This Day In New York Yankees History 1/1: Exit Manny Banuelos

On this day in 2015 the New York Yankees traded Manny Banuelos to the Atlanta Braves for relief pitcher David Carpenter. The deal worked out well for the Braves as Banuelos has been seen on many of the club's top prospects lists while Carpenter was designated for assignment halfway through the 2015 campaign.

Also on this day in 1941 Babe Ruth spends $50,000 for defense bonds in support of the U.S. mobilization effort. The $50,000 is the maximum amount allowed by law for one person to purchase and was considered to be a big chunk of money back then.

Finally on this day in 1923 Wee Willie Keeler died as a result of heart failure. Keeler pRomised his fans and former teammates that he would live to see 1923 and lasted until New Years Day, as promised. Keeler played for the Superbas (now the Dodgers), Orioles, Giants (New York), and the Highlanders (now the Yankees) in his Hall of Fame career. Keeler is known for his quote "keep your eye clear, and hit 'em where they ain't."

So What Did the Yankees Give Up Exactly for Aroldis Chapman?

The New York Yankees gave up four prospects for at least one season of team control for Aroldis Chapman but what did they really give up? You all know the names. Rookie Davis, Tony Renda, Eric Jagielo and Caleb Cotham but many don’t watch the prospects as closely as the next guy and may not know what the Yankees truly gave up in the deal. I will try to educate you a bit the best I can on this deal so you can make your own determination of whether the Yankees and GM Brian Cashman did well in this deal or not.

Rookie Davis is a big guy and a hard thrower, he was also one of my personal favorites out of the Yankees farm system. Davis stands 6’5” and is 22-years old. That’s the good of it, the bad of it was that he’s barely pitched above A-Ball despite being in the Yankees system for what feels like forever. Davis is not a huge strikeout guy, 129 strikeouts in 130.2 innings in 2015 will show you that, but he was a control guy, which was evident by his 26 walks. Rookie, or William Davis, saw his K/9 ratio drop to 6.5 in his six appearances with the Trenton Thunder last season, his first stint in AA. While Davis is a loss in the depth department he wasn’t on many Top 10 Prospects lists and he is very replaceable inside the organization. The Yankees have a ton of right-handed starting pitching depth in the minor leagues and much of it is in Triple-A. Davis will be missed by fans but the organization will go on without him, that’s baseball unfortunately.

Eric Jagielo is probably the best piece given up by the Yankees in this deal but he is one I am not personally real high on. Jagielo is now 23-years old and was a former first-round pick by the Yankees in the 2013 Draft. Jagielo finally reached Double-A last season despite being showcased as a polished college bat. If this tells you anything the Reds came out and said Jagielo would likely be a bench and utility player for them. They think about as highly about him as I do it seems.

Caleb Cotham is a relief pitcher that appeared in 12 games for the Yankees last season. Cotham posted a 6.52 ERA in those 12 games and gave up a ton of home runs coming out of the pen. You all know the list of names that could potentially replace him in the bullpen this season, he’s expendable and the Yankees traded from a position of strength. Somehow they traded the player they seemingly liked the least, based on usage, and still got some value out of him. Good trade.

The final piece in the trade was second baseman Tony Renda. Renda was acquired from the Washington Nationals in the David Carpenter trade. New York essentially got something for nothing with the trade for Carpenter after the team designated him for assignment and then was able to flip him for Chapman. Renda was left unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft this season and was not taken at 24-years old. Renda has not yet reached Triple-A in his career.

So basically, in closing, the Yankees gave up very little in the grand scheme of things and got a huge closer back in return, Chapman. If Chapman is suspended for 45 days or more he will be under team control for the 2017 season as well leaving the Yankees with even more of a victory in my eyes. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 1/1: Exit Manny Banuelos

On this day in 2015 the New York Yankees traded Manny Banuelos to the Atlanta Braves for relief pitcher David Carpenter. The deal worked out well for the Braves as Banuelos has been seen on many of the club's top prospects lists while Carpenter was designated for assignment halfway through the 2015 campaign.

Also on this day in 1941 Babe Ruth spends $50,000 for defense bonds in support of the U.S. mobilization effort. The $50,000 is the maximum amount allowed by law for one person to purchase and was considered to be a big chunk of money back then.

