Saturday, July 30, 2016

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 7/30


It is game time ladies and gentleman between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. In the contest this evening we will watch as Nathan Eovaldi takes the mound for the Yankees and Drew Smyly takes the mound for the Rays. The game will be played at 6:10 pm ET inside Tropicana Field and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

I’m not sure how much of this game I will actually see as I have been working on my vehicle all day but give us a follow on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and we’ll try to tweet when we can. You can also like us on Facebook as well by searching for The Greedy Pinstripes.

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Eovaldi? Let’s find out. Go Yankees!


Weekly Prospects Check In: Aaron Judge


The New York Yankees have made things pretty hard on me here at The Greedy Pinstripes and let me be the first to tell you that it is a damn good problem to have. The Yankees have more prospects that I truly want to check in with and bring to you each and every day and each and every week and I don’t have enough slots to fill them all. That’s a great problem to have and a problem that I have been dreaming about since the 2005 season, or maybe before, when I started truly following the Yankees farm system like a hardcore man possessed.

Aaron Judge is one of the Yankees top prospects in the system and is set to come back from a knee injury to continue his climb towards the Bronx. Not only is the Yankees outfield getting pretty crowded but the Scranton one is too, and again that’s the best kind of problem to here.

Here is what Judge looked like statistically when he was placed on the DL a few short weeks ago.

YearAgeLevGPARH2BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201624AAA83370528316165454286.261.357.469.825

McCann on the Move?


Yankees starting catcher Brian McCann has been the main focus around trade rumors involving the Yankees early on in the day today. Since starting pitcher Ivan Nova has been drawing little to no interest and the Yankees do not seem to part with Miller, McCann has found his way in being involved in all of the trade talks today.

McCann is average an average year for the Yankees compared to his first 2 years with the club 2016 hasn't been much different. He is currently batting .235 with 15 HR and 41 RBI. His defensive stats have gone down drastically though. In 2015 McCann threw out 36% of runners who attempted to steal on him. Meanwhile in 2016 the amount of runners he has thrown out is at a much lower 23%.

McCann is currently making a guaranteed $17 million each year for the next 3 seasons until the end of the 2018 season. He has a club option for 2019 worth $15 million but wherever he is the team will most likely not pick it up. This heavy contract shows how if the Yankees did perhaps to find a suitor for McCann they would have to eat a substantial amount of his remaining contract.

As per Jon Heyman, The Yankees currently have McCann out on the market and one team that has drawn interest in him is his former team the Atlanta Braves. He currently still lives in Atlanta during the offseason so it would not be unlikely for him to waive his no trade clause if the Yankees and Braves were able to agree upon a deal.

Now here comes the question, let's say the Yankees do find a way to dump McCann.... Who would take over at catcher? There are two options at the moment, current backup catcher Austin Romine and the Yankees starting catcher in AAA Gary Sanchez whom most believe is more then ready to take over in the big leagues.

As backup catcher for the Yankees this season Austin Romine is looking like a very solid player. In 39 games in 2016 he is batting .265 with a .434 slugging pct. The stats do not really pop out to you but if given more playing time Romine has a lot of potential to be a good every day catcher.

Now we move on to Sanchez, he is currently ranked as one the Yankees #4 prospect according to MLB.com as well as being ranked as the #2 catching propsect in the MLB. He is a very young impressive talent if you ask any of the managers and coaches who have been around him. He is having an amazing year with the Yankees AAA affiliate the Railriders. He is batting .286/.333/.478 and has a lot of potential to do big things in the MLB.

A trade is not looking very likely but it is definitley something Yankee fans should want to see and it is something that could progress within the next few days.

Follow me on Twitter- @Yankeesfan0504

The Texas Rangers Interested in Ivan Nova?


The trade rumors are swirling in each and every direction right now as we inch closer towards the August 1st trade deadline and in Yankee-Land no one is more centered in those rumors than Ivan nova. If you read respectable publications and website like MLB Trade Rumors and the New York Post you have read that teams like the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates may be interested in Nova’s services for the stretch run but there is another team that may be willing to get in on the bidding and that team is the Texas Rangers.

Like the Rangers need any more pitching right? I agree but if they are willing to give up what the Yankees want in a deal for a player with no future on the team past the 2016 season than why not, right? In fact Texas has at least shown some interest in Nova, Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller and Michael Pineda of the Yankees after showing interest in Aroldis Chapman as well before he was ultimately traded to Chicago. Now while neither Pineda nor Nova have been especially sharp this season they both are upgrades over Lucas Harrell so let’s see if these two teams can make a deal.

The Rangers have a decent farm system and a ton of young talent in the middle infield including Jurrickson Profar. Yes the Yankees need another middle infielder like they need another hole in the head but hear me out. You can trade Profar, Didi Gregorius, Starlin Castro or any of the young shortstops including Jorge Mateo and Gleyber Torres for pieces you need. Having too many top shortstop options is like having too much pitching. It’s just not possible.

If New York is going to lose Nova anyway after this season than it’s better to get something for him now rather than nothing for him later. Would the Yankees get Profar for Nova? No and I want to be 100% clear that I’m not suggesting that but Nova plus Pineda or Nova plus Miller or Nova plus Beltran and we have an entirely different conversation going on. My plan is to tell Texas that if they want Pineda, Beltran or Miller they are going to have to take Nova as well. If not, then you hang up the phone. Bottom line.


Thoughts?

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 7/30


The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays continue their three game set today with the middle game of the series. We have just two games including today before judgement day and the August 1st trading deadline so the Rays continue to look to play the role of spoilers for New York while the Yankees will likely wait until last second or even August 31st before “declaring” themselves. They never do things the easy way unfortunately but that’s neither here nor there. In today’s matchup the Yankees will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound to square off with Drew Smyly for the Rays.

