Saturday, March 24, 2007
Wang To Miss A Month
The Yankees will be without number one starter Chien Ming-Wang for about a month according to statements made by GM Brian Cashman. Their Taiwanese ace tweaked his hamstring while running during a spring training workout a couple days ago. Young pitchers Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner are expected to fill the "short-term" void. Karstens has had a terrific spring and was believed to be in serious competition with Kei Igawa for the final spot in the rotation. It's likely that he's the front-runner. The injury also opens the door for Andy Pettitte to take the mound on opening day. He's been sidelined with back spasms, but both he and Cash seem optimistic the veteran lefty will be ready by April 2.
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2 comments:
Would you agree that the latest news of Wangs injury and Pettittes back spasms intensify the quest to land free agent Roger Clemens. The rotation is aging as it is but the signing could add some more experience to staff that has much young and unproven talent. Mussina, and Pettitte are veterans to the game and Pavano is as big of a question mark as there is. The incoming talent Jeff Karstens, Darrell Rasner Kei Igawa lack the experience of pitching in big in the majors, more so Yankee Stadium. Philip Hughes is back in the Minors but when late season call-ups come around Hughes could learn a lot from a mentor like Clemens.
Other reasons to sign Clemens would be to keep him away from signing with the Boys in Bean-town whose lineup is already more equipped than the Bombers. Signing Clemens would guarantee them the division and possibly the Title.
Secondly, I seem to be the only one who believes that A-Rod is likely not to finish the season with the Yankees. If the fans get on him again like last year and he slumps or his numbers drop in the slightest, wouldn’t you think that he would want to opt out of his contract? The Yankees would benefit better in trading him away to a team with young talent like the Dodgers who need a big bat. This could improve the teams depth and latest youth movement.
Brendan, thanks for your comments. Unfortunately I have no idea when you left them since I've been unable to access this site for a while, but here goes my take:
I definitely agree the latest injury scares (albeit minor ones) magnify our unstable pitching situation. Clemens won't come back if he can't get it done, but I think he still can and will. The Yankees need to give him whatever it takes. As you said, many questions with the young guns(especially with more injury problems hitting Karstens, Rasner's ineffectiveness in his last spring start, and an inconsistent spring from Igawa)and I would prefer the organization to take all necessary precautions in bringing around Phil Hughes.
One nice development is the budding relationship between Pavano and Pettitte. Andy is really mentoring Pavano and providing an important ally in the clubhouse. Noticing this, the equipment manager made them locker neighbors (seperated by the vacant locker in memory of Corey Lidle). Even if Clemens doesn't come back to NY, Hughes would benefit from Pettitte's leadership in a potential September call-up.
In terms of possible Clemens destinations, I'd give NY the edge over Boston. His relationship with Pettitte and the organization should carry weight. While he spent a majority of his career in Beantown, the GM, Owner, and Manager from his playing days in NY remain. The same can't be said about Boston, not to mention several ex-teammates remain in NY. While those seem like small things, I think that would help lure him to New York. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised to see him land in Houston. They've added a big bat in Carlos Lee, have some young pitchers who could benefit from his presence, and most importantly, are close to his home. The biggest thing holding them back will be money.
The A-Rod situation will be interesting to track. He got off to a roller-coaster start, but that curtain call "made me feel good" said A-Rod. If Cash believes his star 3B really will opt out of his contract, it would be wise to get something in return as opposed to letting him walk. I, for one, believe he's going to have a monster year. He's 13 pounds trimmer and already showed he's going to be active on the base paths (stealing a base yesterday and commenting on it after the game). He's gotten a lot off his chest, has started to handle the media from a new approach, and hopes his ultimatum to the fans will lead to an outpouring of love. If he does go, I agree the Dodgers are an intriguing landing spot, but a lot of speculation this past offseason had him landing with the other LA team, Anaheim. They have young starters (Ervin Santana), some stud prospects (Howie Kendrick, Brandon Wood) and a Latin owner (Arte Moreno) who would love to bring a Latino superstar.
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