Chase Headley Sucks But These Guys Do Not

The New York Yankees have a huge problem on their hands when it comes to the current situation over at third base and the team, in my opinion of course, needs to fix it sooner rather than later. Chase Headley, in a word, sucks but these potential trade targets for the team at the July 31^st trading deadline definitely do not. Not at all actually so if the team is serious about competing not only in 2018 but in 2017 as well it is time to start getting to know these potentially available third baseman from across the league before the deadline. 

Would the Toronto Blue Jays trade Josh Donaldson within the division and to one of their biggest rivals in the New York Yankees? Not likely, unfortunately, but how much of an impact would Donaldson be in the Yankees lineup? He’s great and I’d take him in a heartbeat but Donaldson has been injured this season and would be yet another right-handed power bat. The Yankees may need a lefty, although that could be difficult to come by at third base. 

Todd Frazier is another name that could be traded this summer. Frazier is a free agent at the end of the season so the price in terms of prospects could stay low, or lower than Donaldson anyway, while also fitting into the Yankees long-term plans. Frazier is struggling hitting below the Mendoza line but Frazier, like Headley when he was traded from San Diego to the Bronx, could benefit from a change of scenery at least in the short-term. You never know. 

If the Yankees want a stop gap for a year or two beyond the 2017 season while they wait on Miguel Andujar then David Freese may be an option. Freese is having a solid season and has found this uncanny knack for hitting in the big spots in the postseason, something the Yankees will need along with some veteran leadership with such a young squad. 

The final option as it stands today would be the Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. Moustakas is represented by Scott Boras so it seems unlikely that the man they call Moose in Kansas City would negotiate a contract extension so it may be best for a team like the Royals to get something for sure out of him now rather than potentially nothing for the 28-year old later. Moustakas will be a free agent at the end of the season and is in the midst of a strong season that could see the right-handed surpass 30 home runs on a struggling Royals squad. 

I mean, or the team could just call up Gleyber Torres. I’m just saying. That’s my choice, what’s yours?

Quick Hit: Yankees Need a 3B & They Are Looking Too

The New York Yankees were setting the world on fire to begin the 2017 season and part of that was due to the fact that third baseman Chase Headley was having a great season. This is why I stress the importance of sample size when talking about players because two months later, to quote myself many times, Chase Headley sucks! If the Yankees plan on competing this season, and all signs point to them wanting to compete this season, they will need a third baseman and it seems that the team is already in search of one according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Headley is under contract this season and next for $13 million each before hitting free agency but his production is not matching his contract at this point through the season. This is leaving the Yankees in a tough spot of whether to acquire a third baseman thus allocating Headley to the bench or to try and trade Headley and presumably eating a ton of his contract anyway in the deal. Any trade involving Headley likely won’t fetch a replacement third baseman which would leave the Yankees needing to make another move involving prospects. The good news for New York is there is seemingly a ton of third base talent available right now on the market.

Todd Frazier of the Chicago White Sox, Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals, Yangervis Solarte of the San Diego Padres, Trevor Plouffe of the Oakland Athletics and even Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays could be made available in trades this summer although the Blue Jays would be unlikely to trade Donaldson to anyone within the division, especially the Yankees.

What any of these players could fetch in return in terms of prospects is anyone’s guess but let’s be real here. The Yankees have the prospects to fetch any of these players and then some if they so choose so it will be really interesting to see how they handle the whole Chase Headley situation come next month. Or sooner…. Stay tuned. 

The Yankees Best for the Month of April

I think someone forgot to tell the New York Yankees players that they were supposed to have a down season this year and next before buying out the free agency market en route to a World Series victory in 2019. Whoops. The Yankees have been great thus far this season, yes I know it’s early, and that’s due in large part to a total team effort from the club. There were a few standouts that deserve some recognition though so here are a few of the Yankees best players from the month of April. If I omitted someone leave them and their case below in the comments section.

Many thought the season was over, at least temporarily, when Gary Sanchez went down but Austin Romine has really surprised a lot of people. Through his first 42 plate appearances this season Romine has posted a .840 OPS, which is up from his career .586 OPS in the Major Leagues, while calling great games behind the dish and flashing good defense and a strong throwing arm. He won’t win an MVP Award or anything like that but he has been severely underrated in the absence of Sanchez much like our next “best” from the month.

Ronald Torreyes is among the Yankees leaders in RBI this season. No that is not a typo and no Sheldon that is not sarcasm. Torreyes has always brought a solid defensive glove with him to the ballpark but the emergence of his bat, albeit in a small sample size, has kept the Yankees afloat while the Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has been injured. Welcome back Didi.

Aaron Hicks is really putting the pressure on the Yankees outfielders, specifically Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury, and Aaron Judge has been brilliant thus far this season. The two Aaron’s are hitting the ball over the fence with a great consistency and they are both drawing walks at an elevated rate, although Hicks is walking a lot more than Judge is to be fair.

