Yankees re-sign Jeter for one-year, $12 million

By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 11/1/2013 2:43 P.M. ET

The Yankees have re-signed Derek Jeter to a one-year, $12 million deal, the club announced Friday.

Jeter held a $9.5 million player option for 2014, the final installment of a deal he signed before the 2011 season that ended up paying him $51 million over three years. Instead, he and the club reached the new agreement.

The 39-year-old shortstop appeared in just 17 games last season due to injuries that required four separate disabled list stints. Prior to 2013, he had only been on the DL five times, missing just a combined 82 games in his first 18 Major League seasons.

Jeter hit .190 with eight runs, one double, one home run and seven RBIs in those 17 games.

Jeter is a .312 career hitter, and ninth on baseball's all-time hits list (3,316) and the game's active leader. The 13-time All-Star will become the longest-tenured player in franchise history with his first game played in 2014, breaking the record he currently shares with closer Mariano Rivera, who retired this year.

Named the 11th captain in team history on June 3, 2003, Jeter is the Yankees' all-time leader in hits, games, stolen bases, at-bats, singles (2,470) and hit by pitches (164). He also ranks second in doubles (Lou Gehrig 534), third in runs (Babe Ruth 1,959, Gehrig 1,888) and ninth in homers. No active player has appeared in more games for his current team than Derek Jeter, and he is 10th all-time in games played among Major Leaguers who have spent their entire careers with one team.

Additionally, Jeter is one of just two players in Major League history, along with Willie Mays, to record at least 3,000 hits, 250 home runs, 300 stolen bases and 1,200 RBIs in their careers.

Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Torre has the favorite in Breeders' Cup Classic

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 11/1/2013 2:23 P.M. ET

Game On Dude, with Mike Smith aboard, races to the wire to win the $750,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March. (AP)

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees to four World Series titles, has a chance to experience the horse racing equivalent Saturday when Game On Dude, expected to be the favorite, runs in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.

Torre, who owns thoroughbreds under the stable name of Diamond Pride, has dabbled in horses since he was introduced to the sport by former bench coach Don Zimmer when both were with the Yankees. Torre co-owns Game On Dude with the family of the late MGM Mirage CEO Terry Lanni, Mercedes Stable of gambling entrepreneur Ernest Moody and Las Vegas auto-dealer executive Bernie Schiappa.

Schiappa bought Game On Dude privately in 2010 for a reported $300,000 after his first win and put together the partnership with his three close friends. With a win, the $2.75 million first-place windfall not only would raise Game On Dude's career earnings to more than $8.35 million, but virtually assure the six-year-old gelding the title of Horse of the Year.

This will be Torre's second Classic bid with Game On Dude, who faded to seventh as the 6-5 favorite in the Classic a year ago after a slow start. The top three finishers of last year's Classic -- Fort Larned, Mucho Macho Man and Flat Out -- are all back this year.

Game On Dude has a six-race win streak since last year's Classic, the first five under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, with record-setting romps in the Santa Anita Handicap and Pacific Classic. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who conditions Game On Dude, expects a better Classic performance than last year.

Game on Dude is an 8-5 morning-line favorite. He'll leave from post No. 9 as part of a 12-horse field.

"He's a totally different horse mentally than he was last year, and he looks better coming into the race this year," Baffert said on a national teleconference last week.

"He's run some really outstanding races, his works have been great, and he's shown no signs of tailing off. The break will be crucial and how he gets away, but Mike Smith knows him well and what he has to do. All I can do is prepare him the best way I can and then give Mike the keys to the car and tell him to get around there as quick as he can."

Torre, currently MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, said he credits -- or blames -- his love of racing on a day he spent at a track with Zimmer in 1996. A $300 "investment" became a $600 profit and "that was the end of my life," Torre joked.

Through Zimmer, Torre met trainer Richard Dutrow Sr., then his son, Richard Dutrow Jr., and through him, the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel.

Torre developed a close friendship with Frankel, who brought Torre into a partnership for another horse, Vineyard Haven. They turned their $250,000 purchase into a stunning $12 million sale to the Godolphin Stable of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the United Arab Emirates and prime minister and ruler of Dubai.

The first horse Torre owned was in partnership with Schiappa. He later claimed in partnership Sis City for $50,000, and the mare became a Grade I winner. Torre won the Queen's Plate, Canada's most prestigious race, with Wild Desert in 2005.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Jeter will have to take 2014 one day at a time

Wouldn't it be great to see Derek Jeter back out there playing at a high level again? If it's just one more season, fine. If it's more than that, even better. If any player should be able to write his own ending, it's this one.

