All Systems Go for CC Sabathia...

CC Sabathia / Photo Credit: Getty Images (Elsa)

Yankees Lefthander Cleared for Action…

The latest medical updates for CC Sabathia show he has been cleared to resume baseball activities which is good news for everyone but most notably CC himself. Artery blockages of the heart are a serious matter, especially for a large guy who isn’t even 40 yet. A happy and healthy CC Sabathia is the greatest concern. Baseball is secondary. I am excited Sabathia will be able to embark on his final year of his magical career with the gift of good health. 

Nevertheless, it does allow the Yankees to continue fielding offers for Sonny Gray. As helpful as some people think Gray might be to the Yankees this year, my stance to rid the roster of his name has not changed. I think the Yankees can find other options for the sixth man role that do not entail paying the long man/spot starter $9 million for the year. 

In his recent comments, GM Brian Cashman said, “When it developed (Sabathia’s angioplasty in December which involved placement of a stent in a blocked heart artery), it slowed down my conversations with intent because we had to see how this played out first.” Cashman went on to say, “Once he has these follow-up appointments, I’ll be in a much better position to either fully engage the conversations we’ve had or continue to slow-walk it while we make sure CC’s health is taken care of, that is first and foremost.” 

Based on the latest reports, it seems safe that Cashman can get San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller on the phone for further talks. It would be nice if the Yankees could get someone who can assist at the Major League level right now as opposed to a bucket of prospects. If the Yankees do go for prospects, I sure wouldn’t mind getting catcher Luis Torrens back. But for someone who could help now, Padres closer (and one-time Yank) Kirby Yates could certainly help fill the void left by David Robertson who departed for the not-so-greener pastures of Philadelphia. Well, I take that back, D-Rob did get plenty of green in Philly, to the tune of $23 million. Anyway, Yates would look nice in the Yankees bullpen if the team decides not to pay the clearly better option (Adam Ottavino) which might help the likelihood the Yankees re-sign Dellin Betances after the upcoming season.    

Kirby Yates

The leader of The Greedy Pinstripes, Daniel Burch, posted this comment on Twitter yesterday:

Daniel perfectly summed up how I feel about the Manny Machado situation. I’ve probably been on Team Machado much stronger than either Daniel or Bryan Van Dusen (they both seem to prefer Bryce Harper which certainly makes sense), but I am just as tired of the situation as Daniel is. I am ready for the endless debate about Manny and Bryce Harper to end. There’s no doubt I want at least one of the two 26 year old superstars and will be disappointed if neither one of the generational talents come to the Bronx. But honestly, I want this to end even if it means neither player dons the Pinstripes this summer. I’d really like the Yankees to move on to other areas of roster improvement. If the Yankees do not get Machado, we still need a strong backup option for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Sure, Gleyber Torres can slide over and it is possible that Tyler Wade could step up to be the player we need, but I want another strong defensive option heading into Spring Training. I’ve long said Marwin Gonzalez would be a perfect fit for the roster with his versatility. In addition to his ability to play around the infield, the majority of his time last year was spent in left field. He would be a great option to spell Brett Gardner. Nothing against Gardy, but he is better served in moderation and not overly exposed every day at this point in his career. Gonzalez can play short, he can play third. Even though he’s never played the position, I bet you could toss him a catcher’s mitt and he wouldn’t embarrass himself. The point is the guy’s versatility. Plus, he is a team guy with championship experience. If not Gonzalez, I’d better happy with the return of Adeiny Hechavarria’s glove. Josh Harrison doesn’t return excite me despite the Yankees’ interest in the player over the years.  But if the Yankees decide for an encore engagement with Neil Walker, so be it. Let’s not pin our hopes on Wade as the backup plan. I guess you could say we need a backup to the backup to see how this plays out in Spring Training. 

