The Yankees Should Not Sign Manny Machado

I said it in my offseason plan, which you can read here, but I feel like I need to reiterate one of the points...

The Yankees should sign Bryce Harper instead of Manny Machado.

Let's face it, the Yankees are not going to sign both men. It isn't so much my belief that they don't want to spend that much money, it's that they don't need to. The Yankees scored more runs than all but one team in Major League Baseball, set a record for most team home runs in the history of the game, had the second highest OPS in the league, and were second in wRC+. And they accomplished all of that while Gary Sanchez played just 89 games (and not to the level we know he can), Aaron Judge missed 45 games, and Didi Gregorius missed 16 games.

But when a team has the chance to sign a player as good as Harper or Machado, and before those players may have even hit their primes, then you can't pass it up.

It's been said that when it comes to acquiring such a player you find room for the guy. Which makes total sense. I mean, the Yankees didn't need an outfielder last offseason, but when they had the chance to trade for the reigning National League Most Valuable Player they took it. But you have to face facts, and those facts are Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Miguel Andujar, and Didi Gregorius.

Those four players I just mentioned are not guys you just push around. We're not talking about replacing a "nice" player such as Brett Gardner. Stanton and Judge are already among the league's elite, Andujar had a rookie season that makes many think he could be on that level soon, and Gregorius is a very good player that's loved by the Yankees fanbase.

The issue now is that Didi is hurt, and will miss about half of this coming season. And once he returns Aaron Boone is going to want him back in the lineup. So let's say the Yankees sign Manny Machado, and Manny is the regular shortstop for the first half of the season. What happens when Didi returns?

Some say just move Andujar to first base. First of all, and I can't say this enough, changing positions is not easy. There are so many things that go into being a good first baseman, and they go well beyond just being able to field ground balls... which is the only thing we know Andujar can do well.

Take a look at this highlight video of Mark Teixeira from 2015...

credit: Dapose Sports

While we know Miguel could do all the offensive things you saw Teixeira do in that video, I don't think he pulls off a single one of those defensive plays without a whole lotta luck. And before you think of saying the infield was different then, you may want to take a closer look at the shortstop in that video. Not to mention that Chase Headley was supposedly a good to very good defender before coming to New York, as well.

And all of that doesn't take into account all the work we've seen Miguel put into his defense this offseason. A while ago Daniel pointed out how Adrian Beltre went from being a poor defender at third to being a very good one, and lo and behold who is helping Andujar with his defense now?

Therefore, I don't want to see the Yankees sign Manny Machado. While it may cost them a bit more, particularly in the length of the contract, I believe Cashman and Company should take aim at Bryce Harper.

Recently Cashman said that the team already has six outfielders, but let's be real. Three of those outfielders sure as hell should not get in the way of bringing Harper aboard.

Remember what I said earlier about making room for elite players like Bryce? Unlike bringing in Machado, who would shake things up quite a bit, acquiring Harper simply means there's less playing time for Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier, and Jacoby Ellsbury. Hell, bringing in Harper likely means there's one less 40-man roster spot for one of those players (I think you know which one). And those are not bad things.

To be honest, part of me believes that Clint Frazier will go on to have a nice MLB career. I wouldn't be shocked if he was the starting left fielder for the Yanks on Opening Day. But that isn't going to stop me from signing Bryce freakin' Harper.

I like Brett Gardner, and appreciate everything he's done for the Yankees, but the fact is he's no better than an average player these days. Heck, just look at what happened last season, when the Yankees traded for Andrew McCutchen and he became the regular starter in left field instead of Gardy.

Oh, and why is Jacoby Ellsbury still on this team? Sorry to be mean, as Jacoby seems like a good guy and all, but there's no reason to keep him around.

Even without Bryce Harper, there's little to no room on the 2019 Yankees for Ellsbury.

Speaking of Ellsbury, not only do I believe the Yankees should sign Bryce Harper over Manny Machado for the reasons listed above, but in doing so Scott Boras may be willing to help convince Jacoby to waive his no-trade clause so the Yankees don't have to settle on a lesser deal for a particular team (see what happened to the Marlins when dealing Stanton last offseason). I've never been a sports agent, so maybe that idea is ridiculous for someone like Boras to read (he does read The Greedy Pinstripes, right?), but it's a logical thought.

