A-Rod's Time Has Come... To DH

When the New York Yankees take the field on Opening Day 2012, the team should look a little different.

The time has come for Alex Rodriguez to take over as the primary designated hitter for the Yankees. My argument is one that walks a bit of a fine line, but allow me to make my case.

In 2011 Alex Rodriguez played in the fewest number of games as a full-time major league player in his 18 year career. Think about that for a second, A-Rod has been in the league for 18 years. He is 35 years old. That is a lot of mileage on those legs.

While Rodriguez is the single largest investment that the Yankees have right now (in the middle of a 10-year contract he signed with the Yankees in 2007) that carries an annual average salary of $26.9million. He figures to make $29 million this season, $30million if he hits 30 or more home runs. It is a lucrative deal for a lucrative player. Arguably on of the best to ever play the game. The problem with A-Rod is that he does not appear to pass the eyeball test any longer.

Sure, he had a .973 fielding percentage in 2011, but he also managed to commit 13 errors. Is he the crux of the Yankees problems this off-season? Not at all. Could he help fill another void in the lineup? Absolutely.

I admit, it might call for some creativity on the side of Brian Cashman and Co. There only figure to be 2 bonafied every day third baseman available through free agency: Aramis Ramirez and Wilson Betemit.

Ramirez is obviously the best third baseman on the market. The problem I see with him is that he is 33 years old and is going to command top dollars. Not that paying for a player has ever been an issue for the Yankees, but I see them starting to make some wiser baseball decisions as of late and perhaps giving big money to an older player may not be a priority. Sure, he hit .306 with an OPS of .871 with 26 homers in 2011, but offense is not the problem for the Yanks. Ramirez's .953 fielding percentage in 2011 is no upgrade over A-Rod, and thus, negates the true need for him.

Betemit may not be high on the radar of Yankees fans. After his abysmal stint in New York in 2007 and 2008, Betemit has proven himself to be a solid player at third. He would be a low cost option, but again, no upgrade defensively as he posted a .947 fielding percentage in 2011. If the Yankees were to bring in Betemit again, you might see them sign Eric Chavez to come back and platoon the position.

The real solution that may be viable would be through a trade with the Kansas City Royals.

Going in to the 2011 season the Royals had the single highest rated third base prospect in all of Major League Baseball: Mike Moustakas. Moustakas is only 23 years old and got the call-up to play 89 games this season. That is the entirety of his major league experience. His bat is not there yet, and his fielding percentage was .954 - which is pretty damn good for a kid getting his first licks in the majors. (In his first 63 games in the majors A-Rod posted a .934 fielding percentage.)

The question becomes, why would the Royals trade him? They seem to be re-tooling right now. Just a few days back the Royals traded (former Yankee) Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants to bring in Jonathan Sanchez. What if the Yankees put together a package surrounding A.J. Burnett, a man who has had major issues performing in New York? Burnett flourished in smaller markets like Florida and Toronto. Kansas City might give him the fresh start he needs.

The catch would be that the Yankees would have to eat a majority of his salary so that the low-budget Royals may bite at the offer. This would give an immediate boost to their starting rotation while allowing the Yankees to get a little bit younger in a position that could use it.

It may not be realistic, but it is one viable way for the Yankees to move forward, securing their largest asset for the long run.

Detroit Rock City

As a Boston Red Sox fan there is a certain (albeit self-serving) feeling of righteousness when the New York Yankees are ousted from the playoffs. Sure, the Red Sox didn't make it to fall ball for 2 seasons in a row. That only matters minimally in this war of ages. What matters is that the Yankees didn't acquire another ring. Phew. I'll bet the Sox brass is breathing easy with that knowledge.

This isn't at all about the Red Sox though. This is about seeing teams emerge and be great in October. This is about Jose Valverde shutting the door on Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees. This is about Justin Verlander making everyone realize that he could and should be the AL MVP this season. This is about Austin Jackson coming into his own as a suitable replacement for Curtis (MVP runner-up) Granderson.

