On the Yankees beat

I believe that is what you call an eventful couple of days...

If I was Torre, I would be careful in taking the manager job for the Dodgers. Frank McCourt has to be the wish washiest owner in MLB, coming from stating his full support to managers and GMs to firing them a couple weeks later.

They should had fired some of the veteran players instead of little, given the attitude of Jeff Kent and all.

I don't think A-Rod is going to the Dodgers, it isn't the greatest park for HRs besides I think he wants to stick in the AL.

If anyone that Dodgers want if Torre comes to LA is Rivera, they have a pretty good catcher and a good closer, but Rivera with Dodgers stadium,especially at night, can be pretty lethal for opposing hitting. They won't bid for Posada.

Completely off topic.
Today I worked on a piece for the show with a die hard, and I am talking DIE HARD, Florida Marlins fan.

Talked Marlins baseball, loved the 1997 and 2003 team... loves Dontrelle and Miguel Cabrera... love Jeff Conine and Devon White.

I looked at him the same way that I would look at a unicorn.

I didn't think they existed

A Recap:

Red Sox won the seires and now have 2 new rings.

Torre, Mattingly, and your MVP are going to LAH LAH LAND!

Your new mgr. fights with mgmt and will get no respect from veterans.

Jeter has NEVER stuck up for his teamates and NEVER stuck up for Torre...nice Cpt.

Good job little tiger, only 19 to go to catch up. Now put on your helmet and finish your apple sauce, and if you're good, daddy will take you trick or treating.

I'm going to Vegas, see all you Sunday, hopefully by then we'll have some more good news. Jim, Bomber, Rick, etc., take it eas.

No one cares atticas, you are clueless about the sport. Have fun losing your money and getting a tug from a man.

Girardi's coaching staff:

Bench - Rob Thompson
Hitting - Kevin Long
Pitching - Dave Eiland
1st Base - Tony Pena
3rd Base - Bobby Meachum
Bullpen - Mike Harkey

Meachum and Harkey both worked with Girardi in Florida, Thompson had been the Yankee field coordinator - he's a scouting report freak, Eiland worked heavily with Hughes, Joba, Kennedy and the rest of the kids who will be in next season's bullpen so he makes an excellent choice - doesn't have to learn them. I think this could be one of the smartest and hardest working coaching staffs in the game.

Torre is likely bringing Donnie, Bowa and another Yankee minor league pitching instructor, Gil Patterson, out to LA with him. According to ESPN - the hold up in Torre's contract with the Dodgers is that he wants more control over player personell decisions - he was offended by the way Cashman and Nardi Contreras gave him rules in how to use young pitchers and were hesitant to let him use Phil Hughes.

Well, the Yankees will be better off in 2008. The Girardi hiring should have happened last year.

How *much* better off the Yankees will be depends on what Rivera and Jorge decide. If the Yankees lose Jorge, he won't be easy to replace at all - - much harder to replace than A-Rod.

And there's no way it ends well for Torre and Mattingly in L.A.

a-rod and boras have succeeded in alienating fans from all over the united states...just read the blogs where the hatred flows profusely...

Happy Halloween ! Does this all seem to SET. Did Torre Run from the Bronx Knowing he had the L.A. job lined up?!? Is he taking Mattingly, A-Rod, Mo, Posada, Etc, ETC. with him??? All I know is that it's a Ghost Town in the Bronx today and it wasn't this way when the Playoffs began......OOOHH, Spooky Isn't it!!!

P.s. I see Little General Von SteinGrabber in his Full Military ragalia now...even his little spiked silver helmet (LOL)! All hail Von SteinGrabber (LOL)! He must be out looking for Candy or Replacement ball players!

Can you say FOUR !

Chip,
Has that coaching staff been announced or are you speculating?

Atticas,
Have a great trip to Vegas, I haven't been there in about 15 years so I am overdue for a trip there myself.

Have a safe trip atticas!

Torre will be a awfull NL manager. He will now not have the DH to protect him. His pen will be by July

Scott Proctor may get 400 AB's this year! Hahaha

I wish Joe Torre the best of luck as he was nothing but classy when he was here and I hope he takes LA all the way to the World Series where they play well but are defeated by Girardi's Yanks.

