Yankees: Losing Optimism...

 

Aaron Judge (Photo Credit: Jessie Alcheh/AP)

Failure is the common theme of the 2023 New York Yankees…

I will say that I went into the MLB Trade Deadline thinking the Yankees would do nothing, so I guess from that standpoint, they met my expectations. Sure, they picked up a couple of relievers, but the bullpen was a minor need compared to the bigger problems with the current roster construction.   

I must admit that it would have been more appealing if the Yankees had sent a certain general manager to Texas instead of the green stuff for this trade:

Texas Rangers traded RHP Spencer Howard to New York Yankees for Cash

Meanwhile, the AL East Rivals, all of them, improved in the days leading up to the deadline and are better teams than they were last week.  The notable trades were:

Baltimore Orioles acquired veteran right-hander Jack Flaherty from the St Louis Cardinals; the Tampa Bay Rays acquired right-hander Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians; the Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-handed flamethrowing reliever Jordan Hicks and shortstop Paul DeJong from the St Louis Cardinals in separate deals; and the Boston Red Sox acquired third baseman Luis Urias from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Meanwhile, the big acquisitions for the Yankees were relievers Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox and Spencer Howard from the Texas Rangers. To get Middleton, the Yankees gave up High-A reliever Juan Carela.  I so wish the cost of Spencer Howard was Brian “Cash” Cashman. 

Middleton is the only one of the two newcomers who provide immediate help for the bullpen. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the third round of the 2013 Draft, Middleton has pitched in the Majors for the Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He signed with the White Sox as a free agent in January 2023. This season, the 29-year-old Middleton has appeared in 39 games for the White Sox. He is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings, and two saves. He has given up seven home runs and has walked sixteen batters.  He represents a better option than the recently demoted Ron Marinaccio, but I cannot really find any reason to believe the Yankees are better today than they were yesterday.

Keynan Middleton (Photo Credit: Eileen T Meslar/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Spencer Howard is a project. He was originally drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. The 27-year-old righty has only appeared in three Major League games for the Rangers this season. He is 0-0 with a 10.80 ERA (four runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings). The Rangers had acquired Howard, along with two other minor leaguers, in a 2021 trade deadline deal with the Phillies that most notably sent starting pitcher Kyle Gibson to the City of Brotherly Love. Maybe the Yankees think they can unlock the promise that Howard once held. 

Spencer Howard (Photo Credit: Elias Valverde II/Staff Photographer, Dallas Morning News)

So, Middleton is essentially the only acquisition obtained to help the Yankees achieve the last Wild Card slot despite the shortcomings in left field, the loss of a true third baseman, and horrific starting pitching by Luis Severino and Domingo German (excluding his nine innings of perfection). 

To be real, it feels like the Yankees have punted the season. If the goal was to toss in the white towel, the Yankees should have been more aggressive in trading the players on the roster with expiring contracts. The corporate-speak is the expectation the current players can and will perform better, but they have proven throughout most of the season that the Yankees are what they are…the last-place club in the AL East. 

I am disappointed in the Yankees. The front office is not transparent and to an outside observer, there does not appear to be a clear and distinct plan for future success. As they say, you cannot keep doing the same things expecting different results. At this point, I am ready for the kids. Time to bring up RHP Randy Vásquez, infielder Oswald Peraza, utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera, and outfielder Everson Pereira. Heck, may as well promote catcher Austin Wells, now 24, despite his limited Triple-A experience. If the Yankees are going to lose, they need to at least make it exciting for us. 2017 was a fun season despite the season-ending playoff loss to the Cheaters. I think I miss the fun of the 2017 season more today than ever before. I am not pining for the return of Manager Joe Girardi despite the dissatisfaction with current Manager Aaron Boone. It is more about the fun the players had on the field.  We felt it as fans. 

