7 Days to Yankee Stadium...

(Photo: John G Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated)

Season Opener is a week away…

Finally, we can see real baseball on the horizon. Well, if you are an early bird, I suppose you’ve been up to watch the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s play the last two days in Tokyo for an early preview of the regular season. But, c’mon, we all know that real baseball doesn’t start until the New York Yankees take the field. 

The Yankees officially announced the signing of LHP Gio Gonzalez yesterday. Initially, it was reported to be a $3 million contract if Gio makes the Major League roster, but subsequently we learned it also includes an incentive of $300,000 per start up to 30 starts so the deal could be worth as much as $12 million. I’ve seen more than one Yankee fan say the team should use an opener before bringing Gio in so that he technically does not get credit for a “start” but seriously that’s not the way the Yankees operate.  You may feel that Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner is a tight-wad but I firmly believe even if the Yankees used an opener like Jonathan Holder for an inning before bringing in Gio to cover the next five or six innings, the team would honor the performance as a start. They wouldn’t use an opener solely for avoidance of paying the incentive. Say what you will about the Yankees’ Front Office but the Yankees have proven, time and again, they take care of their own. 

It was a little weird seeing the pics of Gio without his beard. Like James Paxton, going beardless makes him look so much younger.  

Hey, maybe it will make his arm look younger too.  Oh well, wishful thinking on my part. I do hope that Gio gets an opportunity to join the Yankees with this 30-day trial.  If not Opening Day (which seems unrealistic from a timing standpoint), a few weeks into the season. I really hope it doesn’t come down to April 20^th with us wondering whether Gio will be added to the MLB roster or if he’ll exercise his opt-out if he doesn’t. If the Yankees were truly the only team offering him a contract this month, it’s not like teams will be lined up for his services on April 20^th unless there is an epidemic of arm injuries around both leagues.

Wednesday also saw Yankees RHP Luis Severino toss twenty-five pitches from 60 feet on flat ground with his resumption of baseball activity after two weeks of rest. Sevy reported a little rust from the time off, but overall felt good about the workout. There were no reports of pain or discomfort in the right shoulder/rotator cuff.  Sevy plans to toss twenty-five pitches at 60 feet again today on his path to hopefully return in early May. I don’t want to say the season is lost without Severino but he is such a huge part of the mission to dethrone the Boston Red Sox and bring the World Series championship back to New York. Hopefully there are no setbacks on his road to recovery. We need this man and his right arm. 

I didn’t realistically think Ichiro Suzuki would be a Mariner after the two-game series in Japan but he made it official when he announced that he would retire at the conclusion of this morning’s game. What a career! The future Hall of Famer will leave the game with 3,089 hits (or 4,367 hits counting his time in Nippon Professional Baseball). I had really hoped he would pick up one final hit in the games in Japan but it was not meant to be. In his final at-bat in the 8^th inning this morning, the crowd yelled “Ich-Eee-Ro” as he prepared for the first pitch. After a lengthy at-bat, he hit an infield roller to short and the throw just beat Ichiro to first base. Bummer, I was so hopeful for a safe sign from the first base umpire. Ichiro took the field in the top of the 9^th but once all of the players were in position, Mariners manager Scott Servais pulled everyone off the field. Ichiro, the last man on the field, slowly walked off where he was greeted with hugs from his teammates and coaches. The scene was especially emotional for Mariners starter Yusei Kikuchi who made his Major League debut in the game. He bowed his head as he hugged Ichiro and it was evident tears were flowing down his cheeks. One Japanese career begins, another ends. A very touching moment. Congratulations with your retirement, Ichiro!  It was our privilege and pleasure to watch you perform for so many years. We wish you the very best with your post-playing career. No doubt Ichiro will forever be a Seattle Mariner but I am grateful for his 360 games as a Yankee after his acquisition from the Mariners on July 23, 2012 for Danny Farquhar and D.J. Mitchell. I really wish that Ichiro could have had a farewell game like Derek Jeter did, but there’s no doubt this one was every bit as emotional.  I am sad we bring closure to such a fantastic career.  It’s time but it doesn’t make it any easier.  Thank you, Ichiro. We’ll see you in Cooperstown, New York in five years.

(Photo: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

Since I am dishing out congratulations, I should throw some towards Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, the best player in the game today. His contract extension, 12-years at $426.5 million including the money he was already owed in 2019 and 2020, is official. I think it’s only right he stays in an Angels uniform for the duration of his career. Many thought he’d join Bryce Harper in Philadelphia, including Bryce, and I am sure there are more than a few Yankee fans that had hoped he would find a way to the Bronx. As much as I would have loved Trout as a Yankee, he belongs in an Angels uniform and should stay there. He is such an amazing, selfless player who is head and shoulders above everyone else in MLB. Unlike Bryce Harper, Trout deserved to be paid like the best player in Baseball because he is. 

