Meet the 2019 Yankees: Ben Heller

The New York Yankees were without potentially one of their up-and-coming arms in their bullpen last season after Ben Heller had to undergo Tommy John surgery on April 6, 2018. Heller is expected to be back sometime here in 2019, so let’s get acquainted with him. Yankees #61, Ben Heller.

Ben Heller, 27-years old, is a right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Yankees organization that came over via trade from the Cleveland Indians system. Heller throws a 95 MPH four-seam fastball, an 83 MPH slider, and an 85 MPH changeup that he throws to keep hitters off-balance on his fastball. Heller fits the stereotypical mold that the Yankees like to employ in their bullpen, standing 6’3” and weighing in at 205 lbs. while throwing hard.

Benjamin Heller was born on August 5, 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Whitewater High School in Whitewater, Wisconsin. While at the school Heller set the team record for saves, pitched a pair of no-hitters, and had a 1.14 ERA during his senior season. Heller went on to play college baseball at Olivet Nazarene University where he caught the attention of the Cleveland Indians who drafted him in the 22^nd round of the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft.

Heller bounced around the Indians organization until July 31, 2016 when he was traded alongside Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, and J.P. Feyereisen to the New York Yankees for Andrew Miller. Heller was called up a pair of times during that 2016 season and made his MLB on August 26, pitching a scoreless 8^th inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Heller spent another nine games with the Yankees big league club in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2018 season.

Heller should be back around June of this season, if all goes well, and should be right back in the thick of things for a spot in the Yankees bullpen. Heller, a member of the team’s 40-man roster, should be one of the first arms on the Scranton Shuttle this season when needed. Good luck on the rehab, Ben, and we can’t wait to see you back in the Bronx this season.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Clint Frazier

Clint Frazier doesn’t want to be called “Red Thunder” anymore and has taken on the nickname of “The Wildling” this offseason. His new nickname goes along with his new drive to stay on the field, stay healthy, and produce for the New York Yankees in 2019. Will that translate? There’s only one way to find out, we have to tune in throughout the 2019 season, but until then let’s check in with the man I personally nicknamed “Red Squad” earlier in the winter. Clint Frazier, your starting left fielder for the New York Yankees if he gets his way.

Clint Frazier, 24-years old, is a right-handed hitting and throwing outfielder for the New York Yankees that was brought over in the trade with the Cleveland Indians for Andrew Miller. Clint played a lot of center field in the Minor Leagues for both clubs and possesses an impressive bat speed that allows him to reach and make contact on pitches that many others cannot effectively. Clint’s biggest issue, offensively speaking, is his ability to attack breaking pitches, but if he ever figures that out, he could truly become the special kind of prospect and player that he was projected to be when the Yankees acquired him a couple years ago.

Clint Jackson Frazier was born on September 6, 1994 in Loganville, Georgia to Mark and Kim Frazier. Frazier attended Loganville High School where he played baseball with fellow major league player Austin Meadows. As a junior in 2012, Frazier won the Jackie Robinson Award given to the Perfect Game national Player of the Year. Frazier later won the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year as a senior before committing to the University of Georgia. Despite being committed to the University of Georgia Bulldogs baseball team, Clint ultimately signed with the Cleveland Indians and forewent that commitment after the team drafted him fifth overall in the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft.

Clint spent time working his way through the Indians organization until July 31, 2016 when Cleveland sent Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen to the New York Yankees for Andrew Miller. Clint finished the 2016 season down in Triple-A with Scranton and started the 2017 season with the RailRiders as well until the New York Yankees promoted him to the Major Leagues on July 1, 2017. Frazier ended his season on the disabled list with a left oblique strain and did not participate in the 2017 postseason that saw the Yankees get within one game of the World Series. Frazier began the 2018 season on the disabled list with a concussion, an issue that he struggled with all season long and an issue that eventually ended his season prematurely. Now with the concussion symptoms behind him he will look to finally win a starting everyday job with the Yankees this spring.

Also, it is worth mentioning that Clint did an interview with the Short Porch podcast, and damn he is a great interview. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed. It turned me into a Clint fan immediately, if I’m being honest. Good luck to you, Clint!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Dellin Betances

The New York Yankees may only have one more year left with one of the most special relief pitchers to ever grace the game, in my opinion, so let’s take full advantage of that and get the man they call Dealin’ Dellin a ring, shall we? The Yankees are banking on strong starting pitching, a powerful lineup and quite possibly the greatest and deepest bullpen in the history of the game to achieve this, and that begins and ends with Betances. Betances, and Chad Green as well, can come in when a starting pitcher has a short night, he can come in as soon as the fifth or the sixth inning, he can pitch the seventh, the 8^th, and even the 9^th. Hell, on some nights he could pitch two or three of them, so let’s get reacquainted with possibly the most integral part of the bullpen going forward this season, Mr. Dellin Betances.

