Notable August Trades in Major League Baseball History

The Yankees season is not over because the team did not make any notable acquisitions at the July 31st trading deadline last month. Earlier today I brought you my wish list for the August 31st trade deadline which included James Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman and Martin Prado and I almost immediately caught a ton of flack on Twitter about it. Apparently many fans don't think that big trades like this can happen in July so here are a few notable August trades in the history of the August 31st waiver wire trade deadline.


The Detroit Tigers acquired Doyle Alexander in August of 1987 in a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Who? Yeah, that is exactly what I said until I saw who the Braves got back in return for Alexander, a young right-handed starting pitcher by the name of John Smoltz. Smoltz at the time was just 20-years old and struggling in Double-A with a 5.68 ERA, but the rest, as they say, is history.


A similar situation happened in 1990 when the Houston Asteos traded relief pitcher Larry Andersen to the Boston Red Sox for a first baseman named Jeff Bagwell. Bagwell, then a 22-year old third baseman, quickly became a household name in Houston and eventually ended up in the Hall of Fame as a first basemen with Houston in 2017.

In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay.


On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the tgime of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista.


In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post. We're a Yankees blog after-all.


And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.




The Houston Astros acquired Justin Verlander last year before the August 31st trading deadline and the veteran right-hander led the team to the American League Championship and a World Series title. Verlander pitched in 11 games for Houston during the regular season and postseason combined, with the Astros winning 10 of them. Verlander allowed 13 runs total and a minuscule 1.66 ERA along the way.

Recent, Notable & Yankees Related August Trades in MLB

Just because the July 31st trade deadline has come and gone does not mean that the trades are done around the league. Trades can still happen, in fact trades can happen until the very last day of the season, but they get a little more complicated from here on out. Players must now pass through revocable waivers and can be claimed, and ultimately pulled back, or they can pass through waivers and be traded to any team. It gets complicated but it's not impossible so here are some of the more recent and notable August trades in Major League Baseball history. I even included a Yankees-related trade just because we are The Greedy Pinstripes after all and we need to see trades happen no matter what the calendar says. Don’t judge us. Love us.


In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay.


On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the time of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista.


In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post but it what it is. We're a Yankees blog after all.


And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.





Will there be any notable or Yankees related trades in August of 2017 to speak about next season? I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned.

Recent, Notable & Yankees Related August Trades in MLB

Just because the July 31st trade deadline has come and gone does not mean that the trades are done around the league. Trades can still happen, in fact trades can happen until the very last day of the season, but they get a little more complicated from here on out. Players must now pass through revocable waivers and can be claimed, and ultimately pulled back, or they can pass through waivers and be traded to any team. It gets complicated but it's not impossible so here are some of the more recent and notable August trades in Major League Baseball history. I even included a Yankees-related trade just because we are The Greedy Pinstripes after all and we need to see trades happen no matter what the calendar says. Don’t judge us. Love us.

In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay.

On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the time of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista.

In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post but it what it is. We're a Yankees blog after all.

And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.

Will there be any notable or Yankees related trades in August of 2017 to speak about next season? I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned. 

Recent & Notable August Trades in MLB

Just because the August 1st trade deadline has come and gone does not mean that the trades are done around the league. Trades can still happen, in fact trades can happen until the very last day of the season, but they get a little more complicated from here on out. Players must now pass through revocable waivers and can be claimed, and ultimately pulled back, or they can pass through waivers and be traded to any team. It gets complicated but it's not impossible so to end our Saturday night here on the blog I figured I would go through and touch upon some of the more recent and notable August trades in Major League Baseball history. Enjoy and we'll see you back here tomorrow.

• In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay.

• On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the time of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista.

• In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post. We're a Yankees blog afterall.

• And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.