2017 Yankees

I do not know the future of the organization. The Baltimore Orioles will likely win the American League East and have the talented youth infusion to keep the team among the league’s best for the next five years. The Rays are the Rays and will continue to maximize the performance of their players through superior use of analytics (a much better understanding of how to equate the statistics into on-the-field performance), and the Blue Jays will eventually figure it out. The Blue Jays have the money to explode if everything comes together for them. Boston is Boston. They find a way to win every few years. The Yankees appear to be a dysfunctional organization. Why? They have the financial strength to hire baseball’s brightest minds, yet Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner rewards the guys he likes.  There is no accountability for performance. The only way for the organization to change is for Hal Steinbrenner to change. He is 53, makes a good living courtesy of the Yankees, and is not motivated to win championships.  That may be unfair. I am sure he wants to win championships because it brings more money into the organization, but he lacks the passion and the zeal for success like his father did. His father was certainly not perfect (I doubt the 1990s Dynasty Years would have occurred if George Steinbrenner had not been suspended earlier in the decade to allow Gene “Stick” Michael to build the championship teams), but Hal has been a reluctant Yankee all his life. As a young man, he was seemingly uninterested in an active role with the Yankees. George was attempting to build his succession plan through his sons-in-law, first Joe Molloy and then Steve Swindal, until divorces thwarted those plans. Hank seemed more interested in the family’s horses. After Hank’s failure as the face of the franchise forced Hal to take the more active lead role, I felt the strong-willed Hank remained a good counterbalance to Hal’s conservative nature. As co-Managing General Partners, Hank was the only one who could potentially overrule Hal with the support of his sisters. Hank’s untimely death removed a strong voice in the owner’s room.  I am sure the two Steinbrenner sisters, Jennifer, and Jessica, have voiced their opinions in closed-door meetings, but they have never publicly shown the strength of those opinions and I am not sure how much they challenge their younger brother.   

The Steinbrenner Family: Jennifer, Jessica, George's wife Joan (deceased), Hal, and Hank (deceased)

I am not sure what the future holds for Hal Steinbrenner’s Yankees. Eventually, he will turn over the team to younger family members unless the Steinbrenner Family makes the unlikely decision to sell the team.  The potential future Steinbrenner owners include Stephen Swindal, Jr, Robert Molloy, Hank’s two children, George Michael Steinbrenner IV and Julia Steinbrenner, and Hal’s daughter, Katherine Steinbrenner. I would be lying if I said I was not partial to George M. Steinbrenner IV for name value alone.  With his interest in Indy Car Racing, I am sure the Boss’s namesake shares his grandfather’s passion for competitiveness. 

George Michael Steinbrenner IV

Until the younger Steinbrenner children are ready to ascend to the throne, Hal needs to figure this out. He must find a plan to rebuild the team and restore the faith and confidence in the fanbase. Brian Cashman may be a nice guy, a smart man, but it is time for a change. Hiring the brightest minds in the industry should start with the general manager’s chair. The only disadvantage with Cashman joining another organization is that he knows how to play Hal Steinbrenner.  Otherwise, I do not think any fan would really care where Cashman draws his next paycheck.  If Cashman goes, the coaching staff and the analytics department need to follow.  Find the best people, the smartest and most innovative minds, for the jobs to lead the most storied franchise in baseball history.  The time for change is upon us.  Try something new, get different, i.e., better, results.

Hal, give us a reason to cheer again.

As always, Go Yankees! 

The New York Yankees and a Potential 2019 Trade Deadline Strategy

I tweeted this on Twitter, so if you don't follow us you should follow @GreedyStripes now, but I also wanted to throw this on the blog for maximum exposure. The New York Yankees had a bit of a strategy last trading deadline when the team traded away players that they would have had to protect on their 40-man roster before the 2018 Rule 5 Draft. The roster crunch is real and with the 2019 Rule 5 Draft looming the Yankees may look to do the same this winter while adding that all-important starting pitcher and bullpen arm for their presumed October run.

Michael King, Isiah Gilliam, Miguel Yajure, Ben Ruta, Pedro Barrios, Oswaldo Cabrera, Freicer Perez, Rony Garcia, Alexander Vizcaino, Jio Orozco, Trevor Lane, Andres Chaparro, Jesus Bastidas, Brooks Kriske, and Brian Keller.

(2 of 5)

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) July 9, 2019

Brandon Wagner, Will Carter, J.P Feyereisen, Anderson Severino, Raynel Espinal, Juan De Leon, James Reeves, Ryan McBroom, and Hobie Harris... to name (more than) a few

(4 of 5)

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) July 9, 2019

Who would I expect other teams to ask for this month in trades?

Deivi, Florial, Gil, Medina, Frecier, Nelson, Nick Green, Holder, Katoh, Zehner, McBroom, and Feyereisen.

Not saying I want them traded or think they will be, just that other teams will covet them IMO (5 of 5)

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) July 9, 2019

Thoughts?

John Smoltz Has a Pretty Damn Good Idea To Fix Major League Baseball

Let me preface this post by saying that John Smoltz is not my favorite person, nor was he my favorite player while he was with the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves. I think he is cocky and arrogant, but he is also one of the smarter minds in Major League Baseball despite it all. I am willing to give credit where credit is due, and Smoltz had a pretty damn good idea to “fix” and revolutionize baseball for the better. Smoltz wants Major League Baseball to adopt a similar schedule and policy that is already in place for Minor League Baseball, especially for the postseason.

Smoltz had many ideas actually to fix baseball, but the idea that most caught my eye was his idea to make September baseball and the postseason pennant races meaningful again. The way it is now basically every race for the postseason is all but decided and has been for quite some time now. The days of going down to the last day of the season to decide a winner seem to be all but over in Major League Baseball and Smoltz has an idea to change that by implementing first-half and second-half winners.