Dellin Betances, 30-years old, is a right-handed relief pitcher for the New York Yankees that some would consider to be a “fire man.” Dellin has a 98 MPH four-seam fastball, an 86 MPH curveball, and a rarely thrown 90 MPH changeup that he uses to get himself (in and) out of trouble while on the mound. Dellin, standing 6’8” and weighing 265 lbs., is a big strikeout and groundball pitcher that plays extremely well inside Yankee Stadium, or any stadium for that matter. Dellin, a “failed” starter, is truly a special arm out of the bullpen for the Yankees and has been since arriving on the scene for good in 2014.  

Dellin Betances was born on March 23, 1988 in Washington Heights, Manhattan to parents, Jaime and Maria Betances. Dellin’s parents immigrated to the United Stated before Dellin was born from the Dominican Republic. Betances attended Progress High School within the Grand Street Campus in Brooklyn, New York and attended many Yankees games as a child, including David Wells perfect game in 1998 when Dellin was just 10-years old. If it were not for his family taking him to baseball games as a child Dellin may have chosen basketball over baseball and credits his family for his decision. Dellin was already 6’4” in High School and could throw over 90 MPH by the time he graduated, leading many to believe that Dellin would be chosen in the first round of the 2006 MLB First Year Player’s Draft. Dellin, like many pitchers before him, committed to pitching at Vanderbilt University on a baseball scholarship, just in case, and announced that he had a high signing bonus demand and a will to only pitch for the New York Yankees. This led many teams to pass on Betances, but the Yankees took the chance on the big right-hander in the 8^th round of the 2006 Draft and gave him $1 million to forego his commitment to the Commodores.

Betances began his professional career with the Staten Island Yankees before being promoted to the Major Leagues for the first time on September 8, 2011. Betances only made two appearances for the team that season before spending the entire 2012 season back in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-barre RailRiders. Betances, then a full-time starter, was shifted to the relief role in 2013 and was back in the Major Leagues on August 11, 2013. Betances, now a relief pitcher, made the Yankees Opening Day roster in 2014 and was elected to his first All-Star Game in that same season. Betances would finish the 2014 season with 135 strikeouts as a rookie, finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year Award vote behind Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu.

Betances was back in the All-Star Game in 2015 and back to striking out opposing batters at an alarming rate, becoming the first reliever to ever strike out 100 or more batters in consecutive seasons for the Yankees on August 19^th. Betances made a third straight All-Star Game in 2016 and for the third straight season the righty would strike out 100 batters, finishing the season with 126 strikeouts after seeing fellow relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman traded for prospects, thus ending No Runs D.M.C. Dellin once again made the All-Star Game for the American League in 2017 and even threw an immaculate inning against the Detroit Tigers on August 2, 2017, striking out the side in the eighth inning on the minimum of nine pitches. Dellin was not selected as an All-Star in 2018, breaking his streak of four straight appearances, and will look to build a new streak here in 2019. Truth be told, though, In think Dellin would trade all four All-Star Game nods for just one World Series ring, so let’s see if he can make that happen and if the Yankees can accommodate that this season.

Dealin’ Dellin. The return in 2019.

Yes, Is Brian Cashman Available?...

Mr Cashman, Dan Lozano is on Line 1…

And now we wait.

The Manny Caravan completed its tour yesterday with dinner last night in downtown Philadelphia at Royal Boucherie in Old City with Phillies executives.   

Rumors continue to swirl that Manny prefers the Yankees, but we all know at the end of the day, the team pulling up to Manny’s doorstep with the most Benjamins will be the winner. I have no clue how this is going to turn out. Many Yankee fans are confident he’ll be wearing Pinstripes while others feel it is a foregone conclusion that he’ll be calling the City of Brotherly Love home. The Chicago White Sox remain a strong possibility although I’d have to question why.  I know they have a strong farm system but a great network of prospects does not automatically equate to a World Series contender. Former top prospects Lucas Giolito and Yoan Moncada have not exactly set the World on fire. I know I’ll offend White Sox fans with this comment but I’ve always looked at the White Sox as a second class citizen compared to the Cubs when it comes to Chicago. Well, kind of the way I view the Mets.  

I think as a baseball player, there is always sentimental attachments for your original team. Maybe that’s not true since I never played professional baseball but it seems to me that you’d be fond of the team you grew up with regardless where the Major League road may take you. With the Yankees, Manny would have multiple opportunities every year to play at Camden Yards.  Sure, the White Sox visit once a year and the Phillies might show up every three years in interleague play, but the Yankees and O’s have annual multiple home and away series as divisional foes. Opening Day at Yankee Stadium next season will bring the Manny-less Orioles to the Bronx.  Plus, there is the added incentive of staying in Baseball’s best division after a brief hiatus and World Series visit in the NL West. If you want to know how great the AL East is, just follow Marcus Stroman on Twitter. I hear he’s been tweeting up a storm about it.

The Phillies are a fine organization and I personally enjoy the City of Philadelphia. When I was younger, I worked across from Independence Hall and used to love the history within the city during my walks through the streets of downtown Philly. But c’mon, nothing compares to the bright lights, big city of New York. Putting the money aside, I feel the attraction of New York City and the history and tradition of the Yankees places them head and shoulders above the White Sox and Phillies. Regardless of Manny’s ultimate decision, he’s going to make more money than he’ll ever need. Imagine having so much money you could live anywhere you want.  In the United States, it would have to be NYC for me.  I love Los Angeles and San Francisco but nothing compares to the Big Apple. 

