WILL BE THEIR FIRST CHOICE.

Don't need Ichiro when you have Damon, they would be redundant in the lineup.
If the team decides to move Abreu after this season and goes after another OF it will be either Torii Hunter or Andruw Jones.

Some joker just called into WFAN and suggested that if the Yankees don't win the WS this year Cash should be fired for not bringing back Bernie Williams...man I'm glad fans don't get to make real decisions.

I agree Chip, Ichiro is not the best OF FA in 08. But I think that the Yankees are going to give Melky a shot. If they weren’t keen on spending top dollar on pitching this year (which was their biggest need) why would they go all out for OF when they are showing signs of moving Melky up.

Jim A.: Tabata is 18 will be 19 in August ,he's a little guy 5-11 160lbs...if he can successfully transition to Double A this season and triple A in 2008 then we might see him sometime 2009...but like you said that's a long way off...he could become a Juan Pierre type player.Maybe.

Ruse,
From all the BaseballAmerica/BaseballProspectus types Tabata profiles with more power than a Juan Pierre. The general feeling is that he's going to get bigger and stronger and coupled with a quick bat he'll have 25+ HR power.

I don't think the Yankees are going to give Melky a full shot in RF. We'll know more as we see how they handle guys like Gardner and Sardhina in AAA but I think there are lots of people in the organization who like those two better than Cabrera as an everyday OF.

The Yanks more than likely have their sights set on Mark Teixeira being their starting 1stbaseman in 2008...if Abreu has a typical season of .300 / 40 doubles/22 hrs/100+RBI you keep him,like Chip said the Yanks have Damon locked up for 3 more yrs and is the same age as Ichiro and can do pretty much the same things except throw...I don't think Melky will be given a corner outfield position until they shed Giambi then Matsui gets his fair share of playing time at DH...Chip really Tabata has 25 Hr type power? Great!

Ruse:

Here is one scouting report on Tabata:

Background: After signing for $550,000, Tabata raised expectations with an impressive debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2005. He was having a rousing encore at low Class A Charleston in 2006 before a thumb injury effectively ended his season in July.

Strengths: Some hitters just seem to be born with the innate ability to get the fat part of the bat to the ball quickly, consistently and with power. That's Tabata. He has the bat speed to catch up to good fastballs and drive any pitch to any part of the park. His other tools are at least average, as he has flashed plus speed and arm strength. His coaches praise his ability to compete and rise to the occasion.

Weaknesses: Because he makes such easy contact, Tabata doesn't walk much, though he improved as the season went on. Scouts have noticed that he tends to coast and turn his talent on and off. His lower half already has thickened somewhat, and some think he could lose significant athleticism and speed as he gets older, relegating him to left field instead of right.

The Future: Tabata was healthy enough to return to the field in the Venezuelan League this winter, giving him needed at-bats against quality competition. A healthy, successful winter should leave him poised for a breakout 2007 season, and he has the talent to reach New York by the end of 2008.

I don't think they'll go after Tex all that hard. Especially not if there is a messy divorce with A-Rod. Of course that thinking would also mean they wouldn't be major players for Andruw Jones either (all three represented by Boras)

I think the success of this season will determine the future of the above mentioned players...I don't want to start another avalanche of A-Rod comments but I hope he and the Yanks are amenable to a deal that keeps him in NY.I'm a huge AROD fan.

Ruse,

I want A-Rod to stay with the Yankees too, but there are a couple of factors.

1. If he opts out of his contract and the Yankees had to re-sign him, they would be on the hook for the whole load, unlike the current situation where Texas pays some of the contract.

2. I think Alex wants to go back to SS. I think he wants the chance to be the best offensive SS in the history of the game and with Jeter here that isn't going to happen.

3. It could come down to years. With Cashman calling the shots the Yankees aren't going to be quick to hand out a 7 or 8 year contract, but A-Rod is going to be looking to make up for the annual value he'll be giving up with this contract by adding years to his next one.

I'm sticking with my picks that Posada and Rivera will be back, A-Rod and Abreu will not.

The team has in house options in the outfield and there are free agent options as well. Abreu could bring in an even bigger haul than Sheffield did because he doesn't come with the injury or attitude issues and is 5 years younger.

DON'T NEED ICHIRO WHEN YOU HAVE DAMON AND YOU DON'T NEED A LEFT HAND WHEN YOU HAVE A RIGHT HAND....ICHIRO 331 CAREER AVG---JONES 267 AND HUNTER 278.THE ITCH MAN COMPLEMENTS THE YANKS LINE UP BETTER THAN JONES OR HUNTER. OH,I ALMOST FORGOT,RUSE YOUR RIGHT AGAIN ABOUT A-ROD AND TEX. THE YANKS WILL GO BIG TIME AFTER TEIXEIRA AND IF MO SHOW SIGNS OF AGING I THINK THEY ALSO GO AFTER JOE NATHAN.

Longfellow: If they were able to sign both AROD and TEX the Yanks will have solidified a great infield for the next 5yrs or so,but like I said above it all comes down to what they do this yr,if they win it all ,ARods chances of remaining multiple considerably, if they don't and he's the fall guy again then I would agree w/ Chip that A-Rod walks...I also think if Rivera pitches well this yr he will remain as the closer thru 2009...If AROD walks the Yanks will need a righty power hitter to compliment TEX if he is signed...it's just to much to think about !

hey brainiacs ,

Melky is future trade bait, the talent pool in the minors EXCEED's Melky's talent meaning they may not even be room for the kid even in the future. that is why the yankees would not have a problem signing a 33 year old productive player for a two to three year deal which in between the deal you will save money (giambi's contract and/or arod/abreu) Chip, What you mean DAmon and Ichiro do not complement??

not true, would be on of the best one two punches in baseball! what it would do is move JETER to a more productive spot in the lineup , the number two role is tiring , time for him as he is getting older to bat in a more productive spot. so alone with a ichiro , damon , jeter, Opposing pitchers would be done by the time arod, steps up.

now this is worse case scenerio you lose the three player , giambi, arod , abreau, and move jeter up with out real protection then the esquire (hahahaa) article probally holds true due to lack of protection - joke

Bomber: I see either Ichiro staying put if the Mariners fortunes change for the better or rejoining Pineilla in Chicago...Cabrera is still only 22 and if he continues to improve will supplant Matsui in LF in 2009 when Giambi' contract expires...Matsui then becomes the DH ...my guess is if Abreu has a great yr he'll stay in NY...the Yanks besides Tabata and maybe Gardner don't reall y have any up and coming OF prospects to speak of ,they're strong in pitching not so deep in hitters