I didn't even bring up the fact that Bryce is a left-handed hitter in a very right-hand heavy lineup. The guy may not fit perfectly on the team, but he fits a lot better than Machado does.

If Brian Cashman does sign Manny Machado over Bryce Harper I won't be mad. I will be disappointed, but not mad. Manny is an extremely talented player, and any team would be lucky to have him on their roster. I just don't like seeing Andujar work so hard, and with future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre, just to be moved to first base later this season and possibly beyond. The offensive upgrade over there will be very welcome, but otherwise, it's not what I believe is best.

Sonny Gray is a Yankee...

Photo by Noah K Murray, USA TODAY Sports

Bummer, he’s still here…

Big Maple is a New York Yankee but sadly, at least as of right now, so is Sonny Gray. The deadline last night to finalize the 40-man rosters for next month’s Rule 5 Draft failed to provide any momentum for the inevitable relocation of Sonny “Not Made for NYC” Gray. So, we’ll have to wait a few more days or weeks until we can wish Sonny better luck in his new city.  

I was a little surprised the Yankees added reliever Joe Harvey to the 40-man roster on Tuesday. Despite his solid statistics in the Yankees farm system, he is admittedly not a prospect I know very well. In fact, I think the first word I said when I saw that he had been added was, “Who?”. 

I thought the Yankees would protect the defensively talented  shortstop Kyle Holder but ‘strong glove, no bat’ will only get you so far. The Yankees also made a minor trade involving minor leaguers when they sent RHP Jordan Foley, 24, to the Colorado Rockies for RHP Jefry Valdez. At first glance, Valdez appears underwhelming (he had a 5.82 ERA in 27 relief appearances in Class I last year), but a deeper look shows he is a strikeout machine. He had 45 strikeouts last season in 34 innings. However, as one Rockies blog put it, he has never been a top prospect in the Rockies organization for one reason: he hasn’t pitched very well. The Rockies feel they got the better end of the deal, but truthfully, who really knows. Maybe the change of scenery and new collection of coaches and instructors will help Valdez. As for Foley, he’ll get an opportunity to help fill the void when Rockies reliever Adam Ottovino signs with the Yankees (my wish, I know).  

With the addition of Harvey, the Yankees’ 40-man roster stands at 39. The open spot won’t sit vacant for long as the Yankees continue their roster enhancements in the coming weeks. Hey Bryce, Number 34 is available in case you were wondering…  

Credit to Manny Machado for his interview comments that appeared this morning on MLB.com. Manny has taken a beating since the World Series over his comments that “I am not going to be the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle’”. In the column posted by Mark Feinsand, Machado is quoted saying, “For me, I was trying to talk about how I’m not the guy who is eye watch. There’s a difference between fake hustle for show and being someone who tries hard to win. I’ve always been the guy who does whatever he can to win for his team”. I think Machado has done a very good job clarifying his earlier controversial remarks. I know many Yankee fans are against signing Machado, but I think any MLB team would be better with Manny on its roster. Feinsand’s column leads me to believe that Manny will say the right things when he gets an audience with GM Brian Cashman and Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner. C’mon, Hal, open the checkbook!

Of the moves made yesterday, I think the decision by the Miami Marlins to designate the versatile Derek Dietrich for assignment opens an opportunity for the Yankees. Dietrich can play second, third, and corner outfield. He is not necessarily known for his glove, but he is someone to consider if the Yankees choose not to bring back Neil Walker.  

I was a little surprised by the Tampa Bay Rays decision to DFA slugging first baseman C.J. Cron, but I’d prefer to stick with the current first base duo of Luke Voit and Greg Bird even if Cron had 30 bombs last year. Now, if the Yankees want to acquire Joey Votto, as suggested by Daniel Burch yesterday, let’s go.  

The San Diego Padres sold third baseman Christian Villaneuva to Hideki Matsui’s old team, the Yomiuri Giants. The only reason the name stood out to me was his blazing start last April which led to San Diego’s release of former Yankee third baseman Chase Headley. Villaneuva came back to earth and played like a guy who doesn’t really have a long-term future in the Bigs, hence, the “deportation” to Japan. Still, it’s sad the guy who forced Headley’s exit simply turned out to be another Mr. April. I was hoping for better results with Chase’s reunion with his original team, but it was not meant to be.