If Jeter believes he can still do it, that's at least a step in the right direction. Are there doubts? Of course there are. He's 39 years old and coming off the kind of injury that can end a career. Jeter played just 17 games last season. He looked shaky in all of them.

One of the mistakes a lot of us made last offseason was assuming Jeter was still superman -- that regardless of how gruesome that left ankle injury was, he'd still show up at Spring Training as good as ever.

That's what Jeter had always done. He'd played through all sorts of aches and pains through the years. He didn't just refuse to let them take him off the field. He refused to discuss or acknowledge them.

It was as if Jeter could will his body to heal faster. To him, injuries were pretty much the same kind of challenge as a Justin Verlander fastball. Jeter believed that hard work, preparation and his God-given gifts would take care of everything else.

Jeter's durability through the years contributed to the feeling that he was indestructible. If any other 38-year-old player had suffered a similar injury, there would be questions about whether he could return, much less play at a high level.

Last season, Jeter looked vulnerable for the first time. He never really recovered. He didn't look comfortable at either shortstop or home plate. It was painful watching Jeter attempt to play and almost a relief when his season ended after just 17 games.

No one will outwork Jeter. No one will pour more of himself into being ready for 2014. But there's no way to know if the ankle will ever really heal.

And that's going to be the question when the Yankees gather in Tampa, Fla., in February. They announced Friday that Jeter had agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract, but this isn't about money.

It's also should not be read as an indication that the Yanks are confident about what Jeter can still do. They'll find that out a day at a time over the next few months. Even Jeter does not know. He simply can't. Until he's back out on the field for long stretches next April, let's hope for the best.

Every fan and teammate probably has their own Jeter moment. Maybe it's him gliding into the hole, stabbing a grounder and making one of those jump throws across the diamond.

Or it could be Jeter pulling his hands in and slapping a 95-mph fastball to the opposite field, down the right-field line. Remember how he would glide into second base? He never even seemed to be running hard, because he was so smooth, so effortless in everything he did.

Regardless of whether you pull for the Red Sox or Cubs or Dodgers, there might still be a piece of you rooting for Jeter. To love this great game is to love Jeter and what he stands for.

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to make the argument that Jeter and his buddy, Mariano Rivera, are the greatest players in history. If you stacked it all up -- production, winning, leadership and good citizenship -- it would be hard to find any two players who've done more.

No player -- none, zero, zip -- has represented the most famous sports franchise on earth better than this one.

This is a huge transitional season for the Yankees in the wake of Rivera and Andy Pettitte riding off into the sunset. Their hope for 2014 is that Robinson Cano re-signs, Mark Teixeira recovers and that holes can be filled through free agency and the farm system.

To write off the Yanks in 2014 would be a serious mistake. But they have more question marks than any time in a long time.

That's another reason Jeter is important. To walk into that clubhouse and see him there is to be reminded that these are still the New York Yankees. He could add a significant presence to the lineup and the clubhouse.

Jeter carries himself with such an air of confidence, and the Yankees, especially if there's a significantly overhauled roster, can feed off that. The Red Sox made wholesale changes last offseason, but everything they accomplished began with the steadying presence (and production) of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

Jeter means exactly the same thing to the Yanks, and with Rivera and Pettitte having retired, it's important to have a guy who connects the generations.

This isn't to say Jeter can fix all that needs to be fixed. He can't. He won't even to pretend to have those powers. But getting Jeter back in the lineup would be a big deal, both for the Yankees and for all of us who feel privileged to have watched him play.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Torre has the favorite in Breeders' Cup Classic

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 11/1/2013 2:23 P.M. ET

Game On Dude, with Mike Smith aboard, races to the wire to win the $750,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March. (AP)

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees to four World Series titles, has a chance to experience the horse racing equivalent Saturday when Game On Dude, expected to be the favorite, runs in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.

Torre, who owns thoroughbreds under the stable name of Diamond Pride, has dabbled in horses since he was introduced to the sport by former bench coach Don Zimmer when both were with the Yankees. Torre co-owns Game On Dude with the family of the late MGM Mirage CEO Terry Lanni, Mercedes Stable of gambling entrepreneur Ernest Moody and Las Vegas auto-dealer executive Bernie Schiappa.

