I think Phillips has two advantages over Phelps:

1) When/if Yankees start getting healthy (Minky and Giambi), Phillips has more versatility for playing other positions (this one is fairly minor)
2) Phelps was never a “Torre Guy”.  Phillips is.  This simply means that Phillips will get the playing-time to deserve a roster spot.

Phillips still has a chance to be an OK player.  Not a starting 1B or anything, but I don’t think he really had enough AB’s to clearly say “he can’t hit in the big leagues”.  I could certainly see a .750 OPS out of him, which is okay for a backup infielder - though I honestly don’t know how well he plays 2b/3b.

Tough loss last night, but sometimes you run into a Josh Fogg.

Fogg was throwing strikes, and I think the Yankees ran into some bad-luck too, with hard hit balls that were caught with runners on base.

I guess my question is why Phelps and not Basak?  With Cairo moving back to the bench, do they really need to carry 2 backup middle infielders?

I only saw a moment or two of the game, but I’m wondering . . .  If Nieves can’t throw runners out in crucial situations, and he’s going to hit .125 . . .  well, wtf?

I only saw a moment or two of the game, but I’m wondering . . .  If Nieves can’t throw runners out in crucial situations, and he’s going to hit .125 . . .  well, wtf?

I obviously don’t have the video in front of me, but you have to be careful about blaming stolen bases on the catchers arm.  Most of the times, the bases are stolen off the pitcher and are a combination of the the pitchers time to home (which combines his delivery and the pitch he throws), how close he’s holding the runner on, etc.  I was falling asleep last night so I don’t recall this specific play.. but so far Nieves has proven to at least be useful defensively, so I’ve got no complaints.

I could certainly see a .750 OPS out of him, which is okay for a backup infielder - though I honestly don’t know how well he plays 2b/3b.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we’ll all be pleasantly surprised with Andy Phillips 2007.  Though last year wasn’t a small sample size (246 AB’s), it wasn’t a terribly large one either, and I think Phillips funk as brought on by the league adjusting to him coincided with the trade deadline and the arrival of Craig Wilson.  He’s also shown at all the MiLB levels that he takes a season to adjust.  Add to that the fact that he’s putting up solid numbers in AAA, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his line ends up similiar to Mientkiewicz’s by seasons end. I (and I think SG too) thought Cashman should have just went with Phillips vice Mientkiewicz for this year anyway, so I guess we’ll see if we were right.

And even though Phillips doesn’t split RHP and LHP like you would expect, I think we’ll see a ‘market adjustment’ on those numbers and it’ll be nice to have another RH bat in the line up.

Most of the times, the bases are stolen off the pitcher and are a combination of the the pitchers time to home (which combines his delivery and the pitch he throws), how close he’s holding the runner on, etc.

I’m one to perfectly agree with you - read some of my comments on Posada the other day - but at least one of these was clearly on Nieves.  I think it was Tavarez on first, and the Yankees called a pitch-out.  Though Moose didn’t slide-step, Nieves still had time to throw the runner out, but on a pitch-out he bounced the throw to second.  As it was, the runner was possibly out anyway (that was really a call that could go either way), so I feel just an OK throw would have got the runner.

The second play was also in the dirt, and also close (though not as), but I don’t recall enough about it to make a judgment.  But even though Nieves defense has been okay, I don’t think he qualifies as a defensive-specialist, so he’s going to have to hit better than he has to qualify as “useful”.

Decent backup catchers are hard to come by.  While Nieves couldn’t hit a bull in the ass with a banjo, what other realistic options are out there?  Its frustrating.
The other day, when Nieves was on the bench, I noticed he was always smiling.  I guess you would too if you knew you didn’t belong in the majors but the team had no other choice.

Given how left-handed the Yankees are, I wish they’d at least tried Phelps playing everyday for three weeks to see if his bat was worth putting up with his glove, or for that matter, if his glove would have gotten better by being out there more.  The guy is only 29 (a year younger than Andy), he’s proven he can hit ML pitching (OPS+ of 143 at age 24 265 ABs, lifetime OPS+ of 107). 