This is about Victor Martinez, settling in nicely as a part-time catcher and DH. This is about Doug Fister handling this New York Yankee lineup for four scoreless innings, only allowing 1 run over five innings. This is about Magglio (don't call me washed up) Ordonez going 2 for 3 and showing he's still got it. This is about the magic that October brings out in all of baseball.

What we are witnessing this post season is something that I'm sure Bud Selig is enjoying quite a bit. Of the 8 Division Series teams only 1 would be considered "major market" by many accounts. We are seeing the Arizona Diamondbacks show incredible resilience against a formidable Milwaukee Brewers team. We are seeing the St. Louis Cardinals ride out this wave of amazing baseball that they have been playing since September 1st, taking it to the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies. We are seeing history in the making.

Tonight should prove to be no exception to that statement. With 2 game five's lined up, this is going to be an epic night of baseball. First, at 5:00pm est we will see the Milwaukee Brewers play host to the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks. The snakes are hoping to see another Kirk Gibson-esque performance from Ryan Roberts. Justin Upton could solidify himself as a bonified star by becoming an October hero as well. On the other side the Brewers are hoping that the combo of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder will provide enough offense to rid themselves of those pesky Diamondbacks.

After that, at 8:30pm est we will see the finale' of the Cardinals and Phillies series, capping off the Division Series playoffs with a pitchers dual for the ages; Chris Carpenter against Roy Halladay. Though Carpenter is hosting a 12.00 ERA in the NLDS (he pitched on short rest in game 2) tonight he is on full rest and ready to take on his old compadre' Roy Halladay (3.38 ERA in the NLDS).

I said it on Facebook the other night - I have already made my predictions for the World Series and starting tonight, I think you'll see the Cardinals make their way to play the Texas Rangers for it all. All I know is that I will be tied to my TV tonight for some exciting October baseball.

Playoff Baseball Rocks

Is there anything better than baseball in October? It is so unpredictable and intense. I love it. Watching the Division Series these past few nights have been pretty amazing. We've been able to watch October stars be born, others have come up short under the pressure. October is truly the time to separate the men from the boys.

A fine example came last night in the first inning, yes, FIRST inning of the New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers game. AJ Burnett looked awful. He managed to load the bases and could not seem to find the strike zone to save his life. Luckily, a guy named Curtis Granderson was playing in center field prepared to bail Burnett out.

Burnett had managed to walk the bases full and was about to face Detroit right fielder Don Kelley. In the mean time, the Yankees already had activity in the bull-pen, as Cory Wade was up and loosening to take over for what appeared to be a dead in the water Burnett. Burnett proceeded to throw a fastball right down the middle that Kelley appeared to have gotten a good piece of lumber on.

That is when Curtis Granderson changed the face of the game. Initially he sold out and came in on the fly ball. Watching the game it was going to be an inside the park grand slam if Granderson was unable to come up with the catch. He (Granderson) realized his judgement error in barely enough time to make a spectacular catch to save the inning for the Yankees and the game for Burnett. Let's face it, that ball gets down, Burnett is pulled, Wade is in and the Tigers go on to win the game and the series. I don't think you can really dispute that fact. Last night capped off (for me) the full transformation of Curtis Granderson being a good/solid player in Detroit, to being an all-star in New York.

Travel down South to Tropicana Field and another October superstar was born last night. Adrian Beltre belted 3 homeruns to put the

Texas Rangers into the ALCS for the second straight year in a row. Beltre has been an absolute BEAST for the Texas Rangers this season and I love the fact that it has paid off for him this far.

This season he batted .296 with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in. His slugging percentage was .561 this season, which is second only to his best career season in 2004 when it was .629. The guy has been a consistently good hitter and an impeccable fielder for his career and it is nice to see him in an organization that allows him the opportunity to shine.