Smoltz wants to eliminate interleague play and go back to every team playing the same schedule, thus in the process dumping rivalry series with the hopes of bringing back pennant races again. Smoltz hopes that with this change the fans and the game would see more drama come to the game while the number of teams tanking for draft picks and such could also go down. This isn’t a new concept, the whole split-season schedule thing, as MLB did this back in 1981 after the baseball strike, so the idea is not as out of left field as you may think. Minor League Baseball is already doing it and it could create a lot more interest at the Major League level if this was to be implemented.

If MLB adopted this proposal the Oakland Athletics would be playing the Houston Astros to determine the winner of the American League West as Houston had the better record in the first half, while the A’s had the better record in the second half. The Tampa Bay Rays, who aren’t going to make the playoffs in 2018, would face off with the Boston Red Sox. The St. Louis Cardinals would face the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies would face the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Los Angeles Dodgers would be sitting at home come October. What happens if you win both halves? You get a first-round bye. Simple enough.

This would change the whole dynamic of the game, and not just the playoff pennant races. Why would teams sell off as heavily at the trade deadlines if they thought they had a chance to compete in the second half? Also, why would teams continue to push to win 110 games or more in a season when there is no advantage to it other than a possible first-round bye? September call-ups would be all-the-more interesting with most teams still locked into a potential second half pennant race and the overall number of games being played would have to be dropped from 162 games to 154 games, something the MLB Players Association wanted anyway.

The players win, the owners win, the league wins, and the fans win. So, what’s stopping this from happening?

The Best Moves the Yankees Can Make Today?

(WRITTEN BEFORE THE YANKEES ACQUIRED ANDREW MCCUTCHEN)

Call me Phil Hughes, because I have potentially an unpopular opinion. Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are… just kidding. I was joking about Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, but not joking about having an unpopular decision about what the Yankees could potentially do today before the August 31^st trade deadline. In a word, I think the Yankees should do nothing before the deadline. Riot gear is on, let me have it. Really though, do the Yankees really NEED to do anything? No, they don’t. Not in my opinion anyway. Would it be nice to add a lesser depth piece like Curtis Granderson? Sure. And does Curtis Granderson make the most sense for the team right now? Damn right, I said as much this week and I am not flipflopping on that. Does the team NEED to though? No, not really.

You know what the best moves the Yankees can make before the trade deadline are and the moves that they can make into the month of September? Activating Gary Sanchez off the disabled list giving the Yankees a huge upgrade offensively and in controlling the opposing team’s running game over Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka. You know what other move the team can make? Activating Didi Gregorius off the disabled list adding better defense at shortstop and a left-handed middle-of-the-order type hitter to the lineup that can break up all the right-handed bats and add balance and depth to the roster. You want a third roster move? Activate Aroldis Chapman off the disabled list and immediately improve the bullpen allowing everyone to take a step back and slide into their natural roles with the club. You want one final move? Eventually activate Aaron Judge off the disabled list and get Shane Robinson the hell off of my team and do it now.

I know this isn’t the sexy answer, or even the greedy answer, to the Yankees plan to navigate the August 31^st trading deadline, but it may be the smartest in my opinion. I am far from conceding the division, but I am also not making the need to win it as large as many other fans. The Red Sox won the division last year and the Yankees won the first Wild Card, both of which will likely happen here in 2018 as well, yet it was Boston who were sitting on their couches watching the Yankees play in the ALCS against the Houston Astros and not the other way around. Do I want anything to do with the one-game playoff game? Hell no, nobody does, but that doesn’t mean I am afraid of it. Not with a consistent starter like JA Happ starting, this explosive offense, the presumably crazy crowd inside Yankee Stadium, and what could be one of the best bullpens in the game behind them.

I’m not conceding the division, but I am damn sure not afraid of the Wild Card Game either. Bring it on and bring back my Yankees healthy and ready to go. It isn’t always the best team that wins in October, sometimes it is the hottest team, the freshest team, the healthiest team, and the deepest team… and that could be the New York Yankees if they just stick to the plan and stand pat at the trade deadline today.

Hello… Quintin Berry

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. Quintin Berry, welcome to the organization, welcome to the Yankees family, and welcome to coming off the bench and stealing bases as a September call up for the New York Yankees. That’s why he is here, and that’s what he will do. He will likely make the playoff roster as well if he does his job, which there isn’t really a reason why he wouldn’t. Get used to the name, because he is here to stay for a while.

Speaking of staying for a while, will you stay with me for a while? Maybe forever? I hope so, because I love you and I cannot do this thing called life without you, Kari. I love you.