Understanding Revocable Waivers & What David Robertson Could Have Meant to the Yankees

When news broke yesterday that the New York Yankees had claimed a former member of their team off revocable waivers my twitter mentions absolutely blew up. Many were wondering why Yankees GM Brian Cashman was going after another high priced reliever when there were more pressing needs and others were wondering when Robertson was going to make his first appearance back in Yankees pinstripes. Revocable waivers don’t work like that ladies and gentleman and I’d be surprised if Cashman didn’t claim about 99 other pitchers that were on waivers during August. The only reason you’re hearing about David Robertson being claimed by the Yankees is because of one of two things, his contract or the fact that he’s a former Yankees star.

I’ve heard rumors and read blog posts stating that some teams place their entire active roster on waivers at one point or another in the month of July, it’s procedural at this point. If the player is claimed and you don’t want to lose them or don’t want to trade him to the claiming team then you pull him back, simple as that. If the Yankees claimed the last relief pitcher in the Colorado Rockies pen you wouldn’t hear about it, why? Because it doesn’t garner clicks and it doesn’t sell newspapers. This is the reason we’ll never know how many guys Cashman claimed and tried to acquire and this is why we’ll never know why teams like the Baltimore Orioles claim guys with no intention other than to keep them from falling to the Yankees, that’s how this show works.

If you want to kill Cashman for not acquiring talent this season then kill him for not acquiring it before the July 31^st trade deadline, not the August 31^st trade deadline. Big and meaningful moves rarely happen in August because of these games that teams often like to play. Keep so and so away from this team, keep this GM from bettering his team and simply claim the guy so the next time around the waivers are not revocable. It’s all a set of mind games in August which should put the emphasis more on the July 31^st trading deadline for all GM’s around the league.

Could you imagine though? A 2015 Yankees bullpen and beyond with Andrew Miller closing games, Dellin Betances pitching the 8^th, David Robertson pitching the 7^th and some combination of Chasen Shreve, Justin Wilson and Adam Warren in the 6^th inning and prior? Game, set and match. Too bad this was all to block the Toronto Blue Jays and not about improving the team, it would have been nice to have a four or five headed monster in that bullpen. 

Quick Hit: August Trade Deadline End Today!

If the New York Yankees are going to add a player that will not only help the team reach the playoffs but help in the playoffs they will have to add him before the trade deadline comes today. Keep in mind that the Yankees can make trades up until the final game of the season but any player acquired after the trade deadline today will not be eligible for postseason play. There are a few notable players that we know have cleared waivers and probably a slew that we won't ever hear about until/unless they are traded. See my mini-list below, does anyone on it strike your fancy? Leave a comment in the comments section or drop us a tweet on Twitter @GreedyStripes.

• RHP James Shields
• 2B/SS Jose Reyes
• 2B/SS Starlin Castro
• OF Ichiro Suzuki
• OF Jay Bruce
• OF Alejandro De Aza
• RHP John Axford
• OF Austin Jackson
• OF Dexter Fowler

Weekly Check In: Jorge Mateo

The New York Yankees minor league affiliates will see their season’s end here in just about two weeks meaning many of the Baby Bombers have just a few weeks left to leave an impression on their clubs. That list includes the Yankees best shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo who has a very outside shot at stealing over 100 bases in one minor league season after eclipsing the 80 stolen base plateau earlier in the week.

With the August revocable trade waivers deadline ready to expire in a couple of days Mateo has to be holding his breathe a little. After being dangled at the last minute to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel and Jedd Gyorko as a player you always have to worry about the team revisiting the deal later on before the deadline. I can’t see it happening though, the Padres seem content with standing pat and Brian Cashman seems content with watching his young 20-year old shortstop flourish and blossom inside the Yankees system.

Just as a side note, do you think the Yankees would or could eventually move Mateo, Tyler Wade, Abi Avelino or Kyle Holder to second base since the team is now so stacked at the position? May be something to think about. 

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A-A+	116	498	66	125	23	2	40	82	43	98	.280	.346	.394	.740
2015	A	96	409	51	98	18	2	33	71	36	80	.268	.338	.378	.716
2015	A+	20	89	15	27	5	0	7	11	7	18	.329	.382	.463	.845

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

The Yankees & The August No-Trade Deadline

Disclaimer: This is not a rant, this is a legitimate question and concern.

