Yankee News and Notes: 8-20-09

Another solid win for CC Sabathia and the Yankees last night. The Big Ace has been excellent this month, going 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 6.2 K/BB ratio in 30.2 innings. With the pitching staff throwing as well as it has, the Yankees have a great shot to dominate in the post season. Let's hope they keep up the good play and Gaudin throws a good game.

Anyway, there is lots going on in Yankeeland:

The Yankees signed their top two draft picks this week, giving outfielder Zach "Slade" Heathcott a $2.2 million contract and catcher JR Murphy a $1.25 million deal. The Yankees signed 27 of their 50 draft picks, and nine of their first 10. I don't know much about Heathcott, other than the fact that he is a very competitive and toolsy outfielder. I did get a chance to speak with Murphy after the draft, and it sounds like he's a professional hitter who needs time to adjust to catching duties. Either way, the Yankees added some talented players to the farm system this year. Both Murphy and Heathcott will likely play in the Florida GCL.

Ian Kennedy will likely pitch in the Instructional League next month, which will mark the pitcher's first appearance since his surgery on May 12. Kennedy is doubtful that he'll return for a minor-league outing this year, but he has been throwing fastballs and changeups during bullpen sessions.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees asked the Reds about the availability of pitchers Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo. The Reds refused to include money in a deal, so the Yankees backed off. Rosenthal does not think the club will trade for a pitcher prior to the Sept. 1 roster expansion deadline. I think Harang would be a great addition to the bottom of the rotation. Especially with Joba likely heading to the pen in September.

The Yankees won't be able to count on Russ Ortiz for September innings anymore. The right-hander exercised his right to become a free agent after going 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. The Yankees had asked him to stay, but because they were unable to find a spot for him on the major league roster, Ortiz opted out of his contract.

Designated Hitter Hideki Matsui appears to have made a full recovery after getting fluid drained from his left knee on Sundday. Matsui made his first appearance in the lineup last night, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Brett Gardner will wear a splint on his broken thumb for another week, according to the Newark Star-Ledger. He probably won't be cleared to play until after Sept. 1, but he'll return to the major league roster in time to make a difference down the stretch. I wonder how much playing time he'll get now that Melky has blossomed into a productive player.

Damaso Marte has missed the majority of the 2009 season, and has helped make the Xavier Nady/Jose Tabata trade look quite foolish on the Yankees part. He may be ready to rejoin the team on Friday, but I would not trust him against the Bosox. I'd be much more comfortable with Zach Kroenke, who has completely dominated the International League.

Yankees promote Pena

Peter Abraham is reporting that the Yankees have recalled infielder Ramiro Pena and sent pitcher Anthony Claggett to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Pena was demoted in early July in order to gain some outfield experience in Scranton. He hit .250 with two home runs and seven RBI in 33 games for the Triple-A Yankees. He'll join infielder Jerry Hairston, outfielder Eric Hinske and catcher Jose Molina on one of the better benches in recent Yankee history. That will definitely come in handy against the Bosox tonight.

A's cut Giambi, Twins acquire Pavano

A couple of minor moves resulted in former Yankees buying plane tickets today. The Oakland A's released Jason Giambi, who has yet to be activated from the disabled list after his latest injury. Due to the injuries, the 38 year-old slugger has struggled at the plate. I'm sure he'll find a job somewhere, but it might not be at the major league level.

In other news, the Indians traded Carl Pavano to the Twins. I still can't believe that the Rajah of Rehab has recorded more than 100 innings this season.

Yanks acquire Chad Gaudin

Michael Kay first reported during tonight's game that the Yankees acquired pitcher Chad Gaudin from the Padres, but Bryan Hoch confirmed it via Twitter, noting that PTBNL will be sent to the Padres to complete the deal. Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger is reporting that the right-hander will work out of the bullpen before getting a shot at the rotation, but you can figure that Sergio Mitre will have a pretty short leash going forward. Gaudin went 4-10 for the Padres, notching a 5.13 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 105 innings.

