Molina Left With Strained Hammy

So much for my beef with Joe Girardi's eighth inning decision to pinchrun for Jose Molina. According to LoHud, Molina strained his hamstring in the fourth inning, but toughed it out until the second to last frame.

Not sure as to the severity, but Molina does not strike you as one of the most physically resilient athlete in the bigs. As a result, Chad Moeller will most likely be called up with a corresponding adjustment to the 40 man roster in order to make room. Looks like the Girardi boot camp did little to correct last April's infusion of muscle injuries as Molina joins Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada as early victims to the injury bug.

The Star Ledger's assessment is a bit more optimisic:

With Derek Jeter close to being able to return to action at shortstop -- "He might be in there (Monday)," manager Joe Girardi said -- Alberto Gonzalez could be optioned back to Triple A. Or Molina could go on the disabled list.

"It's a little bit tight, that's all," said Molina, who hurt himself in Sunday's fourth inning on an awkward slide while scoring on a sacrifice fly. "Hopefully a couple days' rest, it should be all right."

Hughes Finds Velocity, Loses Command

Well, all the Phil Hughes detractors who became obsessed with his velocity must have been happy to see him throwing consistently 93-94 mph fastballs. Unfortunately, Hughes had no idea where they were headed.

Reaching back for 94-95 mph on an 0-2 elevated fastball is great, but his command has been much better at 90-91. His characteristically impressive command suffered, as did his overall performance to the tune of six hits and three walks over two innings.

Realizing the ESPN gun can be a bit juiced up at times, I confirmed Hughes' radar readings on MLB gameday which also had him consistently 93-94 and Daisuke Matsuzaka at 89-91.

Sure, Hughes has yet to pitch in a game with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, and it was his first foray into the pressure cooker which is Fenway Park. However, if the youngest pitcher in baseball is unable to give a solid outing Friday at Baltimore, the NY media's trumpets will begin blowing Johan Santana tunes as impatient fans eat it up.

Matsuzaka and Hughes were both awful in the command department last night. And where Matsuzaka has been battle-tested [in Japan and at home], Hughes is still finding his way with six less years on his driver's license. Poor clutch hitting for New York and some timely baseknocks for Boston determined the outcome of this particular contest.

My big gripe is pinch-running Wilson Betemit for Jose Molina in the eighth inning. I - like many of you - first guessed this move as wacky and was supported in the bottom half of the inning as Jorge Posada moved behind the plate. Posada's shoulder is obviously still healing as the Red Sox appropriately ran wild on him without even so much as a throw to second base. The result was an insurance run, pushing the lead from 2 runs to 3 and giving inconsistent relievers like Javier Lopez and Manny DelCarmen that much more cushion.

Joe Girardi will out-think the opposing manager with much greater frequency, but this particular move - like the decision to have Mike Mussina pitch to Manny Ramirez on Saturday - can be chocked up as another example of Girardi out-dueling himself. As it stands, neither team left Boston with a sweep, and another Yankees-Red Sox series is wasted in a season's early going.

Posada May Hit DL Soon

It would appear Jorge Posada has suffered an injury worse than a "stiff shoulder" and may be heading to the disabled list. Posada described his shoulder as "dead" and it seems the Yankees coaches and training staff are mystified as to what it could be. An MRI is in Posada's near future with Chad Moeller probably moving up the depth chart to back up Jose Molina.

Molina is not Yogi Berra, but he is a rock solid backup catcher. Can you imagine if Wil Nieves were the contingency plan? Yikes. Kudos goes to Brian Cashman for securing a solid replacement should Posada ever hit the DL for his first time. With an arduous, travel-happy upcoming schedule on the horizon, the 2008 Yankees face their first difficult test.

One "Mo" Signed, The Other Not Yet

According to Mark Feinsand, Jose Molina agreed to a two-year deal worth $4 million. The Yankees finally found a reliable, solid back up catcher via trade last summer. Now, they made the obvious move, bringing him back for the next few seasons.

Also contained in Feinsand's article is Mariano Rivera maintaining his desire for a four year contract.

Ok, Mo, we get it. For all the otherworldly accomplishments you've notched on an unmatched playoff belt, it's time to take the $15 million per season and sign on the dotted line. Everyone laughed when Billy Wagner got a more lucrative contract then The Sandman, but this deal will allow him to laugh back.

Let's go. We got a Houston lefthander to lure back into Yankeeland.

Postmortem: Part 2

Time to play who stays and who goes.