Schiappa bought Game On Dude privately in 2010 for a reported $300,000 after his first win and put together the partnership with his three close friends. With a win, the $2.75 million first-place windfall not only would raise Game On Dude's career earnings to more than $8.35 million, but virtually assure the six-year-old gelding the title of Horse of the Year.

This will be Torre's second Classic bid with Game On Dude, who faded to seventh as the 6-5 favorite in the Classic a year ago after a slow start. The top three finishers of last year's Classic -- Fort Larned, Mucho Macho Man and Flat Out -- are all back this year.

Game On Dude has a six-race win streak since last year's Classic, the first five under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, with record-setting romps in the Santa Anita Handicap and Pacific Classic. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who conditions Game On Dude, expects a better Classic performance than last year.

Game on Dude is an 8-5 morning-line favorite. He'll leave from post No. 9 as part of a 12-horse field.

"He's a totally different horse mentally than he was last year, and he looks better coming into the race this year," Baffert said on a national teleconference last week.

"He's run some really outstanding races, his works have been great, and he's shown no signs of tailing off. The break will be crucial and how he gets away, but Mike Smith knows him well and what he has to do. All I can do is prepare him the best way I can and then give Mike the keys to the car and tell him to get around there as quick as he can."

Torre, currently MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, said he credits -- or blames -- his love of racing on a day he spent at a track with Zimmer in 1996. A $300 "investment" became a $600 profit and "that was the end of my life," Torre joked.

Through Zimmer, Torre met trainer Richard Dutrow Sr., then his son, Richard Dutrow Jr., and through him, the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel.

Torre developed a close friendship with Frankel, who brought Torre into a partnership for another horse, Vineyard Haven. They turned their $250,000 purchase into a stunning $12 million sale to the Godolphin Stable of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the United Arab Emirates and prime minister and ruler of Dubai.

The first horse Torre owned was in partnership with Schiappa. He later claimed in partnership Sis City for $50,000, and the mare became a Grade I winner. Torre won the Queen's Plate, Canada's most prestigious race, with Wild Desert in 2005.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees re-sign Jeter for one-year, $12 million

By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 11/1/2013 2:43 P.M. ET

The Yankees have re-signed Derek Jeter to a one-year, $12 million deal, the club announced Friday.

Jeter held a $9.5 million player option for 2014, the final installment of a deal he signed before the 2011 season that ended up paying him $51 million over three years. Instead, he and the club reached the new agreement.

The 39-year-old shortstop appeared in just 17 games last season due to injuries that required four separate disabled list stints. Prior to 2013, he had only been on the DL five times, missing just a combined 82 games in his first 18 Major League seasons.

Jeter hit .190 with eight runs, one double, one home run and seven RBIs in those 17 games.

Jeter is a .312 career hitter, and ninth on baseball's all-time hits list (3,316) and the game's active leader. The 13-time All-Star will become the longest-tenured player in franchise history with his first game played in 2014, breaking the record he currently shares with closer Mariano Rivera, who retired this year.

Named the 11th captain in team history on June 3, 2003, Jeter is the Yankees' all-time leader in hits, games, stolen bases, at-bats, singles (2,470) and hit by pitches (164). He also ranks second in doubles (Lou Gehrig 534), third in runs (Babe Ruth 1,959, Gehrig 1,888) and ninth in homers. No active player has appeared in more games for his current team than Derek Jeter, and he is 10th all-time in games played among Major Leaguers who have spent their entire careers with one team.

Additionally, Jeter is one of just two players in Major League history, along with Willie Mays, to record at least 3,000 hits, 250 home runs, 300 stolen bases and 1,200 RBIs in their careers.

Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Jeter will have to take 2014 one day at a time

Wouldn't it be great to see Derek Jeter back out there playing at a high level again? If it's just one more season, fine. If it's more than that, even better. If any player should be able to write his own ending, it's this one.

If Jeter believes he can still do it, that's at least a step in the right direction. Are there doubts? Of course there are. He's 39 years old and coming off the kind of injury that can end a career. Jeter played just 17 games last season. He looked shaky in all of them.

One of the mistakes a lot of us made last offseason was assuming Jeter was still superman -- that regardless of how gruesome that left ankle injury was, he'd still show up at Spring Training as good as ever.

That's what Jeter had always done. He'd played through all sorts of aches and pains through the years. He didn't just refuse to let them take him off the field. He refused to discuss or acknowledge them.

