Friday, July 5, 2013

Yankees Sign 20th Round Pick Drew Bridges Over Slot


The Yankees have announced that they have signed 20th round pick out of the 2013 MLB First Year players draft Drew Bridges to an over slot deal. Any player taken past the 10th round is given a $100,000 slot recommendation and while the official number has not been released yet Jim Callis says Drew received 6th round money. This would have Bridges at least doubling or even tripling his slot recommended deal. The Yankees have roughly $300,000 in surplus draft money that was expected to go to Aaron Judge but a nice chunk of that may go to Drew Bridges now. Drew is a big 6'4" 220 lb third basemen from Missouri High School and has drawn comparisons to Brett Wallace but we should be concerned that Drew may outgrow the third base position. Either way he is in the fold so head over to twitter and give him a follow by following @Bridges_5. Welcome to the family Drew.

Game Thread: Orioles @ Yankees 7/5


The Yankees look to start making up a little ground in the AL East race as they play the team in front of them in the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees are fresh off of a four game sweep with the Minnesota Twins and the Orioles just had the White Sox walk off on them so momentum is definitely on our side. Too bad this is baseball and every day is a new day and a new game and a new series. Nova I am afraid should be rusty tonight as he has not appeared in a game since the last Baltimore series. Miguel Gonzalez will be working on two extra days of rest so he may be rusty as well so I hope everyone in the bleachers brought their gloves. Go Yankees!

Here is the Yankees lineup

1. Gardner CF
2. Suzuki RF
3. Cano 2B
4. Hafner DH
5. Wells LF
6. Overbay 1B
7. Cruz SS
8. Stewart C
9. Adams 3B


Follow us on twitter @GreedyStripes to keep up with the Yankees all season long.

Baltimore Orioles @ New York Yankees 7/5


The New York Yankees are coming off of a sweep of the Minnesota Twins on the road in Target Field and go home to face off with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles just recently swept us in a three game series so we are looking for a little bit of revenge this weekend at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound in place of injured Hiroki Kuroda. He will face off with Miguel Gonzalez of the Baltimore Orioles. The game will be televised at 7:05 pm ET on YES, MLB Network, and MLB TV.

Michael Pineda Will Make Final Rehab Start Tomorrow


Earlier we found out that Derek Jeter will begin his rehab assignment with the AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre Railriders tomorrow and now we find out that Jeter will be in the field behind teammate Michael Pineda. This will be the final tune up for Michael Pineda before the Yankees have to decide to option him to the minors, which seems to be the likeliest of options, or to bring up Pineda to the majors.

Derek Jeter To Begin Rehab Assignment Tomorrow


Derek Jeter will finally begin his rehab assignment tomorrow for the AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre Railriders. Jeter is about a week behind teammate Alex Rodriguez so we should see him, barring any setbacks, a week or so after the All Star break. Jeter must be ahead of A Rod's schedule because he is expected to play at least five innings at short stop on Saturday. This is great news in Yankees land that our players are finally inching closer back.

Is it a turn around or just the Twins?

 The Yankees started the Independence Day fireworks a few days early this year when they swept the Minnesota Twins, a team the Yankees have always had success with on Monday, July 1st, they won by a score of 10-4. Robinson Cano was the star of the game going 3-4 and going deep twice. After ending the month of June in a rather disastrous way by getting swept by division rival the Baltimore Orioles, playing the Twins was just what the doctor ordered. Since 2004, the Yankees have played  Minnesota 67 times and have gone 46-21, not to mention their constant wins against the Twins in the ALDS. In Game 2, the Yankees won 7-3 and once again Robinson Cano stole the show going 2-4 and hitting a huge 3 run home run in the 7th inning. Game 3 was all about CC Sabathia who won victory number 200 in his hall of fame career en route to a 3-2 New York victory. And finally Game 4 on the 4th of July the Yankees won 9-5 and finished off the sweep of the Twins (where have you heard that one before). It is hard to sweep a 4 game series from any team, especially on the road but the fact that they did it to the Twins, a team they beat constantly and the fact that the Twins are an average team at best may not be as big of an accomplishment as some may think. Yes, the Yankees turned back into the Bronx Bombers even with guys like Luis Cruz and Alberto Gonzalez playing a position filled by Derek Jeter for the past 17 years, but you have to look at the pitchers on the Twins; guys like Kyle Gibson, Jared Burton, or Anthony Swarzak. With all due respect to these guys because they are still major league pitchers, they aren't Clayton Kershaw. Odds are, this clubs fortunes are turning around for the better, but the real test is this weekend. Only 2.5 games separate the second place Orioles and the third place Yankees so this three-game series over the weekend will be very interesting.

