It has been known for weeks that the Yankees needed to make several moves to create room on the 40-man roster for 3B Alex Rodriguez, LHP Andy Pettitte, RHP Mariano Rivera and now RHP LaTroy Hawkins. To create the necessary space, the Yankees, who had previously designated Andy Phillips for assignment, non-tendered four players today. They are OF Bronson Sardinha, RHP Matt DeSalvo, RHP T.J. Beam and RHP Darrell Rasner. RHP Carl Pavano remains on the roster.
The bottom line is that I do not think the Yankees will miss Sardinha, DeSalvo or Beam for one second. Darrell Rasner, on the other hand, makes me scratch my head. I cannot help but think he is being sacrificed in favor of Carl Pavano at this point, who continues to plague the Yankees. If the Yankees can make a move with Pavano in the next few days, do not be surprised if they subsequently add Rasner back into the mix for Spring Training.
There were some other interesting names who were non-tendered by the clubs today, including Mark Prior (RHP, CHC), Morgan Ensberg (3B, SDP), Kiko Calero (RHP, OAK), Miguel Olivo (C, FLM), Akinori Otsuka (RHP, TEX) and Emil Brown (OF, KCR). I would not be surprised if the Yankees gave Mark Prior a shot if he can show them anything in a workout. Can you honestly tell me that a few million dollars is not worth the small chance that Mark Prior gets healthy and can once again throw that 97-MPH fastball with tremendous command like he once did? It’s worth the risk to me. Prior just turned 27 years-old and when healthy his WHIP is consistently better than that of Dan Haren, Erik Bedard, Johan Santana or anybody else the Yankees would have to give up the farm for. In addition, the Yankees do not need 34 starts out of Prior in 2008. All the Yankees need is 12-16 quality starts in the second half of the season when Joba Chamberlain and Philip Hughes approach their innings cap for the year, and you have to believe both guys will be capped at a maximum of 175 innings (probably less) before the playoffs. There is a slim possibility that the Yankees may look at Kris Benson. From the NYTimes:
Kris Benson, whose 2007 season ended in March after he underwent rotator cuff surgery, will work out for 10 to 15 teams in Phoenix on Monday, hoping to show he is healthy enough to pitch in 2008. The Yankees are expected to attend the session, according to a team source, but it is unlikely that they would be serious about signing the 33-year-old righthander. Benson, who is seeking a one-year, incentive-laden deal, will throw 65 pitches.
Obviously the Yankees would only sign Benson to tempt A-ROD with Benson’s wife, Anna.
As you all know, Kris Benson used to pitch for the New York Mets.
Speaking of the Mets, their franchise shortstop Jose Reyes says they really need Johan Santana (we know that), while newly re-signed Yankee Andy Pettitte says the Bronx Bombers do not need Santana to win the World Series, let alone beat the Boston Red Sox (we know that too). People still think that the Red Sox are trying to bait the Yankees into overpaying for Santana, but I think that is a false assumption. A better bet would be that the Red Sox have a 90 year-old inferiority complex and are pretty intimidated that the Yankees clearly have the best young pitching in baseball. If you think the Yankees are going to give up Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy when the Red Sox are offering a joke package highlighted by Jacoby “Overrated” Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie, you are nuts. Signing Santana has been a bad move from the start. Signing Kris Benson, though is a no-brainer.
The Yankees extended contract offers to all four of their arbitration-eligible players today, including troubled reliever Brian Bruney. He figures to receive a raise along with Chien-Ming Wang, Robinson Cano and Wilson Betemit. The Yankees may be working a long term deal with Chien-Ming Wang, a move that was initiated by Wang’s agent and is something that is certainly against the Yankees’ modus operandi.
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