This Day in New York Yankees History 8/5: Black Eyes & Biogenesis

On this day in 2013 Major League Baseball was dealt another bad hand and another black eye as we all watched the Biogenesis scandal unravel before our eyes. On this day Major League Baseball released the names of the 13 players that had been suspended for their involvement with the anti-aging clinic. The Yankees Alex Rodriguez was suspended for 211 regular season games while Francisco Cervelli of the Yankees was suspended for 50 games.

Also on this day in 2007 Mike Mussina won his 246th career game making him the winningest pitcher in major league history without a 20 win season. Mussina would finally reach the 20 win plateau in his final season in 2008 when he finished with a 20-9 record.

Finally on this day in 1983 the Yankees manager Billy Martin was suspended for two games after calling umpire Dale Ford a "stone liar" after the July 31st extra inning victory over the Chicago White Sox. This marks the second time this season that Martin was disciplined by the league due to abuse of umpires.

Is there Kryptonite at 161st and River?…

Credit:  Jonathan Dyer, USA TODAY Sports

Why do struggling Yankees achieve success when they are traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates?  I am sure that it’s not the case for every former Yankee, but in recent years, it has felt that way.

Ivan Nova, facing his former teammates for the first time yesterday, picked up his first win of the spring with three innings of scoreless work.  He gave up two hits and walked a batter, while striking out two, so it wasn’t a flawless performance, but a win is a win.

In 2016, Nova was 7-6 for the Yanks, with a 4.90 ERA in 21 starts.  Moving over to Pittsburgh at the trading deadline, he started 11 games for the Pirates, going 5-2, with a much better 3.06 ERA.  

He’ll never be a top-of-the-rotation starter, but still, the results are markedly different between the two cities.  A free agent in the off-season, Nova scored a 3-year, $26 million deal to return to the Pirates.  Like A.J. Burnett before him, Nova changed from a very inconsistent pitcher in the Bronx to a dependable starter in the Steel City.  Another example is current San Francisco closer Mark Melancon.  Admittedly, Melancon never got much of an opportunity in New York where he was once touted as the eventual successor for Mariano Rivera, but he struggled in other pressure cities like Boston before finding success in Pittsburgh.  Today, he is paid among the elite closers in baseball, trailing only Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen in total dollars.  

Russell Martin was not finished as a catcher when he left New York, but he rejuvenated his career in Pittsburgh.  He was able to parlay that performance into a 5-year, $82 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Former Yankees backup catcher Francisco Cervelli is the starting catcher in Pittsburgh these days.  If Austin Romine were to lose his backup job to Kyle Higashioka, he’d be wise to go ahead and buy a condo in Pittsburgh.

Rule 5 Draftee pitcher Tyler Webb, a Yankees farmhand, has pitched three innings for the Pirates this spring and has yet to give up a run.  I don’t know his chances of making the Pirates opening day roster, but if he keeps pitching like he has, there’s no chance he’ll be offered back to the Yanks.

There’s no question the environment is more relaxed in Pittsburgh.  Nova showing up at yesterday’s game with blonde hair was a solid indication that he no longer calls Yankee Stadium home.  

Maybe Rob Refsnyder should push for a trade to Pittsburgh.  He’d probably make the All-Star team next year. 

I think if you put Nova back in pinstripes, he’d revert to the unreliable pitcher that he had become.  Some guys just weren’t meant for the Main Stage.  Still, you always wonder what could have been if they had only pitched or played like that for the Yankees.

Back to the spring game and Nova’s win, the Yankees got hammered by the Pirates, 13-1.  My favorite for the #5 spot in the rotation, Bryan Mitchell, looked like Ed Whitson in a Yankees uniform.  It wasn’t pretty.  Evan Rutckyj, and his spring 19.29 ERA, ensured that he’ll be banished to the minors soon.  Mitchell gave up 4 runs in 2 1/2 innings, while Rutckyj gave up 6 runs (4 earned) without recording an out.  

It was just one of those games that it is best to quickly forget.  With the loss, the Yankees fell to 9-3 for the spring.

This Day in New York Yankees History 8/5: Black Eyes & Biogenesis

On this day in 2013 Major League Baseball was dealt another bad hand and another black eye as we all watched the Biogenesis scandal unravel before our eyes. On this day Major League Baseball released the names of the 13 players that had been suspended for their involvement with the anti-aging clinic. The Yankees Alex Rodriguez was suspended for 211 regular season games while Francisco Cervelli of the Yankees was suspended for 50 games.

