Meet the 2019 Yankees: Phil Nevin

The New York Yankees saw much of their coaching staff leave when Joe Girardi was asked not to return to his managerial position in 2018, and that included their bench coach, first base coach, hitting coach and their third base coach. The Yankees sought to promote from within at a lot of these positions, but one man opened enough eyes outside the Yankees organization to garner an interview, and eventually a job with the team. Phil Nevin was named to manager Aaron Boone’s staff in 2018 and will return to the same position as the team’s third base coach in 2019, so let’s meet the man with the thankless job of sending and holding runners at third base all season long. This is Meet a Coach: The Phil Nevin Edition.


Phillip Joseph Nevin was born on January 19, 1971 in California where the right-hander attended El Dorado High School in Placentia, California. After graduating from high school the Los Angeles Dodgers took a waiver on the infielder by selecting him in the third round of the 1989 MLB First Year Players Draft. The Dodgers were prepared to give Nevin a $100,000 signing bonus to forego his college commitment and to begin his professional career, but in the end Nevin decided he would attend California State University, Fullerton, better known as Cal State Fullerton. As a two-sport star at Cal State Fullerton, Nevin played both baseball and football, Nevin represented both teams to the fullest as a kicker and as a third baseman. Nevin led the Titans to the College World Series final as a Junior, although his team did lose to the eventual champion Pepperdine Waves baseball team and won the CWS Most Outstanding Player award. Nevin’s contributions to the Titans led the the Houston Astros to take Nevin with the first overall pick in the 1992 MLB First Year Players Draft. Much controversy was had after Nevin, and not eventual New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, was taken first overall, especially by Houston Astros scout Hal Newhouser.

Newhouser was a scout for the Astros who had evaluated Jeter extensively prior to the Draft and had lobbied team management to select Jeter. When the Astros decided to pick Nevin instead Newhouser quit in protest over the decision. The Astros were worried that Jeter would want a signing bonus in excess of $1 million to sign with them and forego his college commitment, while the team thought the team could sign Nevin, a college Junior, for significantly less. When all he negotiations were complete the Astros thought they had their third baseman of the future after signing Nevin in June of 1992 for just $700,000.


Nevin traveled with the Astros at the end of the 1992 season despite being on the team’s active roster as the team prepared their third baseman to go to the Arizona Fall League. Nevin showed he needed little work in the Minor Leagues during the Fall League of 1992 and during Spring Training camp in 1993 where he hit .350 and showed tremendous power for the Astros. The team considered letting him skip the Minor Leagues all together and even considered letting him immediately start in the Major Leagues on Opening Day 1993, but the team ultimately decided to start him down at Triple-A with the Tucson Toros due to the fact that the team already had a third baseman in Ken Caminiti manning the position. While in Triple-A the Astros tried to get Nevin to learn left field so both he and Caminiti could be on the field at the same time, but Nevin began the season with a .247 batting average quelling any decisions to immediately promote him to the Major Leagues, at least for a little while. Nevin ultimately ended the 1993 season with a .286 batting average, 10 home runs and 91 RBI, but it was not enough to warrant a trip to the Major Leagues that season. Nevin was back in Triple-A to begin the 1994 season as well and this time he had a new position to learn, the first base position.


Nevin’s MLB debut was delayed due to less-than-stellar defense, Nevin committed 61 errors in his first two seasons, and the MLB work stoppage in 1994 that cancelled the World Series and delayed the opening of the 1995 season. Before the 1995 season the San Diego Padres had seen enough of Nevin down in Triple-A and decided to trade Caminiti to the San Diego Padres, thus opening the door for Nevin to play third base for the team. Nevin, in a bit of a head scratcher, was not invited to the team’s spring training camp for the 1995 season. Nevin and teammate Billy Wagner had previously refused to play with replacement players at the Major League level which many attributed to why Nevin was not invited to camp that season. Nevin started the 1995 season back down in Triple-A, but eventually he did too much with the bat to warrant being down there and the Astros finally promoted him to the Major Leagues on June 10 of that season. Nevin played in just 18 games that season, struggling with a .117 batting average and no home runs before being demoted back to Triple-A. Nevin, when learning of the news, cursed at Astros General Manager Bob Watson and their manager Terry Collins, an incident he would later have to apologize for.

Before the 1996 season the Houston Astros traded Nevin and his presumed bad attitude to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Mike Henneman. Nevin was assigned to the Tigers Double-A team where he was converted into a catcher. After the 1997 season Nevin was traded once again alongside catcher Matt Walbeck to the Anaheim Angels, where former manager Terry Collins was now managing, for minor leaguer Nick Skuse. Nevin could never seemingly stay in one place for long at the beginning of his career and he was on the move again before the 1999 season after the Angels traded Nevin and minor league player Keith Volkman to the San Diego Padres. With the Padres in 1999 Nevin appeared in 100 games for the first time during his Major League career. Nevin seemingly found his way while out in San Diego enjoying a productive 2000 season before being named to the National League All-Star team in 2001 after hitting 41 home runs and knocking in 126 RBI. Nevin did lead the league in errors at third base with 27, but his offensive production more than made up for that for the Padres.


Nevin was converted back to first base for the 2002 season, his strongest defensively by many metrics and stats, but injuries would tell the tales of his 2002 and 2003 seasons, and not his defense or offensive production. In 2002 Nevin strained his elbow, then three games after returning from the elbow injury he broke his arm diving for a ground ball missing six additional weeks. In 2003 Nevin dislocated his shoulder in spring training and did not return until the month of June after left shoulder surgery. By July Nevin was back under the knife after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee in July. In Nevin’s absence the Padres acquired Rondell White to replace Nevin in the outfield while allowing Ryan Klesko to play first base and rookie Sean Burroughs to man the hot corner at third base, pushing Nevin to a utility role.

Nevin and Padres GM Kevin Towers were said to have a “love-hate” relationship and that relationship was almost severed on July 25, 2005 after the Padres agreed to trade Nevin to the Baltimore Orioles for RHP Sidney Ponson. Nevin exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to block a trade to one of eight teams, one of those franchises being the Baltimore Orioles, but was ultimately traded five days later on July 30, 2005 to the Texas Rangers for Chan Ho Park. Nevin slumped while with the Rangers, and so did Texas who went 1-12 in Nevin’s first 13 games, which ultimately ended in him being benched after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.