We know the Yankees have the money to make an offer to Manny that he cannot refuse. But times have changed under Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner. A bean counter by education, he’s so much more conservative than his father. I’ve often wondered how much influence Hank Steinbrenner has on his brother since they are Co-Chairpersons of the Yankees. Somehow, I get an image of Hank sitting in the board room saying, “F’ it!  Let’s sign both Harper and Machado!”. Or at least I hope that’s what he is saying even if the Steinbrenner Family would never allow it. I guess we should say the Steinbrenner Siblings now with a hat tip to the departed Joan Steinbrenner. 

I don’t blame the Yankees for not making an offer to Patrick Corbin after the Washington Nationals blew away the field with their six-year, $140 million contract to snag the left-hander. But there’s a big difference between Corbin and Manny Machado. Corbin may have been the best free agent pitcher, but he’s certainly not elite and he is far from a sure thing. Manny is one of the best players in MLB, as is Bryce Harper. No, they’re not Mike Trout but then again who is?  Well, I guess that would be Mike Trout. But aside from baseball’s best player, Machado and Harper reign supreme. Regardless of whether you give them 8 or 10 years, these are guys who will still be performing at the back end of their contracts. Like I heard someone say, this is not like getting a 36-year old Robinson Cano with five years left on his massive contract. Rare is the opportunity to grab a potential future Hall of Famer for only money. This is not about paying huge dollars for past performance, this is compensation for the best yet to come. Sign Machado.  Sign Harper. I really don’t care which one. Just do it, Hal. 

Manny enjoys the role of the villain. Actually, thinking about it, I feel it would help deflect some of the heat off Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton crushed the baseball last year in Pinstripes and was still booed unmercifully at times.  Shift the focus to Manny.  I think the guy would eat it up. Manny, despite his Miami roots, was made for the Main Stage in New York.

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports (Bill Streicher)

 I know the Yankees have been working hard behind the scenes, but we can’t really see the efforts from the outside looking in. I really wish the Yankees would make the moves to shore up the bullpen before all the best options are gone. It was tough to see Andrew Miller sign earlier today to play with Chasen Shreve in St. Louis. I get the injury and age concerns with Miller but he remains one of my favorite Yankees in recent memory and I would have loved a reunion in Pinstripes. I didn’t really want Joakim Soria but the Yankees were slightly connected to him earlier in the off-season. He represented one of the cheaper options on the market with the potential to help, but he’s now gone as the Oakland A’s scooped him up last night. I really want one of David Robertson, Adam Ottavino or Zach Britton. I am losing confidence the Yankees will re-sign D-Rob and fear that we’ll see him in a Red Sox uniform in the not-so-distant future. I had a dream last night which featured D-Rob wearing that ugly “B” cap on the mound at Fenway Park. I guess you could call the dream a “nightmare”.  Ottavino, a New Yorker, would easily assimilate onto MLB’s biggest stage, and I think Britton will be much closer to his dominant 2016 self as he distances himself from the recent series of injuries. Give me one and get him now! I’d love two of them but I recognize that the second may need to be an under-the-radar type with potential (i.e., “cheap”). 

I’d love to see the Yankees do something before we hit the lull between Christmas and New Year’s. I know, they’re working hard and there is so much we can’t see.  After all this watering, I’d love to see a little fruit. Hey Hal, throw us bone! We want to dethrone the Boston Red Sox but we need your help. It’s only money. Come on, brother, it’s Christmas. Please give to those of us less fortunate. 

 As always, Go Yankees!

Ready, Set, Wait at the Winter Meetings...

Photo Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal (Chase Stevens)

Talk the Talk, but Not Walk the Walk…

All dressed up and nowhere to go. That’s kind of how the Baseball Winter Meetings felt this past week.  Lots of talk, not much action. I know, they say the groundwork laid this week will lead to fruit later. I guess we’ll see. There’s talk they should implement a trading deadline in December to spur action (some sort of moratorium against trades for a certain period of time before spring training). Not so sure I am in agreement, but I would have liked to have seen some high flying wheeling and dealing over the past few days rather than much talk about nothing.  

While I wanted a bigger piece for the starting rotation, I am happy the Yankees at least came away with J.A. Happ on a two-year contract despite the third year option. In the two year deal presumably worth an estimated $34 million, Happ can trigger the third year for $17 million by pitching at least 27 starts or 165 innings in the second year. At the beginning of the off-season, I preferred re-signing Happ over CC Sabathia and wanted an upgrade for the fourth spot in the rotation. Yes, the Yankees got better by adding LHP James Paxton but he brings additional questions to an already question-filled staff. I was looking for more certainty.  Maybe Happ can provide that certainty. He’s been consistent and is a much better pitcher today than he was years ago as a Philadelphia Phillie. We all know how well Happ pitched down the stretch for the Yankees (7-0 with 2.69 ERA in eleven starts). Overall for the season, he was 17-6, 3.65 ERA, 3.4 WAR in thirty-one starts). If the Yankees can get that type of production out of Happ in his age 36 year, I am sure all of us will be pleased. Realistically, I am expecting some regression.  