Yankees DFA Ransom, promote Claggett and sign Russ Ortiz

Brian Cashman had a busy day, designating infielder Cody Ransom for assignment and calling up pitcher Anthony Claggett to take his spot. You'll remember Claggett from his first big league stint when he gave up eight runs off nine hits in only one and two-thirds innings. The Yankees likely promoted him as insurance for Sergio Mitre's start tonight. Joe Girardi backs up that claim:

"We just wanted to make sure that we were protected pitching-wise," manager Joe Girardi said."We wanted to make sure that we had depth in our bullpen.

"We know that this could be a tough series with teams that really like to work pitchers. We wanted to make sure that we don't wear anyone out."(source)

It seems like Claggett will be back in Scranton tomorrow night and Ramrio Pena will return to New York as a Jerry Hairston-like utility man that can play the middle infield and outfield. He's a much better bench player than Cody Ransom, so I have no problem with that move.

Claggett will join the newly signed Russ Ortiz in Triple-A. The Yankees signed the former D-Back, who was released by the Astros last week, to a minor league contract to add rotation depth. If Mitre falters tonight, you can bet Ortiz gets a shot. He went 3-6 with a 5.57 ERA in 23 games for the Astros this year.

(Photo Credit: James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle)

Indians DFA Jose Veras

The Indians designated former Yankee reliever Jose Veras for assignment earlier tonight to make room for Jess Todd. Veras posted a 7.62 ERA in 13 innings for the Tribe. If he goes unclaimed, maybe the Yankees will take another look at him. He does have a terrific arm, he just needs to recapture the control that helped him to a successful season last year.

Cashman was aggressive at deadline

Yankee fans seemed upset when Brian Cashman failed to acquire an arm prior to the trade deadline, but according to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankee GM tried very hard to add a pitcher:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Rosenthal that he was "very aggressive" going after pitching help, whether it be high-end starters, low-end starters, or relievers. "I was on all of it," Cashman said. (source)

Cashman also told Rosenthal that he targeted Jarrod Washburn, but the Mariners asked for Austin Jackson in return. Smart move. The Yankees also showed interest in Felix Hernandez, but they'll probably have to wait until he reaches free agency to add him to the roster.

Cashman also targeted Padres' closer Heath Bell with the intention of using him as a setup man and shifting Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves to the rotation. The Yankees were also connected to Bronson Arroyo and Brian Bannister.

Although I would have liked to see Washburn in the Yankee rotation, I'm glad Cashman refused to deal Jackson for a rental pitcher. The lefty would have certainly helped strengthen the pitching staff, but Jackson has the chance to be a legitimate star in the future. Fans were upset when Cashman passed on Johan Santana, but now we have CC Sabathia. Building a championship club takes time and patience. Sometimes it takes a while to move all of the pieces into the right order.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Yankees will have a slightly more difficult time adding a starter, but according to Marc Craig of the Star-Ledger, they are still in the market for a pitcher. My money is on Brian Bannister.

Could Josh Towers or Jason Hirsh make a difference?

Sergio Mitre has yet to record a quality outing for the Yankees in his first three starts, and based on his numbers, the trend will likely continue. Once Joba Chamberlain is moved to the bullpen, the team will need another quality pitcher to eat innings. With Chien Ming-Wang out for the season and Alfredo Aceves struggling, Phil Hughes could serve as a solution, but shifting him to the rotation will significantly weaken the pen.

The Yankees need to find lightning in a bottle and form a strong rotation to make a run at the playoffs, and the best way to do that is to test out a few arms. Right now, Josh Towers is one of the better pitchers on the Triple-A Scranton staff with a 3.42 ERA and a 2.6 K/BB ratio. He's been very effective in his last five starts, notching a 2.40 ERA . Towers has not been a quality major league pitcher since 2005, but he could strengthen the Yankee rotation until a better option comes along. He'll probably have to reconcile with Tony Pena before getting a crack at the rotation, however.