Nevin had one year left on his contract for the 2006 season and he hoped that playing DH for the Rangers would revitalize his game and put to rest any rumors of him losing bat speed as he aged. Nevin continued to struggle in 2006 batting just .216 with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 46 games which prompted the team to call up rookie Jason Botts, who received the bulk of Nevin’s playing time. The Rangers ultimately traded Nevin to the Chicago Cubs who needed a first baseman to replace the injured Derrick Lee on May 31, 2006 for Jerry Hairston, Jr. Three months later Nevin was traded once again on August 31, 2006 to the Minnesota Twins for cash and a player to be named later. Nevin appeared in the postseason for the first time that season with the Twins, although Minnesota was ultimately swept by the Oakland Athletics in three games. Nevin appeared in just one of those games, batting 0-for-3.


That would be Nevin’s final game as the former third baseman and utility player announced his retirement prior to the 2007 season. Nevin played 12 seasons at the Major League level hitting 208 home runs and driving in 743 RBI with a career .270 batting average. Nevin spent the 2007 season as a member of the Padres’ pre-game radio show and as an analyst for ESPN during the college baseball regionals during the annual College World Series.


Nevin returned to baseball as a manager in 2008 after being named the manager of the Orange County Flyers in the Independent Golden Baseball League. Nevin managed the Flyers in 2008 and 2009, and planned to do so again in 2010, but after attending the winter meetings in 2010 the former MLB player was named the manager of the Erie SeaWolves, the Class-AA minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, replacing former manager Tom Brookens after Brookens was promoted to first base coach at the Major League level. Nevin spent one season with the SeaWlves before being promoted to Triple-A with the Tigers AAA team, the Toledo Mud Hens before the 2011 season. Nevin lasted two seasons with Toledo before being fired on August 31, 2013 after managing to a 192-238 record over his three seasons.

Nevin bounced back for the 2014 season finding a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks managing their Triple-A team, the Reno Aces. In his first season with the Aces, Nevin led the team to the best record in the Pacific Coast League, 81-63, and an eventual Pacific Coast League Championship Series berth. Nevin remained with the organization for the 2015 and 2016 season before the San Francisco Giants named Nevin their third-base coach for the 2017, replacing Roberto Kelly. After the 2017 season the New York Yankees and new manager Aaron Boone came calling in hopes that Nevin would accept the same position with their team in the Bronx for 2018. Nevin ultimately decided to make the move to the Bronx and will return to the same position here in 2019. Nevin will now be sending players home with an exaggerated windmill type arm motion all season long. It’s a thankless job, Phil. Especially in the Bronx. I hope you’re ready. Good luck, welcome back to the organization, and more importantly welcome back to the family. Do us proud.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Didi Gregorius

The New York Yankees will be without their starting shortstop for at least a portion of the 2019 season, but that doesn’t mean we are going to leave him out of our introductions. Didi has already begun a throwing program as a part of his rehab with Tommy John surgery and looks to be on track for a July or August return to the club. The Yankees have depth around Didi and can afford to give Gregorius all the time that he needs to fully heal and recover, so while he does that let’s get reacquainted with the emoji man himself. Sir Didi Gregorius.

Didi Gregorius, recently 29-years old, is a left-handed batting and right-handed throwing shortstop that came over to the New York Yankees to replace the legendary Derek Jeter. Didi, all 6’3” and 205 lbs. of him, is a very aggressive hitter at the plate and has all the tools to hit .300 and 30 home runs in a season, especially playing his home games inside of Yankee Stadium. Didi is under 30% with his swings and misses and is more than happy to take his walks and keep the line moving in the Yankees lineup. I, myself, deemed him the best complete hitter in the Yankees lineup before the 2018 season and even had him hitting 3^rd in the lineup, a comment and opinion that I was absolutely grilled for on Twitter and in the blog… well, until it became a reality for Aaron Boone and the team that season.

Sir Mariekson Julius “Didi” Gregorius was born on February 18^th, 1990 (happy belated to Didi) in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Johannes Gregorius Sr. and Sheritsa Stroop. At the time of Didi’s birth, his father pitched for the Amsterdam Pirates in Honkbal Hoofdklasse while also working as a carpenter. His mother, Stroop, played for the Dutch national softball team while his older brother, Johannes, Jr., pitched professionally in Honkbal Hoofdklasse as well as the Italian Baseball League. Didi had baseball in his blood and began playing tee-ball in the Netherlands before being moved at the age of five to Curacoa. Didi adopted the nickname because his teammates could not pronounce his given name, Mariekson. It probably wasn’t an issue for Gregorius, given the fact that he speaks four different languages including English, Dutch, Papiamentu, and Spanish. That, along with his on-the-field play, caught the eye of the Cincinnati Reds who signed Didi as an amateur free agent in 2007. Didi chose the Reds over other suitors, including the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, because of Cincinnati’s willingness to start Gregorius in the United States rather than the Dominican or Venezuelan Summer Leagues. Gregorius worked his way through the Reds minor league system until he earned a September call-up on September 1, 2012. Gregorius played in eight games for the Reds that season and was assigned to the Arizona Fall League following the season.

With Didi being blocked at shortstop by Zack Cozart, the Reds ultimate traded Gregorius to the Arizona Diamondbacks as a part of a three-team trade involving the Cleveland Indians. The Reds sent Gregorius along with Drew Stubbs in exchange for Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald. The Indians then sent Gregorius to Arizona with reliever Tony Sipp and infielder Lars Anderson for pitchers Trevor Bauer, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers. Gregorius played 103 games for the Diamondbacks in 2013 before heading into camp with the Diamondbacks in 2014 to compete for the starting job with Chris Owings. Owings ultimately won the job out of spring and Didi began the season back in Triple-A, although an injury to Cliff Pennington brought Gregorius back to the big-league club for the remainder of the 2014 season.

The Yankees needed a shortstop after the retirement of Derek Jeter, and they set their eyes on Gregorius. The Yankees, in another three-team trade, sent young pitcher Shane Greene to the Detroit Tigers while receiving Gregorius back from the Diamondbacks. Detroit then sent Robbie Ray and Domingo Leyba to Arizona. Gregorius struggled out of the gate for the Yankees in 2015, but eventually turned it around to have a good season. Gregorius really took off for the Yankees in 2016, finishing the season with a .276 average with 20 home runs and 70 RBI, including a career high in hits (155), doubles (32), home runs (20), and RBI (70). Gregorius would miss the beginning of the 2017 season after injuring his shoulder in the World Baseball Classic. Gregorius was activated on April 28 and immediately began assaulting opposing pitchers to the tune of a .286 average with 25 home runs and 87 RBI, all while missing the entire first month of the season. Didi did not stop hitting home runs in the postseason in 2017 either as the Yankees shortstop hit a game-tying three-run home run in the first inning of the 2017 American League Wild Card Game after the Minnesota Twins had taken an early 3-0 lead. Didi hit two home runs off Corey Kluber in the ALDS Game 5 as well, leading the Yankees within one game of the 2017 World Series before falling to the eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros.