Finally on this day in 1923 Wee Willie Keeler died as a result of heart failure. Keeler pomised his fans and former teammates that he would live to see 1923 and lasted until New Years Day, as promised. Keeler played for the Superbas (now the Dodgers), Orioles, Giants (New York), and the Highlanders (now the Yankees) in his Hall of Fame career. Keeler is known for his quote "keep your eye clear, and hit 'em where they ain't."

Meet a Prospect: Tony Renda

Tony Renda was traded from the Washington Nationals to the New York Yankees this week in exchange for recently designated RHP David Carpenter. It’s not very often that a team can snag a former second round pick and a decent second baseman for a player that was recently designated for assignment but the Yankees did just that when they acquired Renda. The team seems to be stockpiling minor league middle infield talent in the draft, in free agency and especially via trade and Renda is just the latest depth addition to the team. With a little bit of addition by subtraction the Yankees have a solid middle infielder that will now begin his Yankees career in Double-A with the Trenton Thunder, let’s meet him.

Anthony Renda was born on January 24, 1991 in Hillsborough, California to mother Laree and father Frank Renda. Renda started out as a bagger at the grocery store “Safeway Inc.” before working his way all the way to an executive position. At age 19 he lost his father Frank, a construction worker at the time, and it totally changed his life. Renda went on to college at the University of California, Berkeley and played college baseball for the California Golden Bears but not before the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the 42^nd round of 2009 MLB Draft. Renda did not sign out of high school and followed through with his commitment to Cal leading the Washington Nationals to select him in the 2^nd round of the 2012 Draft. Renda received a $500,000 signing bonus and immediately made his professional debut with the Class-A Short Seasons Auburn Doubledays.

In Renda’s first professional season he played in 71 games before being called up to Class-A Ball with the Hagerstown Suns. During that 2013 season Renda posted a .294 batting average with 99 runs scores, 51 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 135 games while winning the Bob Boone Award. The Bob Boone Award is handed out to the player with the most “professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passions, selflessness, durability, makeup, intangible and tremendous work ethic” in any minor league season. With the award and the second most doubles in all of Minor League Baseball in 2013 in hand he got promoted to the High-A Potomac Nationals for the 2014 season and an invitation to join to the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League where he was named to the AFL All-Star Game.

Renda began the 2015 season in Double-A with the Harrisburg Senators and hit .267 through 54 games before the trade that sent him to the Yankees. Now he’s currently in the Yankees Double-A affiliate with the Trenton Thunder and will look to continue his dream of one day reaching the major leagues. Hopefully he realizes that dream while wearing pinstripes, welcome to the family Tony. 

Yankees Trade David Carpenter to Washington Nationals & Other Roster Moves

The New York Yankees designated David Carpenter for assignment last week in a move that freed up a roster spot for Masahiro Tanaka. Today the Yankees sent Carpenter to the Washington Nationals for minor league second baseman Tony Renda.  Carpenter was designated on June 3 after posting an 0-1 record with a 4.82 ERA in 22 appearances out of the Yankees bullpen.

Renda was a second round pick by the Nationals in 2012. See ya David, say hello to Matt Thornton for me. 

The team also called up Mason Williams to the major leagues, not Ramon Flores for some reason, along with Chris Martin to replace Jose Pirela and Andrew Miller on the active roster. 

Most Popular Article of the Week: The Youth Movement Has Begun

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi can say the word “no” about six hundred more times if he’d like the next time he is asked if Jacob Lindgren is beginning a youth injection in the Bronx or not but I think we all know the truth, he is. When Girardi was asked if Lindgren was part of a youth injection that led to the DFA of RHP David Carpenter the Yankees manager responded with “no,no,no,no,no,no” and retorted with the fact that they liked what they saw from the young LHP this season. Girardi also touched on the fact that Lindgren can get both left handed batters and right handed batters out and has handled himself well in a limited sample size with the big league club but come on Joe, the youth injection is coming and Lindgren is just the start of it.