He’s a first-baseman/DH.  When the team’s other first-baseman and other DH go on the DL, suddenly he plays less, not more?  Then why was he on the team in the first place?  He hadn’t struggled at the plate any worse than four other Yankees.  There’s still much less reason to think Andy Phillips is going to wake up and hit well than that Phelps will.

That said, I’d much rather have Phillips there everyday than Cairo.  With Phillips, there’s at least a chance that he’ll hit like a first-baseman.  With Cairo, you know he’s going to hit like a utility infielder. 

Re stolen bases, when Posada threw out Reyes the other night, on the replay you could see it was because Wang got rid of the ball in a heartbeat.

Phillips is a much better candidate to fill a role than Phelps. If the team could carry 30 players, it would be good to have him for P/H, but that isn’t AL baseball in this era. His defense is too poor to have him out there and there are too many d/h candidates already, though with Damon going on the D/L in all likelihood, perhaps he could have fit that role for a time at least against leftys. He’s pretty much a one dimensional type and in this era it accounts to why he’s having a hard time sticking in the majors.

On another front, just read a Rosenthal article at Fox on why Hughes shouldn’t be untouchable. It’s a pretty ridiculous read and by the time I got done I couldn’t tell what he was really advocating as he proposed other packages that might net Teixera. I think it represents the kind of article meant to provoke arguments and really has no legs.  Melky being included in a deal might make sense if it were the offseason and you insert Tori Hunter in center or Rowand, but we need Melky the rest of this year to play good defense at the least.

UNBELIEVABLE!

Michael Barrett was traded to SD for a backup catcher and low Single-A outfielder Kyler Burke who was batting .211 with one home run in 213 at-bats with the Padres’ Single-A team in Fort Wayne

Where was Cashman on that one?

‘Where was Cashman on that one?’

wishing he had a 26 year old catcher who can hit a little to even consider trading?

Anyway, to add to the why Phelps over Basak issue, it appears more and more likely that Damon has to hit the DL.  That leaves the DH as who?

While Nieves couldn’t hit a bull in the ass with a banjo, what other realistic options are out there?

I know getting a “good” backup catcher isn’t easy.  But Nieves is 730th out of 752 players in VORP, and there are only 2 catchers below him.  I think he’s fine defensively, but he just seems pretty average there to me.  Average defense but well below replacement offensive, says to me he shouldn’t be hard to replace - by definition, he is below replacement level.

Omir Santos may be worth a look - he’s younger than Nieves and is supposed to be good defensively.  True he is hitting poorly at AAA, but if he can just put up an OPS of about .500, he would be a HUGE improvement over Nieves.  Other than that, there may be an over-priced backup out there that the Yankees could get for say Cody Ehlers - basically a pure salary dump.

Anyway, to add to the why Phelps over Basak issue, it appears more and more likely that Damon has to hit the DL.  That leaves the DH as who?

Depends on what the Yankees are trying to do.  If they would rather improve their defense, Matsui DH’s, and Thompson plays left.  If they are looking to keep Matsui’s bat in left (and/or Torre feels that Matsui “deserves” to play in left), maybe promote Shelly Duncan to DH for 3 weeks to see what he can do.

Mike:  I’d venture it just means more Cairo.  There are more logical things to do, as you note, but I’m not holding my breath for logical 25 man roster construction.

Where was Cashman on that one?

Also, as much as the Yankees could use another catcher, Barrett seems to have some obvious personality issues that the Yanks would want to stay away from…

Barrett would have to play to be happy. He’s not used to second fiddle and do we then send Posada to first for good? I like putting Thompson out there in left tonight and Matsui at DH against the lefty. If my memory is right this guy like Fogg was good in Boston a week ago? Won’t be an easy game. Boy, last night was hard to figure. That guy looked hittable. Couldn’t get a break to save our lives.

Though Moose didn’t slide-step, Nieves still had time to throw the runner out, but on a pitch-out he bounced the throw to second.