Understanding August Waiver Trades

The July 31st trading deadline has come and gone but that does not mean team's are done making traded. Trades can be done for the rest of the season they are just a little trickier and harder to understand. That's why we're here, you're welcome.

Any player that is traded needs to clear revocable waivers first. Either the player is claimed by a team or he clears waivers. Teams want their players to clear waivers because once they clear once they can be traded to any team for the rest of the season. If the player is claimed the team has three options, they can pull their player back, work out a trade with the team who claimed him, or simply give the player and his contract away to the team that claimed him.

The waiver claim period lasts 47 hours and goes by worst record to best record in the players league (American or National) and then record worst to first in the other league. Teams can block other teams from claiming without any repercussions. When a player is claimed the team has two full days to trade the player or pull him back off waivers regardless of what day of the week it is.

A team can place their player on waivers a second time if they pull him back the first time but this time the waivers are not revocable. In terms even a Boston Red Sox fan could understand the second time around whoever claims him gets him. Players on the disabled list cannot be placed on waivers so therefor cannot be traded.

Finally, for all the playoff teams, any player acquired after the 31st of August is not eligible for the postseason. Now you know, carry on.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/26: Yankees Acquire Alfonso Soriano

Saying that the New York Yankees offense struggled in 2014 is probably the understatement of the year so New York needed a savior. On this day they got one when they acquired Alfonso Soriano from the Chicago Cubs for minor league relief pitcher Corey Black. The 37 year old came back to New York with come cash from Cubs after making his major league debut with the Yankees way back in 1999. The Yankees ultimately traded him to the Texas Rangers before the 2004 season for Alex Rodriguez. Soriano would go on a tear and almost brought the Yankees all the way back to the postseason before falling just short in late September.

Also on this day in 1961 the Yankees made some history with the home run ball but it had nothing to do with Roger Maris surprisingly. Instead it was the Yankees Johnny Blanchard as he hit his fourth consecutive home run over three games to set a new major league record. The backup catcher of the Yankees hit two home runs on this day to help New York beat the White Sox 5-2.

Also on this day in 1939 the Bronx Bombers earned their names by scoring in every inning to beat the St. Louis Browns 14-1. This is only the second time in franchise history that the Yankees have achieved this feat.

Finally on this day in 1933 Joe DiMaggio showed the Yankees brass that he was made for long hitting streaks. As a minor league player Joe D saw his 61 game hitting streak come to an end in a PCL game against the Oakland Oaks. DiMaggio played for the San Francisco Seals as a 19 year old when he set a new minor league record destroying the mark of 49 consecutive games with a hit set by Jack Ness in 1914.

Predicting the 2018 Trade Deadline: Jacob deGrom

Warning: This is the post that no fan of the New York Yankees wants to read. This will scare you. You have been warned. 

The New York Mets will listen to offers regarding three of their top starting pitchers this summer including Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and the right-hander that every team wants, Jacob deGrom. The Mets will certainly listen to offers for any of their veterans, but the team can truly jumpstart a rebuild by trading one or all of these starters, especially deGrom. Ultimately, I believe deGrom will be traded before the end of the July 31^st trading deadline, and I believe the team that will acquire his services will scare a lot of teams in the American League. Can you imagine how good the Houston Astros will be once they acquire deGrom this summer? 

I know, it sounds crazy that a team so rich in pitching would be in the market for a pitcher at the trade deadline but hear me out. This move is a multi-headed monster for the Astros, hypothetically. First and foremost, the Astros know that they will at least have a tough time bringing Dallas Keuchel back via the free agent market after the 2018 season. Keuchel is set to hit free agency before his age-31 season while deGrom’s earliest free agent year is the year 2021. Acquiring deGrom now allows the team to let Keuchel walk via free agency after the season while still keeping a cost-controlled and strong starting pitching staff for 2019 and beyond.  

The deal could also open up an avenue where the Astros could at least consider trading Keuchel, but another reason the team “needs” deGrom is because Keuchel has not been the dominant force that he has been in the past. Keuchel is pitching to a 4-8 record with a 3.90 ERA at the time of this writing with 97 innings pitched and just 77 strikeouts. That’s great for some teams to be completely honest, but Houston may look to upgrade to hold off the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.  

Speaking of the two mammoth giants in the American League East, that alone could be worth the Astros acquiring deGrom just to keep him away from either of those two teams. Obviously, the Astros wouldn’t acquire deGrom for that sole reason, but the fact that he checks so many other boxes while keeping him away from their biggest competitors in the postseason is just too convenient and obvious to ignore. 

The Astros have a strong farm system and a young team meaning they have the pieces to make such a deal work with the Mets. The Astros also have, for lack of a better term, a need for deGrom as well, so watch out for Houston if and when the Mets truly make their right-handed ace available this summer.