I know the Yankees had been hoping Trout would fall to them in the 2009 MLB Draft but the Angels thwarted those plans when they chose Trout with the 25^th pick of the draft (ironically, a compensation pick for losing free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Yankees). With Trout off the board, the Yankees regrettably selected outfielder Slade Heathcott, no longer in the game, with the 29^th pick. Dang, so close, yet so far away.  Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, there were 24 foolish picks before Trout in that draft. With no offense to top pick Stephen Strasburg, there is nobody on that list who comes close to Trout. Now if the Angels could just settle their stadium situation. I know they’ve talked with the city of Long Beach but I really hope the team stays in Orange County. I love Long Beach (one of my favorite cities) but it feels like Dodgers country to me. Maybe that’s just because the Dodgers are my NL team. Long Beach is located in Los Angeles County and is just a short 45-minute train ride south of downtown LA.  Mike Trout belongs to the Angels like the Angels belong in Orange County.  I hope they can get this figured out now that they no longer have to worry about Trout.

I don’t know about you but I am ready for Yankees baseball. One week, just one week. I can smell those hot dogs and beers outside of Yankee Stadium already. 

As always, Go Yankees!

Waiting for Training Camp to Open…

The Cole Hard Truth…

I wish the Yankees would put the Gerrit Cole rumors to rest. Yesterday, it was reported that the Houston Astros had interest in Cole as a possible acquisition target. Fine, let the ‘Stros pay the high price for the talented but inconsistent starter. But no, the New York Daily News had to run a story that ‘Gerrit Cole to Yankees seems inevitable’ despite the interest from Houston.

For me, the ship has sailed. I was once enamored with the idea of adding Cole, but as time has passed, I see greater value with Jordan Montgomery in the starting rotation and guys like Clint Frazier and Chance Adams part of the organization. I would still like to see the Yankees create an opening for Frazier through the trade of either Brett Gardner or Jacoby Ellsbury (somebody take Ellsbury, please!) but Red Thunder can play a huge role on the 2018 Yankees if given the opportunity.

Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac-Getty Images

The Yankees have the money to add a proven third baseman and move forward to training camp with a solid starting five of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia, and Jordan Montgomery. Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield, and Albert Abreu headline the list of talented pitching prospects that can be plugged in if necessary at some point during the season but there are other arms in the organization that can help. Chad Green was told to report to training camp as a starter. He’s certainly an option (although my preference is to keep him in the 'pen), and Adam Warren is always on standby. Let’s keep any bullets for a trade to use in July when the team assesses its needs for the duration of the season without having to further deplete the great farm system that Cashman and Company have built.  

Speaking of a proven third baseman…

I know that Todd Frazier just wants to play baseball and would like to know where he is going to spend the upcoming season. But his words to the New York Post yesterday read like a veiled plea to the Yankees. According to the Post article written by Kevin Kernan, Frazier said “It’s going to be a new, revitalized me. I want to prove that I’m worth it. I want to be prepared and be the leader I can be on the field. I know whatever team I do fit with, they’re going to get the best Todd Frazier they are ever going to have because I want to play better. I want to get my average up. I have a lot of goals set for myself. Whenever we figure out what team we are going to go with, it’s going to be a lot of fun because I’m going to get these guys going as much as I am going to get myself going.”

It’s that last sentence “…I’m going to get these guys going…” that strikes a chord with Frazier’s leadership qualities and the strong influence he plays in the clubhouse. 

Photo Credit:  Mark Blinch-AP

“I would love a multi-year deal, but I am not closing the door on anything. I’m prepared for anything.” Brian Cashman, that’s a message for you. 

In the Post article, Frazier goes on to say “We’ve had contact with the Yankees, my agent, Brodie (Van Wagenen) has done a great job.  I love playing for the Yankees.  It was such a fun time for me.  We just came up short. We had a really good squad, and they are going to be really good again.” Reading between the lines, he is clearly saying that he can help the Yankees get to the next level. Of course, the article also implies that Frazier would gladly join the New York Mets for the right opportunity, but clearly Frazier recognizes that this is a great time to be a New York Yankee.

Can Van Wagenen and Cashman find common ground to bring the Toddfather back to the Bronx? I can't speak for others, but I would love to see it. There are no guarantees that Manny Machado will be wearing pinstripes in 2019. Josh Donaldson is on the wrong side of his prime. Granted, Frazier is only a year younger than Donaldson, but Frazier has shown that he can excel as a Yankee. I would really like to see what Todd could do with an entire season at Yankee Stadium. I remain hopeful that the Yankees can find a way to bring Frazier back.

Goodbye, Home Run Derby…

I’ve never been a Trenton Thunder game so I’ve never had the good fortune watch Derby, a 9-year-old Golden Retriever, in action retrieving baseball bats. Yesterday, the Yankees Family was greatly saddened to learn the news that Derby had died over the weekend from cancer. 

