This Has Truly Become a Young Man’s Sports Again

When I look around the free agent market every single season and offseason I think to myself more and more than Major League Baseball is once again becoming a young man’s sport again. What do I mean? I can remember growing up a Yankees fan in the mid-2000’s where New York always had that one or two veteran players on the roster in the twilight of their career’s that filled important roles for the club. Then I watched as the Core Four aged and the Yankees were considered the old men of baseball. Now I watch the second youth movement in the Bronx during my lifetime and I see the invigoration of youth and it makes me notice the youth movement not only inside Yankee Stadium but around baseball as well… which is not a good thing for certain veterans who still find themselves looking for work despite the fact that spring training games have already begun.

The list of 30-year olds or older still on the free agent market is staggering when you think about it. Names like Pedro Alvarez, Joe Blanton, Billy Butler, Marlon Byrd, Chris Capuano, Coco Crisp, Doug Fister, Jeff Francouer, Sam Fuld, Ryan Howard, Edwin Jackson, Tim Lincecum, Kelly Johnson, Justin Morneau, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, AJ Pierzynski and CJ Wilson to name a few still appear on the free agency market while many players have simply walked off into the sunset and retired. Now when I look at this list I don’t see many that will turn a non-contender into an immediate World Series contender but there are still some very helpful free agents out there on the market that can be had for simply money.

Blanton, for example, sported a 2.48 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 80 strikeouts in 80 innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year leaving me to wonder how with 30 teams vying for bullpen supremacy how the 36-year old is still looking for work.

At one point in the not-so-distant past you were just in your prime when you hit 30-years old but now in a league where the NL MVP Kris Bryant is just 24-years old and Mike Trout just won his second AL MVP Award at age 25 you just may be considered “old” at 30.

Ladies and gentleman this is truly becoming a young man’s sport again and you can tell it by looking at the MLB Trade Rumors free agent tracker. There is still good players out there on the market to be had but they aren’t signed because of their age. None of the aforementioned players would command huge salaries with maybe the exception being Papelbon so it almost has to be the age factor. When you also look at the number of veterans who simply took minor league deals with invitations to spring training the trend just gets scarier and scarier for veteran players. Will it change? Or will it simply get worse before it gets better? Stay tuned. 

Bold Prediction: Luis Severino Makes Yankees Rotation in 2017

I know I say this every single season but just so you know this season will be no different. I love spring training and the whole atmosphere around Major League Baseball during this time. Every team is in first place, every team has a new and exciting direction they are going in and the sky is the limit for every player and team going forward. With that theme in mind I want to make a bit of a bold prediction regarding the New York Yankees and their starting rotation, specifically the fact that the aforementioned starting rotation for the Bronx Bombers will have Luis Severino pitching in it when the team breaks spring training camp this season.

Severino survived in the minor leagues with a reasonably straight fastball and even flourished with it in a small sample size in 2015 but the young right-hander’s 2016 season left much to be desired. New York sent Severino down to the minor leagues to work on his secondary pitches at one point last season before bringing him back as a bullpen arm during the latter parts of the season where he took off and regained confidence on the mound. Severino has been working on his changeup specifically this offseason and will look to showcase that work not only this spring but in the Yankees rotation this coming season, and I believe that he will.

I especially believe this will be the case after watching him pitch, albeit in an exhibition game, on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Severino’s fastball and slider were on point, his fastball hit 98 MPH at one point in the game which is insane for February baseball, but it was his changeup that kept Toronto hitters at bay in two scoreless innings. Severino’s changeup was clocked at 88 MPH which is a huge dip in velocity and a huge spike in deceptiveness if he can throw it right, and he did on Sunday.

Let’s be real, the competition for the Yankees 4^th and 5^th rotation spots are wide open at this point with no one really slotted into those positions at this time. Severino, or anyone else really, could essentially win those spots with a strong spring. What Severino has over some of the Luis Cessa’s and Bryan Mitchell’s of the world is velocity and a confidence that borderlines on almost cockiness. In a league where you can be your own worst enemy that may be more important than any stat or telling sign can tell you. That confidence, that blazing fastball and that mastered third pitch will be the reason Severino is throwing every five days in the Yankees starting rotation come Opening Day 2017. Bet. 

