Playing "Prevent Defense" in the MLB...

Photo Credit: John E Sokolowski, USA TODAY Sports

What’s more important? Rest or Home Field Advantage…

I really dislike losing winnable games in September. Actually, I hate it anytime but it seems to be magnified in the season’s final month of the regular season. I get the need to balance health while competing with the Houston Astros for best record in the American League, but the Yankees seem to be failing the former and jeopardizing the latter. Last night’s walk-off home run in the 12th inning by Bo Bichette allowed the lowly Toronto Blue Jays to overcome the Yankees for the second walk-off loss by the Pinstripers since last Tuesday night. The balk given up by Adam Ottavino which allowed the Jays to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh was a microcosm of the sloppy play lately.  

Photo Credit: AP

The loss, coupled with a win by the Astros, pulls Houston to within a game of the Yankees for best record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Yankees are 97-52, while the Astros are 96-53, with an unlucky 13 games to play. If the Yankees fail in either the ALDS or ALCS, I know that I’ll look back on September with much frustration. It kind of feels like a NFL team playing prevent defense to protect a lead which inevitably fails (or so it seems). 

Injuries happen but there’s no doubt the Yankees need to revisit their practices and procedures given the plethora of injuries this year, setting an all-time high for guys on the injured list. I think the one recent injury that really bugs me is the latest groin injury suffered by Gary Sanchez which has potentially cost him the rest of the regular season. If the injury was suffered while catching or running out a hit, it’s one thing but to lose El Gary on a stolen base attempt is ridiculous. Kevin Kernan of The New York Post put it best this morning in his column when he says “Advice to Yankees: Never give Sanchez a green light again in his career.” Agreed! A stolen base attempt is such a high risk play. If the Yankees need Sanchez stealing bases to win games, we’re in trouble. There’s no way I would have had Sanchez running in that situation. I know I have the benefit of hindsight but I truly would have said that before the injury happened.  

I am excited Luis Severino will finally make his season debut next Tuesday when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim visit the Bronx. Not quite sure what to expect as there will be rust despite the rehab appearances in the Minor Leagues but a healthy Sevy is very important for October. There’s no doubt he has the potential of having a ‘Mike Mussina in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS’ moment. I am equally excited about the impending return of Giancarlo Stanton. He is one guy that I hope the team can keep healthy for the duration of the season. With the losses of Edwin Encarnacion, Mike Tauchman, and Gary Sanchez, Stanton’s bat looms large. It would have even if those guys had stayed healthy. Stanton has had more than his share of critics but I know I am not one of them. I am glad Giancarlo Stanton is a Yankee and I look forward to his return. Jordan Montgomery is expected to make an appearance during Sunday’s game but I am not expecting much from him. I’ve seen some on Social Media act as though the return of Monty equals the return of an ace. Sorry, but he’s not in the same league as Severino. Sevy is the far more valuable pitcher.  Sevy is also not making a return from Tommy John surgery like Gumby is. I don’t expect #47 to be a factor until 2020 at the earliest despite whatever he is able to do this month. It would be a huge surprise for him to even be on the post-season roster.

Speaking of injuries, I really feel badly for the Milwaukee Brewers. One game out of the NL Wild Card chase after their loss last night, the Brewers suffered a larger loss earlier in the week when superstar Christian Yelich fractured his kneecap and won’t be back on a baseball field until next Spring. 

Photo Credit: Mark Brown, Getty Images

I know, Yankee fans are not going to feel sorry for injuries on other teams, but you can argue that losing a single player hurts the Brewers more than losing what? 30 players has hurt the Yankees. I know, that’s an absurd statement but still, there’s an element of truth to it. Yelich and Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers have battled for the potential NL Most Valuable Player Award all season. While Bellinger has been my favorite, I do hate to see Yelich lose out like this. He deserved better and so did the Brewers. I guess Tyler Austin will have to carry the Brew Crew now. Seriously, this does put an incredible amount of pressure on Mike Moustakas to be “the guy”.   

