Trust the Cashman Process...

Brian Cashman (Photo Credit: Andrew Mills/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Yankees GM continues to target role players for the Opening Day Roster…

Trust Brian Cashman sounds like an oxymoron. Yet, I hope Cashman is looking at upgrades in earnest as Spring Training continues to slog its way through March.

I realize the regular season starts this month, but Thursday, March 28 at 4:10 EDT in Houston, Texas seems so far away. It is funny how excited we are when Spring Training opens in February, but after a few weeks of exhibition games, it becomes a grind. It is always good to see the Yankees on the field playing baseball, but the yearning for games that matter becomes insatiable.

Patience…dang it (that last part is for me, not you).

With the reports that the Yankees were finalists for free agents Kiké Hernandez and Amed Rosario, the Yankees’ front office is trying hard to find infield bench support. With Hernandez re-signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers (no surprise) and Rosario taking less money for greater potential playing time with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees luck for finding a strong number two starter and a solid utility infielder rank up there with their ability (or should I say inability) to find a left fielder last year. 

The Yankees have no choice but to find a utility infielder with the news that Oswald Peraza has been removed from baseball activity for six to eight weeks after he was diagnosed with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder. It is not like Peraza will be ready to go in two months. The best-case scenario, assuming he does not need surgery, would be greater than two months. Once he resumes baseball activity and plays in minor-league rehab games, two months easily becomes three or more. Most likely, we will not see Peraza until sometime this summer at the earliest. Hopefully, this does not fall into a worst-case scenario for the talented young infielder. I had hoped that Peraza would be able to prove his worth at the Major League level this year. Either get a legitimate shot with the big-league club or receive a much-deserved trade to another team that can provide the necessary Major League playing time. For now, both opportunities are on hold.

Peraza’s absence is cause for concern at third base, let alone shortstop. While DJ LeMahieu can be the everyday third baseman, good health has not been his friend. I am not entirely confident of LeMahieu’s ability to hold up to the rigors of a full season playing nearly every day. With questions about backup support for third base and shortstop, the Yankees must hope Anthony Rizzo stays healthy. The Yankees are better prepared to manage injuries in the outfield than any of the infield spots outside of catching. As such, it seems like a trade is imminent since the Yankees have not been able to find what they are looking for in free agency.

Unfortunately, Jeter Downs is not the player he once profiled to be. Then again, if he had become that guy, the Yankees would have never gotten their hands on him. The guys rounding out the bench seem to be players on other teams now, subject to change…not the guys in camp on minor league deals. Time will tell and since the regular season is so far away (at least to me), there is time for Brian Cashman and Company to find the necessary reinforcements. But of course, we have said that before and nothing happened.

I have been pleasantly surprised and quite pleased about how well Marcus Stroman has fit in with the Yankees. Throwing four no-hit innings against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, the other day was nice. Granted, he is not going to pitch like that every time out, but he is showing that he can be a trusted third starter for a contending team. The Yankees desperately need some reliability behind Gerrit Cole with the questions surrounding Carlos Rodón and perhaps Nestor Cortes. Stroman is the needed source of consistency.

Marcus Stroman (Photo Credit: Gerald Herbert/AP)

I think Clarke Schmidt is positioning himself to be a strong back-end starter, with the potential to rise in the ranking. Reaching the third spot in the rotation may be his ceiling but those guys can help win championships. I loved Andy Pettitte as a Yankee, but he was never the ace of the staff. Yet, he was the guy you wanted on the mound in October. Schmidt can be that kind of guy. He seems to be the wild card for the Yankees’ inability to add another top starter. No doubt Clayton Beeter and Will Warren will get a chance to prove themselves, so Schmidt must continue to improve as he did last season. My expectation is he will. I like Schmidt, and I want him to succeed. If the Yankees had been successful in finding a pitcher to place behind Cole, I would have preferred to see Cortes lose his starting role over Schmidt. Cortes could be a valuable swingman out of the pen.

