Rise in Average MLB Salary Lowest Since 2004

Major League Baseball players have seen their average annual salaries go up every year basically since the 2004 season when the percent dropped 2.5 percent. Major League Baseball was in the midst of cleaning up the game then and the mega contracts were becoming scarcer but now injuries were almost to blame for another drop in salary. In 2016 the average MLB salary was $3,966,020 which was up just 0.35 percent from last season’s $3,952,252.

As a whole MLB said that salaries increased from $3.58 billion to $3.69 billion through August 31^st of last season including those players who were on the disabled lists. That salary figure included 964 players on active rosters and disabled lists which was up from 933 players on the eve before September call ups in 2015.

In 2016 there were 561 different disabled list trips which led to more than 31,500 days spent on the disabled list. Both were MLB records. This led to more young players being called up at the league minimum of $507,500 which kept the overall growth down.

I find it hard to feel sorry for the players even getting paid $507,500 a year to play baseball let alone the ones getting paid multi-millions of dollars annually. I want to add that I am not one of these “they shouldn’t be getting paid millions to play a kids game” type of people or fans, I think that is obvious by my blog name and my work on the blog over the years, but at the same time…. I’d play MLB for $20 if they’d let me. You know? Sometimes your love for the game has to take over your wants, needs and greed for the green.

Mark Teixeira May Miss Rest of 2016 Season w/ Injury

Well this is not what you want, now is it?

The New York Yankees announced late last night that Mark Teixeira had a cartilage tear in his right knee and may miss the remainder of the 2016 season with the injury. The Yankees are hoping to avoid that and are in the process of rehabbing the knee with the hopes of their first baseman coming back at some point this season.

Chris Parmelee has been called up to take Teixeira's roster space and to give the Yankees a true first base option. Now what?

Dustin Ackley to Miss 2016 Season w/ Shoulder Surgery

Girardi said Ackley has a torn labrum and surgery is a possibility.

— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) May 30, 2016

Now what? Is it finally Robert Refsnyder time? Stay tuned.

Why Not DL Mark Teixeira & Make Sure He’s Healthy?

It’s the same old song and dance with these New York Yankees. A player gets hurt and rather than placing said player on the disabled list the team would rather play with a 24 man, and even a 23 man for a few games this season, bench for whatever reason. The team did it when Jacoby Ellsbury was hurt and missed what felt like a month and they’ve done it with Mark Teixeira due to this neck pain once already this season. Why do it again? Why not just place Teixeira on the disabled list, especially with Alex Rodriguez coming off the disabled list, and make double sure that Teixeira is healthy and effective? I don’t get it.

Are the Yankees truly concerned about missing his sub-.200 batting average in the middle of the lineup? Are the Yankees truly concerned about losing his one home run a month pace, which I am under-exaggerating on for emphasis, for two weeks? The Yankees could place almost anyone in his spot and get comparable or better production from them offensively. Teixeira has stunk up the place to date this season.

I know one thing the Yankees are truly concerned about doing without and that is his defense at first base. The best option the Yankees have at first may be Chase Headley and he is nowhere near as effective or talented at the position than Teixeira is. Dustin Ackley is not the answer at first base, again defensively speaking, and New York doesn’t have any true options down on the farm leaving the Yankees in a pickle.

Do they sacrifice defense in lieu of offense and try to get by with Ackley while Robert Refsnyder heads down to Triple-A to learn a new position? It almost feels like they have to at this point, no? This is already the second time the neck has stiffened up and given Teixeira pain which leads you to believe that if it’s not properly rested, rehabbed and/or fixed that it will happen again the longer the season draws on. We need Teixeira more in August and September than we do now, although granted we need him back and effective pretty badly right now, so the team needs to get this done sooner rather than later. DL him, get him healthy and get back to our winning ways.

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays 5/26

We had our fun now it’s time to get back to work and talk about the finale of the three-game set between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. Pitching has been the key for both teams, for better or for worse, in this series and that will likely be the case once again this afternoon in the Bronx. In the pitching matchup today the Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound who is making just his second start since coming off the disabled list while the Blue Jays will counter with JA Happ, a pitcher that strikes fear in Yankees left-handed hitters for all the wrong reasons. Injuries.

Sabathia pitched extremely well in his first start off the disabled list last week holding the Oakland Athletics to just one run on three hits in six innings of work. Sabathia looked good and his strained groin muscle looked completely healed in the start which is a great sign for New York going forward.

JA Happ was originally scheduled to pitch on Friday but will be bumped up a turn to make the start today allowing Aaron Sanchez an extra day of rest. Happ has been known to hurt left-handed hitting Yankees batters, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are recent examples of this, so I’d be happy just getting everyone out healthy and alive this afternoon in the Bronx.