Tonight we get to see 2 potential elimination games in the National League. The Phillies will be in St. Louis tonight trying to boot the Cardinals from the post season. The probable pitchers for tonight are Roy Oswalt for the Phillies and Edwin Jackson for the Cards. This is going to be quite the matchup. The last time Oswalt pitched in St. Louis he took the Houston Astros to their first... and ONLY World Series birth. On the other hand, Edwin Jackson has easily been the Cards best starter since late July. He has allowed 2 or fewer runs in 9 of his 12 starts. He has also gone 6 or more innings in 10 of those 12 outings.

Travel across the country and we will see the Milwaukee Brewers visiting the Arizona Diamondbacks and try to take them out of the playoffs. The probables for this game are Randy Wolfe for the Brewers, whom, while not an exciting pitcher, is a horse and an inning eater; squaring off with Joe Saunders for the D'Backs. I'm not sure what to think of this game - I think it may be an offensive outing, ending in a 6-4 final score - and I am assuming that 6 will be at the hands of the Brew Crew.

God, I love baseball.

Is tonight "make it or break it" for the Red Sox?

This morning while dropping my daughter off at daycare I was listening to WEEI (sorry Sports Hub, reception isn't that grand in New Bedford) and heard Gerry Callihan boldly proclaim that if Josh Beckett and the Red Sox lose tonight against Tampa Bay - they will not be in the playoffs. I said this was a bold claim, and I truthfully believe it. At first, I found myself agreeing with what Callihan said, but then gave it a bit more thought.

Admittedly the Red Sox have a depleted lineup right now. Going into tonight we already know that Kevin Youkilis will be out nursing a hernia. Jed Lowrie is out busy trying to be the under established JD Drew of the team. JD Drew will be out because he's JD Drew. Ortiz is banged up. Crawford has been sub-par and the pitching staff is depleted. Fear not Sox fans, there is hope both tonight and beyond. Tonight we might see Mike Aviles play third base which is not ideal, but he is a solid defender. Perhaps we could see some of that run prevention that Theo always talks about. We will also see a cooled down Josh Reddick in right field as the righty James Shields will be on the mound for Tampa Bay. It is important to note that this would be the first time Reddick would face Shields.

Let's move past tonight. If the Sox win, they are gaining time and a game... for a day. Tomorrow it is Jon Lester against Jeff Nieman. If we split these two games we are no worse off than we are right now. The big question is Sunday with Tim Wakefield facing David Price who, by the way has dominated every Red Sox batter not named Kevin Youkilis over the past 5 years (Youk has 4 hits in 10 at bats against Price.) I'm a realist. Barring any unforeseen offensive explosions on Sunday the Sox will likely drop that game. I feel real good about Beckett and Lester. Especially Lester, coming off of a terrible outing with a chip on his shoulder. I have a feeling the Sox will leave this series leading the Rays by 4 games in the Wild Card race.

Then what happens? The Red Sox go on to host the 60-88 Baltimore Orioles at home for 4 games. Kicking off Monday with a double header - which is rough after a fierce series with the Rays. Still, I feel better with Lackey and maybe Andrew Miller facing Baltimore over Tampa Bay. While the Red Sox are busy hosting the Orioles for 4 home games, Tampa Bay will be visiting the 90-58 New York Yankees for 4 games. They too have a double header lined up for their series on Tuesday. The Sox then hit the road to close out their season, playing 3 games against those same New York Yankees, whom may have just had a hard fought series with Tampa Bay and whom, its worth mentioning, the (healthy) Red Sox have owned this season. Tampa heads home to start a 3 game series with the 75-74 Toronto Blue Jays. A team that I think is better than their record reflects. The Sox will then head into Baltimore to play their final 3 games of the season as the Rays host the Yankees once again.

Simple math here - the Red Sox are playing a sub-.500 team 7 times before the end of the season. The Rays are playing a sub-.500 team 0 times. Scheduling bodes well for the Red Sox. I do not see any way that the Boston Red Sox will not make the playoffs this season. Sadly though, I'm not sure how far they can make it with their depleted staff. The post season does have a way of bringing normal players into elite status though - just take a look at Cody Ross in San Francisco for example. Maybe this years Cody Ross could be Carl Crawford? Who knows? What I do know is, the Red Sox will be playing baseball in October.