I should say he has been a awful NL manager 894 w 1003 L

Yeah Chip,
Are these choices for the coaching staff confirmed, or just your selections? If these are yours, I like the choices and hope these are accurate. This will be the hardest, most prepared staff in MLB.
Did it dawn on anyone that we might be seeing the beginning (or renewal) of one of the oldest rivalries in sports: Yankees vs Dodgers.

HELL NO CHIP!!

MECHAM IS JUST AS A YANKEE MESS AS IS MATTINGLY. What can he tell a player how to lose?

Torre is likely bringing Donnie, Bowa and another Yankee minor league pitching instructor, Gil Patterson, out to LA with him. According to ESPN - the hold up in Torre's contract with the Dodgers is that he wants more control over player personell decisions - he was offended by the way Cashman and Nardi Contreras gave him rules in how to use young pitchers and were hesitant to let him use Phil Hughes.

And You all still thinks he is a genius manager??

That right there is a RED FLAG pitching is MORE IMPORTANT in the NL than the AL and to burn out a NL pitcher is a crime.

Jim and Mike - they are the coaches being reported by WFAN, NYPost, and listed as probables by Newsday.

In addition, the NYPost is reporting that Jim Leyritz would like to return to the organization in some capacity but that's not likely given that he and Girardi didn't always see eye to eye.

St. Joe no longer!

Way to push another manager out the door Joe- Why isn't this "insulting?"

Enjoy the atmosphere out there when the Dodger fans head to the parking lot in the 6th inning.

I personally am giving Joe a pass on the subject of "pushing Grady out" because anyone who followed the NL West saw that Little NEEDED to be fired.

He made Art Howe in his Met days look like John McGraw.

Bomber -

Never said Torre was a genius manager - Torre is a great leader of men but as a tactician he's average at best. His teams will only be as good as the talent on the roster, he doesn't game plan or make strategic moves that can help a lesser team overcome a better one.

The Dodgers are hiring him to be a calming influence in a fractured clubhouse - the problem I would have if I were a Dodger fan is that his hiring means the team is going to adopt a win now mentality. Guys like Loney, Kemp, LaRoche, Billingsly - who could be cornerstone pieces for a while - will either lose playing time or be traded for established veterans - young pitchers will be pushed to the brink.

In the end I think what Torre wants is to manage for three years, hand the team over to Donnie and move up to a front office spot.

Sully,

I agree that Grady Little being pushed aside is not a great loss to the game of baseball - I think a lot of us Yankee fans just find it ironic that for the last couple of weeks all we've heard from Torre is how he felt he was insulted and mistreated down the stretch by the Yankee front office, how he didn't like that he was left twisting in the wind - stuff like that - and now to be a party to what the Dodgers did to Little seems a bit two faced.

Chip,
Evidently Little was thinking about resigning for quite some time and he told Ned Colletti that he should start making plans for a new manager right after the season ended. Colletti remained in contact and asked Little a couple of weeks ago if he still felt like he wanted to leave and Little said "for now, yes" so Colletti told him he'd like to pursue Torre. I saw an interview with a relative of Little's (can't remember who it was) who said Torre called Little to tell him he was not going to take any job that belonged to another man but Little told him to go for it if he thought it would work out.

I think that clubhouse really wore old Grady down so I hope Joe can get it fixed and it might have to start by getting rid of Kent.

Bomber- Along with Chip, I never said Torre was a genius, but I always felt he was the right guy at the right time for the Yanks. That clubhouse would have come apart at the seems the last few years without him, that is something I would have been willing to bet on.

From this morning's Buster Olney Blog:

There is mention, within the same piece, of the impending free agency of Mike Lowell. There is no question that the departure of A-Rod from the Yankees will make it much more difficult for the Red Sox to retain Lowell, because it's all but certain that the Yankees will turn the Lowell talks into a serious bidding war. The Yankees are in the same situation with their position players that they were a year ago with their pitching staff -- they need their aging core of veteran regulars to hold together for another year or two to buy time for the farm system to churn out some position-player candidates.