Article Revisit: Brian McCann A Trade Target?

A little over two months ago I asked the question if the Yankees should target Brian McCann this trading deadline. The Braves have three catchers and McCann seems like the likeliest to go with him being a free agent after 2013 and making a ton more money than any of his other fellow backstops. Francisco Cervelli had a set back that will keep him out until at least August so the Yankees may be in the market for a catcher. Is Brian McCann that catcher? Let's revisit the article.


The Braves have been without Brian McCann since last October when he opted to get shoulder surgery and miss the beginning of the 2013 season. Every veterans worst nightmare is beginning to come true as McCann sits on the DL the young guys are taking his place and really making a name for themselves quickly. With McCann down in Rome in the Braves minor league system rehabbing and getting ready to return to the big leagues it makes me wonder if he will be available in a trade sooner rather than later and if the Yankees would be interested.


Brian McCann is a left handed power hitting catcher that has a stroke that was absolutely made for the New Yankees Stadium. McCann has also been known for his durability playing in no less than 121 games in his eight season careerwith the Braves not counting his partial rookie campaign where he only got into 59 games. His 121 game season was in 2012 where he battled shoulder issues all season long but still managed 20 home runs and 67 RBI's with a triple slash of .230/.300/.399. McCann is a six time All Star that takes his walks, calls good games behind the plate, hits for power, and would be a rental player for any team with this being his contract season. Is the beloved Braves home town boy a dead man walking in a Braves uniform with all these accolades backing him?


Evan Gattis is making quite the impression on manager Fredi Gonzalez in his rookie campaign filling in for the injured Brian McCann. Evan Gattis has played in a total of 21 games getting 84 plate appearances and has put up a triple slash of .250/.310/.566 with a OPS of 875. Gattis also has 6 HR's, 16 RBI's, and 6 doubles on his resume so far for 2013. In basically an 1/8th of the season Gattis has already accumulated a 0.8 WAR so that would put him on pace to have a 6.4 WAR by seasons end in a perfect world, something that Brian McCann has never done. McCann came closest in 2008 when he put up a 5.5 WAR that season for the Braves. The Braves love his glove, love his game calling, love his throwing arm, love his bat, and love his team friendly league minimum $490 K salary and it would seem love him more then Brian McCann right now.


Gerald Laird signed a two year deal worth $3 million to be the Braves back up catcher this past off season and has filled David Ross' shoes pretty well. In nine games and 33 plate appearances Gerald has a triple slash of .333/.419/.407 with an OPS of .827 with 5 RBI's as a back up. Gerald has also accumulated a 0.2 WAR thus far in this season in not even a 1/16th of the season, using games played, and seems to be far exceeding expectations. While I don't expect Laird to stay anywhere near his current .333 average, his career average is .245, or his .415 OBP, with a career .305 on base, at his age 33 season but weirder things have happened, especially playing for a team like the Atlanta Braves who seem to get the absolute most out of every player they bring in.