On the subject of injuries, I should also add how horrific it was to see the Blue Jays lose reliever Tim Mayza last night. After a misfired pitch behind the back of Didi Gregorius, who led off the top of the 10th inning, Mayza went to his knees in obvious pain and was escorted off the field. He’ll undergo a MRI to determine the extent of the injury but first (uneducated) guess is a ligament tear. I sincerely hope the injury is not as severe as it appears to be and that Mayza is able to return in 2020. Worst case scenario would mean Tommy John surgery and a lost season ahead. I really hope for Mayza’s sake it is not the case. He had been making the most of his opportunity in the Jays bullpen this season.

Photo Credit: Cole Burston, Getty Images

After the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders bowed out of the International League playoffs against the Tampa Bay Rays’ affiliate, it was great to see the Double A Trenton Thunder grab the Eastern League championship. The Thunder beat the Bowie Baysox, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and a team managed by Zack Britton’s brother Buck, in four games to take the five-game championship series. Dellin Betances made an appearance in the deciding game, giving up a sixth inning homer in an inning of work. Luis Severino started and lost Game 2 of the series but it was more of a failure of team defense than Sevy’s pitches that cost them the game. First baseman Chris Gittens and pitchers Clarke Schmidt and Michael King, names we’ll be hearing at Yankee Stadium one day, delivered championship performances for Manager Pat Osborn’s team. Congrats to the Thunder for their highly successful season! 

Photo Credit: Kyle Franko, The Trentonian

Adonis Rosa, who was DFA’d this week when Ben Heller was moved from the 60-day IL to the active roster, cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple A effectively ending his season but at least he remains in the organization. I guess the move didn’t really make a difference to me. There was no way Rosa was going to hold onto his valuable 40-man roster spot after the season and others like Ryan Dull, Cory Gearrin, and Tyler Lyons (who gave up Bichette’s walk-off HR last night) should be ex-Yankees when the big league club concludes its season and moves to protect certain high level prospects in advance of December’s Rule 5 Draft. I prefer a healthy Ben Heller to any of the aforementioned names and look forward to his 2020 contributions. Once the Yankees eliminate Clint Frazier in the off-season, Heller will be the last remaining piece from the Andrew Miller trade.

This has been a disappointing year for the Boston Red Sox but I was still somewhat surprised they fired President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski before season’s end. This action appears to have been inevitable since the Sox and owner John Henry have rebuffed attempts by Dombrowski to extend his contract since Spring Training. The Red Sox are presently ten games out of the AL Wild Card hunt and, barring a miracle, will not see October play. I’ve seen some say it would not be a surprise to see Dombrowski join the Yankees as a consultant given his close friendship with GM Brian Cashman. Nothing against Dombrowski but I don’t really want to see him join the Yankees. I am fearful the Yankees could lose Cashman’s chief lieutenant, Tim Naehring, a former Red Sock player, in Boston’s search for a replacement. But even if the Yankees lose Naehring, I wouldn’t want Dombrowski on my team. Naehring’s status as a candidate for Boston was significantly increased yesterday when the Arizona Diamondbacks extended their GM, Mike Hazen, a long-time Boston employee and the top speculated candidate for the vacancy.  

It’s starting to feel like Joe Girardi will be the next manager of the cross-town Mets or at least it seems that way to me. I always thought Girardi would end up in Chicago but that is not necessarily the case. If Cubs manager Joe Maddon steps down, it seems as though David Ross stands a better chance of getting the job than Girardi. It kind of sucks that we could be watching Girardi in a Mets uniform next season, managing former Yankee great Robinson Cano. I guess if Girardi does join the Mets, he’ll get a firsthand look at how differently the Wilpons run their organization in comparison to the Steinbrenner family. Good luck with that.

As always, Go Yankees!