Didi finished the 2018 season with over 20 home runs for the third straight season, but by the time the Yankees were eliminated in the American League Division Series at the hands of the Boston Red Sox the team announced that Didi would require Tommy John surgery on his throwing right elbow. Didi is expected to be out until July 1^st at the earliest, but more than likely until August of this season. Until then, Troy Tulowitzki will try and keep his shortstop position warm for him. Get well soon, Didi, and we sure will miss you on the field while your elbow mends.

BREAKING NEWS: Patrick Corbin Signs w/ Washington Nationals

Nationals have agreed to terms on a deal with Patrick Corbin, according to a person familiar. Pending physical.

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) December 4, 2018

UPDATE: 3:56 pm ET

Six-years and $126 million $140 million

More to come as the news is released...

Sonny Gray, Paul Goldschmidt, and a Match Made in the Bronx

Late Monday evening I received a text on my phone from a person that I trust. This person was a friend of a friend that works within the Yankees organization that gives us a bone whenever he or she can. They told us about Johnny Damon coming to the Bronx in 2005 a few days before it happened, although I was not big on social media or blogging then, and they dropped other information to us including the New York Mets signing Curtis Granderson (we had the exact years and dollar amounts, Joel Sherman, so unblock me and give credit where credit is due) and others. Long story short, when this person talks… we listen. This person talked again this week and let us know that the Yankees are already actively talking to opposing GM’s about right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray, and they state that Cashman has already had discussions regarding Gray with the Atlanta Braves, the Arizona Diamondbacks and other National League teams.

The source made it very clear that Cashman’s intention was to shop Gray to National League team’s first, which makes sense. Gray is a good pitcher, but he just can’t get out of his own head. Some people aren’t made for New York, and Gray seems to be one of them. Gray is going to figure this thing out if and when he is traded this offseason, and the Yankees would rather him figure it out with a team that would not see the Yankees all that often going forward.

So, with that said, let the speculation begin. What would the Yankees potentially get back from either of these teams, and ultimately what are their needs? It is hard to say, but we will pretend like the trade is imminent and keep the Yankees current needs in mind. This could obviously change the deeper into the winter and the hot stove season gets, but we will cross that bridge when we get there if this trade stuff goes that long. The Yankees don’t NEED another outfielder, and they don’t NEED a first baseman, and it is unlikely that they will trade Gray for the starting pitching help that they so desperately need, leaving just the bullpen and the farm system as potential areas to upgrade with the trade.

The Braves had pitching woes of their own here in 2018, so the only pieces of value that Atlanta will be able to offer the Yankees in return for Gray is a couple players out of their farm system. Pick the names, it doesn’t really matter at this point to be completely honest. Gray is a lost trade for Cashman and company and anything that he gets back will help lessen the hit. The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, could think outside the box with a trade since their farm system is pretty barren right now. Arizona has already discussed the possibility of trading first baseman Paul Goldschmidt this winter, could this be the very early stages of a trade package between New York and Arizona?

Obviously, the Yankees would have to include a lot more than just Sonny Gray to pry away Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks, but with Arizona presumably losing Patrick Corbin to free agency they may value Gray and his upside more than the Yankees, or most teams for that matter, do. The window for winning in Arizona is closing and Gray may give the team one more shot at going deep into the postseason with this current team. Who else would be in the package from the Yankees? Again, take your pick. Arizona’s farm system is barren, and I am sure they would merely take the best available prospects rather than a specific need, like a shortstop for example. If the Yankees don’t have enough or are unwilling to part with everything the Diamondbacks would ask for in a Goldschmidt trade, bring in a third team. The Yankees and Diamondbacks have done it before with the Tampa Bay Rays just last season, there is no reason they couldn’t do it again. Maybe even bring in the Braves, who knows? The specifics are left up to someone a lot smarter than me, but at least on paper this could potentially be the beginning of a match made in the Bronx.

The Yankees don’t NEED Goldschmidt, but damn it would be nice to have some stability at first base for once. Get Greedy, Get Goldy? It has a nice ring to it…

Hello… Poop In Your Pants?

Good morning Yankees family. What is a better way to start off a Thursday morning and a Yankees off day than to talk about some poop. No, I am serious. This is an interesting article and read that I heard about first while visiting Yahoo Sports and it involves Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley and the time that he pooped his pants before entering a MLB game.

He can tell the story better than I can so here is the story from Bradley to Yahoo Sports:

“I’ll just tell it. It was actually this year. I was warming up to go in a game. I knew I had the next hitter. I knew he was on deck. The at-bat was kinda taking a little bit, and as a bullpen guy in these big situations, I call ’em nervous pees. I don’t have to pee a lot, but I know I have to pee before I go in the game. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.

It’s a 2-2 count, and I’m like, ‘Man, I have to pee. I have to go pee.’ So, I run in our bathroom real quick, I’m ready to go. I’m trying to pee and I actually (expletive) my pants. Like, right before I’m about to go in the game, I pooped my pants. I’m like ‘Oh my gosh,’ like I know I’m a pitch away from going in the game, so I’m scrambling to clean myself up. I get it cleaned up the best I can, button my pants up, and our bullpen coach Mike Fetters says, ‘Hey, you’re in the game.’

“So, I’m jogging into the game to pitch with poop in my pants essentially… I did check the mirror. White pants, we’re at home. I actually told my teammates. I stepped out of the bathroom, ‘Hey, am I OK? I just (expletive) myself. I’m about to go in this game.’ They didn’t believe me until they, unfortunately, saw the mess in the bathroom because I didn’t have time. I had to go in the game.

“It was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been on the mound. And I actually had a good inning. I had a clean inning, and I walked in the dugout and I was like, ‘Guys, I just (expletive) myself.’ They didn’t believe me, and then the bullpen came in and they’re like ‘Oh my god, you have to see this.’ … I just felt awkward, uncomfortable and just gross.”

Baby, that is totally our kid in the future. I love you!!