I really despise when former Yankees and Yankees prospects end up in Boston. It happened again yesterday when the Boston Red Sox acquired minor league reliever Colten Brewer from the San Diego Padres. Brewer spent the 2017 season in the Yankees system before departing via free agency last November. It’s not like Brewer did anything for the Yankees, but it just bothers me when “our” guys go to the Red Sox. Yeah, Nasty Nate, I am talking to you even if it wasn’t your decision. 

Lastly, Tuesday also brought news of the retirement of great third baseman Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers. Man, I am glad his stay in Boston was so short. A Ranger for the last eight years, the guy is headed for the Hall of Fame one day. I couldn’t help but think it’s a shame he can’t leave his defensive skills behind for Miguel Andujar’s use. I wish Adrian the best as he moves into the next chapter of his life. If he is half as successful as he was on a baseball field, his future is incredibly bright. We’ll be seeing him in Cooperstown in, oh, about five years.

Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday, everyone! This is a beautiful time for love, family and friendship. May you be blessed with a memorable and pleasing abundance of all three.  

As always, Go Yankees!

An Article for the All the Miguel Andujar’s Defense Haters by Daniel Burch

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. The New York Yankees fans are the worst, at least that is what I wrote earlier this offseason, and since the elimination from the postseason they have not gotten much better. The hottest topic of them all appears to be the possible acquisition of Manny Machado, Miguel Andujar’s defense at third base, and a potential move for the 23-year old next season. There have been many doom-and-gloom posts about his “historically bad” defense this season, but here is a post giving Yankees fans everywhere a little hope regarding Andujar and his potential future as a Major League third baseman.

When looking at prospects and young players the scouts, analysts, and fans always look to other players to compare these young players to. How about this comparison for Andujar, how about Adrian Beltre? Beltre is highly respected around Major League Baseball both on and off the field and is considered to be one of the best third baseman defensively in the game. This was not always the case for the former Texas Rangers third baseman and soon-to-be free agent. When Beltre broke into the Major Leagues he was 19-years old, granted that is a lot younger than Andujar who is 23-years old, playing in 77 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beltre’s bat left much to be desired, and so did his defense, and it wasn’t until the 2004 season that the Dodgers finally saw his true potential come to fruition.

As a rookie, Beltre committed 13 errors. In his first full season in 1999 the right-hander committed 29 errors which was good for a .932 fielding percentage. In 2000, Beltre committed another 23 errors. From 2001 – 2003, Beltre committed 16, 20, and 19 errors respectively. It was not until the 2004 season, the same season that Beltre began to find his groove at the plate as well, that we started to see the defensive wizard that we have seen over the past decade or so. Yet, for whatever reason, some writer at another publication writes an article that we cannot just assume that Andujar’s defense will improve, and everyone loses their mind. Everyone is preaching that article like it is the gospel, yet history (and common sense) would say otherwise.

Just as an FYI, for those who need a reminder, Andujar committed just 15 errors for a .948 fielding percentage in 2018. If you want to compare apples-to-apples, Andujar had a better defensive season than Beltre in his first two-or-three seasons. Beltre improved drastically on the defensive side, yet Andujar can’t according to many Yankees fans, writers, and journalist? I call bullshit. The numbers don’t lie. Be patient, and root for your team… or go root for the Mets.

Toe-Powered Offense Falls Short...

Credit:  Kathy Willens-AP

Rays 5, Yankees 3…

Ronald Torreyes tried but nobody else in the offensive lineup was cooperative as the Yankees lost the fourth and final game of the series with the Tampa Bay Rays.  Yankee hitters were 1-for-11 in scoring opportunities so this one goes down as a game of ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’.

On a day when it was announced the Yankees had acquired left-handed starting pitcher Jaime Garcia, one of the other lefties in the rotation…Jordan Montgomery…failed to get out of the third inning.  Like Saturday, the Rays took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  Montgomery struck out Peter Bourjos, walked Steven Souza, Jr, and struck out Evan Longoria.  Lucas Duda singled to left as Souza, Jr took second.  Trevor Plouffe followed with a single up the middle, scoring Souza, Jr with the game’s first run.

