Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Cashman Not Panicking After Robertson Rejects Qualifying Offer

While this week's news that David Robertson rejected the Yankees' qualifying offer may have some people distressed, team GM Brian Cashman isn't all that worried.

Instead, it appears, he's advocating patience. He said Monday while in Phoenix for MLB's GM meetings that he's going to let things play out before he begins to worry about the Yankees' 2015 closer situation, which would likely include Dellin Betances taking over the ninth inning if Robertson signs elsewhere.

"Right now, we don’t have to name a closer for 2015 yet," Cashman told ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews. "Let’s wait and see how the negotiations take with David before I start trying to worry about who that is going to have to be. We’ll have somebody closing games out in 2015."

However, that somebody might not be the most experienced. The aforementioned Betances is coming off an All-Star rookie year, but could still be too young for the responsibility. As for the other options, none look too appealing. 

"We hope whoever it is is the best candidate possible," Cashman said. "We have some people you can give that opportunity to if we’re forced to internally, but let’s wait and see where the conversations take with David first and go from there.” 

The first of those talks with Robertson are set to come within the next few days. Robertson, 29, has pitched for the Yankees since 2008, and successfully converted 39/44 save opportunities for them this season.

Chris Young's Incentives Released


From the AP:

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Young can earn up to $6,325,000 under his one-year contract with the New York Yankees.
The outfielder is guaranteed a $2.5 million salary under the deal announced Sunday and can make $3,825,000 more in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.
Young would earn $150,000 for 250, $200,000 for 275, $300,000 for 300, $350,000 for 350, $375,000 each for 375 and 400, $475,000 for 450, $500,000 for 500 and $550,000 each for 550, and 600.

The Japan All Star Series Starts Tonight


The Japan All Star Series begins this week in Japan in a seven game series between players from Major League Baseball and the Japanese League. The rosters have been released and the players are ready to go. Here are the rosters for the series and you can CLICK HERE for the schedule, game times, venues, and everything else you may need to know as baseball returns. Enjoy. 


PITCHERS
Jeff Beliveau (TB)
Jerry Blevins (WSH)
Chris Capuano (NYY)
Randy Choate (STL)
Jeremy Guthrie (KC)
Tommy Hunter (BAL)
Hisashi Iwakuma (SEA)
Mark Melancon (PIT)
Franklin Morales (COL)
Hector Santiago (LAA)
Matt Shoemaker (LAA)
Jose Veras (HOU)
Tsuyoshi Wada (CHI)
Rob Wooten (MIL)
CATCHERS
Drew Butera (LAD)
Erik Kratz (KC)
Salvador Perez (KC)
INFIELDERS
Jose Altuve (HOU)
Robinson Cano (SEA)
Alcides Escobar (KC)
Evan Longoria (TB)
Justin Morneau (COL)
Eduardo Nunez (MIN)
Carlos Santana (CLE)
OUTFIELDERS
Chris Carter (HOU)
Lucas Duda (NYM)
Dexter Fowler (HOU)
Yasiel Puig (LAD)
Ben Zobrist (TB)

The Last Time the Yankees Acquired a Texas Rangers Shortstop


News broke yesterday on the blog that the New York Yankees would at least kick the tires on acquiring Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus in a trade this winter. It is no secret that the Yankees are in the market for a shortstop and it’s also no mystery why most of the rumors regarding the position have been via trades. The free agent market is dry at the position and so it the farm system. Do we not remember the last time the Yankees acquired a shortstop from the Texas Rangers after the team had a change of heart after handing out a lofty contract?

The Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez from the Rangers before the 2004 season for Alfonso Soriano and others while Texas kicked in a ton of cash. Truth be told that was a great deal for the Yankees as Texas was paying a huge chunk of Rodriguez’s salary while New York was getting MVP caliber seasons and awards out of their new third baseman. It wasn’t until A Rod opted out during the World Series and subsequently signed a new 10 year deal that the deal went sour but I digress, should the Yankees really bail out the Texas Rangers once again? In a word, and reluctantly, yes.

Basically Andrus is being paid for the eight eight seasons through the 2022 season at $120 million, or an AAV of $15 million. If the Yankees can pay a 40 year old Derek Jeter $17 million then I see Andrus as an absolute steal at a $2 million savings. This is before Texas presumably eats some salary to help the trade move along. Andrus is 27 years old and while he has his question marks and concerns attached to him honestly, who doesn’t?

Sure you could give Stephen Drew a one year pillow contract but then what? The shortstop free agent market looks worse next season then it does this season. The Yankees best and closest shortstop prospects are in A Ball and won’t be ready by 2016. A fresh team with a new atmosphere can do wonders for a players especially when they are playing for the New York Yankees. I don’t necessarily worry about him coming into camp 15 lbs. overweight last spring and I don’t worry that he is just a .272 career hitter. Andrus would make this team exponentially better and is probably the best shortstop that has been made available this winter, including Troy Tulowitzki, and if New York can snag him for a reasonable prospects deal I would do it in a heartbeat.


Andrus does not change the whole dynamic of the team and the middle of the order like a Hanley Ramirez would but he would inject speed on the base paths, flexibility in the field, and a gritty average at the plate. The Yankees are building a team with all three of those components and Andrus fits all three of those components, add the fact that New York would get his entire prime and can move him to second or third base if need be by the end of the contract this seems like a no-brainer to me. Get it done. 

