Drafting Yankees and the Juan Soto Trade Tree

The New York Yankees acquired star left-handed hitting outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in the offseason prior to the 2024 season in a seven-player deal. Coming to the Yankees alongside Soto was fellow outfielder Trent Grisham while the Yankees sent five prospects/players including RHP Michael King, catcher Kyle Higashioka, and arms Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vasquez. Unlike the Aaron Judge trade tree that showed a flurry of under the rader type moves that led the Bronx Bombers to their current Captain, the New York Yankees can thank their drafting and development teams for the acquisition of #22. 

Looking at the trade package the Yankees gave up, every single player can be linked to the Yankees and their team in charge of the MLB First Year Players Draft. Higashioka was drafted by the Yankees in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB Draft while Thorpe was drafted by New York in the second round of the 2022 Draft. 

The Yankees can also thank their international scouting department for the acquisition of Soto. Brito was signed as an International Free Agent on November 9, 2015, while Vasquez was signed as an IFA three years later in 2018. 

For the Yankees to send King as the centerpiece of the deal, New York can look back at a "won" trade between them and the Miami Marlins on 11/20/17. In that deal, New York sent infielder Garrett Cooper and LHP Caleb Smith for King and $250K in international bonus pool money. 

New York acquired Garrett Cooper from the Milwaukee Brewers just four months prior, sending LHP Tyler Webb to the NL Central. Webb was another product of the Yankees draft and development team, adding the LHP in the tenth round of the 2013 round, four rounds before Smith was drafted in the same round. 

The road to Juan Soto in Pinstripes can be directly linked to the International and Domestic drafting, scouting and development teams employeed by the Yankees under Brian Cashman. There were a few key trades involved, highlighted below, but the pieces came from within. 

The Yankees have been known as the Evil Empire since the early 2000s, but imagine how "Evil" the team could be if they were more willing to dip into the treasure trove of young prospects that continually go through the Yankees system. Soto could stay with the Yankees for one season, or for the remainder of his career, that remains to be seen... but the Yankees farm system and development team will look at this as a victory regardless of the tenure. Juan Soto, for at least one season, wore the Yankees pinstripes and marched the team into the postseason. 

What more could you ask for?

The King of the Spring...

Photo Credit: MiLB.com and Scranton/WB RailRiders

Young Righty Gets First Taste of Major League Camp…

It seemed like such an innocuous and under-the-radar trade in November 2017 when the Yankees traded marginal prospects LHP Caleb Smith and 1B/OF Garrett Cooper to the Miami Marlins for $250,000 in international bonus pool money and young Single A RHP Michael King. Moving Smith and Cooper were clearly designed to clear space on the 40-man roster in advance of that year’s Rule 5 Draft. At the time of the trade, the international bonus pool money appeared to be the objective as the Yankees were making preparations for what would prove to be the failed run at international superstar Shohei Ohtani. King just came along for the ride…or did he?

In 2017, Caleb Smith was dominant for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, riding an unbeaten streak for most of the year. He finished 9-1, with a 2.39 ERA, starting 17 of 18 games played for the RailRiders. He made his Major League debut for the Yankees on July 17, 2017 but the Yankees and Smith lost to the Minnesota Twins, 4-2. He shuttled back and forth between Scranton, PA and the Bronx, finishing 0-1, with 7.71 ERA, in 18 2/3 innings. Despite his Triple A success, Smith, then 26, did not appear to be a top prospect. To his credit, Smith did pitch better for the Marlins last year.  He went 5-6 with 4.19 ERA over 16 starts covering 77 1/3 innings before shoulder tightness ended his season. He is expected to be part of the Marlins’ rotation this year.

Garrett Cooper had been acquired by the Yankees in July 2017 in a trade that sent LHP Tyler Webb to the Milwaukee Brewers. Cooper had some nice moments in the Bronx, playing 13 games. He was 14-for-43 (six extra-base hits) with no homers and 6 RBI’s.  2018, in a Marlins uniform, was largely a lost season for Cooper. He injured his wrist early in the season and later re-injured it during a rehab assignment, undergoing surgery in August. He appeared in just 14 games for the Marlins. He’s now healthy and expected to compete for a job with the Marlins this season, likely as a reserve first baseman/outfielder.

After the Yankees lost out on Ohtani, the international bonus pool money was put to good use as the Yankees had a number of highly rated signings including OF Kevin Alcantara, OF Mauro Bonifacio, C Antonio Gomez, C Agustin Ramirez, RHP Denny Larrondo, and RHP Osiel Rodriguez, plus Luis Severino’s little brother, RHP Rafael Severino.

But setting everything aside, the crown jewel of the Yankees-Marlins trade has turned out to be Michael King. King, born in Rochester, New York and a graduate of Bishop Hendricksen High School in Warwick, Rhode Island, was drafted in the 12th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Marlins. At the time, King was the staff ace for Boston College. He signed with the Marlins, foregoing his final year of college eligibility, and was a combined 3-3 with 4.11 ERA over 30 2/3 innings at the lowest three levels of the Marlins’ farm system. He returned to Class A Greensboro in 2017 with much better results, 11-9 with 3.14 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 106 strikeouts, over 149 innings. Still, at the time of the trade to the Yankees, he was largely unheralded and unranked as a prospect.  

