Get to Class Before the (Yankees) Bell Rings...

Photo Credit: New York Daily News (Corey Sipkin)

Aaron Boone is present and accounted for in Tampa…

As we bear down on the reporting date for pitchers and catchers (with many players already at camp) in a few days, it has continued to be very quiet for the Yankees and their primary division rival, the Boston Red Sox. 

It really does not feel like there is any team willing to match or exceed the alleged offer made to free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez by the Red Sox. There has been some talk that the Arizona Diamondbacks could come up with a $100 million contract offer but they’d need to move salary to make it happen (sounds like the Yankees and their interest in free agent starting pitcher Yu Darvish except their ‘Jacoby Ellsbury-like’ albatross is the heavy contract of starting pitcher Zack Greinke who at least remains a vital part of the team’s plans). Martinez would prefer to play right field which probably makes Phoenix more desirable (to him) than Boston but I remain convinced that dollars will win in the end and that Martinez will be on display at Fenway Park as the team’s primary DH. There’s always the chance they could trade Jackie Bradley, Jr and move Andrew Benintendi to center but that would weaken the outfield defense.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Jennifer Stewart)

If the Red Sox fail to sign Martinez, names like Mike Moustakas and Logan Morrison have been mentioned. None are easy fits. Signing Moose Tacos would require an adjustment with plans for young starting third baseman Rafael Devers. Morrison probably makes more sense as he could share 1B and DH with Mitch Moreland. Nevertheless, I really feel the Red Sox will persevere and eventually sign Martinez. The Red Sox know that they need a big bopper to compete with the Yankees this year. I am not quick to say the Yankees are the superior favorites in the AL East. I feel the Red Sox are the champions until proven otherwise. I also expect the Red Sox starting rotation to be stronger this year, with bounce backs by David Price and Rick Porcello. It was great that Chris Sale couldn’t get a victory against the Yankees last year, but the odds of that happening again are similar to the odds of the Yankees successfully trading Ellsbury. Boston is not going away and the Yankees won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year like they did in 2017. Baseball Prospectus released its annual PECOTA projections last week and they have the Yankees winning the division by 9 games over the Red Sox with 96 wins. I think the division will be much closer than that, especially if the Sox are successful in snagging Martinez.  I have been a Yankees fan too long to underestimate the Sox.

PECOTA, for what it’s worth, projects Aaron Judge with a batting average of only .247 (really?), with 37 home runs and 94 RBI’s. Giancarlo Stanton is projected at .259, 41 home runs and 106 RBI’s. Gary Sanchez is not far behind with .269 BA, 34 homers and 97 RBI’s.

The one that really stands out to me is first baseman Greg Bird. The projection has him getting over 500 plate appearances, while batting .246 with 28 homers and 86 RBI’s. I am really hopeful that this is the year that Bird finally stays healthy. I love his swing and his bat in the stacked Yankees lineup. But until he proves that he can stay on the field for the duration of the season, I am going to be a bit skeptical. 

Photo Credit: New York Daily News (Andrew Savulich)

My fear is that the Yankees have to lean on Tyler Austin at first base more heavily than expected. I guess all things considered that’s better than rolling out Chris Carter, but I’d prefer no question marks at first base as the Yankees attempt to break in rookies at second and third bases.

The Tampa Bay Rays might actually play in Tampa…

On Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that they’d like to build a new stadium in Ybor City, a historic Latin community northeast of downtown Tampa. There are many hurdles before it can come to fruition, but I hope the Rays are successful. I don’t know much about Tampa politics but it makes more sense to have the Rays in Tampa than St Petersburg. Watching a baseball game at Tropicana Field always feels like watching a game in an oversized warehouse. I really hope that Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg is successful in getting his stadium initiative approved and funded. This seems like such a win-win situation for the Rays and the greater Tampa metropolitan area.  

Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Times (Marc Topkin)

Ybor City is about five miles east of Steinbrenner Field and Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  

I don’t like the smell of that rumor…

Speaking of the Rays, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this week that the Yankees had checked in on Rays starter Jake Odorizzi. Odorizzi is only 27 (28 in late March) but the right-hander had a down year in 2017. He was 10-8 with 4.14 ERA in 28 starts. He only struck out 127 batters while walking 61, the worst K/BB ratio of his career. A fly-ball pitcher, he gave up 30 home runs, which obviously would not play well in Yankee Stadium. One Rays blog proposed sending Odorizzi and reliever Alex Colome to the Yankees for outfielder Clint Frazier and a low-level lottery ticket. I wouldn’t do it. I would consider sending Frazier to Tampa for a trade circled around Chris Archer, but not Odorizzi.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Mark Cunningham)

“Odo” would not be a significant upgrade over any of the starters in the current Yankees rotation so I dismiss the thought that the Yankees might be interested. I’ll gladly take a promising young arm like Chance Adams or Justus Sheffield over Odorizzi. The only reason you’d make a trade for Odorizzi would be on his potential as a breakout candidate but I’d prefer the in-house options…and keeping Red Thunder in pinstripes. 

But wait, weren’t we part of the exciting young Yankees?…

Yesterday, Tyler Kepner of The New York Times wrote an article about which teams stand a chance in 2018. It was kind of sad looking for the photo that he posted with the caption, “The Yankees reached the American League Championship Series last season, but fell short against the Astros.” Of the recognizable faces, only one player and one coach remain from this pic taken just last October.

Photo Credit: The New York Times (Chang W Lee)

Joe Girardi can now be found on the MLB Network sporting a suit and defending his managerial choices during last season’s post-season. Rob Thomson is helping set up training camp in Clearwater, Florida for the Philadelphia Phillies as new manager Gabe Kapler’s bench coach and most likely the lead training camp organizer. No word about the future plans for former hitting coach Alan Cockrell, seen in the photo standing next to current hitting coach Marcus Thames. Yankees centerfielder Aaron Hicks looks at a trio of ex-Yankees. Todd Frazier will soon be headed to Port St Lucie, FL for the New York Mets; Starlin Castro, assuming he is not traded, will go to Jupiter, FL for the Miami Marlins; while Chase Headley returns to the Valley of the Sun in Peoria, AZ to play for his original team, the San Diego Padres. Hicks, as we know, will help ensure that Jacoby Ellsbury is the most expensive bench player in baseball. Thames, I am sure, is salivating at the opportunity to work with Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, Greg Bird, and others. Good times…

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Go Yankees! 

Yankees Acquire IF/QB Russell Wilson...

Photo Credits: Getty Images

How about Aaron Judge at Tight End?...

Admittedly, I was surprised when I saw the news that the Yankees had acquired infielder Russell Wilson from the Texas Rangers. Wilson, better known as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, is nothing more than a guy who likes to experience Fantasy Baseball in a Major League Camp. He has no plans to play two sports and really only wants to maintain his connection to baseball, which is obviously one of his loves.  

Even more surprisingly was the negative reaction of many Yankees fans. Personally, I had no issue with Wilson’s desire to achieve a dream of playing with the Yankees. His late father was a lifetime Yankees fan, and Wilson himself was a Yankees fan during his childhood and perhaps still is. I guess I see the positives of Wilson’s addition. He is an inspiration for the players and I view him as a great motivational speaker for the few weeks he will spend in Tampa. The Yankees have said that he’ll participate in pre-game workouts and will be in the dugout, but it doesn’t really sound like he’ll see much, if any, action on the field during games. So, I have no problems with Wilson’s presence. I am not a Seahawks fan, but Wilson has played his sport at the highest level and can share insights from his experiences as a very good, quality professional player.  

Photo Credit: Associated Press

The Seattle Times speculates that while Wilson may not be using Baseball as leverage, it is possible that he is sending a signal to Seahawks ownership that there is life outside of Seattle. What's better than going to one of the most recognizable teams in Sports in the biggest city in the country? Wilson is sure to draw a huge crowd when he makes his first appearance at Steinbrenner Field sometime during March. The paper indicated when Wilson last participated in Spring Training for the Texas Rangers (2014 and 2015), he was in negotiations for an extension with the Seahawks. It led to a four-year deal that expires in two years.  At the time of the contract signing, Wilson was the second highest paid QB behind Aaron Rodgers (although he wanted to be the highest paid).  However, since that time, he will fall to the tenth highest paid at the position once Alex Smith's new deal with the Washington Redskins becomes official and Jimmy Garrapolo re-signs with the San Francisco 49ers.  Wilson hasn't played professional baseball since 2011 when he appeared in 61 games at the Class A level for the Colorado Rockies organization.