It was as if Jeter could will his body to heal faster. To him, injuries were pretty much the same kind of challenge as a Justin Verlander fastball. Jeter believed that hard work, preparation and his God-given gifts would take care of everything else.

Jeter's durability through the years contributed to the feeling that he was indestructible. If any other 38-year-old player had suffered a similar injury, there would be questions about whether he could return, much less play at a high level.

Last season, Jeter looked vulnerable for the first time. He never really recovered. He didn't look comfortable at either shortstop or home plate. It was painful watching Jeter attempt to play and almost a relief when his season ended after just 17 games.

No one will outwork Jeter. No one will pour more of himself into being ready for 2014. But there's no way to know if the ankle will ever really heal.

And that's going to be the question when the Yankees gather in Tampa, Fla., in February. They announced Friday that Jeter had agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract, but this isn't about money.

It's also should not be read as an indication that the Yanks are confident about what Jeter can still do. They'll find that out a day at a time over the next few months. Even Jeter does not know. He simply can't. Until he's back out on the field for long stretches next April, let's hope for the best.

Every fan and teammate probably has their own Jeter moment. Maybe it's him gliding into the hole, stabbing a grounder and making one of those jump throws across the diamond.

Or it could be Jeter pulling his hands in and slapping a 95-mph fastball to the opposite field, down the right-field line. Remember how he would glide into second base? He never even seemed to be running hard, because he was so smooth, so effortless in everything he did.

Regardless of whether you pull for the Red Sox or Cubs or Dodgers, there might still be a piece of you rooting for Jeter. To love this great game is to love Jeter and what he stands for.

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to make the argument that Jeter and his buddy, Mariano Rivera, are the greatest players in history. If you stacked it all up -- production, winning, leadership and good citizenship -- it would be hard to find any two players who've done more.

No player -- none, zero, zip -- has represented the most famous sports franchise on earth better than this one.

This is a huge transitional season for the Yankees in the wake of Rivera and Andy Pettitte riding off into the sunset. Their hope for 2014 is that Robinson Cano re-signs, Mark Teixeira recovers and that holes can be filled through free agency and the farm system.

To write off the Yanks in 2014 would be a serious mistake. But they have more question marks than any time in a long time.

That's another reason Jeter is important. To walk into that clubhouse and see him there is to be reminded that these are still the New York Yankees. He could add a significant presence to the lineup and the clubhouse.

Jeter carries himself with such an air of confidence, and the Yankees, especially if there's a significantly overhauled roster, can feed off that. The Red Sox made wholesale changes last offseason, but everything they accomplished began with the steadying presence (and production) of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz.

Jeter means exactly the same thing to the Yanks, and with Rivera and Pettitte having retired, it's important to have a guy who connects the generations.

This isn't to say Jeter can fix all that needs to be fixed. He can't. He won't even to pretend to have those powers. But getting Jeter back in the lineup would be a big deal, both for the Yankees and for all of us who feel privileged to have watched him play.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

14.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fall Stars Game to feature assortment of top talent

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | 10/28/2013 5:46 P.M. ET

The name has changed, but the excitement of the sheer star power that will be on the field remains the same.

The Fall Stars Game, formerly known as the Rising Stars Game, will take place for the eighth year, on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. The game, which starts at 5 p.m. Arizona time and will be broadcast on MLB Network and streamed live on MLB.com, will bring together the best of the best in terms of Minor League prospects on one field.

There are a total of 21 members of MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list on the two rosters, starting with No. 1 prospect Byron Buxton of the Twins. He's part of a talent-laden West Division squad that includes two other Top 100 outfielders in the Astros' Delino DeShields (No. 73) and the Royals' Jorge Bonifacio (No. 89).

