Doom & Gloom in The Bronx...

(Photo Credit: Julie Jacobson/AP)

OK, it wasn’t quite that bad…

The Yankees got a great pitching performance from new Yankee James Paxton…and lose. It wasn’t exactly how it was planned to go down. I guess Sonny Gray left behind his lack of run support and they assigned to the Big Maple. The Yankees tried to make a comeback but those two insurance runs the Baltimore Orioles tacked on in the top of the ninth were too much to overcome as the Yankees dropped their first game of the season, 5-3.  

The range of emotions from Yankee fans were from ‘big deal, it’s the second game of the season’ to ‘OMG, the season is lost!’. I guess you could put me somewhere in the middle. I simply hate to lose winnable games. When the season is done, the Baltimore will most likely have the most losses of any team in either league. Yet, if they win today, they win their first series of the season against a team expected to make noise in October. The Yankees need to win these games. Yes, it is only one game but these types of games can accumulate to a significant amount over the course of a 162-game schedule. I don’t like to lose. I know, I had better learn to deal with 60 losses, give or take, over the course of the summer but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. But after all these years, losing doesn’t get any easier when you are a Yankee fan.  

Credit to the Orioles for using an Opener to keep the Yankee bats at bay. Nate Karns started his first game since 2017 and pitched the first two innings. The Yankees had him on the ropes with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning with only one out, but Miguel Andujar hit into an inning-ending double play. 

(Photo Credit: Bill Kostroun/NY Post)

New Jersey’s own Jimmy Yacabonis pitched the next three innings, giving up only a run, to earn the win for the O’s.  

Meanwhile, Chad Green and Jonathan Holder failed to keep the Orioles off the scoreboard in the later innings and despite the two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees walked off the field wondering what could have been. So much for the shutdown bullpen that’s going to end games early.  

Troy Tulowitzki hit the only Yankee homer, a solo shot in the ninth off former Yank Richard Bleier.  

I thought it was a great game for D.J. LeMahieu, who started at third base with Miguel Andujar taking over DH duties. LeMahieu was 2-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored. He flashed his superior leather more than a few times at third, and looked like a veteran at the position. I was in a Denver, Colorado retail shop late yesterday afternoon wearing my Yankee cap, and the clerk commented to me he couldn’t believe the Yankees paid LeMahieu all that money to be a utility player. I agree.  With no offense to Troy Tulowitzki, the greater commitment should be for LeMahieu, even if it pushes Gleyber Torres to shortstop until Didi Gregorius returns. A home run by Tulo is not going to change my opinion. I do like LeMahieu at third and Andujar at DH so I hope that’s a frequent option although Giancarlo Stanton needs his time at DH as well. Although LeMahieu has not played much third in the Majors, it was his most frequent position in the Minors so it’s not like he has rarely played there. It’s just been a few years. He’ll shake off the rust. 

The Yankees committed three costly errors in the game. Gary Sanchez bounced a throw past Gleyber Torres covering second base in the sixth inning which allowed a run to score. D.J. LeMahieu bounced a throw to Luke Voit at first base which Voit couldn’t handle, for a throwing error, in the top of the ninth inning, allowing Joey Rickard, leading off the inning, to reach second base. He would eventually score an unearned run. Voit had a throwing error earlier in the game (top of the 2nd) which didn’t cause any damage. After tagging first base on a grounder by Rio Ruiz, Voit tried to make an off-balance throw to second to complete the double play but the ball sailed widely to the left, allowing the baserunner, Joey Rickard, to race to third.  Fortunately, that was as far as Rickard would get.  

James Paxton (0-1) took the tough luck loss. His final line was 5 2/3 innings, four hits, two runs (one earned), a walk and five strikeouts. He threw 82 pitches, one less than Masahiro Tanaka on Thursday and worked at a very quick and efficient pace. He certainly deserved to win and on most days he would have. He’ll get that first Yankee win soon with pitching performances like this.

(Photo Credit: Julie Jacobson/AP)

Okay, I’ll let the game go. It was just one game. I get it. The Yankees (1-1) complete the series today with the Orioles. J.A. Happ takes the ball for the Pinstripers while he’ll be opposed by Baltimore’s Dylan Bundy. Hopefully, Happ continues his win streak as a Yankee for at least one more game. 