I did like CC Sabathia’s tweet that the Yankees were going to win the World Series and the Super Bowl this year. And the various memes that said the Yankees now have the best quarterback in New York, poking fun at Eli Manning, and, yes, Tim Tebow.  

This is a total publicity ploy for both sides. No one has any illusions that Wilson has suddenly decided to embark upon a professional baseball career like Tebow. He'll be back on the field for the Seahawks this fall when they try to rebound from a lost season. But when he does take the field, he'll do it knowing that, for a few days or weeks, he was a New York Yankee. Life is good.

FlavaFraz21 gets his number back...

It was tough watching Todd Frazier with a Mets cap and a NYM jersey bearing his number #21 that he was unable to wear with the Yankees, thanks to Paul O'Neill, at his introductory press conference. Listening to him talk only reaffirmed what an incredibly positive voice he is for a clubhouse.  

Photo Credit: Associated Press (Kathy Willens)

Based on reports, the Yankees were never willing to offer more than a one year deal. I know it’s not my money, but I would have gone two years with Frazier like the Mets did. Even if the Yankees acquire Manny Machado next off-season, Frazier could have provided backup support for both first and third bases, with some pop for DH. Or, based on the team-friendly contract that Frazier signed with the Mets, if the Yankees had signed him for the same approximate dollars, he would have had some trade marketability for the teams that strike out in their bids for free agents-to-be Machado and Josh Donaldson.

I hope that not signing Frazier does not come back to haunt the Yankees.

If at third you don't succeed...

As stagnant as the free agent market has been, I still do not see Mike Moustakas taking a one-year "pillow" contract. I am intrigued by the thought of the damage that Moose Tacos could do with the right field porch and his lefty bat would be a very healthy addition to the predominantly right-handed Yankees lineup. I don’t know where he’ll end up, but I don’t envision Moustakas in Pinstripes regardless of how greedy the Yankees decide to get (or not). 

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports (David Richard)

I am not opposed to Miguel Andujar as the starting third baseman but I do want a solid Plan B in place. Ronald Torreyes filled in capably at third last season but he’s not my preference for a starter if Andujar proves that he needs more seasoning in the Minor Leagues. Torreyes is best served as the team’s utility player.  

Shane Spencer, he is not...

The Yankees signed former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Shane Robinson to a minor league deal with a training camp invitation. I am not sure that I really understand the addition of another outfielder given the plethora of outfielders participating in training camp. Robinson has played for the St Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins and Angels over his 8-year career, playing in 436 games. He doesn’t offer much with his bat (.226 lifetime batting average with six career home runs). He only played 20 games last year for the Angels, batting .194 with no homers and one RBI.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images

I’d say this is a depth move for Triple A, but even the outfield at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is overflowing. Robinson will make $950,000 if he makes the Major League roster but at face value, it seems so unlikely. If he does not make the MLB roster, he can opt out of his contract on June 15th.

5 more days until Pitchers and Catchers report...I cannot wait.

Go Yankees!    

My way to early Lineup

Hey folks it’s that time of year again. My 1st full year here with the Greedy Pinstripes.  

I would love to hear from you all and get a nice mailbag going tried once already not much luck. Any way JamesCPalma @ Gmail dot Com is where you can reach me.  

Today I want to quickly go over my idea on what I feel the line up should look like more days then not. This does not take In account the opposing pitcher being a lefty or righty. Just having a little fun before the season starts. Also keeping in mind as much as I’d like to add Mike The Moose this is the lineup with what we have as have now......

Gardner Of 

Longest Time as a Yankee. Brings something to club house still a good defender specially In Left. 

Judge Of 

Rookie of Year 2nd in MVP race. 52 Homers should I keep going. 

Stanton Of  

NL MVP. 59 Dingers. One can only fathom how many are coming in Yankee Stadium. 

Bird 1b  

You are hearing it 30 plus long balls. 100 plus RBIs great protection for Stanton. You have to pitch to some one.  

Sanchez C

35 homers easy. Maybe even 40

If he doesn’t miss a month this year.  

Didi SS

Like bird 30 plus dingers if healthily all year.  

RBIs won’t be as much. Because of all the pop above him in lineup. But look for Sir Didi to be around 200 hits.   

Torres 2b

Calling it right now Yankees go back to back with Rookie of the Year Winners. as Torres surprises and adds 20 steals to the 20 HRs 

Maybe even 25/25. He doesn’t have much Raw Power but his numbers will be there because of him being a great hitter. In my eyes a future Hall of Famer.   