The New York Yankees watched as the Toronto Blue Jays geared up for a potential playoff race in 2015 and watched as the team has passed them by twice already in the American League East Division race. We know the list of names that GM Alex Anthopoulos added; Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, Mark Lowe and LaTroy Hawkins after adding Josh Donaldson in the offseason. In a word the Jays are stacked while the Yankees stood pat and decided to roll the dice with prospects Luis Severino and Greg Bird. I have no problem with living and dying with the prospects, I have clamored for it for two seasons now, but if the right deal comes along that helps the squad you have to make it. If the July 31st trade deadline and what has happened thus far in August is any indicator of the future we may be looking at an August no-trade deadline coming up here in less than a week.

So many players are clearing waivers that could potentially help the Yankees and players are being traded at an accelerated pace for the month of August but the Yankees remain quiet. Again, I have no problem with remaining quiet but I do have a problem with keeping players that are not part of the best 25 players on the team. Having Brendan Ryan and Stephen Drew both on the roster is redundant in my opinion, especially with Robert Refsnyder down on the farm. Having Chris Capuano still on the team seems unnecessary to me when there are so many better options available via trade or call up. Having so many outfielders that are speed and defense first and less about their offense, Ben Gamel, Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams when healthy and Jake Cave come to mind, with glaring needs on the team seems ignorant to me.

I'm okay with a August no-trade deadline but I am not okay with not bringing the best 25 players, within reason, on the roster in the middle of a pennant race. I'm patient and I'm cautiously optimistic but only for so long.

Jose Reyes Already Asking Out of Colorado, Kind Of

The New York Yankees have battled with essentially a black hole at second base for much of the 2015 season which has led to the team being linked to almost every second base option that is said to be available this season. While many of the fans have asked for Robert Refsnyder from the farm system or Martin Prado in the trade market I wrote last week that I was warming up to a trade for the Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes. Many believe that Reyes could benefit from a position change from shortstop to second base and could also benefit from being back in the middle of a pennant chase, including Mr. Reyes himself.

Here is the exact quote from Reyes courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors:

“You come from a ballclub that was competing for a spot in the playoffs,” said Reyes. “And you come to a club in last place. You think about that.” Reyes said to Groke that winning is his top priority, particularly at this stage of his career. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my career on a last-place team,” he continued. Reyes wasn’t necessarily asking out of Colorado, adding, “We’ll see what happens here,” but he added that he doesn’t want to spend multiple years waiting on a rebuild, either.

Hey if the Rockies want to give the Yankees a “take this albatross of a contract and bad attitude/disgruntled player” off my hands for almost nothing type discount then I’m all for it. I’ve even gone as far as to say I’d be willing to send Robert Refsnyder out there if the money was right that was coming back from Colorado. This is a situation I plan on watching very closely for the next week as the August 31^st revocable waiver trade deadline comes to a close. 

Chase Utley, Could the Yankees Have Done It?

I think it's always interesting to watch sites like MLB Trade Rumors around the July and August months of the Major League season. It's always interesting to see who your team is going to acquire, who your rival is going to trade, who is going to clear waivers and when a big trade is pulled off for a player your team was interested in I think it's interesting to see if your team could have pulled off a similar trade. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired a player the Yankees were said to be scouting and interested in on Wednesday night when the team sent prospects in exchange for Chase Utley and cash considerations. Could the Yankees have pulled this trade off?

This trade screams Brian Cashman special to me, a salary dump for an aging veteran and contract that will expire at the end of the season. The Dodgers acquired Utley and roughly $3.7 million in cash in exchange for minor league players Darnell Sweeney and John Richy. Richy, 23 years old, was the team's 3rd round pick in the 2014 MLB First Year Players Draft and was the team's 29th best prospect while Sweeney was ranked as the team's 13th best prospect.

Richy projects to be a back-end of the rotation starter while Sweeney looks to be a fringe prospect that has experience in the middle infield and in center field. The Yankees could have traded away one of Jake Cave or Ben Gamel, both of who need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft in 2016, and one of many starting pitchers that no one would blink an eye at to acquire Utley. The real question is not whether the team could have acquired him or not, they absolutely could have, but it is whether he would have added that much to the team.