Lowell is a perfect fit in so many ways -- he's a former Yankees prospect and adeptly handles the pressures that go along with playing in a big market; he's a right-handed hitter and would greatly complement a very left-handed hitting Yankees' lineup; and he's a terrific defensive third baseman. With A-Rod walking away, the Yankees are in a position to overspend on Lowell, and Boston's interest in Lowell, all along, has seemed lukewarm. If the Yankees offer Lowell a three-year deal with a vesting option for a fourth year, and a buyout, it's hard to imagine either the Red Sox or the Phillies matching that.
__________________

I'm not sold that Lowell in Yankee Stadium is a good fit. As I said before I think a lot of Lowell's production is a result of the Green Monster - check the numbers:
At home: 292 AB's, 14 HR, 73RBI, .373 BA, .993 OPS
On the Road: 297 ABs, 7 HR, 47 RBI, .276 BA, .767 OPS

Chip -

Was,nt lableing that comment from you that was for all of Torre's supporters. This man crooked behavior is alarmingly showing and the Player Decision request is scary then my question would be WHAT THE F**K ELSE you would have done with Joba and Phil?? he did'nt like the Joba rules? why not I thought they was fair?

Torre words and actions is killing him and now WITH THE DODGER REPORT saying he want more control is evident that EVEN CASHMAN may have distanced himself from Joe becasue obviously this had to have been brought up regarding the dislike for the Joba rules

I like the direction of this club. We are in transition toward a younger more energetic team. The Yankees may have offered Joe T. a refusable contract. But I thought otherwise.

To resign Mo, this is key to getting Jorge back. It does not guarantee Andy coming back. His decision is all about the family then the elbow. He's financially stable I'm sure unless he drops too much in the collection box on Sunday. We won't replace Arod's numbers at third but 29 other teams won't either but the WS has been won by teams who never had Arod on the roster. So, lets relax on this and we'll get some one of good quality. If we can improve the bullpen and get our 5th starter to be more than a name on the lineup card. We can be in the hunt. Yankee transition years are diferent than teams such as the Indians, Baltimore, etc.

I look for a team that has some life in it. Not the stoic approach that we have been there don't that. Its obvious that they have forgotten how to do that which is win by pitching, defense and timley hitting. Look back Its the young guys who had the ability in the end of the season to get some hits and pitch. I look forward to the coaching staff instilling energy to the cliub and veterans sitting when not producing. Joe could not do this to a fault.

Mazilli may also be going to LAD with JT -- rumor reported by Pete Abrahams in the Journal News.

I really don't know what Torre is going to do with that team - It would not shock me if he tried to get the Dodgers to trade for some of "his guys" who may be scattered around the league or even still with the Yankees. Maybe the Yankees can take advantage of that and move a Matsui out to the Dodgers for Andy LaRoche. We know that LaRoche is not going to start ahead of Nomar - or if they sign Alex

I agree with Jim though that the trickiest thing will be how Torre and Jeff Kent get along, Kent just strikes me as a Kenny Lofton, Jim Leyritz type that Torre would rather not deal with.

Seems that Girardi gets his incentive too? half a mil for the WS has popped up as the figure in a couple of places, but nothing authoritative yet.

The Clubhouse did come apart the last few years and he actually assisted in this it repaired it self ONLY WHEN his job was in Jeopardy. As for little Little was goner my friend. Torre is a press man and made it clear to the GM that he do not want to look like a bad guy.

The GM and little decided on the Resign factor so it looks better on littleresume

Somebody who knows managers' salaries might be able to answer my question -- is it true that if Torre signs for a little less than 15 mil for three years he would still be the highest paide mgr in baseball?

G-

Yes he would he would be making 5 mil I do not think larussa is making that much.

The next manager ot get some bucks will be Terry Francona

Good Morning All. Have the talks of O'Neill being on Girardi's staff died down? I haven't seen his name mentioned at all today. Where would he fit in anyway? Maybe they should make a new coach and call him the "Clubhouse Coach". O'Neill would be perfect for that. It would be awesome to have my favorite Yankee of all time on this Yankee staff.

Grampa -

Torre at $5 mil would be still $1.5 per year more than the next highest (Lou Pinella) though that could change with Tito Francona supposedly getting a new deal.

I have anal retinitis today (a sh*tty outlook) so here's what worries me:

1. Giant hole at 3B, can be filled by Lowell, sure but he is not the answer for the offensive production (see Chip's post above).
2. Damon, Matsui and Giambi have been hurt, can the Yanks count on them being healthy next year? I say no.
3. 1B: I still am not thrilled with the idea of Doug M. and Andy Phillips at first, especially when they've lost all the power that they got from the 3b last year.
4. The pitching staff still doesn't do anything for me. Hughes was average when he came off the DL and the only hope we seem to have is on a young guy whom we've never seen start a game but we watched him falter in the playoffs (bugs? come on!).
5. Our catcher is a FA
6. So is our closer
7. So is the only steady member of the rotation.
8. Mussina is still on the team.
9. So is Farnsworth
10. Our shortstop ain't getting any younger and he didn't hit for any power last year.

