Qualifying Offers Will Be Worth $14.1 Million This Year

We finally have a number to put with the qualifying offers that the Yankees will likely to be offering to free agents like Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, and Hiroki Kuroda. The qualifying offer will be set at $14,100,000 for the 2014 season on one year deals. Last year the qualifying offers were worth $13,300,000 which is a $800,000 increase from last season.

Just as a reminder you must offer your own free agent a qualifying offer and he must decline it to get a compensation draft pick for him. The team that signs him will relinquish their first round pick, unless it is in the top 10 because those are protected, and the Yankees will get a pick at the end of the first round.

Also worth noting that you must be with your team the entire season, this is for you Matt Garza, to be offered a qualifying offer. Anyone acquired at the trading deadline cannot be offered a qualifying offer and the team who had them can lose their free agent and get nothing in return.

No RailRiders Make Top 20 Prospects List

Baseball America has been going through every level of the farm systems around the league and ranking their top 20 prospects list and the AAA International League is today's list. The Yankees AAA affiliate the Scranton Wilkes Barre Railriders did not have a single player make the top 20 list to what should be nobody's surprise in my opinion.

The Red Sox Xander Bogarts tops the list and is followed by the Rays Will Myers and Gerritt Cole of the Pirates. The best Yankees options were probably Austin Romine, JR Murphy in limited time, Zoilo Almonte, Dellin Betances, and maybe Thomas Neal and that is it. If Chase Whitley pitching the way he did in July and August all season long he probably makes the list but what can you do.

List Of Players We Must Protect In The Rule 5 Draft

I know we are a long way away from having to worry about the Rule 5 Draft that will happen sometime in the general time frame of the 2014 spring training but it is never too early to start planning. The Yankees have quite a few notable prospects that need protecting this season that if left unprotected will probably be taken. Here is a list, and honestly I am probably over looking a guy or two here so bare with me, of the notable household names that will need to be protected from the draft next year:

Gary Sanchez
Slade Heathcott
Shane Greene
Bryan Mitchell
Tommy Kahnle
Danny Burawa
Chase Whitley

Adding Gary Sanchez to the 40 man roster all but spells the end of Chris Stewart and also means that the Yankees will not be in the market for Brian McCann, or any catcher for that matter, this season. Sanchez, Austin Romine, JR Murphy, Chris Stewart, and Francisco Cervelli is a log jam and a 40 man roster handcuff and something will be done about it.

Slade Heathcott is an obvious no brainer to be added to the 40 man roster now that Melky Mesa was released at the end of the 2013 season. Shane Greene led the Trenton Thunder championship squad this season, especially down the stretch and through the playoffs. He is an emerging name that would probably stick elsewhere in a place like Miami or Tampa Bay.

I believe that Bryan Mitchell, Tommy Kahnle, and Danny Burawa would probably go without being drafted and if they did would be returned quickly after not sticking on the selecting teams 40 man roster. Mitchell has not really pitched much outside of High A although he did finish in Trenton with the Thunder pitching well with a sub 2.00 ERA. Chase Whitley on the other hand would be gone in a heartbeat and we would never see him again. Whitley was strictly a reliever before this season when he dabbled in the starting pitching game. Whitley made five starts in August putting up a 1.64 ERA after throwing 17.1 scoreless innings in July as a reliever so expect his name to go early if he is left unprotected.

Divison Series Wrap-up

Hey guys! I am alive and well, in case anyone was wondering; been swamped during midterm season. Ok, let's talk about the past week:

We've seen guys that have to win pitch out of their minds. Mike Minor winning Game 2 for Atlanta, Sonny Gray shutting out one of the best offenses in baseball in his Game 2 for the A's, Garrett Cole in another Game 2 for the Pirates!

The Dodgers pitching otherwise owned the Braves. Medlen started out well in Game 1, but the Dodger offense shut him down behind Clayton Kershaw. The Braves lineup just isn't good at all; no real solid .300, .310 hitters. Tim Hudson going down in July really killed their pitching.

Now I'll comment on a couple controversial decisions. First, before Game 4 in LA, everyone was divided over Kershaw starting on three days rest. It actually hurt the team in the long run, because they can't start Kershaw Game 1 in St. Louis, plus he gave up two runs anyway. The real bad decision was not putting Kimbrel in the game. Carpenter was devastated after that game, and I was listening to a little of the press conference on TBS. I didn't hear any of the soft Atlanta media ask Gonzalez why the hell he didn't put Kimbrel in. Your back's against the wall, you put your stud out there!

At least Leyland got that, but at first, putting Scherzer in relief looked like the dumbest move in the world in Game 4, giving up a run almost right away, but Oakland did this to themselves. They had the Tigers and Miguel Cabrera against the fence and they couldn't get it done. I knew they wouldn't recover after that fan interference call.