The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. The Yankees presumably enjoyed their stay in the Bronx these three games but it’s back out on the road after this contest as the team takes the trip to Tampa Bay for the next three games. It’s a getaway game of sorts but it’s not a game the Yankees should look past. This team needs all the help, and the wins, that they can get at this point. Go Yankees!

Ackley or Torreyes Should Go Down, Not Refsnyder

The New York Yankees were set to get back their 41-year old DH Alex Rodriguez before their series with the Toronto Blue Jays this week inside Yankee Stadium leaving many to wonder if Robert Refsnyder would be sent back down to Triple-A. I predicted Refsnyder would be sent down in an article that went live during Monday’s off day and whether or not that once again came to fruition remains to be seen but I wanted to speak on it a little bit this morning. Now I know what you’re thinking, here this guy goes again ranting and raving about Refsnyder like he’s the second coming of Derek Jeter, but it’s not going to go down like that. I am not going to rant, nor am I going to rave but instead I will simply suggest why I think either Dustin Ackley or Ronald Torreyes should go back down to Scranton and not Refsnyder.

When Refsnyder was called up he was sporting a .293/.336/.398 triple slash with two home runs and was fresh off a 16-game hitting streak in 34 games for Scranton and had been hitting right at .400 for the entire month of May. Refsnyder was called up and sat on the bench until Saturday when, playing right field, he fought off a 10-pitch at-bat that resulted in a RBI double off the wall inside the Oakland Coliseum I a 5-1 Yankees victory. Refsnyder has shown an ability to be a tough at-bat and a really tough out both in the minor leagues and in the Major Leagues yet the team continues to hold him back for a problem that they created, his defense.

I say they, and they being the Yankees organization, created because the team drafted him as a right fielder out of Arizona. The team felt it was needed to move him to second base due to arm strength concerns and then to third base out of necessity. Lately Refsnyder has been seen back in the outfield and back in right field specifically, guess that arm strength is okay after all, while Ackley rots on the bench. Ackley is rotting on the bench because of an ugly .152/.273/.125 triple slash in 22 games and may only be here because he is penciled in as the backup first baseman. By the way, have you seen him play first base? I think I’d feel more comfortable with Chase Headley at first base and either Refsnyder or Torreyes at third base but that’s just me.

Look, I’m done. I could tell you all about how the Yankees could mold Refsnyder into a Ben Zobrist type of athlete and how they could likely teach him to play first base but why? The team isn’t going to give him more than a New York minute in the majors just like they did last year and just like they will until they absolutely need him. He’s young, an athlete, energetic and he wants to win. I don’t know that by talking to him but I know that from watching him. The Yankees can’t get out of Refsnyder’s way and they can’t get out of their own way. I’ve been saying it for years and I feel like I’ll be saying it for years to come when he is elsewhere flourishing AGAINST us and not for us. 

Is This the End of Robert Refsnyder?

The New York Yankees are off today but that doesn't mean the brain trust isn't actively working on making some moves for the team. The Yankees were set to activate their DH Alex Rodriguez on Thursday before the 41-year old tweaked his hamstring while jogging down in Arizona. The Yankees decided to give him the weekend and the off day, today, to rest the hamstring with the intentions of activating him tomorrow in the Bronx before the Yankees play host to the Toronto Blue Jays. Does Alex's activation mean the end of the Robert Refsnyder experiment, at least for now, in the Major Leagues?

You have to think yes. Not that he deserves it, he wasn't really given much of a chance this time around, but you have to think that this will be the move that the Yankees pull off. Looking at the Yankees bench you see Austin Romine, Dustin Ackley and Aaron Hicks as names written in stone while the decision comes down to Refsnyder or Torreyes. Torreyes has been up all season long, Refsnyder has not. That should settle it alone. The Yankees feel confident in Torreyes and his ability to play third base while New York is now once again looking at Refsnyder as an outfielder you would have to assume. The Yankees don't need another outfielder, they need someone who can play shortstop in a pinch and someone that back back up Chase Headley.

So there you have it, my guess is that the roster move is Refsnyder down and Alex Rodriguez being activated. I know no more than you and I have no inside information, this is pure speculation, but it makes too much sense not to. Even though Refsnyder has always shown an ability with the bat to make himself a tough out and a tough at bat. I guess that's not enough, you need the defense to go along with it, and that will send Refsnyder back to Triple-A.

