The Yankees Could Take On THIS Contract AND Move Jacoby Ellsbury?

What the New York Yankees have on their hands is a $153 million fourth outfielder and bench player. While in years past I wouldn’t have personally blinked an eye at that because I was far from concerned with the austerity and the budget side of things when it came to my favorite team but this year it seems different. I see the end game here. I see the fact that the Yankees can spend one season being fiscally responsible before going back to the “Greedy Pinstripes” that the team was when they bought up the free agent market before the 2009 season thus spawning The Greedy Pinstripes blog and mindset. With that in mind I got thinking if the Yankees could possibly take on a bad or hefty contract that is possibly shorter in nature while somehow also shedding themselves of the Jacoby Ellsbury contract in the same move. Is it possible? Keep reading.

Before we get into the “who” the Yankees would be trading for let’s take a quick second and delve into “what” the Yankees are trading. Ellsbury is owed $21.2 million in 2017 (obviously a prorated amount since more than half the season has passed) as well as $21.2 million in each of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 season with an option and $5 million buyout option for the 2021 season. That’s $77 million the Yankees would be trying to move and officially four years on a deal. If the Yankees are going to move that they are going to have to take on a comparable contract so with that in mind I looked at not only comparable contracts but useful players with comparable contracts as well. Keep in mind that likely none of these players alone will lead the Yankees to a World Series but I truly think all of them could at least be useful down the stretch and for the remainder of the season.

The San Francisco Giants are presumably in sell mode and the team has a couple of pitchers that will presumably be moved before the deadline. Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto were added to the club a couple offseasons back with the intention of San Francisco heading back to the World Series but that plan never came to fruition for Brian Sabaen and company leading to the possible sell off of these contracts here in 2017. Samardzija has three years left on his deal worth $59.4 million while Cueto has an opt-out clause that would allow him to walk away from his four-years and nearly $100 million left on his deal on the table. According to Jon Heyman the Giants will lose Cueto to the opt-out clause this offseason regardless of how the right-hander pitches. That’s a big risk for the Yankees to take though just because Heyman and his “sources” say so though likely leading to a non-deal for the Yankees here. The team wants to shed salary and years, not gain a ton of it with a pair of pitchers at or above the 5.00 ERA mark in 2017 in a historically pitching friendly ballpark.

The Detroit Tigers also have a pair of pitchers that could and will likely be dealt before the deadline in 2017 in Jordan Zimmerman and Justin Verlander. Zimmerman is owed nearly $81 million for this season and the next three seasons while Verlander is owed $68 million for the remainder of 2017 and two seasons beyond this season. Neither Verlander nor Zimmerman has pitched well in a pitcher friendly environment out in Detroit and both pitchers would absolutely scare the life out of me inside Yankee Stadium. No thanks and no thank you.

Speaking of scaring the life out of people, the final potential trade the Yankees could make to shed some salary takes the team to the Deep South to Marlins Park in Miami. Yes I do realize that it is highly unlikely and borderline foolish for anyone to think the Yankees could pull off a deal involving Giancarlo Stanton for many reasons but now is the time to dream for the fans. Dream on this, dream on the idea of having Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the middle of the Yankees lineup for the next 10-15 years or longer. The Marlins’ hands will be tied for the most part with the team now up for sale by owner Jeffrey Loria but the only way the team is going to make any significant moves in my opinion is to shed some salary. That salary belongs to Giancarlo after he signed a monster 13-year deal worth $325 million, $300 million of that Stanton is still owed more or less. Taking back the salary of Jacoby Ellsbury is a drop in the bucket for Miami while the trade is potentially organization changing for both clubs. It isn’t likely to happen in my opinion but man is it nice to dream about having an outfield of Stanton, Judge and Clint Frazier going forward.

Keep in mind that if the Yankees don’t move Ellsbury before the July 31^st trading deadline that it doesn’t mean that the team can’t and won’t move him. There aren’t many teams or presumably any teams who would flat out claim him off waivers and risk being stuck with that entire contract so it seems very likely that the Yankees outfielder could clear waivers allowing him to be traded to any of the other 29 MLB teams. I’d say stay tuned but we have another month and a week before this one potentially works itself out. Stay tuned anyway though. 

Two Additional Arms Enter the Trade Rumor Spotlight

The Yankees are not entering the All-Star break the way the team had hoped after storming to the top of the American League East less than a month ago. The team is seemingly in a bit of a free fall after being ravished by injuries and as the temperature rises the team is cooling down overall. In the words of manager Joe Girardi “it’s not what you want” but there is hope for the Bronx Bombers and their fans. More prospects are on the way and the July 31^st trading deadline is just around the corner so brace yourselves, reinforcements are coming. Here are two more arms for the Yankees to potentially look at during the trade deadline in 2017.