After missing out on Patrick Corbin and failing to land a top starter among the rumored trades swirling over the last couple of weeks, I was concerned when I saw that Happ was getting close to signing with the Phillies. I didn’t want to be stuck with a guy like Lance Lynn for the open rotation spot. So, when it came out Happ was going to re-sign with the Yankees, I felt a tremendous sense of relief.  

I am hopeful GM Brian Cashman continues to press for a top, front of the rotation  type of starter but at least he is no longer in a position of desperation to fill out the staff.  

I was excited when the rumors circulated about a possible three-way trade with the Mets and Marlins that would have brought Noah Syndergaard to the Yankees. But honestly, I don’t see the Mets trading any of their stars to their cross-town rivals regardless of the return. Maybe it’s a new world order with new Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen but last time I checked the Wilpons still own the team. The latest rumors about that potential three-way trade involve the San Diego Padres as the third team instead of the Yankees. Maybe Cashman should cut a side deal with the Padres for Syndergaard if they pull off the trade that would send Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Mets. That’s the only way I could see Thor pulling on the Pinstripes. They won’t get him directly from the Mets.

I really thought we’d see more free agent signing this past week. I guess Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are holding up the market. After the run on relief pitchers last year, the market for firemen has been lukewarm this year. My biggest fear is David Robertson signing with the Red Sox to pitch close to his Rhode Island home. The Sox have lost “Tyler Austin punching bag” Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers and free agent closer Craig Kimbrel is not expected to return. Unfortunately, it increases the odds the Red Sox sign a former Yankee (Robertson, Zach Britton or Andrew Miller) for their pen. I hope not.

I think my favorites to sign are Robertson and Adam Ottavino although I would not be disappointed with D-Rob and Miller or Britton or some combination thereof.  

We could see movement with Manny Machado before Christmas. He apparently has visits with up to six teams next week, including the Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies.  The White Sox acquired Machado’s brother-in-law Yonder Alonso from the Cleveland Indians last night but I don’t think Manny would make a huge financial decision based on where his bro-in-law plays. I’ve been surprised about the number of Yankee fans who want no part of either Machado or Bryce Harper. It’s so rare to get young twenty-something superstars for only money. Yes, it’s a helluva lot of money, no doubt, but the best years are ahead for both players and they’ve already been great. Great but getting better is a combination I like. These are guys who will still be producing at the end of 8-10 year contracts. 

It feels so underwhelming when we hear names like Freddy Galvis as potential infield options to bridge the gap to the return of Didi Gregorius late next summer. I certainly want no part of the risk associated with free agent shortstop Troy Tulowitzki who was recently let go by the Toronto Blue Jays with $38 million left on his contract. I know Tulo would come cheap for the team that picks him up but the guy can’t stay healthy. That’s not a bet I would want to make for a team with World Series aspirations. I think the San Jose, CA area native should go back to the Bay Area in an attempt to rekindle his career with either the San Francisco Giants or Oakland A’s.  

The Yankees family has taken a hit over the last couple of days. Yesterday, we received word that George Steinbrenner’s widow, Joan, had passed away in her Tampa, FL home, surrounded by her family. Joan, 83, was Vice Chairperson of the Yankees, along with her two daughters. In a statement released by the Steinbrenner family, “Joan was a compassionate and caring matriarch who profound love for her family and those in the community always inspired us. Her elegance and grace touched everyone around her, and we know her spirit will live on through her legacy of good works. We are grateful to have had her in our lives, and she will be deeply missed.”  May Mrs Boss rest in peace…

Photo Credit: AP (Charlie Neibergall)

I was also surprised and saddened to hear that Catfish Hunter’s daughter, Kim Hunter Daugherty, only 45, had passed away on Thursday at Hertford Grammar School in North Carolina where she was a teacher. She died of complications related to a pulmonary embolism. Her father died in 1999 at the age of 53 of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Very sad to see their lives cut so short.  

I was hopeful the end of this week would have seen some resolution for the Yankees bullpen but it was not to be. Hopefully we’ll have some answers before Santa Claus invades our homes in ten days. I am still looking for that magical gift  or gifts to make the Yankees better. Yes, they’re good now, but there’s so much potential for this team if it can continue to make the right decisions for additional pieces to fill out the roster. I will be happy when I can look at the roster and find the names of Sonny Gray, Luis Cessa and A.J. Cole nowhere to be found.

As always, Go Yankees…

No Doubt Today's a "Work Day" for Brian Cashman...

Let the Dialing for Dollars Begin…

Free Agency has officially begun as the team-exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents expired yesterday and the rumors are running rampant. I am never quite sure why they even allow teams a window to talk to their free agents since it almost never results in any pre-open free agency signings. This year, there was more activity with guys renegotiating new contracts due to opt-outs and buyouts. 

