Saturday, June 22, 2013

Staten Island Yankees Game Recap 6/22

Staten Island, NY – June 22nd – Right handed pitcherGiovanny Gallegos (1-1) threw 53 pitches in 5.0 innings for Staten Island on Saturday night, but suffered the loss as the Yankees fell to the Hudson Valley Renegades 4-2.

The Yankees had just two hits until the sixth, when shortstop John Murphy led off the frame with a solo shot over the right field wall – the first Staten Island Yankees’ home run of the 2013 season. Murphy led the Yankees’ offense going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

DH Mike O’Neill then singled, and moved to third when centerfielder Brandon Thomas also singled in the next at bat. Next up, third baseman Kale Sumner grounded into a double play that allowed O’Neill to cross the plate, cutting the Renegades’ lead in half.

The undefeated Renegades (6-0) struck early, putting two runs on the board in the top of the second. Back-to-back singles by catcher Oscar Hernandez and first baseman John Alexander put runners on first and second. Hernandez and Alexander each advanced a base when Hudson Valley starter Jordan Harrison threw a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by left fielder James Harris scored the first run; and later DH Ryan McChesney hit a ground ball RBI single to right.

Hudson Valley scored two more runs in the sixth when shortstop Patrick Blair homered to left, driving in third baseman JonathanQuinonez – who had reached on a double.

Harrison (2-0) earned the win for Hudson Valley, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing two earned runs off five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Corey MacDonald pitched the last three innings and picked up his first save. He gave up two hits, walked one, and fanned one batter.

Staten Island reliever Tyler Webb came into the game in the ninth, and struck out the side with 13 pitches.

The Yankees will begin a three game series at home against the Aberdeen Ironbirds tomorrow at 4:00PM. Philip Walby will make his first appearance on the mound for Staten Island, while David Richardson (0-1, 18.90) will get the start for Aberdeen. Tickets are on sale now by calling 718-720-9265, or visiting the box office at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

 

Robinson Cano & Yankees Far Apart In Contract Talks


According to Jon Heyman Robinson Cano and the New York Yankees are far apart in contract negotiations. Robinson Cano is seeking a contract in the neighborhood of the Alex Rodriguez contract of 10 years and $275 million. The Yankees are countering with the contract that David Wright recently received from the New York Mets at 8 years and $138 million. When Jay Z became Cano's agent we all thought this was all but a formality and that Cano would sign rather quickly but that does not seem to be the case, not right now anyway. If you ask me right now it looks like we will be offering Robinson Cano a qualifying offer and he will test free agency. A lot can change in 90 or so games plus the playoffs.

Zoilo Steals The Show, Then His Mothers Heart


Zoilo Almonte burst onto the scene last night with a three hit day including a home run while making his major league debut. Zoilo has possession on his home run ball from the fan who caught it and revealed a plan that will melt anyone's heart. Zoilo is getting the team to sign the baseball and he plans on giving it to his mother of all people. Anyone who respects their mother is okay in my book so kudos Zoilo and you just claimed a new fan for life in me.

Revisiting The Idea Of Alfonso Soriano

Way back in February I asked the question, What About Alfonso Soriano for 2013? Now that we are considered to be in late June and the trade deadline looming at the end of July is it still a legitimate question? Let's look at the original article and I am urging you all to comment in the comment box and tell me what you think or follow us on Twitter @GreedyStripes and tell us what you think there.

Spoiler Alert! I look like an absolute idiot with the proposed trade below... you will see why.


The Chicago Cubs have indicated that they would like to move left fielder Alfonso Soriano and Soriano says that he would be willing to waive his full no trade clause to make that happen if the Cubs are not contending in 2013. Soriano submitted a list of six or seven teams including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and the Philadelphia Phillies. If I had to guess at the two teams not included I would guess the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants, for real this time, but again those are just guesses. Soriano is signed through the 2014 season and has $36 million remaining, $18 million in each of 2013 and 2014, on the deal and if I had to guess I would say the Cubs would probably be willing to eat some of that in order to move him. If the Cubs asking price was not astronomical should the Yankees be interested in a potential Soriano trade?