The Yankees bullpen is a mess right now and the need for another shutdown reliever has never been so obvious. While the Yankees have been great about developing power arms in their bullpen if the team wanted to look outside the organization they could look no further than Sean Doolittle of the Oakland Athletics. Doolittle is a 30-year old left-handed relief pitcher that has battled injuries over the past couple of years, which again is not what you want, but has looked healthy since coming off the disabled list on June 10. The price tag for Doolittle will presumably be down because of this although Doolittle is under team control for the 2018 season as well, so who knows what the Athletics will end up asking for him. I do know one thing, the A’s are in last place and they aren’t making the postseason thus making a 30-year old relief pitcher who has been the model of consistency over the past few seasons a valuable trade chip before the deadline. Doolittle won’t lead the Yankees to the World Series on his own but he almost has to be better than Tyler Clippard has been, right?

The Yankees may need a starting pitcher to go along with a bullpen acquisition if they want to make it to that World Series and while it’s nice to dream about acquiring Jose Quintana, Gerrit Cole or Johnny Cueto the truth of the matter is the team is not likely to part with the prospects to do so making arms such as Lance Lynn all that more attractive to the team. Lance Lynn is currently wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform in his age-30 season and while the Cardinals are in contention in the National League Central Division we have heard all season long about the plethora of pitching prospects they have ready to come through their system. Moving a 30-year old consistent arm like Lynn could clear the way for one of those prospects to make the big jump to the Major Leagues without too much pressure of a pennant race. Lynn would give the Yankees innings, let it be known that Lynn would be no more than a fourth-or-fifth starter in the Bronx, and could help give the bullpen a partial night off every fifth day. That’s valuable if the Yankees can get Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda right. 

The Highly Unlikely Trade Acquisition of Johnny Cueto

edit: Written before the Dustin Fowler knee injury.

Yeah, I am way out in left field. Yeah, this is unlikely. Yeah, I may be a little off my rocker. So what? The New York Yankees need starting pitching help and will presumably be in the market for some at the July 31^st trade deadline so why not ignore a big name and go after someone that actually makes sense? Why not make the phone call to the San Francisco Giants and why not make a trade offer for right-handed starter Johnny Cueto? 

Johnny Cueto has four years and $84 million left on his contract after the 2017 season but many people are forgetting that Cueto has an opt-out clause that can allow him to test the free agent market after the 2017 season. This is a huge risk but could be a huge reward for the Yankees if they acquire him because if Cueto does opt-out, and according to Jon Heyman at FanRag Sports he will, the Yankees cannot offer him a qualifying offer and could potentially lose him for “nothing.” On the other hand if he sticks around and decides not to opt-out the Yankees would have a $21 million pitcher on the books when the team is trying to get under the luxury tax threshold after the 2018 season.  

Of course you can play Devil’s advocate though and remember that Masahiro Tanaka also has a similar opt-out clause written into his contract so if Cueto did opt to remain with the Yankees at least the Yankees would have a reliable arm in the rotation. We could debate this and debate what could or is going to happen all day but you have to get the trade done first. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, could the Yankees get the trade done? Absolutely. They have the prospects to get ANY trade done, but should they? 

Again, more questions than answers. Cueto has postseason and World Series experience after leading the Kansas City Royals to the World Series in 2015 and the San Francisco Giants to the postseason in 2016 but his 2017 campaign leaves much to be desired. Cueto currently sports a 4.20 ERA pitching his home games in a very pitcher-friendly ballpark and has allowed 13 home runs away from AT&T Park in 2017. Imagine that inside Yankee Stadium on a Saturday afternoon with the wind blowing out. Cueto is a workhorse though and has a career 3.25 ERA so maybe, and I know everyone says this about every potential trade rumor, a change of scenery and a change of pitching coaches could turn Cueto back into what he once was. 

The Yankees have a surplus of outfield prospects and the Giants are seemingly always needing an outfielder so maybe a trade around Dustin Fowler could get the job done. I’m not sure what else the Giants need but the Yankees have a ton to choose from so these two teams could make it work. Whatever you do just don’t include any of Chance Adams, Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres and the other “blue-chip” Yankees prospects and this is a potential huge win for the pitching-hungry Yankees in 2017. 

Yankees Batters vs. Giants Pitching

There are good things and bad things about everything in life including Interleague Play in Major League Baseball. The good thing about Interleague Play is you get to face teams that you normally wouldn’t face and see players live or on television that you normally wouldn’t see but the downside, at least for American League fans, is seeing their pitchers hitting, running the bases and potentially hurting themselves. Thankfully for New York they begin a three-game Interleague matchup tonight with the San Francisco Giants but the games will take place in the Bronx where the pitchers don’t hit and the porch is short in right field.

