Girardi costs Yankees game with Hughes hook

Phil Hughes technically was the loser in last night’s game, but his manager’s obsession with numbers and matchups is what really cost the New York Yankees a victory.

For some reason, Joe Girardi did not see what the rest of us saw: that despite having a bases-loaded situation, Hughes was still dealing. Instead of giving the righty one more batter after a fierce strikeout for the second out of the 7^th inning, Girardi removed Hughes in favor of lefty Boone Logan, who promptly gave up the lead for good in a game the Yankees had in their grasp. What was even more disappointing about the loss is that the New York Yankees missed an opportunity to put some distance between themselves and those pesky Baltimore Orioles.

Hughes, trying to be a diplomat and a good teammate, did not place the blame on his manager or criticize a lousy decision. But his disappointment and frustration were obvious from the moment he took a seat on the bench before Boone’s implosion through his post-game press conference, when he twice said that he didn't make decisions and just pitches to who he is told to. Hughes, I’m sure, believes he earned the right to clean up that 7^th inning mess and he’s absolutely right (this isn't a second guess by the way, I started screaming at my television the minute I saw Girardi walking out toward the mound).

Girardi has a lot of strengths as a manager, but one of his weaknesses is his inability to read his players. He should have given Hughes, who has more victories than any Yankee pitcher this season, the opportunity to work out of the jam. Showing that kind of confidence in your players is a key part of being a good manager. It can’t be all about statistics and I think Girardi too often loses himself in the numbers game instead of trusting his players.

Phil Hughes didn’t cost the Yankees a game last night. Joe Girardi did. 

Yankees offseason business almost complete

The New York Yankees signed Brett Gardner to a one-year contract, leaving only Russell Martin and Boone Logan without deals so far. By all accounts, the Yankees offseason business is nearly complete.

Unless the speculation about Prince Fielder signing with the Bronx Bombers comes true (I think it’s nothing more than a pipe dream by some very spoiled Yankees fans), Brian Cashman & Co are almost done for the winter. Of course, the Yankees have surprised us before, most recently with the pre-Christmas 2008 mega-signing of Mark Teixeira and the inking of Rafael Soriano after being rejected by Cliff Lee last year. But Tex is signed for another five years so first base isn’t open for Fielder and I doubt the Yankees are willing to spend what it will cost to get him. And I think the Steinbrenners have learned their lesson about overruling Cashman after paying Soriano more than $10 million a year to be their 7^th inning reliever.

This being the Yankees, they could surprise us yet again after pulling off a stunning trade for a potential young ace in Michael Pineda. But after getting Hiroki Kuroda at the price Cashman wanted, he is probably not willing to ask the Steinbrenners to loosen the purse strings again for anyone, including Fielder. And I’m not even sure Cashman is particularly interested in Fielder, even though he is a terrific young hitter. The Yankees general manager has often been stung by criticism that his baseball prowess only goes as far as his resources. By focusing only on moves within his budget, Cashman wants to quell such talk once and for all.

I think Cashman & Co are nearly done, save for signing Martin and Boone and perhaps Eric Chavez or someone of his ilk to be a back-up infielder. The Yankees roster is almost set heading toward spring training and it’s looking pretty good.

Yankees wise not to fight with their kids

After the nasty contract dispute with Captain Derek Jeter, I half expected the New York Yankees to pick a fight with their three youngsters eligible for arbitration in an attempt to save a few bucks. I'm happy that they wisely decided not to let things get ugly.

The Yankees signed Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan to reasonable, one-year deals, avoiding any contentious hearings with less than a month until pitchers and catchers report.

After the year he had, I thought Hughes could have gotten a bigger raise, but he won't be hurting with $2.7 million. That's still a bargain for the Yankees considering that he, along with CC Sabathia, is seen as the only reliable member of the starting rotation. But hopefully him settling for a reasonable deal rather than fighting for the last dollar sets the stage for smooth negotiations on a long-term deal when his time comes.

In signing Logan and Joba, the Yankees bullpen is now set. Logan proved to be an integral cog in the relief corp last year and will play an even bigger role with the revamped power lineup of the Boston Red Sox. This year may be even more important for Joba. He needs to prove that he can get back to being that dominant guy we saw a few years ago and I think the Yankees will give him one more year to find it again before they start thinking about moving on.

I hate the baseball arbitration process because even the best relationships can turn sour under the pressure. But in signing their three eligible youngsters, the Yankees got at least one thing done right this offseason.

Who I would dump from the 2010 Yankees

The three Core Four New York Yankees eligible for free agency have gotten most of the attention, but nearly half the roster is eligible or could be non-tendered. Here's who I would dump:

Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte will all be back if they want to be, but how much it will cost to keep them is a separate question. I would love to see Kerry Wood back if the Yankees can work out a cheaper deal with him, but I think he will get plenty of offers in the offseason.

Nick Johnson and Javier Vazquez are the easiest to wave goodbye with Johnson hurt again for most of the year and Vazquez not even making the postseason roster (That Kelly Clarkson song Already Gone just popped into my head).

For me, Marcus Thames is the toughest call among the free agents because he was such a productive offensive player and he is pretty cheap. But I think the Yankees really need to free up the designated hitter spot for Jorge Posada, Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Lance Berkman will simply fade away, having fallen short in his one chance to win a World Series before his career comes to an end. Austin Kearns did nothing to impress me and I would let him walk away. Hell, I didn't even want him on the postseason roster.