I followed the score of the Red Sox-Mariners game last night and was pleased when Seattle extended their lead to 6-2 on a three-run homer by Jay Bruce in the fifth inning. Then, in the 9th, it all fall apart for the M’s with three errors by third baseman Dylan Moore, filling in for the injured Kyle Seager. The Sox rallied for three runs and had the tying run at third base and go-ahead run at first with two outs, but former Yankee prospect Nick Rumbelow struck out Xander Bogaerts to end the game and preserve Seattle’s victory. Whew! Boston was almost gifted another win. Seattle’s defense looked like the Keystone Cops in that final inning.  

(Photo Credit: Dean Rutz/Seattle Times)

Today is a good day for a Pinstriped victory.

As always, Go Yankees!

Offseason Wrap-Up

I won't get into all the reasons why I haven't written much during the offseason. It's not that I don't want to share those reasons, but I have a feeling you really don't care a whole lot. So let's just say I'm happy to be writing something again, and hopefully you all get something out of it.... positive or negative. After all, any reaction is better than none.

I didn't say much about all the moves the Yankees made this offseason while they happened, other than sharing some thoughts on Twitter. So I thought I'd just lump them all together in this offseason wrap-up.

Since I find myself skipping a lot of these article openers I'm not going to play the hypocrite and go on any longer with this one. So I'll just dive right into it.

Re-signed Brett Gardner
I called for the Yankees to bring back Gardner before the offseason even started. However, I had Gardner there as the team's 4th outfielder. His ability to play a strong left or center field, and his familiarity with New York, make him the best person for the job.

However, I don't like that he could get quite a few starts this season. Mind you, the Yankees' offense could get by just fine with his sub-par bat, but they could have certainly done better.

I'm rooting hard for Clint Frazier because he could be the next big/young thing for the Yankees. They already have youngsters like Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, and Gary Sanchez. And don't forget that Didi Gregorius, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks are still under 30 years old. Luke Voit nor Greg Bird have proven that they have a bright future yet, but those two turn just 26 and 28, respectively, this year.

So while bringing back Gardner is no reason to celebrate, it's not a horrible way to kick off the offseason, either.

Re-signed CC Sabathia
This is another move I wanted to see happen and, unlike with Gardner, CC will fit into the rotation spot that I wanted as well. Sabathia is not a Cy Young contender like his younger self, but I think a sub-5.00 ERA is a certainty while a sub-4.00 ERA is a possibility. And getting that from your team's #5 starter is pretty darn good.

Traded for James Paxton
I was ready to say that while I preferred the Yankees just sign Patrick Corbin, that Paxton makes a fine alternative. Then I looked at the numbers and realized that the Yankees may have gotten the better pitcher.

Paxton is only 255 days older than Corbin, although Patrick has thrown about 360 more innings in Major League Baseball. So you could say Corbin has a longer track record, but it's not like Paxton is in his sophomore season. The fact is James' career ERA (3.42 vs. 3.91), ERA+ (117 vs. 109), FIP (3.13 vs. 3.65), and K/9 (9.5 vs. 8.5) are all higher than Corbin's. Even when it comes to walks per 9 innings their rates are the same (2.6).

And seeing that James will make less than half what Patrick will, and without the Yankees having committed five years to the guy, I think they did very well with this move.

Now, the loss of Justus Sheffield stinks. I don't think he was going to be the next Luis Severino, but I believe he could have been a good starter for the Yanks possibly this season. But we have to face the fact that he was still an unproven commodity whereas Paxton has already got the job done in the Show. If we were talking about a team that was looking to contend in a year or two that would be one thing, but the Yankees want to and can win now, therefore having Paxton over Sheffield was the right move.

Signed J.A. Happ
The Yankees rounded out their starting rotation by bringing back Happ. I'm not the biggest Happ fan in the World, but that doesn't mean I think he's junk either. He has done well in his career, and he did that in the American League East... which is no small thing.

I don't expect Happ to repeat that sub-3.00 ERA he had for the Yankees after they acquired him last season, but an ERA around 4.00 is absolutely in the cards (his career ERA is 3.90).

Happ's not a young buck at 36, but thankfully he's only signed for two seasons with a vesting option for a third (he has to throw 165 innings or make 27 starts in 2020 for that to vest). His salary of $17 million a season is no drop in the bucket, but I don't think that would stop the Yankees from making a move if it were necessary.