Let’s see what the Yankees offense has done against the Giants pitching throughout their careers:

All stats and photos courtesy of ESPN.com

2016 MLB All Star Game Thread

The 2016 MLB All-Star Game is upon us. The American League and the National League with home-field advantage in the World Series on the line. This one counts unfortunately so let’s get to it. The American League starter for Ned Yost will be Chris Sale while the National League starter for Terry Collins will be Johnny Cueto. The game will be played at 8:00 pm ET inside Petco Park and can be seen on FOX.

Let’s win it just because. Because it counts and because we should. Go Team AL!

Official All-Star Game Rosters for Tonight’s Contest

Tonight the American League and the National League square off head-to-head in the 2016 Edition of the MLB All-Star Game. The starting pitchers have been named, the starters have been voted on and the final vote candidates’ campaigns are done. It’s time for baseball so here are the rosters for tonight’s contest inside Petco Park.

2016 MLB All Star Game Preview Show

Tonight marks the days many fans and players have all been waiting for, the 2016 MLB All-Star Game. The game will be played tonight inside Petco Park in front of a sold out crowd with not only bragging rights on the line but home field advantage in the World Series on the line as well. You don’t think the Chicago Cubs, the Texas Rangers, the San Francisco Giants or whomever may make the World Series this season doesn’t want that seventh and decisive game in front of their own home crowd full of raucous fans? You know they do which is what makes this game important (and which is why a fan vote shouldn’t elect the starters but I see both sides of the coin and that is another discussion for another day). So tonight the American League, managed by Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, will send Chris Sale to the mound to square off with the National League’s starter and New York Mets manager Terry Collin’s pick Johnny Cueto.

Sale has posted a 14-3 record with a 3.38 ERA and 123 K’s in 2016 in 18 starts.

Cueto has posted a 13-1 record with a 2.47 ERA and 115 K’s in 2016 in 18 starts.

The game will be played at 8:00 pm ET inside Petco Park and can be seen on FOX. You know they say 8:00 pm on FOX but after all the commercials, the introductions, this and that it will be closer to 8:40 before the game kicks off but hopefully it’s worth the wait. Congratulations to the three New York Yankees who were elected to the game; Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.

Go American League and especially go those three Yankees!

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the San Francisco Giants?

We’re drawing closer and closer to the beginning of Spring Training, the report of pitchers and catchers and presumably we’re drawing closer and closer to your fantasy draft. We’ve gone over many of the teams around the league and showcased some of the sleeper talent and the young talent that could make an impact not only now but later on in the season as well and this time will be no different as we showcase the talent currently in the San Francisco Giants organization. Since it’s Prospects Month and all we won’t waste much time on Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija or Buster Posey as you likely already know those names and know they can all help your team out so I would rather spend the time looking at a few names you may or may not know. 

The trio of Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Matt Duffy are probably household names by now but some people either don’t watch West Coast baseball or they don’t watch National League baseball so I’ll touch on them briefly just in case you are one of them. Crawford is a defensive shortstop that hit 21 home runs and knocked in 84 RBI’s last year. That’s great for a shortstop but that’s phenomenal for any player inside AT&T Park in San Francisco so grab him if you can. Belt is an injury concern but when he’s healthy he’s a 30 home run guy and a pretty good first baseman as well and is likely worth the risk after a long winter to rest and rehab. Finally Duffy broke out a bit last season batting .295 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases and should continue to improve as he enters his prime. He’s not the best third baseman in the league but he’s adequate and sometimes it is adequate and not the super stars that win you your league. 

Those are names you likely know but unless you were watching the Giants last September you don’t know the name Jarrett Parker. Parker is an outfielder that broke out in a big way last September for the club batting an even .400 with six home runs and 14 RBI in just 40 at bats. Parker won’t hit .400 all season and he may not even break camp with the team unless an injury occurs but it’s those players that show you that the big stage doesn’t bother him that generally have the most success in fantasy and I truly believe Parker fits that mold. 

Finally you have the trio of Clayton Blackburn, Adalberto Mejia and Tyler Beede. None of these three will likely break camp with the club but at least one, if not all three, may make the Major Leagues this season if and when an injury occurs. Currently San Francisco has some combination of Jake Peavy and Matt Cain in their rotation and there are obvious concerns and question marks with both of their health and effectiveness entering 2016. Any one of these three could come up and get significant starting time if an injury occurs so keep them on your watch list. 

