Okay, let's hand out some grades for the Yanks, Brian Cashman, and what the new additions will mean to the team:
CC Sabathia: A+ - The big hurler, the hefty lefty, the pilsbury throw boy, brings in the highest grade, by far. Everyone outside the planet known as Mike Francesa understands how good Sabathia is. The man is a work horse. He is a power lefty with two out pitches (slider and changeup). He has guts, takes the ball whenever his team asks, and is the type of intense, want to win all the time, competitor who will infect the rest of the team and blend well with the other players (Jeter, Posada, Mariano, Joba) who all want to win at all costs.
In all honesty, there are no REAL question marks when it comes to Sabathia. He has never been injured, meaning all health concerns are based on what could happen. Well, that would apply to every single pitcher in the majors. No one who uses their arm as a tool in baseball is immune to the possibility of injury. Now, granted, Sabathia over the last two years has pitched an amazing amount of innings, but some pitchers are just workman like that. Until he starts grabbing his shoulder in pain, there is no sense worrying about an injury.
The only real concern I would have is the amount of selling the Yanks had to do to bring CC to the Bronx. It took $60 million more than the NEXT team, and a three day selling job by Brian Cashman, to finally get Sabathia to sign on the dotted line. The first time he faces adversity (the first time he is booed or the first rough outing against the Red Sox, where everyone begins to question his chops in the big game) will he begin to think "why the hell did I come here in the first place?" But that is really only a minor concern in the grand scheme of things.
In reality, the Yanks now have their go-to, ace stopper...........the guy that can lengthen their entire rotation, and take pressure off of EVERYONE which, in turn, should take pressure off of him as well. What was the weakness of the team - starting pitching - should now be their HUGE strength and it is going to be fun to watch the big man on the mound every fifth day.
AJ Burnett: B+ - The move to bring in AJ remains in the B's because, quite frankly, none of us have any idea what to expect. Burnett, along with Joba, is probably the most talented pitcher in the rotation. His stuff is electric and filthy. He is one of those pitchers that can go out there and simply dominate. He can put up 10 strike outs and 8 innings of shut-out ball every time he takes the mound. He is the type of power arm the Yanks have been craving and he ensures that the Yanks can throw a 1-2-3-4 at teams that NO ONE in baseball can match. Think of it this way, Burnett was close to being the equal of Roy Halladay in the Blue Jays rotation last year. Now, he will be the Yanks third starter behind CC and Wang and, depending on Joba's development, could be four in terms of trust. That aint too bad.
Plus, Burnett strikes everyone as the type of guy who would prefer NOT to be the ace of a staff, with the burden of lifting an entire rotation. This way, Burnett gets to fall nice and neatly into this packaged rotation, rather than being the focus, the center of attention.
Now, for the bad news.
The only two top-of-the-line years Burnett has had (2005 and 2008) were walk years, not exactly a glowing endorsement for a guy just signed to 5 years guaranteed. He has only thrown 200+ innings three times in his career and only made 30+ starts twice (again, 05 and 08). In actuality, when you look at their careers, Burnett and Ben Sheets are comparable, except the Yanks would probably only be willing to drop 2 years on Sheets because of injury risk and they went to 5 years on Burnett. That, in my book, qualifys as a major risk.
And, while it is certainly a plus that Burnett will not be asked to carry the full load of the rotation on his shoulders, it is also unclear how he will react to New York. Despite Sabathia's unwillingness to come to NYC, there is no denying the man's desire to win. He has a bulldog mentality and was willing to pitch on 3 days rest for about a month to try and pitch the Brewers in to the playoffs. Burnett has never shown that kind of killer instinct so it is entirely possible he will fold under the pressure of New York.
So which side wins out in the end, the negative or the positive? Here's how I look at it: unless Burnett is a total bust, the Yanks have made an exceptional move. If AJ were the Yanks main pitching acquisition, then this would truly be "hold your breath" time, but Burnett is simply another piece to the puzzle. If he doesn't live up to the contract, that failure should be muted by the success of Sabathia, Wang, Joba, and perhaps one of the Yanks young arms (Hughes, Brackman) coming through the system. Of course, if he breaks down and goes the way of the Pavano, this would be a HUGE mistake, but as long as he is a competent pitcher, this should work out. And, what the Yanks have given themselves is yet another pitcher who could be special. Suddenly, a rotation made up by Darrell Rasner and Sydney Ponson and Dan Giese last year has four guys who could, on any given day, dominate the other team. If pitching wins, the Yanks should win a lot.