Signed Troy Tulowitzki 
Normally I'd be perfectly fine with a signing such as this. The guy is only going to cost the Yankees the league minimum, so it's not like his salary would block the team from making other moves... unlike a certain former Red Sox outfielder that is currently being paid more than $21 million by the Yankees over each of the next two years.

But my issue with this signing is that the club seems determined to make Troy the regular shortstop until Didi Gregorius returns from his injury. For starters, Tulo is not the type of player a contending team should bring into the fold. If a team is looking for veteran leadership to help bring along a young team to be a contender in 2-3 years... okay. But that's not the case. And secondly, the Yankees have Gleyber Torres who can play a very capable shortstop.

Mind you, perhaps they didn't feel that Tyler Wade or anyone else in the organization could handle regular duty at second base instead of having Torres there (or to play shortstop in the first place), but this signing should have only been a lottery ticket instead of somebody the team would depend on at all.

Signed Zack Britton
Zack had a couple of great years with the Orioles in 2015 and 2016, but injuries held him back and likely negatively affected his 2017 and possibly his 2018 seasons. And that sucks, but a player or team falling on hard times does not mean anything in the standings. So I was not at all enamored when the Yankees traded for Zack last season.

Sure, he could find what used to make him awesome, but I was not comfortable leaning on the guy when the game was tight. And I believe those feelings were justified as I watched him pitch. To be frank he was like David Robertson in that he always seemed to get in trouble. But unlike D-Rob, Britton doesn't have the strikeout ability to get out of those jams quite as often.

Thankfully the Yankees have Aroldis Chapman as their closer, and along with Dellin Betances and Chad Green there's a good chance that Zack wouldn't be leaned on that hard. As long as that thought holds up then we're cool here.

Oh, yeah... the Yankees ended up doing something else with the bullpen. More on that later.

Signed D.J. LeMahieu 
When I first saw the news that the Yankees signed LeMahieu it barely registered. This seemed like nothing more than a depth signing. However, after reading more about the guy I got excited. A multi-time Gold Glove winner on a team that needs help defensively? Very nice. And while he's unlikely to do a ton of damage with the bat, he's not a zero there, either.

In fact, initially I thought this meant that Torres would indeed take over shortstop while LeMahieu would play his strongest position... second base. I still think that is easily the best way to go, but the Yankees have said they still plan on having Tulowitzki get the most time at shortstop.

I have a feeling the Tulo experiment isn't going to last long (don't bother talking to me about how he's hitting in Spring Training, as the guy might as well be swinging only in a batting cage for how much I care about Spring Training results), and therefore we'll see a lineup with Torres and D.J. up the middle more often than not.

Signed Adam Ottavino
I got the news of this signing while I was at work, and a co-worker looked at me funny after I pumped my first and exclaimed "yes" after reading the alert.

As evidenced by his strikeout rates over the past six years, Adam is a K-machine. We've all seen that nasty slider of his and I can't wait to see him make batter's knees buckle all season long.

I wouldn't feel comfortable if he were brought in to be the team's closer, but he's going to be a force in what is the game's best bullpen. I mean, who cares if CC Sabathia only goes five innings in a start? Boone can call on Green, Betances, Ottavino, Britton, and Chapman at that point. Five great to really great relievers to handle four innings? I think we're good.

I wanted to point out that the Yankees' starting rotation could be better. But I think it is underrated by so many. Severino (yes, he's hurt, but I believe he'll return as strong as before), Paxton, Tanaka, Happ, and Sabathia make a very formidable rotation. And if they deem it necessary I think the Yankees have the ability to get another good to great starter by the trade deadline. So putting a killer bullpen on top of that rotation should result in many wins.

I understand that not signing either of Bryce Harper or Manny Machado is disappointing. Regardless of how a team looks it's silly not to at least try and sign a generational talent who is just 26 years old. Up until it was announced Harper had officially signed with the Phillies I still held out hope that Harper would be in pinstripes. Not to say I was crushed when it didn't happen, but I did sigh a bit.

But if everyone took a moment to breath and think they'd realize that the 2019 New York Yankees look fantastic. Many places predict that they will win the American League East, which is hardly a small thing when they have to deal with a (and it hurts to say this) very good Boston Red Sox team that just won the World Series.