The Trenton Thunder will celebrate Derby Day on Friday, January 26th, which would have been Derby's tenth birthday. They’ll share a special tribute video and are encouraging fans to participate through social media. 

Derby was the son of the late Thunder Bat Dog, Chase That Golden Thunder, who passed away from cancer in 2013. Derby’s son, Rookie, began full-time bat retrieving duties for the Thunder in 2016. So, the spirit of Derby and his father Chase will live on through Rookie at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, NJ.

Farewell, Derby. Thanks for a job well done! You’ve left a piece of yourself in the heart of the Yankees Universe.

Oakland Athletics with Pinstripes showing…

Former Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders manager Al Pedrique, now first base coach for the Oakland A’s, will see a number of familiar faces in Arizona next month. Of course, he’ll see the guys involved in the Sonny Gray trade…Dustin Fowler, Jorge Mateo and James Kaprielian. But he’ll also see former Yankees first-round pick Slade Heathcott, who signed as a minor league free agent. Heathcott spent last year in the Giants organization. Injuries and an inability to hit with success in the upper levels of the minor leagues have plagued Heathcott, now 27. Hopefully, the clean slate in Oakland works to his advantage.

Photo Credit:  Ray Stubblebine-NY Post

Speaking of training camp, I read yesterday that Evan Longoria has already reported to the San Francisco Giants training facility in Scottsdale, AZ. Wow, baseball will be back before we know it. Pitchers and catchers have a little more than a month before they have to report to Tampa. We’ve been treated to the training videos of Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez, but I am looking forward to watching these guys in action at Steinbrenner Field. Soon, young Grasshopper…

Go Yankees! 

Expect to See Eovaldi & Rumbelow Back in Pinstripes

The New York Yankees did a bit of roster cleanup this week when the team decided to designate Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Rumbelow and Joe Mantiply for assignment. These three have cleared waivers and all were released on Monday. This should come as no surprise as both Eovaldi and Rumbelow will miss parts or all of the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery at some point in 2016 but the Mantiply decision did catch me off guard a bit if I’m being honest. Don’t fret though Yankees fans as I fully expect to see both Eovaldi and Rumbelow back in pinstripes in no time.

The Yankees have made this a habit lately of releasing minor league free agents or players only to sign them to new deals later which basically circumvents the collective bargaining agreement in a way. We’ve seen it with Slade Heathcott, we’ve seen it with Mason Williams and others in recent years and I believe we’ll see it again this year with Eovaldi and Rumbelow. All this does is buy the Yankees some time with Eovaldi while the team could easily hand Rumbelow a minor league deal without a 40 man roster spot attached to it in order to get him back into the organization. It’s actually probably already done truth be told and we just haven’t heard about it yet.

Expect these two back Yankees fans and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the team at least make an effort to bring Mantiply back as well. Stay tuned. It’s going to be a long offseason.

The Last 20 Yankees First Round Draft Picks

With the MLB Draft tonight, which can be seen on MLB Network, I figured now would be a good time to look at the Yankees recent draft successes and failures, especially in the first round. Now for the sake of simplicity and time I had to go with the Yankees first overall pick in a few of these because the Yankees surrendered their first round pick so keep that in mind while reading. Despite me being a human I am well aware that Jacob Lindgren was a second round pick. Thank you for reading and let me know who you think will be selected 18^th overall by the New York Yankees.

2015 – James Kaprielian, Kyle Holder

2014 – Jacob Lindgren (2^nd round pick, no first round pick)

2013 – Ian Clarkin, Eric Jagielo, Aaron Judge

2012 – Ty Hensley

2011 – Dante Bichette Jr.

2010 – Cito Culver

2009 – Slade Heathcott

2008 – Gerrit Cole, Jeremy Bleich

2007 – Andrew Brackman

2006 – Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain

2005 – CJ Henry

2004 – Phil Hughes, Jonathan Poterson, Jeffrey Marquez

2003 – Eric Duncan

2002 – Brandon Weeden (2^nd round pick, no 1^st round pick)

2001 – John-Ford Griffin, Bronson Sardinha, Jon Skaggs

2000 – David Parrish

1999 – David Walling

1998 – Andy Brown, Mark Prior

1997 – Tyrell Goodwin, Ryan Bradley

1996 – Eric Milton

Most Popular Article of the Week: Do the Cubs and Yankees Matchup in a Trade?

The New York Yankees have clawed from the basement and the cellar of the American League East and while the team is still far behind the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles in the division a playoff spot is not completely out of the question. Now if the Yankees played in the National League Central where the Chicago Cubs rule the land right now that may be a different story which got me to thinking would the Cubs and Yankees make good trade partners? Both if the Yankees fall out of playoff contention or if they stay in it you would have to think either way the answer is yes. Right?


