Update on the BYB Hub

Last week Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue founded the BYB Hub which is basically a one stop shop for baseball bloggers and news sites. Whether you're distinguished as a "pro" or a "rookie" or "prospect" your work can be seen by all in one place. This idea is truly golden and I am in full support of this so I wanted to keep you guys in the loop of what is going on.

At the time of this writing the BYB Hub now has 11 blogs up on the hub and are being automatically updated on the hub giving the sites automatic exposure. You could be #12 by joining the BYB Hub by clicking here.

Yankees Could Be Interested in Cuban Andy Ibanez

The latest player from Cuba to officially defect from his native country in hopes of landing a major league deal in the United States is Andy Ibanez and he is a second baseman. Ibanez is 21 years old and stands 5'10" and 183 lbs from the right side of the plate.

Ibanez does not have any "premium tools or star upside" according to Baseball America but is overall solid at about everything he does on the diamond. Ibanez won the equivalent of a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season in 2011-2012 and slashed .267/.377/.435 in 280 plate appearances last season in Cuba. With all this said many speculate that Ibanez would start out no higher than Double-A ball and more than likely in Low-A or High-A in the minor leagues.

Ibanez did not play the necessary years in the Serie Nacional and would be subject to 2014-2015 International spending caps. Teams like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays have already gone over their caps for this season and could easily swallow the penalties to sign Ibanez as a long term investment for their minor league systems.

If the Yankees could land him it wouldn't hurt to have the project and the depth in the system but if he went elsewhere that would be okay too.

The 2010 Offseason That Could Have Changed Everything

The New York Yankees went into the offseason of the 2010 season after failing to defend their World Series crown and an early exit in the postseason. The Yankees faced much uncertainty that offseason like they do most winters but this winter was a little different as their manager Joe Girardi was a free agent.

Girardi was hired for the 2008 season on a three year deal to replace the popular and legendary Joe Torre and promptly snapped the Yankees skid of 13 straight seasons of making the postseason. This was not exactly the way the Yankees wanted to say goodbye to Yankee Stadium and goodbye to Joe Torre but the team bounced back in 2009 to win the World Series. The Yankees were back in the playoffs in 2010 but failed to defend their crown leaving Girardi unsure about his job security.

The Chicago Cubs pursued Girardi hard and heavy this offseason but ultimately on this day Girardi signed a new three year deal to stay with the club. What would the state of the Yankees be in today if Girardi had not signed on with New York and went back to Chicago where he spent some of his playing career? Would the Yankees have made the playoffs in 2011 and the ALCS in 2012? Would the Yankees have missed the postseason in 2013 and 2014? Who knows! One thing I do know is that if he had not signed on with New York on this day in 2010 Joe Maddon would probably be donning pinstripes right about now.

It’s something to think about anyway as we head towards a long and cold, dark winter. 

Korean Southpaw Kwang-Hyun Kim to Be Posted

 Kwang-Hyun Kim will be posted this offseason by his Korean team in hopes of landing a contract in the United States and in Major League Baseball. Kim has been one of the best left handers in the history of the KBO and finally has the seven seasons necessary to be posted. Just as a reminder the KBO, Korean Baseball Organization, does not fall under the same posting rules as Japanese players do. There will be a silent bid and the highest bidder will get the opportunity to discuss a contract with Kim.

Kim is 26 years old and posted a 3.42 ERA this season as one of only four, and the only Korean born pitcher, pitchers to have an ERA under 4.00 after an offensive explosion in the KBO. 

TGP Daily Poll: David Robertson Will Accept a Qualifying Offer

No free agent in Major League Baseball history has ever accepted a qualifying offer before heading into free agency. The Yankees David Robertson will be the first almost tripling his salary.

Vote in our poll!

Quick Hit: Toronto Blue Jays Potentially Get Worse

Just a quick hit this morning after reading the news that the Toronto Blue Jays claimed first baseman Justin Smoak from the Seattle Mariners. Speculation has run amok  that Toronto could move power hitting first baseman Adam Lind to fill some of their holes on the club and this claim may be a precursor to the speculation becoming a reality.

You have to think that Toronto, depending on what they received in return for Lind, would worsen with Smoak on the squad over Lind. Smoak has a career .224/.309/.380 batting line and has not yet hit for the power that Toronto would be losing with the loss of Lind.