Just for argument’s sake, the events aren’t independent. That is, Moose’s lack of slide step might have caused Nieves to try to throw harder or rush, etc.  What it comes down to is that not only does the time it takes to get from 1st to 2nd for guys like Taveras and Reyes impact the pitcher and catcher trying to throw him out, but just knowing that you can’t mess up impacts you as well, and you can’t blame 1 of the 2 (sometimes 3, on the tag) unless theres something obviously done wrong.

I know this is irrational but I’m really getting to dislike Cano.  Can they please get Reyes’s mentor to tutor him?

Can they please get Reyes’s mentor to tutor him?

That was Rickey Henderson.  I somehow don’t see Rickey coming to the Yankees to “help”.

It is indeed irrational to dislike Cano.  His walk-rate may not be high, but it is up, and his defense has gone from below average, to pretty-good, to phenomenal.  True he isn’t hitting as well (yet) as last year, but he’s still one of the better (young) second basemen.

Cano is hitting as of late but he did put a charge into a ball that went deep to left center last night.  I’m almost positive that he’ll go on a tear soon, especially considering he hits better on the road.

*Cano isn’t hitting

I don’t really dislike him but sometimes those first pitch swings make me crazy. His BA is down 70 points from last year but even worse he’s slugging .412 as against .525 last year.  He needs to make some adjustmens to his approach at the plate.

But he is so smooth!

Calling Cano’s defense “phenomenal” is an awfully big stretch.  To be phenomenal, you have to start by not being lazy…which I think everyone would agree Cano sometimes is, especially with his footwork.

I have been arguing for this move as soon as it became apparent that Torre would never trust Phelps defensively at 1B , but if Damon is finally going to go on the DL, as he should have over a month ago, Phelps should have been kept as the DH.

Sometimes I think this team is run by idiots.

“Calling Cano’s defense “phenomenal” is an awfully big stretch.”

I guess. Getting to more balls then all but two 2nd baseman in the majors isn’t really phenomenal. It’s certainly much better then Dustin Pedroia, but it’s not phenomenal. How about outstanding?

To be phenomenal, you have to start by not being lazy…which I think everyone would agree Cano sometimes is, especially with his footwork.

white guys have names like Lenny, while black guys have names like Carl.

Michael Barrett was traded to SD for a backup catcher and low Single-A outfielder Kyler Burke who was batting .211 with one home run in 213 at-bats with the Padres’ Single-A team in Fort Wayne

Where was Cashman on that one?

uhh, the Cubs obviously needed to get a catcher back in the trade.  if the Yankees had a backup as good as Bowen, they wouldn’t need Barrett.

i love how some Yankee fans think they are entitled to every player that gets traded.

Maybe Mike Mussina has a no trade clause for acquiring catchers-if someone is not on his list Cashman can’t trade for him.

but if Damon is finally going to go on the DL, as he should have over a month ago, Phelps should have been kept as the DH.

agreed.  that seems pretty obvious.

but then again, Phelps should have been playing at 1B too.

It’s certainly much better then Dustin Pedroia

Go easy on the kid.  You’d have a tough time getting to balls if you were 5’3”. 

So I get to RFK at about 4:00, pull out the laptop… and the power goes out.  The whole ballpark.

It came back an hour later, but man… it was hot in here for an hour.

You’d have a tough time getting to balls if you were 5’3”. 

Very true, Cutter. However, he’s only 13. He’ll probably be 6’0” or so by the time he’s an adult.

Sox already up 5-0, looks like Crisp is coming around.

Let’s go Yanks!

Did JD Drew get hurt running the bases on Ortiz’s homer?

WTF yankees.

I saw one game where Phelps caught. Why didn’t they throw him in the mix a little more? Even if he had a useless glove behind the plate, he would put up way better numbers than Nieves.

also, if i remember correctly, you wanted the Yankees to just decline Sheffield’s option b/c they’d never be able to get anything for him.  right?

i remember.

wrong thread. nice move.

“white guys have names like Lenny, while black guys have names like Carl.”

Er—what?