Last year, he opened eyes in the Yankees farm system. He started the year with High A Tampa, spent time with Double A Trenton, and finished the year with Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 24 starts and a relief appearance, King was 11-5 with 1.79 ERA. He struck out 152 batters in 161 1/3 innings with 0.91 WHIP.  

Yankees minor league pitching coordinator Danny Borrell, via The New York Post, recently said, “Every time he moved up, he seemed to get better. He wasn’t fazed by the better competition and he knows how to pitch.” Borrell went on to say that he could see King pitching in New York this year if he pitches like last season and does not see the young right-hander regressing.  

King, 6’3” and 210 lbs, turns 24 on May 25th. He is currently rated as the Yankees’ fifth-best prospect by Baseball America, behind OF Estevan Florial, RHP Jonathan Loaisiga, OF Everson Pereira, and C Anthony Seigler. His primary pitch is a two-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90’s. The key to his success in the Major Leagues is dependent upon his continued development of secondary pitches.  

King will get his first taste of Big League Camp this year when he reports to Tampa as a non-roster invitee for the Yankees. While he is not expected to make the Opening Day Roster (he only made six Triple A starts last year), his goal is simple. Catch the attention of Manager Aaron Boone, Pitching Coach Larry Rothschild and the Yankees’ army of analytics. Even though he is not yet on the 40-man roster, there’s no doubt he will be among the first to be considered if/when the Yankees have needs for help in the starting rotation this year. I’ve heard the claims that he’ll never be anything more than a middle-of-the-rotation starter, but if memory serves correctly, that’s what they said about Andy Pettitte when he was first called up. Let Luis Severino and James Paxton be the aces, the strength of the middle to back end of the rotation is what championships are made of. I am thrilled about King and what he potentially means for the Yankees. This could very well be the year of his Major League debut. I have greater belief in King as a starter than a guy like Chance Adams who I feel is better suited for the pen. Mike King is a winner, and carrying that intangible with his tremendous talent, should make Yankee fans very excited. The King of the Hill is going to create great memories in the Bronx in the not-so-distant future.  

This was a brilliant trade by GM Brian Cashman. King has proven better than we expected and he’ll continue to open eyes in Tampa in a few weeks. When the Spring games start, be sure to look out for #93.  

As always, Go Yankees!

All Aboard the Yankees Train...

Credit:  Charles Wenzelberg, New York Post

The 40-Man Chess Match…

Yesterday figured to be a very busy day for the Yankees as MLB teams had to set their 40-man Rosters of Record for Rule 5 eligibility (draft to be held at the conclusion of next month’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, FL) and it was.

Before the past weekend, the Yankees only had two open spots on the 40-man. Then, a few trades later, the Yankees were able to protect six young prospects from becoming potential ex-Yankees. Granted, any player chosen in the Rule 5 Draft has to stick on a MLB roster for the entire year but it happened as recent as last year when the San Diego Padres held on to Yankees catching prospect Luis Torrens (even though the very young Torrens was over-matched at the Major League level).  

DEPARTURES

RHP Nick Rumbelow

RHP Ronald Herrera

LHP Caleb Smith

1B Garrett Cooper

ADDITIONS

LHP Reiver Sanmartin

LHP J.P. Sears

RHP Juan Then

RHP Michael King

International Bonus Pool Money ($250,000)

ADDED TO THE 40-MAN ROSTER

RHP Domingo Acevedo

RHP Albert Abreu

RHP Jonathan Loaisiga

INF Gleyber Torres

INF Thairo Estrada

OF Billy McKinney

Trade: Nick Rumbelow to the Seattle Mariners for LHP J.P. Sears and RHP Juan Then. I thought this was the best trade. Sears, 21, fits the Yankees mold as a former collegiate player who could be useful in the bullpen. Even though his fastball tops out at 92 mph, he has been something of a strikeout machine. In his final year at The Citadel, he led NCAA Division I with 142 K’s in 95 1/3 innings. Then (not the pitcher), last year, in his first year in the Minors, he struck out 51 batters in 27 2/3 innings. Then (the pitcher), 17, a projected middle of the rotation starter, is the only new prospect to crack MLB’s Top 30 Prospects for the Yankees (his debut is at #28 in front of RHPs Giovanny Gallegos and Trevor Stephan).  

Credit:  MLB.com

Trade:  Ronald Herrera to the Texas Rangers for LHP Reiver Sanmartin.  Herrera provides the Rangers with an arm that is nearly ready while the Yankees buy some time with a lower level prospect. Sanmartin, 21, is a year younger than Herrera and has compiled a 14-4 record with 2.62 ERA over three minor league seasons.  