Also on this day in 2007 Mike Mussina won his 246th career game making him the winningest pitcher in major league history without a 20 win season. Mussina would finally reach the 20 win plateau in his final season in 2008 when he finished with a 20-9 record.

Finally on this day in 1983 the Yankees manager Billy Martin was suspended for two games after calling umpire Dale Ford a "stone liar" after the July 31st extra inning victory over the Chicago White Sox. This marks the second time this season that Martin was disciplined by the league due to abuse of umpires.

Did the Yankees Screw up Trading Francisco Cervelli?

The New York Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman has grown to be known for their wheeling and dealing in recent years more so than their big money free agent signings. The tides may be turning in the Bronx and the Yankees GM is at the forefront of this change. Whether Cashman is a second tiered GM or even worth the breath you would waste to boo him if you saw him on the street is up for debate but I think we now have the answer to at least one question. Did the Yankees screw up when they traded away catcher Francisco Cervelli? In a word, yes.

Now one must keep in mind that Cervelli was traded on the heels of consecutive injury-riddled seasons and was also shipped away after a Biogenesis-related scandal and steroid suspension as well. There was all the drama and rumors circulating that Alex Rodriguez gave up names to investigators and the league including Cervelli’s and it was bad Ju Ju all around in the Yankees dugout. On paper that alone makes for a good trade for New York, especially when you consider they flipped him for durable reliever Justin Wilson before last season, but everything since has gone terribly wrong for the Yankees.

New York has since flipped Wilson for a pair of starting pitchers in Luis Cessa and Chad Green and neither have looked good in their ridiculously small MLB sample size. I won’t hold that against Cashman because we have a long way to go before determining who “won” that trade but after Cervelli signed a contract extension with Pittsburgh this week you have to think the trade to Pittsburgh was a loss for Cashman and company. Cervelli signed a three-year extension with Pittsburgh recently worth $31.5 million keeping the right-handed hitting catcher in Pittsburgh through his age 33 season.

Cervelli served as McCann’s backup in 2014 and since the 2015 season when Cervelli was shipped to Pittsburgh he has out-performed McCann in almost every aspect. Cerveli hits for a higher average, he actually frames balls better than McCann, Cervelli gets on base more often, his defense is better and so is his base running. McCann hits #TooManyDamnHrs but his WAR during that timeframe has been 3.8 while Cervelli has accumulated a 4.5 WAR in the same period.

So for less WAR the Yankees are paying McCann $16.40 million per year AAV while the Pirates will pay Cervelli roughly $10 million for a younger bat, better defense and a higher WAR. Sounds like the proof is in the pudding on this one Yankees family.

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need a Catcher?

If you have played Fantasy Baseball one time or 100 times you know one thing for sure, there are certain positions you have to get a little bit early or you won’t get them at all. One position that immediately comes to mind is the closer position as there is basically a finite amount of them (unlike an outfield that has three per team and a total of 90 outfielders not counting bench pieces) and another one of them is the catcher position. There just aren’t that many run producing offensive catchers that you can snag for fantasy purposes so you may want to grab them early if you want a good one. Everyone knows the Buster Posey’s of the world as he sits atop the position but what about below him? That’s where I come in, hopefully.

Buster Posey is the best catcher in real life and in fantasy but if I were to fill out a Top 5 list behind him I would have Salvador Perez, Yadier Molina, Kyle Schwarber and Jonathan Lucroy in some order behind him. Brian McCann comes to mind as well only because he possesses 20-25 home run power and plays inside Yankee Stadium where the runs and RBI opportunities are as plentiful as the beer and the suits in the stands. If McCann is 6^th on my list then in some order behind him Matt Wieters, who should be better in his second year removed from Tommy John surgery, Travis d’Arnaud, Russell Martin, for his power only, and Yan Gomes probably fill out my Top 10.

I know many will call me crazy but if I had to stretch the list to a #11 I may go with Francisco Cervelli of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes I know I am ignoring the likes of Yasmani Grandal, Devin Mesoraco (little protection behind him and no reason to pitch to him), Derek Norris (Petco Park), and Stephen Vogt (see Derek Norris) to name a few but they all have legitimate reasons to worry about their offensive production. Plus I like Cervelli and the player he has become since leaving New York and heading to Pittsburgh, I admit though that I may be higher on him than most. I think I’m also pretty high on Yadier Molina as well and that’s okay.