If the Yankees fall out of contention they have a lot that they could offer to a team stockpiled with talent and prospects. The Chicago Cubs are the same team that was ready to put Kyle Schwarber in left field despite defensive concerns simply to get his bat into the lineup, you don’t think Chicago would take a rental of Carlos Beltran (assuming he accepts and waives his no trade clause) if the price was right? You don’t think Chicago would jump at the opportunity to acquire one or both of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller? I sue do.


If the Yankees continue to compete can they hook up in a trade as well? I don’t see why not but it obviously becomes far less likely. The Yankees still have a ton of outfield depth, Mason Williams should be back to join a stable of outfielders including, but not limited to, Slade Heathcott, Ben Gamel, Jake Cave and others, and they should be better equipped in the bullpen depth department as well. In this case the deals would be smaller and likely only involve Cubs prospects but a trade could be struck nonetheless in my opinion.


I don’t pretend to be a Cubs expert nor do I know a whole lot about their system and their needs and strengths but I believe a deal could be struck between these two teams at some point. They already have a working partnership and have made trades in the recent past so why not? We just have to wait and see how the cookie crumbles before we define what kind of trade this will be for the New York Yankees because it looks like either way the Cubs are going for it in 2016.

ICYMH: Slade Heathcott

ICYMH stands for “in case you miss him” and it’s much like ICYMI, or in case you missed it, in the fact that we are bringing attention to something that you may or may not have already seen. The New York Yankees have a downright gluttonous amount of speed and defense first minded light hitting outfielders in their farm system currently and the team ridded themselves of one this week with the release of Slade Heathcott. This, as a fan, came as a surprise and shocked me since Heathcott made such a memorable impact down the stretch last year but in the grand scheme of things the young outfielder did himself no favors during his tenure with the Yankees. So in case you miss him here is the Slade Heathcott story.

After being a first round draft pick for the Yankees in the 2009 Draft Heathcott has battled off the field issues including a fight with alcoholism as well as on the field issues. Well when he could be healthy enough to stay on the field that is. Heathcott has battled numerous injuries during his Yankees tenure including knee, shoulder and quad injuries and was on the Yankees Triple-A disabled list at the time of the release. Heathcott has been known to miss a team function or bus from time to time and has missed games due to sleeping in past his alarm and other humanly excuses. I can only presume that enough got to be enough for New York. Or did it.

You have to keep in mind that the Yankees had Heathcott on their 40 man roster, a 40 man roster that is currently stretched as thin as it’s going to get. The Yankees have already designated Heathcott for assignment and granted him his release only to immediately re-sign him to a new minor league deal and a similar outcome could be in the works right now. Heathcott is still injured and no one knows when he will return, will another major league team really take a chance on Heathcott right now? Unlikely. What is likely though is that he returns to New York as soon as next week. It’s called roster manipulation. Deal with it Boston.

So Heathcott is gone from the organization once again but have no fear to all those fans that may miss him, I truly think Heathcott will be back once again ( and yes I read Chad Jennings report where he said he didn't think the Yankees were going to pursue him again) and he will once again play like he has a chip on his shoulder. Personally, I can’t wait. 

Yankees Release Slade Heathcott

I hope I'm at least fashionably late to this party...

Last night we learned that the Yankees released Slade Heathcott. No, they didn't designate Slade for assignment, they outright released him.

It was speculated by many that the Yankees gave Heathcott his unconditional release to make it easier for them to re-sign him to a new minor league deal, like they have in the past. Had the Yanks DFA'd Slade, he surely would have been claimed by another team, and therefore he'd only come back to the Yankees if that other team returned him.

However, according Chad Jennings, that is not the case. The Yankees have let Slade go, and as of right now they have no intentions of bringing him back into the organization.

This news came as quite a surprise to me, seeing as how it wasn't long ago that Heathcott was considered one of the Yankees' top prospects. Mind you, he was never at the Aaron Judge/Jorge Mateo/Luis Severino level of prospect, but many fans had high hopes for the Yankees top pick of the 2009 Amateur Draft.

Unfortunately, Slade has yet to live up to those high hopes. Multiple surgeries to both his shoulder and knee has led to a lot of missed developmental time. In fact, Heathcott has only played in 302 games since 2012. His batting line of .257/.303/.334 in 368 plate appearances for AAA Scranton didn't excite anybody, either.

Another thing to consider is the organizational depth in the outfield. Along with Aaron Hicks, the Yankees have Mason Williams, Dustin Fowler, and Aaron Judge waiting in the wings. Not to mention that Brett Gardner may be around through 2019, and Jacoby Ellsbury's contract could go through 2021 (both have club options for the aforementioned seasons).

I know I'm not alone in wishing Slade Heathcott the best of luck in the future. Just as long as he's not hurting the Yankees. ;)

Do the Cubs and Yankees Matchup in a Trade?