Before I get started, I wanted to give a shout-out to Bryan Van Dusen last week for his post entitled Manny Machado vs. Bryce Harper, and The Rest Of The Offseason. Bryan put a great deal of time and thought into his post and of the many, many posts out there about the Yankees off-season and what the team should do, Bryan’s piece is one of the most thorough, logical, and reasonable. It represents a great blueprint for how the Yankees can win the 2019 World Series Championship. Nice job, Bryan!

Well, the World Series didn’t exactly go to plan. Pulling for the Los Angeles Dodgers, I lost a bet with my good friend Julia (@werbiefitz), a lifelong die-hard Red Sox fan. As a result, my FaceBook cover photo has shown a picture of the Red Sox celebrating their championship for the last week. I can’t take it down until a full seven days have elapsed from the end of the World Series. Needless to say, I’ve been staying away from FaceBook lately. I am also reading a Red Sox-related book chosen by Julia. Upon completion, I have to write a 500-word essay about the ten things I’ve learned from reading the book. My goal is to have this finished before Thanksgiving.

Obviously, it is not fun to know the Red Sox have won four championships this century. But if there is any positive about this year’s Boston champagne party at the conclusion of the World Series, it will be so much sweeter when the Yankees snatch the trophy away from them next year.  

Photo Credit: NJ Advance Media for NJ.com (John Munson)

The Yankees’ off-season got started quickly this year when the Yankees, as expected, declined the $12.5 million option on Brett Gardner’s contract.  After paying the $2 million buyout, the parties quickly announced a new one-year deal for $7.5 million. TGP’s Daniel Burch had pitched bringing back Gardy for $6.5 million so he was very close to the team’s line of thinking. I thought it was a bit of an overpay, but I had mentally prepared myself to move on from Gardner due to the crowded outfield. But upon reflection, I agree Clint Frazier is a huge question mark/uncertainty heading into next year and Jacoby Ellsbury, despite reports of good health, is just buying time until his next DL stint. Regardless of whether or not I think the Yankees should bring CC Sabathia back, I honestly do not feel they will. Certainly things could change, but I think CC gets put on the back burner as the Yankees pursue other pitching opportunities. It increases the likelihood another team, such as the Oakland A’s or Los Angeles Angels, could pitch him an incentive-laden one year deal to return to his home state of California before he rides off into the sunset. Without Sabathia in the clubhouse, Brett Gardner becomes the senior voice and mentor for the younger guys. He may not be the player he once was, but his influence on this team is invaluable so welcome back, Brett!

Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports (Nick Turchiaro)

Every year, I look forward to MLB Trade Rumors and their predictions for the top free agents (teams and contracts). Tim Dierkes is one of the best and I have a great deal of respect for him, but I have to admit that I about fell off my chair when I read his latest offering. He has Bryce Harper going to the Los Angeles Dodgers for 14 years (Yikes!) and, gulp!, $420 million. I am not sure we’ll see a contract break the $400 million mark this year, but if that’s the price tag, the Yankees shouldn’t play. I’d love to have Bryce on the Yankees, but I’d rather spread the money around for the best possible club. Dierkes has Manny Machado going to the Philadelphia Phillies for almost as much (13 years at $390 million). I think most Yankee fans want the team to sign at least one of those guys (with a few ready to spend a billion dollars to sign both as if that would ever happen). If Dierkes is right and Machado and Harper sign elsewhere, I would prefer to see them go to National League clubs. I know, the Yankees don’t need either guy. But it is not often that 26-year-old superstars are available for nothing more than money. So, count me among those who want to come away with at least one. Nonetheless, we need to be prepared the Yankees may not be in play for either.

Third on Dierkes’ list is Patrick Corbin. I saw one writer this week predicting an ‘out of nowhere’ signing of Corbin by the San Diego Padres, but Dierkes stayed with the majority to project Corbin to the Yankees on a 6-year deal for $129 million. Sign me up. If there is one guy I want in this year’s free agency, it is Corbin. He may not be a frontline ace, but he is a very sound option for the starting rotation and would place right behind Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka to give the team a formidable front three. Yesterday, news broke that the Cleveland Indians may be willing to trade veterans so immediate speculation went to a trade to bring Corey Kluber to the Bronx. Regardless of whether or not the Yankees go after Kluber, I’d still sign the left-handed Corbin. He seems like an excellent fit for Yankee Stadium.  Honestly, I think the Indians would be foolish to trade Kluber but if it did happen, he is one of few that are as good as Boston’s Chris Sale. The Yankees should be “all-in” if Cleveland is truly willing to deal, but conversely, it should not stall plans to go hard after Corbin. Getting both would be “greedy”, sure, but losing out on both would hurt.  

Dierkes has Andrew Miller going to the Red Sox and Zach Britton to the Astros. I have resigned myself to the loss of Britton and dread the thought he’ll sign with either the Red Sox or Astros. Miller scares me a bit with his recent injury history, but I loved the guy as a Yankee and I would like to see him come back if the Yankees do not resign Britton or David Robertson. Miller has an infectious team-first mentality that rubs off on others and the talent to match.  