And don't give me crap about "what if an injury happens". Look, no team is going to pay a guy big money to possibly be their sixth starter (no, Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez should be left alone... and I bet they want to go where they are guaranteed 30 or so starts instead of being part of a six man rotation). And injury can cripple any team, including that Red Sox team I just mentioned.

So let's sit back and enjoy what should be a very good season, one which could end with yet another Yankees' World Series parade.

Final Update: Yankees Salary Situation for the 2019 Season

We have done these types of posts multiple times this winter and throughout the spring, but this time may be the FINAL time this offseason that we take an in-depth look at the payroll. All the major contracts have been signed and all the players that are going to be extended likely have been by now, so let’s take a look at the Yankees payroll heading into the 2019 season.

Guaranteed 2019 Contracts (AAV in Parenthesis)

Giancarlo Stanton - $26 million ($25 million)

13-year deal worth $325 million with a full no-trade clause, an opt-out clause after the 2020 season, and a 2028 team option worth $25 million with a $10 million buyout. Stanton also receives $50,000 for each All-Star appearance, Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award. Stanton also receives $100,000 per MVP Award and $500,000 for each World Series MVP Award achieved throughout the contract. If Stanton does not opt-out after the 2020 season the Miami Marlins will retain $30 million in Stanton’s salary.

Masahiro Tanaka - $22 million ($22,142,857 million)

Seven-year deal worth $155 million with a full no-trade clause.

Jacoby Ellsbury - $21,142,857 million ($21,857,143 million)

Seven-year deal worth $153 million including a team option for the 2021 season worth $21 million and a $5 million buyout. Ellsbury also contains a full no-trade clause written into his contract.

Aroldis Chapman - $15 million plus $2.2 million signing bonus ($17.2 million)

Five-year deal worth $86 million including an $11 million signing bonus paid in equal increments ($2.2 million) annually throughout the length of the contract. Chapman has an opt-out clause after the 2019 season and a full no-trade clause through 2019. Chapman has a modified no-trade clause for 2020 and 2021 if he does not exercise his opt-our clause that keeps him from being traded to a West Coast team.

JA Happ - $17 million ($17 million)

Two-year deal worth $34 million including a vesting option for 2021 worth $17 million if Happ pitches 165 IP or makes 27 starts in 2020.

Zack Britton - $13 million ($13 million)

Three-year deal with an opt-out after two years if the fourth-year team option and player option is not picked up by the club after the second year. The contract could be anywhere from two-years and $26 million, three-years and $39 million if the fourth-year option is declined but Britton does not opt-out, to four-years and $53 million. Britton will also receive $1 million if he is traded any time throughout the contract.

DJ LeMahieu - $12 million ($12 million)

Two-year deal worth $24 million

Adam Ottavino - $9 million ($9 million)

Three-year deal worth $27 million including a $3 million signing bonus.

CC Sabathia - $8 million ($8 million)

One-year deal worth $8 million

Brett Gardner - $7.5 million ($7.5 million)

One-year deal worth $7.5 million

Troy Tulowitzki - $555K ($555K)

One-year deal worth $555K (remaining salary paid by the Toronto Blue Jays) with a full no-trade clause.

Aaron Hicks - $6 million ($10 million)

Seven-year deal worth $70 million with a $2 million signing bonus spread out in equal increments over the next seven seasons with a club option for the 2026 season worth $12.5 million and a $1 million buyout. Hicks also has a trade assignment bonus of $1 million if he is traded and does not have a no-trade clause written into his contract.

Luis Severino - $4 million ($10 million)

Four-year deal worth $40 million with a $2 million signing bonus and a club option for a fifth year worth $23 million with a $2.75 million buyout.

Total: $163,397,857 million ($173,255,000 million)

All salaries via Spotrac.com

Pre-Arbitration 2019 Salaries – Valued at $555K each (waiver options in parenthesis)

Albert Abreu (3)

Domingo Acevedo (3)

Chance Adams (3)

Miguel Andujar (2)

Luis Cessa

Thairo Estrada (3)

Clint Frazier

Domingo German

Chad Green

Joe Harvey

Ben Heller

Kyle Higashioka

Jonathan Holder (2)

Aaron Judge

Jonathan Loaisiga (3)

Jordan Montgomery

Gary Sanchez

Stephen Tarpley

Gleyber Torres (3)

Luke Voit (3)

Tyler Wade

Total: $11,655,000 million (21 players x $555K each)

Without waiver options for the Minor Leagues the players without a waiver option by their name cannot be sent down to Triple-A without first clearing waivers and cannot be sent down without their consent.