The New York Yankees have clawed from the basement and the cellar of the American League East and while the team is still far behind the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles in the division a playoff spot is not completely out of the question. Now if the Yankees played in the National League Central where the Chicago Cubs rule the land right now that may be a different story which got me to thinking would the Cubs and Yankees make good trade partners? Both if the Yankees fall out of playoff contention or if they stay in it you would have to think either way the answer is yes. Right?

If the Yankees fall out of contention they have a lot that they could offer to a team stockpiled with talent and prospects. The Chicago Cubs are the same team that was ready to put Kyle Schwarber in left field despite defensive concerns simply to get his bat into the lineup, you don’t think Chicago would take a rental of Carlos Beltran (assuming he accepts and waives his no trade clause) if the price was right? You don’t think Chicago would jump at the opportunity to acquire one or both of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller? I sue do.

If the Yankees continue to compete can they hook up in a trade as well? I don’t see why not but it obviously becomes far less likely. The Yankees still have a ton of outfield depth, Mason Williams should be back to join a stable of outfielders including, but not limited to, Slade Heathcott, Ben Gamel, Jake Cave and others, and they should be better equipped in the bullpen depth department as well. In this case the deals would be smaller and likely only involve Cubs prospects but a trade could be struck nonetheless in my opinion.

I don’t pretend to be a Cubs expert nor do I know a whole lot about their system and their needs and strengths but I believe a deal could be struck between these two teams at some point. They already have a working partnership and have made trades in the recent past so why not? We just have to wait and see how the cookie crumbles before we define what kind of trade this will be for the New York Yankees because it looks like either way the Cubs are going for it in 2016.

State of the Yankees System Before the 2016 Draft

The MLB Draft comes around just once a year and every team looks to improve their team not only in the near future but the far future as well. Depending on the makeup of your farm system some teams will draft polished college players that need little to no development while some teams would rather take the chance to draft a High School pitcher to develop them their own way. What will the Yankees do with this draft and what positions do the team specifically need to focus on during the 2016 MLB First Year Players Draft?

Every team needs pitching and every team takes an absolute ton of pitching in the draft. We can ignore that because of this fact but for the first time the Yankees actually need some depth at the catcher position. Luis Torrens is yet to play this season after shoulder surgery last season and John Ryan Murphy is gone leaving New York with Austin Romine in the Major Leagues and Gary Sanchez knocking on the door. Torrens is far from a bust of a prospect but it wouldn't be the worst idea to get some more high-end talent behind the plate coming through the system. Donny Sands was recently converted from third base to the catching position but is considered to be extremely raw at the position and a long, long way away. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Yankees take three or more catchers in this year's draft.

The Yankees are pretty thin at the second base position aside from Thairo Estrada and Robert Refsnyder but I'm not concerned. Jorge Mateo is being moved to second base and the Yankees have so many shortstops they almost have to move a few of them to second base just to get them all enough playing time. A shortstop can convert to second base pretty easily since the throw to second base is shorter and the defensive mechanics and footwork is generally the same but the same cannot be said for the third base position. After New York traded Eric Jagielo, Rob Segedin and others this winter the team is extremely thin at third base which is only compounded by the fact that Chase Headley struggled for much of the season.

The final piece the Yankees will likely go after this June is the outfield, specifically the corner outfield position. They have Aaron Judge who looks destined to be the right fielder of the future but aside from him the organization seems littered with speedy and soft-hitting center fielder types like Ben Gamel and Slade Heathcott. Sure those guys are nice to have but the corner outfield position is a tradition source of power and the Yankees need that in the worst way.

The Kids Are Alright, But What If Alex Rodriguez Isn’t?

The New York Yankees have a history of downplaying injuries and when they have to they have been known to downright lie about them. That’s common knowledge these days with the fans and around the league so excuse me if I’m not jumping for joy because Aaron Hicks will miss “five or six games” and because Alex Rodriguez’s MRI on his oblique muscle came back “negative.” The New York Yankees are a team built on flexibility, durability and depth and the team is only getting two out of the three at this point in the season. The flexibility is still there with Dustin Ackley, Starlin Castro and others but does the team have the depth to survive such a catastrophe?

In a word, yes, but that’s only if the team has the guts to do it. The team has already announced, according to the New York Post anyway, that Aaron Judge would not be coming up whether Hicks and Rodriguez are seriously injured or not leaving a few less-than-desirable options. Nick Swisher likely leads the charge while Ben Gamel and Slade Heathcott top the list of candidates for the outfield position that are already on the 40 man roster. Mason Williams is still injured and players like Tyler Austin and Jake Cave seem like long shots in the organization right now.