If I had to rate the starting pitchers by order of my confidence, it would be 1) Gerrit Cole, 2) Marcus Stroman, 3) Clarke Schmidt, 4) Nestor Cortes, and 5) Carlos Rodón. That certainly does not mean I believe Rodón is a fifth starter, or that Stroman is a number two…it is just the confidence level I have in each to perform their expected level of play. I am not ready to say that Rodón is the latest version of Sonny Gray (in Pinstripes), Carl Pavano, Javier Vasquez, or some other random pitcher who failed miserably for the Yankees, but he is on the fast track. Rodón needs to be the pitcher he was for the San Francisco Giants two seasons ago. If he is, he will shut up the naysayers like me. If he does, the Yankees will be playing in October.

It seems like a foregone conclusion that the catching tandem will be Austin Wells and Jose Trevino. Not sure what becomes of Ben Rortvedt, but that is the least of our concerns. Wells has shown this Spring that he can be more than a platoon partner with Trevino. I love Trevi, and I enjoy him as a Yankee, but I would love to see Wells take command of the catching position to become the undisputed starter. His offensive potential alone sets him apart, but his improvement on the defensive side cuts the gap between him and the more defensively talented Trevino. Wells and Trevino might be the most confident I have felt about the catching position since the days of Jorge Posada and Joe Girardi.

I hate to give kudos to an AL East Rival, but the Toronto Blue Jays did a wonderful job with signing former Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto to a minor league deal. On one hand, it is sad that Votto will not be a Red for the entirety of his career, but on the other hand, he is a player with something to prove. If the Reds thought he had nothing left in the tank, the Blue Jays could be the beneficiary if he does. I would have liked Votto on the Yankees in a backup role, but the way the team is constructed, he is not a fit for the roster. Giancarlo Stanton clogs the DH role for the Yankees (which is why I would be willing to move Big G if I could). I will pull for Votto to succeed so long as it does not come at the cost of a Yankees loss. I am not a huge fan of Toronto players, and my admiration for Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly is on ice until he leaves the Blue Jays, yet Votto is a player I can pull for. Of course, his first home run against the Yankees may change my perspective.

I am starting to buy into the Henry Lalane hype train. The 19-year-old 6’7” lefty looks like he was born to be a Yankee (beyond the fact that he was born in the Bronx). I hope he does become the pitcher many are expecting him to be.

Henry Lalane

I do not follow the minor leagues closely, but even as casual observers, we (fans of baseball’s greatest franchise) become aware of the major talents in the farm system as they progress through the ranks. Lalane will have the eyes of the Yankees Universe watching him. Hopefully, he does not wilt under the pressure. There is an extensive list of prospects who were highly (overly?) hyped, yet never fulfilled the promise. I know part of it is organizational strategy…boost the perceived value of your prospects, but part is real, and that is the case with Lalane.

I just hope he does not become trade fodder for one of those Joey Gallo-type deals.

As always, Go Yankees!

Sonny Gray is a Yankee...

Photo by Noah K Murray, USA TODAY Sports

Bummer, he’s still here…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As always, Go Yankees!

Call Me Crazy, But How About Sonny Gray (Plus, Plus, Plus) for Joey Votto

Call me crazy, but since money is “no object” anymore wouldn’t it make sense for the New York Yankees to make a run at first baseman Joey Votto? I don’t mean to downplay the money, it’s a ton of money and Brian Cashman and company have already said they aren’t going to blow up the payroll, but they also said they would spend what they had to in order to win. Getting Votto makes the Yankees not only better, but absolutely dangerous in an unfair kind of way. The Reds presumably would be willing to pay down some of that contract, or take lesser prospects if the Yankees ate the entire contract, so it only makes sense with a potential Sonny Gray trade looming between these two clubs.

Let’s be frank, this would be a huge undertaking for the New York Yankees if a trade were to happen. Votto is signed through the 2023 season with a team option for the 2024 season worth roughly $132 million. Now, some may say this is crazy because the Yankees have cheaper options in Luke Voit and Greg Bird, but I would beg to argue that point. Voit was a 27-year old (basically) career minor league player for a reason. The Yankees took advantage of a hot streak and rode him into the postseason, nothing more. There is nothing that says that Voit will be anything more or anything less than the next Shane Spencer for the club. Prove me wrong, I would thoroughly enjoy seeing it… but I don’t think that he will. Adding a proven veteran left-handed bat to a young and heavy right-handed lineup just makes sense for New York, and it would cost them a lot less than signing Bryce Harper for 10-years and $300 million+ just to learn the position. It’s simple math really, 5-years and $125 million for Votto with a $20 million team option for a sixth season or a $7 million buyout, or a 10-year mega-contract for Bryce Harper.