Utley was batting .217/.284/.333 at the time of the trade including an effective month of August where he slashed .484/.485/.742 in 31 plate appearances. Utley seems to be past the ankle injury that will keep his vesting option for the 2016 season from triggering and Utley seems like he, or anyone, would be an upgrade over Stephen Drew right now. It's hard to say whether he can keep up his batting line for the remainder of the season or whether he will fall back under the Mendoza Line but all in all this still looks like a good non-trade for the Yankees. Drew is superior on the defensive side and has much more power than Utley, 15 home runs for Drew vs. just five for Utley, making him the better option for the team... unfortunately.

Jose Reyes to the Yankees: Warming Up to a Trade

You guys and girls saw my rant this morning and now you know that I have the same “attitude problem” that Robert Refsnyder has. I’ve officially given up on any idea or chance that the Yankees will call up possibly their best minor league hitter and their best hitter with a control and eye for the strike zone, I’m done. New York isn’t going to call up Rob Refsnyder, period, so let’s instead focus on making the team better rather than complaining and crying about the non-move when the move that needs to be made is so blatantly obvious. Taking Refsnyder out of the equation sucks, and I take it personally but I digress, but adding a comparable or better piece can make things better. Depending on the contract situation when (if) the trade is finalized I believe I am beginning to warm up to a trade involving Jose Reyes to the Yankees.

We all know the back story, Reyes was sent to the Colorado Rockies along with a package of prospects for Troy Tulowitzki with the thoughts that Colorado would flip their new shortstop. Reyes is owed an absolute ton of money for a long, long time, $66 million for three more years to be exact not including his team option for the 2018 season, and for that reason alone a deal may be struck this month for his services. When you have mega-contracts like that it is not uncommon for a player to clear revocable waivers like Reyes did this month, remember the Rockies could always stick the claiming team with his contract and basically give him up for free. This way, now that Reyes has cleared waivers unclaimed, the Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman can do what they do best and that’s absorb salary in order to give up less in terms of prospects.

If Colorado is willing to eat at least half of Reyes’ remaining $66 million in salary making him essentially an $11 million player AAV wise I think you make the deal. $11 million annually for a player of Reyes’ caliber is an absolute bargain on the free agent market, especially when you move him, his defense and his bat to an offensively anemic position like second base. Refsnyder would be nice at the position and so would his presumed $500-ish K salary but the team can’t do that due to “attitude problems.”

Taking on half of the salary and contract for Reyes would allow the team to keep the likes of Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Jorge Mateo and possibly Gary Sanchez but it would likely cost them Refsnyder in the deal. That’s okay, New York isn’t going to play him anyway in my opinion and it gives the team a second baseman for quite some time. It also gives the team a few years to potentially shift Jorge Mateo and/or Tyler Wade from shortstop to second base to replace Reyes assuming the Didi Gregorius we have seen over the past few months is the Didi Gregorius we will see throughout his contract that runs through the 2019 season.

Trade Refsnyder for Reyes and kill two birds with one stone. Refsnyder finally gets a chance to play every day and the Yankees upgrade their biggest black hole in the lineup with yet another leadoff hitter at the bottom of the order. Reyes can handle New York and he can help lead this team to a World Series championship without hitting .190 in the playoffs. Play Refsnyder or make the trade, I frankly don’t even care anymore. 

Extend Trading Deadline, End Non-Waiver Trade Deadline

All around Major League Baseball every team is seemingly scrambling to either sell off their players or add players to their team before the July 31^st trading deadline. With the addition of a second Wild Card playoff spot in the both the American and National League’s many have been clamoring to extend the July 31^st trading deadline to give teams more time to determine whether they are contenders or pretenders and while this could easily be done on paper I personally believe something else would have to change. What I am suggesting here in this post is to push back the July 31^st trading deadline to August 15^th but I would also push to completely eliminate the August non-waiver trade deadline of August 31^st.