The Yankees have an aging roster which will naturally bring inconsistency and injuries to the ball club forcing the hand of New York to rely heavily on their depth signings and farm system. When Jacoby Ellsbury went down the Yankees inserted Slade Heathcott and when Heathcott went down they inserted Ramon Flores into the outfield rotation. When the Yankees needed a starting rotation arm they inserted Adam Warren, not Esmil Rogers, and when Masahiro Tanaka went down the team inserted Chase Whitley. When the team needed a relief pitcher this season we’ve seen Joel De La Cruz, Jose Ramirez, Bryan Mitchell, Branden Pinder and now Lindgren while the team cut ties with Scott Baker, Jared Burton and other veteran relief pitchers signifying that the youth movement is in full swing in the Bronx.

With Robert Refsnyder biding his time him Triple-A and top prospect Luis Severino’s recent promotion to Scranton Wilkes-Barre the team has a ton of upside and youth on the way to the Bronx. That can be said with confidence without even mentioning the steps being taken by Brady Lail, Aaron Judge, Eric Jagielo, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez and other top Yankees prospects that figure to put the pressure on the Yankees veterans currently in the lineup.


The youth movement is coming, are you ready for it?

Quick Hit: Why Not Chris Martin?

On Thursday night the Yankees GM Brian Cashman announced that the team would be in the market for right handed relief pitching at this year’s trade deadline after New York designated David Carpenter for assignment this week. New York currently boasts five left handed relief pitchers in their bullpen including closer Andrew Miller and Jacob Lindgren, Chasen Shreve, Chris Capuano and Justin Wilson. When I first heard the news I was a bit surprised because the first question that popped into my head is why not just call Chris Martin back up?

If you believe Martin, and that may be a stretch and an excuse and I do understand that, the injury occurred right around the time he became inconsistent in the bullpen. Martin pitched out of this world before that first series with the Tampa Bay Rays where supposedly the injury occurred. The injury is now fixed and rehabbed so why are we wasting his right arm in Triple-A with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and not slowly putting him back into Joe Girardi’s Circle of Trust? Why does the team have two long relief pitchers in Capuano and Esmil Rogers anyway?

Too many questions and not enough answers unfortunately. 

The Youth Movement Has Begun

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi can say the word “no” about six hundred more times if he’d like the next time he is asked if Jacob Lindgren is beginning a youth injection in the Bronx or not but I think we all know the truth, he is. When Girardi was asked if Lindgren was part of a youth injection that led to the DFA of RHP David Carpenter the Yankees manager responded with “no,no,no,no,no,no” and retorted with the fact that they liked what they saw from the young LHP this season. Girardi also touched on the fact that Lindgren can get both left handed batters and right handed batters out and has handled himself well in a limited sample size with the big league club but come on Joe, the youth injection is coming and Lindgren is just the start of it.

The Yankees have an aging roster which will naturally bring inconsistency and injuries to the ball club forcing the hand of New York to rely heavily on their depth signings and farm system. When Jacoby Ellsbury went down the Yankees inserted Slade Heathcott and when Heathcott went down they inserted Ramon Flores into the outfield rotation. When the Yankees needed a starting rotation arm they inserted Adam Warren, not Esmil Rogers, and when Masahiro Tanaka went down the team inserted Chase Whitley. When the team needed a relief pitcher this season we’ve seen Joel De La Cruz, Jose Ramirez, Bryan Mitchell, Branden Pinder and now Lindgren while the team cut ties with Scott Baker, Jared Burton and other veteran relief pitchers signifying that the youth movement is in full swing in the Bronx. 

With Robert Refsnyder biding his time him Triple-A and top prospect Luis Severino’s recent promotion to Scranton Wilkes-Barre the team has a ton of upside and youth on the way to the Bronx. That can be said with confidence without even mentioning the steps being taken by Brady Lail, Aaron Judge, Eric Jagielo, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez and other top Yankees prospects that figure to put the pressure on the Yankees veterans currently in the lineup.

The youth movement is coming, are you ready for it?

Yankees Designate Carpenter, Lose McCann

Update:

Brian McCann underwent an MRI and a CT scan earlier today – both of which were negative. McCann is considered day-to-day.

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 4, 2015

While I, and many, were at work the New York Yankees were making roster moves and unfortunately losing players from their starting lineup. The team added Masahiro Tanaka to the rotation sending Chris Capuano to the bullpen earlier in the week forcing the team to designate David Carpenter for assignment to make room on the 25 man roster. Tanaka took the mound for the first time in over a month when he faced off against the Seattle Mariners.