With the Braves payroll probably at their absolute max with the Upton brothers acquisitions and an arguably better option already seasoned and here the Braves will probably be looking to move Brian McCann and his $12 million rental contract this July. If Brian can come back healthy from his shoulder surgery and prove that he has not lost too much off the throwing arm or the swing I can see the Braves making a move but would the Yankees be interested? Would the Yankees have the pieces to even make it work? With the Braves already currently having Jonny Venters, Cristhian Martinez, and Brandon Beachy on the disabled list an Adam Warren or basically anyone not named Mark Montgomery or Jose Campos would be interesting to the Braves one would think. The Braves also seem like they could use some infield and outfield depth making guys like Corban Joseph, David Adams, or even a Rob Segedin look attractive to Atlanta. Just for the record I never said I was for or against the trade but this just seems like the kind of move that the Yankees would make getting an established big leaguer for a steal. Then again the Braves don't necessarily need to trade McCann while Gattis has plenty of options left and it would not exactly be a salary dump either so who knows how the negotiations would go. I have the utmost confidence in Francisco Cervelli and cannot see even the Yankees having a $12 million back up catcher so I can't say I expect McCann to don pinstripes this season but it also wouldn't surprise me if he did...


Just a quick blurb here to end this. I would not mind adding Brian to the Yankees Wives & Girlfriends section... I'm just saying!


Baby Bombers In Action

Last week we took a look at where a few of our top prospects are currently at in the system and how they're performing. This week i've dug up some videos of these guys. Here's a look at some of them via various youtube sources:

First up is Gary Sanchez, who is looking more and more like he'll be ready to join Trenton this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQGdYISOnNU

Gary facing RA Dickey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx2Fn5spKCo

At the 2013 AS Game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAGrUPbEM4A

YES magazine discusses the Yankees catching prospects:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mLZryE1PW4

Next up is Mason Williams, who has struggled a bit in Tampa this year but has shown signs of life. Hopefully he'll get it figured out and start producing.

Mason in ST vs. the Jays

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQBU3iLVSEM

Mason vs. RA Dickey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVKhFUSd4uM

Some coverage from Prospect Team

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJ5ZQHQAQk

This from Mike Newman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOdHovmtyCI

On to Slade Heatchott, who is in much the same boat as Mason, having been promoted a level but is still adjusting to the league. In Slade's defense, he's missed a ton of time to injury over the last several years and has made the biggest leap in the minors. He's shown signs of getting used to the pitching in AA, but has yet to sustain success.

Slade in the AFL last year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGs4tOHl3Ko

Slade getting some work in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOKH_goeAn4

Mike Ashmore, who has tons of videos with a piece on Slade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyvC5aPdnIY

Tyler Austin follows up Slade as fellow Thunder teammate. He started slow as well but looks like he's settling in to life in AA ball.

Here's Mike with some austin footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmdj44bYbSs

And from Mike Newman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPybni4UTQw

And Baseball Instinct

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Jt_xS26Wk

Last but not least here is some footage on rising hurler Jose Ramirez, who caught my attention last year and has continued to impress in 2013. Here's Mike Ashmore with some video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl-MQpPgOYs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8hRGldsuHU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22-iiNRTqBQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53a3UbtxZ3M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQnf1fQGOFg

That's it this week for info on the farm. Been a crazy week out here for sure, everyone enjoy the holiday and i'll see you all again next week. Cheers.

Game 86 Lineup: Orioles vs. Yankees

Time for the Yankees to extract revenge (and to win their 5th straight). Here's your starting lineup!

Brett Gardner CF
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Travis Hafner DH
Vernon Wells LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Luis Cruz SS
Chris Stewart C
David Adams 3B

Ivan Nova P

Some Notes:


-- There is some good news on the injury front for the Yankees.

Derek JeterDerek Jeter will play for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees tomorrow night as the first game of his rehab assignment. He's slated to go 5 innings and will play SS.

Alex RodriguezAlex Rodriguez will play for the Tampa Yankees this afternoon at Lakeland.

-- Yankees HOPE Week will be from July 8-12.

-- If you're a fan of the Trenton Thunder, the Bat Dog Chase is retiring today after working 10 years on the job. He's been there since 2003. I felt it was important to address this.

-- All-Star voting has ceased as of last night. After the Yankees game tomorrow afternoon, you can watch the All-Star selection show at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. Let's hope Joe Buck and Tim McCarver aren't the ones announcing the All-Stars.