New York could bring up a first baseman or an outfielder, or both really, if either of the injuries are deemed to be too serious. Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran are both DH candidates if Rodriguez cannot go for an extended period of time while the thought of Gary Sanchez taking at bats away from either from the right side intrigues me. That idea doesn’t likely intrigue the Yankees, especially after a sluggish start in spring training, but he’s on the 40 man roster and it’s an idea nonetheless.

The Yankees have plenty of bodies that can take the place of Hicks and Rodriguez and the good news for those bodies is that they don’t have much to live up to offensively at this moment. Sanchez, Heathcott or even Swisher could likely give the Yankees a jolt in the arm and in the lineup considering that if you add their batting averages together they are still looking like Stephen Drew but I don’t feel like either are sustainable replacements.

Aaron Judge is a sustainable replacement and the Yankees won’t call him up as the frustration amongst fans with the handling of the farm system continues. If they want to spend like the Tampa Bay Rays, and let’s remember before comparing payrolls that a ton of this money is still by the hands of George Steinbrenner and not Hal Steinbrenner, then act like the Rays. Think the Rays would hesitate to bring up a guy like Judge? Because I don’t. 

A-Rod Headed for an MRI After Tweaking an Oblique

Alex Rodriguez was pulled from Sunday's contest against the Rays after tweaking his oblique. Dustin Ackley took over at DH for the Yankees in the eighth inning. Jack Curry of the YES Network reported that the injury occurred while Alex was hitting in the cage, not on the field.

Hearing ARod tweaked an oblique while taking some swings in the cage between at bats. Yankees aren't yet sure of extent of injury.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) April 24, 2016

 He'll be sent for an MRI this afternoon to determine the extent of the injury. Obviously any injury to any of the Yankees' key hitters is not ideal when they have been struggling to put runs on the board, but with A-Rod batting .132/.233/.245 in his first 60 PAs, a little time away from the field may not be the worst thing for either the player or the team.

Of course, with Aaron Hicks expected to miss the next 4-5 days (at least) with a shoulder injury, the Yankees will likely need to make a roster move if Alex needs to miss any length of time. The same candidates I discussed earlier as potential replacements for Hicks would also be fits to take A-Rod's spot. Nick Swisher, Slade Heathcott, Ben Gamel, and Rob Refsnyder all make sense to some extent. Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira would probably see increased time at DH in the meantime.

Injury Update: Hicks to Miss at Least 4-5 Games with Shoulder Injury

There's a possibility that Aaron Hicks shoulder injury will end up being more serious than was initially thought. An MRI Saturday revealed "traumatic bursitis" in his left shoulder, which he sustained attempting a diving catch in Friday night's loss to the Rays. The team still considers him day to day, with the hope that the inflammation will subside with some short rest.

 The best case scenario is that Hicks misses the next four to five games. After Saturday's win, he told reporters, "I’ll be down a couple of days. It all depends on how I feel.” The team can get by with a 24 man roster for a few days thanks to Dustin Ackley's versatility. The disabled list remains a distinct possibility, however. If the injury doesn't improve, New York will have to decide between Slade Heathcott, Ben Gamel, Nick Swisher, or even Rob Refsnyder as a replacement.

Aaron Hicks Sent for MRI on Sore Shoulder

Yankees fourth outfielder Aaron Hicks is considered day-to-day with a sore left shoulder he sustained while attempting a diving catch against Tampa Bay Friday night. You can see the play here. Hicks hit the ground pretty hard and was very slow getting up. He was removed from that game in the fourth inning and was not available Saturday either. The latest news is he will be sent for an MRI to make sure there is no more permanent damage. The injury was reportedly no better after a night’s rest, which concerned the team’s staff. "We told him, see how you feel when you wake up. If you're really sore, we're going to send you for an MRI. And that's what happened," Joe Girardi told reporters.

Hicks has struggled at the plate in limited action thus far, going 2-22 in 14 games for the Yankees. That’s not to say he’s been a total disappointment. His cannon arm and flair for the dramatic catch has been a game-changer for the New York defense. Dustin Ackley will serve as the backup outfielder until the team determines the severity of Hicks’s injury. The Yankees have a number of options at Triple-A Scranton if Hicks goes down for any length of time. Slade Heathcott and Slade Heathcott are both on the 40 man roster. So is Mason Williams, but he’s recovering from his own shoulder injury.

Nick Swisher is another interesting possibility. It’s not clear that he should be considered an outfield option at this point in his career, but given Brett Gardner’s ability to backup Jacoby Ellsbury in center, it could work passably. The one advantage Swisher has is he could replace Hicks as a platoon option against lefties. The majority of New York’s Triple-A outfield options bat from the left side. Swish has a 125 wRC+ against LHP for his career and even managed a respectable 96 wRC+ against them last year despite his struggles overall.

What Scenarios Allow Us to See Nick Swisher in the Bronx this Season?