What I've Seen So Far

It's hard for me to say that I'm more excited for this year's team than I was for last year's.

On the one hand I loved last year's team, and had so much fun watching them, because they did not have any big expectations. For proof, take a look at the predictions being made before the 2017 season. Over at ESPN, only nine of 35 "experts" picked the Yankees to even make the postseason (five of them had the Yankees as the 2nd wild card team). But not only did they come within one win of the World Series, they had a ton of fun getting there. It was such a joy to watch them.

Then we come to 2018, and this team has all sorts of expectations. This time around 21 out of 29 ESPN "experts" picked the Yankees to win the American League East. Only three of them believe the Yankees will win the World Series (that honor goes to the Astros with eight votes), but the fact of the matter is they are no longer underdogs. Yet watching them play you'd never know there was any pressure on them.

Aaron Judge is having another extraordinary year, Luis Severino looks like a Cy Young Award candidate again, Didi Gregorius is having an MVP-like season, Aroldis Chapman has been the best closer in the entire league, CC Sabathia has been a stud, Domingo German's MLB debut was record breaking, and Gleyber Torres could very well bring the Yankees back to back AL Rookie of the Year awards.

Then you have Gary Sanchez (arguably the best hitting catcher in baseball), Giancarlo Stanton (I believe he's in for a huge second half), Miguel Andujar (even though he's gone eight games without an extra base hit, I still believe in the guy), Chad Green (a stud more often than not), and David Robertson (outside of an awful outing on 4/1 he's been nothing short of awesome).

And don't forget about the guys who should be healthy sooner or later... Greg Bird, Brandon Drury, Tommy Kahnle, Jordan Montgomery, and Adam Warren.

Here are some of their team ranks in the American League...

Home Runs - 2nd (tied)
Runs - 1st
RBI - 1st
OBP - 1st (tied)
SLG - 2nd

What about the pitchers? Well...

The only starting rotation that's been better in terms of fWAR this season has been the Astros, while their relievers have easily been the best.

The greatest part about all of this is that we're not talking about a group of older players. Check this out...

Position Players (with ages)
Catcher - Gary Sanchez 25
1B - Neil Walker 32 Note: Greg Bird (25) is not far away from returning and taking over regularly. Not to mention Tyler Austin, who is 26.
2B - Gleyber Torres 21
SS - Didi Gregorius 28
3B - Miguel Andujar 23 Note: Brandon Drury (25), who could take over the hot corner, is returning soon.
LF - Brett Gardner 34
CF - Aaron Hicks 28
RF - Aaron Judge 26
DH - Giancarlo Stanton 28

Starters (with ages)
Luis Severino - 24
Masahiro Tanaka - 29
Sonny Gray - 28
CC Sabathia - 37
Jordan Montgomery - 25
Domingo German - 25

Did you ever think you'd see the day when Brett Gardner was the oldest regular, positional, starter on the team? And by the way, Gardner will most likely be let go into free agency after the season, leaving left field to somebody that is also under 30 (Clint Frazier is only 23). Furthermore, Masahiro Tanaka may be only pitcher in the starting rotation on Opening Day 2019 that's 30 years old (It wouldn't be a total surprise if CC Sabathia retired after the season... World Series title or not).

Yeah, this is the old guy.

All of this has left me dumbfounded as to what the Yankees will do before the trade deadline.

I still believe the Yankees will acquire a big-time starting pitcher, but it will be very interesting to see how that guy fits into the rotation.

Can Sonny Gray build on his last two decent outings?

How will Domingo German fair after his stellar MLB debut on Sunday?

Will Jordan Montgomery's flexor strain linger and lead to Tommy John surgery?

I mean, there's a chance that the Yankees will already have six good to great starting options. And don't think you can just shove one or two guys into the bullpen. Yeah, on the surface that may seem fine, but when you're talking about a bullpen already filled with Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Chad Green, Dellin Betances, Chasen Shreve, and a soon to return Tommy Kahnle, there aren't many innings to go around.

And don't forget that there are some very nice prospects not far away from the big leagues. Guys like Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu, Estevan Florial, Chance Adams, Dillon Tate, Thairo Estrada... the list goes on. Some of them are going to be used to trade for that aforementioned starter. But where do the others fit?

That's a question that keeps me up at night. Those players could fill in nicely should the Yankees suffer another injury, but I'd hate to see any of the current Yankees get hurt. Or those players could be used in other trades even though there are no holes that need to be filled, which means this team could keep getting better and better... which is mind-boggling seeing how they're playing already.

For the love of God! I haven't even brought up the fact that the Yankees can afford to bring in a Bryce Harper or Manny Machado in the offseason.