Photo Credit: SI.com

Friday was an active day as teams had to make decisions regarding qualifying offers. The Arizona Diamondbacks, as expected, issued a qualifying offer to Patrick Corbin. The one that surprised me was the decision by the Houston Astros not to extend the qualifying offer to Charlie Morton. As such, he represents another option for the Yankees should they lose out on Corbin or simply decide not to pursue him for whatever reasons. If Morton is the best the Yankees can get this off-season, it will be a huge disappointment. Sorry, Charlie. C’mon, I had to do that! With the recent rule changes, the Yankees won’t lose their first round draft pick should they sign Corbin since it’s protected. They would lose their second highest draft pick in next year’s MLB Draft plus a half-million in international bonus pool money. Morton would not cost anything but money but seriously I hope the Yankees can do better.

With the heavy roster activity by MLB teams yesterday, the Yankees picked up a minor league infielder claimed on waivers from the Texas Rangers. Hanser Alberto is a 26-year old shortstop with an ability to play multiple infield positions and even logged some time in the outfield. He hasn’t done much in limited big league opportunities with the Rangers, but he has strong minor league numbers. Last year, in Triple A, he hit .330/.346/.452, with .797 OPS, in 361 at-bats. He doesn’t have much power, but he did drive in 58 runs last year for Round Rock. It remains to be seen if he’ll stick on the 40-man roster this winter. One Rangers blog predicted the Yankees will try to slip him through waivers so that they can outright him to the minors (Alberto is out of options), giving the Rangers an opportunity to grab him back. We’ll find out within the next couple of weeks as the team prepares to finalize its 40-man roster in advance of December’s Rule 5 Draft. I am not really expecting Alberto to stick around.  

I was glad to see Clayton Kershaw sign an extension to remain with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I know he’s struggled with injuries the last couple of years, but I see him as a lifetime Dodger. I know some Yankee fans were hopeful that he’d reach free agency, but I didn’t think the Yankees would have been in play. Knowing Kershaw and how important family is to him, I think he would have returned to his home state of Texas if things didn’t work out with the Dodgers or at the most, would have gone somewhere in the Midwest. There was never a chance he was going to come to the East Coast, in my opinion.  

Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward lost his competition last off-season with Aaron Boone for the Yankees’ managerial gig, but now he’ll get a chance to compete with Boone again as the new manager for the Texas Rangers. The Yankees certainly hold high regard for Woodward given their consideration of him last year. I wish him the best in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.   

Lastly, before I go, I want to say that I am on Team Sanchez. So many Yankee fans have wanted the team to trade Gary Sanchez to the Miami Marlins for J.T. Realmuto. I am not questioning Realmuto is a great catcher, but I am not ready to give up on El Gary. 2018 was not a good year for him but I think he’ll be much better in 2019 with room to improve. If the Yankees are going to give up good, young prospects, it should be for their biggest weaknesses, like the starting rotation for one. Selling Gary low would be a huge mistake in my humble opinion.  

As always, Go Yankees!

Stanton Goes From "Want" to "Need"...

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Elsa)

Yanks lose despite win…

When the Yankees acquired Giancarlo Stanton last December, everyone talked about how it was filling a “want” and not a “need”. Sadly, he has become the “need” as he is now the team’s regular starting right fielder for the foreseeable future. 

Although I am a little concerned about the defense we give up with Stanton playing right field compared to Aaron Judge, the chip fracture in Judge’s wrist forced the move. I am confident we’re in good hands with Stanton…and August is normally his most torrid month. He’s fully capable of pulling the team on his back and charging toward the finish line.

The loss of Judge hurts, no doubt about it. It will be three weeks before he can pick up a bat again and he’ll need additional time to get back into form so we probably won’t see him again until September. If there is a positive in this, Judge should be rested and ready to go at the season’s most critical point. 

Losing the offense provided by Judge and Gary Sanchez, the other guys have to pick it up. At one time, it seemed like we had a glut of outfielders and now we have Shane Robinson on the roster. If he hadn’t been traded yesterday, I am sure that Billy McKinney would have been in the Bronx today. When you look at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre active roster, there is only one outfielder listed (Mark Payton). 

Who replaces Judge on the roster? The most likely candidate, to me, is Tyler Austin given his ability to play first base and the corner outfield positions. It’s not ideal but it is what it is. 

The big question is whether the Yankees should make another trade to provide an offensive bridge for the eventual return of Sanchez and Judge. I still like the idea of acquiring Mike Moustakas and we have a firsthand view of the player right now given his team is playing in the Bronx. Moose Tacos would allow the Yankees to use the DH rotation for him and Miguel Andujar. I’d prefer to see Moustakas at third over Neil Walker. The prorated portion of his salary would fit despite the acquisitions of Zach Britton and J.A. Happ. The Yankees have the ability to move some salary to make it fit if necessary. When Judge returns, slide Stanton back to left and use Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks in a platoon in center. Moustakas could also replace Walker as the backup support at first base for Greg Bird. There’s no guarantee Judge comes back 100%. Wrists can be very troublesome as we’ve seen with past injuries to other players. Moustakas is an excellent hedge. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Tom Szczerbowski)