Credit:  MiLB.com

Trade: Caleb Smith and Garrett Cooper to the Miami Marlins for Michael King and Shohei Otani Money. The Yankees lose a valuable lefty with Smith’s departure but I figured that his roster spot was the least secure. Cooper did a decent job when called upon last year, but it was inevitable that the Yankees would have to make a decision between Tyler Austin and Cooper despite the latter owning a name that recalls the late great actor Gary Cooper and the movie classic The Pride of the Yankees. The writing was on the wall when Billy McKinney started working out at first base in The Arizona Fall League. This trade is being advertised as Derek Jeter’s first even if he probably didn’t handle any of the negotiations. Marlins VP of Player Development and Scouting Gary Denbo knows a thing or two about Yankees prospects. Many were calling this trade a huge win for the Marlins but I thought it served a very useful purpose for the Yankees. They cleared two spots on the roster which ensured that Thairo Estrada and Jonathan Loaisiga ("Johnny Lasagna") could be protected and added a lottery ticket with the 22-year-old King. Maybe King never realizes his dream, but the additional international bonus pool money gives the Yankees a total of $3.5 million to pursue Shohei Otani. If the Yankees are successful in signing Otani, it would be very hard to look at this trade as a failure for the Yankees regardless of how Smith or Cooper eventually perform for the Marlins.  

The Yankees should gain better clarity about the availability of Otani later today. The MLBPA extended the posting agreement deadline, which had been scheduled to expire yesterday, by 24 hours. The new deadline is tonight at 8 pm ET.  If the parties are able to agree on a new posting agreement, it ensures that Otani will be posted this off-season and will make his much anticipated trip to the United States to choose his next team (or as I prefer, sign with the Yankees).

Credit:  The Japan Times

The Yankees will need to make additional roster moves should they sign Otani and/or re-sign CC Sabathia but for now, the Yankees are prepared for next month’s Rule 5 Draft. I am fearful of losing LHP Nestor Cortes, RHP Cale Coshow, and/or RHP J.P. Feyereisen, among others, but it speaks to the strength of the Yankees farm system that the potential losses will hurt. 

I can’t end this post without mentioning another transaction that occurred yesterday even if it was non-Yankees news. The Toronto Blue Jays waived former Yankees fan favorite Rob Refsnyder and he was claimed by the Cleveland Indians. While I wish Refsnyder well in Cleveland, I kind of wish that he’d go somewhere like San Francisco where the Yankees wouldn’t have to routinely see him. I hold out hope that Refsnyder will achieve the promise he once held but admittedly his flame of potential is growing dimmer. 

Credit:  Mark Lomoglio, Icon Sportswire

Now that the 40-man roster maneuvering has been completed, I fully expect the next week to be very quiet. Perhaps there are more managerial interviews but most likely, we’ll be on the other side of the Thanksgiving Weekend before we see any notable Yankees news.  

While I would have loved being able to protect every valuable prospect, I thought the Yankees did a very good job covering the best of the best. Project Next Dynasty continues on its very very bright and positive path. We are now accepting applications for Bandwagon Fans. Go Yankees!

Battle of Little Bighorn II, Texas-Style...

Credit:  Tony Gutierrez-Associated Press

Rangers 11, Yankees 5...

It felt like the Battle of Little Bighorn but unfortunately the Yankees were Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry Regiment. I had hoped the momentum from Thursday's win over the Baltimore Orioles would carry over to Friday night in Texas.  Yeah, right. The Yankees were unable to hold a lead against the Rangers and then were overwhelmed in defeat.

The game started right when the Yankees broke through with multiple runs in the top of the 2nd inning.  It can be argued that they should have scored more runs in the inning but still, you'd think a 4-0 lead with Masahiro Tanaka on the mound represented good odds.  

Credit:  Tony Gutierrez-Associated Press

The inning started with Matt Holliday's single up the middle to center field.  Didi Gregorius reached base on a fielder's choice but a throwing error (flip wide of second) by Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor failed to force Holliday at second so two runners on and no outs. Chase Headley lined a single to right and the bases were loaded.  Jacoby Ellsbury lined a single to right just over the head of a leaping Odor and Holliday scored the game's first run. Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch (left front foot) from Rangers starter Martin Perez which brought Gregorius home to score.  After a coaching visit to the mound, Perez struck out Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge. Gary Sanchez, in his first game back after the three-game suspension, hit a single to left through the hole at short.  Headley and Ellsbury both came home to score, but Todd Frazier was tagged out at third to end the inning.  4-0, Yankees.  

Credit:  Associated Press

In the bottom of the 2nd, Masahiro Tanaka fell behind lead-off hitter Nomar Mazara on a 3-1 count. Mazara found the pitch he wanted and sent it high into the second deck in right. Tanaka was able to retire the next three hitters, the last two by strikeout.  