Of the six guys eligible for arbitration, Chad Gaudin, Dustin Moseley and Sergio Mitre could be non-tendered. I would only keep Moseley because I think he has shown enough promise as a potential fifth starter. Gaudin and Mitre have been disappointing and they aren't much value to the team if they are relegated to mop-up duty.

Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan are also arbitration eligible, but they will all be back barring a trade. I can't wait to see the number Hughes' agent puts forth in arbitration after he won 18 games at the bargain price of $447,000. Coming off the year he had, it would be difficult for the Yankees to fight him although they could point to his increasing ERA through the year and his two losses to the Texas Rangers in the playoffs.

Some guys will remain on the team because they are simply untradeable, namely AJ Burnett with three years and another $60 million on his contract. Both Joe Girardi and Cashman expressed confidence that Burnett would have a bounce-back year in 2011. On what they are basing this assessment, I don't really know.

So I will be sad to see Wood and Thames go, but most of the others are expendable (And now the Stallone movie just popped into my head so I'll have to get rid of that image).

Yankees reclaim first place in thrilling fashion

After a tough loss on Monday night, the New York Yankees looked like they were heading to an easy win over the Tampa Bay Rays. We should have known better.

Games between these two rivals are never easy. After staking rookie Ivan Nova to a 6-0 lead, the Yankees watched helplessly as the rookie proceeded to give the game away. After a leadoff homer by Carlos Pena, Nova gave up hit after hit and failed to secure that elusive third out in the 5th inning that would have left him in line for the victory. Instead, he watched Boone Logan give up what could have been a deflating home run to Willy Aybar for a Tampa lead.

But the Yankees battled back, thanks to a ribbie double from Most Valuable Player candidate Robinson Cano and a couple of late-inning heroics by some unsung heroes. It started with Curtis Granderson, not having the inaugural Yankee season he hoped for, making a fantastic catch to help David Robertson send the game into extra innings. Jorge Posada then came off the bench to hit a monster blast that you had to see to believe. Finally, young Greg Golson threw a perfect strike to third to catch Carl Crawford inexplicably trying to steal third base with two outs and help Mariano Rivera secure the victory. The last two innings of the game were probably the most exciting of this baseball season.

After the devastating defeat on Monday, the Yankees desperately needed this victory. The relief was palpable in the clubhouse and in Joe Girardi's postgame interview. Another loss to their rivals would have sunk the Yankees further in the division and opened them up to a flood of questions about their ability to succeed in the playoffs. If they can clinch the series today, it saves what has so far been a miserable road trip, and possibly the season.

Reporters scratch heads over Girardi moves

With Joe Girardi as the manager of the New York Yankees, I've made my peace with seeing head-scratching managerial moves on a regular basis. Apparently, the New York media has not. Let the second guessing continue!

Reporters were perplexed as to why Girardi would send Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre into a scoreless game against the Tampa Bay Rays instead of David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain. I must confess that I wondered the same thing when I saw Girardi take out Boone Logan after one batter for Gaudin in the 10th inning and was yelling at the television as Gaudin proceeded to walk people. But Girardi is prone to over thinking matchups so we shouldn't have been too surprised.

What was most baffling to reporters is that Girardi said neither Robertson nor Joba was hurt, a fact that both players confirmed. The Yankee manager just felt they needed a day off, despite not having pitched on Sunday. It’s a strange stance considering the Yankees were in a tight battle against their toughest opponents and it would seem to be an all-hands on deck situation, but Girardi doesn’t think that way.

Girardi is less than eager to defend his daily moves and he was incredibly rude to the reporters, especially Kim Jones, who dared to ask him about his decisions and the loss that put the Yankees behind their division rivals.

For the record, I have no problem with Girardi wanting to protect his relievers. He's absolutely right when he said they've been used a lot lately and he's obviously thinking ahead to the playoffs in trying to get them some rest. But as the manager of the Yankees, he can't bristle and get defensive when reporters approach him with legitimate questions about his managerial moves.

Despite Mo stumble, Yankee bullpen steps up

It's always shocking to see Mariano Rivera struggle, which is why yesterday's loss to the Texas Rangers was so surprising. I can't remember ever seeing Mo give up hit after hit with an intentional walk mixed in, but even the great Mariano is entitled to a bad game now and then.

Despite Mo's stumble, the New York Yankees bullpen has had a great run recently. Prior to last night's game, Mo was sporting a 0.88 ERA with 23 saves. That we expect. But what has been surprising and uplifting for the team is the way the other guys in the bullpen are pitching, most notably David Robertson and Boone Logan.

Robertson has supplanted Joba Chamberlain as the 8th inning guy when the Yankees are ahead, mostly because he has not given up a run in his last 10 appearances. During that time, he has pitched 10 1/3 innings, giving up only three hits and lowering his ERA from 5.01 to 3.95. He's walked a few too many hitters (five in his last four appearances), but they haven't hurt him.

Logan has been just as impressive in battling the lefties that opponents send up against the Yankees in the late innings. He has given up no runs and just one hit in his last 10 appearances, totaling 7 1/3 innings and lowering his ERA from 3.92 to 2.96.

Even Joba has pitched better of late, not giving up a run over his last seven appearances, totaling 7 1/3 innings. But Robertson and Logan are pitching so well, it's hard to imagine Joba reclaiming his job, unless the fiery Joba shows up again.

At a time when the starting pitchers are battling injuries and illness and the lineup has failed to show its offensive might, the Yankees bullpen has been a bright spot, even with yesterday's blip.