There really isn’t much more the Yankees need to do to improve. Machado or Harper would make them better, but regardless, the Yankees will be ready to compete for the AL East Championship by the time the Baltimore Orioles arrive at Yankee Stadium in late March.  The Yankees have not won the AL East since 2012 but it’s time to take back what is ours. It’s kind of sad that the only AL East team NOT to win the AL East since the Yankees last won are the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles, Blue Jays, and of course the Red Sox have hoisted the flag since the Yankees last dominated the AL Eastern Division. Boston, as we unfortunately know, has won it for the last three consecutive years.  Enough is enough.  I am tired of the Wild Card and want to ensure we enter October with a multiple-game series and are not faced with another ‘do-or-die’ one game or go home situation. The Red Sox will be strong, maybe not 108 wins strong, but they’ll be no pushover, especially if they figure out a good solution for the back end of their bullpen. The Rays aren’t going away anytime soon with their talented pitching staff, even if they can’t get anybody in the St Petersburg-Tampa area to watch them play. We also know there’s a beast being born in Toronto with the riches of young talent, like Vladimir Guerreo, Jr and Bo Bichette, rapidly working their way to the Show. We may not see it in 2019 but the Blue Jays loom as a serious threat on the horizon. Our opportunity is now. I know I am tired of talking about Machado and Harper, but dammit, they’d help. 

Spring Training is a little more than a month away. With Boston feeling the pain of their payroll and the need to lock up some of their young superstars within the next couple of years, the Yankees have a golden opportunity to eliminate the gap in talent between the teams. Hal, it’s only money. Lord knows you are making more and more every year. Remember what it was like to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy in 2009?  You can have that feeling again. We want you to be sprayed with Champagne. We’re only thinking about your best interests so go ahead and spend a little and bring World Series Championship #28 back to the Bronx. Happy Yankee fans like to spend money. 

This post kind of embodies where I am at with Machado. I keep trying to get him out of my head yet I inevitability circle back around to him. Please, let this end soon. If it is Machado or Bust, I am getting dangerously close to Bust. But you know, Manny would look really good in Pinstripes…

As always, Go Yankees!

ICYMI: A Few Bullpen Moves

From Bryan Van Dusen seen originally HERE:

Blake Parker, Kirby Yates, and Anthony Swarzak are no longer with the Yankees

Parker and Yates were claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of The United States of... you get the joke, and it's not a good one anyway.

Swarzak elected free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to the minors.

None of these three will be missed by the Yankees or their fans. That's not to say they weren't good guys or teammates, but Parker's ERA was 4.96 in 16 games, Yates' was 5.23 in 41 appearances, and 5.52 in 26 games.

Yankees Offseason Week in Review

What happened this week during the Yankees offseason? Let's recap what went down:

 -- CC Sabathia will undergo a routine knee surgery this offseason. CC will have his knee cleaned up a bit and this was considered to be scheduled and not a big deal, and I believe the team this time.

 -- Larry Rothschild was the Yankees only free agent to be in the coaching department and the team has already signed him to a new deal for the 2017 season.

 -- Blake Parker and Kirby Yates were claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim while Anthony Swarzak and Eric Young Jr. elected free agency.

 -- James Kaprielian was officially added to the Arizona Fall League roster for the Yankees.

 -- George Steinbrenner has been added as a finalist for the Hall of Fame.

A Few Bullpen Moves

Blake Parker, Kirby Yates, and Anthony Swarzak are no longer with the Yankees

Parker and Yates were claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of The United States of... you get the joke, and it's not a good one anyway.

Swarzak elected free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to the minors.

None of these three will be missed by the Yankees or their fans. That's not to say they weren't good guys or teammates, but Parker's ERA was 4.96 in 16 games, Yates' was 5.23 in 41 appearances, and 5.52 in 26 games.

Reliever Prospects Set to Step Up for Yankees

"Red Sox vs. Yankees: 8/5/2015" (CC BY 2.0) by  apardavila 

The New York Yankees might have the second most expensive bullpen in the MLB but their relief pitchers have been singled out for the franchise's hugely disappointing 2016 campaign. In spite of the quality currently in the Yankees bullpen, they currently find themselves middle of the pack in terms of their ERA, with an FIP bettered by all but two other teams in the league.


With relievers Chasen Shreve and Kirby Yates both failing to impress so far this season and with a number of other pitchers taking up space in the medical department, it may be that the franchise look at some prospects already on their books.

Here are three players that could potentially earn surprise call-ups this year as the Yankees look to salvage their 2016 campaign. 

Dietrich Enns: A pitcher who leans very much towards precision over power, Dietrich Enns may well earn himself a call-up based on on the alternate options he brings to the rotation. Drafted in 2012, the left-hander was promoted into the starting line-up in 2013 only to be forced under the knife with Tommy John surgery the following year. Impressive 2015 and 2016 campaigns in Double-A Trenton have now breathed fresh life into Enns' Yankees' career, and a sensational April in which he allowed zero runs, the 25-year-old was named Player of the Month, earning a place as an Eastern League All Star before making the step up to Scranton. 

