FOXSports.com News for Yankees

CC pays tribute to sports pioneers

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:49:00 GMT

Yankees ace CC Sabathia tweets daily tribute to an African-American athlete.

ROSTER REPORT

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:09:48 GMT

The Yankees had the American League's best record in 2011, but another first-round flameout left them looking for answers. The lineup is expected to return eight of its nine regulars, while the bullpen appears to be set. Once again, the Yankees will target a starting pitcher -- or two -- to bolster the rotation. ARRIVALS: RHP Michael Pineda (trade with Mariners), RHP Hiroki Kuroda (free agent from Dodgers), LHP Hideki Okajima (minor league free agent), OF Dewayne Wise (minor league free agent from Blue Jays), UT Bill Hall (minor league free agent from Giants), 1B/3B Russell Branyan (minor league free agent from Angels). DEPARTURES: C Jesus Montero (traded to Mariners), C Jorge Posada (retired), RHP Scott Proctor (free agent, signed with South Korean team), RHP Bartolo Colon (free agent, signed with A's). FREE AGENTS: 3B Eric Chavez, LHP Damaso Marte, RHP Luis Ayala, RHP Sergio Mitre. Marte is coming back from surgery and should get an invite to a team's camp. Ayala had a solid season but fell apart in the postseason, though he should land on his feet elsewhere. ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: None. MEDICAL WATCH: --3B Alex Rodriguez (sore right knee, sore left thumb) never looked healthy after coming back from July surgery on his knee, especially after he suffered the thumb injury during his first game back. Rodriguez plans to work hard this winter to strengthen both his knee and thumb, hoping 2012 will be his first injury-free season since 2007. --RHP Joba Chamberlain (Tommy John surgery in June 2011) is hoping to be back in the Yankees' bullpen by Opening Day, but GM Brian Cashman said that timetable might be overly optimistic. --LHP Pedro Feliciano (left rotator cuff surgery in September 2011) tried to rehab his injured shoulder all season, but he ultimately underwent an operation that will knock him out for all of 2012, ending his Yankees career before it ever started. --C Francisco Cervelli (concussion) saw his season end in September due to his fourth career concussion. He should be ready for the start of spring training. --RHP Mariano Rivera (vocal cord surgery in December 2011) is expected to be ready for spring training.

NOTES, QUOTES

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:09:43 GMT

--C Russell Martin is healthy going into spring training, a change from his first season as a Yankee, when he was finishing up rehab on an injured hip and knee. Before 2011 spring training, Martin had little chance to build power in his legs, so a full winter of workouts "will be a huge difference," Martin told the New York Daily News. Martin believes, in fact, that he might be the fittest Yankee in camp this year. "If there's any guys in more shape than me, I"d be surprised," Martin said. "If there are, I'd be happy, because I'm coming ready this year." Martin also said he's already begun taking swings, something he didn't do until a few days before spring training began last year. --2B Robinson Cano jumped out of a huge lead in a hilarious Yankee trivia contest against movie star Denzel Washington on "The Tonight Show" on Thursday, but collapsed like the 2004 Yankees in the ALCS, and lost, 6-5. Washington, a Yankee fan, rallied after Cano answered the first four questions correctly, clinching the victory when he knew what college Lou Gehrig went to, Columbia, nailing the final question. Washington has beaten Cano, CC Sabathia and Reggie Jackson in trivia skits on the show. --C Russell Martin lauded the signing of right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who figures to help stabilize the Yankee rotation. The two were teammates on the Dodgers. "He can pitch, man," Martin told the News. "When he's really on, his splitty is on. It gets him out of trouble. He can throw his fastball at 94 or 95 (mph), though he's mostly at 92 or 93, so it's impressive. His slider is different, a really short break. It's not a strikeout pitch, but it gets a lot of balls off the end of the bat and his splitty is nasty against lefties or righties." --1B/DH Russell Branyan was signed to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training and figures to compete for a bench role if he can shake off a poor 2011. Branyan has shown remarkable power at the new Yankee Stadium, hitting eight home runs in 14 games there, including the first ball to reach the fourth deck in right field and the first one to hit the glass of a sports bar beyond center field. Branyan was one of 27 players the club invited to spring training, a list that includes INF Bill Hall, who has a chance to make the team as a utility player, and LHP Hideki Okajima. Top prospect Manny Banuelos, a left-handed pitcher, also was invited. --The Yankees are still mulling potential roster additions and have considered Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon for a left-handed hitting designated hitter role and they would also like to add 1B/3B Eric Chavez, who played for them last year, as infield insurance. But some in baseball believe that principal owner Hal Steinbrenner has told general manager Brian Cashman not to spend too lavishly on the final spots, so Cashman might have to find a taker for the remaining $33 million on RHP A.J. Burnett's contract. So far, no potential deal has gained traction, although there were several reports that the Yankees had talked to the Pirates about a possible Burnett swap. BY THE NUMBERS: $16.5 million times two -- That's how much money the Yankees owe RHP A.J. Burnett over the next two years, a sum that will be difficult to convince another team to take on in a potential trade. To deal him, the Yankees will have to pay some of that contract, meaning they will be giving money to someone pitching for another team. QUOTE TO NOTE: "If there's any guys in more shape than me, I'd be surprised. If there are, I'd be happy, because I'm coming ready this year." -- C Russell Martin, on his fitness level.

INSIDE PITCH

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:09:39 GMT

General manager Brian Cashman's personal life has been front-page tabloid fodder for a week in the wake of the news that a woman accused of stalking and harassing him was arrested. Louise Neathway, 36, claims she and Cashman had an affair. The story had baseball abuzz, with one player agent saying that every conversation he has had with someone in the baseball industry recently contained a reference to it. But neither that agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, nor several other player agents and baseball executives believed Cashman would lose his job over the matter. Nor would it affect Cashman's ability to conduct business for the Yankees. "This has absolutely nothing to do with Brian Cashman's ability to do his job or the New York Yankees' ability to do business," the agent said. Will that hold if there are new developments in the story? Who knows? As one former National League executive told the New York Daily News: "Every organization has a limit to how much embarrassment it will endure. So I think Brian is OK for now, but if more embarrassing details become public, then all bets are off." Another baseball source told the paper: "This guy is the front man of the organization with both the players and the media. He's the guy in charge of disciplining players. "How are they going to have any respect for him after this? To say this has nothing to do with the Yankees is naove on their part. Can you imagine if the old man (George Steinbrenner) was alive and this happened?"

O's apologize to S. Korean baseball organizations

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:00:13 GMT

The Baltimore Orioles have apologized to two South Korean baseball organizations upset with the club over its contract with a local high school pitcher.

Valentine not sure what to expect from rivalry

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:26:09 GMT

Bobby Valentine has learned a lot of things across his many years as a manager.

ROSTER REPORT

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:43:02 GMT

NOTES, QUOTES

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:42:55 GMT

INSIDE PITCH

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:42:50 GMT

Yankees in hunt for DH

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:24:50 GMT

The Yankees claim they have just a small amount of money left to spend this offseason, but yet they retain big plans on how they want to use it. The perception has been that the Yankees have less than $2 million to sign a lefty-swinging designated hitter with free agents Eric Chavez, Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui forming the field. Nevertheless, what the Yankees want to do most is sign Chavez and one of the DH types.