In the contest the Yankees may have lost their starting catcher Brian McCann to a foot injury. McCann was seen limping and wincing after hitting a ground ball in the second inning forcing the Yankees to pull him from the lineup. McCann is headed back to New York for an MRI so stay tuned.

My Plan to Insert Masahiro Tanaka & Fix the Pen Simultaneously

UPDATE: This was posted before Joe Girardi announced Capuano was going to the bullpen. Let's see if the rest of the prediction comes in true.

Masahiro Tanaka comes off the bullpen this afternoon to face off against Taijuan Walker and the Seattle Mariners after spending the better part of a month on the disabled list with some wrist tendinitis and a mild forearm strain. With the activation off the disabled list pending the Yankees will have to make a few roster decisions before this afternoon’s game including how the team will clear the 25 man roster spot and also who Tanaka will bump from the starting rotation. The Yankees probably have a plan and there is a 50-50 shot that this plan will blow up in their face entirely but just in case there was any indecision left by the club I, as usual, have a plan as well. For that plan you will have to keep on reading…

Now before I get too involved in this plan I will warn you that this will not be a popular plan among Yankees fans and I will lose anywhere from 10-50 followers on Twitter (@GreedyStripes my shameless plug) because of it but I think it works best for THIS team and how this team is currently situated. It’s probably not what I would necessarily do by any means but I think it is more so what should happen for at least a small band aid on this team’s current situation.

When the Yankees activate Tanaka off the disabled list they need to designate Chris Capuano to the bullpen as the long man and leave Adam Warren in the starting rotation for now. The team would then, unfortunately and as much as it pains me to say it, send down Jacob Lindgren to the minor leagues to get some more regular work since it seems obvious that Joe Girardi is not going to use him consistently and you would then move Esmil Rogers into the right handed relief pitcher role that David Carpenter currently employs. Rogers is not great by any means but he is better than Carpenter giving you an immediate upgrade while also getting an upgrade in the rotation with Tanaka over Capuano. Warren stays in the rotation until Ivan Nova is deemed ready to pitch after recovering from Tommy John surgery and everyone but Lindgren, and myself, are happy.

The team could always, and honestly should, designate Carpenter for assignment and subsequently stash him in Triple-A if he goes unclaimed, and he would, or the team could always DFA Capuano but neither of those scenarios seem likely. Losing Capuano now is not a huge deal as there will be a million of him, statistically speaking, on the free agent market and trade market in the very, very immediate future while Carpenter could be replaced right now by Chris Martin in the bullpen. The Yankees have lots of options here it’s just whether they make the right decision or the wrong decision, and for that we must all stay tuned. 

Stop Making Excuses for David Carpenter

David Carpenter was brought in along with Chasen Shreve to give the Yankees a right handed 7^th inning bullpen arm to replace Adam Warren in the pen while he filled in for Chris Capuano in the starting rotation. The trade cost the Yankees LHP prospect Manny Banuelos and while Shreve has been okay and Banuelos has been great, albeit in Triple-A, Carpenter has simply been horrible for the Yankees this season. At one point Carpenter was not being used nearly enough and had obvious signs of rust when he entered into ball games but has been used more frequently and regularly over the past few weeks with similar results. When is the Yankees organization, manager and GM going to stop making excuses for Carpenter and simply admit that he may not be the best option in late and meaningful games anymore?

While Carpenter’s stat line won’t reflect it much that loss in the first game of the series with the Athletics is on him and Joe Girardi’s binder. CC Sabathia left two runners on with nobody out when he was lifted late in that game but it was Carpenter who gave up the inherited runs for the club and essentially lost the game. Sabathia got the loss, the binder lost some more respect among the fans but the real loser here has been Carpenter. This is not the only instance I could bring up but if you’re reading this and you’re watching the games then you already know what’s going on. The Yankees have the best and some of the most knowledgeable, and emotional, fans in all of Major League Baseball in my humble opinion thus making me harping on and beating a dead horse even more not really that necessary.