Okay, that's about as negative as I can be right now. I just didn't sleep well last night and woke up p*ssed off. I realize things can change in a hurry but this team has a lot of work to do and ground to a lot of ground to make up on their arch rivals who are basking in the glow of a WS win.

Leyritz is a two-faced piece of work, and now, since he is not needed on ESPheww, or Fox, he is sniffing around the Yankees for a spot. Why doesn't "The King" reach out to his Bosox friends? I remember not too long ago, when Leyritz became a traitor and dissed the Yanks on behalf of his new "adopted" team - the Redsox. Seek employment in Beantown and keep on dissin' us. We don't need ya, and neither does Girardi. Even Clueless won't take ya.

Dog - Yeah, doesn't sound like O'Neill is going to be on the coaching staff. According to what I've seen it will be:

Robbie Thompson - Bench
Kevin Long - Hitting
Dave Eiland - Pitching
Mike Harkey - Pen
Bobby Meachum - 3rd
Tony Pena - 1st

Thanks BB and Chip for the managers salary info.

Francona may benefit if JT sets high salary bar?

Jim A.

Well if you want to see a real bleak outlook here's a lineup that the Yankees could have:

Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Matsui DH
Melky CF
Betemit 3B
Molina C

that's about as negative as I can get - of course it won't happen because the Yankees won't allow it to happen - they'll go get a 3b who can play - even if that means Mark Teahan from the Royals - it sounds like Mo will be back and I don't think Posada will leave, if he does - my vote would be a Jose Molina/Ramon Castro tandem

Thanks Chip. It would have been nice to see O'Niell. I think your right though, they will be the best prepared and knowledgeable coaching staff in the league.

Thanks Chip, I feel better now. Actually, no I don't.

Jim,

I wouldn't worry to much. I think there are going to be some major changes that will come out of left field this off season. Just a hunch.

And thanks Chip, for all of this info. I appreciate it. I agree, just like I mentioned yesterday, that Kent is a cancer in the clubhouse that needs to be removed. A "me" type, who has very little tolerance for anybody different than himself. Extremely moody. That incident a few years ago with Barry "Steriods" wasn't as one-sided as people may have thought.

How about this lineup:

Damon - DH
Jeter - SS
Abreu - RF
Hunter - CF 4 years $60 mil
Carlos Delgado - 1b (acquired from Mets for Hideki Matsui)
Posada - C 3 years $45 mil
Lowell - 3B 3 years $45 mil
Cano - 2B
Melky - LF

Wilson Betimit will not be the every day third baseman next year. You can count on it. Some trade will be made. Joe Crede would be nice, at least as part of a platoon. Of course, that means something of value will also have to go. Scouring the lineup, I can see moving someone like Robinson Cano.

Also - and I know this makes me sound way too optimistic, I'm calling on Eric Duncan to get his poop in order and become the hitter the Yankees envisioned and possibly making the cut as a starter for this team out of spring training - if he doesn't I will hop off his bandwagon forever, but I'm giving him one more winter to figure it out.

Chip I don't want Delgado. He is done. It would be another Giambi. There gotta be someone better, especially defensively.

Steve O - the Yankees are not trading Robbie Cano.

Dog,
I agree, I know the Yanks will make some moves but a lot of people seem to think the Yanks have approved via the "addition by subtraction" method and I fail to see how that can be the case when you remove 154 RBI from the lineup, but they will get some folks to help out. I hope.

Chip- Not Delgado...he's another DH in waiting and he's LH, I'd rather look for a RH.

I think Steve O meant moving Cano to third. Steve?

Dog - I'm rooting for Eric Duncan to take the job in Spring Training.

Other options:

Adam LaRoche - Pirates
Raul Ibanez - Mariners
Dan Johnson - A's
Nick Johnson - Nats - the Nationals just signed Dimitri Young to a two year extension so Johnson's expendable.

Jim - if you want a RH how about Konerko - wouldn't be cheap to get him from the White Sox but could be done.

