Mark Shapiro
Mark Shapiro
deal lead
Will all those lead to us getting a deal done? I don't know.
coming contending expectation games leading record yankees
To say we're contending with the Yankees and the A's was not our expectation coming into the season. If you told us our record would be 14, 15 games over .500, I would have said we'd be leading our division.
building committed game help lead players sustaining talented team today
We are committed to building and sustaining a championship team and Grady -- as one of the most talented young players in the game today -- is the kind of player and person that can help lead us to that goal.
ability communication desire good help identify leadership teach team thirst turn tying understanding youth
I think youth is not a panacea. In Eric's case, he had an understanding of what we're tying to do. He has good communication skills, an ability to understand and identify problems, an ability to teach and develop. Finally, he has a thirst and desire to not only manage, but to be part of a leadership team to help turn things around.
coming ecstatic guy keeps leadership light
He's a cornerstone guy. He's come a long way, defensively. From a leadership standpoint, he's a guy that's come light years and keeps coming every day. We're ecstatic about who he is and how he plays.
brings energy leadership positive
He brings a positive energy and leadership qualities, even when he's off the field.
backup best catching compete definitely good hits leader minor prospects ready
He's one of the best catching prospects in the minor leagues. A good receiver, with an above-average arm, he's a leader and he hits with power. He'll come in and compete (with light-hitting Einar Diaz) for the backup catcher's role, but he's definitely major-league ready right now.
absolutely careful chance gotten keeping players risk tools
We're so careful in our risk assessments that we may have a better chance of keeping our players on the field. And risk-assessment tools have absolutely gotten better.
address aware comment dangers decides further players short until
We want our players to be aware of the short and long-term dangers of these substances. Until Rafael decides how he will address this finding, we will have no further comment on the situation.
factor hard maybe point quality season throw
We want him to throw quality strikes, not just hard strikes. He's going to be a contributor for us this year. Maybe not from day one, but at some point this season he'll be a factor for us.
five pitch
We want him to pitch every five days.
abruptly created farm good instead letting naturally players run traded
We were at the tail-end of a championship run. Instead of letting that run naturally just play out and transpire, we abruptly traded good players and artificially created an upper-level in our farm system.
decisions early
We want to set the roster as early as we can. This year, the decisions are so few.
again crucial filling forward looking role
We are looking forward to him again filling a crucial role in our bullpen.