The Miami Marlins and Quite the Opposite of “Getting Greedy”

photo credit to the Miami Herald

Blame the slow offseason and hot stove market but yeah, I am going to talk about the Miami Marlins this morning. Any baseball talk is better than nothing at this point, at least I am hoping so, especially when we can throw in a Derek Jeter reference or two while we are at it. The reason I want to talk about the Marlins this morning is not because of the Giancarlo Stanton trade that brought the reigning National League MVP to the Bronx, or another trade for that matter, but is because Mr. Jeter is letting me down right now if I am being completely honest. Derek Sanderson Jeter is not “Getting Greedy” but is, in fact, doing quite the opposite of that.

Now I am being a bit sarcastic in the first paragraph and in the title of this post admittedly, but I do want to talk about the projected payroll of the Marlins going forward and the basic “promise” that the team would turn a profit here in 2018. How can Jeter make such a statement after trading or attempting to trade anything with a pulse that isn’t tied down? Easily, actually. Every Major League team will receive, or have already received, a one-time lump sum of $50 million after Disney acquired BAMTech, a figure I got from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Jeter and the Marlins expect their payroll to be around or under the $90 million mark in 2018 with the figure dropping to $81 million in 2019 and $84.8 million in 2020 according to the same article from Jackson, although obviously a lot can change between now and the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Of course, Miami is going to turn a profit, the team only has to make $40 million in sales and revenue in 2018 to turn a profit, and that number is only that high with the salaries of Edinson Volquez ($9 million), Brad Ziegler ($9 million), Junichi Tazawa ($7 million), Christian Yelich ($7 million), Starlin Castro (10.857 million) and J.T. Realmuto (third year of arbitration) currently on the roster. If any or all of these men are traded that number becomes increasingly smaller.

Jeter went out and called his shot saying the team would make a profit, good for him. This is a business first-and-foremost and the ultimate goal, despite what George Steinbrenner would say if he were alive right now, is to make money. The old days of operating in the red, buying up anything and everything on the free agent market and winning 100 games a season are over. I just want everyone to have all the information available to them before once again anointing Mr. Jeter for another job well done. Here’s to Mr. November, Mr. December and his ownership group down in Miami. I hope you do well, the city and the organization need it and definitely deserve it. Stay well. 

Oh, and that makes me wonder what Hal and company are doing with that $50 million. Hmm....

Scott Boras, STFU!

When Scott Boras talks it seems that a lot of people around Major League Baseball, both the fans and the people directly associated with the game, tend to listen which has proven to be a great power for the super-agent over the years. The problem with some people is when they learn that they let that power and their ego go to their head and it ruins them. Now I’m not saying this has happened yet with Boras or that it will happen at all but I will say one thing, his comments on Derek Jeter and the purchase of the Miami Marlins really kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It made me want to scream, it made me want to head down to the GM Meetings and tell Boras to simply “STFU!” 

Boras was very critical of Jeter and his group of investors that purchased the Miami Marlins and their decision to slash payroll by subsequently trading away Giancarlo Stanton. Boras was quoted as saying the following in a USA Today interview from the GM meetings: 

“When you’re looking at building a market and you have an All-Star outfield with all he dynamics,’’ Boras said, “and you have a club being purchased at $1.2 billion, what happens is that you got a marketplace saying the new owners are coming in here and saying they’re making the franchise better. We’re excited. And then where we are now creating a plan where we are not going to win five or six years.

“We’re going to basically reduce our payroll. We’re going to rid our team of our substantial stars. We’re going to set up this five-, six-year plan. We basically have a system in baseball where we have sales of franchises, and we have a reduction.

“Basically the idea is to reduce the debt service to pay for the franchise by reducing all major league payroll, not being competitive, basically using the argument that we’re going to build a successful team through development.

“That has nothing to do with the fans. It has nothing to do with winning. It has nothing to do with anything other than a financial plan that suits ownership without consideration of the impact it has on Major League Baseball.’’ 