Hicks Dh/CF 

For me has a lot to prove. He is there CF but unless he is hot rather see the Big Boys on the corners and Gardner and Frazier split between Cf and Dh.  

Andujar 3b

If he is there 3rd baseman all year. 

He will finish behind Torres for ROF 

25-30 HRs would not shock me. This kid is worth watching.    

This club should sit around 250-300 home runs this is going to be fun. Even with the 2 rookies playing every day.  

James C Palma is a writer for the Greedy Pinstripes reach me at 

JamesCPalma@Gmail dot com 

One Last Call to Get Greedy Before Spring Training

Ladies and gentlemen, we are about a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida to kick off spring training camps for the 2018 season. As the New York Yankees roster stands now the team is likely to have a pair of rookies on either side of Didi Gregorius by the time we reach June baseball in Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres, but the good news for Brian Cashman and company is that there is still time to make a splash. The free agent market is bleak, and players have to be getting antsy as they await their agents finding them a new home for the 2018 season as players like Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Eric Hosmer, Alex Cobb and JD Martinez are still available on the free agent market. One would think that the longer this goes on the more likely the asking price, both in terms of dollars and years, would have to go down the closer we get to spring camps and the beginning of the regular season so with that thought process in mind here is one last shot at getting greedy and improving the team for the 2018 season.

As it stands now many fans are worried about having Miguel Andujar out there at third base because of his shaky defense, which I understand after being spoiled by solid defense from Chase Headley and Todd Frazier in recent years, but Brian Cashman and company seem confident and willing to let Andujar win the job in spring and learn on the job throughout the season. If the Yankees are fine with questionable defense then it makes me wonder if the team should offer a contract to another third baseman available out there on the free agent market who also has questionable defense, former Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas.

Now I know the idea of offering the man they call “Moose Tacos” isn’t exactly an original idea of mine, but everywhere I have read that has suggested this has stated they wanted to give Moustakas a one-year deal. Now just yesterday I voiced my displeasure with the club for letting Todd Frazier go to the New York Mets on a two-year deal and I want to reiterate those sentiments here this morning with Moustakas. I am sure many teams have thought to offer Moustakas a one-year deal with the idea of him building value for next season’s presumable spending spree on the free agent market that could include free agents like Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw and others, but in my opinion that may be the exact reason why Moustakas will NOT take a one-year deal. Sure, Machado is playing shortstop this year, but I think his true value and eventual landing spot will be the third base position next offseason, so why would Moustakas want to compete against that? Wouldn’t it make more sense for Moustakas to take a two-year deal and presumably be the big-ticket item at third base all by his lonesome before the 2020 season? I think so.

You have to think that having a patient, yet powerful bat like Moustakas in the middle of the Yankees lineup in the left-handed friendly Yankee Stadium would not only make the Yankees happy, but would make Moustakas a better player as well, at least stats wise. Moustakas hit 38 home runs and drove in 85 RBI last season for the Royals, a team that was struggling to scratch runs across the plate, so could you imagine what Moustakas could do with a combination of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton protecting him in the lineup? Can you imagine having that kind of lineup protection with that kind of left-handed swing with 81 games a year coming inside Yankee Stadium? Moustakas may hit 50 home runs for all we know.

You will sacrifice average with Moustakas and you will also sacrifice defense with Moustakas, but I cannot see you getting much more in either category with Andujar out there for 162 games. That’s not a knock on Andujar, and yes before you ask I am still comfortable with having Andujar out there on Opening Day as the Yankees starting third baseman, but I have always said along the way this offseason that if the team could get better without going over the luxury tax threshold that they should. New York has roughly $20 million to spend this offseason without going over the cap and signing Moustakas to a two-year deal worth $30 million keeps the team under the cap while making them better across the board, in my opinion. Remember, MLB Trade Rumors predicted Moustakas to sign a five-year deal worth $85 million before the season with an AAV of $17 million so I may not be that far off.

Moustakas is American League and postseason tested, Andujar is not. That alone could be worth the investment for a team that is playing once again for their ultimate goal here in 2018, a World Series Championship. The team could win it with Andujar, but in my opinion it could be done a lot easier with a veteran presence like Moustakas out there wearing pinstripes here in 2018. One last call, get greedy… sign Moustakas to a two-year deal worth $30 million.