A lot has to go wrong for us to see Nick Swisher back in Yankees pinstripes and back in front of a Yankee Stadium crowd, right? Well if you think about it, and mix in a little speculation with a sample size of history and decisions made by this front office and organization, there probably doesn’t need to be much go wrong to see Swisher in 2016. Not much at all actually.

First and foremost Brian Cashman stated before the season that the last bench spot would be used primarily as a revolving door all season long much like the bullpen was used in 2015. That means the spot that Ronald Torreyes currently occupies could go to another outfielder when necessary, Slade Heathcott and Ben Gamel come to mind immediately, or another infielder like Robert Refsnyder in a pinch. Why not Swisher? And I’m not saying I want Swisher to occupy the spot and I’m not saying I think it’s a good idea or a bad idea for Swisher to occupy the spot but I do think the Yankees could allow him to occupy the spot and that’s the point of this post.

Swisher has a June opt-out date written into his minor league deal so he can leave on his own sometime in June anyway, I can’t see the Yankees letting a veteran like Swisher walk away for nothing, not without giving him a shot on a trial basis similar to the one they gave Refsnyder before the All-Star break in 2015, with or without an injury.

If there is any injury to Mark Teixeira then Swisher is the first one on the shuttle from Scranton to the Bronx but what if an outfielder goes down? Would the team rely on Ben Gamel or Slade Heathcott or would they call on the veteran Swisher to ride the bench while Hicks gets the majority of the playing time for New York? History would tell you it would be Swisher and his switch hitting bat and goofy personality taking the bench slot while Heathcott, who they couldn’t rely on to make the Scranton Shuttle on time, and Gamel, an unproven rookie, stay down in Triple-A for the time being.

Not a lot has to happen for Swisher to join the Yankees and I think he ultimately will before the end of the season. I’m reserving judgement on whether it would be a good idea and situation or a bad idea and a bad situation for now but it’s coming, so brace yourselves.

The Nick Swisher Reunion Question You All Knew Was Coming

When the news broke that the Atlanta Braves, despite owing him $15 million in salary for this upcoming season, flat out released Nick Swisher making him a free agent I warned the Yankees GM (jokingly of course) on Twitter not to even think about signing him. This was done very tongue-in-cheek and it was a knee jerk reaction, now that I have had a couple days to bide my time and do my research this is the question you all knew was probably coming, should the New York Yankees make a run at Nick Swisher for a second time in his career?

The New York Yankees are seemingly stacked at the outfield position with their three regulars, Aaron Hicks, Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Ben Gamel and Aaron Judge among the prospects right behind him but where Swisher’s value comes is as a backup first baseman. Swisher has played first base before and has played first base in the Bronx before I his first tenure as a New York Yankee, could he do it again? Of course he theoretically could, but will the Yankees pay the league minimum $525K while the Braves pay his $15 million on the whim that the team might need a backup for Mark Teixeira? I honestly can’t see it happening but here’s what I came up with.

Sure Swisher stole the hearts of Yankees fans in 2009 after hitting 29 home runs, driving in 82 RBI and hitting for a .249 average in that World Series season but it has been a steady decline for Swisher since that campaign. His power remained steady on New York but his strikeouts increased while his average declined as his knees began to give out. Swisher missed the end of the 2014 season and the beginning of the 2015 season after having surgery on both his knees but the saving grace for Swisher is that they wouldn’t need him to be the guy that led the team to a 2009 World Series championship. They wouldn’t need him to be the guy that got a contract in excess of $50 million from the Cleveland Indians either, they would just need him to be a better first baseman than Dustin Ackley, which he is, and a better hitter than Chris Parmelee, which he is and so am I for that matter.

Swisher has played his best baseball in the brightest of the bright lights, the biggest of the big stages and in the Bronx so why not? Because he isn’t versatile, he isn’t young or an especially good hitter and he simply clogs up the 40 man roster even further while blocking young talent like Robert Refsnyder. That’s why. Swish, I love you dude but I just don’t love you that much unless you’re coming on a minor league deal. 

Yankees Spring Training Open Thread 3/22

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

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets are currently facing off head-to-head as a part of the Grapefruit League while the Tampa Bay Rays are in Havana, Cuba. Along with the Rays are the President of the United States Barack Obama and former Yankees legends Joe Torre and Derek Jeter.

Jacoby Ellsbury was reevaluated today and the plan is to still get back into a game on Thursday. In Joe Girardi talk that means Friday, maybe Saturday.

Nathan Eovaldi pitched 60 pitches in a minor league game today while Ian Clarkin also pitched in a minor league game. That's one more game than last spring for Clarkin. Luis Torrens hit a home run in the game so his shoulder looks good thus far.

Slade Heathcott was optioned to Triple-A. I guess Ellsbury really is fine.