I am glad to see that lefty J.A. Happ has joined the Yankees rotation but I thought the cost was excessive. I’ve said all season I like Brandon Drury despite his non-disclosure of health issues earlier this year which caused headaches for all of us. At the time of his acquisition, the Yankees felt there was much more potential in Drury’s bat than he had shown in Arizona and I still believe that to be the case. I would have been okay with the Yankees trading Miguel Andujar for a premium starting pitcher and playing Drury at third even if Andujar has the higher ceiling.  Starting pitching is the greater need. That’s a moot point now.  The Yankees no longer have the luxury of considering a potential trade with the inclusion of Andujar. Billy McKinney was a tough loss. I think he is going to be a very good Major League outfielder. From a trust standpoint, I have far greater faith in McKinney than I do Clint Frazier. Frazier seems too injury prone at the moment. Multiple concussion issues within a single season are a great concern. There’s no doubt the Toronto Blue Jays won the Happ trade. If the Yankees win the World Series, I’ll probably have a different point of view but as it stands right now, I feel that Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins got the better of Brian Cashman. 

It is interesting that our two big mid-season acquisitions are battle-tested AL East veterans. I really enjoyed it when Zach Britton took over for David Robertson in the eighth inning of last night’s game. Britton seemed to be in control from the first pitch and I had an immediate sense of confidence with his presence on the mound. I really like the guy and his stuff. Those deadly sinkers are unlike anything else we have on the pitching staff. It’s been my desire to see the Yankees sign Andrew Miller when the free agency period opens in November, but I have to say that I might prefer Britton. I love Andrew Miller but every time I look up, he’s on the disabled list. Sure, Britton knows the DL about as well as anyone not named Jacoby Ellsbury, but he’s a Yankee and I’d like to see him stay. If the Yanks can’t get Britton to sign, then they should definitely go after Miller. I am not really expecting the Yankees to make a strong effort to re-sign David Robertson, which pains me because he is another guy that I love having on this team. So, in my opinion, Britton should be a top free agent target for the Yankees in a few months.

Photo Credit: NY Post (Paul J Bereswill)

The Yankees did win yesterday despite the loss of Aaron Judge. They beat the Kansas City Royals, 7-2, behind surprisingly good home pitching from Sonny Gray, until he suffered his own hand injury, and a three-run bomb by Didi Gregorius. That throw by Aaron Hicks to nail Alex Gordon at the plate for the final out in the ninth inning was stellar. On paper, it looks like Chasen Shreve did his job.  An inning of scoreless relief after the three up-three down performance by Zach Britton. But those three hits that Shreve gave up could have been very costly if not for A-A-Ron’s heroics. I am really hopeful that Britton’s presence will eventually lead to Shreve’s exit. He continues to be the bullpen’s weakest link and my favorite candidate for DFA. 

While the Yankees (65-36) were winning, the Boston Red Sox were not. They dropped a 2-1 decision to the Minnesota Twins. Kyle Gibson held the Red Sox hitters at bay, a fact that probably did not go unnoticed by Brian Cashman and his staff. I believe it was TGP’s Daniel Burch who recently suggested the Yankees should go after Gibson. Not many guys have been able to shut down the Red Sox offense this year. Not only did Gibson hold the Sox to four hits and an isolated run over eight innings, he struck out seven and did not allow a homer to the dinger-happy Red Sox lineup. I know the Yankees just acquired J.A. Happ, but I’d gladly take Gibson too if we can get him. After all, we are the Greedy Pinstripes.

So, the Yankees begin play today four and a half games behind Boston in the division. There’s still plenty of baseball to be played. It hurts that we have lost Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge for the immediate future, but this is still a very good team. Perhaps Brian Cashman is finished with the heavy lifting but then again maybe he isn’t. The next few days should be fun.

Meanwhile, let’s continue to take care of business. Last night, the Yankees played like the team that went on the great run in May and June. They need to continue to be that team. If the Yankees make no further moves, so be it. I have confidence in this group of 25 guys. Well, maybe not Chasen Shreve, or Shane Robinson…or Neil Walker.  But this group of guys can win in the coming days and weeks, and will only get better in September when Judgey and El Gary come back. The division is not lost. The race has only begun. Buckle up, boys, let’s take down the Red Sox!

Go Yankees!

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians 7/13

And just like that it is game time here inside Progressive Field as the Cleveland Indians play host to the New York Yankees in the second of a four-game set that will stretch through the weekend. In the start tonight the Yankees will send Domingo German to the mound while the Indians will counter with Shane Bieber. The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Progressive Field in Cleveland and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, Happy German Day, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians 7/13

Happy Friday to you all! In the second game of this four-game weekend set between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians we will all watch as these two teams treat us with potentially another great pitching matchup. In the start tonight the Yankees will send Domingo German to the mound to face off with Shane Bieber for the Indians. For some reason I can see this quickly becoming a battle of the bullpens and let me also say that I still hate seeing Andrew Miller coming out of the Indians pen and not the Yankees pen, even if it did net us Justus Sheffield and Billy McKinney. Let’s get to it here in Cleveland’s Progressive Field.