Predicting the 2018 MLB Trade Deadline: Chris Archer

Starting pitching, as usual, is going to come at a premium before the July 31^st trading deadline and one such pitcher that I can see being traded is a familiar foe for the New York Yankees. His name is Chris Archer and he is a right-handed starter for the Tampa Bay Rays. As much as I would like the Yankees to be able to acquire such a talent like Archer I truly believe that Tampa Bay would refuse to deal him to the Yankees just based off principle. With that in mind I think there will be many suitors for Archer if he were to be made available, but no suitor will outbid the Arizona Diamondbacks for his services. That is my prediction anyway, and here’s why.  

First and foremost, the Rays don’t necessarily need to trade Archer yet as the right-hander comes with team control for the 2019 season and a pair of team options for the 2020 ($9 million option, $1.75 million buyout) and 2021 ($11 million option, $250K buyout) seasons respectively, but trading Archer makes the most sense in order to jump start their rebuild. The team shed salary and traded away most of their best MLB-caliber players during the offseason before 2018 and there were reports that the team at least dangled and listened to offers for Archer, although no team ever got reportedly close. Archer drastically needs a change of scenery and a trade to the National League West would benefit him immensely in my opinion, as well as boost the starting staff of a team that is desperately trying to win now with Patrick Corbin inching towards free agency in 2019.  

I am under no illusions that I am an expert in the needs of the Rays, although I would assume they would take the best available talent in terms of prospects that are close to MLB ready, and I am also under no illusions that I know more about the state of the Diamondbacks farm system than can be found in a simple Google search, but my first impressions are that Arizona has the pieces to get a deal done.  

On MLB.com’s Top 30 prospects list for the Diamondbacks there are fifteen starting pitchers including four in their Top 10 prospects list, #1 overall RHP Jon Duplantier, #4 RHP Taylor Widener, #7 RHP Taylor Clarke, and #9 overall RHP Matt Tabor. One of two of these would have to be included in a potential deal I would think, further boosting the fourth best farm system in all of Major League Baseball in 2018. Tampa Bay may also be interested in Arizona’s third base prospect Drew Ellis as the Rays don’t have a third base prospect in their Top 30 prospects.  

The “who” in the deal is an unknown and all of the above players mentioned are purely speculation on my part, but the fact that the Diamondbacks will likely be interested in and would likely acquire Archer’s services if he were to be made available is written in stone in my opinion. The Diamondbacks have the prospects to get the deal done, the Rays likely want to sell him this July, and Arizona needs the pitching boost if they want to hold off and dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers. It seems like a match made in baseball heaven, and we have a little over a month until we potentially see the deal all play out. 

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

Cue the music, “coming for that number one spot.” And the New York Yankees did just that this week as the USA Today released their newest set of weekly power rankings over on their site. The Boston Red Sox slipped to second as the Yankees went from a .500 ball club to the best team in baseball, according to these rankings, in just three weeks’ time. Imagine what will happen when the team gets a healthy Brandon Drury and Greg Bird back. The sky is the limit with this team, I have said that from day one.

The Red Sox slipped to second place while the Houston Astros (3^rd), Arizona Diamondbacks (4^th) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (5^th) round out the Top 5. The five worst teams in the league according to these rankings are the Kansas City Royals (26^th), the Baltimore Orioles (27^th), the Cincinnati Reds (28^th), the Miami Marlins (29^th) and the Chicago White Sox (30^th).

Surprises? The Milwaukee Brewers are back in the Top 10 and climbing, so are the Atlanta Braves as well with a huge +56 run differential. Meanwhile the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays are in a free fall out of contention and off the board. You have to think the biggest surprise though is the Los Angeles Dodgers who not only got swept by the Cincinnati Reds recently but have also fallen to 21^st overall in the rankings. Will the Dodgers even make the postseason at this point?

The Cincinnati Reds are 6-0 to start the Matt Harvey era. Have a great day everyone.

Patrick Corbin Talks Pitching Potentially for the Yankees

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in first place and they are led by an ace starting pitcher and his name is not Zack Greinke, his name is Patrick Corbin. If the name Patrick Corbin rings a bell it is because Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman tried all winter to acquire Corbin along with now current Yankee Brandon Drury from the Diamondbacks in a trade. The Yankees were able to snag Drury away from the desert but Arizona ultimately kept Corbin which has turned out to be a great decision for them thus far, but that has not stopped the Yankees from salivating at the idea of having the young lefty in their starting rotation and it hasn’t stopped the soon-to-be free agent from talking about potentially pitching for the New York Yankees either.

In an interview with the USA Today the Diamondbacks ace was asked about his impending future and he did not have enough positive things to say about potentially pitching here in the Bronx in 2019. Corbin was quoted as saying the following in the interview: 

“It would definitely be great to play there,’’ Corbin says. “I grew up a Yankee fan. My whole family are Yankee fans. My mom, my dad, my grandpa, everybody. Really, every generation of my family has been Yankee fans. Living up in Syracuse, everybody’s a Yankee fan. Not too many Mets fans up there.’’

“I know the Yankees have had some interest in the past, and there were a lot of rumors this winter that got my family excited,’’ Corbin says. “It would have been cool. You just want to go where you’re wanted, and every team will have an opportunity. I would love to be on a contending team for sure, but we’ll see what happens. Right now, I’m just focusing on this season.’’ 

With the Yankees under the luxury tax threshold in 2018 and all their spending penalties reset beginning in 2019, assuming the team can stay under the cap for the entirety of the 2018 season which seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, New York is set up to make a major splash in next winter’s free agent market, a market that Corbin will be entering after his age-29 season. At the time of this writing Corbin has posted a 4-0 record with an anemic 1.89 ERA, and that is before you mention his MLB leading 46 strikeouts and 0.66 WHIP.

Could Corbin be donning pinstripes next winter? If he has his way it certainly seems so, and it seems like Brian Cashman would like to see that as well, so stay tuned. A lot can happen between then and now, but as we stand here today you can pencil in Corbin as the Yankees left-handed replacement for CC Sabathia after this season.

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/16: Sweet Caroline & the Evil Empire

On this day in 2013 the Yankee Stadium fans and the New York Yankees players sang Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline to pay tribute to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Sweet Caroline is the anthem for the Boston Red Sox which makes it significant. Prior to the game with the Arizona Diamondbacks the Yankees displayed their logo alongside the Red Sox logo with the words "United We Stand" on an outside video board.

Evil Empire huh?

A Yankees Day in the Life: Didi Gregorius

Yeah, I hinted at a new, unique and different series here on the blog a few hours ago… and yeah, I delivered like I tend to do. Ever wonder what it is like to be Didi Gregorius for a day? Well here you go, a Yankees day in the life of the New York starting shortstop and the man that replaced the legendary Derek Jeter. Sir Didi Gregorius.