Credit:  Kathy Willens-AP

The Yankees grabbed the lead in the bottom of the second.  Chase Headley walked with one out  and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Rays starter Jacob Faria.  After Todd Frazier struck out, Ronald Torreyes hit a homer over the left field wall…2-1, Yankees.

Peter Bourjos led off the third inning with a double to the left field wall.  After Steven Souza, Jr struck out, Evan Longoria reached on an infield chopper as the speedy Bourjos took third.  Lucas Duda walked to load the bases with only one out.  For a moment, it looked like Monty might be able to work out of the jam.  He struck out Trevor Plouffe and had Corey Dickerson a strike away from ending the inning.  But Dickerson hit a 1-2 pitch into center field, scoring Bourjos and Longoria with the tying and go-ahead runs.  Wilson Ramos followed with a single to center, scoring Duda, and it was 4-2 Rays.  Manager Joe Girardi had seen enough, and pulled Montgomery, who had thrown 71 pitches despite an inability to get out of the 3rd inning, in favor of Luis Cessa.  Cessa threw a wild pitch which allowed Dickerson to take third as Ramos moved to second, but he was able to strike out Tim Beckham to get out of the inning.  

The Yankees made it a one-run game in the bottom of the 4th.  With two outs, Todd Frazier walked on four straight balls and scored when Ronald Torreyes doubled to the left field corner.  Frazier slid in under the throw from the outfield to score while Torreyes moved to third but Toe was left stranded when Austin Romine grounded out.

The Rays added an insurance run in the top of the 8th against Yankees reliever Chad Green.  Mallex Smith, pinch-hitting for Tim Beckham, led off the 8th with an infield single.  Smith stole second, easily sliding in under the tag.  With two outs, Steven Souza, Jr doubled off the left center wall to bring Smith home for the Rays’ fifth and final run.

The Yankees had numerous scoring opportunities in this game, but none bigger than the bottom of the 9th.  After Gary Sanchez struck out against Rays closer Alex Colome, Brett Gardner singled to left.  A wild pitch moved Gardy to second and Clint Frazier reached first when Colome threw four straight pitches outside of the strike zone.  With the tying run at first and one out, the Yankees had the heart of the lineup representing the winning run at the plate.  Aaron Judge had the first opportunity but got under a pitch and popped out to Trevor Plouffe in foul territory.  It came down to Matt Holliday for the Yankees’ last chance.  He weakly grounded out to Evan Longoria who easily threw Holliday out at first.  

The Yankees could have won this game, leaving a total of 22 men on base, but it was not meant to be.  The bullpen did a very good job after Montgomery’s early exit.  The combination of Luis Cessa, Chasen Shreve and Chad Green pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing only 3 hits and the 8th inning run given up by Green.  They walked 6 batters but struck out 11.  Shreve and Green worked out of a bases loaded threat in the top of the 7th inning. The trio gave the Yankees the chance to win so that’s all you can ask.  

Fortunately, the Boston Red Sox also lost on Sunday, by the same 5-3 score to the Kansas City Royals, so the Yankees (56-47) maintained their half game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East.  The Rays picked up a game so they are 3 1/2 back after losing three of four to the Yankees over the weekend.

Austin Romine left the game after getting hit by a pitch in the 6th inning.  It was a tough game for him.  He was struck in the throat by a bounced foul ball earlier in the game, and was hit in the head by Steven Souza, Jr’s bat on a follow-through of his swing.  Although he stayed in the game to run after getting hit, he was replaced at catcher by Gary Sanchez the next inning.  The cameras showed a bruised welt on Romine’s hand but x-rays proved negative.  Manager Joe Girardi does not expect any DL time for Romine, and of course Romine’s attitude was the usual ‘just cram the hand in the glove and go’.  

Credit:  Getty Images

Clint Frazier had quite a second inning.  Right before Romine got the ball to the throat, Frazier caught a fly ball in front of Brett Gardner who had tried to call Frazier off.  The next batter, Adeiny Hechavarria, hit a ball to the left field wall and Frazier timed his leap and catch perfectly to take away an extra base hit.  Bad play-good play, but fortunately both were for outs.  

