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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

FOX: Rosenthal - Baby Boss could cost Yanks their GM

If Cashman wished to stay east, he could replace Phillies GM Pat Gillick, who is expected to retire. Or, Cashman could return to D.C., where he attended Georgetown Prep and Catholic University, if the Nationals chose to replace Jim Bowden. Why, Cashman could even stay in the AL East if the Blue Jays dismissed J.P. Ricciardi, who has two years left on his contract.
...
So here’s the question: Is [Frank] Thomas finished?

“He looked like he was on rollerblades, sliding all over the box,” says a scout who saw him recently. “His balance was poor. His bat speed was poor. His approach was poor. He was only hitting changeups — that was the only ball he could get to.”

Still, scouts were saying much the same thing about Thomas, who turns 40 on May 27, in the early parts of each of the past two seasons. One GM says he finds it difficult to believe that Thomas no longer could contribute coming off a 26-homer, 95-RBI season.
...
The Diamondbacks, already loaded with young talent, are discussing how to proceed with right-hander Max Scherzer, who opened the season by pitching 17 scoreless innings at Class AAA, striking out 29 and walking only three. Club officials initially believed that Scherzer could emerge as an impact reliever this season, but want him to remain a starter for as long as possible. Scherzer represents insurance for the rotation if Randy Johnson fails to stay healthy or Doug Davis returns slowly from surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid.

The latest RoboNotes…

NTNgod Posted: April 22, 2008 at 06:48 PM | 16 comment(s)
Related News: General, Arizona, Florida, LA Dodgers, NY Mets, NY Yankees, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Texas, Toronto

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1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: April 22, 2008 at 07:12 PM (#2754875)

I think that firing Washington this early would be crazy talk.

Count me among the people who are skeptical that Davis will be able to return and pitch well this year, amid all the cancer stuff.

2. Robert S. Posted: April 22, 2008 at 07:18 PM (#2754881)

Scherzer could spend the next few weeks starting instead of Edgar Gonzalez, then move to the bullpen if both Johnson and Davis are healthy and effective. When Johnson goes down, Scherzer can move back into the rotation. Hopefully, Johnson lasts long enough so Scherzer doesn't hit whatever workload cap the organization has for him and need to be shut down in mid-August.

3. shoewizard Posted: April 22, 2008 at 07:28 PM (#2754893)

I don't think they should just yank Scherzer in and out of the rotation like that. The conditioning and usage are just so different. I don't care that Santana did it that way. It's not the safest way to proceed. Also, as we are seeing with Chamberlain, and even guys like Papelbon, if you turn them into "dominant" relievers, it's very hard nowadays to move a guy back to be a starter for a myriad of reasons.

For my money, Scherzer is a starter and should be used exclusively as a starter, until such time as they determine that he cannot ultimately succeed in that role. It's pissing value away to use him any other way.

BTW, 6 innings today, 5 hits, 1 HR, 3 ER, 0 walks, 9 k's.

Those were his first earned runs allowed this year and his K/BB ratio stands at 38/3

This is just as dominant as Lincecum was last year just prior to his callup.

4. Robert S. Posted: April 22, 2008 at 07:56 PM (#2754944)

If it was my decision, I'd take the next month to evaluate him in the MLB rotation and go from there.

5. shoewizard Posted: April 22, 2008 at 08:03 PM (#2754952)

Well....Edgar's "quality" start the other day probably forestalled a decision for at least another week. But I could live with your idea to stick him in there and see how it goes, no problem.

6. Please don't tell Phil Coorey to do the math Posted: April 22, 2008 at 08:11 PM (#2754969)

Let Steinbrenner hire a puppet GM, order Chamberlain to pitch 300 innings and trade for his new favorite junkballer, Jamie Moyer. Cashman, whose contract expires at the end of the season, would not lack for opportunities.

Snarky from Robo. I like it

7. Rich Posted: April 22, 2008 at 08:31 PM (#2755003)

Hal and Cash are on the same page. He'll stay.

8. Justin Upton's #1 Fan (SPB) Posted: April 22, 2008 at 08:41 PM (#2755018)

For my money, Scherzer is a starter and should be used exclusively as a starter, until such time as they determine that he cannot ultimately succeed in that role. It's pissing value away to use him any other way.