Adios, Arrivederci, Au Revoir, Cheerio, and Goodbye to Stephen Drew

What a sad day in Major League Baseball and in the Greedy Pinstripes world, former Boston Red Sox player, New York Yankees player, and Major Leaguer Stephen Drew has announced his retirement from the game this week. We have given Stephen a hard time over the years after his short tenure with the Yankees and even have an award named after him in his honor that we give out here on the site. The news of his retirement hit me hard and it left me with just one thing to say… Stephen Drew still sucks.

On a serious note the former 15^th overall pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft has announced his official retirement from the game after not finding a job this winter. Drew had spent the last two seasons with the Washington Nationals in their organization where he enjoyed a strong 2016 season, before injuries robbed him of his 2017 and final season.

Drew was drafted and developed by the Arizona Diamondbacks where he spent parts of seven seasons with the organization. Drew was ultimately dealt to the Oakland Athletics in August of 2012 where he finished strong before hitting free agency for the first time in his career. Drew signed with the Boston Red Sox for the 2013 season where he put in a mediocre .253/.333/.443 triple slash. Boston extended Drew a qualifying offer for the 2014 season, but Drew declined the offer and ultimately sat out until June 1, 2014 when he was eligible to be signed without the signing team giving up draft pick compensation for his services. Drew ultimately went back to Boston on a one-year deal but was later traded to the New York Yankees where he finished his 2014 season.

Drew was back with the Yankees for the 2015 season further frustrating and infuriating fans of the Bronx Bombers slashing just .185/.257/.347 over the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Drew landed with Washington in a utility role for the 2016 season where he bounced back a bit slashing .266/.339/.524 with eight home runs before injuries robbed him of his 2017 season, and any chance of erasing his legacy with us here at the site.

Drew will coach his children now that his playing days are over. Never forget, and always remember… Stephen Drew Sucks. Enjoy your retirement, and no hard feelings. It is all in fun.

Meet a Coach: Phil Nevin

The New York Yankees saw much of their coaching staff leave when Joe Girardi was asked not to return to his managerial position in 2018, and that included their bench coach, first base coach, hitting coach and their third base coach. The Yankees sought to promote from within at a lot of these positions, but one man opened enough eyes outside the Yankees organization to garner an interview, and eventually a job with the team. Phil Nevin was named to manager Aaron Boone’s staff this winter as the team’s third base coach, so let’s meet the man with the thankless job of sending and holding runners at third base all season long. This is Meet a Coach: The Phil Nevin Edition.

Phillip Joseph Nevin was born on January 19, 1971 in California where the right-hander attended El Dorado High School in Placentia, California. After graduating from high school the Los Angeles Dodgers took a waiver on the infielder by selecting him in the third round of the 1989 MLB First Year Players Draft. The Dodgers were prepared to give Nevin a $100,000 signing bonus to forego his college commitment and to begin his professional career, but in the end Nevin decided he would attend California State University, Fullerton, better known as Cal State Fullerton. As a two-sport star at Cal State Fullerton, Nevin played both baseball and football, Nevin represented both teams to the fullest as a kicker and as a third baseman. Nevin led the Titans to the College World Series final as a Junior, although his team did lose to the eventual champion Pepperdine Waves baseball team and won the CWS Most Outstanding Player award. Nevin’s contributions to the Titans led the the Houston Astros to take Nevin with the first overall pick in the 1992 MLB First Year Players Draft. Much controversy was had after Nevin, and not eventual New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, was taken first overall, especially by Houston Astros scout Hal Newhouser.

Newhouser was a scout for the Astros who had evaluated Jeter extensively prior to the Draft and had lobbied team management to select Jeter. When the Astros decided to pick Nevin instead Newhouser quit in protest over the decision. The Astros were worried that Jeter would want a signing bonus in excess of $1 million to sign with them and forego his college commitment, while the team thought the team could sign Nevin, a college Junior, for significantly less. When all he negotiations were complete the Astros thought they had their third baseman of the future after signing Nevin in June of 1992 for just $700,000.

Nevin traveled with the Astros at the end of the 1992 season despite being on the team’s active roster as the team prepared their third baseman to go to the Arizona Fall League. Nevin showed he needed little work in the Minor Leagues during the Fall League of 1992 and during Spring Training camp in 1993 where he hit .350 and showed tremendous power for the Astros. The team considered letting him skip the Minor Leagues all together and even considered letting him immediately start in the Major Leagues on Opening Day 1993, but the team ultimately decided to start him down at Triple-A with the Tucson Toros due to the fact that the team already had a third baseman in Ken Caminiti manning the position. While in Triple-A the Astros tried to get Nevin to learn left field so both he and Caminiti could be on the field at the same time, but Nevin began the season with a .247 batting average quelling any decisions to immediately promote him to the Major Leagues, at least for a little while. Nevin ultimately ended the 1993 season with a .286 batting average, 10 home runs and 91 RBI, but it was not enough to warrant a trip to the Major Leagues that season. Nevin was back in Triple-A to begin the 1994 season as well and this time he had a new position to learn, the first base position.

Nevin’s MLB debut was delayed due to less-than-stellar defense, Nevin committed 61 errors in his first two seasons, and the MLB work stoppage in 1994 that cancelled the World Series and delayed the opening of the 1995 season. Before the 1995 season the San Diego Padres had seen enough of Nevin down in Triple-A and decided to trade Caminiti to the San Diego Padres, thus opening the door for Nevin to play third base for the team. Nevin, in a bit of a head scratcher, was not invited to the team’s spring training camp for the 1995 season. Nevin and teammate Billy Wagner had previously refused to play with replacement players at the Major League level which many attributed to why Nevin was not invited to camp that season. Nevin started the 1995 season back down in Triple-A, but eventually he did too much with the bat to warrant being down there and the Astros finally promoted him to the Major Leagues on June 10 of that season. Nevin played in just 18 games that season, struggling with a .117 batting average and no home runs before being demoted back to Triple-A. Nevin, when learning of the news, cursed at Astros General Manager Bob Watson and their manager Terry Collins, an incident he would later have to apologize for.