All courtesy of Spotrac.com

2019 Contracts for Arbitration-Eligible Players (MLBTR Projections in Parenthesis)

Dellin Betances (Arb 3) – $7.125 million ($6.4 million)

Greg Bird (Arb 1) – $1.2 million ($1.5 million)

Didi Gregorius (Arb 4) – $11.75 million ($12.4 million)

Tommy Kahnle (Arb 2) – $1,387,500 million ($1.5 million)

James Paxton (Arb 3) – $8.575 million ($9.0 million)

Austin Romine (Arb 3) – $1.8 million ($2.0 million)

Total: $31,837,500 ($32.8 million)

Retained Salaries per Spotrac

Brett Gardner – $2 million buyout of his 2019 team option

Alex Rodriguez – $4 million in deferred salary

Total: $6 million

The Final Tallies

2019 Total Yankees Salaries As of 1/12/19

$229,890,357 million

2019 Luxury Tax Threshold According to MLB.com

$206 million

According to Fangraphs and Spotrac you have to include an extra $17 million to your luxury tax to cover medical expenses, travel expenses, minor league contracts etc. according to the Collective Bargaining agreement. Either way, the Yankees are over the luxury tax threshold. 

For teams that are exceeding the luxury tax threshold for the first time, which the Yankees are after resetting their penalties by getting under the luxury tax threshold last season, the penalty for every dollar spent over the $206 million luxury tax threshold is a 20% penalty up to $20 million. To use even numbers, for every $10 million the Yankees go over the threshold the team must pay an extra $2 million to the league in penalties, obviously meaning $20 million would force the team to incur $4 million in penalties. If the team exceeds $20 million over the cap, but spends under $40 million over the luxury tax threshold, the penalty grows to 32% after a 12% surtax. Exceeding $40 million over the cap penalizes a team 62.5% (42.5% surtax on top of initial 20% tax) on every dollar as well as costing the team 10 places in the Rule 4 MLB Draft. The top six picks are protected, but a team with a 7^th overall pick or later would see their highest selection in the MLB First Year Players Draft moved back 10 places. If your team falls in the top six of the MLB Draft, which the Yankees do not, they would see their second highest pick in the draft moved back by 10 places instead.

Estimated Yankees tax bill for 2019 - $3,678,500

#CHEAP

Bryce Harper and the Unlucky 13 in Philadelphia...

Credit: Sports Illustrated

In the End, Money Wins…

So, Bryce Harper will never wear Pinstripes. Well, not the right color of Pinstripes, that is. After the long and at times excruciating wait, Bryce will call Philadelphia home for the next thirteen years. $330 million ensured that if Bryce had any misgivings about the City of Brotherly Love or if he wasn’t exactly enamored with the personality of the Phillies manager, Gabe Kapler, it wasn’t something that money could not overcome. I guess you could say that Philadelphia’s own Benjamin Franklin had a say in the matter.

I am disappointed, for sure. When the off-season began, I had hoped the Yankees would sign either Harper or Manny Machado. In fact, I felt sure they would grab one of those guys. While the Yankees had some lukewarm interest in Machado, they were never players for Harper. Oh well, what are you going to do – boycott the team? That’s foolish. The 2019 New York Yankees are a very good team. This is certainly the best team since 2009 and we know how that one ended. In many ways, you could say this team is better than the 2009 World Champions. 

Jake Story, one of the co-leaders of the Talkin’ Yanks Podcast, tweeted this yesterday after the Harper announcement:

I saw so many reactions to Harper’s contract with Philadelphia but I felt Jake accurately and uniquely summed up exactly how I felt.

I really thought Harper or Machado would provide the Yankees’ with clear separation from the Boston Red Sox. Last year, the Red Sox were eight games better than the Yankees and they rolled past us in the AL Division Playoffs on their way to the World Series championship. I know, you can claim many of the Sox players had career years or that they have no bullpen this season. From my perspective, they are, sadly, the MLB Champs until proven otherwise. I didn’t want to beat the Red Sox this year…I wanted to crush them. Probably my biggest fear as we head into the new season is saying “I wish we had signed Harper or Machado” in October. 