So how do you fix it? Honestly Carpenter is not a terrible relief pitcher, and adventure yes but not terrible, so I’m not advocating getting him off the team entirely. I am advocating for him to be used in non-leverage situations. You have Jacob Lindgren in the bullpen, although he simply just didn’t have it in his last outing but you can chalk that up to growing pains for a rookie, and you have Shreve, Miller and Betances who can take a lot of the innings. With Masahiro Tanaka coming back you may see the return of Warren to the bullpen who can also bridge the gap to the twin towers the Yankees have in their bullpen or you can simply wait on a Chris Martin return off the disabled list but one thing is for sure you absolutely cannot keep throwing Carpenter out there late in games anymore. He’s not tired, he’s not overworked, he’s far from underworked and he’s not rusty. He’s ineffective, he’s lost his confidence, he’s lost his command and control and he’s out of excuses so stop making them. 

My Plan to Fix the Yankees

The New York Yankees are going down and it seems like no one can save them right now, no one but me of course. I have a plan and while the plan may be a bit radical and probably only realistic on 25 Major League Baseball teams this season, and one of them not being the Yankees, it is a plan and if it's allowed to see fruition it can work.

First and foremost Jacoby Ellsbury is on the disabled list with Slade Heathcott taking his spot on the 25 man roster. I say he's taking his 25 man roster spot and not his position because manager Joe Girardi has continued to throw Chris Young out there despite hovering around the Stephen Drew line since his hot start in April. Plug Heathcott into the center field position and let him hit at the top of the order. His speed, base running and ability to take walks will leave more runners on base when the Mark Teixeira's and Alex Rodriguez's come up to the plate which can never be a bad thing. Get back to speed kills and away from speed killing an inning.

Speaking of Drew, he sucks. Pretend his name is Brian Roberts and designate him for assignment for another rookie. Pretend that Robert Refsnyder's name is Yangervis Solarte, hell pretend it's Stephen Drew just do what you have to do to get the kid up. Drew's defense is not stellar and neither is his back up's Jose Pirela. What do you really lose with Refsnyder at second base? Nothing, but the gains with the bat and with the offense cannot hurt a team struggling offensively right now.

Use Jacob Lindgren. Lindgren was closing at Triple-A and dominating the upper levels of the minor leagues since he was drafted last June. David Carpenter sucks and he doesn't have the rust and lack of use excuse anymore. Chasen Shreve has been better than Justin Wilson and both have been used completely wrong thus far this season. Adam Warren would head back to the bullpen with Ivan Nova and Masahiro Tanaka's return to the rotation with Chris Capuano joining Drew on the "I SUCK" pity party parade. With this rotation and this bullpen the team turns the games into six inning contest and take an immense amount of pressure off the offense.

I know this won't happen because the Yankees flat out refuse to rely on their farm system or rookies but it should. Use Heathcott, use Lindgren, use Shreve more effectively, call up Refsnyder, dump Drew and dump Capuano. Make the playoffs, win the World Series. Canyon of Heroes.

My Plan for the Return of Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka threw three scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday night with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and will likely need two more starts before returning to the major league rotation. The Yankees rotation currently sports Adam Warren, Chris Capuano, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and today’s starter CC Sabathia leaving what could become a very hard decision for manager Joe Girardi to make when the young Japanese RHP comes back. The good news for Girardi and his binder is I, as always, have a plan.

The Yankees bullpen outside of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller has not been the strength that the team expected it to be coming into the season, not yet anyway. With the injury to Chris Martin and the inability to get batters out by David Carpenter the team’s biggest strength has turned into a major weakness thus far this season. Although Warren has pitched better of late in the rotation and much better than Capuano did in his debut in 2015, I know all about the one start sample size but after 2014 I just plain ole’ do not like Capuano, Warren would be the better option for the bullpen. Warren has closed games out on New York as recently as last year and can pitch in the 7^th, 8^th or 9^th inning for New York. With his right arm already being stretched out the team could conceivably use him for multiple innings like they do with Miller and Betances taking some of the burden off the other relievers, namely Justin Wilson, Carpenter and Chasen Shreve.

Leaving Capuano in the rotation may hurt a bit but a rotation of Tanaka and Capuano with Warren in the bullpen is better overall then a rotation of Tanaka and Warren with Capuano in the bullpen. Now a rotation of Tanaka and Warren with Jacob Lindgren in the bullpen would be ideal but I am trying to remain realistic here and remember who we are dealing with here. Either way though in two more rehab starts, the health of the remaining Yankees starters pending of course, it looks like the best bet is to move Warren back to the bullpen and keep Capuano in the rotation as the 5^th starter.