Soriano is a left fielder and the Yankees are generally looking for a right fielder but with the Yankees speed of Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner, or Ichiro Suzuki I guess depending on how the outfield is set up that day, I think they could afford to cheat a little with those guys and could hide Soriano's defensive liabilities. It is worth mentioning though that Soriano did only have one error in over 200 chances last year, which is by far his career low, so maybe he is turning the corner defensively. Soriano seems to also fit the Yankees need for a right handed power hitting outfielder and is an immediate upgrade over both Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera respectively. The money should not be an issue because in December when Soriano was part of trade rumors the Cubs were reportedly willing to eat up to $26 million of the $36 million owed if the "right prospects" were involved in the deal. While I do not think we would, or should, give up any of our upper guys like Tyler Austin, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez, or Slade Heathcott I think a deal revolving around a Brett Marshall could get it done. The Yankees need a platoon partner for both Travis Hafner and Ichiro Suzuki, both left handed players, and Soriano could fill both needs in one player splitting time between the designated hitter position and right field. The biggest downfall, which is a common occurrence in the Yankees club house, is that Soriano will be entering his age 37 season and will be under contract through his age 38 season as well which is not a welcomed sight to many.


Let's look at Soriano's splits against left handed pitching. Soriano had a triple slash of .260/.342/..489 in 66 games in 2012 which is surprisingly, yet negligibly,  lower than his right handed pitching splits. Soriano was a 1.8 WAR player last year which is no way near worth $18 million but for around $5 million and not giving up any blue chip prospects I would consider Soriano an absolute steal if we can get him for a reasonable prospect package. Here is my proposed package for Alfonso Soriano assuming that the Yankees would only be on the hook for $5 million for each of 2013 and 2014.

Cubs Get :

SP Brett Marshall
C JR Murphy
1B Greg Bird

Yankees Get:

Alfonso Soriano
$26 Million in Cash

Are We A Trade Match With The Cubs -- The Pitchers


The Yankees one bright spot this season has been the pitching. The pitching has carried us more times than not so I do not expect the Yankees to give up much pitching, if at all, nor do I expect them to trade for any but this is worth looking at anyway. The Cubs seem like they will be big time sellers this trade deadline season and will have some interesting pitching pieces presumably available.


We would not be having this conversation if Matt Garza had been healthy last July but we're back this trade deadline season and we're talking about the Cubs probably trading Matt Garza again. Garza has a $10.25 million contract for 2013 and will be a free agent after this season and the Cubs would love to move this contract. Garza is AL East tested and the right hander sports a 1-1 record with a 4.98 ERA but has a 1.22 WHIP and a .223 batting average against in 34 innings pitched this season. Someone will take a waiver on Garza but I am not convinced that he is an upgrade over even Phil Hughes at this point and I do not see the Yankees paying 5th starter prices for Garza so I think we will pass ultimately.


Scott Feldman has a $6 million contract that ends at the end of this season which will make him an interesting piece to move this June or July. Feldman has made all 14 of his starts this season garnering a 6-6 record with a 3.39 record in 85 innings pitched. Every contender or pretender needs a guy who can pitch to a low three ERA and eat innings and Feldman is your man. Feldman also has a 1.15 WHIP and a .232 batting average against and would probably be an upgrade over Phil Hughes at this point. Problem is some team will pay ace or #2 price for him in my opinion and that team will not be the Yankees.


Kevin Gregg has been marvelous in the Cubs bullpen this season with a 2-0 record and a minuscule 0.81 ERA in 22.1 innings pitched. Gregg has logged all 10 save opportunities this season with a 0.99 WHIP and a .188 batting average against which are Mariano Rivera type numbers. Gregg is on a $6 million option and will be a free agent after the season and unless the Yankees end up trading a Joba Chamberlain in a package for a bat I cannot see them acquiring Gregg but damn that would be nice, wouldn't it? Gregg, Robertson, and Rivera pitching the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings? Forget about it, game over.