Who's Your Rookie of the Year?

In an effort NOT to talk about the Boston Red Sox or the Texas Rangers (no easy task today, considering they are about to embark on what I believe to be a very crucial series in Texas) I have decided to take a look at some of the rookies that have impressed me this year and give my two-cents as to whom (as of this point) I believe should be given the distinct honor of being Rookie of the Year.

In my last post I mentioned Atlanta's Freddie Freeman. Freeman would be a fine choice. He has played in 124 games thus far and is hitting for a nice .293 batting average. (134h/457ab) He has driven in 62 runs and has managed 45 extra base hits (17 of which being the long ball.) He leads all rookies in doubles, with 28. He is not just an offensive player though. This season his ranger factor is a 9.21 while his fielding percentage is at .995. What all of these statistics are telling me is that Atlanta has found their first baseman for many years to come.

For fielders, I find the (no pun intended) field to be a bit short. I look at Freeman's numbers and I am very impressed with what he has accomplished in his young career. There are a couple of other young studs that have played markedly well that deserve some mention here, and still may close out the season strong enough to change my mind. There is second baseman Danny Espinosa in Washington for example. He is more of a defensive liability than Freeman. He posts a 4.77 range factor with a .982 fielding percentage; by no means bad for a rookie, just not as good as Freeman's numbers. At bat, his average is low at .231 (which is still better than Jayson Werth) but he has pop in his swing. He's belted 18 homers this season with 57 RBI's. Needless to say, Washington fans would love to see that type of production coming from Werth.

One last individual that has caught my attention has to be Angels first baseman, Mark Trumbo. Offensively he is putting up the closest numbers of any rookie to Freddie Freeman. Currently he is batting .260 (110h/463 ab) with 23 home runs and 69 RBI's. It is clear to me now why the Angels were not big spenders in the off-season, or rather, felt they could take the hit. It is evident that Trumbo is a major league stud. At first base this season he has a range factor of 9.30 with a fielding percentage of .993 - pretty excellent numbers for a rookie as well.

Now, in case you didn't notice I had some criteria for those players that I felt were worthy above, and it was basic - games played. If a rookie had not played over 100 games this season, I did not even consider them... unless they were a pitcher. Which brings me to my final two names. Of all rookie pitchers, it would be very easy to point out that the New York Yankees, Ivan Nova leads the way with 13 wins and 4 losses. He is posting a 3.97 ERA in the toughest division in baseball and is a vital piece to that Yankee rotation right now. But the problem I have with him is that, well, other than the fact he is a Yankee, is the fact that he is a Yankee. Let me explain. If a rookie pitcher from the Yankees or Red Sox, the two deepest pockets in baseball, were posting those numbers, there is an obvious point that can be made - they have a superior team surrounding them. This idea does not fall deaf on me. I buy it. Which is why I think, though Nova is admittedly having a great season, there is one rookie that remains that I think absolutely deserves the American League Rookie of the Year honor.

The Seattle Mariners Michael Pineda has been dominant. That is a hard thing to be when you play in King Felix's park, but he has been. His 9-7 record with a 3.73 ERA is no indication of the type of pitcher he is. Much like Felix Hernandez - the body of work and the team you are on has to take some consideration. Pineda is in no-mans land, Seattle. He has started 24 games and has pitched 147 innings already - the most for any rookie pitcher. By the way, he also has 148 strikeouts, 28 more than the next rookie in that category. He also maintains a 1.11 WHIP, 15th in all of the majors, first for rookies. Pineda hs been a beast, pure and simple. It is a shame in my eyes to see such a talent on a ballclub that will not give him a shot of winning anything.

Given my argument, I think you already know, but my NL Rookie of the Year would have to be Freddie Freeman. AL Rookie of the Year would be Michael Pineda. Thoughts?