On to the 3rd.  Starlin Castro reached base on a fielding error by third baseman Joey Gallo when the ball glanced off his glove into left field.  Matt Holliday hit into a double play which was unfortunate because Didi Gregorius followed with his 21st home run (a high fly to right).  The solo home run is a new career high for Didi.  The Yankees were up, 5-1.  

From there, the Rangers started to chip away.  In the bottom of the 3rd, Robinson Chirinos hit a one-out single to center past a diving Didi Gregorius.  Delino DeShields doubled down the left field line into the corner, scoring Chirinos.  After Shin-Soo Choo lined out to center for the second out, with DeShields moving to third, Elvis Andrus doubled down the left field line, a high hop over Todd Frazier's glove, to score DeShields.  A wild pitch advanced Andrus to third, but Tanaka was able to strike out Nomar Mazara to end the inning.  Yankees still led, 5-3. 

The Yankees had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the 4th inning but Starlin Castro popped out to second baseman Rougned Odor in shallow right to waste a huge opportunity.  

After the Yankees went down quietly in the top of the 5th, the Rangers struck hard. Rougned Odor got it started with a single to right. Robinson Chirinos doubled down the left line, scoring Odor from first. It was a one-run game.  Delino DeShields singled to left, moving Chirinos to third. With Shin-Soo Choo at the plate, a wild pitch by Masahiro Tanaka (low pitch that got under El Gary's glove) freed Chirinos to come home and score the tying run. Choo doubled  to left on a high fly that Brett Gardner almost caught but he "heard" the wall. DeShields moved to third. Manager Joe Girardi had seen enough of Tanaka and made the switch to bring in Tommy Kahnle.  Elvis Andrus greeted Kahnle with a single to right, scoring both DeShields and Chirinos.  Starlin Castro tried diving for the ball but came up just short. The Rangers had taken a 7-5 lead.  Kahnle induced Nomar Mazara to hit into a double play, but a single to center by Carlos Gomez ended his latest appearance. Chasen Shreve came in and struck out Joey Gallo to finally end the painful inning.

While the Yankees were unable to get anything going offensively against Martin Perez and the Texas bullpen, the Rangers struck again in the bottom of the 7th inning to put the game away.  It was the kill shot to Custer's head.  With Caleb Smith taking over for Shreve, Shin-Soo Choo singled to left. While Elvis Andrus was batting, Smith threw a wild pitch that bounced in the dirt past Gary Sanchez and Choo advanced to second. Andrus subsequently walked. Nomar Mazara's hard single to  the right field wall loaded the bases, bringing an end to Smith's stay. Ben Heller entered the game in relief of Smith and the Rangers inserted pinch-runner Jared Hoying at first for Mazara. Carlos Gomez hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Choo.  With Joey Gallo batting, Heller threw the second wild pitch of the inning (smh) and Andrus moved to third, beating the throw from Gary Sanchez.  Gallo's single to right scored Andrus.  Hoying moved to second. Heller got the second out of the inning when he struck out Mike Napoli. However, Rougned Odor's bases-clearing triple to right increased the Rangers' lead to 11-5.  Heller's subsequent walk of Robinson Chirinos ended his unsuccessful appearance. Bryan Mitchell came in to finally end the inning, but the bloody massacre had been completed.  

The Yankees went down meekly from there, including three strikeouts in the top of the 9th, sending the Rangers into celebration on the field.  

Credit:  Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

This was a very ugly loss. It had started to feel that Masahiro Tanaka was back on track after his struggles earlier in the season but this game reopened doubts.   It was the kind of game that makes one hope that Tanaka opts out of his contract at the end of the year.  But of course the bullpen did him no favors, nor did the team's hitters. Michael Kay made a good observation about why Joe Girardi would go with second tier relievers when the game was still tight. I wondered the same thing when they brought in Caleb Smith who was followed by Ben Heller when Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and David Robertson were rested and ready in the pen.  

Sadly, the Boston Red Sox throttled the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-3, to increase their lead in the AL East to 4 1/2 games. The Yankees (75-65) maintained their 4 1/2 game edge over the Baltimore Orioles. The O's were the latest victim of the Cleveland Indian's winning streak which now stands at 16 games (MLB's longest streak since 2002). The Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 8-5, to move within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees in the Wild Card Standings.   

Odds & Ends...

As a result of Hurricane Irma, the Yankees' series with the Tampa Bay Rays this week (Monday through Wednesday) will be played at Citi Field in Queens instead of Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, FL. There had been speculation that the games would be played in Chicago but it makes sense to use the Mets' turf since the Rays are currently in Boston and most of he players are traveling with their families due to the impending storm in Florida. Lucas Duda at home in Citi Field...has a certain ring of deja vu to it.

Credit:  Jim McIsaac-Getty Images

Austin Romine's original two-game suspension for the Motor City Brawl has been reduced to one game (last night).  I am glad the suspensions are behind us. Erik Kratz, thanks for riding the bench and please don't let the door hit you on the way out.

The Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders evened their play-off series with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at one with a 4-2 victory last night. Chance Adams was the winner.  He pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two runs.  He walked too many (four) but struck out five. The hitting stars were Miguel Andujar (3-for-5 with two doubles and a RBI) and Mason Williams (2-for-4 with three runs scored). Game 3 is tonight at PNC Field in Moosic, PA.  Brady Lail (6-5, 5.17 ERA) gets the start for the RailRiders.

The Double A Trenton Thunder pulled off a rare feat when Justus Sheffield and Taylor Widener combined for a no-hitter to beat the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in Game 3 of their play-off series. The Thunder lead the Eastern Division Championship Series, 2 games to 1.

Have a great Saturday!  I'm hoping y'all get a win down deepinaharta Texas! Go Yankees!

Are Playoff Chances Being Swept Away?...

Credit:  Corey Sipkin-NY Post

Game 1 - Indians 2, Yankees 1...

The Yankees continued their struggles with runners in scoring position and lost another one run game.  Sadly, these games against the Cleveland Indians are showing the Yankees are not postseason-worthy or if they do make the play-offs, it will be a short stay.  I'd love for the Yankees to make me eat these words.

The first inning is generally a good litmus test for the starting pitcher.  By my account, Yankees starter Jaime Garcia failed.  Francisco Lindor led off the game with a single to right center.  Excuse me a moment...Jaime Garcia, you suck!...okay, I'm back.  Lindor stole second, and then advanced to third when Jose Ramirez singled to left past a diving Didi Gregorius.  Lindor came home to score the first run when Garcia's pitch got past Gary Sanchez (here we go again).  It was El Gary's thirteenth passed ball this season.  Ramirez moved up to second.  Yandy Diaz (who?) then singled to center (another unsuccessful dive by Didi) which scored Ramirez.  The Indians had the early 2-0 lead.  

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-Associated Press

The Yankees had something going in the bottom of the 2nd but couldn't produce.  Chase Headley led off with a walk.  After Greg Bird popped out to the shortstop (Lindor), Todd Frazier singled to left to put runners at the corners with just the one out.  Unfortunately, neither Jacoby Ellsbury nor Ronald Torreyes could move the runners against Indians starter Trevor Bauer.  Another failed RISP opportunity which has been a common theme the second half.  

The Yankees picked up their first run in the bottom of the 3rd before the ugly RISP monster raised its head again.  Aaron Hicks worked a walk with one out.  A ground out by Gary Sanchez pushed Hicksie to second.  Doing his best "Bradley Zimmer" impersonation, Hicks advanced to third on a wild pitch by Bauer that got away from catcher Roberto Perez.  Didi Gregorius must have been unaware there was a runner in scoring position because he doubled to left to score A-A-Ron.  Another wild pitch by Bauer moved Didi 90 feet away from home plate, but Chase Headley, realizing there WAS a runner in scoring position, struck out to end the inning.

Jaime Garcia ended up making it through five innings with just the two first inning runs scored against him (only one earned), but you know what?  He still sucks.  The Tribe had runners in scoring position every inning against him except for the 3-up, 3-down 2nd inning.  Luck was his friend this day...not talent.  He walked the first batter (Carlos Santana) to start the 6th inning which caused Manager Joe Girardi to make the call to the bullpen.  Exit He Who Sucks, Enter Chad Green.  For a bullpen that has been leaky recently, Green just quietly goes about his business.  Two strikeouts and Santana caught stealing second sent the game to the bottom of the 6th.  No drama...thanks Greeny!

Green struck out the side in the 7th but allowed a lead-off double in the 8th to the pesky Jose Ramirez.  He struck out the next two batters before Girardi gave him the hook and brought in Tommy Kahnle.  Kahnle induced Carlos Santana to pop out to third to end the inning.  I can't say enough great things about the job that Chad Green has done this year.  He hasn't been perfect, but all things considered, he is most of the time.  For this outing, he ended up with 7 strikeouts for 2 2/3 innings of work and just the one hit.  I never thought I'd say that Green is a better reliever (right now) than Aroldis Chapman.  For his effort, according to MLB.com, Green became the first player in history to record seven strikeouts in a game when facing eight or fewer batters.  

The last Yankees reliever who was this dominant was Ron Davis, who struck out eight of nine on May 4, 1981 against the then-California Angels in Anaheim. The Yankees won that game, 4-2, with Davis picking up the save in relief of Gene Nelson. 

Meanwhile, the Yankees couldn't muster anything against Bauer and reliever Tyler Olson.  Ronald Torreyes made it to second in the bottom of the 7th but that would be as far as he would get.  That was the last opportunity the Yankees would get as relievers Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen slammed the door over the final two innings.  Aaron Judge striking out to end the game seemed to represent how the second half has gone for the Yankees.  This was a very disappointing loss.  

With the loss, the Yankees (70-61) fell 4 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox before the start of the second game of the double-header.  They moved closer to the third place Baltimore Orioles than they are from the top.  If the O's keep winning, they'll soon be making noise in the Wild Card Standings and potentially for second place in the AL East.  