Next Up:  Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY…

The Yankees entertain the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series at the Stadium beginning today.  By game time, the Trading Deadline will have come and gone.  It’s time to focus on winning the AL East.  Newcomer Jaime Garcia, having pitched last Friday in Oakland for the Twins, will be unavailable to pitch until Thursday, thereby missing the Detroit series.  

Here are the scheduled pitching match-ups:

TODAY

Tigers:  Michael Fulmer (10-8, 3.35 ERA)

Yankees:  Luis Severino (7-4, 3.03 ERA)

TUESDAY

Tigers:  Anibal Sanchez (2-1, 6.18 ERA)

Yankees:  CC Sabathia (9-3, 3.66 ERA)

WEDNESDAY

Tigers:  Jordan Zimmermann (6-8, 5.69 ERA)

Yankees:  Masahiro Tanaka (8-9, 5.09 ERA)

Odds & Ends…

Prior to Sunday’s game, the Yankees optioned lefty starter Caleb Smith to Triple A and recalled lefty reliever Chasen Shreve.  After the game, they optioned RHP Luis Cessa to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (presumably to make room for LHP Jaime Garcia).

I had thought Tigers reliever Justin Wilson would be the next ex-Yankee traded this month in  what has been a flurry of transactions involving former Pinstripers.  I was wrong.  Yesterday, the Chicago White Sox made their latest veteran dump when they sent OF Melky Cabrera to the Kansas City Royals.  This is Melky’s second tour with the Royals where he spent the 2011 season.  But Wilson wasn't far behind as word spread that he was on his way to Wrigley Field by the end of the day.  

Congratulations to third baseman Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers for becoming a member of the 3,000 Hit Club.  Beltre reached the milestone on Sunday with a double off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wade Miley.  Beltre is currently in his 20th MLB season and is the first player born in the Dominican Republic to reach 3,000 hits.  

Credit:  Tom Fox-The Dallas Morning News

As of this writing, I don't know what to think about the Sonny Gray rumors.  On Saturday, it sounded like the Yankees were making significant progress with the Oakland A's but then yesterday, nothing (implying a potential impasse).  With the clock clicking down, it's anybody's guess what will happen.  While I remain optimistic the Yankees will get Gray, there is a good possibility that Jaime Garcia is the Yankees' last acquisition before the deadline.  Although the Yankees are rumored to be looking at Yu Darvish as a backup plan, I think that is far less likely to happen.  I'm hoping we'll be looking at Sonny skies before game time today but prepared to move on with the arms and bats currently on the roster.  

Have a great Monday!  It’s should be a wild ride up to 4 pm Eastern today but afterwards, let’s start a new winning streak.  Go Yankees!

Predicting the 2016 Gold Glove Award Winners in MLB

Who is going to win the Gold Glove Awards in Major League Baseball this season? I truly don't know, I wouldn't have given Derek Jeter more than one personally but I guess that makes me a hater, but I am going to take a stab at it anyway. If I'm wrong tell me below in the comments section. FYI, just to get this out of the way early, I'm picking Brett Gardner no matter what the stats say. He is an amazing left fielder who should be in center field and that counts for something in my book.

American League



Catcher
James McCann
Carlos Perez
Salvador Perez

First Base
Chris Davis
Eric Hosmer
Mitch Moreland

Second Base
Robinson Cano
Ian Kinsler
Dustin Pedroia

Shortstop
Jose Iglesias
Francisco Lindor
Andrelton Simmons

Third Base
Adrian Beltre
Manny Machado
Kyle Seager


Left Field
Brett Gardner
Alex Gordon
Colby Rasmus

Center Field
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin Pillar

Right Field
Mookie Betts
Adam Eaton
George Springer

Pitcher
R.A. Dickey
Dallas Keuchel
Justin Verlander





National League
Catcher
Jonathan Lucroy
Yadier Molina
Buster Posey

First Base
Paul Goldschmidt
Wil Myers
Anthony Rizzo

Second Base
DJ LeMahieu
Joe Panik
Jean Segura

Shortstop
Brandon Crawford
Freddy Galvis
Addison Russell


Third Base
Nolan Arenado
Anthony Rendon
Justin Turner

Left Field
Adam Duvall,
Starling Marte
Christian Yelich

Center Field
Billy Hamilton
Odubel Herrera
Ender Inciarte

Right Field
Carlos Gonzalez
Jason Heyward
Nick Markakis

Pitcher
Jake Arrieta
Zack Greinke
Adam Wainwright



*NOTE in the first paragraph I stated who I thought would win, not necessarily who deserved it most. You know how MLB can get with their voting sometimes.