After three postseasons ending prematurely, it's time to discuss which players belong on a playoff roster and which do not.

Johnny Damon - proved against the Indians that he is still one of the few true leadoff hitters in the game today. Hits in the clutch, can slap balls past shortstops or plant one in the rightfield upper deck. Bright lights don't bother the Demon.

Andy Pettitte - Lefty quieted every critic during the regular season and then inspired every Yankees fan in the postseason. The perfect veteran to anchor a young rotation. Put his player option on the table and then employ Luca Brasi to make an offer Andy can't refuse...

Derek Jeter - the Captain GIDP'd at inopportune times, but that's lightning which won't strike twice.

Bobby Abreu - some discussion has emerged about rejecting his option in order to acquire a player like Aaron Rowand. His fence-fobia may be tough to watch at times, but his one year commitment and tendency to hit against Boston or in the playoffs makes him a marginal risk.

Alex Rodriguez - if he wants to be a Yankee, sign him up. If he wallows let him go.

Jorge Posada - absolutely indispensable piece of a New York championship puzzle. As far as replacements, the Yanks have no internal options even close to sniffing the bigs and there are even less on the 2008 free agent landscape. Cashman will overpay to secure the resurging backstop, but he'll have no other play here.

Chien-Ming Wang - impossible not to be disappointed and slightly worried by the horrendous effort he put forward in Game 1 and then Game 4, but the kid wins 19 games a season and is still making the transition from "thrower" to "pitcher."

Robinson Cano - after shining this past week, Robbie is emerging as a lethal weapon at the bottom of the order. So much so, that he will be rewarded with the #3 spot in the lineup, forcing Abreu into a #5 hitter.

Mariano Rivera - see Posada, Jorge

Luis Vizcaino - with the dearth of relief pitching becoming more and more problematic, the Viz is a necessary return, regardless of the horrid lone appearance he made in October.

Kyle Farnsworth - dispose of at all costs. His value is restricted to losing clubs like Pittsburgh or Kansas City.

Hideki Matsui - ensure that Godzilla isn't attempting to terrorize foreign cities on a bum wheel. If his physical decline continues, attempt to trade for less powerful but potent righthanded contact hitter.

Jason Giambi - see Farnsworth, Kyle

Doug Mientkiewicz - showed heart in coming back from multiple injuries and contributing in September. An annual logjam at firstbase is not something Cashman desires, however, and Andy Phillips deserves it more.

Shelley Duncan - on the field and off, he earned himself a spot on next year's 25 man roster. Proving himself to be more than just a freeswinging ogre, Duncan put together some outstanding postseason atbats and didn't dwarf under the pressure.

Wilson Betemit - at just 25 years old, he offers the Yankees flexibility for years to come. Now if he could only cut down on those whiffs...

Jose Molina - the backup catcher we've all been waiting for. The middle-child of the Molina trio, Jose's proven to be more than just a defensive upgrade and held his own with the bat.

Mike Mussina - at the time, the Moose had earned a two year extension. Since a 2006 season in which he tossed 200 innings, struck out 172 and posted an impressive 3.51 ERA, he has suddenly regressed into an aging replacement-level starter. If a national league team will bite, make a value for value deal. If not, allow the Moose to be a solid safety net for a rotation which would potentially house three starters under 23 years old.

Melky Cabrera - unless a Johan Santana deal becomes plausible and Aaron Rowand whets George's appetite, Leche will patrol centerfield in 2008 and beyond.

Joe Torre - The man has done nothing but win ballgames since donning the pinstripes. Unfortunately, the last seven years have seemed an eternity, highlighted by a monumental collapse and a string of early playoff exits. Sometimes a change is a necessary evil. But it only becomes possible if a viable replacement awaits in the wings.

Don Mattingly has been groomed for the position, working his way up the assistant coach depth chart, but he's still never managed a game. Joe Girardi's excellent in-game managing is reminiscent of Billy Martin, but like Martin, Girardi's flashed an ability to burn out his pitchers. Sending, then ace, Josh Johnson back into a game which had been halted by an 82 minute rain delay certainly contributed to the Cy Young hopeful's eventual Tommy John surgery. Nevermind that Johnson supposedly complained of forearm tightness earlier in the year. Applying that level of carelessness to franchise jewels like Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes would be cause for capital punishment in Yankeeland.

The baton goes to Mattingly, with Girardi a tight second. Somewhere on the periphery will remain Tony La Russa and sidekick Dave Duncan.