Game 2 - Indians 9, Yankees 1...

Perhaps I should have been kinder toward Jaime Garcia.  If he failed the first inning test for me, Jordan Montgomery stunk the place up.  I always want to see the game's first batter retired for home games, but it was not to be for this double-header in either game.  Like the first game, Francisco Lindor led off with a single to center.  The second batter, Austin Jackson, walked.  Surprisingly, Jose Ramirez, who has proven to be a Yankee killer, struck out swinging.  But it didn't stop the next few batters from celebrating batting practice against Montgomery.  

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-Associated Press

Edwin Encarnacion got the party started with a single to center to score Lindor. Austin Jackson advanced to third on the hit and subsequent throw. A double to left by Carlos Santana brought Jackson home.  Encarnacion moved to third. Yandy Diaz (who is this guy and why does he keep scorching us?) singled to left, scoring both Encarnacion and Santana.  Brandon Guyer got the fifth hit of the inning off Montgomery with a single to left.  Diaz moved to second.  Yan Gomes struck out for the second out. A wild pitch sent Diaz to third.  Erik Gonzalez walked to load the bases, but fortunately, Francisco Lindor, coming to bat for the second time in the inning, struck out swinging to finally end the first inning disaster.  The Indians led, 4-0, before the Yankees could even pick up a bat.

The Yankees' half of the inning started promising.  Brett Gardner led off and reached on an infield single.  So far, so good.  Starlin Castro followed by hitting into a double play.  End of smiley face.  A fly out by Gary Sanchez and it gave the illusion that it would be another long day for the Yankee hitters (which ultimately proved to be true).  

The Yankees scratched out a run in the bottom of the 2nd.  Aaron Judge led off with an infield single.  Aaron Hicks stroked a one-out single to left, Judge to second.  Greg Bird singled to right which brought Judge around to score with Hicks moving to second.  4-1, Indians.  Ronald Torreyes hit into a fielder's choice which erased Bird at second so the Yankees had runners at the corners with two outs.  But Austin Romine continued the RISP struggles when he grounded out to third.

Credit Jordan Montgomery for recovering from the devastating first inning.  He held the Indians in check from the second inning through the fourth.  Unfortunately, the Yankees just couldn't get their offense untracked.  Monty was gone when the 5th inning rolled around, having thrown 92 pitches.  Lefty Chasen Shreve replaced Monty to start the 5th.  Sadly, Shreve's recent struggles continued as Edwin Encarnacion took him deep into the left field stands for a solo home run.  If you are slumping, just trying hitting against Shreve.  You're guaranteed to bust out in a big way.  Carlos Santana followed with a grounder to short, but the throw from Didi Gregorius took Greg Bird off the base to allow Santana to reach first safely.  Fortunately, Shreve retired the next 3 Indians to end the inning but I can't say I am too confident in the pitcher at the moment.

In the top of the 6th, with the still not-so-reliable Shreve on the mound, Erik Gonzalez led off with a double to left field.  After Francisco Lindor grounded out, Austin Jackson doubled to center to score Gonzalez.  The Tribe had increased their lead to 6-1.  Joe Girardi pulled Shreve (wasn't too sorry to see him go) and brought in Caleb Smith.  Smith got out of the 6th, but he wasn't so lucky in the 7th.  After a Yandy Diaz walk, Yan Gomes smashed a two-run homer off Smith to right.  

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-Associated Press

Smith ended up taking one for the team and finished the game to spare the other bullpen arms for Boston.  He allowed one more homer in the 8th when Francisco Lindor blasted a solo shot to left.  Not a pretty performance but at this point, it didn't really matter anymore.

The Indians took the 8-run lead into the bottom of the 9th.  With former Yankee Zach McAllister on the mound and in the 'too little, too late' department, Greg Bird unloaded a three-run bomb to right-center.  It was meaningless for this game but hopefully it is a sign that Bird's bat is coming around for the weekend series.  The Indians walked off the field with the 9-4 victory and the double-header sweep.  

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-Associated Press

The three-game downward spiral for the Yankees (70-62) dropped them 5 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox after pulling within 2 1/2 games just 48 hours previously.  The Baltimore Orioles won their seventh game in a row to draw within 2 1/2 games of the Yankees in both the AL East and the Wild Card standings.  At this point, the Yankees hold a very slight edge for the Wild Card  (one game ahead of the Minnesota Twins) and playing like they intend to bow out completely.  

Credit:  Getty Images

Things do not get any easier...

Next Up:  Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York...

The Yankees and Red Sox resume their great rivalry today with a four-game set at 161st and River.  The Yankees can make some noise in the AL East by winning this series.  At the very least, they need to hold their own with at least a split to avoid slipping further behind the Red Sox.