Brett Gardner a AL Gold Glove Finalist

Major League Baseball has released their finalists for the American League and National League Gold Glove Awards and one Yankee made an appearance, Brett Gardner. Here is your complete list including Gardner in the outfield. Also check out a game saving catch from Gardner during the 2016 season. Enjoy!


American League

Catcher
James McCann
Carlos Perez
Salvador Perez

First Base
Chris Davis
Eric Hosmer
Mitch Moreland

Second Base
Robinson Cano
Ian Kinsler
Dustin Pedroia

Shortstop
Jose Iglesias
Francisco Lindor
Andrelton Simmons

Third Base
Adrian Beltre
Manny Machado
Kyle Seager


Left Field
Brett Gardner
Alex Gordon
Colby Rasmus

Center Field
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin Pillar

Right Field
Mookie Betts
Adam Eaton
George Springer

Pitcher
R.A. Dickey
Dallas Keuchel
Justin Verlander

National League

Catcher
Jonathan Lucroy
Yadier Molina
Buster Posey

First Base
Paul Goldschmidt
Wil Myers
Anthony Rizzo

Second Base
DJ LeMahieu
Joe Panik
Jean Segura

Shortstop
Brandon Crawford
Freddy Galvis
Addison Russell


Third Base
Nolan Arenado
Anthony Rendon
Justin Turner

Left Field
Adam Duvall,
Starling Marte
Christian Yelich

Center Field
Billy Hamilton
Odubel Herrera
Ender Inciarte

Right Field
Carlos Gonzalez
Jason Heyward
Nick Markakis

Pitcher
Jake Arrieta,
Zack Greinke
Adam Wainwright

Shift is Still Prevalent in MLB

The defensive shift in Major League Baseball is here, it’s been here and it’s here to stay apparently as the shift has been just as prevalent in 2015 as it has the last three or four seasons. Across the league through roughly 35 games teams have shifted on 3,395 balls in play this season which factors out to 17,666 times over a 162-game MLB season.

The Colorado Rockies have joined the shift campaign shifting 141 times already this season which puts the team on pace for 816 shifts in 2015. For a team that has had four consecutive losing seasons and a 10 game losing streak this season the team seems desperate to do anything they can to get an extra out here or there to help the team win. Colorado is currently on pace to shift seven times more than the entire team total in 2014 and is by far the highest percentage increase from 2014 to 2015 this season. The Diamondbacks are also joining the shift parade and are on pace for 659 shifts this season which is a 2.6 times larger number then it was in 2014.

The Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Red and San Diego Padres seem to be joining the new trend as well and are on pace for 532, 502 and 491 shifts this season respectively. The highest shifted against players in the league this season have been Lucas Duda (106 times), David Ortiz (100), Chris Davis (90), Adrian Gonzalez (89) and Ryan Howard at 81 times. The New York Yankees are considered to be the most vulnerable team to be shifted against according to many but none of their players appeared on this list surprisingly, not even Brian McCann or Mark Teixeira.

Shifts are here to stay ladies and gentleman and Rob Manfred is not going to ban them so teams and players are going to have to start either beating them or employing them more because they aren’t going anywhere. The sluggers are likely going to be shifted against until they retire but the players like Chase Headley and others need to either go the other way more or drop a bunt down occasionally to counteract the shift. It has to be done or we’re going to see more perennial .300 hitters falling into the sub-.250’s due to the overwhelming shifts across Major League Baseball,

Hypothetical Yankees Team After 2016: Spending Spree

The New York Yankees and owner Hal Steinbrenner have already put the bug in the ear of Yankees GM Brian Cashman that the team would once again attempt to get under the luxury tax threshold either after the 2016 or 2017 season. Let’s have a little bit of fun here and pretend that the Yankees actually gets under the cap and still finds a way to have a bit of a spending spree. What would that team look like you ask?

Keep in mind that these rosters are for fun, I don't expect all these free agents to be signed. 