Eovaldi will head into this game making his 19th start of the season. Eovaldi has struggled some this season and was even demoted to the bullpen at one point but he has since come back strong and will look to continue that string of good pitching tonight against the Rays. Tampa hasn’t done well recently against Eovaldi as the Yankees right-hander has posted a 3.86 ERA with 20 K’s in three career starts against the Rays.

Smyly heads into this start fresh off possibly the best start of his season last time out against Oakland. In that start the Rays lefty allowed just one run in six innings of work against the Athletics although the A’s would come back late in the content to give Smyly a no-decision.

The game will be played at 6:10 pm ET inside Tropicana Field and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. This seems like an awfully random time for a ball game to start on a Saturday night but who am I to judge? I just work here and I root for the Yankees. Go Yankees!


Will Carlos Beltran Be Traded?


The August 1st trade deadline is Monday. Two days from today. The New York Yankees have a lot of work to do either way between now and then no matter what outcome they decide to go for. If the team decides the playoffs, even a play-in game in the playoffs, is worth it and within reach then they need to acquire a few pieces for the stretch without mortgaging the future but if the organization decides to sell it has a lot of assets they could potentially unload between now and Monday afternoon. While Andrew Miller might fetch the most in terms of prospects and such the name that is the most likely to be moved may be the Yankees right fielder, Carlos Beltran.  

I say Beltran may be the most likely to be moved because of how well he is doing this season. Ivan Nova will be moved according to Joel Sherman but he’s struggled for much of the 2016 season while Beltran has been a consistent contributor in the Yankees lineup and in right field. At 39-years old Beltran is slashing .305/.347/.548 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI at the time of this writing which puts him on pace for a 34 home run season with 99 RBI. What team couldn’t use that? 

Beltran, like Nova and Aroldis Chapman, will see his contract expire at the end of the season and would be a true rental for any team. The team that may be the best match for the Yankees and for Beltran and his DH needs specifically may be the Cleveland Indians. The Indians are looking to hold onto their slim lead in the AL Central Division and could definitely use the shot in the arm that Beltran could bring to their offense. It also doesn’t hurt that the Indians have the young pitching and prospects that the Yankees covet to facilitate a deal either. 

Beltran could play the outfield in Cleveland while splitting time at DH with Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli while the Yankees could kick start their rebuild for the 2017 season and beyond. The Indians Top 10 prospect list is littered with starting pitchers that the Yankees covet including recently drafted LHP Brady Aiken, yes that Brady Aiken, and Triple-A prospect Mike Clevinger. Clevinger could be ready as soon as September of 2016 while Aiken may have to wait until late 2018 or early 2019 before reaching the Bronx. Either one would work though and work for both sides in a deal. Maybe the Yankees could even get two arms with one of them being 18-year old Triston McKenzie, who knows. 


I’m certainly no expert on the Indians farm system nor am I an insider but I know Beltran’s veteran bat can help this club that looks postseason bound and his postseason experience definitely won’t hurt Cleveland. Meanwhile the Yankees are thin on upper level pitching prospects and Aiken or Clevinger and McKenzie can definitely change that pretty quickly for New York. It sounds good on paper but now it’s time to make it a reality. Do it Cashman. 

Weekly Prospects Check In: Tyler Austin


What the hell else does Tyler Austin have to do to earn his call up to the Major Leagues? He is hitting home runs, he’s hitting for extra bases, he’s hitting for average, he’s playing a more than adequate first base and he isn’t speaking up about his non-call up. At least not loud enough to get a two-week suspension by the organization anyway. He’s done it all, now all he needs is an injury or a trade to happen?

I’m so sick of the contract, the name and the past dictating the playing time. Live in the present, it’s what all the good teams and the teams winning World Series championships are doing. Why can’t we? Anyway, I digress. This is about Mr. Austin and not about my frustrations with the team and organization so let’s check in with Austin and see how he’s tearing the cover off the ball lately in Scranton:

YearAgeLevGPARH2BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLGOPS
201624AA-AAA95400559828167065890.290.393.521.913
201624AA5021022461042913046.260.367.395.762
201624AAA45190335218124152844.323.421.6581.079

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/30: Dustin Ackley & Bobby Abreu... Come on Down




It's July 30th, trading deadline eve, so this post should be littered with tons of trades that happened on this day in Yankees history. We begin by looking back to this day in 2015 when the New York Yankees acquired Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners for Ramon Flores and Jose A. Ramirez.


Also on this day in 2006 the Yankees sent a package of four minor league players to the Philadelphia Phillies for Bobby Abreu. The package included shortstop CJ Henry, lefty relief pitcher Matt Smith, catcher Jesus Sanchez, and right handed pitcher Carlos Monasterios. The Yankees also received Cory Lidle back in the deal while New York would be on the hook for all of Abreu's remaining salary. Abreu made $13.5 million in 2006, $15.5 million in 2007, and had a $16 million option for 2008 with a $2 million buyout.

The Yankees later ended up getting CJ Henry back on a minor league deal in one of the better trades in the Brian Cashman era.

Also on this day in 2008 the Yankees acquired Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers for relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth. The Yankees were in need of a catcher after Jorge Posada's season ending surgery earlier in the month. Rodriguez had to waive his no trade clause to make the deal happen.

Also on this day in 1990 George Steinbrenner announced that he would agree to go on the permanent ineligible list which would give the Yankees owner a lifetime ban from day to day operations of his team. The Boss was later reinstated in 1993 but subsequently agreed to the ban to avoid jeopardizing his relationship with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Outside of Yankee Stadium on that day in 1990 24,037 fans in attendance started chanting "NO More George! NO More George." The Boss reportedly did not hear about the chant at the stadium until he watched the 11 o'clock news later that night.