This is good news for the Yankees unless the team decides to play Edwin Encarnacion and uses Lind and that plethora of pitching depth to acquire a Giancarlo Stanton.

This Day in New York Yankees History 10/29: Jeter wins Clemente Award

On this day in 2009 Derek Jeter would win the Roberto Clemente Award which is given to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement. Jeter would be the 3rd Yankees to ever win the award, Ron Guidry and Don Baylor the other two, and would join 13 Hall of Fame players with the award.

Also on this day in 1991 the Yankees hired Buck Showalter to replace Stump Merrill as the Yankees manager. In four seasons, including the strike shortened 1994 season, Buck would compile a 313-268 (.539) record as a 36 year old manager. Buck would win the American League Manager of the Year Award and the AL East title in 1994 and would lead the Yankees to the playoffs in the first Wild Card series in 1995.

Finally on this day in 1920 the Yankees hired ex-Boston Red Sox manager Ed Barrow to be their General Manager. Over the next quarter of a century the Yankees would see 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series Championships while Barrow would see a Hall of Fame induction.

The Pros and Cons of Korean SS Jung-Ho Kang, According to The Star Ledger

Star Ledger Yankees Writer Brendan Kuty has released his pros and cons for soon-to-be posted Korean SS Jung-Ho Kang, whom the team may pursue this offseason.

Here are the pros of the article, which can be read here:

"As far as Korean Baseball Organization shortstops go, Kang is the cream of the crop. He's got four 20-plus homer seasons and he's coming off a year in which he slammed 38 bombs, drove in 107 runs and hit .360. He's also just 27 years old. Compare that to 32-year-old Stephen Drew and 30-year-old Hanley Ramirez and you've got the longterm shortstop option you wanted to replace Derek Jeter, one who's just entering his prime."

And the cons:

"The KBO is a step down from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, which is a step down from Major League Baseball. Who's to say whether Kang's offensive numbers will hold up? Just one South Korean infielder, Hee Seop Choi, has made a respectable transition to the majors, and Choi hasn't played in the majors since 2005."

Basically, in a best-case scenario it seems Kang would be an average-to-slightly-above-average infielder for the Yankees, although after their successful international signing of Masahiro Tanaka last offseason, it wouldn't be that strange if they went ahead and inked him anyway.

You be the judge. Is Kang worth the financial risk, or should New York just stick with the aforementioned Drew?

Watch Game 7 of the 1985 World Series Here

Maybe he is some good luck for the Kansas City Royals tonight as they try and force a Game 7 in the 2014 World Series. Here in it's entirety is Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. Enjoy Yankees family.

Yankees Plethora of Options at Second Base

Heading into the 2015 season the New York Yankees will have a plethora of options for their overall roster construction, especially at second base. The team has seemingly been built around players that can play multiple positions well giving manager Joe Girardi a multitude of options and second base is no different. The list includes, but is not limited to, Martin Prado, Jose Pirela, and Robert Refsnyder and could extend outside the organization if need be.

Martin Prado is a more than capable second baseman that could play the position every day leaving Jose Pirela on the bench and Robert Refsnyder down in Triple-A. That's one option, another is to have Prado play third base essentially bumping Alex Rodriguez to the designated hitter spot and leaving no room for Chase Headley on the roster. This opens up the position for either Refsnyder or Pirela. If the position goes to Refsnyder then Pirela rides the bench while if Pirela gets the starting gig then Refsnyder likely stays in Triple-A to fine tune his game until mid-season.

The Yankees could also just go with a revolving door there. There will be a starting second baseman on Opening Day but a guy like Prado could play three or four positions a week keeping everyone healthy and giving everyone ample playing time. It could happen and it's a good problem to have for Girardi, Brian Cashman, and the entire Yankees crew.

FYI, in case you were wondering, I would give the starting second base job to Refsnyder, essentially make Carlos Beltran a full time DH like Alfonso Soriano was in 2013, give the third base job to Prado, and have A Rod on the bench as a backup third baseman, first baseman, and DH. I would make A Rod earn his spot back onto the field and not have his contract dictate his playing time. Maybe that's just me.