PeteAbe has a discussion worthy piece up on the Return of the Molina, and who gives. Pena down and Brains stays, Brains stays and Pena down, or both down (to get work in) and Shelly or Roddy up.

My question is, is there a 4th option, That being both kids down and we pick someone up for our PS run. It may be too early for salary dumps, and trade season is not yet upon us. But I believe we will make the PS this year, either as the division leader or the WC. But it will be a fight, and the PS will be a fight.

I don't think we have any glaring holes, especially considering some kids we have in the wings. But a better-then-average OFer couldn't hurt. I don't think we can rely on both/either Melky and/or Brett to stay above a .750 OPS. It's not crazy to think they might both regress.

I know Holliday is overblown and probably overpriced, but I think replacing Melky/Brett with Holliday (or similar) is a substancial upgrade to both our starting 9 and bench depth. If either JD or Swish goes down, we are in deep sneakers.

Thoughts?

good list cliff.
funny how few of the guys on the top 10 list were hardcore base stealers - guess that's partially why they are on the list though

one small favor cliff - i know amelia will approve - when you get a chance to update the sidebar please get rid of berroa first

[1] "Thoughts?"

I'd keep both Pena and Cervelli up, DFA'ing Tomko when Molina returns, and I'll tell you why.

That way, Ransom and Pena can spell the veteran infield more often as well as late in games, and we don't have to endure both Posada and Molina breaking down together due to overuse again. Cervelli can start for the tougher draws of Sabathia and Wang. Let Molina work with Chamberlain once a week. Give Po Pettitte and Burnett. That yields three fresh backstops, at least through the ASB.

When they lose an outfielder, then they can bring up someone.

And I haven't even mentioned that station-to-station thing we all hate so much! Cervelli can score on all singles to the OF from 2B, Posada, Molina, and Matsui, not so much. Cherry picking any of those three into a potential collision at home trying to score from 2B on a single to the OF is a recipe for disaster! Consequently, they will remain station-to-station more often than not. For me, that type of baseball is unacceptable, when compared to their AL East contemporaries in Boston and especially Tampa. Therefore, sending Pena and Cervelli down not only slows the team down to unbearable status, it again plays right into the hands of their primary competition for either the Division or the Wild Card. Let the kids play! Both they and the veterans will be all the better for it later this season during the Dog Days.

Also, going to six hurlers in the pen will force Girardi to define roles. If he can't get it done with Mo, Bruney, Hughes, Coke, Aceves, and Robertson, he just can't get it done.

I would try that into the All Star Break, and see how it works, before I'd give those slow lethargic veterans too much playing time again! They are going to require everyone down the stretch drive and they will be sharp if they let the kids spell them often. If they are sent down, the veterans will be tired down the stretch, or injured, or both! And we all know what that will yield, don't we?

[2] Oops. Done.

Whoopsie!

Somebody persh'd the wrong clicker thingy in this Interweb! Maybe it was me!

Poor Banter... all jumbled and such...

heh heh

Lemme guess...

It was my "Screw 'em" quote from Ferris' sister, wasn't it?

: )

[4] How about "Done. Oops?"

A jumbled Banter including click-dragging to read invisible text is unacceptable, Cliff. I don't think this kind of "update" is what you had in mind.

I'm just sayin'...

Curse of the Departed Berroa, maybe?

: )

Thankies!

: )

Carlos Beltran is NOT a happy camper ...

http://tinyurl.com/m3rnrg

In a ominous-sounding move, New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran flew to Vail, Colo., today for a second opinion on his ailing right knee from the inventor of microfracture surgery.

The Mets confirmed that Beltran was in Colorado to have the knee checked out by Dr. Richard Steadman, the surgeon who devised microfracture surgery in the 1990s to mimic missing cartilage.

Uh, yeah. Sorry, I think I done pushed that wrong interwebs button. All good now.

[8] Wow! Potential career ending surgery for Beltran?

Wow!

Heavy on the word "potential." Magglio Ordoñez had that surgery and nearly won the MVP award a few years later. And there's no saying Beltran even needs the procedure . . . yet.

SAVE THE BRAINS!!