Now, a lot of people including Mad Dog totally disagreed with the decision to put Sonny Gray on the mound last night. Listen, if I'm Melvin, of course I'm gonna pick a guy who shut out the Tigers rather than a vet who's had an iffy career at best. Let's put Colon in perspective; who cares if he's 40, if he's pitched for 15 years. Yeah he won a Cy Young, but he's no Verlander. He gave up a three-spot right away in Game 1!

Aces: Verlander came on and pitched like a man; A's had no answer. Good effort from the Pirates, in the most dramatic of the four series. Game 4 couldn't have had a better script; McCutchen as the series-winning run in the bottom of the ninth with two down. But the Pirates had to win Game 4. Clint Hurdle made a terrible decision not keeping Cole in the game. He pinch-hit while his starter was pitching a gem, sans a bad pitch to Freese. The bullpen isn't as good as advertised, and maybe those couple of lucky hops in the seventh tie the game at two, instead of being down 3-1.

Oh yeah, I forgot. Red Sox: SPEED IT UP PLEASE! I cannot stand that team in the playoffs because they are literally slower than whatever analogy you wanna use: my grandma, molasses, a snail, take your pick. The Rays didn't keep it interesting at all, even if they won a home game. Hats off to Tampa though for braving that two-game road trip just to get to the playoffs!

'Till Next Time!

Neil Dwyer @neildwyer1993

Do I Stay Or Do I Go Now? - Yankees Edition

Joe Girardi is back in the fold and while the Yankees try and finalize some deals with the rest of the coaching staff I thought it would be a good opportunity to look ahead to free agency. The Yankees have a number of free agents leaving this season, some will stay and some will go, so let's see who will be donning pinstripes in 2014 and who will not.

Phil Hughes - Goes

I hope he goes and goes to a land far, far away and never comes back, not even as a visitor. Well scratch that he loves to give up home runs in Yankees Stadium so as a visitor would be okay.

Hiroki Kuroda - Stays

Yes he has fizzled out the last two seasons now in late August and through September but that is something the Yankees can monitor and control by limiting him a tad during the season. All told he has still been our best and most underrated pitcher on the team in the last two seasons and we are in trouble without him in 2014.

Robinson Cano - Stays

Robinson kind of priced himself out of everyone's budget besides the Yankees when he asked for 10 years and $310,000,000. Also I think he loves being a Yankee and the Yankees love him so I think this deal gets done eventually and I think this is all posturing to make a name for Jay Z as a sports agent.

Curtis Granderson - Stays

I think ultimately Granderson does not want to leave the Yankees after missing 101 games due to injury. He is a proud man and a loyal man and I think he takes the one year qualifying offer that the Yankees are rumored to be entertaining and builds free agent status for the 2015 offseason.

Kevin Youkilis - Goes

Buh.Bye

Travis Hafner - Goes

See Kevin Youkilis

Brendan Ryan - Stays

Defensive wizard at short stop, gives us a more than capable backup for Derek Jeter entering his age 40 season, and allows us to move Eduardo Nunez over to third base if and when Alex Rodriguez is suspended.

Derek Jeter - Stays

I think in the end Jeter exercises his players option for the 2014 season and makes his $9,500,000 before riding off into the sunset after the year. At the very least I see Jeter going year to year after a season that saw him placed on the disabled list four times.

Boone Logan - Goes

I think with Cesar Cabral finally healed and healthy along with the Yankees attempt at getting under the $189,000,000 luxury tax threshold we will see the end of Boone's time in pinstripes. While Boone pitches his butt off for us we just do not have the room on the roster for another $4,000,000 reliever, especially one coming off of elbow surgery.

Joba Chamberlain - Goes

Goodbye. Adios. Say it in as many languages as you want, just go.

Andy Pettitte - Goes

This is it, there is no Brian Cashman talking him out of it. End of an era and it ends in 2014.

Mariano Rivera - Goes

Same as Andy, I cannot see Mo coming back for one more year, even if God tells him to.

Alex Rodriguez - Meh

I can see Alex getting suspended but I see no way that the arbitrator keeps a 211 game suspension with no failed test, no previous suspension, and proof coming from a guy who just got $5,000,000 given to him in a restaurant by major league baseball. At this point Alex would be lucky to get 50 games, although I find that to be the likeliest of options.

This Day In New York Yankees History 10/11

On this day in 1946 the Yankees traded second basemen Joe Gordon to the St. Louis Cardinals for Allie Reynolds. Gordon finished his Yankees career playing in exactly 1,000 games and collecting 1,000 hits before being elected into the Hall of Fame when he retired.

On this day in 2000 the Yankees banged out eight hits in Game 2 of the ALCS setting a new record for hits in an inning in a post season game. The Yankees beat the Mariners 7-1 and would win the series and eventually the World Series this season.