Did the Yankees Miss the Boat w/ Todd Frazier?

The biggest struggle for me right now in this slow free agent market as a writer is differentiating in my posts my opinions as a rabid fan that wants the Yankees to “Get Greedy” and my opinions as the sensible sports fan that I believe myself to be. I want the Yankees to get greedy and I want the Yankees to make the big splash, but I also want the Yankees to make the under-the-radar type signings as well that solidify the team for years to come. The moves like the David Ortiz signing by the Boston Red Sox come to mind, I can remember being a huge advocate for signing him and I can also remember being in the minority on the topic. I felt like I was in the minority as well when I stated that I would like Todd Frazier back with the Yankees, and that I didn’t mind it even if it was on a two-year deal so obviously I was none-to-pleased when the Toddfather signed with the crosstown New York Mets on a two-year deal worth $17 million.

Before I get too far into the Todd Frazier signing I will say this, I was one of the first to say that I was completely comfortable with heading into spring training camp with both rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar competing for the second base and third base jobs respectively. I still stand by that, but I did also state that I wanted the Yankees to do their due diligence and try to find a veteran stop gap for one of the two positions as well, and Frazier was a name that I mentioned more times than not. Frazier makes sense for a lot of reasons to the Yankees which was why I was so comfortable with going to a two-year deal for the Toms River, New Jersey native. Frazier thrived in New York and in the American League East last season, albeit in a small sample size, and seemingly loved the atmosphere and the team. I know this isn’t something that is really quantifiable, but in my opinion, you cannot put a price tag, a number or a stat on the comfort level of a player in a big city like New York and you cannot put a price tag on someone who actually WANTS to be a New York Yankee. Frazier wants to be a New York Yankee, and it showed in my opinion on and off the field last season in the Bronx.

Frazier signed a two-year deal with the New York Mets worth $17 million with the right-handed third baseman making $8 million in 2018 and $9 million in 2019. With the Yankees ultimate goal of getting under the $197 million luxury tax threshold and with reportedly $20 million left to spend for New York and Brian Cashman signing a player like Frazier would have fit into the budget perfectly for New York. Having Frazier on the team to mentor young players like Andujar and Torres would make Frazier worth the $8 million he would make this season alone, that is before any production on the field. Frazier could be a stop gap until Andujar is considered to be ready defensively splitting time with Miguel there at third base, with Greg Bird at first base as a right-handed compliment to Bird’s left-handed bat, and the designated hitter position. Frazier would have gotten enough opportunities and at-bats to make it worth bringing him onto the team this season in my opinion, especially considering the lack of a true backup first baseman currently on the 40-man roster.

While Frazier makes a lot of sense for the Yankees I can see both sides of the argument. Many people will say that Frazier blocks Andujar and that Andujar doesn’t need two years of seasoning to get his defense up to snuff, and those people are right. Andujar doesn’t need two seasons, again I said I would be fine with Andujar being the Opening Day starting third baseman and I said that immediately after Chase Headley was shipped off to the San Diego Padres in a salary-clearing trade earlier this offeason, but I also don’t think it would be counter-productive either to give him a little more time in Triple-A this season either. So, what do you do with Frazier once Andujar is deemed ready? You have multiple options actually including the plan I outlined earlier letting him split time at three different positions including third base, first base and DH. The ability to trade Frazier wouldn’t be out of the question either as I highly doubt, although at the time of this writing it hadn’t been reported either way, the third baseman received a no-trade clause. What contending team or team on the bubble, a team like the New York Yankees in 2017, wouldn’t take on a veteran presence like Frazier for a year-and-a-half at basically $11 million total? Frazier would be an incredible trade asset in June or July given the fact that the likes of Bird, Andujar and Torres are healthy and contributing.

I won’t lie, I am extremely disappointed in the fact that Frazier went to the New York Mets. The fan in me hates the fact that Frazier went to the New York Mets specifically, and the fan in me hates the fact that Frazier went anywhere else other than the Bronx in general. I hate the fact that he was the perfect match for this team budget wise, player personnel wise on the field, and personality/clubhouse wise off the field. I don’t like this, and I’m not happy about it. I am still comfortable with having both Andujar and Torres (after 20 games) on either side of Didi Gregorius in 2018, I just hope that the team didn’t miss out on a potentially important asset because of one year on a contract in an extremely slow market. This is my opinion, what’s yours? Leave it below in the comments section.