There you go, we went into extra innings for this post. Rather than bring you three potential players or prospects we brought you a whopping seven. Maybe they help, maybe they won’t but it doesn’t hurt to keep them bookmarked just in case. You never know when you might need someone for that second half push next season. Enjoy and tell a friend!

Quick Hit: Top Fantasy Sleepers for 2016

As the Hot Stove season comes down from a rapid boil to a simmer the fantasy baseball season begins to heat up as spring training draws closer. We have discussed many times this winter already ways to improve your late pick draft strategy in hopes of winning those later rounds and in turn your leagues and this morning I want to talk about a few sleepers that I have in mind for my own personal draft. Some are big names and others are at least recognizable names but many of them had down or irregular seasons in 2015, something I cannot see these players making a habit of in 2016. If you’re worried about your draft then give this a read and maybe even a bookmark to keep handy for your draft day, maybe it will help you!

Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto fit the same mold here because both are coming from either hitting friendly ballparks or somewhat neutral ballparks in terms of hitting vs. pitching. They won’t have that problem in San Francisco as AT&T Park is one of the biggest and best pitching ballparks in all of Major League Baseball. What is an upper deck shot inside Yankee Stadium doesn’t seem like it would reach the warning track in San Francisco making what Barry Bonds did there all the more special. If either are there later in the draft then snatch them up. Both of them.

The same can be said for starter, turned relief pitcher turned starter again Rich Hill. Hill came back into the league last season with the Boston Red Sox and pitched well enough to get a team like the Oakland Athletics to give him a shot as a starting pitcher. Hill should enjoy pitching inside the Oakland Coliseum more than he enjoyed the wacky dimensions inside Fenway Park. His defense behind him in Oakland, other than at shortstop with Marcus Semien, should be solid as well. He’s a good late round pick if you need wins.

Brett Lawrie is entering his prime years finally at age 26 and will be shifting to one of the more hitting friendly parks in U.S. Cellular Field. Lawrie will be eligible at first and third base for the White Sox this season and should see enough playing time at both positions to justify a real late pick.

Speaking of favorable park switches you have to think that Mark Trumbo and his power will enjoy hitting at Camden Yards and Oriole Park, ask Chris Davis and Nelson Cruz.

Attention All Parents: Teach Your Kids How to Pitch

As a parent to two future MLB All-Stars and hopefully two future members of the New York Yankees I consider myself to be one of the most blessed individuals on this planet Earth. Whether they grow up to be baseball players, doctors, lawyers or business executives (five bonus points to the first person to get the reference) I will be proud and honored to be their father as long as they are happy and as long as they do it the right way. That doesn't mean I won't slightly nudge them as early as I can and as often as I can towards the baseball goal, especially after this offseason. Growing up I was always a shortstop with little interest in playing any other position but I may start teaching my children how to pitch.

If this offseason has told us anything it's that if you can get guys out at a decent clip at the Major League level you are going to get PAID. Look at the numbers handed down this winter already. David Price set the tone with the largest contract ever handed down to a pitcher with $217 million while Zack Greinke got the highest average annual value out of his $206.5 million contract that allows him to pull in well over $30 million every calendar year. Jordan Zimmermann got $110 million after a down season in Washington while Johnny Cueto got $130 million with elbow concerns and seemingly an inability to recreate his dominance from the National League to the American League. Jeff Samardzija was possibly the worst pitcher in the American League in 2015 and will begin a contract in 2016 that will pay him $90 million over the next five years while Mike Leake will get $80 million for being a middle-of-the-rotation type starter. Wei-Yin Chen got $80 million also with a sixth year option deal with Miami while Ian Kennedy, who was home run prone in MLB's equivalent to Yellow Stone Park in Petco, got $70 million.

Owners are either crazy, desperate or out of control. Or maybe it's all three. There is an absolute ton of money coming into the game right now and these owners are not scared to spend it on starting pitching right now. If my son's want to play baseball, great. If they don't that's great too but if they do I am teaching them how to pitch, and pitch left-handed at that. I want an early retirement.

The Curious Case of No One Wanting Ivan Nova

The New York Yankees have been dangling anyone and everyone currently in the organization out on the trade wire this offseason and the team’s GM Brian Cashman has received a few nibbles. You know the names of the men who have been traded thus far so I won’t list them again but three names in particular that Cashman named specifically still remain in pinstripes. Those names are Brett Gardner, Andrew Miller and Ivan Nova. I can understand why some teams may be weary of a 32-year old outfielder who is becoming more and more oft-injured than ever and I can understand teams not wanting to pay the price the Yankees are asking for the reigning Mariano Rivera Award winner but I am pretty baffled why no one has taken the bait yet on Ivan Nova.