I agree and still don't understand why the early talk about making him a closer. That is such poor allocation of capital. Arms like this just don't come around that often.

I do think workload should be a concern, given that he pitched deep into the fall last year. It isn't that he threw a boatload of innings in 2007. Just that he pitched late in the year. But yeah, Robert - I'd love to see him given a regular turn with the big boys and see how it goes for a month or so. I remain skeptical of Edgar.

9. Sheer Tim Foli Posted: April 22, 2008 at 09:22 PM (#2755094)

Hal and Cash are on the same page. He'll stay.

Is that based on information not available to the rest of us? Or is it an opinion based on what we are all reading?
The business of baseball is so volatile I wouldn't put my money any given GM staying for any defined amount of time.

As a Jays fan I am intrigued by the concept of Cashman taking the reins. How is he perceived by fans in NY?

10. schuey Posted: April 22, 2008 at 09:34 PM (#2755122)

Cashman is a teflon GM. He gets praised for the good moves the Yankees make. The bad moves are blamed on Steinbrenner, his Tampa advisers or the players "can't handle New York". How much of that is true is hard to say. But he is very good at managing the media and the often retarded doofs such as Francesa and Russo in interviews. But in general people in NYC think he is sharp. I think he's alright but there have been so many wrong moves that Cashman deserves some responsibility.
Maybe if Cashman gets tired of the Steinbrenners, he can get a new job and hire Willie Randolph, who got lowballed by the Mets in salary, told he could hire only one coach who got fired last year in mid season (Rick Down) and sees asst GM Tony Bernazzard kibbutzing for 45 minutes with Manny Acta.
Hal and Cashman are assumed to be on the same page. The question is how much older and more volatile Hank takes control as opposed to the quieter and more financially-minded Hal. Hank probably will but don'y underestimate the quiet guys in the shadows.

11. TerpNats Posted: April 22, 2008 at 09:58 PM (#2755188)

If Hank wants to change GMs, we'll trade him Bowden for Cashman even up.

12. akrasian Posted: April 22, 2008 at 10:42 PM (#2755280)

If Hank wants to change GMs, we'll trade him Bowden for Cashman even up.

You know, the Dodgers took the manager that Hank didn't want. It's only fair that the teams swap GMs.

13. MSI Posted: April 23, 2008 at 02:20 AM (#2755446)

I'll take Cash on the Jays as well.

14. Rich Posted: April 23, 2008 at 02:56 AM (#2755457)

Is that based on information not available to the rest of us? Or is it an opinion based on what we are all reading?
The business of baseball is so volatile I wouldn't put my money any given GM staying for any defined amount of time.

It is based on the fact that it has been reported that Hal and Cashman have had a long term relationship (unlike Hank and Cashman), and that neither Hal and Cashman wanted to trade for Santana, both for financial and player personnel reasons, as evidenced by this interview in New York Magazine:

• On the Yankees failing to snag pitcher Johan Santana: It's well publicized in New York that we didn't agree on that deal. My concerns were economical and financial, and I'm not gonna get into those, but I also had baseball concerns. I didn't want to get rid of these kids! Boy, the last time we had three young pitchers like Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy, I couldn't even tell you.

Consequently, it's my surmise that given the importance of a possible trade for Santana, I think it's revealing that Cashman and Hal shared a similar philosophy in the face of countervailing pressure from Hank and a portion of the fan base (not to mention most of the NY and national media). I think it's probably indicative of an alliance between the two of them, but obviously, I could be wrong.

15. Gambling Rent Czar Posted: April 23, 2008 at 03:47 AM (#2755471)

Another fired babyboomer?

like all the rest, he will probably end up in san diego as a scout

16. Sheer Tim Foli Posted: April 23, 2008 at 11:13 AM (#2755624)

It is based on the fact that it has been reported that Hal and Cashman have had a long term relationship (unlike Hank and Cashman), and that neither Hal and Cashman wanted to trade for Santana, both for financial and player personnel reasons, as evidenced by this interview in New York Magazine:

This is interesting. I don't think your surmisal is unreasonable given your source. I suppose Cash's future (and other Yankee decisions) will hinge on how the two co-chairs resolve private disagreements.

As long as Hank doesn't don a uniform and manage the club from the dugout for a few days.

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FOX: Rosenthal - Baby Boss could cost Yanks their GM

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