Now, I fully realize that Bryce Harper is 26-years old, while Votto is 36-years old near the end of the 2019 season, but Votto is still incredibly productive and would be moving to a league where he could eventually play more and more designated hitter. Votto hits for power from the left side, he hits with runners in scoring position, he hits for average, hell the guy probably gets out of bed in the morning and hits something. He just hits.

Would the deal be risky? Sure, having someone signed through their “decline” years is always risky, but this is a win-now team, and this is a win-now move. This deal would not hamstring the Yankees, but of course it would come with some sort of risk and fallout if Father Time were to catch up to Votto soon. If the Yankees could swing a deal including Sonny Gray, obviously not straight up… but as a part of a package, I think you have to do it and worry about his age 38-41 seasons then, not now.

No Way, Jo-ey (Votto)

The New York Yankees are one of the hotter teams in Major League Baseball right now, but as I have said in the past here on the blog, the team has the potential to be even better. The team is getting healthier by the day as we await the returns of Brandon Drury, Clint Frazier and others and the offense and pitching are finally starting to click. The team is not perfect by any means and they will likely need reinforcements at the July 31^st trade deadline in some capacity, but the Yankees have to be smart about who they add to this team nucleus. I have heard “rumors” and opinions of who the Yankees should trade and who the Yankees should try to acquire but I think the biggest head scratcher of them all was the rumor that had the Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto coming to the Bronx. No way, Jo-ey Votto, and no thank you. 

This one was an easy one, although it is apparently not as blatantly obvious to some as it is to others why the New York Yankees should not acquire Votto. First and foremost, the team spent all winter not only trying to improve but trying to improve while still getting under the luxury tax threshold. The team is well under the threshold and will have some money to spend here in July at the deadline, but the team doesn’t have Joey Votto money. Votto signed a deal with the Cincinnati Reds back in 2012 for 12-years and a whopping $251.5 million, equating to an Average Annual Value (AAV) of roughly $21 million per season. Votto has six seasons of that deal left including the team option for the 2024 season and a total of $145 million remaining (AAV of $24 million). If the Yankees paid the exuberant price in terms of prospects for Votto and acquired him the team would be well over the luxury tax threshold and would continue to not only pay .50 cents on the dollar for every free agent dollar they spent next offseason, but the team would also potentially run the risk of being affected in the MLB First Year Player Draft and the international signing period. Not worth it. 

It is especially not worth it when the team already has a viable, albeit injury prone, first baseman of the future in Greg Bird. Believe in him, don’t believe in him, call him the next Carl Pavano (minus about $40 million which is what made the Pavano signing hurt, not the injuries, but I digress), do whatever you want to do but the one thing you cannot do is give up on a first baseman with that much potential that is in his Age 25 season. And no, before anyone chimes in, you cannot trade Bird right now either. I mean, you could, but the same reasons anyone would want to trade him would be the same reasons other teams either wouldn’t want him or would low ball the Yankees for his services. I’m not willing to block him, nor am I willing to just give him away. Again, he is just 25-years old.  

Speaking of age, Votto is 34-years old and will be 35-years old by seasons end. Sure, Votto is great and that bat inside Yankee Stadium would be something that legends and movies are made of… for now. Maybe for a few seasons, but Votto is potentially signed through his age 40 season and into his age 41 season. Remember Alex Rodriguez? No thanks.

Every Team’s 2017 Regular Season MVP… Because Why Not?

Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale

New York Yankees: Aaron Judge

Baltimore Orioles: Jonathan Schoop

Tampa Bay Rays: Steven Souza Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays: Justin Smoak

Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber (could have been one of many players though)

Minnesota Twins: Brian Dozier

Detroit Tigers: Michael Fulmer, because Justin Upton was traded

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer

Chicago White Sox: Jose Abreu

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Mike Trout

Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus

Houston Astros: Jose Altuve

Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz

Oakland Athletics: Khris Davis

New York Mets: Jacob deGrom

Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon

Atlanta Braves: Freddie Freeman, as a first baseman or a third baseman.

Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton

Philadelphia Phillies: Aaron Nola

Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant

Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Thames because I feel bad giving it to Travis Shaw for half a season

Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen

St. Louis Cardinals: Tommy Pham, potential Rookie of the Year if it weren’t for Cody Bellinger

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto

Los Angeles Dodgers: Cody Bellinger

San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey

Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt

San Diego Padres: Brad Hand, because who else would it be?

Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon

Leave your thoughts, gripes and disagreements below in the comments section. This was all for fun though, treat is as such. Thank you in advance!

There’s Time For Rest in November…

Sleep?  Who needs stinkin’ Sleep!  The Yankees arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio at 5:08 a.m. yesterday following their 18-inning marathon win over the Chicago Cubs and by the end of the day, they had their sixth consecutive victory with the 10-4 pounding of the Reds.  The Yankees treated their former top prospect Rookie Davis, banished to Ohio in the Aroldis Chapman trade, like, well, a rookie.  Run-scoring singles by Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius put three runs on the board in the first inning and the sleepless Yanks were in charge early.

It was another okay, but not great, pitching performance by Masahiro Tanaka.  He definitely went the ‘bend but not break’ route in picking up his fifth win of the year.  The Reds had the bases loaded with no outs in the fourth inning, trailing the Yankees by three.  But a pop out and a double play ended the threat.  It was probably the game-defining moment.

Credit:  John Minchillo/AP

In the seventh inning with former Washington Nationals closer Drew Storen on the mound, three Yankees were hit by three pitches.  It wasn’t intentional but that’s a lot for one inning.  The last one, a pitch that hit Chase Headley on the bone just below his knee (ouch!) with the bases loaded, scored a run.  Ronald Torreyes, after being knocked down by a high, inside pitch from the wild Storen, singled to put the Yankees up 7-2.  The second runner, Gary Sanchez, was easily thrown out at the plate, for the final out.   

In the bottom of the seventh inning, with Tanaka running on fumes after reaching the 100-pitch mark, he walked Zach Cozart and then gave up a no doubt-about-it home run to Reds slugger Joey Votto.  With his 112th pitch, Tanaka somehow got Adam Duvall on a swinging strikeout to end the inning.  As Tanaka walked off the mound, he was clearly upset about the Votto home run but his night was done with the Yankees leading 7-4.

The eighth inning featured another long home run to right by Brett Gardner, scoring two runs, and a solo shot by Matt Holliday, playing his second straight game at first base.  

From there, it was up to the depleted Yankees bullpen.  With most of the relievers unavailable, the Yankees went with Tyler Clippard for the eighth.  Clippard was his usual self with a quiet inning that saw three up and three down.  I have to admit that I got a sick feeling to my stomach when I saw lefty Tommy Layne warming up for the ninth inning.  A six-run lead should make one feel fairly secure, but if any Yankee could blow a large lead, it’s Layne.  It didn’t help when the first batter reached on an infield single.  The next batter hit into a ground out but the Yanks were unable to turn a double play, capturing only the lead runner.  That brought the speedy Billy Hamilton to the plate.  Layne fell behind in the count very quickly with three successive balls.  I started to have chills, knowing the heart of the Reds order was coming up.  After a couple of well-placed strikes, Hamilton hit a grounder to Didi Gregorius.  This time, the Yankees were successful in turning the double play and it was game over.  Yankees win, 10-4.

The Yankees (21-9) maintained their half-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles.  The O’s withstood a late challenge to beat their former catcher Matt Wieters and the Washington Nationals 6-4.  The O’s have won five in a row as they seemingly match the Yankees step-for-step on a nightly basis.  The Boston Red Sox had the night off.