Nova turns just 29-years old next month and is under team control on a team friendly deal through the 2015 season. Nova is expected to command about $4.5 million through arbitration according to MLB Trade Rumors, who are generally spot on with their predictions, before hitting free agency and yet no teams have even been linked to the right-hander. Why? Nova was woeful in 2015 but this was his first year removed from Tommy John surgery. Nova had suspect command at times with the Yankees before his Tommy John surgery and they say with the surgery one of the last things to come back is command, well command and velocity, so it’s unclear whether this season can be chalked up to growing pains and a blip on the radar or a sign for the future.

This isn’t the first time New York has dangled Nova out there either, the team also made him available before the July 31^st trading deadline and his name was linked to the Cincinnati Reds in a potential Johnny Cueto deal. We all know how that story ends, Nova stayed with the Yankees and Cueto won a ring with the Kansas City Royals, but it’s still puzzling to see why no other teams have shown any interest since.

Nova started the season in late June and finished with a 6-11 record and a 5.07 ERA in 17 starts including a stretch where he finished the season with four straight losses and a 7.20 ERA. Whether he gets traded or not remains to be seen but judging by the interested other teams have in him and judging by the available free agents still left on the board it’s looking less and less likely every single day. 

So I Guess San Francisco Wins the World Series in 2016, Right?

Well look what we have here, it looks like a pattern developing. The San Francisco Giants have made it a habit of missing the postseason only to win the World Series the next season. It happened in 2010, 2012 and it happened again in 2014. Will it happen again in 2016? Well looking at the free agency signing and the fact that Matt Cain is now you’re fifth starter it looks extremely likely.

First things first, they have to make the postseason. San Francisco should have a much clearer path to the postseason this coming year than in seasons past. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been their biggest obstacle within the division with their one-two punch of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top of the rotation but Greinke is gone and Kershaw was exposed for some not-so-nice comments he made to the team’s GM about right fielder and star player Yasiel Puig. Don Mattingly is gone and I just have a gut feeling that things are going to be a mess in Los Angeles. Especially if the Dodgers want to cut payroll by the $100 million that we have seen thrown around.

The Giants pitching staff is built for the long haul and is built for October baseball. Madison Bumgarner has been the only 200 IP in the San Francisco rotation since Matt Cain did it back in his hay day but this winter the team has seemingly fixed their rotation woes. The team signed Johnny Cueto to a six-year deal and signed Jeff Samardzija to a five-year deal, both perennial 200 IP pitchers, to plug in behind Bumgarner in the rotation. Samardzija and Cueto both pitched in hitter friendly ball parks in 2015, more so Cueto with the Reds than Samardzija in Chicago, and should benefit from the big dimensions and speedy outfielders in San Francisco’s outfield leading to more innings and more victories.

The time for San Francisco and teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks to strike is now and both teams are seemingly going full steam ahead. It shouldn’t matter though if the past is any indicator of the future, the San Francisco Giants missed the postseason completely in 2015 so they are almost a virtual lock for the World Series title in 2016. Right?

Johnny Cueto Wanted to go to the Boston Red Sox

According to Peter Gammons, the same man who said that David Price wanted to hit in the National League and didn't care about the money before signing a deal with the Boston Red Sox for $30-$40 million more than the St. Louis Cardinals offered him, Johnny Cueto really wanted to join the AL East this season before ultimately signing with the San Francisco Giants. Cueto, according to his agent, wanted to join the starting rotation with the Boston Red Sox before Price landed the largest deal ever for a starting pitcher. Would that have been a blessing in disguise for the New York Yankees?

*stats according to ESPN.com

The sample sizes are small, obviously, but it seems like much of the New York Yankees offense has seen the ball well out of Cueto's hand. Oh well, I guess we'll never know.

Best of What's Left on the Free Agency Market

The big names and the huge checks are being written this winter and the run on the second tier players is probably going to begin soon. Who is the best of what's left on the free agency market at every position?

C: Hector Sanchez
1B: Chris Davis
2B: Howie Kendrick
SS: Ian Desmond
3B: Daniel Murphy
OF: Dexter Fowler
OF: Alex Gordon
OF: Yoenis Cespedes
DH: Justin Upton

SP: Kenta Maeda
SP: Mike Leake
SP: Wei-Yin Chen
SP: Scott Kazmir

CP: Tyler Clippard
RP: Antonio Bastardo
RP: Fernando Rodney
RP: Ryan Cook

The Surprising Patient Fans

I've been impressed with the amount of patience many Yankees fans have shown this offseason.

"It hasn't been easy, but we can do it."

When it comes to what needed to be done to best prepare the team for 2016, I believe getting a starting pitcher was priority #1 this offseason. And when I say "starter", I don't mean just anyone.