But Jake’s correct. We must have hope GM Brian Cashman is right about this team. He knows far more about the Yankees than we ever will. For Yankee fans to trash the Steinbrenner family or threaten to boycott games makes absolutely no sense to me. You can count on one hand the number of teams that tried to improve themselves as hard as the Yankees did this past off-season. The Boston Red Sox did nothing. They re-signed Nasty Nate (Nathan Eovaldi) but you and I know that carries a huge risk on a long-term deal. He’s a great guy but he is a two-time Tommy John recipient that throws incredibly hard. They let their top setup man, Joe Kelly, depart via free agency, and their closer, Craig Kimbrel, remains unsigned with Boston seemingly disinterested in a reunion due to the financial impact. The Yankees have the better bullpen, no question, but I do stand by the belief the Yankees bullpen will not be as great as the fans’ expectations and the Red Sox bullpen won’t be as horrific as Yankee fans seem to think. You know there will be bumps in the road for the greatest of bullpens. Relief arms can be so fickle at times. So, to simply believe we are going to beat Boston because of the respective bullpens is flawed thinking. They still have some very good baseball players on that team. While I think the Yankees will win the AL East this year, it would be very frustrating if we head into October as a Wild Card team again for the one game ‘do-or-die’. We may have won the last two Wild Card games, but inevitably the law of averages will bite us in the butt. I’d rather head into the playoffs with a five-game series and take our chances. 

I can’t blame the Yankees for not wanting to make a ten to thirteen-year commitment for one player. Bryce Harper is not the best player in baseball even if he is paid like it. I know that the Phillies went thirteen years to drive down the AAV for luxury tax purposes but that’s a huge commitment regardless of the dollars involved. I thought the rumored offer by the Los Angeles Dodgers (four years for $168 million) made all the sense in the World. Bryce would have gotten more than enough money to live with the highest AAV in the game and the opportunity to test the free agent market again at age 30. However, I get Bryce’s desire to play in one city for the rest of his career. He is concerned about his legacy and playing in a stadium that gives him 40+ home run potential every year will allow him to pad his stats more than he might have accomplished at Dodger Stadium or Oracle Park in San Francisco. I am sure this was very enticing to him. He would have looked great in Yankee Stadium (building a greater legacy playing for Baseball’s most storied franchise) but I recognize by not signing Harper, the chances the Yankees spend big money to retain Didi Gregorius are increased.  I don’t want to lose Gregorius so maybe this off-season’s 'Harpchado' fiasco is a silver lining when all is said and done. Like they say, sometimes the best trade is the one not made at all. So, the best signing for Yankees might be the no signings of Harper and Machado. 

It’s a bummer we are in a stretch of non-televised Spring games. Gary Sanchez makes his Spring debut later today and we cannot watch unless we are at Steinbrenner Field. The next televised game (YES Network) is Sunday’s split squad game in Tampa against the uninspiring Detroit Tigers. 

Troy Tulowitzski hit his second game of the Spring in yesterday’s 8-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates or so I read since I couldn’t watch the game with my own eyes.  It’s a little too early to get excited about Tulo but for as much as I’ve been down on the signing, I am intrigued by the energy and excitement he is bringing to games.  I am hoping he stays healthy and doesn’t go Ellsbury on us. If he can maintain his current physical condition, he might be able to help this season as long as Manager Aaron Boone does not overuse him. I know the plan is to give him frequent breaks, with Gleyber Torres sliding over from second base to spell him a few times per week, until Didi Gregorius returns later this summer. Hopefully the Yankees can stick to the plan and not be forced into a situation where we are dependent upon Tulo every day.  I have the same concerns about Brett Gardner but I digress. I am cautiously optimistic for a successful rebound season for the former Rockie/Blue Jay and hope he allays my fears. If it doesn’t work, the Yankees cut bait and move on but I sincerely hope he’s better than that.

The first base battle has been fun to watch so far this Spring. Both Luke Voit and Greg Bird are, pardon the cliché, ‘in it to win it’. Bird has played four games, with five hits in eight at-bats, a homer, two doubles and three RBIs.  Voit, the favorite entering Camp according to Boone, has played two games, with two hits in four at-bats, a homer and four RBIs. Small sample sizes, yes, but the guys are trying hard to impress. Love the effort. As down as I’ve been on Bird, it would be awesome for him to finally unlock his potential, staying healthy, with that beautiful left-handed swing in Yankee Stadium. If not, I hope Voit grabs the job and doesn’t let go. If the Yankees are not looking for a new first baseman in July, life will be good. 