Write it down.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Oakland Athletics 5/20

So last night we discovered that if two teams played a game in the middle of the night on the west coast that it did actually happen. Now that we have that out of the way we can move on to the more important questions like does the tree that falls in the woods make noise if no one is around and where does a bear use the bathroom. I joke but hopefully the Yankees are all business tonight as they welcome CC Sabathia back off the disabled list. Opposing the Yankees left-hander is the A’s ace and Yankee killer Sonny Gray. The game will be played at 9:40 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network locally and of course MLB TV nationally.

At least the majority of us with daytime jobs can watch tonight and through the weekend, there’s always that. Friday night or not it still irks me to stay up half the night just to watch the Yankees lose. So win. Please? And follow along on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes as we finally live tweet a game again, it’s been too long.

Go Yankees!

Weekly Check In: Domingo Acevedo

Domingo Acevedo was added to the minor league disabled list this week with an injury that has either been undisclosed or that I missed leaving me scrambling for a regular Sunday check in post for the blog. These Yankees prospects are not making it easy on me, are they?

So with Acevedo injured with an injury I know nothing about leaving him out for a time that I know nothing about I won’t waste much time here. He’s injured and here are his stats when he went down. I am hoping for a quick DL stint and a quick return because Acevedo seemed to be on the fast track through the system this year and next.

Get well soon Domingo!

If Starlin Castro’s Oblique Goes From “No Big Deal” to a “Big Deal”

Starlin Castro had Yankees fans around the world holding their collective breath as he exited Sunday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx. As the injury bug continues to pile up for the Yankees the team can ill afford to lose another player period, let alone one of their best hitters in Castro. The Yankees downplayed the injury like they always do after taking Castro out citing that there wasn’t a need in worsening the injury while the team was down by four runs but what if the injury is serious? Oblique injuries can be nagging injuries and some of them have some staying power, what if Castro’s oblique goes from “not a big deal” and “we’re just going to give him a day” to “the New York Yankees have added Starlin Castro to the 15-day DL?”

Could the Yankees survive? Well yeah, I guess that they could but the offense is already stagnant as it is and Castro is one of the few bright spots in the order. New York would presumably call up Robert Refsnyder to fill in Castro’s shoes at second base and in the order but who would it surprise to see someone like Pete Kozma called up instead because he’s a veteran? Certainly wouldn‘t surprise me. This is one of the few bats the Yankees can ill afford to lose though no matter who they are replacing Castro with internally.

One man does not make or break an offense. Just like Castro’s hot hitting did little to affect the Yankees in the grand scheme of things early on this season the absence of Castro would have a similar effect in my opinion. The Yankees are struggling to score consistently with Castro and I’d venture to guess that the team would struggle to score consistently without him as well.

So if Castro’s oblique injury goes from no big deal to a big deal frankly I’m not sure if the Yankees would notice. I know you were expecting a doom and gloom type post but frankly this season has been nothing but doom and gloom thus far. The team is already close to fielding a payroll as high as the Atlanta Braves on the disabled list, what’s a little more.

I’m trying hard to stay into this and stay positive this season but when everything is working against you it’s hard to. You know?

Alex Rodriguez to the DL, James Pazos to the Bullpen

The New York Yankees have lost their every day DH Alex Rodriguez to the 15-day disabled list after Rodriguez tweaked his hamstring in last night's loss to the Orioles. Rodriguez will miss an undisclosed amount of time with the injury and the injury could not have come at a worse time. Alex was finally starting to work out of an early season slump and was finally hitting for power at the time of the injury.

The Yankees used the 25 man roster spot to call up left-handed relief pitcher James Pazos. I'm pretty confused why the Yankees wouldn't call up a position player, especially with all the off days recently keeping the pitching fresh, but they know more than I do.

MLBPA Pushing For 7-Day DL in New CBA

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have already begun preliminary discussions surrounding the renewal of a new collective bargaining agreement to avoid a work stoppage and keep the players on the field for another four seasons. While we haven't heard much out of either camp as far as specifics, you know that both sides will want what the other side doesn't and they will ultimately meet in the middle, but we heard of one thing that the MLPA is going to push for this winter, a 7-Day disabled list.

Currently MLB had a 15-Day DL, a 60-Day DL which removes you from the 40 man roster and a 7-Day concussion disabled list if said player can get approval from MLB's medical director before activation. This is not the first time the Players Union has pushed for a 7-Day DL but there are concerns that teams would exploit the system, specifically with starting pitchers who would not make a start in the next seven days with off days and the use of a sixth starter. While the deal would come with much negotiation it is unclear whether the league is willing to budge on this.

This would have come in handy for the Yankees in recent weeks as they played with a 23 man roster and a two man bench while Alex Rodriguez and Aaron Hicks battled little nagging injuries. You have to think the Yankees would have added one or both of them to a 7-Day DL if they had the chance while a 15-Day DL may have been a bit overkill for both injuries.