The Yankees don't need a middle to bottom of the rotation starter. Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia... the Yankees can use those four to fill 80% of the rotation. However, the Yankees won't use all four of those starters in the rotation because they also have Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino. That's six options four five rotation spots.

Wait.... Do the Yankees even need a starter?

Speaking of Severino and Tanaka, the Yankees don't necessarily need an "ace" either. That's not to say neither of those guys have questions marks surrounding them. In fact, both of them have questions marks... Masahiro is somewhat of a health risk, and Severino only has 11 MLB starts under his belt. But if you assume they can stay healthy then a team could do a heck of a lot worse with those two at the top of the rotation.

Again... Do the Yankees even need a starter?

Yes.

While it would have been nice, the Yankees don't need a "David Price" or "Zack Greinke". The Yankees simply need somebody that they can lean on to throw 200+ innings, which means giving them 6+ innings over 30-32 starts. Someone along the lines of an Andy Pettitte or Hiroki Kuroda.

That guy may be Wei-Yin Chen, although he has yet to reach the 200 inning mark in any of this 4 MLB seasons, despite starting 31 or 32 times in three of those four years.

Johnny Cueto could fill that role fairly well. A 2.81 ERA over the past three years, and has thrown 455.2 innings over the past two? Sure!

Yovani Gallardo has started 30 or more times in each of the last seven seasons, and had an ERA below 4.00 in all but one of those years.

So what's the problem?

Well... money. Hal Steinbrenner will not let his general manager spend on free agents, so Cashman has to use trades to make any and all improvements to the team. But when you have pitchers like the aforementioned three available as free agents, teams willing to trade away their own pitchers are reluctant to do so.

Look at it this way...

If you're the general manager of a team, and you have a good/young pitcher you're willing to part with in a trade, would you deal away that player now when "buying" teams have more options, or would you wait until those "buying" teams have no other choice but to ask for your guy?

If you're smart, you'd wait until people are desperate for your guy, so you can charge them more. It's simple economics... supply and demand.

"What in the World is 'supply and demand'?"

The fact of the matter is the Yankees are unlikely to get their new "Andy Pettitte" or "Hiroki Kuroda" until those other pitching options are no longer available. And that requires patience... something that Brian Cashman has, but few Yankees fans (me included) do.

Which is why I'm so impressed with... *sigh*... Yankee Universe (I don't like that name). If you had told me the situation the Yankees would be in on December 13th, after the GM Meetings, and after two other trades were made, I would have predicted that Yankees fans would be up in arms that nothing has been done to improve the rotation.

But here we are... and the majority of Yankees fans I've spoken to are not worried. It's not as big a surprise, but a number of fans are not worried about the team replacing Adam Warren and/or Justin Wilson, either.

Of course, there will always be that fan who will call Brian Cashman an idiot. There will always be that fan that goes nuts over the Yankees passing up a "David Price" or "Zack Greinke". But for the first time in what seems like forever, Yankees fans in general are being patient and allowing Cashman to rebuild.

Does that mean we'll see another Core Four (or Five) soon? Unlikely. I wouldn't count on ever seeing a core like that develop again. But the Yankees finally appear to see the big picture, meaning that the future is no longer something they will take care of later. And I like that. Because as nice as it would be if the Yanks were true 2016 World Series contenders, it'll be so much better when they are World Series contenders year after year in the near future.

"I got this, folks."

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. 

Market for Ivan Nova Heating Up?

The New York Yankees have made it no secret that they are willing to wheel and deal this winter, but only if the deal makes sense for Brian Cashman. Cashman has already traded away his backup catcher for a fourth outfielder and a utility infielder for a Double-A starting pitcher and he may not be done there. Cashman has also begun fielding offers for his left fielder, closer and many of his starting pitchers including Ivan Nova. Last week we covered Nova specifically and begged the question, Who Would Be Interested in Ivan Nova? Well today we learn that the market for Nova may begin heating up soon and it begins in Chicago.

According to reports and news rumors, so take that with a grain of salt, the Chicago White Sox were interested in both Nova and the Oakland Athletics right-hander Jesse Chavez earlier this winter. Chavez has been since traded to the Toronto Blue Jays while Nova remains inside a Yankees uniform. With the Winter Meetings now underway Chicago’s interest is said to have “spiked” on Nova.

Nova turns 29-years old in January and is coming off a somewhat disappointing 2015 campaign where he posted a 6-11 record and a 5.07 ERA in 17 starts. I say somewhat disappointing because it was his first season removed from Tommy John surgery and the first year is more about the health of his elbow and actually getting the work in, something Nova did not struggle with, more so than his stats and his command, something Nova did in fact struggle with.