Chip,

I would love to see Duncan as the full time first baseman but I don't know if he has enough defense and plate discipline yet to be a full time player. We will see. Raul Ibanez is an interesting choice and it would be nice to see Nick Johnson return to NY but he is to injury prone.

Just moving off the lineup for a second - with Joba moving to the rotation and the Yankees needing a reliever in front of Rivera - how about this name: Kerry Wood?

Chip didn't the WS just sign Konerko to a new contract last year?

Chip,
I'd love to have Kerry Wood, I think he'd be great out of the 'pen. I hear Dusty Baker is begging Cincy to get him but he has often been accused of being the reason Wood and Prior have been hurt so much.

Nick Johnson? Nah, too injury prone and he's LH, plus his body looks like he will have a short career to me. Not enough power either.

I think the Yankees are ready to promote Cano to "run producer" status, so I think he will be batting 5th next year, or maybe even 3rd if they trade Abreu.

A report just posted oN newsday quotes Pettite saying he will either play for the Yankees or retire. This is good news.

Dog

Correct - but Kenny Williams was willing to listen to trade offers for him last season - he makes 12 mil a year through 2010. I only throw his name out there because he's one of the only significant right handed first basemen I can think of.

As for Delgado - the only reason I suggested him was that the Yankees, if they bring in Torii Hunter, would need to move either Matsui, Damon, Melky, Giambi, or Abreu - Matsui would be my choice. Delgado is far from ideal, but he is a stopgap for one year, comes off the books and then the Yankees can go after Teixeira as a FA in 2009.

Jim -

I'm kind of envisioning the Yankees moving away from the slugging Bronx Bombers of the last few years and back to a team where they hit and run more and play the style of baseball that won the championships. If you look at Girardi's career I see that being the style he's most comfortable with. Also, if the team added Hunter and Lowell and kept Posada - and subtracted Matsui, they could absorb another lefty bat.

If anyone cares - here is the list Curt Schilling put on his website of teams he would be willing to sign with - I don't know about you, but I'm deeply hurt that the Yankees are not on it:

Cleveland, Detroit, Anaheim, New York Mets, Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A., S.D., Arizona, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis, Milwaukee

Let's see, we have gone from Sexson, to Delgado, to Konerko. This may well be a frequent "small ball" club, and Girardi is used to that style. I like the "fire", D, and situational hitting of Doug M at 1B. The days of Torre "waiting" on a 3 run homer have left the Bronx, and headed West.

How about Carlos Pena from the Rays? Is that doable?

No Tampa? Didn't he say he would go there during the season?
If I were the Yanks, I'd make him a monster offer...only to pull it off the table when he bites. :)

As far as RH power- the Yankees do have one guy in place- Shelley Duncan- he had a great HR/AB ratio and is cheaper and preferable to Sexson and some other names mentioned here.

Be careful about the amount of years offered to some of these FAs like Lowell. Remember how giddy everyone was that the Yankees signed Damon for four years and the "CF problem is solved." Is anyone even considering him playing CF next year? And it's only the 3rd year of the contract.

I'd give an extra year to Mo and Jorge just out of loyalty, but be very wary of giving it to guys from other teams who are entering the downside.

Let's see, that's Sexson, to Delgado, to Konerko, to Pena. Next?

Dog - I can't see why Tampa would move him this winter.

Roy - the hot stove league is all about throwing names out and seeing what sticks.

cs07 - I can't argue with that logic - but I think there comes a point where you have to make a 3 year offer to get the negotiation started - remember, most of these guys are looking for 5 or 6 year deals - so 3 is a nice compromise.

Roy,

Come on. Just like Chip said, this is the time that you throw names out there and see which ones fit the best. You don’t think that Cashman has a list of guys he would like. It is just a discussion. You really need to relax sometimes. If you know the answer then tell us what it is.

CHIP-
Let's be realistic about it. The Yanks have a major hole at 3rd, and we know the W\S have 2 possible 3rd baseman, so the Crede discussion is relevant. Sexson is "possible" because the Mariners would love to "dump" that albatros and his salary on some "dummy". But the other names being thrown around are "pipe dream" fodder.

Chip

I would definitly sign Lowell for 3 years, but no more. ANd I think it is a great possibility he will come here, despite all the fan sentiment in Boston. These guys are looking at the bottom line, and really don't care about the fans when it comes down to it.