How Many Wins Will the Binder Cost NY in 2015?

I’m sorry to do this to you all and rant, again, but I am really frustrated after this series with the Washington Nationals and the series before with the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays. When Joe Girardi came over to manage the Yankees to replace Joe Torre he was a breath of fresh air for all Yankees fans as he turned the biggest Yankees weakness, the bullpen, into a strength while relying on prospects to build from within, something Torre refused to do. Flash forward eight seasons later and the bullpen is a mess, I have to do weekly check in’s on seven or eight prospects because they are rotting away in the minor leagues and the binder’s guide to handling and removing pitchers when they are so clearly finished is costing us more games than CC Sabathia’s surgically repaired knee and the team’s inability to hit with runners in scoring position with less than two outs. A lot.

This has been evident to many this season on numerous occasions but no more obvious than in the first game of the series with the Washington Nationals when the Yankees had a 6-2 lead over Washington. Nathan Eovaldi was on the mound and while his pitch count was good it was obvious that he needed to be taken out of the contest in that 5^th inning. Eovaldi was leaving the ball up, not locating and was getting hit hard. Those batters were not guessing and getting lucky against Eovaldi, they knew what was coming and they crushed it for three runs to come back to within one run at 6-5 before Girardi finally took out Eovaldi for rarely used relief pitcher David Carpenter who quickly gave up the lead in an eventual loss for the Yankees.

I can stand here and bring up 100 more instances over the years including Eovaldi’s second start against the Boston Red Sox that Girardi tried to give away or some of Sabathia’s earlier starts this season but I know you guys and ladies watch the games just as much as I do and know what’s going on. Girardi and his lack of trust in his pitchers and lack of instinct to pull pitchers when they are obviously tired and have become ineffective has quite possibly lost this team more games this season than the actual team has, I truly believe that, and it’s a trend that needs to stop, now. 

#Untuck2?

Remember when the New York Yankees and their fans thought that the sky was falling above Yankee Stadium each and every night after Mariano Rivera tore his ACL in 2012? Many don't remember that anymore after Rafael Soriano came in and untucked his shirt 42 times after 42 saves essentially saving the Yankees season in 2012. Soriano is still out there on the free agent market and with the teams unwillingness to call up Jacob Lindgren, trust David Carpenter or keep Chris Martin healthy is it time to #untuck, again?

Soriano has not pitched a professional inning this season after falling out of grace and losing his closer role in Washington in the second half of 2014 and even though he is a Scott Boras client you would think that money would not be an issue at this point. Any deal Soriano signs would be a prorated deal and would likely come closer and closer to the league minimum with every day that Soriano is a free agent. Soriano comes in as a veteran with experience pitching in New York posting these stats in his career season of 2012:

Year	Age	W	L	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9
2012	32	2	1	2.26	69	54	42	67.2	55	17	6	24	69	187	3.32	1.167	7.3	0.8

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Soriano has been linked to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Dodgers of late so the Yankees would not be without their competition but if the team puts their mind to something they tend to get their man. Would it be worth it to try a reunion with Soriano? Honestly probably not but if the team isn't going to trust Carpenter or call up Lindgren or even Luis Severino then why not, he gives the team a great chance to win when Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller are off for the night.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Jacob Lindgren & Weaknesses in Yankees Bullpen

Every time we do our weekly check in with Yankees prospect and top pick in 2014 Jacob Lindgren I post a slew of overly impressive stats along with a disclaimer that the bullpen for New York is too good to justify a spot for the young lefty. I think Lindgren and the fans may have finally found that weakness inside the Yankees pen that could go down or be designated for assignment to make room for the Mississippi State product. David Carpenter’s fall from grace out of Joe Girardi’s “Circle of Trust” came quicker than so many analogies that are just not coming to my mind right now. The lack of trust and the subsequent lack of use is only going to get worse while it gets less and less frequent so it may be time to finally make the move now.