Andy Pettitte (assuming): A - I'll make this quick; I assume Andy is going to come to his senses and realize that not only is $10 million a lot of money, but it is also more than anyone else is willing to give him. He will sign on the dotted line and come back and give the Yanks a lefty veteran presence that will make the rotation even more balanced.
I give this upcoming, expected move an A simply because Pettitte will be one of the best back-end of the rotation guys in the league and, let's face it, the man needs to now retire as a Yankee. No more weird uniforms for Andy. He is a Bomber, nough said.
Nick Swisher: B+ - Swisher's year last year was.........well...........the reason he is on the Yankee's this year. I won't get in to the particulars because they aren't pretty, but the Yanks are certainly not throwing him out there expecting a repeat performance. No, what the Bombers are assuming in giving Swisher a starring role on this team for the next few years is that he will return to his form of two and three years ago, where he batted around .270 with a high OBP, good power numbers, and very good defensive prowess around first base. Last year, Jason Giambi manned first base for the Yanks and batted .247 with 32 homers and 96 RBI. I think, if Swisher has a bounce back year, he could be expected to put up similar numbers (higher batting average, maybe a few less homers and RBI). With the added defense he will give the Yanks in the infield, he should more than make up for the loss of Giambi.
But while I really like this move on the Yankee's part, it still comes with risk. First, there is the risk that Swisher is more his 08 stats (.219 average, low OBP) than he is his 06 and 07 numbers. There is never a guarantee that someone is going to come back and perform at a high level when they have performed at such a low level prior. The other problem I see is that, unless Cashman moves a few more pieces over the next few weeks, Swisher will be the team's major offensive acquisition for the year. Offense was a major problem for this team and, even if Swisher bounces back and produces, it certainly isn't a given that he will make the team a better run producer. Swisher, mixed with another big bat, is a wonderful addition. Swisher being asked to now carry a heavy load of offensive responsibility is risky.
Mike Cameron (assumed): C - Now, about two days ago, when the Cameron for Melky Cabrera deal was first discussed seriously, I hated the idea. The Yanks made a big deal about "getting younger" this off season and, unless my math skills are at a sub-fifth grader level, bringing in a 35 year old strike out machine is not getting younger and more athletic.
But the more I consider this deal, the more I am okay with it as long as the Yanks treat it the right way. First, Cameron is on a walk year, meaning he will probably be playing for his last contract. I am sure he would like it to be for more than just a few pennies on the dollar. Maybe, because of that, you get a year out of Cameron like the Padres did his first year with the team, where he batted .268 with 22 homers, 83 RBI, 88 runs scored, 25 stolen bases, and an OBP of .355. With good defense in center, that would be more than enough to make Cameron a very valuable player on the team. However, even if he doesn't have a walk-year type of explosion, I look at Cameron this way: you either have Cabrera and Brett Gardner patroling center this year or Cameron and Gardner. I'll take Cameron and Gardner.
If Cameron is not cutting it, Gardner will play a good amount of time in the outfield, meaning his development won't be stunted and the yanks will get an idea of how good he can be. Cameron isn't a big enough acqusition to stand in anyone's way if they are coming on as a player. So, in that sense, the Yanks are simply TRADING Cabrera for Cameron...........I don't have a problem with that.
My only MAJOR problem with the move?
It is a lazy move, in my opinion. This team needs an infusion of energy and a guy who can be an impact bat. It seems that guys like Rick Ankiel and David DeJesus are available to be had for the right price. Is the asking price too rich or are the Yanks just not discussing anything with these teams because they will have the audacity to ask for a player the Yanks might think highly of on their minor league roster?
Cameron is a trade off and a stop gap. I don't think the Yanks should simply be looking for a stop gap. Trading Melky for Cameron is the easy, safe thing to do, and you can make the case the team is better with the veteran player like Cameron. But he doesn't add anything significant and I believe the Yanks need that to truly compete with the Red Sox and the Rays, who already have outstanding pitching. Their offenses are just simply better right now, and adding Cameron doesn't come close to addressing that gap.
In and of itself, it is a good move, but when you consider the Yanks had so much trouble with scoring big runs last year, adding Cameron and Nick Swisher don't seem to be the real answers.
Here's to hoping that Austin Jackson is the real deal, huh?
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