Wednesday, January 28, 2009

16 Days, 16 Players: Xavier Nady

Everyday until spring training begins the "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog will review one player from the Yankees roster. We will review a total of 25 players, the 25 we believe will be on the active roster after spring training. Our reviews are all edited by Carl Pavano himself to insure they're up to the stringent "Pavano Tough" standards.

I'm pretty much convinced that Nady will be traded, but as long as he's on the roster, he definitely has a secured spot on the team. Nady hit .305 last season with 25 homeruns, and 97 RBI's. It was a break out season of sorts for Nady who reached career highs in batting average, homeruns, doubles, and RBI's. Of course, he also had more playing time last year than in any other year. His high strikeout low walk rate was a bit of a concern, but last season, he brought the pop, and that's all we could hope for out of a mid season trade. Next season is his walk year, and given that players like to play hard in their walk year, Nady could have an amazing season next.

My Fearless Prediction:

Nady will bat over .300, and push towards 30 homeruns and 100 RBI's next season, but for another team. Swisher will be kept because of his affordability and years under contract. Nady will probably have a better season than Swisher next year, but will cost too much in free agency. Besides, the Yankees can alway choose to bring back Nady as a free agent in 2010 if they're really impressed with him.

Little Known Nady Fact:

When playing for the Pirates, Nady missed a potion of the 2007 season with a severe case of scurvy. As a result, MLB ordered the Pirates to stock citrus fruits in the clubhouse.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Scurvy. LOL.

Unknown said...

I think Swisher and Nady should both be kept. They're both exactly the upper-middle-class type of guys on the *glory teams* of 1996, 1998, etc. They should try to work out an extension before the season starts.

It would also make the 2010 outfield Nady, Swisher, and Austin Jackson. Not bad at all.

Also, many people think there is not enough room for both Nady & Swisher on this year's team, but that simply is not true. Matsui's not going to make it to the all-star break. Take that to the bank.

Plus, Damon is no spring chicken, Melky/Gardner are no sure things, and God forbid Teixeira gets hurt. Swisher can fill in all those spots, plus provide a nice bat off the bench. When's the last time we had one of those.. Glenallen Hill in 2000?

This is so obvious, it's silly.

Fernando Alejandro said...

We could keep them both, but it may be tough to manage. Right now Matsui is slated for DH, so his potential mid-season DL trip won't help either Swisher and Nady, especially with Posada likely need of DH at bats. Damon is not a spring chicken, but he is in his walk year, so I expect him to have left field on lock, and to perform very well. Neither Swisher or Nady are appropriate centerfield candidates, which leaves them both stuck in right field. It would be good to have someone like Swisher on the bench, but you also want someone like Swisher playing regularly, and with Nady in a walk year, I doubt he'll take kindly to platooning in right. I just think we have two regular players, who we're going to be asking to share time together, and it could get tricky.

Anonymous said...

nady made somewhat of a splash when he first was aquirred, but just fizzled later on in the season. most of the guys did that...but as for tradeing him, I'd be sad to see him go but no heart broken.. he'll be better fittied in another club that doenst have such a surplus of out feilders. but if he's kept, i'd imagine there would be a lot of movement towards the botoom half of the line up. (oh that reminds me... is bobby abreu on board for this season? can't recall his situation! was he a free agents this year? my minds going blank!)

Anonymous said...

Pirates, scurvy, quite clever.

Fernando Alejandro said...

Abreu's a free agent, and no one has signed him yet. This market is a killer for free agent outfielders.

Unknown said...

Yes, Fernando, the market IS a killer for outfielders and that's why the Yankees won't get anything close to market value for Nady or Swisher. There are too many Dunns, Abreus, etc to be had by only giving up money instead of trading. They're gonna end up trading Nady for some dead-end pitching prospect, and they'll be sorry for it by June.

I agree with you about JoPo needing DH AB's but I still think they have to keep both Nady & Swish. I don't care if one of them has hurt feelings. Tim Raines, Cecil Fielder, and Darryl Strawberry were all role players (non-starters) on the Yankees' 1996 World Series team. They all dealt with it quite well.

Oh, yeah, all of them were also 50x the players that either Swisher or Nady are.

Anonymous said...

KEEP NADY.
I don't know why there's even a daicussion on the subject.
Swisher will loom good on the bench.
Who's looked good on the bench the last few years?
Damon's going to need some time DH'ing and just resting anyway.
And he can cover in center. Keep Gardner down where he can get some AB's and not be an embarrassment at the plate. He can scare Melky just as good from there. Or be swapped out, if Melky doesn'thave it.
Matsui's glove has to be a flowerpot this year. If he ever gets into the outfield, there has to be something terribly wrong.
The piece I see as missing is a utility infielder, to cover 2nd 3rd, short.
I caught the Prime 9 shortstops on MLB the other night.
And there at #2 all time was....ARod.
I'd just about forgot.

Joe

Anonymous said...

I am curious joe, are you already accounting for Cody Ransom when you say the yanks need another solid back up infeilder or are you saying we need more? cause he, like robinson cano, did well (hitting wise) towards the end of the season, which is something i think is vital if this projected 'second coming' runs a lil late./ glad wilson is gone!betemit was always they're run to guy when giambi got tierd and needed to turn in after the 7th. but then they got sexson, but once again, hes another guy whos situation draws up blanks in my mind! where he at!?

Anonymous said...

Arrr!

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Anonymous said...

Thanks, Ruthie. How could I forget Cody Ransom? He's probably IT.
Sexson got released. And that's a good thing.
First is pretty well covered.
Now I can go back to worrying about catching.
In fact, both Jorje and Mo are expected to be "ready by opening day."Which sounds to me like there's a chance they could both start the season on the DL.
Don't like that. After they made Mo's surgery sound about as serious as removing a wart, and now he still isn't recovered...

Joe

Fernando Alejandro said...

RSiciliano, the outfield market is tough for free agents, but the trade market will be much more forgiving. No one wants to sign an Abreu or Dunn for $13 million a season (even though at this point they will probably settle for much less). I like Cody, but I wouldn't mind getting a tried and true utility guy. If they don't, I'm okay with it. If we could get a strong reliever, I'd be okay with that too. The thing is, we have Nady for just this season. Would you prefer to have Nady for one year or a true setup guy or a quality utility guy for the next few years? As I said though, if they don't trade Nady I would be okay with it. Strawberry, Raines, and Fielder were better players, but were not regulars at that stage in their careers. If you had told me that Strawberry from 1986 was sitting on the bench that'd be one thing, but this is the Strawberry from 1996 were talking about here.

That being said, I'd be okay opening the season with both on the roster. If anything, it sets us up for an amazing mid-season trade.