Stanton & Quantrill To Be Let Go?

[nyjunc]

According to the Times they are to be released today. See the article below:

Quantrill and Stanton May Be Let Go Thursday

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By TYLER KEPNER
Published: June 30, 2005
BALTIMORE, June 29 - The veteran relievers Paul Quantrill and Mike Stanton appear to have pitched their last games for the Yankees. Hoping to make their bullpen younger, the Yankees could release or trade both on Thursday.

Quantrill and Stanton shook hands and exchanged hugs with teammates and club personnel after Wednesday night's rainout at Camden Yards. Quantrill would not comment after leaving the clubhouse, and Stanton said, "You can read between the lines."

Manager Joe Torre, who kept the clubhouse closed to reporters for about 15 minutes after the game was called, said he had spoken with General Manager Brian Cashman about reducing the Yankees' pitching staff to 11 from 12.

"We're going to have to talk through it and figure out what we'll do before Friday," Torre said.

On Wednesday, the Yankees promoted the right-hander Jason Anderson from Class AAA Columbus and sent down outfielder Kevin Reese. The move gave the team 12 pitchers, and it was necessary for two reasons: Wednesday's scheduled starter, Mike Mussina, was ill, and the setup man Tom Gordon was unavailable after working two innings Tuesday.

Torre said he wanted to return to 11 pitchers and was eager to promote a backup infielder, Felix Escalona, for Friday's game in Detroit. When asked before the game if the presence of Anderson and another recently promoted reliever, Scott Proctor, could affect the roster spots of veteran relievers, Cashman said, "That's always an option that we have."

It was not immediately known which player besides Escalona would join the Yankees' roster, but Colter Bean has been dominant at Columbus, with 47 strikeouts in 39 innings. Bean, a right-hander, pitched two innings for the Yankees in April.

The Yankees held a six-hour organizational meeting on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., evaluating their talent in the minors and the majors. Some in the organization say that with Quantrill and Stanton struggling, it makes sense to give younger pitchers a chance.

"The young guys, they need regular work," Torre said before the game was postponed. "We just want to see what options we have and how much depth we're going to have."

The Yankees drafted Anderson in 2000 and included him on their opening-day roster in 2003. They traded him to the Mets for Armando Benitez that July, and Anderson bounced to Cleveland before the Yankees claimed him on waivers last June. He limited opponents to a .189 average at Columbus, with nearly a strikeout per inning pitched.

Billy Connors, a confidant of George Steinbrenner, the team's principal owner, worked with Anderson to help him first get to the majors. Since Anderson returned to the Yankees, the pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras has helped improve his mechanics.

"I've never really walked a lot of guys, unless I'm in the big leagues," said Anderson, 26, who has more walks than strikeouts over 29 major league games. "I'm pretty much the same pitcher now, just with better location."

Quantrill, 36, earned Torre's trust last year in his first season with the Yankees. He set a club record with 86 appearances, but his effectiveness waned as the season went on, the result of pitching through a knee injury he sustained opening night.

This season, Quantrill has been an afterthought. The less he works, the less sink he has on his pitches, and the results have been terrible: a 6.75 earned run average in 22 games, with a .361 opponents' average.

Stanton, 38, allowed a game-ending homer to Baltimore's Brian Roberts on Tuesday. He has a 7.07 E.R.A. in 28 games, and with a diminished fastball, he is no longer effective against right-handers. Stanton has still been tough on left-handers, who have 6 hits in 34 at-bats against him.

Mussina Under Weather

Despite Wednesday's rainout, Randy Johnson will start as scheduled on Friday in Detroit. Mike Mussina had spent the previous two days at home to attend to his children, who had food poisoning, and he became ill. He did not warm up in the bullpen Wednesday night because of the rain but hopes to stay sharp on Thursday.

"I'll probably throw a little bit tomorrow," said Mussina, who had not slept much the last two nights. "Hopefully, I'll feel good enough to go out there and do it."

Deserving of Promotion

Brian Cashman said outfielder Melky Cabrera earned his promotion to Class AAA Columbus and was not being shown off for other teams. Cabrera, 20, is considered one of the Yankees' top prospects.

"We don't have to showcase him," Cashman said. "Other teams like him and we like him. We're just moving him up the ladder. My understanding is that he is more advanced at age 20 than Robinson Cano was. We're moving him up because he can handle it."

Brown Start Penciled In

Joe Torre expects Kevin Brown to make his next start Tuesday at home against the Orioles. Brown, who is on the disabled list because of a strained back, threw 50 pitches from 90 feet on Tuesday in Tampa and said he felt strong.

[General]

Good. They ****ing suck. Should not have traded for Stanton and Quantrill just doesn't have it.

[Hammer]

Melky went 1-3 with a double in his AAA debut. I'm hyped for him... September I'm saying, if we don't get a CFer by then, which we will. I've been raving about him for awhile now... him and Rudy Guillen, who isn't quite as impressive as my boy Melky. Melky is the best pure hitter in the organization.

[General]

You know he's gonna get traded, as much as I don't want him to.

[nyjunc]

Good. They ****ing suck. Should not have traded for Stanton and Quantrill just doesn't have it.

Remember who we traded to get Stanton, as bad as Stanton has been he's not worse than Heredia. I won't bash Mike, he gave us alot of good innings during our title years. I wish him the best.

[General]

At least Heredia was younger and cheaper.

[nyjunc]

At least Heredia was younger and cheaper.

Who cares if he was younger he stinks and the diff in salary isn't that big.

[BIG COUNTRY]

Remember who we traded to get Stanton, as bad as Stanton has been he's not worse than Heredia. I won't bash Mike, he gave us alot of good innings during our title years. I wish him the best.

I agree he obviously sucks now but hes a yankee in my book and he has done a lot more good for us than bad.

[awefullspellare]

So is this the move that comes out of the "conference", or just a start?

[Hmark6]

I would hope its just a start to greater things.

[RLA68]

I hope it is a start but I hope we are not too radical.

I respect what Mike Stanton did but that was years ago.

For now in present day to both Q and Stanton...buh-Bye.

[Veovis]

Quantrill probably would have been more effective if Torre used him more. He seems to be the type that needs a lot of innings to stay sharp.

Stanton's release doesn't make too much sense to me. He was holding lefties to a .176 clip. It was leaving him out against righties that killed him.