I don’t know why but there’s a part of me that would like to see the Yankees re-sign reliever Adam Warren. After being shipped away twice, I am not sure why Warren would want to come back to the Bronx or if there is even room in the bullpen for him, but I guess I’d rather see Warren as a Yankee than watch him end up in a place like Boston or Tampa. That’s just one of those sentimental, non-analytical feelings that serves absolutely no place in today’s game. Update: There's no crying in baseball! Warren has signed a one year deal (which includes a one-year option) with the San Diego Padres. There will be no reunion. Adam, please say hi to Manny!  

As a residual effect of the Bryce Harper signing, GM Brian Cashman should call Phillies GM Matt Klentak to find out what it would take to acquire left fielder Nick Williams. Williams is the player most directly impacted by Harper’s presence. He has underperformed in Philly but the 25-year-old lefty has some game.  Per Fangraphs, “These days prospects are supposed to offer instant gratification. With just one win above replacement through his first 791 plate appearances, Nick Williams has fallen short of expectations. Even though his offensive numbers technically declined between 2017 and 2018, extreme good fortune (a .375 BABIP) helped to fuel his rookie campaign. His peripherals improved last season including a seven-point drop in his swinging strike rate. His walk and strikeout rates moved in the right directions in large part due to massive gains to his plate discipline. As a hitter, Williams still has kinks. A trade of ground balls for more fly balls would better fit his sweet lefty swing if it can be achieved without more strikeouts. Despite above average speed, Williams shows no proclivity to run on the bases, and he’s posted bafflingly bad defensive marks. There’s a good chance time and experience will fix his ill-adventures in the outfield.” Williams, in my opinion, could be a good ‘buy low/high reward’ candidate. Exactly the type of player Cashman likes to accumulate. If the Yankees do not want to over-expose Giancarlo Stanton in left field, Williams could be a good platoon partner for Brett Gardner if the organization is down on Clint Frazier.     

Credit: USA TODAY Sports

For as much as we laugh about the Miami Marlins, I am really digging their new uniforms. Hats off to Marlins CEO Derek Jeter for bringing the new look to his franchise. Or maybe we should say, hats on.

Credit: AP

I feel sorry for the Marlins this year as they are going to get their clocks cleaned by the Mets, Nationals, Braves, and Phillies in the highly competitive NL East but at least they’ll be look cool as they walk off the field with another loss. 

March has arrived so we’ve entered the month of true Yankees baseball…finally. With Opening Day just four weeks from yesterday, we’ll see the players ramping up over the next couple of weeks. The Boston Red Sox rode a hot start last April to the most successful season in franchise history. I am not expecting a similar historic start for the Yankees this year, but it would be nice for them to jump out of the gate strong. With the first nine games against the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, both expected to have losing seasons, there’s no reason the Yankees can’t build an early division lead before they go head-to-head with the AL Elite Red Sox and Astros in early to mid-April. Exciting times. Let’s make this a Championship year!

As always, Go Yankees!

Update: 2019 Yankees and Too Many Damn Right-Handed Batters?

We wrote this article back in the beginning of the offseason, but a lot has changed between then and now. The Yankees have added even MORE right-handed hitting to the club. Does it matter? And do the New York Yankees have “too many damn right-handed batters” in their lineup? The fans say one thing, but the stats may say another.

Gary Sanchez:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	256	844	751	120	193	36	0	51	131	72	200	.257	.331	.509	.839
	vs LHP	123	286	246	44	58	13	0	20	54	38	72	.236	.339	.533	.872

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Gary Sanchez actually hits right-handed pitching better than he does left-handed pitching. By a lot actually.



Luke Voit:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	88	199	176	30	49	11	0	10	33	20	53	.278	.362	.511	.873
	vs LHP	43	86	81	18	25	3	0	9	21	4	21	.309	.349	.679	1.028

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Luke, albeit in a small sample size, is better against left-handed pitching, but he has definitely held his own against right-handed pitching as well.