Before the 1996 season the Houston Astros traded Nevin and his presumed bad attitude to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Mike Henneman. Nevin was assigned to the Tigers Double-A team where he was converted into a catcher. After the 1997 season Nevin was traded once again alongside catcher Matt Walbeck to the Anaheim Angels, where former manager Terry Collins was now managing, for minor leaguer Nick Skuse. Nevin could never seemingly stay in one place for long at the beginning of his career and he was on the move again before the 1999 season after the Angels traded Nevin and minor league player Keith Volkman to the San Diego Padres. With the Padres in 1999 Nevin appeared in 100 games for the first time during his Major League career. Nevin seemingly found his way while out in San Diego enjoying a productive 2000 season before being named to the National League All-Star team in 2001 after hitting 41 home runs and knocking in 126 RBI. Nevin did lead the league in errors at third base with 27, but his offensive production more than made up for that for the Padres.

Nevin was converted back to first base for the 2002 season, his strongest defensively by many metrics and stats, but injuries would tell the tales of his 2002 and 2003 seasons, and not his defense or offensive production. In 2002 Nevin strained his elbow, then three games after returning from the elbow injury he broke his arm diving for a ground ball missing six additional weeks. In 2003 Nevin dislocated his shoulder in spring training and did not return until the month of June after left shoulder surgery. By July Nevin was back under the knife after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee in July. In Nevin’s absence the Padres acquired Rondell White to replace Nevin in the outfield while allowing Ryan Klesko to play first base and rookie Sean Burroughs to man the hot corner at third base, pushing Nevin to a utility role.

Nevin and Padres GM Kevin Towers were said to have a “love-hate” relationship and that relationship was almost severed on July 25, 2005 after the Padres agreed to trade Nevin to the Baltimore Orioles for RHP Sidney Ponson. Nevin exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to block a trade to one of eight teams, one of those franchises being the Baltimore Orioles, but was ultimately traded five days later on July 30, 2005 to the Texas Rangers for Chan Ho Park. Nevin slumped while with the Rangers, and so did Texas who went 1-12 in Nevin’s first 13 games, which ultimately ended in him being benched after the team was eliminated from playoff contention.

Nevin had one year left on his contract for the 2006 season and he hoped that playing DH for the Rangers would revitalize his game and put to rest any rumors of him losing bat speed as he aged. Nevin continued to struggle in 2006 batting just .216 with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 46 games which prompted the team to call up rookie Jason Botts, who received the bulk of Nevin’s playing time. The Rangers ultimately traded Nevin to the Chicago Cubs who needed a first baseman to replace the injured Derrick Lee on May 31, 2006 for Jerry Hairston, Jr. Three months later Nevin was traded once again on August 31, 2006 to the Minnesota Twins for cash and a player to be named later. Nevin appeared in the postseason for the first time that season with the Twins, although Minnesota was ultimately swept by the Oakland Athletics in three games. Nevin appeared in just one of those games, batting 0-for-3.

That would be Nevin’s final game as the former third baseman and utility player announced his retirement prior to the 2007 season. Nevin played 12 seasons at the Major League level hitting 208 home runs and driving in 743 RBI with a career .270 batting average. Nevin spent the 2007 season as a member of the Padres’ pre-game radio show and as an analyst for ESPN during the college baseball regionals during the annual College World Series.

Nevin returned to baseball as a manager in 2008 after being named the manager of the Orange County Flyers in the Independent Golden Baseball League. Nevin managed the Flyers in 2008 and 2009, and planned to do so again in 2010, but after attending the winter meetings in 2010 the former MLB player was named the manager of the Erie SeaWolves, the Class-AA minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, replacing former manager Tom Brookens after Brookens was promoted to first base coach at the Major League level. Nevin spent one season with the SeaWlves before being promoted to Triple-A with the Tigers AAA team, the Toledo Mud Hens before the 2011 season. Nevin lasted two seasons with Toledo before being fired on August 31, 2013 after managing to a 192-238 record over his three seasons.

Nevin bounced back for the 2014 season finding a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks managing their Triple-A team, the Reno Aces. In his first season with the Aces, Nevin led the team to the best record in the Pacific Coast League, 81-63, and an eventual Pacific Coast League Championship Series berth. Nevin remained with the organization for the 2015 and 2016 season before the San Francisco Giants named Nevin their third-base coach for the 2017, replacing Roberto Kelly. After the 2017 season the New York Yankees and new manager Aaron Boone came calling in hopes that Nevin would accept the same position with their team in the Bronx for 2018. Nevin ultimately decided to make the move to the Bronx and will now be sending players home with an exaggerated windmill type arm motion all season long. It’s a thankless job, Phil. Especially in the Bronx. I hope you’re ready. Good luck, welcome to the organization, and more importantly welcome to the family. Do us proud.

Meet a Prospect Special Edition: Brandon Drury

The New York Yankees and their General Manager Brian Cashman did what the New York Yankees and GM Brian Cashman do during the winter months, they stuck to their guns. What do I mean? In recent years the Yankees have presumably been difficult to negotiate with when it comes to offseason and hot stove trades because when Cashman says something, he generally sticks to his guns. Cashman made it very clear that he was interested in then Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Brandon Drury but refused to succumb to the demands of the Diamondbacks GM for much of the offseason. A few weeks back, though, the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks attempted to strike a deal that would have included Steven Souza Jr. going from Tampa Bay to the desert, these two teams could not make it work so they called into the Bronx for a little bit of help. Long story short, the Diamondbacks got Souza Jr. to replace JD Martinez and the Yankees and Cashman got their man in Drury for two good prospects who didn’t appear to have a future with the Yankees MLB team. Where I am from they call that a win, win, and win the Yankees will with their new infielder Drury. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect Special Edition, the Brandon Drury Edition.

Brandon S. Drury was born on August 21, 1992 and is currently playing third base for the New York Yankees, his second Major League team. Drury came over to the New York Yankees in a three-team trade involving the Arizona Diamondbacks, Drury’s former team, and the Tampa Bay Rays. New York gave up RHP Taylor Widener and 2B Nick Solak in the deal to acquire Drury who comes with four years of team control and a pre-arbitration salary through the 2018 season.

Drury attended Grants Pass High School in Grants Pass, Oregon where he played shortstop for the school’s baseball team. Drury caught the attention of the Atlanta Braves in 2010 leading the team to draft him in the 13^th round of the 2010 MLB First Year Players Draft. Drury signed with the Braves and almost immediately made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Braves finishing his first season with a .198/.248/.292 triple slash with three home runs in 192 at-bats. Drury spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons in the Braves minor league system including the 2011 season where the infielder won the Appalachian League MVP Award where he hit .347/.367/.525 with eight home runs n 265 at-bats. The Braves loved what they had in Drury but in 2013 the organization decided they liked Justin Upton a little better leading the team to trade him alongside Martin Prado, Randall Delgado, Zeke Spruill and Nick Ahmed to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson.

