Alex Rios the 2016 Version of Chris Young?

The New York Yankees had three members of their 2015 squad hit free agency that the team will have to replace in some way, shape or form. Those three men were second baseman Stephen Drew, long relief pitcher Chris Capuano and right-handed power bat off the bench Chris Young. All signs seem to point to a platoon of Dustin Ackley and Robert Refsnyder replacing Drew in 2016 while a laundry list of minor league pitching options including, but not limited to, Bryan Mitchell, Branden Pinder, Caleb Cotham, James Pazos and Jacob Lindgren could replace Capuano with relative ease. Finding a right-handed power bat that can play the outfield and come off the bench may not be as easy as finding the replacements for Drew and Capuano but one option the Yankees now have is former Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Rios.

The Kansas City Royals wasted no time in reshuffling their roster around after the World Series and the reshaping began when the team declined the mutual options on right fielder Alex Rios and starter Jeremy Guthrie. Rios is the player that would interest the Yankees the most and is set to enter the 2016 season at 34-years old. Rios had a $12.5 million option declined with a $1.5 million buyout that he did not play to for much of the 2015 season. Rios did redeem himself a bit with a few key hits in key situations in the World Series but it is obvious to many that Rios is no longer a $12 million AAV type player and no longer an everyday player.

A bench role with the Yankees, if he’s willing to accept one, would be an ideal fit for Rios giving him another shot at a World Series. The Yankees may not be the favorites to win it all in 2016 but they will at least be in the discussion in my opinion which could be attractive to Rios. Also the right fielder could take a one-year pillow contract and try to establish some of his value and worth back as he hits the free agency market again in 2017. This is all assuming that Young, who is probably better suited for the job in the Bronx, doesn’t return to the club on another one-year deal.

Would Rios be worth it? Without Chris Young back in the fold or a better player, then probably. 

Cyber Monday Deals Still Left on Tuesday: Positional Players

We’re back still hunting down the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that are left over on this Tuesday afternoon and I found more than a few capable positional players that New York may want to take a look at.

• Jed Lowrie may only be a shortstop on the back of his baseball card but if the Yankees signed him they would probably see an improvement in range and defense over what the team had the past three or so seasons. Lowrie can still produce offensively and wouldn’t be a terrible fall back option at second base if the team gave the reigns to Jose Pirela or Robert Refsnyder to start the season. This team is built on options, flexibility and versatility and Lowrie gives the team all three.

• Alex Rios does not seem likely in an already crowded outfield in the Bronx but hear me out. The Yankees carried five outfielders last season with the idea of one of them alternating in the DH role. If the team can rid themselves of Alex Rodriguez, which I do not feel is likely admittedly, then a Rios deal makes sense here.

• Like Rios the same can be said for Delmon Young who actually made strides with his bat and his defense in 2014 with the Baltimore Orioles. Delmon is not good enough to not need a platoon partner but it is worth mentioning that he hit a career best .312 against right handed pitching in 2014 while producing his best defensive ratings of his career. Could Young possibly be a late bloomer?

2015 Yankees If I Were GM: The Outfield

If I were the General Manager of the New York Yankees I think the team would have 30+ World Series championships by now but I digress. Here would be my plan if I were the GM of the Yankees.

The outfield is one of the easier positions to fill theoretically because we're just looking at bench and insurance options. Brett Gardner looks to be penciled in as the team's left fielder while Jacoby Ellsbury looks to be the every day center fielder. New York is hoping that Carlos Beltran can play right field every day and honestly after the elbow surgery I believe that he can as well. That doesn't mean I am not going to bring in some insurance and bench options just in case Beltran is not as ready as we all hope.

First and foremost in my look at the infield as the GM I brought Chase Headley back as the every day third baseman. Headley has played the outfield in a much more spacious outfield out in San Diego and could easily and conceivably handle the right field or left field in Yankee Stadium as an emergency option. Ichiro Suzuki is a free agent and will need to be replaced and replaced preferably with a right handed power bat. Enter Alex Rios, maybe. 

The Texas Rangers own a club option on the 34 year old that is very likely to be declined making him a free agent. While Rios does not help the team get any younger and has lost a step or three in the power department one must keep in mind that I am banking on him being a bench option, not an every day option. If Rios is not made available I don't feel comfortable bringing back Chris Young. I feel like the team got the best of what they are going to get from Mr. Young and I don't want to fall into the trap of giving him a contract for a walk off hit or two in September while ignoring the other five months of the season. 

The right handed options for the outfield, especially the ones that would likely accept a bench role, look limited so if Rios is not made available I would probably fill the position from within. I liked what I saw out of Eury Perez in September and while he does not help the power problem he can come off the bench, steal a base, and play all three outfield positions. Perez isn't necessarily Plan A but he isn't Plan Z either.