East Division			West Division
Player	Org	Pos.	Player	Org
Jake Barrett	ARI	P	Chris Bassitt	CWS
Cam Bedrosian	LAA	P	Tim Berry	BAL
Kyle Crick	SF	P	Jonas Dufek	HOU
Jeurys Familia	NYM	P	Yimi Garcia	LAD
Corey Knebel	DET	P	Ken Giles	PHI
Tyler Matzek	COL	P	David Goforth	MIL
Mike Montgomery	TB	P	Alex Meyer	MIN
Aaron Sanchez	TOR	P	Eduardo Rodriguez	BAL
Shae Simmons	ATL	P	Chad Rogers	CIN
Matt Stites	ARI	P	Keyvius Sampson	SD
Marcus Stroman	TOR	P	Carson Smith	SEA
Peter O'Brien	NYY	C	Jorge Alfaro	TEX
Andrew Susac	SF	C	Austin Hedges	SD
Kris Bryant	CHC	INF	Mookie Betts	BOS
C.J. Cron	LAA	INF	Garin Cecchini	BOS
Alen Hanson	PIT	INF	Colin Moran	MIA
Taylor Lindsey	LAA	INF	Brett Nicholas	TEX
Kyle Parker	COL	INF	Eddie Rosario	MIN
Addison Russell	OAK	INF	Corey Seager	LAD
Devon Travis	DET	INF	Marcus Semien	CWS
Albert Almora	CHC	IF/OF	Jorge Bonifacio	KC
Brian Goodwin	WSH	OF	Byron Buxton	MIN
Stephen Piscotty	STL	OF	Delino DeShields	HOU
Jorge Soler	CHC	OF	Tyler Naquin	CLE
Mason Williams	NYY	OF	Stefen Romero	SEA

There are 11 Top 100 players in total on the West roster, including two pitchers (the Twins' Alex Meyer, ranked 31st, and Eduardo Rodriguez, No. 84, of the Orioles), both catchers (the Padres' Austin Hedges, No. 33 and the Rangers' Jorge Alfaro, ranked No. 55) and four infielders (Corey Seager of the Dodgers, who is No. 47 on the list, Eddie Rosario from the Twins, ranked No. 62, Marlins 2013 first-round Draft pick Colin Moran, currently No. 71, and Red Sox third baseman Garin Cecchini, at No. 82). In addition, the West team has 10 other players currently on organizational Top 20s.

The West has a one-man advantage in the Top 100 race. The East's 10 Top 100 entries do come higher on the list, however, with eight of the 10 in the Top 50. The group is led by A's shortstop Addison Russell (No. 17) and Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez (20). Joining Sanchez on the staff are two other Top 100 arms, the Giants' Kyle Crick (42) and the Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman (91).

"It means that of all the work I've put in throughout my life is starting to pay off," Stroman said. "Everyone is a top player -- to be one of the top top guys is going to be a great feeling. It's going to be fun day."

The Cubs' contingent that has been generating so much buzz with the Mesa Solar Sox in the AFL are all on the East roster. Outfielders Albert Almora (21) and Jorge Soler (25) will join third baseman Kris Bryant (35) in taking their hacks against that talented West Division pitching staff.

"It's a huge honor," said Bryant, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 Draft who currently leads the AFL in home runs, RBIs and OPS. "I've played about 40 professional games, yet they see me in that light. There's a bunch of good guys out there, good competition, so it should be a good game."

Going back to the start of his junior season at the University of San Diego, Bryant has been playing since the end of January. Given the fact he's hitting .429/.468/.905 in 10 Fall League games, he's fine with not getting Saturday off.

"I feel like I'm playing pretty well right now, so I want to play as much baseball as I can," he said.

Bryant and his Cubs cohorts will be joined by Yankees outfielder Mason Williams (No. 36), Pirates shortstop Alen Hanson (39) and Nationals center fielder Brian Goodwin (65). There are a dozen other members of the East team currently on organizational Top 20 lists.

There's no question this game has a pretty good track record in terms of predicting who will be in the big leagues sooner rather than later. The 2009 version of the game featured 28 players who made it up the following season. In 2010, two dozen Rising Stars participants spent time in the Majors the next year. In 2011, 18 from this game -- including Rookie of the Year Award winners Bryce Harper and Mike Trout -- ascended to the highest level. Last year was no different, with 23 alumni from this AFL exhibition reaching the Majors.

"When you read those numbers, it brings a smile to your face," Stroman said. "To know those numbers and go out there and know that you have a chance to be a factor next year, that's what we all want. It makes you want to work even hard to be ready for 2014."

Bryant might have a particular interest in a guy like Mike Zunino. The Mariners catcher, like Bryant this year, was a top Draft pick (No. 3 overall) who went from the Draft to the AFL to the big leagues the following season.

"You can't have any words for that," Bryant said. "It's incredible that so many guys from this game go to the big leagues the next year. It's very special, I think we all know that.

"We know we have a chance and all you can do is ask for a chance at the big leagues. Being on that stage will definitely help us display our talents."

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Williams aware of Yankees' legacy of center fielders

The list of those who have patrolled there is pretty impressive. Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle are in the Hall of Fame. Bernie Williams won four World Series titles. Being the center fielder for the New York Yankees is thus considered a tremendous honor.