Chris Capuano has already begun a rehab assignment to come back to the major leagues and presumably you would think he would return as a starting pitcher. When Capuano returns you have to think that Adam Warren goes back to the bullpen, especially after the way Chase Whitley has pitched in his first two starts this season, giving Girardi his 7^th inning man back in the pen. Carpenter was supposed to be that 7^th inning man this season before Chris Martin essentially jumped him on the totem pole alone with Justin Wilson and Chasen Shreve. Now it seems like Carpenter is the last man on the depth chart for Girardi and his performance is suffering for it.

None of this is to say that Carpenter is a bad pitcher or that any of it is his fault though because I understand the need to stay active and stay sharp. When you rot on the bench for six days out of seven a week as a pitcher it tends to mess with your command, control and your ability to get major league hitters out. That part is on Girardi, not on Carpenter, and so is bringing in Carpenter and expecting anything less than a failure more times than not. If you’re not going to use Carpenter it’s only going to hurt, not help, the Yankees pen in the long run so why not give Lindgren a shot and let him strike out two batters an inning in the Bronx instead of in Scranton.

Think of the matchups the binder would give Girardi replacing Carpenter with Lindgren. Let’s take the Boston Red Sox for example: You can pitch Dellin Betances to Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia, Wilson to David Ortiz, Martin to Hanley Ramirez, Lindgren to Pablo Sandoval, and the rest of the pen including Andrew Miller for anyone else. That’s an opposing manager’s nightmare matchup wise and no other team in the league can boast that. It makes sense but as we know that doesn’t always matter with Girardi and GM Brian Cashman so I’m not saying that the move will be made I’m just saying that it should. 

Weekly Check In: Jacob Lindgren

With Chris Martin on the disabled list, David Carpenter falling out of the Circle of Trust and the likes of Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances being overused already this season tell me again why Lindgren is not in the major league bullpen? With stats like these it's going to be hard to justify keeping him in Scranton for much longer:

Year	Lev	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	AAA	0	1	1.88	11	2	14.1	12	7	3	0	7	20	1.326	7.5	0.0	4.4	12.6

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

My Plan for the Return of Chris Capuano

Yesterday afternoon I asked on Twitter what our followers thought the team should do when Chris Capuano comes off the disabled list and presumably returns to the starting rotation in the Bronx. Should the team move Capuano to the bullpen and essentially have two long men? Should the team send Chase Whitley down to Scranton to stay stretched out as a starter? Should the team send Adam Warren back to the bullpen essentially erasing David Carpenter from manager Joe Girardi’s binder? Should Warren stay in the rotation? Well you guys and girls had your say yesterday and now it’s my turn as I reveal my plan for the return of Chris Capuano.

The most logical thing to do honestly is to send Chris Capuano packing in a salary dump to a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets. While the team does not have a plethora of starting pitching options the team does have Whitley, Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino within striking distance of the major leagues and enough journeymen starting pitchers and reclamation projects out there to survive until June or July and the trading deadline. Realistically speaking the team will more than likely once again send a superior player in Whitley down on the farm and keep Capuano for insurance purposes and for a possible upgrade over Warren. Warren would take his spot back in the 7^th inning of the bullpen while Carpenter would likely be traded or designated for assignment. The team could always stash Chasen Shreve down in Scranton along with Whitley but that leaves essentially just one left handed reliever, I don’t count Andrew Miller since he isn’t used in lefty reliever type situations, in the pen.

I agree with sending Whitley down to AAA if he isn’t going to keep a roster spot because he needs to be stretched out and gives New York much more value as a starter then he does as a relief pitcher. Also I believe that despite him pitching well this season Warren is better suited out of the bullpen. Warren struggled late in 2014 due to overuse but coming into the season preparing to be a starting pitcher and getting stretched out for a possible 100 pitches every 5^th day would prepare Warren for the long haul and for the grind that is September and possibly October. Capuano, while I personally do not like him and what he brings to the team, makes a lot of sense as the Yankees 5^th starter providing innings and keeping the team close enough to win every time out.

Whether my plan comes to fruition or not remains to be seen but having too many suitable and good pitchers and not enough places to pitch them all has never been a problem in the past and will continue to be a good kind of problem to have going forward. 