Let's Say Jacoby Ellsbury Has a Setback

The New York Yankees had a bit of a scare over the weekend when the team faced off with the Atlanta Braves in a Grapefruit League spring training game. The Yankees watched as Jacoby Ellsbury made a spectacular running and diving catch to help preserve another good start for Michael Pineda and then watched as he took a pitch off his wrist while at bat. Ellsbury was immediately sent for tests and X-rays and everything came back as negative, which is good news, giving Ellsbury a little over two weeks to get rid of any lingering soreness and doubt in the wrist which should be plenty of time to heal. What if he doesn't though? What if Ellsbury has a setback or injures the wrist again in the field or something? Devil's Advocate.. and go!

First and foremost the Yankees would not only lose their center fielder but would lose their leadoff hitter as well. The good news for New York is they have a pair of center fielders, maybe three or more truth be told, and a pair of leadoff hitters currently on the roster. Brett Gardner would take over the everyday center field duties and would be the first Yankees hitter out of the dugout game in and game out. Aaron Hicks would likely slide into the everyday left field position while Starlin Castro would probably hit second in the Yankees batting order. Hicks is no Ellsbury, assuming Ellsbury is healthy, but he would fill in more than adequately in my opinion.

Slade Heathcott would likely win the bench job out of spring training since he can play all three outfield positions and is still in Yankees camp. Ben Gamel may have had the inside track but Heathcott is on the 40 man and still in camp while Gamel was sent down over the weekend making the decision easy.

Could the Yankees survive a 15-day DL trip for Ellsbury? Absolutely. They have such an interchangeable lineup and defensive alignment that they could survive almost any injury, it's if the team gets multiple injuries at the same position that things may get interesting. Interesting being a bad thing for the Yankees.

What the Latest Roster Cuts Truly Mean

In case you missed it on Saturday afternoon the New York Yankees sent down another group of players to minor league camps. By my unofficial count the Yankees now have 40 players left in spring training camp meaning that 20 more need to be cut before Opening Day 2016. What do these latest rounds of roster cuts mean for the players left and their chances of making the club when the team heads north.

First and foremost it is almost a foregone conclusion that Robert Refsnyder is going to be the team's backup third baseman against the Houston Astros and Dallas Keuchel on Opening Day. Donovan Solano is down and so is Jonathan Diaz leaving little in the way of competition.

Ben Gamel is down so it looks like Aaron Hicks will be the starter if Jacoby Ellsbury is not ready, and he should be just as an FYI after taking a pitch off the wrist, and someone like Slade Heathcott would be the 4th outfielder in this worst case scenario.

Chasen Shreve is also the inside man for one of the open spots in the Yankees bullpen. Bryan Mitchell is another along with the loser of the Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia spring battle. The dark horse for the final spot though? Is it James Pazos? He still has a chance but the Yankees seem completely enamored with a young man named Luis Cessa right now.

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.

TGP Prospects Month Top 29 Prospects List - #11 Jacob Lindgren

This has to be one of the most bittersweet feelings in the world of being an MLB prospect. You have to be happy to be listed as the 11^th best prospect in what is strongly considered to be a strong prospect but at the same time it’s almost like being the first runner up in a race. You want to be in that Top 10, everyone talks about the Top 10, but at the same time you don’t want to seem ungrateful for your inclusion at #11. That’s what Jacob Lindgren, the Yankees left-handed relief pitcher, might be feeling if he’s reading this now because he’s the 11^th best prospect in the Yankees system according to the TGP Top 29 Prospects Month List.

Lindgren was the Yankees first pick in the 2014 MLB First Year Players Draft and was a second round pick overall out of Mississippi State University. Lindgren was thought to possibly reach the Major Leagues by the end of that same season but it was early on in the 2015 season before Lindgren made his MLB debut and pushed his way into Joe Girardi’s “Circle of Trust.” Lindgren pitched well and looked well on his way to being a weapon for Girardi going forward before an elbow injury ended his season prematurely.

Lindgren is said to be completely healthy and ready for all the things that come along with spring training camp, hey did I forget to mention that pitchers and catchers are down in Tampa as we speak, as he looks to battle his way back into the Yankees bullpen this season. That pen seems a lot more crowded this time around than it did last season but I don’t think Lindgren will mind, all he does is pitch and get hitters out no matter the level or the competition. The Yankees future closer here ladies and gentleman, write it down.

11. Jacob Lindgren
12. Bryan Mitchell
13. Drew Finley
14. Mason Williams
15. Slade Heathcott
16. Abi Avelino
17. Hoy-Jun Park
18. Luis Torrens
19. Cale Coshow
20. Chance Adams
21. Miguel Andujar
22. Jonathan Holder
23. Tyler Wade
24. Nick Rumbelow
25.Jordan Montgomery
26.Trey Amburgey
27. Ben Gamel
28. Austin DeCarr
29. Thairo Estrada
30. James Pazos