Yankees acquire Eric Hinske

The Yankees acquired infielder/outfielder Eric Hinske from the Pirates earlier today, giving up two minor league pitchers in the process. The 31 year-old hit .255 in 54 games, seeing time at first, third and right field. Ramiro Pena was demoted to make room for Hinske on the 25-man roster. Hinske will likely add versatility and some left-handed power to the bench. The Yankees traded pitcher Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer in the deal.

Unconfirmed list of 2003 PED users

Rotoinfo.com has posted an unconfirmed list of 103 steroid users that failed a PED test during the 2003 season. I'm not sure how accurate the list is, or how they got it, but many of the names make sense:

1.Nomar Garciaparra
2.Manny Ramirez
3.Johnny Damon
4.Trot Nixon
5.David Ortiz
6.Shea Hillenbrand
7.Derek Lowe
8.Pedro Martinez
9.Brian Roberts
10.Jay Gibbons
11.Melvin Mora
12.Jerry Hairston
13.Jason Giambi
14.Alfonso Soriano
15.Raul Mondesi
16. Aaron Boone
17.Andy Pettitte
18.Jose Contreras
19.Roger Clemens
20.Carlos Delgado
21.Vernon Wells
22.Frank Catalanotto
23.Kenny Rogers
24.Magglio Ordonez
25.Sandy Alomar

Read the rest of the list here. Odds are, this is completely fabricated and many of the names listed are based purely on speculation. That being said, more than half of the names make sense. It'll be interesting to see if this story gets picked up.

Yanks looking at Huston Street

With only a month until the trade deadline, expect to hear plenty of rumors. According to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger, the Yankees have expressed interest in Colorado reliever Huston Street.

A major league source, who requested anonymity because he isn't authorized to comment on other teams, told me that the Yankees' reported interest in Street was serious.

The source said that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman approached the Rockies about a deal as early as the middle of May, as the Yankees' bullpen struggled. Meanwhile, the source said the Rockies had already begun combing through the Yankees' minor league system, mining for possible trade targets. (source)

The Rockies went 20-7 after manager Clint Hurdle was axed, and are currently unsure about where they stand in the market, but if they make Street available the Yankees will certainly explore a trade. In my opinion, they'd be better off looking for a more affordable option, but Street would be a great fit for the long term. Especially if he reverted back to his 2007 form.

There are plenty of other options, and if the Yankees are going to upgrade any part of their club, it'll be the bullpen. They could look into guys like Rafael Betancourt, Chad Qualls, Chris Sampson, Octavio Dotel, Kiko Calero or Kevin Gregg.

Yanks DFA Veras

In order to activate Brian Bruney, the Yankees designated Jose Veras for assignment yesterday. Veras posted a 5.96 ERA and held opponents to a .235 AVG in 25.2 innings this season. Veras is out of options, so if he goes unclaimed for 10 days, he'll will likely rejoin Triple-A Scranton. The Yankees will need Bruney to stay healthy, but I can still see them dealing for a reliever sometime before the trade deadline.

In other news, I got a chance to speak with J.R. Murphy last week after the draft. It sounds like the Yankees will use him as a catcher. Murphy thinks that he'll develop into a Pudge Rodriguez-type player in a few years. In other words, an energetic catcher with a strong arm and gap power. It's usually difficult to project minor league players when they are this young, but he should develop into a solid player in the future.

Yankees take Murphy in second round

The Yankees drafted catcher/outfielder John "JR" Murphy out of Florida's Pendleton High with their second-round pick. Murphy is a recently converted catcher, and I could see the Yankees shifting him to another position in the future depending on how his bat develops. Fortunately, he was one of the better offensive prospects in Florida this past season, hitting .627 with 11 homers in 102 at-bats, only striking out four times.

According to the New York Post: Scouts grade his hit tool ahead of his power, though he's expected to produce average power with wood. He's also athletic, having made a shift from outfield (and occasionally third base) to catcher. He's shown he's more than capable of handling catcher, showing plus arm strength, solid receiving ability and a quick transfer.

Murphy has already committed to the University of Miami, but the Yankees could still sign him. At some point in the next day or two, I'll talk with him in order to do an article for Pinstripes Plus.

