Are the closing credits on the Joba Chamberlain Yankee story already rolling? Will he just be remembered for saving the season in 2007, the midges, the Joba Rules, the to start-or-not-to start debate with the fizzle finally coming in 2010 when Chamberlain went from the bridge to Mariano Rivera to the bridge to nowhere? He was, as a headline writer on this site put it last month, Mr. Irrelevant in the playoffs this year.
Some Yankees decision-makers say no, Chamberlain, still just 25, is not done yet. He still could be an important Yankee and potentially the heir to Rivera's bullpen throne. But Chamberlain will have to earn everything he gets from here on out.
ESPN
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| Japan Times |
Major League Baseball teams can start bidding on right-handed ace Hisashi Iwakuma yesterday and the Rakutan Golden Eagles in Japan are expecting to make somewhere between $16 million and $17 million when the deal is done, according to NPB Tracker.
Iwakuma was the starting pitcher in Japan's World Baseball Classic-winning game back in 2009.
As MLBTradeRumors.com points out, whoever gets the 6-3 29-year-old would then have to negotiate a contract with the fella that had a 2.82 ERA along with 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.6 bases on balls per nine innings this past season. He's had an ERA of 3.40 or less for four straight years.
bleacherreport
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| Michael G. Baron |
At 39-years-old, Henry Blanco is still in the Major Leagues.
Blanco still can't hit for his life, as his .215 batting average in limited action for the Mets proved. But he also still has the ability to play good defense behind the plate, and chip in 50-60 games as a solid backup for just about any team.
Blanco's nothing special, but you could do worse searching for your No.2 catcher.
bleacherreport.
So who do you support as the next field boss of the NY Mets? Alderson said all the right things on Friday about finding a man to fit this job. He acknowledged that a guy like Art Howe is totally wrong for this team and this city. He likes the fiery kick ass type (don’t we all?) but at the same time he has to be on board with the organizational philosophy and be that philosophy’s messenger. The manger must have the savvy to handle the pressure of the day in day out media, which I feel will be a huge issue in the interview process as Alderson saw first hand the amount of media that covers baseball in this town on Friday. With all that, the manager must have the respect and attention of his players and the ability to keep an even personality through goods times and bad and to instill confidence in his team. That to me was Jerry Manuel’s biggest failure as Mets manager. The stars of this team have a low level of self esteem and were too high after wins and too dejected after losses, so the next manger has to be a part-time psychologists as well. It’s not a job for a rank amateur
networkedblogs
amazinavenue. - - STOCK UP - Lagares' 2010 resurgence was a welcome sight as his prospect stock had tumbled quite a bit after he'd served as the poster boy of the Mets' inane policy of rushing talented, Hispanic prospects only to see them falter. Think of it this way, this was Lagares' fourth year in Savannah and he's only become age appropriate this season. In 2006, Lagares showed a lot of promise as a 17-year old in the Dominican League (playing against other teenagers, mind you). 2007: Tony B. felt the appropriate move was to skip Lagares over three separate levels and start him in Lo-A Savannah. Obviously he was crushed by college pitchers in their low 20's and after spending two more seasons getting his feet under him in Savannah, he finally recovered this year and put his excellent raw tools to good use. During that period he also transitioned from short (where he was too error-prone) out to center/left field. Unfortunately, after a slow start in St. Lucie Lagares' season ended prematurely thanks to a fractured left ankle in late July.
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