Greg Bird:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	169	509	448	51	92	27	1	23	69	50	134	.205	.291	.424	.715
	vs LHP	82	150	128	18	31	5	0	8	28	18	39	.242	.340	.469	.809

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Greg Bird has some interesting splits... he seemingly hits better against left-handed pitching better than he does against right-handed pitching, but again... in a smaller sample size. I included Bird because he could win the starting first base job out of spring over Voit, giving the Yankees one less right-handed bat to worry about.

Gleyber Torres:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	120	350	313	37	87	13	0	13	51	28	83	.278	.341	.444	.785
	vs LHP	65	134	118	17	30	3	1	11	26	14	39	.254	.336	.576	.912

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Gleyber Day happens a lot more frequently against right-handed pitching than left-handed pitching, even as a right-handed batter.

DJ LeMahieu:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	855	2753	2504	350	731	112	20	32	243	191	434	.292	.343	.391	.734
	vs LHP	450	1046	941	151	295	51	11	17	106	87	143	.313	.369	.445	.814

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

LeMahieu not only handles righties as well as he does lefties, but he also has power to the opposite field and can take full advantage of the short porch inside Yankee Stadium as a right-handed hitting second baseman.


Didi Gregorius:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	716	2218	2027	281	547	101	14	81	269	140	303	.270	.320	.453	.773
	vs LHP	418	820	745	89	192	30	3	13	87	44	125	.258	.311	.358	.669

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Didi handles right-handed pitching well and should be back by late-July or early August, and that may be on the conservative side. He is already throwing and could be hitting soon, if he's not already. Didi is left-handed, so that only helps the "too many right-handed bats" when he returns. 

Troy Tulowitzki:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	1215	4009	3582	562	1017	190	19	162	579	350	696	.284	.351	.483	.834
	vs LHP	609	1393	1211	199	372	73	5	62	200	159	200	.307	.389	.529	.919

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Troy does better against left-handed pitching, but has held his own throughout his career against right-handed pitching as well. Just make it through spring healthy... then we'll talk.


Miguel Andujar:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	143	438	418	63	130	33	1	20	72	15	68	.311	.338	.538	.876
	vs LHP	83	176	162	20	44	16	1	7	24	11	29	.272	.318	.512	.831

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Miguel Andujar kills everyone, but it is especially helpful when you can kill same-side pitching like Miguel does.

Aaron Judge:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	284	955	800	172	228	37	2	67	163	138	301	.285	.391	.588	.978
	vs LHP	142	316	239	43	56	11	1	16	28	74	101	.234	.421	.490	.910

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

MY right fielder.


Brett Gardner:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	1191	3934	3425	604	906	153	46	79	331	414	698	.265	.348	.405	.754
	vs LHP	751	1511	1304	186	326	51	15	17	119	147	304	.250	.333	.351	.684

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Gardner will likely get a lot of reps in left field this season, so it helps that is a left-handed bat that can handle both sides of pitching almost equally as well. Gardner does better against right-handed pitching, which both makes sense and helps the club as a whole.

Aaron Hicks:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	524	1551	1329	197	307	51	9	43	159	190	306	.231	.328	.380	.708
	vs LHP	313	680	598	86	147	28	1	27	81	75	146	.246	.329	.431	.761

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Switch hitter and the Yankees new $70 million man. It is what it is since he bats from both sides of the plate.


Giancarlo Stanton:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	1085	3694	3225	502	837	166	7	223	572	407	1086	.260	.347	.523	.870
	vs LHP	488	1122	960	175	285	70	4	82	200	150	263	.297	.393	.634	1.027

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

So, in closing, the New York Yankees will be fine with all their right-handed bats. Would a bat like Bryce Harper have helped the Yankees? Sure, but not solely because he is left-handed. Harper gets on base, hits for power, AND hits right-handed hitting (seen below for fun). Without Harper, though, the Yankees should be just fine here in 2019. Relax, breathe, and remember that it’s still only February.

Bryce Harper Career Splits:

I	Split	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP	852	2782	2304	461	663	122	12	147	369	436	551	.288	.402	.543	.944
	vs LHP	587	1175	1002	149	259	61	6	37	152	149	283	.258	.354	.442	.796

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Bryce Harper KILLS right-handed pitching and would have fit PERFECTLY in with the Yankees. Oh, what could have been.





*All stats are courtesy of Baseball Reference, and all stats reference CAREER stats.