Matt Wotherspoon: For a Yankees team currently as long as 40/1 with the latest Bet365 MLB odds, it might seem as though placing their hopes on a 20th round pick from the 2014 draft, but Matt Wotherspoon may well surprise a few people this year. Having earned his place on the rotation last season, the pitcher recorded a very respectable 3.84 ERA during his 81 innings of action after moving to Trenton and skipping High-A ball. Currently playing in the Triple-A, where he boasts an eye-catching 1.65 ERA, Wotherspoon is knocking on the door of earning a recall to the Yankees rotation if the team's pitching continues to struggle. There might be a number of more higher profile pitchers ahead of him in the pecking order, but Wotherspoon's impressive stats this season may well be enough to earn him a call-up. 

Giovanny Gallegos: Well, it's been quite a journey for Gallegos. After being snapped up as an international signing from Mexico before the 2012 season, the youngster failed to adapt to life in the big leagues, eventually finding himself farmed out. Last year saw Gallegos rack up an excellent 1.35 ERA and 2.13 FIP. And 2016 has been a similar story for the Mexican in the upper minors, currently boasting a very nice 1.41 ERA. With a real talent for striking out batters, as well as a fast ball climbing into the mid-90's, there is a possibility the Yankees may feel as though it is worth handing the 24-year-old the chance to prove whether or not he can really succeed in the MLB. 

Recap: Yankees 4, Rays 1

People doubting Alex Rodriguez's ability to contribute during his later years is nothing new.

But there's one thing no baseball enthusiast can deny about the veteran: even in his 40s, he finds a way to bouce back.

Such was the case Friday night, when a two-run shot by Rodriguez lifted the Yankees to a 4-1 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field.

The Yankees' offense had started slow, registering just two hits off Chris Archer across the first five innings. But in the sixth, with the help of some shady fielding, New York's bats finally broke through.

After a one-out walk to Brett Gardner, Archer made an errant throw on a pickoff attempt, allowing Gardner to advance to third easily. The Rays responded by bringing the infield in, at which point Taylor Motter botched a Carlos Beltran grounder to put runners on the corners.

Brian McCann plated the game's first run on a fielder's choice, and then A-Rod crushed his sixth long ball of the year to left-center.

The mini outburst backed up a great start by Yanks ace Masahiro Tanaka.

Tanaka, who entered with a 1.69 ERA on the road, tossed seven shutout innings, yielding only two hits while walking none and striking out four.

He ran into trouble in the fifth, but a leaping catch at the wall by Gardner kept Tampa Bay off the board.

Tanaka was ultimately removed with a pitch count of just 82, despite Beltran's eighth-inning solo blast adding additional insurance. Andrew Miller, Kirby Yates and Aroldis Chapman combined to get the last six outs -- though the Rays did score a run when Steve Pearce homered off Yates.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Yankees won their third consecutive series opener, pulling them to within a game of .500. 

NEXT UP: The Yankees and Rays meet again on Saturday. Michael Pineda (2-5, 6.34 ERA) and Matt Moore (1-3, 5.47 ERA) are slated to be your starters, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. ET.

MLB Trade Rumors Offseason in Review

It's an off day, the first off day of the season, so let's get caught up on some reading shall we? Let's start off with MLB Trade Rumors offseason in review post for our beloved New York Yankees. See below for a small snippet from that post and click HERE to see the entire post. Give those guys some clicks, and enjoy.



Do not adjust your screens — the Yankees did, in fact, actually go the entire offseason without signing a Major League free agent. New York instead relied on the trade market for upgrades as the team looks for a much lengthier postseason visit even as it continues to keep a close eye on future payroll commitments.