Even if Lowell doesn't hit as many HRs in the Bronx, his defense is solid and this was one of the main reasons why the Red Sox' EREA got lower. And best of all, you don;t have to trade anyone to fill the 3B hole.

Don't the Yankees have a big 1b/3B prospect at sigle A who may be ready in 3 years? I thought I read that somewhere.

Some minor moves that could have major impact:

New York Yankees
Signed: RHP Jose Valdez, OF Jason Rees, C Eladio Rodriguez
Released: 2B Gabe Lopez

Four months after being the first to foray into China, the Yankees became the first organization to sign players from the Israeli Baseball League. Rees, 23, and catcher Eladio Rodriguez, 28, signed with the Yankees following the IBL season. Rodriguez, winner of the league’s MVP for hitting .461 with 16 homers, signed as a nondrafted free agent in 1998 with the Red Sox, for whom he spent seven seasons.

DOG-
As I've said before, I like Doug M. at 1B, and Crede at 3B. That is of course if we can't get Derek Lee and David Wright.

cs07 - the player you may be thinking of is Brad Suttle - he was drafted this year. Right now he's over in Hawaii playing winter ball - I'm not sure the Yankees can count on him ascending to the majors as rapidly as Joba or Kennedy did though.

Roy - I have stated a few times, I would have no problem with the Yankees swinging a trade with the Mariners for Beltre and Sexson and letting Sexson and Giambi split time at 1st.

Sexson strikes out a ton but when he makes contact the ball goes into the parking lot.

To "pry" Lowell away from Boston, is gonna take a minimum of 4 years. The R\Sox don't want to repeat the Damon PR mess, but I don't believe they would go 4 yrs. If you want Lowell, figure 4 yrs, and get Damon to help.

Roy,

I understand where you are coming from. Yes a lot of the names mentioned are pipe dreams but there is always the slim possibility of one of them happening. If you had told me we would trade for A-Rod 4 years ago I would have told you that it would never happen and it definitely would have been a pipe dream. You just need to be a little more open minded. By the way, I am not sold on Crede and Doug M., but what do I know. It would be a "pipe dream" to me if I thought I had 1% of the baseball knowledge that Roy had. One can dream......Oh and I need how to learn how to use more quotes!

S.Duncan gives you what Sexson does with more hustle and it won't cost you a player in a trade.

Also- everyone says that Giambi is untradeable because of his contract. But his contract was signed in 2002, so it seems to me that it probably doesn't look as expensive considering what's been going on with salaries the past five years.

The championship teams of the late 90's generally didn't have any one guy hitting more than 25 HR's a year, so this talk about losing POWER is nonsense.

The winning formula is strong pitching, good defense, and TIMELY "clutch" hitting. It doesn't take POWER to win, it takes guys who can GIT-R-DONE!!! Don't worry about the POWER factor when building this team. Concentrate on the formula. Lowell would fit in that formula quite well.

I didn't get to see\hear the Girardi "coronation" yesterday. Was Hal present, and if so, did he have anything to say. I'm curious what "role",(if any), he is going to play in the Yankee hierarchy.

Teahen would be a good choice too.

Roy - the people on the conf call for Girardi were Girardi, Hank, Cashman - no Levine, no Hal.

Rick - if you check out the splits I posted above it wasn't just a disparity between Lowell's power numbers at Fenway vs. on the Road - it was all his offensive numbers. He hit about 100 points lower on the road than he did at home - that's huge - it tells me that at least a third of the hits Lowell got at home were off the monster and would likely be routine fly balls in Yankee Stadium.

CHIP-
Thanks. I'm getting the impression this is going to be "The Hank Show". "Little" Hal is becoming smaller by the day.

Roy,

Hal said that he was going to sign you as his personal advisor to baseball operations and was quoted as saying "Roy is superior fan with superior baseball knowledge.......and he damn good with the use quotes too!". Hey Roy can you tell that I am sick and tired of you talking down to everyone? I declare war on Roy. Is anyone with me?

Most of the HRs I saw Lowell hit up there weren't of the Bucky Dent variety- he hit some long shots. He might have just felt comfortable there and will have to adjust. I think his season numbers were comparable in Florida when he wasn't injured.

RH setup man David Riske rejected his option with the Royals and is now a FA. Yankees would be wise to take a look.