On this day in 2006 recently acquired Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger would die as their four seat airplane crashes into a Upper East Side high rise building. Manny Acta, the Mets third base coach at the time, was living in the Belaire Condominiums that Lidle crashed into at the time.

On this day in 2009 the New York Yankees would beat the Twins 4-1 to advance to the ALCS behind a strong series from Alex Rodriguez. What makes this day and game significant is because it is the last game that will ever be played at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Winter League Assignments Are In

Just a quick blurb here announcing where the Yankees minor league players will be playing their winter ball this season. Obviously just because they are assigned there and on the team does not mean that they will necessarily play there as the Yankees still have full control over these players but the lists are what they are, and here they are:

Mexican Pacific League: 
OF Jose Figueroa
 IF Walt Ibarra
UTIL Ronnie Mustelier

Venezuelan Winter League:

 C Francisco Arcia

 IF Ali Castillo

 C Francisco Cervelli 

 C Jose Gil

UTIL Jose Pirela

King: Yankees Will Be "Big Bidders" On Tanaka

George A. King reports that the Yankees are expected to be "big bidders" for Masahiro Tanaka this offseason when he is posted by his team in the Japanese League. The Yankees may finally be ready to step back into the international free agency pool after missing out on big signings like Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig, and Jorge Soler and recent years. I guess missing out on Daisuke Matsuzaka, thankfully, and Kei Igawa left a sour taste of Japanese food in the Yankees mouths in recent offseasons but the Yankees seem to be ready to jump back in.

The Yankees are entering the offseason without three of their five starting pitchers in Phil Hughes, Andy Pettitte, and Hiroki Kuroda. The Yankees are expected to be very active in the free agent starting pitchers pool as their farm system has shown less than spectacular results in the starting pitching department and Tanaka may be at the top of their wish list.

Assistant general manager Billy Eppler and scout Don Wakamatsu were sent to Japan to scout him and have seen every start he has made since Tanaka expressed interest in being posted this offseason. The Yankees are doing their homework, unlike when they signed Kei Igawa not even knowing what pitches he threw, and the Yankees scouts think that he could be the best pitcher to come out of Japan ever. Wakamatsu was quoted as saying the following about the Yu Darvish and Tanaka comparison:

"He is better than Darvish because he is a strike thrower,'' the scout said. "Overall, Darvish's stuff might be a little bit better, but this guy knows how to pitch. He is like Kuroda, he has a lot of guts. He throws four pitches but when it gets to [stone]-cutting time, it's fastball and splitter.''

Tanaka will not be posted before November 1st and if the Japanese World Series goes seven games the season will not officially end until November 3rd so we have some time before we really worry with this. Experts speculate that the bidding could match or exceed the $60,000,000 it took just to talk with Yu Darvish and that is before Tanaka gets an expected five year deal worth another $60,000,000.

Tanaka finished the 2013 season with a perfect 20-0 record and a 1.24 ERA in 181 innings spread across 23 starts. Tanaka threw seven complete games and has not had an ERA above 2.00 since the 2010 season. The Yankees seem to be serious about making a run at Tanaka this offseason and this makes me, and it should make all Yankees fans, very very happy.

New York Yankees Coaching Staff Updates

The New York Yankees have already brought back manager Joe Girardi for the 2014 season and beyond and have pretty much brought back Larry Rothschild, the pitching coach, along for the ride but what about everyone else?

The Seattle Mariners are having internal discussions about bringing the Yankees third base coach Rob Thompson in to be their next manager. Please, please take Thompson so we can get someone who knows when and when not to send someone at third base. The Mariners have not asked the Yankees for permission just yet and I am not entirely sold on the fact that the Yankees will let them so stay tuned on this one.

Pete Mackanin was a scout in the New York Yankees organization this past season and will be the Philadelphia Phillies third base coach in 2014. Mackanin was reportedly on the short list of guys to replace Joe Girardi if he left so he must be pretty well regarded and respected around the league.

The Yankees have eliminated the advanced scouting video coordinator position within the organization which means Charlie Wonsowicz is now out of a job after spending parts of the last 21 seasons with the Yankees in some capacity. This must be part of coupon clipping Hal Steinbrenner's plan or something because this makes no sense at all.

Yankees On The Verge Of Extending Rothschild

The New York Yankees are on the verge of bringing pitching coach Larry Rothschild back for at least one more year in pinstripes. No word on any of the contract details as far as years, I am guessing three though, or the money, I do not even care how much he gets paid just bring him back, but the fact that it is about to get done is encouraging. We heard rumors and speculation that Rothschild would only return if Joe Girardi did, and he has, and Brian Cashman said that he wanted Girardi and his entire staff back so this is the first step. next step is bring the wonder kid Kevin Long back for another couple of years as the Yankees hitting coach.