So let’s discuss this. Is Boras more worried about the fans of Miami and the fans of Major League Baseball, or is he more worried about himself and how a trade of the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich or whoever else the Marlins decide to trade could affect his clients on the free agent market this season, and how that could affect his wallet? Call me pessimistic but I am leaning towards the latter. I am leaning towards Boras knowing that he has that platform and the power to say and change things around the league during this time of the year and I think that Boras is taking full advantage of that. Who could blame him? I don’t, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I have to agree with his actions either. 

Former Yankees Update: Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki spent parts of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons with the New York Yankees before leaving for warmer climates down in Miami for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Yankees signed Ichiro with the intent of having him chase down 3,000 hits in the United States while with the club. While that initial notion did not work out in New York the Marlins may see that exact plan come to fruition down in Miami if the aging Japanese-born star can grab just 65 more hits.

Ichiro, now 42-years old, is playing behind a talent group of core members in Miami’s outfield so the question of whether he will get enough at bats to grab 65 more hits is the question. If Miami plans on contending in 2016, and if you judge their offseason by their intentions then they do plan on contending, how can you sit one of Marcell Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton or Christian Yelich often enough to get Ichiro the hits? If Ichiro were a few years younger, sure, but these days Ichiro just isn’t the same player he used to be as father time has caught up with him.

Ichiro is still fast and extremely durable, he played in 153 games last season and has played in at least 143 games in each of the past 15 seasons, but his batting average continues to drop the older he gets. Ichiro batted a career-low .229 last season which is a sudden drop off from his career average of .314. Ichiro has not hit .300 since the 2010 season. Can Ichiro do it?

Ichiro had 398 at bats last season and if he bats in the low .200’s again he may need another 300 or more to reach the 3,000 hit plateau. No one can predict what will happen this season. Injuries cannot be predicted and neither can effectiveness or playing time but if Ichiro gets the at bats you have to think that milestone staring him down in the face will be motivation enough to get there. I have faith in him and so should you. And if not, who is to say 2017 isn’t another year?

We’re rooting for you Ichiro. Get there!

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the Miami Marlins?

If you’re sitting in front of your computer on draft night and Jose Fernandez or Giancarlo Stanton are sitting there on the board you need to hurry up and take them. Obviously if you have the first few picks in the draft then maybe you want to stay away but other than that you need to take these new perennial fantasy baseball superstars. This much you probably already know though and I doubt you clicked on my post because you needed guidance whether to take one of these superstars or not. No, you clicked on this post because you want to read about the sleepers and who should be taken around Round 15 and beyond. You know, the sleeper picks that more times than not win or lose you your draft. Don’t fret, I’m here to help.

The Marlins are an intriguing team because even last season they had so much talent on the ball club and despite the talent lost far more games than they won. Not many people saw the miraculous season that Dee Gordon had at second base or the season that Adeiny Hechavarria quietly had at shortstop for the Marlins due to all the losing and the distrust of owner Jeffrey Loria. The Marlins have quietly assembled one of the better young teams in the league but the talent there needs to trust their talent before they can truly succeed. That’s where veterans and key players like Wei-Yin Chen, Carter Capps and Christian Yelich come in.

Chen specifically should benefit from the move from the AL East to the NL East and should especially benefit from pitching in the park, Marlins Park, which has allowed the second fewest home runs in the Major Leagues since its inception in 2012. Even if the team decides to move the fences in a bit like they are discussing this winter pitching in Marlins Park will never be like pitching inside Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park three or four times a season and it won’t be like facing that powerful Toronto Blue Jays lineup in his old league. Chen should see a spike in all his major stats except for obviously his strikeout numbers which have never been truly high in his career. Chen is a winner and can pitch like an ace despite pitching to contact and limiting his walks to get by.

Yelich got a big contract extension last season much like Giancarlo Stanton did and Yelich went out and did what Yelich does, he hit for a high batting average and he stole a lot of bases. Yelich is not a huge home run threat, even if they move in the fences down in Miami, as he hits the ball on the ground more times than not but he could jump up to a 10-20 home run guy as he matures and grows into his body. If you need average, stolen bases and runs scored than Yelich is your man. If you need power you’re probably not going to get it, although you may be pleasantly surprised by September.