There is a 7-Day DL in the minor leagues so it is not out of the realm of possibilities that it would come to the Major Leagues. We have all year to speculate and watch out for this and topics like it so stay tuned to The Greedy Pinstripes because we'll have it here when and if they do.

ICYMI: James Kaprielian Added to Yankees MiLB DL

The New York Yankees have lost their top pitching prospect James Kaprielian for an undetermined amount of time this week after the team added him to the 15-day DL. Kaprielian, who was pitching for the Tampa Yankees at the time of the injury, was added to the disabled list for what the team is calling elbow inflammation.

The Yankees plan to treat this inflammation with rest, rehab and a throwing program after an MRI revealed no structural damage to the elbow, joint or ligament. Kaprielian has seen an uptick in his velocity as his fastball now sits around 94-95 MPH where it used to sit around 92-93 MPH. Kaprielian has even seen his fastball hit as high as 99 MPH so it shouldn't come as a surprise to many that he may be deal with elbow discomfort.

Kaprielian has dominated the minors this season and may have been one or two starts away from a call up to Double-A Trenton with the Thunder before the injury. At the time of the injury Kaprielian had posted a 1.50 ERA and 1.97 FIP in 18 innings while striking out 22 batters along the way.

If Brian McCann’s Toe Goes From Day-to-Day to Being a Problem…

The New York Yankees seemingly survived a scare on Monday night when the Yankees coaches and staff checked out catcher Brian McCann and a troublesome big toe. McCann stayed in the game after the scare and was listed as day-to-day with the big toe bruise allowing Yankees fans everywhere to take a collective sigh of relief. What if he isn’t okay though? I mean I’m sure he is, surely the Yankees would never lie or downplay an injury… right, but we like to play devil’s advocate here anyway. What if he’s not, can the Yankees survive?

In a word, yes they can. Gary Sanchez did not exactly force the Yankees hand this spring training but the only reason it was a discussion was because of a great start in Triple-A at the end of the last season that carried over into the Arizona Fall League. Sanchez, who would presumably come up in the absence of McCann, has proven that he can hit advanced pitching and in a 15-day DL stint he would be more than suitable as a replacement both offensively and defensively.

It wouldn’t be ideal losing a big bat, a defensive player and a clubhouse presence like McCann but if it wasn’t too serious I believe the Yankees could weather the storm. If it were a season ending injury, which I’m not suggesting it is or that it could be simply having fun with the “what if” of it all, we may be singing a totally different story. McCann’s bat in the middle of the lineup is one thing but his control of the pitching staff and the running game which coincides with his pitch framing and other intangibles that aren’t talked about enough I think the loss would hurt more than anyone may think or want to realize.

Sanchez has made great strides defensively and the bat can be MLB ready while Austin Romine gets the bulk of the starts and reps behind the plate but he’s not McCann. Sanchez and Romine combined are not McCann. The Yankees need McCann. Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, who would see less pitches to hit, need McCann. Carlos Beltran needs McCann. We all need McCann. Hopefully McCann can tough out this injury and hopefully the Yankees are being truthful, and again I think that they are or he wouldn’t have stayed in the game on Monday night in Toronto, or else things could get real interesting going forward.

One man does not make the team by any means but it sure doesn’t make it any easier when you lose one the caliber of Brian McCann. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles 9/9

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are ready to finish off their three game series head-to-head tonight inside Yankee Stadium. The Yankees welcome CC Sabathia off the 15 day disabled list and back into the starting rotation as New York replaces injured Nathan Eovaldi with Sabathia for at least the next two weeks of the season. The Orioles meanwhile will send Ubaldo Jimenez out to the mound tonight looking to keep Baltimore in the hunt for a second Wild Card spot in the American League. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Sabathia will be activated off the 15 day disabled list before tonight's game after leaving his last start with right knee pain. The official diagnosis was right knee inflammation and is not the first time Sabathia's knee has bothered him. 

• Jimenez did something in his last start not many pitchers can say of late, he beat the mighty Toronto Blue Jays. Jimenez did walk six batters but completed six innings, something he has only done 11 times in his 27 starts this season, but was able to grind out a victory for Baltimore. 

It will be interesting to see what CC Sabathia looks like in his first start back off the disabled list. Sabathia was wearing a protective sleeve over his surgically repaired right knee before landing on the disabled list and will come back with a brace that will reportedly be non-restrictive. Will it take a while for CC to adjust to having the brace on the knee and can he pitch effectively with it? Only one way to find out, Go Yankees!