(photo from IMG Baseball Acadamy Blog)

Yankees take Heathcott in first round

The Yankees drafted outfielder Slade Heathcott out of Texas High School with their first round pick in the 2009 amateur draft. Heathcott, one of the top high school talents in the draft, is projected to be future a five-tool player in the mold of Grady Sizemore. Here's what Baseball America has to say about Slade:

Heathcott is an enigma for scouts. He's a legitimate second-round talent as both an outfielder and a lefthanded pitcher, but he has DHed for most of the spring. He was out until mid-March recovering from November surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, then jammed his throwing shoulder diving for a fly ball in his second game back.

When healthy, he's an athletic outfielder with five-tool potential. He swings a quick bat from the left side and has strength and power in his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame. He earns plus grades for his hitting and his speed, and he has good range and above-average arm strength in the outfield.

Heathcott was selected for the Aflac All-American Game last summer as a pitcher, and some clubs like him more as a lefty with an 88-92 mph fastball that touches 94 and a promising curveball. There's effort in his delivery because he approaches pitching like he does everything else: full speed ahead. Heathcott hasn't pitched this spring because of the shoulder injury, however. His makeup also is a concern for several clubs, so it's uncertain where he'll fit in the draft. He's committed to Louisiana State. (source)

The Yankees made a smart pick here, and also made it obvious that their goal was to focus on position players with signability in mind. Heathcott will likely sign for under $3 million, which will give the Yankees more money to play with in the later rounds of the draft.

I could see Heathcott as a corner outfielder with power and speed potential in the future. As a left-handed hitter, he's suited to the dimensions of Yankee stadium. If he develops properly and stays healthy, he could end up being a very valuable player. He has tools across the board, so lets hope he can keep non-baseball issues in check.

Bruney throws 20 pitches without pain

Good news for a Yankee pen that needs another dependable pitcher: Brian Bruney reported no pain after throwing a 20-pitch bullpen session before the game last night:

"I threw 20 pitches, all fastballs," said Bruney, who is on the disabled list for the second time this season with a flexor tendon problem. "I didn't feel anything, I hope that's a good sign."

Bruney does not know when he will rejoin a bullpen missing an eighth-inning arm, his job before he got hurt, but hopes it's not more than a week and a half. Bruney doesn't want to set a specific date.(source)

Bruney is not entirely sure when he'll be able to return to the roster, but this news is certainly encouraging enough to suggest that he'll be back in a few weeks. Yankee relievers has been throwing better of late, but they will still need a few more efficient arms before matching the strong Bosox bullpen. I wonder if the Yankees will explore using George Kontos in a relief role if Jose Veras continues to struggle. Kontos has a gone 4-3 with a 2.60 ERA and 2.3 K/BB ratio in 55 innings split between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton.

Pinstripes, Pa. is back in action

After a tumultuous month of sickness, graduation and tons of work (some baseball related, some not), I am finally healthy, graduated and free of most obligations. That means the blog will enjoy regular content again. Thanks to those of you who sent e-mails about what was going on, I appreciate the support. I'll be covering some of the draft for Pinstripes Plus next week, so expect a few tidbits on some of the picks as well.

Manny Ramirez tests positive for PEDs

via Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:

Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and will be suspended 50 games starting today, The Times has learned. The test result and suspension is expected to be announced later today. The Dodgers informed triple-A outfielder Xavier Paul this morning that he was being promoted to Los Angeles.

Normally I would not report on this, but it actually helps the Yankees. With Alex Rodriguez returning tomorrow, this takes a tremendous amount of pressure for him.

Posada to DL, Cervelli promoted

According to WFAN and the Journal News, Jorge Posada was placed on the disable list with a hamstring injury. The Yankees are saying that Posada will be out for two or three weeks, but Peter Abraham is hearing rumors that he'll be out for 3-5 weeks. Francisco Cervelli was called up from Doulbe-A Trenton to replace the injured Posada. Despite his .190/.266/.310 line this season, Cervelli is actually a pretty decent player with a solid glove and strong arm. He'll be a decent backup, and maybe Kevin Long can improve his swing.

Also, Alfredo Aceves was called up to replace Anthony Claggett prior to last night's game. He allowed two runs and struck out seven in four and one-third innings. That is a pretty impressive outing, considering that it was the first time this year he faced major league talent. I'm glad the Yankees finally have a long-man.