SP: Masahiro Tanaka

SP: Michael Pineda

SP: Nathan Eovaldi

SP: Luis Severino

SP: Stephen Strasburg

C: Brian McCann

1B: Adam Lind

2B: Robert Refsnyder

SS: Didi Gregorius

3B: Chase Headley

LF: Brett Gardner

CF: Jacoby Ellsbury

RF: Carlos Gomez

DH: Jose Bautista

BN: Jose Pirela

BN: Gary Sanchez

BN: Alex Rodriguez

BN: Adrian Beltre

RP: Justin Wilson
RP: Adam Warren
RP: Aroldis Chapman
RP: Jacob Lindgren
RP: Greg Holland
RP: Dellin Betances

CP: Andrew Miller

If Brian Cashman Isn’t Already Calling the Texas Rangers He Should Be

If Brian Cashman hasn’t already made the phone call to the Texas Rangers about a potential trade then maybe he should be because his job is likely depending on it. The Rangers recently announced that ace starting pitcher Yu Darvish, third baseman Adrian Beltre, shortstop Elvis Andrus, and Shin-Soo Choo all cleared waivers and can be traded to any team for the rest of the season. Also by the end of the week Neal Cotts is likely to have cleared as well which begs the question, does Brian Cashman have one more blockbuster in him that may potentially save his job?

The biggest obstacle in any potential trade is that the Rangers think they can and plan to contend in 2015 with ¾ of the team back healthy next season. The Rangers are unlikely to want to unload any of the aforementioned players except for maybe Cotts. Cotts would be a nice rental for New York but would not be enough to push the team over the edge. Beltre would be a nice addition and is definitely a bat you make room for but would not be as high on the priority list in my book as a Choo or an Andrus would be. Choo would bring a ton of on base percentage to the team and give Joe Girardi three options to play center field at any given day. The Yankees may have the best outfield defense in all of baseball with the addition of Choo. Andrus could easily be the shortstop of the future replacing Derek Jeter next season and replacing Stephen Drew at second base for this season.

It is probably a pipe dream for any of these players to come to New York but the rotation would be scary good again with a healthy Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, and Yu Darvish to join Hiroki Kuroda, Brandon McCarthy, and Shane Greene. The infield defense would shine with the addition of Andrus and the offense may finally get the jolt it needs with any of Choo or Beltre. It’s unlikely but Cashman better be on the phones now because once again, his job more than likely depends on it. 

Early Runs, Offensive Struggles Doom Yankees in Tough Rubber Game Loss to Rangers

Hiroki Kuroda tossed 7 innings of three-run ball and Brett Gardner again started the first with a solo home run, but due to another terrible offensive performance the Yankees found a way to drop tonight's rubber game to the Rangers, 3-2.

For pretty much all of his quality outing this evening, Kuroda was everything New York couldn't wanted, only allowing nine hits and a walk while striking out four. 

Still, after a three-run, five-knock performance by Texas' bats in the bottom of the first he ended up getting the loss, a dissapointment that wouldn't have happened had Mark Teixeira turned a slow groundball down the first base line into an out.

No, this defeat doesn't fall completely on Teixeira, but since he did let a Leonys Martin squibber roll foul instead of just picking it up and tagging the runner with two on and two out the Rangers did pick up a third run in the aforementioned frame, with Martin later singling in Adrian Beltre to make it 3-1.

Now really, the contest shouldn't have ended there, especially considering the Yanks came back from a larger deficit yesterday.

Nonetheless, following Jacoby Ellsbury's lining of another solo shot off Colby Lewis (7 IP, 2 ER) in the third and Carlos Beltran's routine hit two batters later the Yanks' offense never again reached base, something you can't help but be amazed by.

Gardner-Led Yankees Out-Slug Rangers in Middle Game

Brett Gardner led off the first with a solo home run and the Yankees scored 7 runs in the top of the sixth, but in the end, it took a late two-run shot from Mark Teixeira and an Adrian Beltre flyout with the bases loaded to help the Yankees beat the Rangers 12-11 tonight at Globe Life Park. 

Going into that sixth inning, surprisingly, the Yanks trailed 4-1, appearing done after Brandon McCarthy (6 IP, 4 ER) surrendered three in the third and J.P. Arencibia drove one over the wall in the fifth.