Gardner, Drew, and Prado Clear Revocable Waivers

Brett Gardner, Stephen Drew, and Martin Prado have cleared revocable waivers and are able to be traded to any team for the rest of the season. It's merely a procedural move to place players on waivers in August but this interesting if the Yankees fall out of the race that they could at least unload Prado or Drew. Last season the Yankees waited too long after falling out of the race and were stuck with ace Hiroki Kuroda and Robinson Cano specifically.

Speaking of waivers the Yankees made a run at Texas' outfielder Alex Rios and learned the news today that Rios was placed on revocable waivers. The Yankees could either claim him and try to work out a trade, or take on his salary, or they could wait and hope for him to clear waivers and try to work a trade out.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to sneak Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Andre Ethier through waivers as well and can trade them anywhere is the Yankees are interested.

Trading Deadline Fact or Fiction: Yankees Edition

Will the Yankees acquire Troy Tulowitzki or any other big name?

I believe this is fiction. The Yankees haven’t traded away any top talent in three years now and the Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda trade made too much sense not to make. Montero was left without a true position and was battling character issues and questions before the trade. Win, lose, or draw that was a good trade at the time for the Yankees. I cannot see the Yankees parting with Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Ian Clarkin, Eric Jagielo, Robert Refsnyder, etc.

Will the Yankees stand pat? Are they done?

Fiction: No I don’t think so. I can see another marginal upgrade in the outfield or on the bench. I don’t believe New York is sold on Zoilo Almonte and honestly they probably shouldn’t be. I can see a Justin Ruggiano or a Alex Rios type player come in and platoon with Ichiro Suzuki. The Yankees may get someone who has experience at first base just in case but that even seems unlikely at this point. I think the Yankees are done on the pitching side unfortunately and will hope and pray that Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda come back strong and healthy.

Is Brian Cashman in danger of losing his job?

Fiction: Honestly, no. After catching lightning in a bottle with Brandon McCarthy, Chris Capuano, and Chase Headley specifically I think in the very least he bought himself some time. While I am not entirely sold on the fact that he will be the Yankees general manager in 2015 I don’t believe he will be fired. He may decide to not even come back after losing the control he fought so long to get from the Steinbrenner family.

Can this Yankee team win the World Series?

Fiction: As it’s currently constructed, no. There are too many holes in the lineup and too many “automatic outs” in Brian Roberts, Ichiro Suzuki, at times Brian McCann, etc. The defense is atrocious, especially in the infield, and the pitching is average at best. Who matches up Game One in a postseason series? Right now it’s the guy who has burned out and fizzled due to fatigue in August and September the last two plus seasons in Hiroki Kuroda. Then who, Brandon McCarthy? Shane Greene? We may get to the post season in a mediocre league but I couldn’t see New York going far. I’m not entirely banking on the return of Pineda and Tanaka personally which may be shading my judgment a tad.

Will we do another post like this?

Fact: I liked this, this was fun. Send in your questions to us by shooting us an email at thegreedypinstripes at gmail or tweet us @GreedyStripes. Maybe your tweet or email can end up on the blog. 

Cole Hamels Made Available By Phillies, Is Brian Cashman Listening?

Earlier today we brought you an article pertaining to the Texas Rangers outfielder Alex Rios and all the trade rumors swirling around him, specifically those that may bring him to New York. We did the same thing about another man on July 9th and here we are almost three weeks later and that man was made available. His name is Cole Hamels and his team is the Philadelphia Phillies. It's worth mentioning that Hamels has a no trade clause but the New York Yankees are NOT on it.

It's funny, here is one of the comments on the article:

Hey Daniel, want a beer ?
Far fetched ?....try bazaar. Taking on $ 150 million ? For one pitcher who is injured, and the
other who is over 30 ? I thought the Yankees were running from those contracts ?
I'm typing a lot of question marks here.
And, you placate them with decent talent. Jesus.

Hey Daniel, would you like two beers ?

Doesn't seem so far fetched now. Here's some quick excerpts from THIS article we posted at the beginning of July:

Lee looks like a pure salary dump at this point of the season as he struggles to come back from an elbow injury. Lee is owed $25 million this year and next and the Phillies franchise isn't going anywhere with that contract on the books. To take on that kind of salary the Yankees could pay less in prospects and save their better pieces for a run at Hamels. Hamels, like Lee, is weighing down the club with $22.5 million a season through the 2018 season and a has a club option written into his contract for 2019 worth $19 million. Whether Sabathia and/or Alex Rodriguez retires or not the Yankees could easily absorb these contracts with the likes of Hiroki Kuroda and others coming off the books after this season.

Before you jump down my throat saying how I am out of touch the Phillies are going nowhere, they know it and we know it. The only players Philadelphia has under the age of 30 years old are Ben Revere, Cody Asche, and Domonic Brown who are hitting a combined .221 in 2014. The Phillies have finished in third, fourth, and look likely to finish in last place in their last three seasons respectively and it may be time to hit the reset button in Philadelphia.