Carlos Marmol has been terrible again and lost his closer job so he is probably stuck on the Cubs roster for the rest of the season, the Cubs will probably want to hang on to Carlos Villanueva since he is on the right side of 30 even with a $5 million annual contract through 2014, but will Edwin Jackson be traded YET AGAIN this trade deadline? While he is not pitching his butt off with a 3-9 record and a 5.49 ERA, a .282 batting average against, and a 1.55 WHIP would a team still take a waiver on him? I don't doubt the Cubs doubt their judgment when handing Jackson a four year deal worth $52 million. With Jackson set to make $11 million in 2014-2016 a team would have to give up a ton to get him but it is worth noting that he does not have a no trade clause so the possibility of him moving to a contender for a haul is just that, a possibility.


The Cubs pitchers may not intrigue us much, not to say anything bad about them, because we are not struggling in the pitching department. I cannot see the Yankees and the Cubs being a match to trade for a pitcher even though the Yankees will still likely at least kick the tires on a Gregg or a Edwin Jackson with the impending free agency of Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte. The Cubs are going to get a haul for their pitchers to rebuild that farm system but I cannot see it being from the Yankees.

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 6/22


The Yankees won yesterday so today we look to start a winning streak while putting a little distance between us and the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound to beat those pesky Rays. Go Yankees!

Here is the lineup

Brett Gardner CF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Lyle Overbay 1B
Zoilo Almonte RF
Jayson Nix SS
David Adams 3B
Chris Stewart C


Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes where we live tweet every game

Are We A Trade Match With The Cubs -- The Outfield


The Cubs have the distinct possibility of trading their entire starting outfield this trade deadline season with the Cubs far out of contention. It is no secret that the Yankees have gotten little contribution out of their outfield this season outside of Brett Gardner, a month of Vernon Wells, and spurts of Ichiro Suzuki. Do the Yankees and the Cubs match up to make a trade to improve the Yankees outfield?


The Cubs are presumably willing to trade Nate Schierholtz. It is worth noting that Nate actually received an offer from the Yankees this off season before signing a deal with the Cubs so the Yankees will probably at least kick the wheels on him. Nate is batting .288/.338/.545 in 208 plate appearances this season so he is an obvious upgrade over anyone in our outfield not named Brett Gardner. Also he is only making $2.5 million this year and is a free agent after 2013 so that makes him even more attractive to the Yankees.


Alfonso Soriano, the former Yankee, is sporting a .245/.276/.387 mark with only seven home runs in 261 at bats but still would be an upgrade over a slumping and seemingly lost Vernon Wells. Also with that huge contract he could probably be had for relatively cheap in terms of prospects. Problem with Soriano, if you still believe the 2014 luxury tax and $189 million payroll hype, is that he slated to make $18 million next season and the Cubs probably wont eat enough of that for the Yankees to bite unfortunately.


Scott Hairston was coveted by the Yankees this off season before signing with Chicago for a two year deal worth $2.5 million annually. Hairston is a right handed batter that could bring balance to the Yankees lineup but boasts a .156/.208/.344 triple slash so I cannot see the Yankees taking a waiver on him at all.


David DeJesus is currently on the 15 day DL but has put up a .260/.318/.445 triple slash and has a very nice team friendly contract. David signed a two year deal with the Cubs this off season with an option for 2015 that would make him $4.25 million in each of 2012 and 2013 with a $6.5 million club option for 2014 with a $1.5 million buy out. The Yankees have wanted David DeJesus for a long time and this may finally be the year that David is in pinstripes because it seems to be a few years too late.





Chris Bootcheck Clears Waivers & Re Signs With Yankees


The New York Yankees designated Chris Bootcheck for assignment on Tuesday and he has cleared waivers and has re signed with the Yankees. The minor league deal will send Bootcheck down to AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre to play for the Railriders. Initially he rejected being outrighted to AAA and electred free agency but then signed another minor league deal so who knows why that was. The new deal includes an August 15th opt out day if he is not in the major leagues so that explains the new deal.

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 6/22


The Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays have split the first two games of their four game series and that series continues this afternoon at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees will send  CC Sabathia to the mound to face off with Alex Colome for the Rays. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on YES, MLB Network and MLB TV.

Are We A Trade Match With The Chicago Cubs?