Major League Signings
None
Total spend: $0

Trades And Claims

• Acquired RP Aroldis Chapman from Reds for 3B Eric Jagielo, RP Caleb Cotham, SP Rookie Davis and 2B Tony Renda
• Acquired 2B/SS Starlin Castro from Cubs for SP/RP Adam Warren and IFBrendan Ryan
• Acquired OF Aaron Hicks from Twins for C John Ryan Murphy
• Acquired SP Luis Cessa and SP Chad Green from Tigers for RP Justin Wilson
• Acquired RP Tyler Olson and IF Ronald Torreyes from Dodgers for IF Rob Segedin and cash/player to be named later (Torreyes was later re-claimed off waivers after a brief stint with the Angels)
• Acquired RP Kirby Yates from Indians for $78K
• Acquired SP Ronald Herrera from Padres for IF Jose Pirela
• Claimed OF Lane Adams off waivers from Royals

Notable Minor League Signings
Donovan Solano, Carlos Corporan, Anthony Swarzak, Chris Parmelee,Pete Kozma, Vinnie Pestano, Jonathan Diaz, Tyler Cloyd

Notable Losses
Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Chris Capuano, Chris Martin, Andrew Bailey, Warren, Ryan, Murphy

New York Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/31

So what happened down at Yankees spring training camp today? Let's get caught back up!

Andrew Miller will pitch through his fracture in his wrist. Bryan Mitchell will not. Mitchell hurt his toe covering first base and will miss at least the next three months. Ouch.

Austin Romine is your backup catcher.

Masahiro Tanaka starts Game One against the Houston Astros.

Luis Cessa wins a bullpen slot. Johnny Barbato does as well. Kirby Yates replaces Bryan Mitchell.

Jake Cave has been waived and will be welcomed back to the Yankees if he clears waivers.

More news as it comes!

New York Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/30

EDIT:

Chip fracture in Miller's wrist. First Julio Teheran hits Jacoby Ellsbury in the wrist and now this. Damn the Atlanta Braves.

So what happened down at Yankees spring training camp today? Let's get caught back up!

Bryan Van Dusen was Johnny on the spot this afternoon with the spring updates but just in case you missed it Ronald Torreyes will be on the Yankees bench and the final spots in the Yankees bullpen come down to Luis Cessa, Kirby Yates, Johnny Barbato and Anthony Swarzak. Only two will make the team.

Bryan Mitchell hurt his toe covering first base and will undergo some tests while Andrew Miller's X-ray on his wrist came back negative. He still needs to pass a CT scan to make the Opening Day roster.

The Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0

The Final Four Bullpen Spots, That Should Be Final Three

He's a starter until proven otherwise.

I've always been a firm believer in that statement, and I thought about it yet again when reading about the final two bullpen spots available on the team.

Two of Johnny Barbato, Anthony Swarzak, Kirby Yates, and Luis Cessa, will join the Yankees on Opening Day.

In his five minor league seasons, Johnny Barbato has appeared in 179 games, however he's only started 20 of them. And more than half of those starts (13 to be exact) happened back in 2011, his first professional season after being drafted by the San Diego Padres the year before. Johnny actually hasn't started a game since 2013, and he wasn't too successful at it.

Anthony Swarzak started four games for the Minnesota Twins in 2014, however he came into 46 other games that season as a reliever. In 2015, Anthony gave it a shot in the Korean Baseball Organization, starting in 17 out of 20 games appeared in, however a 5.26 ERA in the KBO didn't "wow" anyone. Swarzak returned to the States last season, and appeared in ten games of relief for the Cleveland Indians

Kirby Yates has been a professional baseball player for seven years. In those seven years he's appeared in 285 games, and started just 18 of them (only one of them coming after 20111).

It's safe to say that these three men are relief pitchers. They were given a shot as starters, but those experiments didn't pan out.

Then we come to Luis Cessa. Luis has appeared in 95 professional baseball games, and started 86 of those. And the nine games he appeared as a reliever all came back in 2011.

I think it's safe to say that Luis Cessa's career as a starting pitcher are not over with yet.

Therefore I believe it would be best for the Yankees to send Mr. Cessa to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to continue work as a starter.

Last season ten different pitchers started at least two games for the Yanks, and seven of those started in 11 or more. The point being that the five pitchers to be awarded spots in the starting rotation on Opening Day, along with the next guy in line... Ivan Nova, will not be enough to get the team through the season.

Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/8

What went down today at New York Yankees spring training camp? Let's catch up!

Jon Heyman filled us in on a few details of the mega-deal that the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves discussed last offseason. In the deal Andrelton Simmons,Jason Heyward, Melvin Upton, David Carpenter and Chris Johnson would have gone to the Yankees while the Braves would have received Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Ian Clarkin and Manny Banuelos. For what it's worth the Yankees said "no" to the deal, Simmons spent 2015 in Atlanta before being traded to the Angels for the 2016 season, Heyward was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, Banuelos was traded for Carpenter and Chasen Shreve and the Yankees kept their top prospects. Thank goodness.