With great power, of course, comes great responsibility. Not all can live up to those kinds of expectations, but 22-year-old Mason Williams hopes that one day he can add his name to that list.

"I think about it every day, the opportunity I might have, to play center field in the Bronx," Williams said. "That's the biggest thing."

Williams knows he has a ways to go before he's ready for such a task. The No. 2 Yankees prospect and No. 36 overall has just 17 games above Class A ball in terms of professional experience. That brief time with Double-A Trenton, though, showed Williams what he'll need to do in order to keep moving up the ladder. He took those lessons with him to the Arizona Fall League, where he's facing a similar -- if not better -- level of competition.

"I'd definitely say patience, maturity," Williams said. "Everyone here can play, everyone knows that. I just want to have fun. I'm really just here to enjoy the moment, enjoy where I am and take it all in. I'm definitely excited. I'm trying to embrace this whole moment."

Since being taken in the fourth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft and being given seven figures to sign, Williams has been saddled with the label of having tremendous raw tools. He's shown glimpses of putting all of it together -- the speed, the hitting ability, even the nascent power -- but he's yet to find a level of consistency. That's not uncommon for a young player, and Williams has definitely shown frustration during his time in the Yankees' system when things don't go his way.

The good news is Williams seems to have a better understanding of that now than when he first began his pro career. His time in the Fall League, in such a low-key, learning environment, might be perfect for him to slow things down and work on the things he needs to refine in order to keep heading in the right direction.

"I definitely feel it's sometimes hard to be patient, because sometimes I come out here and try to succeed and try to do well and not really let the game come to me," Williams said. "I'm definitely here having fun, and I'm going to be patient and see what happens."

Williams watched his parent club make a valiant run, despite injuries and age, at the postseason. He's well aware that New York is looking down on the farm for help as that Major League roster gets older. But he's trying not to look ahead too much, focusing on what he can do presently to improve, so when the time comes for him to step on that hallowed ground in center field, he'll be ready.

"I'm not really feeling pressure right now," Williams said. "I'm still taking it day by day. I'm working hard. If my name and number is called, I'm going to show up and play and do whatever I can to win."

Yankees hitters in the AFL

Peter O'Brien, who will join Williams at the AFL's Fall Stars Game on Saturday, is coming off of a very strong first full season with the bat. The University of Miami product led the organization in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage while playing in the South Atlantic and Florida State Leagues. A catcher in college, O'Brien was starting to play a lot more third base in 2013. He's splitting time between the hot corner and behind the plate in the AFL. While he's gone just 6-for-36 so far, half of his hits have been for home runs, and he did win the Bowman Hitting Challenge.

Yankees pitchers in the AFL

The Yankees took Brett Gerritse out of high school back in 2009 and gave him an above-slot deal to sign. He's been a little slow to develop, spending time as a swingman with Class A Charleston (South Atlantic League) the past two seasons. After working in relief for most of 2013, the right-hander threw well as a starter over the season's final month. He's in Arizona once again working out of the 'pen, where he's allowed five runs on six hits and five walks while striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings.

As a 43rd-round pick and a college-senior signing in the 2010 Draft, it's safe to say that lefty reliever Fred Lewis has already exceeded expectations by pitching in Double-A (and one outing in Triple-A) in 2013. Coming off a year that saw him combine for a 2.61 ERA and 9.2 K/9 ratio, Lewis has continued to throw relatively well in Arizona. The southpaw did not allow a run in his first six relief appearances, allowing five hits and issuing five walks while striking out seven.

Sometimes help can come from unusual places. Vidal Nuno is a smaller lefty originally drafted by the Cleveland Indians. He was released in the spring of 2011, then signed with an independent league team. The Yankees signed him later that year, and Nuno ended up helping out at the big league level in 2013. He was limited, however, to 45 innings all year because of a groin injury. He's making up for lost innings in the AFL and has given up six earned runs on 14 hits over his first three starts, spanning 10 2/3 innings.

The Yankees sent one more lefty to Arizona, James Pazos. Taken from the University of San Diego in 2012, Pazos has begun his pro career somewhat slowly, not hitting full-season ball until this past June. He had some success there, and was particularly stingy against left-handed hitters (.192 batting average against). His trip to the AFL should speed up his climb, and the southpaw reliever had allowed just one earned run (four total) on six hits over his first 5 2/3 innings for Scottsdale.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yanks to likely get makeover in free agency

NEW YORK -- The Yankees entered winter mode earlier than anticipated, missing out on postseason play for just the second time in the last 19 years. As they aim to retool from an 85-win club into a championship contender, there is much work to be done.