The August trade deadline is redundant in my opinion with not many notable trades get made during the month of August anyway. Pushing the non-waiver trade deadline back two weeks gives teams more than enough time to evaluate where they stand and evaluate which direction the team wants their organization to head in. Giving the team another month to try and pass players through waivers and unload hefty contracts does not add much to the sport and would likely spice up things before the new August 15^th trade deadline.

If a team knows they can’t simply wait to pass a Jose Reyes, a James Shields or a Chase Utley through waivers and trade them in August it will force the team to be more active before the deadline that counts. It also allows teams to evaluate what they have and where they are going before September call ups and before post season rosters and eligibility needs to be set. In my opinion this is a win, win for Major League Baseball all around.

This may never happen in my lifetime but I think it is something that Major League Baseball at least needs to consider. It brings more attention to the game for a longer period of time and may even get more people to watch and pay attention for longer, who knows. 

Most Popular Article of the Week: Should The Yankees Go After James Shields?

By Bryan Van Dusen:

While it's true that the Yankees don't have the best starting rotation in baseball, it's also true that they don't have the worst.

Everybody cheer for us not being the worst!

In fact, in terms of fWAR, the Yankees' starters are 6th in the American League. While being 6th in the league isn't great, allow me to point out that four of the teams in front of them are not going to the postseason. The Chicago White Sox starters have the highest fWAR, but their team is currently 4th in the AL Central. The Oakland Athletics are 2nd, but are currently in last place in the AL West. The Cleveland Indians are next, but are cellar-dwellers in the AL Central. And finally there are the Tampa Bay Rays with the 5th best fWAR in the AL, who are currently in 4th place in the AL East.


The only team whose starters have a higher fWAR, and who are likely headed to the postseason, are the Houston Astros. Fortunately, the Yankees have a better bullpen and a better offense, so Houston does not frighten me.


Speaking of bullpens, the Yankees have the best bullpen in baseball. A bullpen that includes two pitchers with a sub-2.00 ERA (Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller), another guy with an ERA barely over 2.00 (Chasen Shreve - 2.06), and a fourth pitcher whose ERA is a very respectable 2.43 (Justin Wilson). That means that as long as the Yankee starters give the team a good five innings, the game is definitely winnable.


Heck, I didn't even mention that Adam Warren and Bryan Mitchell are also currently in the bullpen, where they can give the Yankees three or more strong innings of work.


Basically, another starter is not necessary.


Which brings me to James Shields.

"What's UUUUUUP!?"

The Yankees do not need James Shields. That's all that has to be said about it, but I'm sure you won't be surprised to find out that I'm not leaving it at that.


First of all, there's the fact that Shields is walking more batters this year than he ever has. His career walk percentage is 5.9%, but this season that number is 8.1%.


Secondly, James is giving up a lot of home runs. His home run percentage of 3.9% is higher than it's ever been in his career. And if you think the majority of the homers against him have happened away from spacious Petco Park, you'd be wrong. He's given up 13 home runs in just 11 starts at Petco, while giving up 11 home runs in 13 starts on the road. Oh, and more home runs are hit at Yankee Stadium. Not a good omen.


My biggest issue is his contract, which runs through 2018 for another $63 million (not including the $2 million buyout of his team option 2019 season). If the Yankees have to pay a third starter over $20 million, then chances are they wouldn't be willing to go after somebody like David Price in free agency, as he would make it four starters earning $20+ million next season.


Now, I'm not going to ignore the opt-out clause in Shields' contract, which he can trigger after next season. While he's already 33, I don't think it would be hard for a guy with his consistency (he's made at least 33 starts in each of the past seven seasons, and has 24 already this season) to get a contract of at least four years and $16 million per. That means he would be guaranteed a million more dollars than he's already getting paid, plus another year. And that's a modest estimate.


So while it's exciting to think about the Yankees adding another solid piece to the rotation, when you actually sit back and think about acquiring James Shields you'll realize that it's not worth it.

Jose Reyes to the Yankees: Redux

The Jose Reyes to the New York Yankees rumors are gaining steam after Jon Heyman kicked around the idea before the July 31st trade deadline and after we mentioned it here on the blog. Reyes has now cleared revocable waivers and can be traded to any team for the remainder of the season. Reyes would be expensive in terms of dollars, as you will read here in this article, but if Colorado is willing to eat a lot, or most, of the contract then he is an obvious upgrade at second base.