CC Sabathia made his spring debut this afternoon against the Miami Marlins and passed the first test of the season with flying colors. Sabathia pitched two hitless innings this afternoon against Miami but more importantly he came out of the whole experience healthy. Baby steps, especially with that knee.

Luis Cessa also threw two innings today while Kirby Yates and Tyler Olson threw one each. Nick Rumbelow gave up the only Miami run in the game.

The Yankees lost the game to the Marlins 1-0.

Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/3

So what happened today at New York Yankees spring training camp?

Bryan Mitchell has come to spring training looking to earn a spot on the team's Opening Day roster and his first step towards that happened today in spring camp. Mitchell pitched two hitless innings against the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander and while he struggled with control a bit you have to let that go by the wayside at the beginning of March.

Kirby Yates and James Kaprielian also had hitless innings of relief while Luis Cessa pitched two innings of scoreless relief allowing just one hit. The Yankees pitching was on today.

Austin Romine continues to impress behind the plate defensively but unfortunately he continues to lack that little something while batting at the plate. Romine was 0-for-3 today but did manage to throw out Ian Kinsler trying to steal a base on his right arm.

The new protective netting that MLB made teams installed was tested today in the 7th inning when Slade Heathcott lost control of his bat. Instead of the bat entering the stands and potentially hurting a fan it simply hit the netting and fell to the floor. So far so good.

The Yankees lost to the Tigers 3-0.

Quick List of Yankees DFA Candidates

The New York Yankees 40 man roster is now full to capacity after the trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent Rob Segedin out west and two recently designated for assignment players, Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Olson, back to the Bronx. It seems unlikely that New York would but if the Yankees want to add another arm to the squad or a final bench piece to the team before Spring Training that means they are going to have to clear out a roster space. Now that roster space can either come via trade, for instance a Brett Gardner for Gio Gonzalez trade with the Nationals where they swap 40 man roster spots, or it can come via the DFA.

Luckily for the Yankees they have a few options that they can DFA if the need for a 40 man roster spot comes up. Here is a quick list that I personally compiled so if I missed someone or if I’m completely off base with another please leave it below in the comments section. Thank you.

Mason Williams

Slade Heathcott

Kirby Yates

Nick Rumbelow

Nick Goody

Branden Pinder

Austin Romine

Having both Heathcott and Williams on the 40 man may seem redundant to some when you consider that Ben Gamel, Dustin Ackley and Aaron Hicks are there as well, so one if not both could conceivably be DFA’d if necessary. Neither would be likely to return. The same redundancy, for lack of a better term, can be seen in the pitching department. I would hate to lose Nick Rumbelow, Branden Pinder, Nick Goody or one of those bullpen arms but this is now becoming a numbers game. Plus these guys have a better chance of clearing and coming back than say Heathcott or Williams. Austin Romine may also lose to out to the numbers game since New York does not need three catchers on the roster and have plenty of depth behind him. Romine may actually be the least likely to return on the list because of his MLB readiness but it is worth mentioning that the young Yankees catcher is also out of minor league options meaning he has to make the team, which seems unlikely, or face waiver and a DFA for the second straight season. 

Yankees Also Sign Jonathan Diaz and Tyler Jones

The New York Yankees are doing everything they can to bulk up their depth in the minor leagues which was never more evident than after the team signed infielder Donovan Solano and acquired Kirby Yates from the Cleveland Indians. According to Matt Eddy of Baseball America the Yankees made a couple of other moves with Triple-A insurance and Scranton/Wilkes Barre depth when they signed infielder Jonathan Diaz and RHP Tyler Jones.

Diaz is primarily a shortstop but has also played a bit in the outfield, at third base and at second base in his professional career. Diaz has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox and has earned a reputation for having a good on-base percentage, defense and being extremely versatile. Diaz could win the last bench job out of spring training but it's likely he will be the RailRiders utility player in 2016.

Jones is a classic starter turned reliever who was twice ranked in the Minnesota Twins Top 30 Prospects list according to Baseball America. Hones has a fastball that can get up into the upper 90's in velocity with nasty cut and sink. Jones is a classic strikeout pitcher and will be 26-years old in 2016. Jones, like recently traded Rookie Davis, finally reached Double-A last season and could be a Triple-A candidate depending on how spring competitions shake out.