If you don’t grab one of these catchers you are taking a true risk in your league. You may get something out of J.T. Realmuto in Miami, especially with the fences drawn in a bit, or John Ryan Murphy in Minnesota over the course of a season but if you have to rely on a Wilson Ramos of Washington, Miguel Montero of Chicago, Nick Hundley of Colorado or Blake Swihart of Boston to name a few you may be in trouble just a tad. My strategy over the years, for better or worse, was to grab a catcher early so I knew that I had one. That’s the best advice I can give you, reach for Posey and settle for a guy in the Top 5. If you miss then you’re in trouble. Don’t miss. 

Quick Hit: Francisco Cervelli vs. Brian McCann

Both the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates made the postseason in 2015 as the first Wild Card winner and both teams unfortunately went out in the one-game playoff. While the Pirates season was much more impressive winning 98 wins the New York Yankees did well enough to win 87 games and stick around for most of the 2015 season. Many fans were left wondering what the Yankees could have done differently and what Brian Cashman could have done to help the team, does that include not trading Francisco Cervelli in favor of signing current catcher Brian McCann?

That's probably a question too tough to answer as both were durable and key parts of the team, the pitching staff and the defense as both catchers controlled the running game exceptionally well in 2015. The Yankees have a very left-handed heavy lineup and Cervelli is right-handed but is that enough to make fans miss him over McCann? Let's the stats do the talking and leave your comments in the comments section of the post.

McCann:

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	135	535	465	68	108	15	26	94	0	52	97	.232	.320	.437	.756	107

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Cervelli:

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	130	510	451	56	133	17	7	43	1	46	94	.295	.370	.401	.771	113

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Familiar Faces in Different Places… The Recap

The theme of the 2015 offseason for the New York Yankees was new faces in different places as the team saw plenty of turnover from the 2014 season. Francisco Cervelli was gone and John Ryan Murphy was in along with Justin Wilson. David Phelps and Martin Prado were gone while Garrett Jones, Nathan Eovaldi and Stephen Drew were in. Shane Greene was gone and Didi Gregorius was in. Brian Cashman the man credited with making these moves, was raked over the coals when he made these moves but have they surprising worked out for the New York Yankees GM?

Francisco Cervelli:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	120	469	51	124	15	6	39	1	44	83	.300	.378	.404	.782	115

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

John Ryan Murphy:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	61	153	19	39	8	3	14	0	9	37	.281	.322	.417	.740	103

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Justin Wilson:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	5	0	3.04	69	56.1	46	19	19	2	19	62	132	2.52	1.154	7.3	0.3	3.0	9.9

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

David Phelps:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	4	8	4.50	23	112.0	119	59	56	11	33	77	86	4.03	1.357	9.6	0.9	2.7	6.2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Martin Prado:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	120	514	49	134	22	9	56	1	33	65	.287	.335	.396	.731	102

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Garrett Jones:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	57	152	12	31	4	5	17	0	8	37	.215	.257	.361	.618	69

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Nathan Eovaldi:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	14	3	4.20	27	154.1	175	72	72	10	49	121	95	3.43	1.451	10.2	0.6	2.9	7.1

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Stephen Drew:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	131	428	43	77	16	17	44	0	37	71	.201	.271	.381	.652	79

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Shane Greene:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	4	8	6.88	18	83.2	103	67	64	13	27	50	57	5.15	1.554	11.1	1.4	2.9	5.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Didi Gregorius:

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	143	537	56	131	22	9	52	4	27	78	.266	.315	.370	.685	89

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

As you can see it clearly looks like the Yankees won the trade involving Wilson for Cervelli. Wilson has been an integral part of the Yankees bullpen and Murphy has been no slouch both behind the plate and at the dish as he backs up Brian McCann.

Say what you will about the body of work that Eovaldi has put forward this season but 14 victories in the Major Leagues is 14 victories in the Major Leagues regardless of his run support. David Phelps didn’t exactly force the Yankees fans to miss him and while Martin Prado would have been a perfect fit for the 2015 Yankees and beyond, he’s under team control at least through 2016, the Yankees needed pitching at the point of the trade more so than the infield help. This one could go either way depending on how pessimistic you want to look at things but I think most people would agree this was another win for the Cashman.

Shane Greene has flopped in Detroit and Gregorius has been in the middle of everything good that is the New York Yankees this season. He hasn’t replaced Jeter but he’s made a lot of us forget about him and I don’t think anyone expected to be reading this in September of 2015, a mere season removed from the Captain’s retirement.