General manager Brian Cashman is tasked with refreshing a roster that has just six players committed to guaranteed contracts for the 2014 season: pitcher CC Sabathia, infielders Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, and outfielders Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki and Vernon Wells.

Free agency previews

"There are a lot of areas to focus on this winter -- more than previous winters," Cashman said.

Cashman must rebuild a rotation that has just Sabathia and Ivan Nova as its locks at this moment. The GM also must answer questions at three infield spots, trying to retain free agent Robinson Cano, awaiting the outcome of A-Rod's suspension appeal and hoping for Derek Jeter's successful return from an injury-marred campaign.

There are also questions in the bullpen, the outfield, catcher and the bench. The Yankees have several arbitration-eligible players that they intend to retain, which will help fill some of the holes, and plan to show interest in their own free agents -- particularly Cano, who is set to test the open market.

Having already checked off one of their first priorities in retaining manager Joe Girardi, who signed a four-year contract extension this month, the Yankees are well aware that the finished product may look quite different than the roster that completed the season on Sept. 29 in Houston.

"I always think the Yankees are going to do whatever they feel is best to get better as a club," Girardi said. "Our job is to get the best players we can. We're going to probably have to use our Minor Leagues as well. We need these kids to develop, to get better and play a role.

"If you look at the run the Yankees have had over the past 16 to 17 years, the farm system played a very important role. We need that to happen again, because you can't just go out and buy every free agent at every position. You won't be able to build a team and you won't have enough money. I think that through the Minor League system, the free agents and players that we have, we'll be very good."

Speaking in interviews after the season, Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner expressed disappointment in the club's player-development system, noting that the Minor League chain was largely unable to help when a rash of injuries devastated the big league roster.

Steinbrenner has also spoken often of his objective to reduce payroll below $189 million for the 2014 season in order to take advantage of luxury tax incentives. Steinbrenner has been quick to remind questioners that it is a goal, not a mandate, and will not come at the expense of fielding a championship-caliber team.

"I have faith in our organization," Girardi said. "They're going to give us whatever we need and whatever they can to make this the best team that we can be, and to be a championship-caliber club. I know there's a lot of things to answer to this year, question marks that we have, but I have faith."

Contract issues

Free agents: 2B Cano, RHP Joba Chamberlain, OF Curtis Granderson, DH Travis Hafner, LHP David Huff, RHP Phil Hughes, RHP Hiroki Kuroda, LHP Boone Logan, 1B Lyle Overbay, LHP Andy Pettitte (retired), IF Mark Reynolds, RHP Mariano Rivera (retired), SS Brendan Ryan, IF Kevin Youkilis, LHP Mike Zagurski.

Arbitration-eligible: C Francisco Cervelli, CF Brett Gardner, RHP Shawn Kelley, IF Jayson Nix, RHP Nova, RHP David Robertson, C Chris Stewart.

Contract options: SS Jeter ($9.5 million player option).

Non-tender possibilities: Nix, Stewart.

Areas of need

Starting rotation: Sabathia and Nova are the only locks to return, so the Yankees are expected to be serious bidders for Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. They would like to retain Kuroda on a one-year deal, and hope that Michael Pineda will be healthy enough to contribute. David Phelps and Adam Warren could compete for rotation jobs next spring.

Bullpen: From "Enter Sandman" to "Sweet Home Alabama?" David Robertson is likely to take over the closer role, though it is possible the Yankees could check in on a free agent like Joe Nathan. Logan could be back as a left-handed reliever; he appeared headed for a multi-year deal in free agency, but needed elbow surgery after the season.

Catcher: Brian McCann is expected to draw the Yankees' interest, as they lacked power production behind the plate after letting Russell Martin depart as a free agent. Stewart is a non-tender candidate and the Yankees have Cervelli, Austin Romine and J.R. Murphy as their in-house catching choices.

Second base: Cano is the top free agent on this year's market, so he isn't likely to find his landing spot quickly. Cano linked with Jay-Z's new Roc Nation Sports venture and has reportedly asked for a 10-year, $305 million deal; the Yankees want to keep him, but will not go to that neighborhood after watching A-Rod's massive deal play out. It's not clear if any other team would bid that high.