The Phillies could sell off their high priced talent much like the Red Sox did a few seasons ago and re-tool and rebuild. Gary Sanchez or John Ryan Murphy could replace the departing Carlos Ruiz. Robert Refsnyder could replace the departing Chase Utley. Abi Avelino could replace the departing Jimmy Rollins. Ian Clarkin and throw in Shane Greene/Chase Whitley could replace Hamels and Lee and the rest is history.

Article Revisit: Yankees Need A Fourth Outfielder

A few weeks back we discussed the need for a fourth outfielder in New York after the injury to Carlos Beltran and Ichiro Suzuki coming back down to Earth. We mentioned, once again before anyone else, that Alex Rios would be a good fit that could fit into the Yankees plans and budget. Now that the rumors around Rios joining the Yankees are in full tilt let's take a look back at where it all began, right here on TGP:

Going into the 2014 season the New York Yankees had too many outfielders and not enough positions to accommodate. Here we are at the end of July in the same season and the Yankees don't have enough outfielders to make a real run at a division title or a Wild Card. You really can't predict baseball Suzyn.

The Yankees started the season essentially with Brett Gardner as their left fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury manning center, Carlos Beltran as your right fielder, Alfonso Soriano as your full time designated hitter, and Ichiro Suzuki on the bench. Three months later you still have your mainstays in Gardner and Ellsbury but a bone spur has Beltran limited to DH only starts, Soriano is not on the team anymore, and Ichiro is essentially your every day right fielder.

The problem is Ichiro is a singles only hitter and has been exposed lately as an every day player. The Yankees don't seem comfortable with Beltran in the outfield at all this season and Ichiro is not going to cut it everyday, the Yankees need an outfielder. Since the Yankees won't call up Robert Refnsnyder and seem unwilling to call up Zoilo Almonte, Adonis Garcia, or Jose Pirela New York may instead turn their attention to the Texas Rangers Alex Rios.

Rios, at the time of writing this, is batting .302/.330/.405 with only four home runs and 16 stolen bases. Rios defense has actually been better than Ichiro's this season and his right handed bat would compliment the lineup well. The biggest issue is a six team no trade clause that is written into Rios' contract that includes the Yankees. Rios is in the last year of a monster deal but there is a team option for the 2015 season worth $13.5 million with a $1 million buyout.

The Yankees and the Rangers start a four game series tonight in Yankee Stadium and will play seven times before the trading deadline which is a perfect showcase for Rios and the Yankees. Will the Yankees make it happen? Stay tuned...

Phelps Falls Apart in Fifth as Yankees Drop Opener in Texas

Derek Jeter collected three hits to pass Carl Yastrzemski on the all-time list and Brett Gardner homered twice off Yu Darvish, but due to a memorable collapse by David Phelps in the bottom of the fifth the Yankees dissapointingly dropped tonight's series opener to the Rangers 4-2.

Going into that aforementioned fifth frame, somewhat surprisingly, New York led Texas 2-0 on those solo shots from Gardner, making a big W to begin the week seem likely.

Unfortunetaly, though, that wouldn't prove to be the case, with the Rangers beginning a tough-to-watch rally with two outs and a man on second.

To start things off, the ice-cold Elvis Andrus singled in Chris Gimenez, putting Texas on the board in a not-too-stressful way.

Nonetheless, following another knock up the middle from Alex Rios and a double down the left field line from Adrian Beltre that tied it, things became a lot more tough, with another two-run single by newest Yankee-killer J.P. Arencibia only acting as the icing on the cake.

Because from that point on, the punchless Yanks didn't do anything against Darvish (7 IP, 2 ER), causing Phelps and his six frames of four-run ball to eventually take the loss, his first since June 7.

Trade Deadline 2014: Yankees Rumors Roundup 7/28

The July 31st trading deadline is fast approaching and the New York Yankees are seemingly in on anyone that can upgrade the team, even marginally, which makes for a lot of rumors. Here are the biggest ones from the day so far:

The Yankees are interested in Alex Rios of the Texas Rangers. Read why I think this is a good idea HERE.

Colorado is unlikely to move Troy Tulowitzki, even if he was at the Yankees game Sunday.

New York asked about the Cubs Jake Arrieta and were told they would have to be blown away to acquire him. Blown away means keep dreaming in Yankee terminology.

The Phillies have made Cole Hamels available. That's news in itself.

All of a Sudden The Yankees Need an Outfielder

Going into the 2014 season the New York Yankees had too many outfielders and not enough positions to accommodate. Here we are at the end of July in the same season and the Yankees don't have enough outfielders to make a real run at a division title or a Wild Card. You really can't predict baseball Suzyn.

