What looked like a promising 2011 season for the New York Yankees ends in another disappointing first round exit. Here are 7 moves that I think the Yankees need to make for the 2012 season.1) Resign General Manager Brian Cashman – I’m not a huge fan of Cashman but he is an above-average general manager. He has replenished the minor league system by focusing on drafting pitchers and allowing them to develop. 2) Resign CC Sabathia – CC can opt out of his current contract that he signed in 2009. If he chooses to opt out, the Yankees should be reluctant to give him a 7 year deal given the weight issues that arose during the course of this season. I would give him a 5 year contract at an average of $25 million per year. 3) Trade for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly – In 2012, the Red Sox will be the Yankees main competitor for the AL East title and the Wild Card again. The Yankees must get left-handed pitching to combat the Red Sox’s left-handed hitters. The Red Sox starting lineup is predominately left-handed with Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz (if he re-signs), and Carl Crawford. Here are my reasons to trade for Lilly:
First, Lilly has had success pitching against Gonzalez (6/24 .250 ba), Ortiz (7/33 with 10 strikeouts .212 ba), Crawford (6/27 .222 ba), Pedroria (0/6 .000 ba), and Youkilis (4/12 .333 ba).[1]
Second, Lilly will be entering the 2nd year of a 3-year, $33 million dollar contract that he signed in 2010.[2] The cash-strapped Dodgers would like to remove the remaining $22 million left on his contract and use that money to re-sign their star players such as Matt Kemp. The Yankees could easily absorb Lilly’s contract in exchange for a few lower-level prospects.
Third, Lilly will turn 36 next June and I see him as an Andy Pettitte type pitcher who has gotten better with age. He was a former Yankee back in 2001 and has experience pitching in the AL East. In addition, Larry Rothschild was his pitching coach when Lilly was with the Chicago Cubs from 2007-2010. Lilly would also be a cheaper alternative than signing C.J. Wilson and it would give the Yankees a 2 year window to develop their minor league pitchers.
4) Let Nick Swisher walk – Swisher has had 3 years of postseason experience with the Yankees and he has done nothing. He has no clue what he’s doing at the plate in the postseason. He is 0 for 30 with RISP in his career in the postseason. I love his enthusiasm and heart but he is not producing in the postseason and I think it’s time for the Yankees to go in another direction. You cannot give automatic outs in the postseason and that’s what Swisher was doing. I would let Eduardo Nunez play right field or sign a veteran like Michael Cuddyer from the Twins. I would not sign Carlos Beltran to replace Swisher because all I can remember as a New Yorker is Beltran taking a called third strike in the NLCS when he was playing with the Mets in 2006. 5) Decide what to do with Phil Hughes – Phil Hughes will be entering his 6th season as a Yankee. Injuries and innings limits have stunted his growth as a pitcher over the years. He is still young, turning 26 next June. Personally, I think Hughes is better off in the bullpen. Something about his pitching motion bothers me. But given that the Yankees bullpen is the strongest part of the team with Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Rafael Soriano, Cory Wade, and Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees need Hughes to be in the starting rotation and it’s time for him to show that he can be a quality starting pitching in the major leagues. 6) Get another left-handed reliever – I don’t know whether Damaso Marte or Pedro Feliciano will be available next year but obtaining another left-handed reliever to complement Boone Logan is a priority. If Marte and Feliciano are unavailable, then the Yankees should take a look at Jeremy Affeldt or Javier Lopez from the San Francisco Giants. 7) Minor league prospects – Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, and Hector Noesi – As for the Yankees minor league pitchers who will start at Triple A next season, I would not go into the season counting on any of them to be part of my major league staff. I think Cashman has learned this lesson from the 2008 debacle when he entered the season with Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, and Joba Chamberlain as 3/5ths of his starting rotation. Kennedy and Hughes both were winless and got injured and Chamberlain made 12 starts.
Conclusion –
The reason that the Yankees lost this 2011 postseason was not because they lacked pitching. They got value from their pitching staff this season considering the players that they had. They lost 2 games to the Tigers by one run. In Game 5 against the Tigers, the Yankees had the bases loaded with one out twice and could only muster one run. The offense needs to change. The Yankee hitters need to learn how to make adjustments. It shouldn’t take players like Mark Teixeira 3 years to realize that he can’t keep swinging for home runs in the postseason. I would trade every home run for 2 doubles or even 2 singles. Cashman needs to find players who play fundamental baseball and who hit for high batting averages and who do not strike out much.
With a few adjustments by the Yankee hitters and additions to strengthen the starting staff, Cashman’s plan should remain the same – get younger, continue to build the minor league system, don’t be afraid to let Nunez and Montero be a major part of the Yankee offense, and most of all, have fun playing baseball.
[1] Statistics courtesy of Yahoo Sports
[2] http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/dodgers/2010-10-19-ted-lilly-deal_N.htm