Luis Severino, who we already spoke about this morning so I won’t spend too much time here, has been great in his last three starts and has gotten better and better with every start this month. The more arm strength he build and the more confidence he gains the better he, and the Yankees, will be going forward.

The final “best” from the month of April is surprisingly Chase Headley. After going from Chase Headley to “Chase Headley Sucks” in 2016 the Yankees third baseman has seemingly turned around his Yankees tenure with a great month of April this season. Some have even called Headley the Yankees best player when you mix in his impressive plate appearances and strong defense although I think that may be a stretch. Either way you ride his success all the way to the Promised Land. 

Former Yankees Updates & MLB History

A few former Yankees made a little bit of history this week so we felt like they needed to be talked about here on the blog. I’m sure you guys get tired of hearing me rant and rave about all the losing, benching Chase Headley and all that jazz so why not something a little different this afternoon?

Ichiro Suzuki was a Yankees player for two-and-a-half seasons after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners with the intention of milking every dollar they could out of his chase for 3,000 hits in the Major Leagues and his quest for the all-time hits record between the USA and Japan. Ichiro is still yet to hit the magical 3,000 hit plateau but he took another step closer this week with a game-winning single in Miami. Ichiro’s career MLB hit total now stands at 2,947.

I promised history in the thread title and a former Yankees relief pitcher, Caleb Cotham, helped the Cincinnati Reds make history as well this week. This is not the history you want to be remembered for though unfortunately. The Cincinnati reds bullpen set a new MLB record when the team surrendered at least one run in the team’s 21^st consecutive game. The man on the mound, Mr. Cotham. For all you trivia and history buffs out there remember the name Kelby Tomlinson as he hit the two-out infield single to score Hunter pence and set the record.

So there you have it. A whole posting without saying Chase Headley sucks! Well, we almost made it anyway. Enjoy the day Yankees family. 

Yankee Stadium Off Day Walk Up Music Recommendation

The New York Yankees just had a day off on Thursday before making the trip to Fenway Park over the weekend and they have another day off today before traveling to Oriole Park and Camden Yards for another big three game set. With every off day I kind of take a step back from the year long, not season long like some other blogs, grind here and I like to have a little bit of fun. Sometimes we post full-length baseball movies on the blog so you actually have something to do at work besides work and sometimes we bring you the walk up music from our favorite Yankee stars. And then sometimes we bring you Chase Headley's walk up music.

I know I've been especially hard on Headley thus far this season but that's only because I expected more and because I'm frustrated. It's nothing personal really, I actually kind of like the guy from what I see during HOPE Week and interviews and such, but I let my passion and my fandom get in the way sometimes. We're all guilty of it so I can't discriminate against him in these features so without further ado here is the song we hear right before Headley is going to strike out, or single, every time in Yankee Stadium.

The name of the song is "Surrender" and it's by the Christian band Third Day. Enjoy and pray for better days in Yankees-land.

It Has Begun, Chase Headley Sucks

Ladies and gentleman it has begun. I thought we could go a whole season without donning a new Stephen Drew, which used to be a Sergio Mitre and used to be a Chris Stewart and used to be an Andruw Jones and used to be a whole plethora of people, but we were not that fortunate. Ladies and gentleman, Chase Headley sucks.

When the New York Yankees acquired him at the trading deadline in 2014 I have to admit that a big part of me was ecstatic. Yangervis Solarte had ridden his hot streak and wave and had been at the low point in the tide for the better part of a month at the time of the trade while Chase brought a clutch switch-hitting bat and some stellar defense with him. His defense was immediately compared to that of the great Graig Nettles and after some research I salivated over his clutch hits and huge seasons he had in an even huger ballpark in San Diego. What New York got in return though was a shell of that man with throwing problems and a bad back.

I’m not making this personal and I’m trying not to be down on the guy but something has got to give. New York gave him a huge contract over four seasons and the first year the Yankees got in return was littered with throwing errors and a total zap of any sort of power. This season, and yes I am still preaching the small sample size, he has somehow found new ways to get worse with the bat. The defense has been solid, maybe even great, but he’s making Stephen Drew look like a .300 hitter right now, hence the honor of my “Chase Headley Sucks” tweets.

I’m rooting for Headley, I truly am and I truly mean that, and I’m borderline hoping that this can be used as motivation to get better or do whatever it is you have to do to get better. I don’t want to tweet four or five times a night that he sucks, I don’t I want Headley to have the monster seasons he had inside Petco Park and I want him to lead the Yankees back to the promised land but as a fan that not only supports the Yankees from afar but a fan that buys the merchandise, purchases tickets when they are close, purchases this television subscription and that television subscription to see them etc. I feel like I have the right to at least say something.

And this is what I say. Chase Headley Sucks. Prove me wrong. I like being wrong.