Thumbs Down for the Todd Frazier News...

End of Short Yankees Reign for the Toddfather…

I know, we need to embrace the new era and accept that Miguel Andujar will be the starting third baseman this year. It’s been said that the Yankees are very high on Andujar and the Yankees apparently resisted including Andujar in the failed talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gerrit Cole, who was subsequently dealt to the Houston Astros.

My concerns with Andujar echo the sentiments of other fans who feel that Andujar’s glove is not quite Major League ready and that he’ll be an average defender at best with improvement. I am not opposed to Andujar at third, but I wanted a strong backup plan. That’s why it was a gut punch for me yesterday when Todd Frazier signed a two year deal with the New York Mets. What’s worse is that the contract he signed is team-friendly (2 years for $17 million) which the Yankees could have matched without impairing their current salary position and objective to keep 2018 total payroll under the $197 million threshold for luxury tax purposes.  

It made me sick to see Noah Syndergaard using the Yankees-themed ‘thumbs down’ emoji on Twitter in reaction to Frazier’s signing.  

I guess part of my frustration is that the Yankees will make a run at Manny Machado this fall when he becomes a free agent. Machado, regardless of the Baltimore Orioles plan to play him at short this year, would be the team’s starting third baseman if the Yankees are successful in signing him. So, Andujar would be a one season experiment at the position, learning on the job at the Major League level. For one year, I’d rather have a strong experienced third baseman who is a clubhouse leader. Frazier helped solidify team chemistry after last year’s trading deadline and he was a fan favorite.  

Maybe Andujar takes the job and runs with it, becoming a candidate for this year’s Rookie of the Year. Great for him (and us) if it happens. It is certainly within the realm of possibility. But it doesn’t mean that I have to like the fact that Todd Frazier is a Met.  

I saw someone post that the Yankees’ apparent lack of interest in Frazier to be a sign that the team is either fully committed to Andujar or that GM Brian Cashman has something else up his sleeve. There’s no way the Yankees sign free agent Mike Moustakas. Aside from the cost it would take sign the former Royals third sacker, the Yankees would forfeit their second-highest and fifth-highest draft picks in this summer’s MLB Draft plus $1 million in international bonus pool money since Moustakas received a qualifying offer from Kansas City and the Yankees are a competitive balance tax payor. Neil Walker, who can play second or third, is certainly an alternative that has been discussed by some. Walker wouldn’t block the younger kids so he might be the best case scenario. Otherwise, we could be trotting out the no-bat Danny Espinosa when the season opens.  

I wish Todd Frazier the very best with his new team. I am glad that he achieved his goal of staying in New York even if he now calls the wrong stadium home. The Mets are getting a great guy for their team.  

Move over, Mystique and Aura, here comes Smart and Confident…

The Yankees made Aaron Boone’s coaching staff official yesterday. The names are exactly as we expected:

Bench Coach:  Josh Bard

Pitching Coach:  Larry Rothschild

Bullpen Pitching Coach:  Mike Harkey

Hitting Coach:  Marcus Thames

Assistant Hitting Coach:  P.J. Pilittere

Third Base Coach:  Phil Nevin

First Base Coach/Outfield Instructor:  Reggie Willits

Major League Quality Control Coach/Infield Instructor:  Carlos Mendoza

Also, the following supporting roles:

Catching Coach:  Jason Brown

Coaching Assistant/Bullpen Catcher:  Radley Haddad

Coaching Assistant/Instant Replay Coordinator:  Brett Weber

It’s great to hear that guys like Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius, Gleyber Torres and Ronald Torreyes are already in Tampa and working out at Steinbrenner Field. The sound of Spring is nearly upon us.  

First-time World Champions:  Philadelphia Eagles…

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles for winning the 2018 Super Bowl. I am sure that there are a lot of disappointed New York Giants fans, but for me, I am glad that the team from Boston was not successful. I am sure that Aaron Boone and Tommy Kahnle, avowed Eagles fans, were very happy. I am hoping they experience the joy of championships from beginning to end this year.   

Go Yankees! 

Roll Call for Tampa...

The Smell of Spring…

Spring Training is just around the corner, with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to Tampa within the next ten days (no later than Tuesday, February 13th). First workout will be on Valentine’s Day.  Yes, we love those pitchers and catchers, especially when they wear Pinstripes.  