Mark Teixeira to the DL, Nick Rumbelow to the Pen

The New York Yankees have finally placed first baseman Mark Teixeira on the 15 day disabled list with his deep bone bruise in his shin. Teixeira fouled a ball off the shin and has, with the exception of one game started and one pinch hitting appearance against the Houston Astros, been out ever since. New York placed Teixeira on the DL retroactive to August 27^th meaning he will be eligible to come off the disabled list on September 10^th, although after his last round of tests on his shin he will still be on crutches by then.

The move allows the Yankees to call up Nick Rumbelow before his ten day waiting period expired on September 6^th. New York has dropped the ball from day one on this whole situation, he should have been placed on the disabled list immediately rather than playing for two weeks with a short bench. He should have also been placed on the DL on September 1^st when rosters expanded to get either Rumbelow or Nick Goody, who is also ineligible to come back until September 6^th, in the bullpen.

I expect more out of this organization and they really disappointed me on this one. Thankfully the Yankees team as a whole has picked up the slack left behind with the injury and picked up the organization with a few wins when the whole situation had the ability to bury the season. 

Armchair Quarterback: Should New York Have DL'd Mark Teixeira?

Mark Teixeira missed over a week’s worth of baseball with a bruised bone in his leg after fouling a pitch off it at possibly the worst time in the season. Teixeira may be the most indispensable part of the Yankees offense and defense this season and to miss over a week without a disabled list stint not only leaves the offense searching for others to step up but it also leaves the team with a short bench. It’s really a moot point now and there isn’t much sense in second guessing and playing an arm chair quarterback after the fact but I felt all along that it would be wise to immediately DL Teixeira and call up Robert Refsnyder, here's why.


The Yankees are in the midst of a dog fight in the American League East Division race with the Toronto Blue Jays and cannot afford Teixeira sitting at all during the rest of August, September or October because his leg is sore. The team, in my opinion, should have immediately DL’d Teixeira and called up Refsnyder to add another option to the lineup and the bench. Teixeira cannot simply “take a day” unless the team is ready to let the division go by the wayside and settle for a Wild Card. It is imperative to get Teixeira 100% healthy and if he’s going to miss over a week anyway why not just be sure? You know?


The Yankees have been able to survive without Teixeira and if he's 100% at this point then whatever, I just don't believe that he is. I hope I'm wrong and I hope this is a moot point come October but the pessimist in me won't allow myself to believe it. What say you? Leave your thoughts in the comments section of the site.


Hat tip to Jeff Levin in the comments section of the blog for coming up with the idea for this blog post!

CC Sabathia Placed on DL, Chris Capuano is Back

The New York Yankees have announced that left-handed starter CC Sabathia has been placed on the 15 day disabled list with right knee inflammation. Sabathia left his start on Sunday against the Cleveland Indians in the third inning with pain in his right knee and was sent for an MRI immediately following the game. This is the surgically repaired and cleaned up knee that has been giving CC fits for multiple seasons now and the same knee that has been drained twice already this season due to a degenerative knee condition. CC dodged a bullet last time after initial diagnosis that stated it could be a career ending injury so hopefully he gets that same optimistic diagnosis this time around. As much as he has struggled and maybe even hurt the Yankees this season pitching every fifth day you still don’t wish harm on anyone, get well soon big guy!

Chris Capuano is back with the Yankees and will take Sabathia’s roster spot. Once you think you get rid of this guy he just keeps coming back, doesn’t he?

Ackley to DL, Williams Done for Season

Dustin Ackley hasn't been in a Yankees uniform for a week and has already found his way onto the disabled list with the team. Ackley has been placed on the 15 day DL this week after a herniated disc was found in his back. Ackley had an epidural and will be out at minimum "20-30 days" but we all know it will be a lot longer, maybe the rest of the season.

Caleb Cotham has been called up to replace Ackley.

Speaking of possible season ending injuries the Yankees outfielder Mason Williams will have season-ending shoulder surgery.The Yankees tried to rehab the injury that occurred on a dive back from first base while with the big league club.

Michael Pineda Added to 15 day DL

Michael Pineda has been added to the 15 day disabled list with what the Yankees are calling a Grade 1 forearm strain. Masahiro Tanaka had a similar injury earlier this season and however minor the Yankees made it out to be he still missed a little over a month worth of games with the injury. If Pineda was lucky enough to miss just a month we would not see him back on the mound until the calendar is ready to turn over to September.

Also a big thank you goes out to Mike Franceser (yes I spelled it wrong on purpose) who blew up the New York radio waves with “Ivan Nova is hurt and Michael Pineda has a very serious elbow injury” news scaring an entire state and fan base with your nonsense.