Here's the original article, agree or disagree? Leave it in the comments section or drop us a tweet @GreedyStripes.


When the Toronto Blue Jays and the Colorado Rockies hooked up for a trade before the July 31st trading deadline the entire market and leagues were turned on their heads. LaTroy Hawkins and Troy Tulowitzki went to the Toronto Blue Jays in the deal while Jose Reyes and a stable of prospects went back to Colorado in the deal. After the shock and awe wore off that the face of the Rockies franchise was finally traded the focus turned to the fact that this deal really made little to no sense for Colorado. Trading Tulowitzki was one thing, trading him for Reyes was another thing unless the Rockies planned on flipping Reyes.

While Colorado never really gained any traction on any trade involving Reyes there were many, including CBS Sports own Jon Heyman, that believed the New York Yankees may get involved. Would that make sense for a team that desperately needed an upgrade at second base and would the financial burdens be worth it when it was all said an done?

Reyes is owed the remainder of his $22 million contract in 2015, $22 million in 2016, $22 million in 2017 and has a $22 million team option in 2018 along with a $4 million buyout. Reyes is on a steep decline as a shortstop and may benefit from a move to second base that requires less range and less of a throwing arm. That gaudy contract is not worth even a Gold Glove defender at second base without a steep upgrade offensively, and that is not Reyes unless the Yankees have a time machine that can turn back the clock to around the 2011 season.

It wouldn't make sense for Colorado to eat the contract because the point of the deal was pinching pennies, and the team saved $50 million worth with the deal despite the huge contract for Reyes, leaving the Yankees and Rockies as less than ideal trade partners. Reyes to the Yankees would have beat Stephen Drew or Brendan Ryan any day in 2015 but it would be just another deal that blocked Robert Refsnyder and that, in my opinion, is not an option.

Twitter Poll: James Shields to the Bronx… Yay or Nay?

Twitter Poll: James Shields, yay or nay? Why or why not? We may use your answers in a blog post tomorrow. Go!!!

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) August 11, 2015

The New York Yankees fans are jumping off of bridges, running around like chickens with their heads cut off and declaring their never-dying love to their secret crushes in droves right now. The world is coming to an end and the sky is falling after the Yankees got swept by the Toronto Blue Jays inside Yankee Stadium this past weekend. The call for Cashman’s head, the firing of Joe Girardi and the need for a big move are ringing all across the nation and they only got louder when James Shields cleared revocable waivers this week. Earlier today I had my say in whether I thought Shields should be a member of the Yankees but I wanted to give you, everyone reading this, the opportunity to also be heard on a bigger stage. Sounds like the beginning of a Twitter Poll to me.

@GreedyStripes yes! I've always wanted him in the Bronx, his FB/CH combo is deadly and I think it would also help out other pitchers in NY

— Cla22y Baseball (@cla22ybaseball) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes no. he has a horrible contract and he's declining. flyball pitcher which means he's a recipe for disaster.

— carson (@carsyt_) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes yay. We need all the help we can get, and we are already screwed with contracts for 2 more years so why not

— Dylan (@lilcano24) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes NAY. Prior to 2013, Shields ERA/WHIP in Yankees stadium was 4.73/1.23. Reason not that way in 2013/14 is that Yankees sucked

— Steve Skinner (@oswegos1) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes YAY

— Kayla Bergeron (@nycajun1) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes no save that doe for price or cueto ain't making a difference anyway this year

— michael brogna (@mbrogz13) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes Yay! He knows the AL East and had plenty of success there. Yanks need stability and innings, he give both. #BigGameJames

— Timothy Claro (@tclaro) August 11, 2015

@GreedyStripes No he's not worth the money yes the Yankees need a pitcher but Shields isn't the one its not worth breaking up the farm.