Before the Tommy John surgery Nova had posted a 37-18 record from 2011 to 2013 including a 16-win season and has two more years of team control through the arbitration process. Nova is projected to make $4.5 million in arbitration in 2016.

Nova was mentioned in a potential Johnny Cueto trade, although obviously he would not be the headliner or center piece, with the Cincinnati Reds in July before the right-hander ultimately went to Kansas City so it could be worth revisiting those trade talks as well this week in Nashville. Either way Nova may be spending his final weeks inside a Yankees uniform. 

Jordan Zimmermann is Why New York Won’t Sign a Starting Pitcher

The New York Yankees, no matter what the current makeup of the roster is currently, are always in on starting pitching on the free agent market. Whether they really are interested in these guys or if guys like Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman are just including them to get the biggest fan base in Major League Baseball to click on their articles remains to be seen but history would indicate that the latter is the more likely scenario. That brings me to this offseason and the Yankees “need” for a starting pitcher despite having six or seven options already inked on the roster. Sure the Yankees could get better via free agency, almost every team would have a better pitching staff with David Price leading it, but if the Yankees had any inkling of interest in any starting pitching this winter they may as well forget it. After Jordan Zimmermann got a $22 million AAV for drastically declining numbers that are sure to only get worse after a switch from the National League (in a division with three of the worst teams in Major League Baseball mind you) to the American League.

If the starting price for Zimmermann is $22 million annually, and by the way I love the fact that it was only a five year deal and I think that was a great move by Detroit in that aspect, can you imagine what the cost for Johnny Cueto is going to be? Or David Price? Cueto may get $25 million annually and Price may have a higher AAV than Clayton Kershaw, baseball’s highest paid pitcher. This is about to get out of control and these players are about to get very, very expensive. Zimmermann is a $22 million #2 pitcher behind Justin Verlander, not that Detroit has been shy about stockpiling pitching at any cost.

Zimmermann posted career-highs, although still solid numbers, in ERA (3.66), WHIP (1.20), hits allowed (204) and home runs allowed (24). Again, and this is worth reiterating, Zimmermann did this facing off against three of the worst teams in MLB almost 20 times each in the Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves.

Zimmermann will cost Detroit their second round pick since the Tigers first pick, ninth overall, is protected. It’s a good deal but the Tigers and it’s a great deal for Zimmermann, it just sucks for the rest of the league that may have been interested in a deal or two on the free agent starting pitching market. That’s not happening anymore. 

Taking a Stab at Predicting the Top 40 Free Agent Signings

As many of you know I like to take a stab at predicting free agency signings every single offseason. Usually I do the entire 155 or so player free agent class but it becomes pretty redundant to be honest. There are players on the list very few have even heard of and players that even fewer fans truly even care about. For that reason I think I will stick to the Top 40 free agents this year and predict where I think these free agents will land before Opening Day 2016. If you agree, or disagree for that matter, leave your comments below in the comments section. Thank you!

David Price – Chicago Cubs
Jason Heyward – Detroit Tigers
Zack Greinke – Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Upton – San Francisco Giants
Chris Davis – Washington Nationals
Jordan Zimmermann – Boston Red Sox
Yoenis Cespedes – Chicago White Sox
Alex Gordon – Seattle Mariners
Johnny Cueto – Toronto Blue Jays
Jeff Samardzija – New York Yankees
Ian Desmond – New York Mets
Matt Wieters – Baltimore Orioles
Mike Leake – Arizona Diamondbacks
Ben Zobrist – Kansas City Royals
Daniel Murphy – Colorado Rockies
Yovani Gallardo – Texas Rangers
Wei-Yin Chen – Boston Red Sox
Howie Kendrick – Chicago White Sox
Dexter Fowler – New York Mets
Scott Kazmir – Los Angeles Dodgers
Hisashi iwakuma – Seattle Mariners
Colby Rasmus – Houston Astros
Denard Span – Chicago Cubs
David Freese – Atlanta Braves
Marco Estrada – Toronto Blue Jays
Ian Kennedy – Baltimore Orioles
Darren O’Day – New York Yankees
Brett Anderson – Los Angeles Dodgers
Joakim Soria – Boston Red Sox
Gerardo Parra – St. Louis Cardinals
John Lackey – Los Angeles Dodgers
JA Happ – Kansas City Royals
Austin Jackson – Cincinnati Reds
Asdrubal Cabrera – New York Mets
Tyler Clippard – Arizona Diamondbacks
Doug Fister – Houston Astros
Ryan Madson – Houston Astros
Alexei Ramirez – Minnesota Twins
Mike Napoli – Colorado Rockies
Steve Pearce – New York Yankees

Complete List of All 155 Free Agents This Winter

All 155 MLB free agents that will be competing for a new job this winter have hit free agency as soon as the World Series ended. Today is the final day that their former teams have exclusive negotiating rights and tonight at 12:01 am the free agency free-for-all begins. Do you think the Yankees sign any of the below 155 free agents? Leave those predictions in the comments section below.