Jacob Lindgren & Weaknesses in Yankees Bullpen

Every time we do our weekly check in with Yankees prospect and top pick in 2014 Jacob Lindgren I post a slew of overly impressive stats along with a disclaimer that the bullpen for New York is too good to justify a spot for the young lefty. I think Lindgren and the fans may have finally found that weakness inside the Yankees pen that could go down or be designated for assignment to make room for the Mississippi State product. David Carpenter’s fall from grace out of Joe Girardi’s “Circle of Trust” came quicker than so many analogies that are just not coming to my mind right now. The lack of trust and the subsequent lack of use is only going to get worse while it gets less and less frequent so it may be time to finally make the move now.

Chris Capuano has already begun a rehab assignment to come back to the major leagues and presumably you would think he would return as a starting pitcher. When Capuano returns you have to think that Adam Warren goes back to the bullpen, especially after the way Chase Whitley has pitched in his first two starts this season, giving Girardi his 7^th inning man back in the pen. Carpenter was supposed to be that 7^th inning man this season before Chris Martin essentially jumped him on the totem pole alone with Justin Wilson and Chasen Shreve. Now it seems like Carpenter is the last man on the depth chart for Girardi and his performance is suffering for it.

None of this is to say that Carpenter is a bad pitcher or that any of it is his fault though because I understand the need to stay active and stay sharp. When you rot on the bench for six days out of seven a week as a pitcher it tends to mess with your command, control and your ability to get major league hitters out. That part is on Girardi, not on Carpenter, and so is bringing in Carpenter and expecting anything less than a failure more times than not. If you’re not going to use Carpenter it’s only going to hurt, not help, the Yankees pen in the long run so why not give Lindgren a shot and let him strike out two batters an inning in the Bronx instead of in Scranton.

Think of the matchups the binder would give Girardi replacing Carpenter with Lindgren. Let’s take the Boston Red Sox for example: You can pitch Dellin Betances to Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia, Wilson to David Ortiz, Martin to Hanley Ramirez, Lindgren to Pablo Sandoval, and the rest of the pen including Andrew Miller for anyone else. That’s an opposing manager’s nightmare matchup wise and no other team in the league can boast that. It makes sense but as we know that doesn’t always matter with Girardi and GM Brian Cashman so I’m not saying that the move will be made I’m just saying that it should. 

Recap: Yankees 6, Blue Jays 3

Michael Pineda logged his best start of the young season, shutting out the Blue Jays over eight five-hit innings to lead the Yankees past their AL East rival, 6-3, on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

Pineda Dominant: Pineda struggled somewhat through this one's first three frames -- allowing three hits and a walk while throwing 45 pitches -- but was otherwise great in his fourth win of the year. He let just one runner reach third and struck out six, retiring seven consecutive to end the outing. 

A-Rod's Clutch Hit: The Yankees put two men in scoring position immediately in the top of the first, and were hoping for a big go-ahead hit with Marco Estrada laboring. They got just that in the form of a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez, a line-drive to left on a changeup up in the zone.

He Only Hits Home Runs: Batting with a runner on in the Yankees' half of the fifth, Mark Teixeira drilled a two-run shot to force Estrada's removal -- crushing a first-pitch fastball high into the right-field stands to break the game open. It was Teixeira's tenth four-bagger of 2015, extending the Yanks' advantage to 5-0.

Another Late Scare: On the mound with the Yankees up 6-0 in the ninth, David Carpenter surrendered a three spot to give the Blue Jays some momentum -- yielding three hits and a Russell Martin homer to suddenly make things close. Indeed, Carpenter's rough two-out appearance added stress to the Yankees' victory, though Andrew Miller was still able to convert the save shortly afterwards.

Ellsbury Stays Hot: Two days removed from a four-hit evening in Boston, Jacoby Ellsbury continued his recent hot-streak with a 3-for-5 performance -- singling all three times to improve his average to .358. He drove in the Yankees' third run with a knock in the second, plating Gregorio Petit with a sharp grounder to left.

Next Up: The Yankees will try to take this series on Wednesday when they battle the Blue Jays in the finale north of the border -- beginning at 7:07 p.m. ET and airing live on the YES Network. CC Sabathia (0-4, 5.40 ERA) will get the ball for the Yankees looking to record his first W, facing veteran Jays lefty Mark Buehrle (3-2, 6.75 ERA).