Photo Credit: Newsday (J Conrad Williams, Jr)

Here is the complete list of the Yankees' 40-man roster plus non-roster invitees (identified below as “NR” in lieu of numbers). The numbers are according to the Yankees website through MLB.com. It appears that Austin Romine has taken Joe Girardi’s old number, thanks to his loss of #27. Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar have been given high numbers which means nothing will be handed to them, although, as it stands right now, both are projected to be on the MLB Roster on Opening Day or shortly thereafter.

PITCHERS

87 Albert Abreu

88 Domingo Acevedo

NR Chance Adams

68 Dellin Betances

NR Cody Carroll

NR Cale Coshow

85 Luis Cessa

54 Aroldis Chapman

NR Raynel Espinal

NR J.P. Feyereisen

62 Giovanny Gallegos

63 Domingo German

55 Sonny Gray

57 Chad Green

NR David Hale

61 Ben Heller

65 Jonathan Holder

48 Tommy Kahnle

NR Brady Lail

NR Wade LeBlanc

89 Jonathan Loaisiga

47 Jordan Montgomery

30 David Robertson

52 CC Sabathia

40 Luis Severino

NR Justus Sheffield

45 Chasen Shreve

19 Masahiro Tanaka

NR Dillon Tate

43 Adam Warren

NR Taylor Widener

CATCHERS

NR Francisco Diaz

38  Kyle Higashioka

NR Erik Kratz

NR Chace Numata

28 Austin Romine

NR Jorge Saez

24 Gary Sanchez

INFIELDERS

67 Miguel Andujar

26 Tyler Austin

33 Greg Bird

NR Danny Espinosa

90 Thairo Estrada

18 Didi Gregorius

NR Kyle Holder

NR Jace Peterson

NR Nick Solak

81 Gleyber Torres

74 Ronald Torreyes

39 Tyler Wade

OUTFIELDERS

66 Jabari Blash

70 Jake Cave

22 Jacob Ellsbury

NR Estevan Florial

77 Clint Frazier

11 Brett Gardner

31 Aaron Hicks

99 Aaron Judge

71 Billy McKinney

27 Giancarlo Stanton

There is still time for these 60 names to change and there probably will be some tweaks before camp actually opens. At any rate, it will be very exciting to see many of these players on the field in the not-so-distant future. Position players must report by Sunday, February 18th, with the first full workout scheduled for the next day. The Yankees open their Spring Schedule in 20 days against the Detroit Tigers at Steinbrenner Field (1:05 pm EST, February 23rd).

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters (Kim Klement)

It was sad to read this weekend that Matt Holliday, who would still like to play, has received no offers. Hopefully somebody gives him the opportunity for his Swan Song. He was a tremendous force on the Yankees last year until he was derailed by the Epstein-Barr virus. Unfortunately, I see no room for him on the Yankees but he’d be a tremendous player/coach/mentor for a team wiling to give him the opportunity.

Photo Credit: New York Post

I won’t lie…there is a part of me that hopes the Yankees find a way to sign Yu Darvish. Bryan Van Dusen (@BryanV_TGP) posted the following question on Twitter this morning:  “Does Yu Darvish want to be a Yankee so bad that he’s willing to wait as long as possible, just in case they free up enough money? Or is this a ridiculous question by a desperate #Yankees fan?”  Logic tells me that it will never happen. Even if the Yankees freed up more salary space, there’s probably other areas of greater need than handing a multi-year contract averaging more than $20 million annually to a thirty-something pitcher. Plus, there are young, talented (and cheap) pitchers on the immediate horizon with Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu and others. But still, it’s nice to think about what Darvish would look like in the Yankees rotation. I have no problem with the Yankees getting “Greedy”.  TGP, forever.  

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Tim Bradbury)

This weekend represents the official end to the NFL season with Super Bowl 52 on Sunday. Nothing against Tom Brady and his eventual path to the NFL Hall of Fame, but I’ll have to go with the underdog Philadelphia Eagles. I have no desire to back any team from Boston. It probably helps that I am not a New York Giants fan so I am not opposed to backing the Eagles. There’s probably a lot of truth in the statement that only Patriots and Giants fans want to see New England win (although I am sure there are a few Cowboys and Redskins fans in that category too). So, on Sunday, I’ll be cheering for Tommy Kahnle…

Photo Credit: MLB.com

Go Yankees!