The Yankees started the season essentially with Brett Gardner as their left fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury manning center, Carlos Beltran as your right fielder, Alfonso Soriano as your full time designated hitter, and Ichiro Suzuki on the bench. Three months later you still have your mainstays in Gardner and Ellsbury but a bone spur has Beltran limited to DH only starts, Soriano is not on the team anymore, and Ichiro is essentially your every day right fielder.

The problem is Ichiro is a singles only hitter and has been exposed lately as an every day player. The Yankees don't seem comfortable with Beltran in the outfield at all this season and Ichiro is not going to cut it everyday, the Yankees need an outfielder. Since the Yankees won't call up Robert Refnsnyder and seem unwilling to call up Zoilo Almonte, Adonis Garcia, or Jose Pirela New York may instead turn their attention to the Texas Rangers Alex Rios.

Rios, at the time of writing this, is batting .302/.330/.405 with only four home runs and 16 stolen bases. Rios defense has actually been better than Ichiro's this season and his right handed bat would compliment the lineup well. The biggest issue is a six team no trade clause that is written into Rios' contract that includes the Yankees. Rios is in the last year of a monster deal but there is a team option for the 2015 season worth $13.5 million with a $1 million buyout.

The Yankees and the Rangers start a four game series tonight in Yankee Stadium and will play seven times before the trading deadline which is a perfect showcase for Rios and the Yankees. Will the Yankees make it happen? Stay tuned...

Alex Rios Not Coming To The Yankees

Alex Rios was asked about when the New York Yankees called the White Sox about his availability and Rios says he will not be coming to the Yankees. Rios has a no trade clause and will not waive it for a deal to come to the Yankees. The Yankees are only one of six teams on Rios's no trade clause and that will keep Rios from coming over even though he is affordable, versatile, and a good fit for us. I guess we will have to be happy with the acquisition of Alfonso Soriano.

Yankees Appear On Alex Rios No Trade Clause

Alex Rios is probably a Yankees trade target this trading deadline but a deal could be complicated between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox involving Rios. Rios has a no trade clause which can allow him to block trades to the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, and Oakland Athletics.

The Rockies, Diamondbacks, Astros, and A's seem unlikely to make a move for an outfielder but this could really affect the Yankees and the Royals specifically. Not to say that a deal could not be done, because it could, but it would need Rios' approval first.

Are We A Trade Match With The Whitesox - Outfielders

The Yankees have had some less than stellar results from their outfielders this season and the White Sox may be a match to help us improve in that area. Brett Gardner has been great, maybe even an All Star, this season and Ichiro has been hot and cold all season long. Vernon Wells had a great first month and has fallen off the face of the earth while Zoilo Almonte broke onto the scene in a huge way only to remember that he is a prospect. We have been so desperate for outfield help this season we even let Lyle Overbay play out there since Curtis Granderson has been out for most of the season with two freak injuries. Are the White Sox a good match to help us with our outfield problems? Let's see...

Alejandro De Aza has put up a triple slash of .261/.316/.420 with an OPS of .736. De Aza has also put up 10 home runs and 40 RBI's playing center field for the White Sox. His versatility and speed, 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts, make him an obvious attractive choice for the Yankees. He has the versatility to play any of the three outfield positions and can bat anywhere in the lineup. The only down fall for De Aza and the Yankees may be that he is a left handed batter and the Yankees have more than enough left handed batters and especially outfielders. De Aza is also a free agent after this season and is owed a little less than $1,000,000 for the rest of the season.

Alex Rios has put up a triple slash of .272/.330/.452 with an OPS of .783 this season. Rios has also slammed 11 home runs, knocked in 36 RBI's, and hit 18 doubles this season in right field for the White Sox. Rios has 13 stolen bases in 18 attempts and has only struck out 53 times in 294 at bats. The biggest issue with Rios is that $12,500,000 owed to him both this season and next season and that may keep him out of pinstripes. One redeeming factor that Rios has though is the fact that he is right handed and an upgrade over every Yankees outfielder not named Brett Gardner this season so I would at least kick the tires on this guy.

The DeWayne Wise ship has sailed in New York so I cannot see him coming over in a trade and anyway he is on the DL so that will make any trade difficult. Jordan Danks has only had 32 at bats and is batting a minuscule .125 batting average with a .222 on base percentage so he is definitely not in the Yankees plans this season. Casper Wells has also been limited to 39 at bats and has struggled putting up a .179 batting average with a .238 on base percentage so I cannot see him in the Yankees plans either. Dayan Viciedo is only batting .227 with a .263 on base percentage and can only be an improvement over Vernon Wells at this point so I cannot see him getting in Yankees pinstripes this season either.

It looks like it is Alejandro De Aza, Alex Rios, or bust for the Yankees and the White Sox this trading deadline.