So it Seems We Had a Scheduled Weekend Off

So it seems like we took the weekend off. I needed the weekend off and I took it but now I’m back and ready to continue to pump out the content. I think maybe taking the weekend, or maybe a day as I haven’t really decided, off is going to be good for me as my life continues to get busy and continues to even become overwhelming at times. That’s not me complaining though, I’m truly blessed and I have the best that life can offer in my world right now and right now as I sit here today speaking to you I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I have distractions but I have the very best distractions. I have obligations but I have the most awesome little obligations in the world. I’ve all but given up even taking the time to eat my lunch while I’m at work but I keep my hands full and my mind occupied during that time so it’s all good because my days have become my favorite thing. I don’t want to sleep at night because I don’t want to miss a thing. It’s hard for me to put into words how I feel right now, and that’s rare for me and it goes to show you just how awesome it can be.

Remove negativity from your life at all costs and water the grass where you want it to be green, not where everyone says it should be green, and you too can find true happiness. Stay well everyone and good morning. The world is yours if you take it. 

Now batting for the New York Yankees, the shortstop, #81, Gleyber Torres…

Credit:  Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With Didi Gregorius headed to participate in the WBC Classic and share shortstop with his buddy, Andrelton Simmons of the Los Angeles Angels on Team Netherlands, Gleyber Torres should have a firm grasp on shortstop for the next couple of weeks while Didi is away.  Granted, Torres is not major-league ready but these short previews feature very exciting coming attractions.  

Torres is easily becoming a fan favorite despite never having played a major league game at Yankee Stadium.  While the speculation is that Torres will need to move to second base when he is ready for the Show, listening to his comments during interviews show how much he respects the shortstop position and those who preceded him (most notably Derek Jeter).  If Didi continues his upward climb to elite status, it will be hard to move Didi off short or ship him elsewhere to make room.  Those are problems for another day, but for now, we’ll be able to enjoy Torres at short.

I am sure that we’ll also see former top prospect Jorge Mateo at short too, but he’s not the one generating excitement.  Pete Kozma and Tyler Wade, the defensive whiz, should also see some time there.  Nevertheless, the man of the hour is clearly Gleyber Torres.  

I dislike reading the posts that say its a given the Yankees will sign Bryce Harper and Manny Machado in a couple of years when they hit free agency.  Neither is a sure thing, and Cable TV contracts have leveled the playing field, not to mention the limitations caused by the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds.  If we eventually get one or both of the superstars, great, but it’s not something that we can count on.  There will be players brought in via trades that we’re not even thinking about right now.  I’ll worry about the 2019 Yankees in 2019 (or maybe off-season 2018).  Right now, I am having fun watching the future of the Yankees as the team embarks on the 2017 season.  Granted, the moves and performances today will help define what tomorrow will bring, but at this moment in time, it’s fun watching the Baby Bombers perform in their infancy.  

I always thought it was cool that Derek Jeter was a Yankees fan as a kid.  When the Yankees drafted pitcher James Kaprielian and outfielder Blake Rutherford, both Californians, I didn’t realize that both had been Yankees fans growing up.  I remember when Rutherford was picked by the Yankees last year out of high school.  My first question, not really knowing much about Rutherford, was about his sign-ability.  I remember being disappointed a few years ago when the Yankees drafted pitcher Gerrit Cole and then were unable to sign him.  There’s always a fear that will happen again.  What I didn’ t know was how much Rutherford loved the Yankees.  I am not sure if he would have gone to college had he been drafted by another team, but we’ll never know.  He signed and is now one of the organization’s top prospects.  If/when he makes it to the Bronx, I am sure his little league pics showing a small boy wearing Yankees hat and jersey will be on display in the New York papers.

It would be even better if Kaprielian and Rutherford win world championships (plural, please) for their lifelong favorite team.

After four spring games, the Yankees are 3-1.  I know, spring records mean absolutely nothing.  Still, it’s exciting that the starters have performed well so far, and the Yankees could have easily been undefeated at this point.  It’s even better that none of the starters have included rotation mainstays Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and CC Sabathia.  The intensity of games will start to pick up in a few weeks, and we’ll see longer starts by the regulars.  Even though the February (and March) wins mean nada, winning is fun any way you slice it.  So far, it’s been an exciting start for training camp.  We’ll lose a few players like Didi, Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances to the WBC, but camp moves on.  Go players with numbers > 70!

