Wallace Matthews

  (12:58 PM)

Good afternoon everyone. Lotsa stuff to kick around today. We'll get started in just a minute

Wayne (MA) [via mobile]

Sox fan here! Yanks starting pitching still looks kind of iffy... What do you think?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:01 PM)

In what way? CC is a proven commodity, Nova performed well last year,Pineda is indisputably talented and Kuroda is a solid pickup. Sounds like a much improved rotation from last year. BTW, welcome!

Max (Rockwood, Tn.)

The Yankees won 14 straight World Series games against the bestteams in baseball. Is there any team record that approaches this feat? Also what are odds of this record being beaten?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:03 PM)

It's a streak that doesn;t get enough attention, IMHO, and off the top of my head I can;t think of anything that comares to it outside of the Harlem Globetrotters beating the Washington Wizards three million straight times. before we talk abou tthe odds of beating the record, let's discuss the odds of a team even going to three straight World Series. Not good

J (Boston)

Last week you said: "I assume Posada is clean because his line doesn;t contain those one or two crazy seasons that jump out at you, like Brady Anderson's or Bonds' 73 HR year." to which Keith Law responded: "I abhor that line of thinking. You can't tell who did and didn't use PEDs from a stat line any more than you can tell who used from looking at his back. The inevitable outcome of that philosophy is that the speaker sees what he wants to see."care to respond?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:06 PM)

respectfully disagree. Baseball players are remarkably consistent in their performance and when a guy goes from 16 HRs to 50 at 32 years old, that is an aberration that deserves to be looked into more deeply. and if keith law or anyone who's been around professional athletes, or any serious weight-lifting gym, for that matter, can't tell the drastic differences in a body built on steroids, you;re not paying attention. If the players don't want to be painted with the same brush, more of the clean ones should have come forward at the time

Alex (Anaheim)

I read an espn.com article saying Pedroia was superior to Cano and it made my dad (a fellow Yankee fan) laugh. What do you think?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:08 PM)

I didn;t write that one and don't particularly agree with it, but Pedroia does have an MVP, and Cano does not. Yet

Anthony (NYC)

Cashman has said he is looking to trade for a DH instead of signing one. Even though Yankees fans wants to get rid of AJ in reality he holds no trade value. Are u thinking Cashman has something big brewing involving Hughes and maybe some of the 4 or 5 types in the minors (like Phelps and Warren) for a good young hitter (ex. Alex Gordon)?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:10 PM)

Don;t know if he has something big brewing -- Cashman is notorious for keeping his mouth shut on trades, much to the frustration of the beat crew -- but that was one of the best things about the Pineda deal in that it allowed him to hold on to some very valuable trade chips. But I agree with your first point -- Yankees fans would love to see AJ included in any deal, and so, I would guess, would Cashman

Andrew (Columbus, OH)

Do you think the Angels now have enough to threaten the Yankees and Tigers in the playoffs now?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:13 PM)

Yes. Pujols and Wilson were excellent additions and I have as much respect for Scioscia as for any mgr in the game. they will be dangerous

Stack (NJ)

What's your take on Tex saying he plans to bunt more to counteract the shift?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:14 PM)

I'll believe it when I see it

Bob (NJ)

If Bill Hall signs, does that mean no Chavez?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:16 PM)

Interesting question. Personally, i don;t get the Bill Hall thing; I thought the RH utility man spot belonged to Nunez. And I thought Chavez' main value aside from being capable og playing both first and third base, is that he is a left-handed bat. Perhaps the Yankes pursuit of Hall means Chavez has priced himself out, or maybe they;re trying to force him to lower his demands. We'll see

Bob (NJ)

Being around the team as much as you are, what is your prediction for how the 5th starter/long man logjam will play out?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:19 PM)

Don;t really know. I know the Yankees don;t want to use Freddy Garcia out of the pen and they also know that Hughes has been effective there. So that may give Freddy a slight edge between those two. That and the fact that he can;t be traded w/o his permission until June 15, I believe. The problem is AJ, who appears to be un-moveable and is a heart attack waiting to happen out of the pen. Cashman has said you could use him in a situation where you need a strikeout, but that would necessitate bringing him in to a high-pressure spot with men on base. Don;t think anyone wants to do that. So of necessity, the fifth starter might turn out to be AJ because frankly, there's no other spot for him

J (Boston)

thanks for the response, much appreciated.