IBWAA SELECTS ABREU, deGROM IN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR VOTE

Los Angeles – The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) announced the winners in the Rookie of the Year category Monday, with the Chicago White Sox’ Jose Abreu winning the group’s American League award, and Jacob deGrom, of the New York Mets, being selected in the National League.
 
Election results are as follows:
 
AL Rookie
 
1st Place:                  Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
2
nd Place:                 
Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees
3rd Place:                  
Dellin Betances, New York Yankees
 
NL Rookie
 
1st Place:                  Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
2
nd Place:                 
Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds
3rd Place:                  Ender Inciarte, Arizona Diamondbacks
 
Abreu received 154 of 158 first-place votes and a total of 782 points. Tanaka received one first-place vote, with a total of 135 points, and Betances garnered 103 points.
 
deGrom received 105 first-place votes, with 633 points. Hamilton received 45 first-place votes and 503 points. Inciarte received two first-place votes, with 46 points.
 
Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates, using the Borda Method.
 
Below is the remaining IBWAA Awards announcement schedule:
 
Manager, Tuesday, November 11, 2014, 11:00 a.m. PST.
Cy Young, Wednesday, November 12, 2014, 11:00 a.m. PST.
MVP, Thursday, November 13, 2014, 11:00 a.m. PST.
 
The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.
 
In 2010, the IBWAA began voting in its own relief pitcher category, establishing the Rollie Fingers American League Relief Pitcher of the Year and the Hoyt Wilhelm National League Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards.

Among others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Jim Caple, Mike Petriello, David Schoenfield, Mark A. Simon andDan Szymborski, ESPN.com; Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; King Kaufman, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy, Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Jonah Keri, Grantland; Vlae Kershner, SFGate.com; Chuck Culpepper and Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Jill Painter Lopez, FoxSportsWest.com, Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News; Eno Sarris and Wendy Thurm, FanGraphs; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Orange County Register; Neil Payne, FiveThirtyEight.com, Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com, Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com, Dan Schlossberg, USA Today and Jesse Spector, Sporting News.
 
Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20, or $35 lifetime. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

For more information please visit 
www.ibwaa.com.

Contact:
 

Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com

The Yankees Will Get Younger Next Season


There has been an outcry from the fans over the past three or so seasons pleading with the Yankees to get younger and build their team from within. The thought process here is that the “Dynasty Yankees” had the core four and just filled in the blanks with veteran deals and timely hitting. While I agree with that line of thinking I will also add that it has to be done right to be effective, that sounds simple but it’s harder than it looks apparently. I believe that the New York Yankees will get younger this season no matter what moves they make this offseason, which should pacify some fans, which could lead to a World Series Championship.

If you think about it the Yankees are replacing three of the oldest players in Major League Baseball from the 2014 season in Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter, and Hiroki Kuroda. New York has already replaced the now 41 year old Ichiro with a 31 year old Chris Young as the team’s fourth outfielder. At some point one of Jacob Lindgren, Tyler Webb, Manny Banuelos, and/or James Pazos will come up to inject some left handed youth in a bullpen replacing a now 38 years old Matt Thornton from 2014. Also the team is eyeing 31 year old free agent Brandon McCarthy as the most likely to replace the 40 year old Kuroda in the rotation. Whoever the Yankees get to replace Jeter will presumably be younger than 40 years old making the average age of the team come down even more.

Can the team be more effective though as they get collectively younger? I think so, yes. Young can outperform Ichiro if used right in my opinion especially if he continues to use the tweak in mechanics that Kevin Long taught him last September. While Kuroda was great down the stretch last season McCarthy was even better and should outperform the Japanese righty if he stays healthy, albeit a big if. As much as I love and will miss Derek Jeter I can’t see the Yankees getting worse production next season out of the position then they did this season.


All in all I believe the Yankees will get younger and get better in 2015 due to the addition by subtraction via free agency. 

TGP Daily Poll: Predicting the Cy Young Awards

Tomorrow the BBWAA announces their winner for the American League and National League’s Cy Young Award. I predict that Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers will win the award.


Vote in our poll!

Update on the BYB HUB


Have you guys checked out the BYB Hub? If not then I think you should because it is quickly becoming a one stop shop not only for New York Yankees blogs, news, rumors, etc. but Robert Casey is expanding to every team in major League Baseball. Currently the Hub showcases 14 blogs including our own right here and it grows more every day. If you're a fan thirsty for news and opinions then you can scan a big chunk of the web right here with one stop.

If you are a blogger yourself and you want some free exposure then this is the perfect place. All that is asked is that you continue to churn out quality content regularly and put a BYB Hub picture on your blog. It's a win win for everybody so what are you waiting for? CLICK HERE.

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/11: All Joe DiMaggio


On this day in 1941 Joltin' Joe DiMaggio won the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in his career. The Yankee Clipper edges Ted Williams in his season in which he hit .406 when a Red Sox writer leaves Williams off the ballot. The Curse of the Bambino continues...




Speaking of Joe DiMaggio on this day in 1948 the Yankee Clipper was put into John Hopkins Hospital in New York to remove bone spurs on his right heel. DiMaggio would not make his debut for the Yankees in 1949 until June, 28 of that season and would debut by hitting a single and a two run home run in his first two at bats in a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox in Fenway.