This Day in New York Yankees History 2/28: Cocaine is a hell of a Drug

On this day in 2000 Yankees outfielder and DH Darryl Strawberry is suspended for one year after testing positive for cocaine last month. Bud Selig would not allow Strawberry back early from the suspension based on good behavior. This would essentially mark the end of Strawberry's career.

It's Not What You Want - Spring Training Edition Take 2

Welcome back ladies and gentleman to the "It's Not What You Want" podcast brought to you by The Greedy Pinstripes and hosted by our friends Jacob Westendorf and Matt Bove. This podcast is the second of the spring and as exhibition games in the Grapefruit League kick off the guys should have a lot to talk about tonight. Enjoy the podcast!

 

Severing the memory of last year's starts...

It’s a new season.  The failure of Luis Severino’s change-up has been cited as a key reason for last year’s dismal starting performance.  Sevy had bulked up during the off-season, and the end result was throwing his pitches harder, including the change-up.  Post-game comments by Gary Sanchez yesterday cited the importance of keeping the change-up low.  With work this off-season to restore his previous touch with the pitch, the belief is that he’ll return to being the effective three-pitch starter that he had been in late 2015.  An effective change-up, to go with his slider and fastball, should hopefully put Severino in the driver’s seat for the #4 slot in the starting rotation. 

Here’s hoping that his off-season work with Pedro Martinez erases all memories of last season’s 0-8 mark as a starter.  I would love nothing more than Severino to show he can be a key cog in the rotation.  Facing the great pitching staffs in Toronto and Boston, the Yankees will need five guys who can keep the team in games before the hand-off to the bullpen.  Another "O-fer" performance by any starting pitcher would be deadly to the team’s chances for success.

After facing the Blue Jays yesterday, the Toronto hitters will get another look at Severino on Friday in Dunedin, FL.  It will be interesting to see if he can be as effective the second time around and prove that he is on the right path for sustained success in the new year. 

I’ve participated in a few Fantasy Baseball drafts and so far, it seems that catcher Gary Sanchez is often taken as the first catcher (ahead of Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants).  He is generally the first Yankee to come off the board even though Aroldis Chapman and Masahiro Tanaka tend to be higher on most Top 100 lists.  Sanchez is clearly getting the love right now from baseball fans everywhere.

When I turned on Sports Radio this morning, I was flooded with references to the famed Pine Tar Incident in July 1983 involving George Brett, Billy Martin and a questionable bat thanks to the faux pas that occurred last night at The Oscars when it was incorrectly announced that La La Land had won Best Picture.  The image of George Brett, who had just hit a go-ahead two run home run,  running and screaming after being called out following an appeal by Yankees manager Billy Martin  raced across my mind. 

Moonlight was subsequently named winner of Best Picture after La La Land acceptance speeches had already begun.  But if the Pine Tar Incident was the true analogy for what happened at The Oscars, then La La Land will still win Best Picture in a few days when they replay the competition considering that the Kansas City Royals ultimately won the Pine Tar Game when it was replayed from the point Brett had hit the home run.   Neither team scored again so the Royals’ 5-4 lead held up for the win.  Regardless, congratulations to Moonlight for its victory.  That’s a decision that will stand the test of time (unlike the Pine Tar Incident). 

Yesterday was a sad day in Yankees history.  The legendary Babe Ruth was released by the Yankees on February 26, 1935 so that he could sign with the National League’s Boston Braves.  It’s sad that Babe Ruth never realized his dream of managing.  It was that dream that led to the friction with the Yankees at the end of his Yankees career as he openly wanted manager Joe McCarthy’s job.  

This Day in New York Yankees History 2/27: Pinstripes are Born, Almost Literally

On this day in 1985 Toby Harrah is traded by the Yankees to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Billy Sample and a player to be named later. The 36 year old veteran infielder was originally a member of the Texas Rangers and will become the club's manager for one year in 1992.