Here are the scheduled pitching match-ups:

TODAY

Red Sox:  Eduardo Rodriguez (4-4, 4.19 ERA)

Yankees:  CC Sabathia (10-5, 3.82 ERA)

FRIDAY

Red Sox:  Doug Fister (3-7, 4.53 ERA)

Yankees:  Sonny Gray (8-8, 3.26 ERA)

SATURDAY

Red Sox:  Drew Pomeranz (14-4, 3.23 ERA)

Yankees:  Masahiro Tanaka (10-10, 4.69 ERA)

SUNDAY

Red Sox:  Chris Sale (15-6, 2.77 ERA)

Yankees:  Luis Severino (11-6, 3.14 ERA)

Odds & Ends...

The Yankees will be sending six players to the Arizona Fall League this year. You may recall that Gleyber Torres had tremendous success there last year (AFL Most Valuable Player).  He's not going this year as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery, but we'll be closely watching the six prospects who will be there.  OF Estevan Florial and LHP Justus Sheffield lead the pack.  They'll be joined by RHP Dillon Tate (who has really reinvigorated his prospect status this year), 1B Chris Gittens, SS Thairo Estrada, and SS Kyle Holder.  I'd love to see Florial dominate this year like Torres did last year.  That might be a tall order for the youngster but I am looking forward to seeing what the latest crop of Baby Bombers will bring.  

After yesterday's double-header, the Yankees optioned LHP Jordan Montgomery (the 26th man) and LHP Caleb Smith to Triple A.  No immediate word who will fill Smith's spot on the active roster.  The obvious move is the activation of DH Matt Holliday from the 10-day DL but we'll find out before today's game.  

Have a great Thursday!  Time to make a statement against the Red Sox and bring silence to the RSN!  Go Yankees!

Masa & The Game of Errors...

Credit:  Noah K Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees 10, Mariners 1…

Okay, the ugliness was isolated to the first inning, for the most part, but the Yankees came out on the right side and coasted to the easy victory over the Seattle Mariners.  I would love to have one of these kind of games against the Boston Red Sox but we’re never so lucky.

The top of the first inning didn’t start out very well as it took Masahiro Tanaka a few batters before he could find his groove.  After Jean Segura lined out directly to Aaron Judge in right to start the game, Yonder Alonso singled to left and advanced to second when left fielder Aaron Hicks was unable to field the ball cleanly.  Error on Hicks.  Robinson Cano, making his first start in the series after sitting out two games with hamstring tightness, singled to left in front of Aaron Hicks and Jacoby Ellsbury (“you get it”…“no, no, after you”).  Alonso moved to third.  Nelson Cruz was next and he smacked a double to the left field wall, scoring Alonso.  Cano advanced to third.  Fortunately, from there, Tanaka found his pitches.  He struck out Kyle Seager and then got out of the inning with only one run scored when Mitch Haniger flied out to right center.  It could have been much worse but Tanaka was able to  limit the damage.  

Credit:  Corey Sipkin-NY Post

In the bottom of the 1st, Tanaka was rewarded for his effort.  Aaron Hicks led off against Mariners starter Andrew Albers and popped out to short.  Starlin Castro followed with a double over the head of right fielder Mitch Haniger.  The Baseball Gods decided to smile upon the home team at this point.  Gary Sanchez singled to left and Ben Gamel ran up on the ball and missed it with his glove.  By the time center fielder Guillermo Heredia had retrieved the ball and threw it to the infield, Castro had scored and Sanchez was standing on second.  The game was tied.  After Aaron Judge walked, Didi Gregorius hit a fly to shallow left.  With the trio of Ben Gamel, Guillermo Heredia and Jean Segura converging, no one called for the ball and it fell in.  The error was charged to Segura and the bases were loaded.  For the Mariners, the nightmare continued.  Chase Headley hit a grounder to third that Kyle Seager bobbled and dropped.  Sanchez scored and Headley was safe at first.  The bases were still loaded.  Todd Frazier struck out for the second out.  It brought Jacoby Ellsbury to the plate.  Ells lined a double to left.  Ben Gamel retrieved the ball and threw it into Jean Segura at short who dropped the ball and momentarily lost sight of it.  Judge and Gregorius scored.  Headley, seeing the opportunity when Segura dropped the ball, broke for home.  Segura’s throw bounced past the catcher as Headley scored and Ellsbury took third.  Ronald Torreyes hit a grounder to third and then beat out the throw from Seager.  Ellsbury scored and it was 6-1 Yankees.  Aaron Hicks, who had started the inning with a pop out, flied out to center to end the inning.  Alas, all good things must end.  The Mariners were charged a total of five errors in the inning.

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-Associated Press

Manager Joe Girardi’s day was over before the Mariners starter was out of the game.  With one out and Jean Segura at first in the top of the 3rd, Robinson Cano hit a grounder to first baseman Chase Headley who threw to Didi Gregorius at second for the force out.  However, the Yankees were unable to turn the inning-ending double play when Segura ran out of the base path and obstructed the view of Gregorius to first which caused an errant throw.  Girardi came flying out, demanding an explanation and got tossed for his inquisitive approach.  He received a standing ovation as he walked off the field.  Fortunately, Tanaka struck out Nelson Cruz to avoid any damage, but Girardi got to watch the rest of the game on TV like the rest of us who weren’t fortunate enough to be at Yankee Stadium.