Drury made a great first impression with his new team in 2013 batting .302/.362/.500 with 15 home runs in 134 games with the South Bend Silver Hawks leading the team to promote him to Double-A during the 2014 season. Drury was on the fast track to the Major Leagues, which was never more evident than it was when the team announced that Drury would be one of the team’s representatives in the Arizona Fall League following the 2014 season. Drury was on the radar with the big league club and his efforts both in the Minor Leagues and in the Arizona Fall League earned him an invitation to Spring Training camp in 2015, although Drury was eventually reassigned to a minor league camp back in Double-A. Drury eventually made his way to Triple-A during the 2015 season after being called up to the Reno Aces on June 23. Drury was added to the Diamondbacks 40-man roster and was called up to the Major Leagues on September 1, 2015 making his debut the same day.

In Drury’s MLB debut the right-handed faced the Colorado Rockies and Jon Gray who gave up Drury’s first MLB hit, a single. Drury would hit his first home run 21 days later on September 22, off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Adam Liberatore. Drury opened eyes with the Diamondbacks in 2015 and his efforts earned him another invitation to Spring Training camp with Arizona to start the 2016 season, an opportunity Drury took full advantage of. Drury made the team out of spring training and despite being listed as the team’s backup outfielder on the roster, Drury also found at-bats at second base and third base in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Drury did find himself back in the Minor Leagues for a week during 2016, the team needed to find a spot for Shelby Miller who was coming off the disabled list, but he was immediately called back after an injury to outfielder Socrates Brito occurred.

Drury spent the 2017 season with Arizona and did Brandon Drury things. Drury hit for a good average slashing .267/.317/.447/.764 while hitting 13 home runs and showing “doubles” and gap power inside what is considered to be a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Drury also spent time at three different positions including second base, third base and the DH position while the Diamondbacks were in an American League park. Drury had a Drury-type season showing consistency across the board and an ability to handle himself at any position and on all sides of the game.

The efforts of Drury caught the eye of Yankees GM Brian Cashman who sought his services for much of the winter via a trade. Arizona was quite fond of Drury and refused to part with him for less than a King’s ransom until the Tampa Bay Rays dangled outfielder Steven Souza Jr. in front of their eyes, forcing the hand of the Diamondbacks to include him in the three-team trade including the Yankees. The Diamondbacks got Souza Jr. in the trade to replace the recently departed JD Martinez and the Yankees, and Brian Cashman, finally got their man in Drury. Now Drury will be manning the hot corner inside Rogers Centre on Opening Day 2018 as the starting third baseman for the New York Yankees. No pressure, Brandon. I am sure you will do fine. Welcome to the team, welcome to the city and most importantly welcome to the family!!

Brandon Drury vs. the AL East Pitching

PHOTO CREDIT: NJ.COM

Earlier in the day we took a look at what the newest member of Red Sox nation, JD Martinez, had done throughout his career against the pitching staff of the New York Yankees so it seems only fair that we do the same for the newest member of the Yankees family, right? Brandon Drury has played just three seasons at the Major League level and has spent all three of those seasons in the National League West with the Arizona Diamondbacks, so the sample size will be much smaller here than with Martinez, a former Detroit Tiger before he was also Drury’s teammate down in the desert, but these stats should paint a decent picture nonetheless. It is worth mentioning that Drury has been hitting in a pitcher friendly park out in Arizona and that his stats should improve somewhat while playing many of his games inside hitter friendly parks like Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Oriole Park and Camden Yards, the Rogers Centre and Tropicana Field.

Drury vs. Boston Red Sox

Drury vs. Baltimore Orioles

Drury vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Drury vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Big thanks to ESPN.com and Baseball Reference for the stats and for the images above.

BREAKING: Yankees Acquire Brandon Drury in Three-Team Trade

The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks pulled off a three-team trade tonight that will send outfielder Steven Souza from the Rays to the Diamondbacks, infielder Brandon Drury to the Yankees from the Diamondbacks and prospects to the Rays from both Arizona and New York.

Yankees Receive: 

Brandon Drury


Yankees Trade: 

Nick Solak to the Rays
Taylor Widener to the Diamondbacks



Rays Receive: 

Nick Solak from Yankees
LHP Anthony Banda from Arizona
Two players to be named later from Arizona


Rays Trade:

Steven Souza to the Diamondbacks




Arizona Trades:

Brandon Drury to New York


Arizona Receives: 

Steven Souza from Tampa Bay
Taylor Widener from New York



Taylor Widener was last season in Class-A Advanced ball last season tossing 119.1 innings pitched over 27 starts with a 3.39 ERA. Widener was starting to open some eyes inside the Yankees system finally after succumbing to injuries in the past including a ulnar transposition surgery back in 2015 but the loss of an A-Ball pitcher for a versatile infielder/outfielder like Drury is a no-brainer in my opinion.  Widener could turn into a middle-of-the-rotation type starter, but he has yet to prove in his professional career that he can handle the workload of a starting pitcher.

Drury will likely be the team's starting second or third baseman on Opening Day, I am leaning towards the latter more than the former to be completely honest. If anything else, and possibly later on in the season, Drury could become a super utility player for Aaron Boone and company while keeping the likes of Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar fresh and ready to go day in and day out. Drury hit .267/.317/.447 with 13 home runs last season and heads to New York with four more years of team control and a pre-arbitration salary, both of which the Yankees coveted this offseason more than ever. Drury has over 1000 innings at second base at the Major League level as well as over 300 innings at third base, his likely starting point on Opening Day 2018.

Jacoby Ellsbury, His No-Trade Clause and Terrible Journalism

I feel a bit of rant coming on, you have been warned.

Remember back around Christmas when many writers and bloggers were reporting that Jacoby Ellsbury would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to a few teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants? I would link that original article written by Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports by conveniently and coincidentally that article is now nowhere to be found on the web. Interesting, huh? Not for me, but I don’t believe in coincidence and I definitely don’t think it was convenient that the post just disappeared, especially after Ellsbury himself said that he was never approached by the New York Yankees or asked about waiving his no trade clause.

Come on, Jon. I know the offseason was a slow one and you have to justify your position at Fan Rag Sports because that’s what you do to make a living, but you’re making all the writers and journalist out there look bad when you downright lie, and then downright cover up your lie by making the article simply disappear. Just because you used the word “might” and other vague terminologies doesn’t mean you’re reporting anything, it means you’re baiting for clicks and you’re lying. It is journalism like this that made me even want to get into writing. On the other side of the equation though it is journalism like this that makes me want to just throw my hands up and quit as well.