Also on this day in 1912 the Yankees announced that they would begin wearing pinstripes on their uniform, something they obviously still do today. The Yankees wouldn't actually start physically wearing them until April 22, 1915 but either way it became a reality.

Too much talent in the farm system?...

Credit:  J Conrad Williams, Jr, Newsday

Two games into the Spring schedule and it is clear that Gleyber Torres is the most exciting player on the field.  He is providing a glimpse into the future before he packs his bags and heads to Trenton, New Jersey and AA ball.  

Saturday’s game featured a 2-for-2 day by Torres, with two doubles.  He also scored from second base on a wild pitch with heads-up base-running.

One day, the Yankees will have to make a decision regarding their infield.  It’s probably still a couple of years away, but the day will come when Starlin Castro, most likely, is the one moved (either to third base or another team) to make way for Torres at second base.  Torres is just trying to make it happen sooner rather than later.

I’ve been a Yankees fan for a long time but this is the first time I can recall that a spot on the 40-man roster carries such a premium.  Packaging multiple prospects to send to the Chicago White Sox for, say, pitcher Jose Quintana, would arguably relieve some of the pressure.

The Yankees had to make hard decisions in the off-season when they cut loose both Jacob Lindgren and Nathan Eovaldi.  Granted, both players are recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the Yankees had no room to protect either on their 40-man roster.  Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves, with arguably the best farm system in baseball, quickly signed the lefty Lindgren who was thought to be on the fast track to the major leagues when he was drafted by the Yankees a few years ago.  The Yankees had some discussions with Eovaldi after they cut him loose but it is not known how serious they were.  Eovaldi opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, and was placed on their 40-man roster.  The Rays currently have one of the lower ranked farm systems so it was probably an easy decision for them to devote a 40-man spot to a guy that will not return to the field until 2018 at the earliest.  

The Braves are another story.  They have a plethora of top talent, yet were still able to make room for Lindgren, who, like Eovaldi, is at least a year away from playing again.  

If Jon Niese makes the Yankees opening day roster, they’ll have to make a move with the 40-man roster.  The obvious DFA candidate is LHP Joe Mantiply, but there’s still time for any roster decisions have to be made.  

Having the best or second-base farm system in baseball is great, but the truth is that not all the prospects will succeed.  The Yankees need to roll the dice and make some trades to upgrade the weaker areas of the team.  It may not be this spring but either at the trade deadline or next off-season, it will be time for the Yankees to upgrade the roster to compete with the top teams in the American League.  The key is obviously the continued development of Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Aaron Judge at the major league level but it will soon be time to supplement those great present and future Yankees stars with commensurate talent.  

Making trades will free up room on the 40-man roster for other young talent in the system moving up through the ranks when it is their time for protection.  The Yankees’ huge haul from the international free agent market in 2014 will start to progress into the upper levels of the farm system within the next few years.  The pig in the pytheon is coming.  Shortstop Wilkerman Garcia is leading the way for the 2014 signees.  Since he signed before he was 18, he won’t have to be added to the 40-man until after five minor league seasons.  But for players signing their first professional contract at age 19 or greater, they’ll have to be protected after four minor league seasons.  If not protected, the players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft held each December.

The Yankees lost a few players in the Rule 5 Draft this past December.  Odds are most of the players picked will be offered back to the Yankees, but it’s also possible that one or two of the players are gone forever.  The San Diego Padres, for example, could decide to carry three catchers this year, allowing catcher Luis Torrens to remain on the big league roster.  

With such great talent in the organization right now, the 40-man roster and the Rule 5 Draft will be an incredible challenge every year.  I guess it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.

So, go ahead and make the trade for Jose Quintana.

I know, that was a long route to get to the request for Quintana, and there’s obviously so much more that goes into those type of decisions.  But I really do not want to see Chad Green as the team’s #5 starter.  So, pardon me…

This Day in New York Yankees History 2/26: Yankees Release Babe Ruth

On this day in 1935 the Yankees granted Babe Ruth his unconditional release from the club to pursue a contract with another club. The aging superstar would go to play for the Braves after the 39 year old hit 659 home runs and batted .349 in his 15 seasons in New York.