This isn’t a post about being a Yankee fan, which I am. This is a post about playing baseball in NY, which I think most baseball fans will admit, is a little bit different than playing in Kansas City. It is also about building a championship team. Only in New York could A-Rod’s 2006 35 HR 121 RBI season be considered a bust. Take the most intense situation you can think of, multiply it by 10 and you are getting close to the scrutiny that a star baseball player faces in NYC.When you have a player that can do it, take the heat and succeed, you should hold on to him. If for whatever reason you can’t hold on to him, if he becomes available again, get him back. The ability to handle the bright lights of New York and perform is almost as important as raw talent.
Who am I talking about?
The unflappable Jonathan Ray Lieber.
If you look at Lieber’s career numbers he has been remarkably consistent. A down year last year and a trade for Freddy Garcia removed him from the Phillies plans for 2007. However, statistical evidence suggests he will pitch closer to his 2004 and 2005 numbers than his anomalous 2006 season. In 2004 he went 14 - 8 for the Yanks and was incredibly steady.
The Yankees currently have a significant problem with their starting pitching. Chien Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte are ailing. Mike Mussina is ok and despite the large amount of walks he had this spring I am very high on Kei Igawa. Carl Pavano has stolen the Yankees money for two years after throwing an ineffective 100 innings in 2005 and being dishonest about his health for much of 2006. If I was Brian Cashman I would punt Pavano for a bucket of balls, but fortunately for the Yankees, I’m not. Pavano was a borderline superstar when the Yankees signed him and even if he is 70% of what he was he is better than almost anything else the Yankees have.
Jeff Karstens is going to fill a slot while the injured players recover and while he pitched well in spring training this season he is NOT a long term solution. Super prospect Philip Hughes makes Yankees fans drool, but throwing him into the fire and possibly damaging his confidence long term is not something the Yankees want to do.
All of that brings us back to Jonathan Ray Lieber, his very hard slider, and the fact that the Phillies need to trade him. If the Yankees traded for Lieber they guarantee themselves 12-15 wins, 180-220 innings, almost no walks and someone who will take the ball every five days and stand tall before everything that New York has to throw at him. I don't think it would take that much, maybe Melky Cabrera and a minor leaguer. If that is the price, for the sanity he would bring to the Yankees rotation, I say bring him back.
Bring him back.
3 comments:
I have to disagree. First off, I think the Yankees can't afford to lose Melky Cabrera. He's our only back-up outfielder, and can play all three outfield positions, and he's a switch hitter. He's just a baby and held his own in the bigs last year. I wouldn't give him up for Lieber in a million years.
Let's say you can get Lieber for something cheaper... maybe the Phillies will just give him away to dump the contract. OK, where does Lieber pitch when Wang comes back at the end of April?
You shoot Carl Pavano in the back of the head and drop him in a dumpster, or trade him to Kansas City and eat the rest of the contract, or do anything you can to get him off the team. Mike Mussina hates the guy and he is obviously a problem. Why would you lie about your health to a team that gave you THAT much money to work for them? He is a disgrace.
While I like Melky too no projection has him as being more than a 4th outfielder in his career and there are plenty of 4th outfielders available at any given moment.
Check this out. Not exactly Cabrera for Lieber, though.
http://yankees.lohudblogs.com/2007/03/27/would-you-make-this-trade/
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