This is why I don’t care if I ever get big, famous, well known, or anything like that. I’d rather be the king of the trailer park then the servant in a mansion, and I like doing things my own way. I don’t want to have to force or create content, and I never have, and I never will. I want to do things the right way, and I want to do things my way. Period, end of discussion.

If there are any publications out there looking for a writer who tells it like it is, does things differently than everyone else, and wants to actually make a difference in journalism… let me know. Until then, please stop emailing me asking me to write for this site and that site. The day I leave or write for another website not named The Greedy Pinstripes is the day I feel like I can be the change I wish to see in the world. Gandhi. Thanks for listening.

The Patrick Corbin “Nugget” You May Have Missed

If you don’t know what a “nugget” is, and I didn’t either until I started reading and conversing with my friend Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue, a nugget is a small piece of information that is usually or possibly overlooked by many writers and journalists. Without getting too far off topic and off base I will say that today’s journalism, or lack thereof, is the reason I got into blogging and writing professionally. It doesn’t matter to many if it’s right, accurate or well thought out as long as it’s released first. Why? Views, clicks, and money. I have no issue with people making their money and earning their paychecks, I just chose to do things differently and that’s ok. I have never had ads and money-making schemes on my site and I will vow to keep it that way. With that said, as I digress, let’s get back to this nugget that isn’t being talked about in many places that I’ve seen. The nugget has to do with the Arizona Diamondbacks and left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin.

The Yankees have been linked to Corbin this offseason and while talks between the two clubs never seemingly went very far I truly believe that is because of the market and not because the two teams weren’t a great match in a trade. Reading an article by Steve Gilbert on MLB.com who conducted an interview with Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen the subject of potentially trading either Corbin or Zack Greinke came up which immediately interested me. While I am not interested in Greinke and his bulky salary I think Corbin would be a great fit in the Bronx, even with his projected $8.3 million in arbitration salary according to MLB Trade Rumors.

In the article and interview Gilbert states that the Diamondbacks are looking for a potential long-term option at the catcher position and outfield depth in any trade for Corbin, Greinke and any pieces that could potentially go with those two quality pitchers. It seems to me that the Yankees have both and are in a position of power to trade from both, especially considering that Corbin has one-year of team control thus seemingly keeping his cost down a bit.

In my opinion the Yankees could acquire Corbin and still hold onto Clint Frazier. Including Austin Romine or Kyle Higashioka along with a Jake Cave or Billy McKinney plus a lower-level pitching prospect or two could probably get Corbin alone. If the Yankees also wanted to try and pry away Brandon Drury in the deal then Frazier could be included to sweeten the deal, although I have made it very clear my preference is to hold onto Frazier this offseason. Maybe that’s the fan in me speaking but maybe it is also someone who has watched baseball for over 20 years speaking as well. I have especially paid attention to the rise and fall, the triumphs and the fails, of various prospects coming through the Yankees system and I really just think Frazier has all the makings of being something special.

I think the fact that we haven’t seen much movement in the Corbin sweepstakes is not because the Yankees aren’t willing to part with the pieces needed to acquire the lefty or because the Diamondbacks don’t want to trade him, I just think everyone is reluctant to make that move with pitchers like Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish still on the market. Once these pieces start to move I think Corbin will ultimately be dealt, Cashman is just lying in the weeds waiting for his time to strike. There’s more coming Yankees family and New York’s GM isn’t done. Now is just the time for patience, as hard as that is for some of us to do. Stay warm, be patient and Go Yankees!!

Oh, and I know. My trade proposal sucks. Leave your “better” one in the comments section. 

Oh, and I know I said I didn't think the Yankees needed another pitcher in a previous post. I stand by that and I still don't think the Yankees NEED another starter. It seems though, if you believe all the rumors you read, that Brian Cashman thinks otherwise hence the idea and trade proposal for Corbin. I'd be just as happy heading into Spring Training camp with what the team already has, although I would never pass up an opportunity to Get Greedy either.

Get Greedy, Get Corbin. 

IBWAA SELECTS ALTUVE, STANTON IN MVP VOTE

IBWAA SELECTS ALTUVE, STANTON IN MVP VOTE

 

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in its Most Valuable Player category Thursday, with the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve winning the group’s American League award, and Giancarlo Stanton, of the Miami Marlins, being selected in the National League.

 

Altuve received 107 first-place votes (72.79%) and 1838 points while being named on 146 of 147 ballots (99.32%). Others receiving first-place votes include Aaron Judge (28), Mike Trout (7) and Francisco Lindor (2).

 

Stanton received 58 first-place votes (40%) and 1492 points while being named on 144 of 145 (97.96%) ballots. Others receiving first-place votes include Paul Goldschmidt (25), Nolan Arenado (20), Joey Votto (16), Charlie Blackmon (15) and Anthony Rendon (7).

 

Election results are as follows:

 

AL MVP

 

1^st Place:                  Jose Altuve, Houston Astros – 1838 points
2^nd Place:                 Aaron Judge , New York Yankees – 1341
3^rd Place :                  Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 1067

4^th Place:                 Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians – 997

5^th Place:                  Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians – 562

6^th Place:                  Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians – 389

7^th Place:                  Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox – 376 

8^th Place:                  Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox – 280

9th Place:                 George Springer, Houston Astros – 207

10^th Place:                Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 202

 

NL MVP

 

1^st Place:                  Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins – 1492 points
2^nd Place:                 Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks – 1115 
3^rd Place:                  Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds – 1025

4^th Place:                  Charlie Blackmon , Colorado Rockies – 1003

5^th Place:                  Nolan Arenado , Colorado Rockies – 959

6^th Place:                  Anthony Rendon , Washington Nationals – 577

7^th Place:                  Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs – 512

8^th Place:                  Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers – 253

9^th Place:                  Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers – 243

10^th Place:                Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals – 185

 

Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates, using the Borda Method.

 

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.

 
Among others, IBWAA members include Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, Billy-Ball.com; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Jon Heyman and Jesse Spector, Today’s Knuckleball; Danny Knobler, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Brian Kenny, MLBN; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; Ken Rosenthal, TheAthletic.com; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs; David Schoenfield of ESPN.com; Jim Bowden and Bill Arnold.

 

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a $75 lifetime fee. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.

Contact:

 

Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com