Travis Hafner Added To 60 Day DL Ending Season

In a move that kind of comes as a shocker to me Travis Hafner has been added to the 60 day DL to make room for Mike Zagurski on the 40 man roster. This essentially ends any chance of Hafner coming back in the final weeks of the season as a pinch hitter. This will also essentially end Hafner's career as a New York Yankees player which has been all but memorable.

MLB Releases Tentative 2014 Schedule

Up at Yankees.com there is the tentative 2014 schedule for the Yankees released today by Major League Baseball. Here are some of the high spots next season, assuming there will be some for a team another year older and presumably $50 million bucks cheaper.

 The Yankees open up 2014 on the road on April 1 in Houston to face the Astros. The Yankees will finish the regular season on September 28 in Boston against the Red Sox. The month of September should be fun as the Yankees play the bulk of their games inside the AL East division with just one three game series against the Kansas City Royals. 

 The All-Star Game is July 15 in Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, in Minneapolis. We will know a lot about the Yankees heading into the break as they finish the first half of the season on an 11 Game road trip. They will come out of the  break with a 10 game home stand which screams HOPE Week to me. The annual Subway Series, more commonly known as the closest thing to the World Series for Mets fans, will be May 12-15 with two games at Citi Field and then two games at Yankee Stadium much like the 2013 season. 

The Yankees will play the NL Central division in Interleague Play in 2014 including road games in Milwaukee, St. Louis, and a historic trip and reunion for Alfonso Soriano in Wrigley Field. We will also host the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and the Cubs for a series at Yankees Stadium.  

Should be another fun, yet challenging, season in 2014 and I look forward to it already. Buy Yankees Tickets as soon as they become available because they should go fast, especially with teams like the Cubs coming to town. 

New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles Meme

David Robertson Likely Available Tomorrow

David Robertson has been shut down for what feels like a month now after feeling some pain and soreness in his right throwing shoulder. An MRI revealed inflammation and the future Yankees closer was shut down. David threw an 11 pitch bullpen session today and feels ready to go as soon as tonight. In true Yankees babying of the pitchers fashion he is likely to be held out until tomorrow at the earliest. Again, stay tuned.

Yankees Sign & Call Up Mike Zagurski

The New York Yankees have announced that they have signed LHP Mike Zagurski to a deal and have him listed as an available relief pitcher tonight. No word yet on the 40 man roster move but I do not see any obvious 60 day DL candidates unless they do so to a Jose Ramirez. There is always Travis Hafner but I hear that he could be activated any time now so stay tuned!

New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 9/10

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles continue their four game set tonight at Oriole Park in Camden Yards in a series that could tilt the power in the wild card and playoff races this season. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound to face off with Miguel Gonzalez for the Orioles. The game can be seen at 7:05 pm ET on the MY9, MLB Network, and MLB TV.

Joe Girardi & Buck Schowalter Fighting Like Girls

The video proof

Yankees offense struggles in 4-2 loss to Orioles

I don't what's happened. Everything was going so well for this team, but now they've lost 4 out of their last 5 and are now 3 games out of the Wild Card race after losing last night to the Orioles 4-2. If the Yankees are gonna make the playoffs this year, they're gonna have to win these kinda games. They can't just expect to skate by beating only below .500 teams. 

The Yankees only two runs in this one came on two solo homers from A-Rod and Overbay. Their starter, CC Sabathia, was pretty good, lasting 7.1 innings while giving up 3 earned runs and striking out six. Due to a lack of run support, he took the loss, dropping his record to 13-12.  

Looking Ahead To 2014: The Designated Hitter

The Travis Hafner Era In New York Is Over

The Yankees have fallen in love with giving guys with no position but a ton of power the designated hitter position since signing Raul Ibanez for the 2012 season. The Yankees tried to catch lightning in a bottle again in 2013 when they signed Travis Hafner which was obviously a failure after multiple shoulder issues had him missing time as well as a power outage at the plate. The Yankees will surely let Travis Hafner walk after this season but will the Yankees give another aging power hitting veteran without a position the shot at the DH spot hoping for a third times the charm effect? Here is the complete list of 2014 free agents but I will hit the high spots and realistic options for the Yankees in this years free agency period.

Kendrys Morales (30 years old)

Delmon Young (28 years old)

Michael Young (37 years old)

Travis Hafner (37 years old)

Lance Berkman (37 years old)

Luke Scott (36 years old)

Mike Morse (32 years old)

Delmon Young is the youngest player on the list here and I am advocating for an all out effort to not only get better but get younger too but that does not start with Young. While he is younger, no pun intended, he is basically a DH only type. Sure he can play in the outfield, a place where we have plenty of options if you include Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte, but nobody would want him to unless they were really desperate. Travis Hafner is another that fits the "DH only" mold that the Yankees really need to start getting away from and so does Lance Berkman who has not had a healthy season in what feels like forever. Kendrys Morales is probably the most intriguing option here because he can play the infield, he has played the outfield, and is a switch hitter which the Yankees love. He can hit for power, for a good average, and has proven that he can stay healthy in the past two seasons which was the biggest concern for him. Kendrys Morales adds added flexibility, versatility, and power to the team and adds a switch hitter to the lineup that balances it out and brings us closer to the glory years of giving opposing managers late innings match up nightmares and #TooManyDamnHomeRuns.

If I am the GM I give Kendrys Morales a two year deal worth $12,000,000 that gives him a slight raise over 2013 and gives him the security of a two year deal.

This Day In New York Yankees History 9/10

On this day in 2008 the Yankees had a piece of history that they would like to forget as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat them 4-2 clinching the AL West. This is the earliest that a team has clinched the AL West in it's history. Slow day in New York Yankees history.