Instead, though, New York put up a touchdown to take the advantage, rallying off Nick Martinez (5 2/3 IP, 6 ER) and Shawn Tolleson when Carlos Beltran singled in a pair, Brian McCann tied things with a sac fly, Zoilo Almonte hit home the go-ahead run, and Brendan Ryan connected on a two-run double before scoring on a missed catch error by Alex Rios.

Yes, Arencibia would later collect a grand slam after the stretch and the Chase Whitley/David Robertson duo would allow another three in Texas' last two at-bats, but since Almonte and Chase Headley still knocked in two more in the seventh and Teixeira one-handed that aforementioned homer in the eighth the Yanks did hang on for the W, their first since Friday.

Phelps Falls Apart in Fifth as Yankees Drop Opener in Texas

Derek Jeter collected three hits to pass Carl Yastrzemski on the all-time list and Brett Gardner homered twice off Yu Darvish, but due to a memorable collapse by David Phelps in the bottom of the fifth the Yankees dissapointingly dropped tonight's series opener to the Rangers 4-2.

Going into that aforementioned fifth frame, somewhat surprisingly, New York led Texas 2-0 on those solo shots from Gardner, making a big W to begin the week seem likely.

Unfortunetaly, though, that wouldn't prove to be the case, with the Rangers beginning a tough-to-watch rally with two outs and a man on second.

To start things off, the ice-cold Elvis Andrus singled in Chris Gimenez, putting Texas on the board in a not-too-stressful way.

Nonetheless, following another knock up the middle from Alex Rios and a double down the left field line from Adrian Beltre that tied it, things became a lot more tough, with another two-run single by newest Yankee-killer J.P. Arencibia only acting as the icing on the cake.

Because from that point on, the punchless Yanks didn't do anything against Darvish (7 IP, 2 ER), causing Phelps and his six frames of four-run ball to eventually take the loss, his first since June 7.

The Daily HALF Dozen - July 21, 2014

THE DAILY  1/2 DOZEN
(Twelve Six Takeaways from Tonight's Game - July 21st, 2014)

1. Shane Greene couldn't get past the 6th inning tonight.  It was bound to happen at some point because this season doesn't appear to have storybook endings.  He gave up 4 earned runs in 5-2/3 innings to "bloat" his ERA to 2.79 and had three errors.  Lucky for him, none of those errors cost him a run.  But one by Roberts in 3rd did to temporarily tie the game at 1 apiece.  He got the first two outs in the 6th and then couldn't get anyone else out giving up a single, walk, and game-tying single.  Of course he then got "Thorntoned" out of 2 more runs.

He may be a spy...just saying... (Source: CBS Sports)

2. Texas came into this game losing 16 of 18 games.  Of course the worst team in baseball would double up the Yankees by the time I got home from softball and mowed the lawn.  No 2-1 lead is ever safe with the Bronx Bombless!

3. Kelly Johnson proved tonight that Mark Teixeira has definitely won Derek Jeter two Gold Gloves.  Johnson pulled his foot on a low throw from Jeter in the 7th inning that Teix would have easily had.

4. FIVE ERRORS!?!  You have got to be freaking kidding me.  The Yankees had as many errors as hits.  The last time they had this many errors was on 7-7-07.  Not a very lucky number for them if you ask me.

Tell him what he's won Bob!  Another loss to a Cellar Dweller!

5. Jacoby Ellsbury continues on his latest tear.  With a 2 for 4 performance tonight including his 8th home run, the center fielder for the Yanks got his average up to .291 and knocked in his 46th RBI.  These aren't world-beater numbers but on an anemic offense like this one, they sure look it.  He also now has a .777 OPS (wait...there's that 777 again...) surpassing Gardner (.768) and Teixeira (.773) for the team lead.  I would sure love to see someone be in the .900 range...wouldn't you? Like an Adrian Beltre sort of player?

"You there! Brian Cashman! Bring me to the Bronx!"

6. Mikolas had a 10.05 ERA coming into the game.  He left with a 7.48 after only allowing 4 hits in 7-1/3 innings.  The Yankees have ALWAYS had problems with pitchers like this.  It's like a switch goes off in crappy pitchers' minds that says..."Hey! You're in Yankee Stadium...time to show up today!"

"Hi...my name is Miles Mikolas...I love long walks on the beach,
jazz music, and eating truffles by candlelight..."