Yankees Minor Leaguer Suspended for Amphetamine Use

A member of the New York Yankees farm system has been suspended for 50 games without pay after testing positive for amphetamine use. Tyler Palmer, 21, spent the 2014 season splitting time between two of the team's rookie ball affiliates and hit .262 with three home runs and 24 RBI.

Palmer played shortstop, second base, third base and some right field last season after being the Marlins fourth round pick in the 2011 MLB First Year Players Draft. Palmer also failed his second test for drugs with the test so we hope that this can open his eyes and get him back on track.

We're rooting for you Tyler!

Yankees Announce 2015 Game Times

The league has announced the official game times for the upcoming season. Obviously some of these times are subject to change, especially those potential Sunday Night Baseball games on ESPN, but here they are as they stand today.

Fangraphs: Yankees Top 10 Prospects List

I really respect what Fangraphs brings to the baseball community, especially to the New York Yankees community since Kylie McDaniel is involved in a lot of the material that goes up, so when they speak I tend to listen. This week McDaniel posted in-depth scouting reports for an absolute ton of prospects in the Yankees farm system and ranked them. While I won't go over all of them I will list Fangraphs.com 's Top 10 Yankees prospects here on the blog a mere three days before Prospects Month here on The Greedy Pinstripes.

1. Luis Severino
2. Aaron Judge
3. Greg Bird
4. Jacob Lindgren
5. Jorge Mateo
6. Ian Clarkin
7. Robert Refsnyder
8. Eric Jagielo
9. John Ryan Murphy
10. Luis Torrens

The Alex Rodriguez Milestone HR Nugget We Missed

The nugget, a term that Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue taught me, is a little bit of information that is thrown into an article that is sometimes missed or purposely overlooked. On Monday we reported that the New York Yankees were looking to void the home run milestone bonuses associated in a marketing contract that Alex Rodriguez signed with the team in 2007. While writing the article, in between eye rolls anyway, I thought of the circus that Rodriguez was going to bring the team over this but when I jumped on the USA Today this morning I feel like my sarcastic eye rolls may have been directed in the wrong direction. The way the USA Today is wording it and reporting it the team may flat out refuse to pay the money to Rodriguez whether an agreement or termination of the contract comes first.

A team flat out refusing to pay a player the terms of their contract, player contract or marketing contract, would probably not be allowed by the league and the MLB Players Association. Rodriguez’s contract states that each $6 million payment is due within 15 days after the home run milestone in exchange for rights such as Rodriguez’s name and image in licensed goods. The team is arguing that nobody will be lining up to pay for these goods and merchandise, and they are right, and may flat out refuse to pay and break the contract.

This is going to get ugly and this will head to an arbitrator after a grievance is filed. Yay, another summer of the Bronx is Burning Part III. 

MLB.com's Top 10 Second Baseman

MLB.com is at it again releasing their Top 10 lists per position after covering right handed pitching and first baseman. This week's showcase will cover second baseman and the Yankees have one player that made the list in Robert Refsnyder. CLICK here to see the entire Top 10 list but as an excerpt I will post the Refsnyder write up here.

7. Rob Refsnyder, Yankees: Named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2012 College World Series, Refsnyder made a smooth transition to the professional ranks and adeptly handled a change in positions, moving from the outfield to second base. After reaching Triple-A last year, he's expected to make his big league debut sometime this season.

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Will Pay A Rods $6 Million

The New York Yankees are strong arming Alex Rodriguez right now over his $6 million bonus he will get if and when he hits six more home runs to tie Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. New York will talk a big game but the MLBPA will not allow him to not get paid what was agreed to in his contract. He will get is $6 million if he hits six more home runs.

Vote in our prediction poll from knoda. 

The Mendoza Line Movie to be Screened in NY

Sometime last year I was privileged enough to get an advanced screening of the indie film The Mendoza Line, a baseball film that follows an illegal immigrant in the minor leagues. Next month the Mendoza Line movie will be shown in New York City at the Anthology Film Archives as a part of the VIVA Latino Film Festival.