German heads into his second career start against the Indians tonight fresh off a solid start last time out against the Toronto Blue Jays. In his last start the young Yankees right-hander allowed just one run on four hits in a victory against Toronto. In German’s first career start, which came against these Indians, the righty tosses six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in a Yankees victory.

Bieber was not sharp in his last start against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday after allowing four runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Bieber struck out seven and only walked one improving his impressive K/BB ratio as a rookie this season.

The game will be played at 7:10 pm ET inside Progressive Field in Cleveland and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Greg Bird take Miller deep again tonight just because, and go Yankees!!

ARTICLE REVISIT: Meet a Prospect - Clint Frazier

Clint Frazier is up with the Yankees at least for a few more days, if not forever, so let's take a look at the scouting report and Meet a Prospect post we had for him here on the blog back in 2016. Enjoy.

The New York Yankees are going through top prospects in their system like most people go through underwear, they have a new one every day or every other day it seems. I joke about people changing their underwear every other day, at least I hope that I am, but not about the Yankees top prospects in their system. For the entire season it was Jorge Mateo who occupied the top spot until Aroldis Chapman was sent to the Chicago Cubs and Gleyber Torres was brought in to dethrone the Yankees shortstop. Now like many transitions and power struggles there is a new king already after the Andrew Miller trade and his name is Clint Frazier. Don’t let the red hair fool you, Frazier is the real deal. Let’s meet him. This is Meet a Prospect: The Clint Frazier Edition.


Clint Frazier was born on September 6, 1994 in the Atlanta, Georgia area where he attended high school at Loganville High School in Loganville, George. Frazier was a top prospect entering the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft and caught the attention of the Cleveland Indians who took the outfielder with the fifth pick overall that season. Frazier had committed to the University of Georgia but the Indians offer was too good to pass up thus beginning his professional career.


Frazier is a former third baseman and pitcher which shows you that he has a strong throwing arm but it is center field where he is making his mark at these days and he played at that position for most of his Cleveland Indians tenure. While in the Indians system Frazier cemented himself as a powerful prospect that has 30 home run potential in his future while stealing an absolute ton of bases as a

potential five-tool player. Frazier is an aggressive hitter but he has worked on that in recent years and has seen his strikeout numbers go down while his contact and walk numbers go up which is always encouraging for a prospect. It shows maturity at the plate which Frazier definitely has.



ETA for Frazier to the Major Leagues: 2017



Frazier was seen most recently in the 2016 XM All-Star Futures Game where he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a stolen base for Team USA while also earning a promotion to Triple-A with the Columbus Clippers. Now Frazier is in Scranton/Wilkes Barre with the RailRiders with the Yankees organization and I think I speak for Yankees fans everywhere when I say we sure are happy to have you. Many of us, myself included, did not want to see Andrew Miller traded but it’s hard to argue against the absolute haul that Brian Cashman got for his lefty closer. So Clint, welcome to the organization .

Hello… Moving Day AGAIN

Good morning Yankees family and welcome to the weekend. Remember when weekends were for relaxing, spending time with family and getting stuff done around the house if you felt like it? Well recently my weekends have been all about packing, moving furniture and driving huge U-Haul trucks around that I have no business driving. I drive a Ford Focus for crying out loud!

Anyway, we will be moving once again this weekend. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with this move though, we will not move again for at least a year if all goes according to plan. Finality, I love that stuff.

With that said, things may go quiet for a little bit again here on the blog but don’t worry! We will be back, we always come back.

And to my Kari, I love you and here’s to writing another chapter in the book of Dan and Kari.

Hello… & Thank You For Letting Go

My apologies in advance, I am feeling a bit sappy this morning. I can’t help it, but my heart is just overflowing. I don’t believe in keeping things bottled up inside, so let’s let it ALL out.

I want to give a big shout out and thank you to everyone who ever let Kari Ann (soon-to-be) Burch go. If it weren’t for your stupidity and bad decision making I would never be as happy or as loved as I am this morning as I write this. I want to thank everyone for their bad decision making that led her to me, because without it who knows where the hell I would be. Thank you for allowing her to walk out of your lives so that she could walk into mine. I, for one, will not let her go. Even if she wanted to 😉

I want to thank everyone for hurting her. I hate you for it, but it built her up to be the strong, independent woman that doesn’t take shit from anyone today that I absolutely fell head over heels in love with, and I wouldn’t want to change a thing about her. If anybody hurts her now though, look out. I will be what you couldn’t be for her and what you promised to be, only better.

You didn’t appreciate her, I will put her on a pedestal. You didn’t show her affection, I will shower her with it day in and day out. You took her for granted, I will prioritize her in every aspect of our journey together. You couldn’t truly become one, but I will.

Everything bad that has happened up until this point sucked, but it was just leading us down the path towards each other. It wasn’t conventional, and it wasn’t always easy, but soon… it will all be worth it. Stick with me, kid. You will go places. I love you, no, I loves you, because plural means more than one so loves means more than love 😊 Have a great day my love.