Okay, Bryan, settle down now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

So it Seems… August 31st Trade Deadline Day

Good morning everyone and happy August 31^st trade deadline day. While this deadline day is nothing compared to the July 31^st trade deadline day it is still a rather big deal nonetheless. Any player acquired today or before today obviously is eligible for postseason play with their new team while any player acquired after the trade deadline, because yes teams can trade up until the final day of the season if they would like, are not eligible for postseason play in 2017. Will the Yankees acquire anyone? It honestly seems very unlikely at this point and if they did it may be a third catcher for the month of September but probably nothing more than that. Don’t get too excited about today Yankees family because it is looking like it’s going to be just another day in the Bronx.

Every day with you is special though. HEY YOU. I love you!

So it Seems… We Took a Long Weekend

Good morning everyone. Call of the search parties, I’m here and I am alive. Work has been absolutely crazy lately as I work in the heating and air conditioning field. I barely had time to write anything for Friday and Saturday, very little for Sunday and Monday and nothing for yesterday. It’s been crazy and so have these games the Yankees have been playing. Taking two-of-three from Seattle was nice but that Friday night game was so winnable, it hurts. Sweeping would have been extremely helpful with Cleveland coming to town, that series ends this afternoon, and the Red Sox series for the weekend. Oh well, the playoffs are in sight and the August 31^st trade deadline is tomorrow!

I haven’t done this in what feels like forever. HEY YOU!! I LOVE YOU!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 8/23

And just like that ladies and gentleman it is game time in Detroit as the Detroit Tigers and Comerica Park play host to the New York Yankees in the middle game of their three-game set. In the matchup tonight the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound, the future and the now, while the Tigers will counter with Jordan Zimmermann. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Comerica Park and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and enjoy the game. Need a win, get a win. Go Yankees!!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers 8/23

The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers are back at it again tonight inside Comerica Park with the middle game of their three-game set. In the matchup tonight the Yankees will send their new ace and arguably their best pitcher this season in Luis Severino to the mound while the Tigers will counter with Jordan Zimmermann who has struggled for much of the 2017 campaign. This seems like a winnable game for the Yankees on paper so they need to win it. No excuses, period. Need a win, get a win.  

Severino has been a winner in five of last six outing with the one blip on the radar coming a couple weekends back against the Boston Red Sox. Over that time period Severino has allowed just 10 earned runs and 29 hits in 36.1 innings pitched. Severino will be on a bit of extra rest tonight as the last time the right-hander took the mound was on August 17 against the New York Mets.

Zimmermann has given up seven runs in back-to-back outings which is a trend that hopefully continues tonight against the Yankees. Before these two horrific starts Zimmermann looked to be turning around a tough season as he threw three straight seven-inning quality starts but has since regressed to his earlier season struggles.

The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Comerica Park, home of the Tigers, and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV. You can also follow along with the game in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game, need a win so get a win, and Go Yankees!

The Best August Trade the Yankees Can Make

The August 31^st trade deadline is quickly approaching and while we have seen more than a few teams take advantage of this month’s waiver wire trade deadline deals the New York Yankees have not been one of them. New York was said to be interested in the New York Mets second baseman Neil Walker before the team sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers while the team also thought they had a deal for Jay Bruce in place, also with the Mets, before he was shipped to the Cleveland Indians to solidify their playoff push. The good news for the Yankees though after missing out on two key players for their own postseason run is that the team can still make the very best trade they can during this month of August and it won’t even cost them all that much.

What do I mean? Well I don’t mean the Yankees can acquire another player from another team because of the payroll freeze set in place by Hal Steinbrenner but I do mean the team can get healthy, get some players off the disabled list and hit their stride right at the perfect time of the season. Currently the Yankees have a lot of big guns on the disabled list and many of them are getting close to coming off the disabled list including second baseman Starlin Castro, first baseman Greg Bird, RHP Masahiro Tanaka and LHP CC Sabathia.

Bird’s struggles have been well documented this season across the Yankees blogosphere but what many of those posts fail to address is the fact that Bird was trying to play through an ankle injury which could have absolutely led to him slashing just .100/.250/.200 in 60 at-bats. Bird is set to begin his rehab assignment tomorrow with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders although his rehab could go the maximum time allowed since the left-hander has missed so much of the 2017 season already.

With Castro, a 2017 AL All-Star, and Bird the Yankees offense should be much better while having two veteran arms in Sabathia and Tanaka can only benefit a young team headed towards a potential playoff berth. This may be the best, and only, option for the Yankees this month to improve the team so let’s hope for the best and hope for the health and effectiveness of these four players.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 8/9

The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays will continue their three-game set this week with the middle game of the series tonight inside the Rogers Centre. In the first game of the series last night the fans were treated with a battle of two veteran southpaws in CC Sabathia and JA Happ but tonight the fans will watch as the Yankees send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to square off with Cesar Valdez  Nick Tepesch for the Jays. It doesn’t matter what the standings say these two teams generally tend to bring their “A” games against one another so expect another fun one tonight with our neighbors from the north. Enjoy the game.