[1] There is no way I would keep three catchers. Between Cervelli and Molina, objectively there appears to be little between them this season. So it then comes down to what sort of potential Cervelli as. If the organization thinks he can be a legitimate starter, then I would send him back to AAA to get more ABs and work behind the plate. And in any case, there is a pretty good chance that Molina will get hurt again before the season is out.

If, on the other hand, the organization thinks that Cervelli is at best a BUC, then they might as well keep him up and get rid of Molina. But even in this case, since Cervelli has options, it might still make more sense to demote Cervelli.

The only way I can see keeping Cervelli up is if it appears that he can contribute more to the team this season than Molina. With his bat? Probably not. With his legs? Possibly, though how often will you PR with Cervelli on a team that has Gardner, Pena, Melky?

I guess what I'm saying is that I really like the concept of Cervelli, but I don't see the advantage *this season* to keeping him up at MLB. And please, dear God, no three catcher scenario.

As for the bench, so long as A-Rod is recovering from surgery, the team will continue to carry two extra IFs. I personally might not, but that is what they will do.

No OF (an that includes Matsui) is going any place, unless in a trade. Possibly, if the Yankees fall into a productive OF they *could* demote Gardner (who still has options), but I don't see it. So, there really is no room on the roster for Duncan or Holliday or anyone else.

Unless...

The decide to carry 11 pitchers--you know, what teams did for years before Tony LaRussa made the great game of baseball that much better. If I have my way, the team would DFA Tomko and carry 11 pitchers--five starters, two longer relievers (Hughes, Aceves), three one ining or so guys (Coke, Robertson, Bruney) and Mo. And when Pettitte or AJ get injured, Hughes swaps into the rotation and someone from AAA goes to the BP.

So to return to your original question: there is very little need for 12 pitchers, but so long as the team carries that many, the number of roster moves are very, very limited.

Nice selective use of bold there sir!

I agree about Cervelli, up to now he's shown a lot..send him down to play every day while Molina is healthy.

12 pitchers is absurd..no other way to say it. Aceves and Hughes as longmen (can Hughes PLEASE pitch more than an inning, JoeG??) should suffice...

[13] Again, getting an OFer means demoting Brett (unless Melky has an option left and that's a better move?). If JD or Swish is out for any amount of time, we are really screwed. Want to see an OF of Melky, Gardner and Shelly?

I'm channel flipping and I catch a little of the Nats/Fish game in Miami. The place was EMPTY. Just sad. Behind the dugouts. Maybe 1 in 5 seats occupied. The crowd noise? I've been in louder restaurants. You could hear individuals clapping and yelling.

Just sad. Depressing. I didn't know it was that bad down there. Will a new stadium really make that much of a difference? A/C? Naked girls? Free beer? What will it take?

From ESPN: "Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell had fluid drained from his ailing right hip Monday in Boston, and received an injection that might relieve inflammation in his surgically repaired joint. The Red Sox will wait at least a couple of days to determine whether the treatment was successful or whether Lowell needs to be placed on the disabled list"

This is the surgery ARod had?

An ad from the Fish page:
"Avg. Nationals IQ = 84
Are you smarter than a Nationals player? Take the IQ test now!"

84? 84? Isn't that approaching retarded?

[15] If JD or Swish is out for any amount of time, we are really screwed.

Well yes, of course. And so are we if Teix or A-Rod or Jeter are out for any amount of time, no? They are already expended the OF depth when Nady went down.

As for demoting Gardner, sure, why not? Except...

I doubt seriously that this would happen, because the organization (certainly the coaches) see him as the superior CF option. So, unless a starting CF can be traded for, I don't see the team making a move to add an OF bat to sit on the bench--for depth--that in turn forces Melky to start.

Want to see an OF of Melky, Gardner and Shelly?

Of course not. But that would require BOTH Damon and Swish to be lost. So now you are advocated a trade in case the team loses three OFs (including Nady). That's depth!

Really, if one of them goes down, the team will make a move. That's when I'll worry about it. But so long as they carry two BU IFs and 12 pitchers, there simply is not room another OF.

[15] [16]

Addendum--

One option that might be considered is to move Matsui and add an OF who can hit some (maybe not as much as Matsui when healthy/hot) BUT who can play in the field at least a little.

[15]

Addendum 2:

Demoting Gardner or Melky also means keeping no real BU CF. Now this doesn't bother me, but I suspect that the organization is loathe to have Damon or Swisher as the option behind Melky.