Credit:  Jim McIsaac-Getty Images

In the bottom of the 3rd, the Yankees added to their lead.  Ronald Torreyes, singled to center for his second hit of the game with two outs.  Aaron Hicks lined a single to right, moving Toe to second.  Starlin Castro singled with a blooper to center to score Toe and the Yankees were up 7-1.  

Credit:  Corey Sipkin-NY Post

Todd Frazier committed the game’s seventh error, and the second by the Yankees, to open the top of the 6th when he was unable to field a grounder hit by Nelson Cruz.  Tanaka struck out the next two batters and got Ben Gamel to ground out to first to leave Cruz stranded at first.  No harm, no foul.  

In the bottom of the 6th with Andrew Albers still pitching for the Mariners, Starlin Castro led off with a soft line drive to center.  After Gary Sanchez walked, the Mariners made a pitching change to bring in reliever Dan Altavilla.  A wild pitch allowed the runners to move to second and third.  Aaron Judge walked to load the bases.  After Didi Gregorius struck out, Chase Headley hit a sacrifice fly to center.  Castro scored but Gary Sanchez was caught between second and third on the throw back into the infield and the Mariners were able to complete the double play.  However, the run counted and it was 8-1 Yankees.

After Masahiro Tanaka cruised through the Mariners in a three-up, three-down top of the 7th, the Yankees made more noise in the bottom of the inning.  Todd Frazier led off with a walk and moved to second when Jacoby Ellsbury singled on a roller to right.  Ronald Torreyes, with his third hit of the game, lined a single to left and the bases were loaded.  After Aaron Hicks popped out (infield fly rule invoked), Greg Bird pinch-hit for Starlin Castro.  Bird singled to right between the two infield defenders, scoring both Frazier and Ellsbury.  The Yankees now led 10-1.  

Credit:  Bill Kostroun-Associated Press

Caleb Smith took over for Tanaka in the 8th and retired the six batters he faced over the final two innings.  Danny Valencia, the game’s final batter, took Smith deep with Aaron Judge’s back nearly to the wall, but the ball landed in Judge’s glove for the final out.  Game over.  The Yankees win!

The Yankees (70-59) were able to pick up another game on Boston as the Red Sox fell to the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1.  The Yankees now trail the Red Sox by only 2 1/2 games.  Oh, if only the Yankees could have scored more runs Friday night.  The O’s finally reached .500 with their sweep of the Red Sox and continue to trail the Yankees by 5 1/2 games.  The Tampa Bay Rays won in extra innings over the St Louis Cardinals, 3-2, so they remain 6 1/2 games back of the Yankees.  No change in the Wild Card Standings as the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-2, behind three homers by Byron Buxton to remain 3 1/2 games behind New York.  

I was worried going into this game given Masahiro Tanaka’s weird split of pitching much better at night than during daytime games.  But after the bumpy start, he settled down and gave the Yankees an ace-like performance.  Tanaka (10-10) went seven strong innings, holding the Mariners to the one run on six hits.  He walked one batter but more importantly did not give up any homers.  He struck out ten.  Nice job by Caleb Smith in saving the bullpen for the Cleveland Indians.  

Starlin Castro was 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.  Ronald Torreyes was 3-for-4, with a single RBI and a run scored.  The Yankee offense finished with 15 hits but surprisingly no home runs.  No matter, it was a very solid win and good momentum for the week ahead.

Next Up:  Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY…

The Yankees begin a very difficult week that starts with the Indians and ends with the Boston Red Sox.  Every game is important at this stage of the season.  The Indians come into this series a little banged up.  They have a total of nine players on the DL, including LHP Andrew Miller, RHP Danny Salazar, OF Lonnie Chisenhall, OF Michael Brantley and 2B Jason Kipnis.  The Indians have a comfortable 6 1/2 game lead in the AL Central over the Minnesota Twins.  

Here are the scheduled pitching match-ups:

MONDAY 

Indians:  Corey Kluber (12-4, 2.65 ERA)

Yankees:  Luis Severino (11-5, 3.10 ERA)

TUESDAY

Indians:  Trevor Bauer (13-8, 4.59 ERA)

Yankees:  Jaime Garcia (1-1, 5.47 ERA)

WEDNESDAY

Indians:  Josh Tomlin (7-9, 5.38 ERA)

Yankees:  CC Sabathia (10-5, 3.82 ERA)

This will be a tough series.  Admittedly, I wish Jordan Montgomery was here with the big league club and pitching on Tuesday night. Jaime Garcia does not inspire much confidence and certainly not when he’s facing a very tough Trevor Bauer.  I hope Caleb Smith is prepared to pitch that day.  

Have a great Monday!  I know that Corey Kluber will be tough but let’s make it three-in-a-row!  Go Yankees!