Tanaka was sharp for his second straight outing last time out leaving me wanting to go back to saying “Happy Tanaka Day” every time the Japanese-born right-hander makes a start. In his last start Tanaka held the Tigers to just two runs, one of them earned, and six hits in six innings of work. Unfortunately Tanaka took the loss in the start due to a lack of run support but has defeated the Blue Jays in both starts against them this season.

Valdez was hit hard by the Houston Astros in his last start as the AL West leading Astros scored six runs in 3.1 innings of work. To be fair, who haven’t the Astros tagged in 2017? Valdez has a 20.25 ERA in his last start including that Houston start though so if the Yankees could keep the trend going tonight in Toronto that would be great. Thanks in advance. Valdez was added to the 10-day DL and Nick Tepesch was called up to make the spot start. 

The game will be played at 7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along in your cars and on the radio by tuning into the WFAN broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game and as always, Go Yankees!

Should/Will the Yankees Be “In” On Any of These Players Who Cleared Waivers?

The August waiver wire trade deadline may be a bit more complicated for teams to pull off deals but it doesn’t necessarily make it impossible, especially if that player you’re looking to acquire clears waivers. There have been more than a few notable veteran players that have already cleared waivers, and keep in mind that not every team releases the name of every player that clears waivers and are not obligated to do so either, which leaves me wondering if the Yankees should be or will be interested in any of them. Before we jump into the list though and talk about any potential trades for the Bombers I will preface the post by saying that Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees principal owner, has stated that the Yankees payroll is now frozen. No more payroll will be added in 2017, period. Keep that in mind when suggesting or thinking about potential trades this season.

The most current and up to date list that I have of players that has cleared revocable waivers includes Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, Chris Davis, RA Dickey, Jim Johnson, Bryce Harper, Joey Votto, Justin Upton, Felix Hernandez, Brandon Crawford, Yoenis Cespedes, Asdrubal Cabrera, Neil Walker and AJ Ramos. This list admittedly may be out of date due to teams not releasing who has cleared waivers but this is the most current list according to MLB Trade Rumors so for the sake of simplicity and this post we will go with it.

The Yankees don’t need an outfielder, in fact when Tyler Austin and Aaron Hicks return from their rehab assignments the team may have too many outfielders and not enough roster spots to accommodate them all, meaning that you can immediately mark Bruce, Granderson, Harper, Upton and Cespedes off the list for New York. The Orioles are unlikely to trade Davis within the division, especially to the Yankees, and you have that whole no more payroll thing marking him off the list as well. Votto has a full no-trade clause and is owed a ton of money throughout the end of his contract, #PayrollFreeze, and the same can be said for the Tigers starter Justin Verlander who may be a member of the Houston Astros before this post even goes live.

Taking those names off the list leaves Dickey, a hard no, Johnson, a former AL saves leader and an attractive setup man option, Hernandez, yes please but #PayrollFreeze, Brandon Crawford, this move was purely procedural and the Giants are not going to move him, Cabrera, no thank you, Walker, no thank you, and Ramos, another dependable bullpen arm that New York may or may not need. Looking at the list it looks like the only options New York really has at this time is Jim Johnson, AJ Ramos or maybe Felix Hernandez. The Mariners seem willing to go for it in 2017 as the team has a Wild Card spot in their sights though making the Hernandez trade less and less likely, although not impossible given his salary and the salary restraints in Seattle right now.

Do the Yankees really need Ramos or Johnson? I mean, sure, it would be nice to get greedy and acquire one or both of them but neither are a real need. Both, though, will cost real prospects and that’s just not something I am willing to do and is not something I think the Yankees are willing to do either to be completely honest. Also, as much as I hate to admit this, the Hernandez trade opportunity is likely a pipe dream. Again, I am not completely counting it out but I just can’t see New York pulling this off or Seattle willing to make the trade. Hernandez hasn’t been Hernandez in 2017, he has struggled some and battled injuries including the bursitis that he learned about and was diagnosed with yesterday, which is one of the only reasons I have hope but that payroll freeze is really going to get in the way. Conceivably the Yankees could include better prospects and have Seattle kick in his salary like they did with the Minnesota Twins and Jaime Garcia but that seems unlikely as well.