Finally you have Carter Capps who is likely to start the season as a setup man for closer A.J. Ramos but will not likely stay there for much of the season. Ramos struggles with his command and has for much of his career making a huge stride in that department unlikely, although not impossible, in 2016. The difference between Capps and Ramos though is that Capps can be had around the 20^th round or so while Ramos is still a Top 20 closer in the league even with his command struggles. Capps would be the smart pick and easily put back on the waiver wire or traded if Ramos somehow finds the zone more consistently this season. You can always pull the “he may take over for Ramos if he continues to walk guys” card and get something valuable out of him. Plus his strikeout numbers are great anyway so you may just want to keep him.

There you have it, those are the Miami Marlins that could help you win your Fantasy Baseball league this spring. Also be on the lookout for any and all pitchers that make impacts in camp or are signed by Miami because Edwin Jackson’s value to the team is more as a reliever than a starter even though he is listed as the team’s 5^th starter currently. That can and likely will change before the end of the season so be on the lookout. 

Scratch Don Mattingly off the Yankees Hitting Coach Wish List

Don Mattingly has officially signed a four-year deal with the Miami Marlins to be their new manager for the ball club. Mattingly will take over a young and talented team led by Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, Jose Fernandez and others in hopes of toppling the top two teams I the National League East Division, the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals. The Miami job was basically Mattingly’s to lose all along and Mattingly didn’t lose it unfortunately.

I say unfortunately because I, as a fan, wanted to see Mattingly return to the city where he spent his entire playing career but I have to admit that I never fully expected the reunion of Don Mattingly and the New York Yankees to happen. I never lost hope but Mattingly deserves to manage and he can manage in Miami, good for him.

Mattingly will be Giancarlo Stanton’s eighth different manager since the beginning of the 2010 season, with a little stability in his life imagine what that kid could do. Congratulations to Mattingly but more so congratulations to the Miami Marlins organization and players, you guys got a good one. 

Time to Call the Marlins GM Dan Jennings?

The Miami Marlins have not lived up to expectations this season despite signing Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich to major extensions while signing or acquiring Dan Haren, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, David Phelps, Martin Prado, Mat Latos and a slew of other pieces leading many to wonder if a fire sale is in order once again in Miami. On Sunday I posted an article labeled “Bring Me Martin Prado” asking the New York Yankees to re-acquire their second baseman from the second half of 2014 while taking advantage of the Marlins while they are down. Are there any other players besides Prado that may interest the Yankees if Marlins GM Dan Jennings decides to sell this July?

Before we get too ahead of ourselves let’s remember that Stanton broke the hamate bone in his hand over the weekend and may be out at least six weeks or longer which could potentially bury this team in the playoff races and National League East Division. While I don’t expect Miami to flat out start selling every piece they have they could move, as I stated on Sunday in my Prado piece, players that are set to hit free agency before the 2016 season anyway.

We went over Prado Sunday and I don’t think I need to beat that dead horse any longer, if Prado is healthy and proves he is healthy before the trade deadline he could be moved and would be a welcomed addition to the team’s struggling infield. New York needs more than infield help though and could look at some of Miami’s pitching. I am reluctant to include Haren since he is so reluctant to pitch outside of the Southern California area but he has been Miami’s best pitcher and eventually came around to pitching for the Marlins, maybe a playoff race could keep him quiet and happy for two or three more months? If not Haren would you bank on Latos and his 3.62 FIP and ignore his 5.49 ERA and -0.6 WAR in hopes of another Brandon McCarthy resurgence?

It’s hard to bank on Miami really trading many, if any, of their players at this year’s trading deadline. The team has already expressed an interest in re-signing Ichiro to a deal for 2016 as he continues his march towards 3,000 hits making a deal for him unlikely while the team obviously does not want to trade away a player to make Stanton or Yelich disgruntled players. Jennings and owner Jeffrey Loria’s hands seem tied at this point so it seems like Haren, Prado, Latos or bust in a deal involving Miami and New York this July.