— Eric Katz (@Sportsteamnews) August 11, 2015

I’ve had my say so I won’t beat a dead horse here. I think the Yankees are fine and I think they are getting that inevitable cold streak out of the way in early August rather than late September. It’s not always the best team who wins the World Series or their respected leagues pennants, it’s the hottest teams. The San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals were simply hotter than everyone else and rode the Wild Card One Game Playoff games into a hot streak and into the World Series. There is no reason the Yankees couldn’t do that in a Wild Card Game or an ALDS game after winning the division. I don’t think Shields is a necessity and unless it is an absolute salary dump where we give up prospects that I, the self-professed prospect humper, never heard of or care about then I think I have to pass.

Everyone has their own opinions and they are entitled to them, that’s what makes these posts special and the whole social media thing special (most of the time anyway). To be involved in our next Twitter Poll post head on over to the app and give @GreedyStripes a follow. Then be on the lookout for out next Twitter Poll tweet. We will not use your answers without letting you know first. 

James Shields Changed His Facebook Relationship Status to Available

It is well documented that the New York Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman stood pat at the July 31st trading deadline for the most part with Dustin Ackley as the team's only acquisition. While the Toronto Blue Jays basically sold their farm system away for a run at the World Series in 2015 the Yankees banked on the future and now these two teams are going in opposite directions. The Yankees seemingly comfortable lead is now all but gone while the Blue Jays haven't felt many losses since plugging Troy Tulowitzki into the shortstop position and lead off role and David Price into the top of the rotation depth chart. Yankees fans are already panicking but is the Yankees GM? He could be, especially after James Shields of the San Diego Padres just changed his relationship status on Facebook to "available."

I kid about the Facebook status obviously but Shields is still said to be available after clearing revocable waivers. San Diego can now trade the right-hander to any team for the remainder of the 2015 season without the consent of Mr. Big Game. It's not really a shock that Shields cleared waivers, he is owed $21 million in each of the 2016-2018 seasons, but is his contract too rich for the Yankees blood?

Well first thing is first, would he even be an upgrade inside the Yankees rotation? In a word, yes. CC Sabathia cannot be relied upon at this stage of the game but is this upgrade, marginal or substantial, worth the huge financial committment plus the prospects committment? If Shields wasn't pitching to a 4.21 FIP, 1.285 WHIP, 1.5 HR/9 ratio and just a 95 ERA+ I'd advocate for the Yankees to jump on the acquisition in a heart beat, but he is. 

You have to also keep in mind that Shields pitches his home starts inside Yellow Stone National Park, but the sponsors prefer us to call it Petco Park, which is substantially bigger than the dimensions inside Yankee Stadium. Shields may have a 3.75 ERA with the Padres but if you put him in a Yankees uniform, back in the American League East and inside Yankee Stadium you can add at least a run to that, a run or point to each of his peripherals and a lot more losses than his current 8-4 record showcases. Plus $21 million. Plus prospects. No thanks.

Bryan Van Dusen Goes Back to the Vinny Brown Show

Vinny Brown, or @RealVinnyBrown on Twitter, hosts a weekly radio show and this week’s special guest was none other than The Greedy Pinstripes. Once before Vinny had the blog on his show and Bryan joined him for some July 31^st trade deadline talk, division race discussion and general Yankees banter. Those two were back at it again yesterday afternoon in a spur of the moment kind of get together to discuss James Shields, the divisional race once again and anything and everything Yankees.

If you would be so kind head over and check out the show to hear the back and forth between these two. Vinny puts on a great show and Bryan is one of the smartest guys that I know. It would mean a lot to them and it would mean a lot to me as well to see support for the blog. Thank you in advance.

HERE IS THE LINK in case the “embed” doesn’t work like it’ssupposed to. 

Jose Reyes to the Yankees?

When the Toronto Blue Jays and the Colorado Rockies hooked up for a trade before the July 31st trading deadline the entire market and leagues were turned on their heads. LaTroy Hawkins and Troy Tulowitzki went to the Toronto Blue Jays in the deal while Jose Reyes and a stable of prospects went back to Colorado in the deal. After the shock and awe wore off that the face of the Rockies franchise was finally traded the focus turned to the fact that this deal really made little to no sense for Colorado. Trading Tulowitzki was one thing, trading him for Reyes was another thing unless the Rockies planned on flipping Reyes.