Shortstop: Jeter is being penciled in as the starter, but he missed most of the year to injury and turns 40 in June, so it would be prudent for the Yankees to seek depth. Stephen Drew of the Red Sox or Jhonny Peralta of the Tigers could be fits; light-hitting, slick-fielding Ryan also did a nice job after being acquired in September. Eduardo Nunez or Nix would be the in-house choices.

Third base: Cashman said the Yankees are proceeding as though they'll have A-Rod and his $25 million salary on the active roster. A final decision on Rodriguez's suspension could be announced in December, so the Yankees may only know then if they need to chase another third baseman. A fit like Mark Reynolds might be useful, since he could also play first base if Teixeira needs help.

Outfield: The Yankees have Soriano, Gardner, Suzuki and Vernon Wells set for the roster, but that still seems subject to change. It's likely they'll make a qualifying offer to Granderson; he'd be a good value at $14.1 million to play right field, and would like to return. There has also been talk of mutual interest with Carlos Beltran, but the Yankees seem to have more pressing needs.

Bench/DH: Typically, the Yankees wait until January to fill out these spots with veterans, and they've found success with players like Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez in the recent past. The DH role may be more complicated this year since Jeter figures to need time there; Wells gives them another in-house option, and the Yankees aren't likely to retain Hafner, Overbay or Youkilis.

2014 Payroll: The reasons behind the $189 million objective have been well-examined by this point, but the figure is reachable. The Yankees currently have about $89 million committed to their six players under contract for next season, and estimates are that they will spend approximately $15 to $18 million more on arbitration-eligible players. After Jeter triggers his player option, the Yankees could have about $75 million to fill out the roster while still getting under the $189 million mark.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Rivera honored to receive Commissioner's Award

By Paul Hagen / MLB.com | 10/24/2013 9:04 P.M. ET

BOSTON -- Mariano Rivera has received countless tributes since he announced this would be his last season. For starters, the Yankees closer was honored at every stadium he visited for the last time on his farewell tour.

The Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award, which Rivera received from Bud Selig before World Series Game 2 at Fenway Park on Thursday night, has added significance, baseball's all-time saves leader said.

"This award means a lot," Rivera said. "And it will be in a special place. Not in my corner [at home] but in a special place, because it means that I've had a chance to play for one Commissioner. It's an honor and a privilege to play for the same Commissioner all these years. I'm humbled to receive this, because all I did was try to do my job and help as much as I could. And I'm proud of that."

This is just the 13th time this award, which was created in 1998 to recognize accomplishments of historical significance, has been presented. The last to get it was Ken Griffey Jr. in 2011. Rivera played for the Yankees during his entire 19-year career, was part of five World Series championship teams, made 13 All-Star teams and finished his career with a record 652 saves.

Selig was clearly tickled to be handing the trophy to a player he holds in such high esteem.

"Clearly, unequivocally, he's the greatest relief pitcher of all time," the Commissioner said. "I don't want to embarrass him and I don't want to embarrass the family, but he became the face of baseball for this generation. And he did it with so much class and so much dignity and so much honor."

Selig referred to Rivera as a role model, and the pitcher made it clear he embraces that as much as some players turn away from it.

"It doesn't take anything to be nice, you know," Rivera said. "I don't know why you would say you're not a role model, because kids look at you. And I think that if we do the right thing and play the game the way we should play it, that's all we need to do. And outside the game, [you should] help as much as you can. That's being a great role model. You don't need to do something different that you don't know how to do. You just do what you know to do."

Even at age 43, Rivera earned 44 saves with a 2.11 ERA in 2013. But he's resisted suggestions that he could pitch another year. Rivera joked he's now a chauffeur and that he plans to spend a lot of time with his family before thinking about returning to baseball in some capacity. But he also noted that since this is just the offseason, little has changed yet.

"Right now, you're not talking about retirement, you're talking about temptation," Rivera said with a laugh. "I don't think it's hard [to retire] when you've made up your mind. I asked the Lord for one more year and he gave it to me. I gave it everything that I had in the tank. I have nothing left. So if you look at me and think I can play, I will tell you that I can't play no more, because I have nothing left."

Then, with a sly smile, looking at Selig, Rivera added: "Boss, listen to this, OK? Since I did the whole American League [farewell tour] with my family traveling with me, I've decided I'm going to give it another shot in the National League."

The Commissioner cracked up along with everybody else in the room. Rivera won't play anymore. How much he'll be missed is symbolized by the trophy he received Thursday night.

Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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