Prior to yesterday’s game, there had been speculation the Yankees might send down Sunday night heroes Chasen Shreve and/or Jonathan Holder to bring up fresh arms.  But in the end, it was Rob Refsnyder who got the ticket to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  In his place, the Yankees recalled pitcher Chad Green.  

For the Reds, the loss cost them first place in the NL Central as they were overtaken by the St Louis Cardinals.  

The Yankees face a more challenging pitcher today in Tim Adleman (1-1, 4.22 ERA).  For the Yanks, CC Sabathia (2-1, 5.45 ERA), who hasn’t instilled confidence in anyone except opposing hitters in recent starts, takes the mound.  I expect to see a much stronger Reds team today so hopefully the Yankees offense can rise up to the challenge.  It will be good to see a rested Aaron Judge back in the lineup.  

Tomorrow is a day off so the Yankees will be able to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Have  a great Tuesday!  Let’s grab a W and head back to New York!

Fantasy Baseball: So You Need a First Baseman?

So you want to build a snow… wait, wrong blog. Sorry about that. So you want to build a strong fantasy baseball team this year but you’re not quite sure who to choose as your first baseman? Don’t fret and keep reading as I try to rank and educate on the first baseman across the league much like we ranked the catchers around the league earlier this month. First baseman are usually a lot easier to find than catchers are but the right first baseman can give your offense and team the lift it needs when facing tough competition in a close week. 

Obviously at the top you have the Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt but if you’re not lucky enough to have one of the top two or three picks (FYI he should never fall to three) then you may want to consider, in this order, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers and Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox. Rizzo is something special and may be playing with one of the best offensive teams in the league giving him plenty of RBI and runs scored opportunities while the same can be said for Encarnacion. Encarnacion was fantastic last season and may only be the third best hitter on his team, let that sink in. Meanwhile I like Abreu better than Cabrera if I am building an All-Star team but Cabrera has the better offense and more protection around him while Abreu will get his fair share of intentional walks in 2016. For those reasons these are my Top 5 first baseman in the league.

To take that list one step further I would have to with Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles sixth, especially since he’s hitting in Camden Yard again, Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals seventh, Joey Votto of the Reds eight, Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers ninth and Brandon Belt of the San Francisco Giants 10^th. I like Votto, I like him a lot actually, but he has nothing around him in Cincinnati and will likely receive a lot of the same treatment Jose Abreu will receive in Chicago. I also wanted to put Freddie Freeman on this list somewhere in the Top 10 but could not justify it for the same reasons leaving me to add Belt, Hosmer and A-Gon. 

If you miss out on any of these Top 10 or 11 first baseman there are still true options out there but the risk factors start to show their ugly heads. Players like Albert Pujols, Carlos Santana and Lucas Duda always have injury concerns following them around while Mark Trumbo of Baltimore and Byung-Ho Park of Minnesota come attached to huge question marks and unknowns. And then, for the Yankees fans reading, there is Mark Teixeira. Who knows what to expect out of Teixeira? Will he need a DL stint or three? Will he push for 40 home runs again or will he miss more games than he hits home runs? I have no idea so unless you just need a first baseman and need to take a chance it may be wise to stay away from Teixeira unfortunately.

And there you have it, your first baseball rankings from across the league. If you are unsure of what first baseman to take in your draft then keep this bookmarked as a point of reference. I hope it helps, enjoy!

If the Cincinnati Reds Keep Selling…

The rebuilding phase for the Cincinnati Reds really began back in July of 2015. The team was never on the brink of contention last season and ended the month of July by trading their two top starting pitchers in Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake. Cueto’s haul in terms of prospects was substantial when you figure that Brandon Finnegan came back in the trade from Kansas City while some usable pieces were also sent back to Cincinnati from the San Francisco Giants in the Leake trade. With Aroldis Chapman now heading to Los Angeles for two prospects the Reds now have no excuse not to finish cleaning out their roster and keeping selling.