The Next Cuban Defector To Watch Odrisamer Despaigne


The next big thing in Cuban defectors turned MLB free agents name is Odrisamer Despaigne and he is about six to eight weeks away from being officially a major league free agent. While he has not garnered the attention of Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez he is still creating a little bit of buzz around the majors. Despaigne is trying to establish his citizenship in Spain after defecting and is planning on putting on a showcase for major league teams in Barcelona some time next week. Despaigne, like Gonzalez, is a 26 year old power throwing right hander that should make an immediate impact on any team he signs with. No word on the teams that may be interested as of yet but you would have to think that the Yankees will at least kick on tires on this.

A Day In The Life Of A Yankees Blogger


So I wake up at 5:00 am ET and the first thing I do after your usual morning bathroom routine is I check The Greedy Pinstripes to see what is new in the world of the Yankees. I update daily at this time the AL East standings, the next Yankees game, and Ichiro's assault on 3,000 hits list. When Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter come back they will be added as well. I then check my G Mail for any press releases or emails that I may have gotten over the night and I update the blog accordingly. Before I know it I have to get my son out of bed, get my lunch packed, get my son to my mothers house, and get my behind to work.

I get to work early usually and I scour twitter, @GreedyStripes, to see the latest from our followers. I have a great conversation with somebody almost every morning. This is usually when I go on my rants about when Brian Cashman needs to shut his mouth, or trade for this, or trade this guy, or how I am tired of this or that from the night before. If news ever breaks or I see something interesting I use the blogger app on my iPhone to update the site.

Work, work, work, work, and work. I have to work now at work because at one time I spent so much time scouring the internet for news that The Greedy Pinstripes got blocked at work. We then got a "updated" internet policy with our paychecks a couple weeks later stating that we are, paraphrasing of course, here to work and not to play on the internet. Excessive internet abuse at work would result in a reprimanding and maybe even termination. The termination word was enough for me to unfortunately stop updating the blog at work but there is always my lunch break.


After I get off work, get dinner in mine, my sons, and my pregnant wife's stomach I go full Greedy Pinstripes mode. I update any news that may have broke while I was at work and prepare for the nights game. This is the time you will see the game threads made and the game previews made. When the game starts I go to twitter and tweet with our followers and usually get a lot of good ideas for posts for the next day. Tweeters say the damnedest things, you know it? During the commercial breaks is when I schedule daily posts like this day in New York Yankees history posts. By the time Mariano Rivera throws that last pitch and I hear Michael Kay say the Yankees have won it is bed time for me. I have to be up early again tomorrow to start the entire process over again.

Why do I do it? Not the money that is for sure and it is definitely not because I want some sort of fame or recognition. I do it because I love the New York Yankees and I do it because I enjoy it. I cannot say why I decided to do this post, mainly I guess because I thought it would be interesting, but I can say that I really appreciate every one of you reading this right now. Thank you all and we love you!

Morning Bits

Good morning everyone!

The Yankees completed a sweep of the Twins yesterday by a score of 9-5.

Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells, Zoilo Almonte, Luis Cruz and Travis Hafner lead the way offensively for the Yankees.

David Phelps was sharp until the 7th inning when the Twins managed to cut their deficit from eight runs to four runs with four of those runs charged to Phelps and the other to Boone Logan.

The Yankees will play the Orioles in the Bronx tonight as they start a ten-game home stand that leads into the All-Star break. The next time the Yankees play a road game will be two weeks from today in Boston.

Ivan Nova(2-2, 4.63 ERA) will face Miguel Gonzalez(6-3, 3.77 ERA) in tonight's game which begins at 7:05 PM ET and will be broadcast by YES.

Now on to today's news links:

Stephen Lorenzo of the New York Daily News writes that Derek Jeter is close to returning in rehab games.

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports that Francisco Cervelli has suffered a setback and won't be returning until August at the earliest.

Wally Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com says Alex Rodriguez isn't the noble man he's portraying himself to be.

Derek Goold of the Post-Dispatch.com covers the news that the Yankees will play in St. Louis next year for the first time since 2005.

Have a great day everyone!

 

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/5


On this day in 1998 future Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens struck out then Devil Ray Randy Winn for his 3,000th strike out of his career. Roger would become only the 11th player to ever reach the plateau when he did it in a Toronto Blue Jays jersey.