While Colorado never really gained any traction on any trade involving Reyes there were many, including CBS Sports own Jon Heyman, that believed the New York Yankees may get involved. Would that make sense for a team that desperately needed an upgrade at second base and would the financial burdens be worth it when it was all said an done?

Reyes is owed the remainder of his $22 million contract in 2015, $22 million in 2016, $22 million in 2017 and has a $22 million team option in 2018 along with a $4 million buyout. Reyes is on a steep decline as a shortstop and may benefit from a move to second base that requires less range and less of a throwing arm. That gaudy contract is not worth even a Gold Glove defender at second base without a steep upgrade offensively, and that is not Reyes unless the Yankees have a time machine that can turn back the clock to around the 2011season.

It wouldn't make sense for Colorado to eat the contract because the point of the deal was pinching pennies, and the team saved $50 million worth with the deal despite the huge contract for Reyes, leaving the Yankees and Rockies as less than ideal trade partners. Reyes to the Yankees would have beat Stephen Drew or Brendan Ryan any day in 2015 but it would be just another deal that blocked Robert Refsnyder and that, in my opinion, is not an option.

The Chase Utley Rant You Should Have Known Was Coming

You guys know me by now, I love to rant and rave about my favorite baseball team the New York Yankees. I truly think I would be an asset to the front office and I believe I do a decent job in player evaluations for someone with two kids, a wife, two jobs and a blog (i.e. a guy too busy to read as many scouting reports or see as many games as I'd like to). The fact that the New York Yankees are interested in second baseman Chase Utley makes me not only question my own intelligence, because honestly I don't see why they would be, but it also makes me question my fandom because it continues to block my favorite prospect Robert Refsnyder.

Utley has been on the disabled list with an ankle injury that will likely keep him from reaching 500 plate appearances in 2015. That milestone is important because there is a vesting option written into Utley's contract for the 2016 season based on plate appearances. With Utley not reaching the milestone he is essentially a month and a half rental for any team that acquires him, why would New York though?

Eventually this little mini hot streak for Brendan Ryan and Stephen Drew is going to subside and they are going to come back down to Earth, why would you throw a monkey wrench into the middle of that during the hot streak for both players? Also this team is built on versatility and defensive consistency, neither of which Utley is at this point in his career.

Where is Jose Pirela? Where is Refsnyder? Could either of them do better then this stat line for Utley? In a word.... likely.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	65	249	218	18	39	7	4	25	3	21	32	.179	.257	.275	.532	48

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Notable August Trades in Major League Baseball History

The Yankees season is not over because the team did not make any notable acquisitions at the July 31st trading deadline last month. Earlier today I brought you my wish list for the August 31st trade deadline which included James Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman and Martin Prado and I almost immediately caught a ton of flack on Twitter about it. Apparently many fans don't think that big trades like this can happen in July so here are a few notable August trades in the history of the August 31st waiver wire trade deadline.

• In 2003 the Pittsburgh Pirates sent one of their best players on the team, Brian Giles, to the San Diego Padres for a pair of prospects. You may recognize some of the names that were traded for Giles, Oliver Perez and Jason Bay. 

• On this day in 2008 the Toronto Blue Jays acquired a player who was not even on the Major League roster at the time. The most notable player at the tgime of the trade was the Pittsburgh Pirates newest player Robinson Diaz but the clear cut winner was Toronto who acquired some dude named Jose Bautista. 

• In 2000 the New York Yankees acquired a familiar face to complete their dynasty years, the team sent a prospect to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Luis Sojo. Sojo was a big member of the 1996-1999 Yankees before leaving for Pittsburgh via free agency. Sojo was acquired for the playoff and World Series run and did just that with a four-hit game and the game winning hit to clinch the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. This isn't exactly a notable trade as much as it was a stretch to include the Yankees on the post. We're a Yankees blog afterall. 

• And who could forget the mega-deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox where over $250,000,000 in dollars changed hands overnight. The Dodgers sent James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands to the Boston Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.