If the Cincinnati Reds keep selling you have to think that the New York Yankees have to be in the long line of trade partners. With Chapman, Leake and Cueto now gone the team may turn their attentions to trading second baseman Brandon Phillips, first baseman Joey Votto, outfielder Jay Bruce and third baseman Todd Frazier. New York would presumably be interested in both Phillips and Frazier, although my personal preference would be to stay away from Phillips with his declining defense, offense and for my love of Robert Refsnyder, while the Yankees need another left-handed outfielder and first baseman like they need another hole in the head. Well that and the whole Starlin Castro thing although Castro could conceivably play third, Refsnyder play second and Headley be traded to San Diego for James Shields.

Phillips has a full no-trade clause as dies Votto so moving them would be tough, especially Votto with the money and the years left on his mega-deal, but the lure of winning could entice both, especially Phillips. Bruce and Frazier on the other hands could be dealt without their permission as we almost saw last July in the case of Bruce. The Yankees don’t need Bruce but how incredible, and expensive, would it be to land Todd Frazier?

Frazier hits home runs, he is a Jersey boy, plays a great defense at third base, would be ideal in this lineup and would free up the Yankees to move Chase Headley. Moving Headley and that contract not only makes the team more flexible financially but it makes the team younger, more versatile, better defensively and light years better offensively. Frazier, again, would be awfully expensive but he is the kind of trade you move a Jorge Mateo for in my opinion. Young, controllable, cheap and effective.

If the Yankees had to take Phillips in the trade along with Frazier to keep the prospect total down I can’t say I’d be terribly upset. Is it ideal? Well no, but it’s a risk worth taking in my opinion. Even at the, brace yourselves TGP fans, expensive of Mateo AND Robert Refsnyder. 

FYI: Top 20 Contracts in Major League Baseball

Just an FYI to end your night, the Top 20 highest paid players in Major League Baseball as it stands today. Why? Just because, it's not like much else is going on.



1. Giancarlo Stanton, $325,000,000 (2015-27)
2. Alex Rodriguez, $275,000,000 (2008-17)
3. Miguel Cabrera, $248,000,000 (2016-23)
4. Albert Pujols, $240,000,000 (2012-21)
5. Robinson Cano, $240,000,000 (2014-23)
6. Joey Votto, $225,000,000 (2014-23)
7. Clayton Kershaw, $215,000,000 (2014-20)
8. Prince Fielder, $214,000,000 (2012-20)
9. Max Scherzer, $210,000,000 (2015-21)
10. Joe Mauer, $184,000,000 (2011-18)
11. Mark Teixeira, $180,000,000 (2009-16)
12 . Justin Verlander, $180,000,000 (2013-19)
13. Felix Hernandez, $175,000,000 (2013-19)
14. Buster Posey, $167,000,000 (2013-21)
15. CC Sabathia, $161,000,000 (2009-15)
16. Matt Kemp, $160,000,000 (2012-19)
17. Troy Tulowitzki, $157,750,000 (2011-20)
18. Masahiro Tanaka, $155,000,000 (2014-20)
19 . Jon Lester, $155,000,000 (2015-20)
20. Adrian Gonzalez, $154,000,000 (2012-18)

All stats according to Cots Baseball Contracts on Baseball Prospectus

Fantasy Baseball Tip: Grab a First Baseman Early

Fantasy Baseball is just around the corner ladies and gentleman so it’s time to start doing research and it’s time to start getting ready to dominate your league. While some positions, outfield for example, have a gluttony of available players and should be put on the back burner first base looks to be a real concern this season. The pool of All Star caliber first baseman is dwindling and some of the remaining pool has huge health questions entering 2015. My advice is to grab a first baseman pretty early.

Probably the best first baseman in all of baseball is Paul Goldschmidt is coming off a broken hand that cost him two months last season but should still go in the Top 5 to Top 10 while Prince Fielder returns from the herniated disk in his neck that cost him almost all of the 2014 season. Joey Votto battled a quad injury for a lot of the 2014 season, the second time in two seasons he has missed time due to leg injuries, while Miguel Cabrera is also coming off lower body surgery and injuries in his ankle. That’s before even mentioning 1B/DH Victor Martinez who had knee surgery again and may miss Opening Day.

If you can get Anthony Rizzo, Jose Abreu or Goldschmidt I would grab them pretty early on in the draft just to be sure. If not it may be a long season for you, remember where you heard it first.