Atlanta Braves
Ross Detwiler
Edwin Jackson
Peter Moylan
A.J. Pierzynski

Arizona Diamondbacks
David Hernandez
Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Baltimore Orioles
Wei-Yin Chen
Chris Davis
Darren O’Day
Gerardo Parra
Steve Pearce
Matt Wieters

Boston Red Sox
Craig Breslow
Rich Hill

Chicago Cubs
Trevor Cahill
Chris Denorfia
Dexter Fowler
Dan Haren
Tommy Hunter
Austin Jackson
Jason Motte
Fernando Rodney

Chicago White Sox
Matt Albers
Gordon Beckham
Jeff Samardzija
Geovany Soto

Cincinnati Reds
Sean Marshall
Manny Parra
Brayan Pena

Cleveland Indians
Mike Aviles
Gavin Floyd
Ryan Webb

Colorado Rockies
Kyle Kendrick
Justin Morneau

Detroit Tigers
Alex Avila
Rajai Davis
Tom Gorzelanny
Alfredo Simon
Randy Wolf

Houston Astros
Scott Kazmir
Oliver Perez
Colby Rasmus
Tony Sipp
Joe Thatcher

Kansas City Royals
Johnny Cueto
Ryan Madson
Franklin Morales
Chris Young
Ben Zobrist

Los Angeles Angels
David Freese
Chris Iannetta
Matt Joyce
Matt Latos
Shane Victorino
Wesley Wright

Los Angeles Dodgers
Brett Anderson
Howie Kendrick
Jimmy Rollins

Miami Marlins
Don Kelly
Jeff Mathis
Casey McGehee

Milwaukee Brewers
Kyle Lohse

Minnesota Twins
Blaine Boyer
Neal Cotts
Brian Duensing
Torii Hunter
Mike Pelfrey

New York Mets
Jerry Blevins
Yoenis Cespedes
Tyler Clippard
Bartolo Colon
Kelly Johnson
Daniel Murphy
Eric O’Flaherty
Bobby Parnell
Juan Uribe

New York Yankees
Chris Capuano
Stephen Drew
Chris Young

Oakland Athletics
Edward Mujica
Barry Zito

Philadelphia Phillies
Chad Billingsley
Jeff Francoeur
Aaron Harang
Jerome Williams

Pittsburgh Pirates
Antonio Bastardo
Joe Blanton
A.J. Burnett
J.A. Happ
Corey Hart
Aramis Ramirez
Sean Rodriguez
Joakim Soria

San Diego Padres
Josh Johnson
Shawn Kelley
Ian Kennedy
Brandon Morrow
Bud Norris
Justin Upton

San Francisco Giants
Jeremy Affeldt
Alejandro De Aza
Tim Hudson
Mike Leake
Tim Lincecum
Marco Scutaro
Ryan Vogelsong

Seattle Mariners
Joe Beimel
Franklin Gutierrez
Hisashi Iwakuma

St. Louis Cardinals
Matt Belisle
Randy Choate
Jason Heyward
John Lackey
Mark Reynolds
Carlos Villanueva

Tampa Bay Rays
Asdrubal Cabrera
John Jaso
Grady Sizemore

Texas Rangers
Yovani Gallardo
Colby Lewis
Mike Napoli
Ross Ohlendorf
Drew Stubbs
Will Venable

Toronto Blue Jays
Mark Buehrle
Marco Estrada
Jeff Francis
LaTroy Hawkins
Munenori Kawasaki
Mark Lowe
Dioner Navarro
Cliff Pennington
David Price

Washington Nationals
Ian Desmond
Doug Fister
Denard Span
Matt Thornton
Dan Uggla
Jordan Zimmermann

Recently Opted Out or Released:

Burke Badenhop (Reds)
Skip Schumaker (Reds)
Joe Nathan (Tigers)
Chad Qualls (Astros)
Jeremy Guthrie (Royals)
Alex Rios (Royals)
Zack Greinke (Dodgers)
Cliff Lee (Phillies)
Jonathan Broxton (Cardinals)
Clint Barmes (Padres)
Casey Janssen (Nationals)
Nate McLouth (Nationals)
Alexei Ramirez (White Sox)
David Murphy (Angels)
Alex Gordon (Royals)
Ryan Raburn (Indians)