The Cubs came out with the same announcement just a few days after the Yankees did stating that they are "open for business" when it comes to making trades. Neither team looks like they are willing to sit on their hands and wait for the trade deadline, or even the All Star Game, to come before moving players. Do these two teams have a fit that we may see unfold later this month and next? Let's take a closer look.


Let's be real here and start by saying that guys like Jeff Samardzija, Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, and Jorge Soler are not going anywhere. That is definitely the Cubs core and it is a great core and the Cubs would be fools to get rid of any of these players unless they got back a package that they could just not refuse, i.e. Giancarlo Stanton based package. The Cubs will more than likely move big contracts and aging veterans for young guys as the youth movement continues up in Chicago behind Theo Epstein but what veterans are matches for the Yankees?


Shawn Camp has been terrible and has a bloated ERA above seven so he is staying put with the Cubs whether they like it or not. Guys like Arodys Vizcaino (Yankees prospect humper alert!), Scott Baker, Kyuji Fujikawa, and Steve Clevenger are all on the 60 day DL and will probably stay put with Chicago as well. The Cubs still have plenty of veterans and team friendly contracts that they are wanting to move with them not competing this season so I fully expect the Yankees and the Cubs to make at least one deal this trade deadline season.

Flurry Of Minor League Roster Moves Announced


The Yankees announced a flurry of roster moves last night that I apparently missed so I will share them with you now.

Corey Patterson has signed a minor league deal with the Yankees and has been assigned to AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre Railriders. I cannot see him as anything other than minor league depth to replace the promotion of Zoilo Almonte and the injuries to Brennan Boesch and Melky Mesa.

Zach Nuding and Fred Lewis, both right handed pitchers from the Trenton Thunder, have been promoted to Scranton to play for the Railriders. Zach was brought up to make a spot start for Ivan Nova after he was scratched, presumably to make a start for the big league Yankees.

Caleb Cotham and Jose Ramirez, both right handed pitchers from the Scranton team, have been sent down to the AA Trenton Thunder. Both were presumed to be there temporarily, especially Ramirez, and are now sent back down to AA. I do not expect Jose to be down there much longer but the log jam is growing more and more in Scranton so who knows.

Infielder Josh Bell has been placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 19th. No word just yet on what is wrong with him.

Game 74 Lineup: Rays vs. Yankees

Here we are! Game 3 of the 4 game set and we have CC on the mound, coming off a GREAT start last time in Anaheim. Here is your starting lineup!

Brett Gardner CF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Lyle Overbay 1B
Zoilo Almonte RF
Jayson Nix SS
David Adams 3B
Chris Stewart C

LHP CC Sabathia

Some Notes:

-- Derek Jeter is at the stadium for the weekend and he took BP with the team.

-- In case you're wondering, John Sterling's HR call for Zolio Almonte is "Curses, Zoiled Again!"

Morning Bits

Good morning everyone!

Lead by a rookie playing his first major league game in pinstripes, the Yankees beat up on the Rays by a score of 6-2 last night.

Zoilo Almonte didn't waste any time endearing himself to Yankee fans after being given the call up from Scranton-Wilkes Barre.  Almonte went 3-4 including a home run.

Eight of the nine Yankee starters got hits last night, with only Jayson Nix failing to reach base.

David Phelps allowed 8 hits but only 2 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings and the Yankee bullpen did an excellent job in holding the Rays scoreless in the last 3 1/3 innings.

The Yankees and Rays will play the third game of this four game series today starting at 1:05 PM ET.  The game will be broadcast on YES.

Ivan Nova(2-1, 5.16 ERA) will face Chris Archer(1-3, 5.03 ERA) this afternoon.

Now on to today's news links:

Anthony Rieber of Newsday reports that Rays manager Joe Maddon has no sympathy for the Yankees.

Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News says the Yankees should invoke the spirit of George Steinbrenner.

Have a great day everyone!

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/22


On this day in 1941 the Yankees hit a home run for the 18th consecutive game setting a new major league record. Joe DiMaggio hit the historic home run in a 5-4 Yankees victory over the Detroit Tigers and extended his own hitting streak to 35 games.