If you want to check out the movie, which I highly recommend because I enjoyed the movie thoroughly, head out to 32 2nd Ave NY, NY 10003 on February,22 at 3:00 pm ET. You can also see the movie on the web by clicking THIS LINK. 

I don't get a dime for you clicking the link or by showing up for the screening I just truly want to spread the word about the movie because it truly was a labor of love type film. Also the man who made the movie is a fellow member of the IBWAA. Check it out if you want or wouldn't mind!

This Day in New York Yankees History 1/28: Nothing but a Bold Prediction

There was absolutely no history or news to report on this day in New York Yankees history so I will instead start the day off with a bold prediction, the Yankees will sign James Shields today. I know I’ll be wrong but why not, you have to be in it to win it.

Also enjoy this new song from Fallout Boy called “Centuries” off their new album American Beauty/American Psycho.

New Yankees reliever Carpenter looking forward to seeing bullpen in action

After taking a quick look at its new pieces, it's tough for anyone to ignore the Yankees' bullpen's potential. 

Anyone including its own pitchers, apparently, as new Yankees' right-hander David Carpenter is also impressed with the group's talent. He said so during a conversation on Tuesday, just under four weeks since he was dealt from the Braves. 

"I think it can be really, really strong," Carpenter told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "There have been multiple people talking about it throughout baseball, the potential that our bullpen has. It can be one of the best in the Major Leagues."

The Yankees have certainly made it a priority to strengthen their relief core this offseason, a rather unsurprising happening given their unsure offense and rotation. Aside from trading for Carpenter January 1, the Yankees signed set-up man Andrew Miller and acquired lefty Justin Wilson from the Pirates this winter, moves they seem to expect will fill the void left by David Robertion.

Indeed, the Yankees are holding their 2015 backup arms to a high standard, and will likely need them to perform well if they want to achieve success. Maybe that's why they were so willing to cut ties with former top prospect Manny Banuelos in order to get a hold of Carpenter, knowing of the latter's relationship with catcher Brian McCann. 

"To be reunited with [McCann], it's going to be really, really special," Carpenter said. "The kind of words he shared with the front office, wanting to pull the trigger on trying to get me, it really boosts your confidence for sure."

Carpenter and McCann were teammates with the Braves in 2013, and appeared to work nicely together.

Not that that's an unusual occurance with McCann, who has a reputation for helping pitchers improve. With the Yankees last year, McCann helped two rookies, Dellin Betances and Adam Warren, record sub-three ERAs, often jogging to the mound in the middle of games when they or anybody else looked to be having trouble. 

Factoring in all of that, the Yankees' bullpen definitely strikes one as promising, and Carpenter is admittedly excited about it with the season nearing. 

"I'm really excited to get down there to Tampa, just get started and see where we end up," he said. 

What Bud Selig Really Left the Game

Bud Selig is no longer the Commissioner of Major League Baseball but will stick around in an advisor and consultant’s role for Rob Manfred and company after retiring at age 80. Whether you love Bud or hate Bud, I find myself somewhat in the middle and leaning towards the latter, the mark he left on the game today is undeniable. For the sake of argument, and to more honor the man than spit on his name, we are going to ignore the 1994 strike, cancellation of the World Series and the years leading up to the “cleanup” of the game.

Selig has brought the game two decades of labor peace with no real end in sight thanks to new collective bargaining agreements and a great working relationship with the MLB Players Union. Selig has expanded the game to a three division format from two divisions, a wild card team, then a second wild card team, 22 new stadiums and ballparks, attendance records each and every year, MLB.com, MLB Network, MLBTV, instant replay, the harshest and hardest steroid and drug testing program in the game, the World Baseball Classic, explosions of money due to lucrative television deals and billions and billions of dollars in revenue for everyone with the additions of the luxury tax, profit sharing etc.

Say what you will about Bud but you cannot deny the simple fact that the game is a better place today than it was in 1992 when Selig was merely just an owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. For that, one last time, I thank Mr. Selig for everything he did and brought to this great game of Major League Baseball.