Who knows what is going to happen between now and August 31^st but as it stands right now it looks like all the Yankees heavy lifting is all but done. Brian Cashman is likely just sitting on a beach somewhere sipping on fruity drinks with little paper umbrellas floating in the glass, and he deserves to be after what he did for the team before the July 31^st trading deadline. Brace yourselves Yankees family, winter is coming to the Bronx and it won’t include any fresh, new characters to kill off two episodes in. 

So it Seems There Will Be Many Eyes on You Today so STAY STRONG!

Today admittedly will be a bit of a somber day and a difficult day for me so excuse me while I ramble on for a bit this morning.

Stay strong, be strong. Today will be hard but there will be many eyes on you today looking for various things. Some will look at you with worry and sadness but some will look at you hoping that you’re okay so they know that it will be okay. You are the rock and the foundation to many and those people will be relying heavily on you today. Not to say you can’t cry and you can’t show emotion, that’s totally healthy and normal, but overall you have to stay strong. Be there. Be available to those who need you. I know you know what you’re doing, you’re an amazing person and so kind-hearted, and you don’t need my advice but I’m here to give it regardless. I care about you and I love you. I’m here when you’re ready today, and I’ll be okay when you’re not. Always on my mind and always in my heart Kari Ann Burch.

Make the best of every day Yankees family because tomorrow is never promised. Stay well. 

Could the Yankees Have Acquired Yonder Alonso? Should They Have?

Over the weekend we all got a bit of an education on the August 31^st waiver wire trade deadline and how it all works. The Oakland Athletics placed first baseman and soon-to-be free agent Yonder Alonso on the waiver wire and the Seattle Mariners claimed him. The Athletics could have pulled Alonso back and placed him on waivers again, they could have simply dumped Alonso on Seattle and his remaining salary or the two teams could have worked out a trade. The A’s and Mariners did the latter as Seattle agreed to send minor league outfielder Boog Powell to Oakland for Alonso. Could the Yankees have made a similar deal with Oakland, and should they have? 

When I say “should the Yankees have made a similar deal” I want to be clear in saying that I mean as a part of the Sonny Gray deal or in a separate deal before the July 31^st trade deadline. I fully understand that the Seattle Mariners had a chance to claim Alonso before the Yankees did and I fully understand how the whole August waiver wire trade deadline works. Just to clarify and just to be clear since this is all hypothetical anyway. 

When I run these posts looking at if the Yankees could have conceivably pulled off a similar trade it all comes down to who the other team gave up, this time Boog Powell formerly of the Mariners. If the name Boog Powell is familiar to you it may be because he was suspended 50 games for amphetamine use by Major League Baseball back in 2014 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization. John Sickels has since called Powell a “prototype reserve outfielder” on Minor League Ball before Powell was suspended for 80 games for a second failed drug/PED test in 2016. Before the 2017 season Powell was listed as a “C” grade prospect and was not one of the Mariners Top 20 prospects in their farm system, again according to Minor League Ball. 

So who would the equivalent be to Powell in the Yankees organization? Think Jake Cave or Billy McKinney, and even then that may leave the Yankees paying too much. Powell hit .194 in 23 games with the Mariners big league club this season in three different stints while he has also hit .340 in 58 games in Triple-A with Tacoma. 

At the time of the trade Alonso, 30-years old, was hitting .266 with 17 doubles, 22 home runs and 49 RBI along with his .527 slugging percentage which is second best among qualifying American League first baseman. So should the Yankees have made this trade? Absolutely. Chase Headley is hot right now but we know it likely won’t last if history is any indicator of the future. Meanwhile Alonso has been consistent throughout much of his career and is a free agent at the end of the season. I was not involved in the negotiations obviously but this one seems like a no-brainer to me. Oh well. Maybe next time. 

So it Seems a Rough Week is Ahead

Well this past weekend didn’t go according to plan but here lately when does it ever? Life is so frustrating sometimes. Why can’t everything just fall into place and work for once? Ugh. Anyway, no doom and gloom and minimal sadness. We don’t have time for that and we don’t have room for that right now.

I hope everyone had a great start to their week and a great weekend. Remember this, it’s always going to rain. You can live with the rain but you can’t live without the rain. You have to get through the rain to get back to the sunshine. Same thing goes for life. It’s just a bump in the road.

HEY YOU. Good morning, and I love you. You are my rock, my constant and my heart. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians 8/5

What are two things that are just awesome and that just go together? Peanut butter and jelly. Pizza and beer. Saturday and Yankees baseball. There’s more but those are just the first three that came to mind. It is game time ladies and gentleman as the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians continue their four-game series with the third game of the set here in just a few minutes. In the start the Yankees will send Jordan Montgomery to the mound to face off with Danny Salazar for the Indians. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Progressive Field in Cleveland and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. You can also follow along on the radio and in your cars by tuning into WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman each and every game.

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and enjoy the game. Go Yankees!!