Wallace Matthews

  (1:19 PM)

No problem, It was a legitimate point-of-view that I don;t happen to agree with

Anthony (NYC)

Ivan Nova's trade value will never be higher. I wouldnt mind mind seeeing him dealt for a good young player

Wallace Matthews

  (1:21 PM)

Like who? The Yankees don;t really need a bat and I think they believe he can be an imprtant part of their rotation for a long time. Maybe not a 1 or 2, but certainly a No. 3. and those aren;t alwasy so easy to find. And besides, he has shown something that the Killer B's have not so far -- the ability to handle big.-league pressure. I could be very wrong on this but I don;t think he;s goin anywhere

Larry (Dallas)

How low is Phil Hughes' trade value now?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:23 PM)

I wouldn;t say it's low. He's still young, relatively affordable, and versatile, can go as a starter or reliever. Had a bad 2011 but hasn;t disgraced himself. I think the yankees would find some takers

Rob (NY)

Yankees trade for Pineda was a steal. Built like C.C. and who better to mentor the young ace then Sabathia? A few year from now the Yankees could have 3 aces in C.C.-Pineda-Banuelos

Wallace Matthews

  (1:24 PM)

Best case scenario, yes. Worst-case: Yanks are stuck with a monstrous contract for CC, whose knee gives out from excess weight. Pineda continues tp pitch the way he did in second half of 2011. and Banuelo never fulfills potential.Most probable scenario-- somewhere in the middle. But your plan is the one the Yankees would like to see come true

tim (nyc)

Do you ever miss your TV days with Jim Rome?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:25 PM)

Only on payday

Frank (NY)

Bill Hall BABY. I think that's a great sign. Thoughts?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:26 PM)

Not sure. As I said to a previous questioner, he seems to be an overlap with Nunez, although a better fielder. I thought the yankees were looking for a LH bat who could play the INF, like E Chavez

vic (no cal)

Will Rafael Soriano reclaim the 8th inning spot, or is that Dave Robertson's job?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:26 PM)

I think it's D-Rob's to lose

Alex (Anaheim)

Do you have a favorite road ballpark/city?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:27 PM)

Not to pander, but I love Anaheim. Great view from pressbox, easy clubhouse access, food is good, and I like LA. And oh yeah, I;m close to my boss, Mickey Mouse

AJ (Bolton, MA)

If Bill Hall is in as a RH utility guy who covers the INF and OF, could that mean Nunez is part of a trade package for a legit DH?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:28 PM)

It's something I've thought about because otherwise it doesn;t seem to make much sense

Bo (NYC)

Did the Yanks officially sign Hall or were they just pursuing him?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:29 PM)

Haven;t signed him. it was reported in a Tweet by Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com that the Yankees had an interest

Stack (NJ)

With Mo, D-Rob, and Sori, that bullpen is pretty solid, no?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:29 PM)

the yankees believe so, yes. Now if only they can survive Boone Logan

Steve (Syracuse)

Swisher, Hughes, and Phelps for.............Victorino!! Who says no? And the DH spot stays as is.......

Wallace Matthews

  (1:31 PM)

And he plays where? RF? I like Victorino but personally I think the Yankees give up too much power replacing swisher with him out there

Bob (NJ)

Why do all these fans want to deal Swisher? He's one of the guys on the team who's actually underpaid

Wallace Matthews

  (1:32 PM)

Look at his October stats. That';s the only time most Yankees fans keep score.

Larry (Dallas)

After saying he would "only trade Montero for an ace," Brian Cashman just traded him for a guy who MIGHT be an ace... some day. Do you think Cashman was set on trading Montero?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:33 PM)

No, I don't. But I think the reality of the Yankees rotation forced his hand. After all, they do have plenty of offense and as Cashman likes to say, you can always find a bat. Not so with an arm, esp an arm like Pineda's

tim (seattle)

What do you see as the biggest difference in the way the Yankees are run with the younger Steinbrenners vs. George?

Wallace Matthews

  (1:33 PM)

The kids run it as a business. the old man waged it as a war.

Wallace Matthews

  (1:33 PM)

Thanks everyone. Great questions today. Do it again next week, OK?