The Power of Pitching and Power…

Photo Credit: Mark J Terrill, Associated Press

Yanks End 4-Game Skid…

As Michael Kay of the YES Network said after the game, the Yankees used pitching and power, after three lackluster games in Oakland, to halt their four-game losing streak in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. But then again, we didn’t need to hear Michael say those words. The arm of James Paxton and the bats of Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres and others spoke very loudly during the game, which the Yankees won, 10-2.

Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times

I have to admit I was a little shocked when Paxton had a clean 1-2-3 inning to start the game. I have grown to really despise First Inning Paxton regardless of how much I still like the pitcher (I do). But for this game, First Inning Pax looked nothing like previous versions. Maybe someone told him it was the second inning and that he must have blacked out the first. Seriously, whatever it took, I am glad that Paxton stepped up his game against the best team in the National League. We need Paxton to be successful in October and this was a great step in the right direction.

Photo Credit: Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG

Thanks to Paxton, the Yankees didn’t have to dip too deeply into the bullpen.  Excellent job by Nestor Cortes, Jr to finish off the game with a big lead. The big boys, Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, and Chad Green, enjoyed a night of rest to ready them for the weekend.

Cody Bellinger leads the National League with 42 home runs (tied for the MLB lead with Mike Trout), but on this night, he was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. With no offense to former Yank Clay Bellinger, I am glad his son was unable to launch a Belli-Bomb in the first game of the series. I want Bellinger to stay ahead of Christian Yelich in the race to NL MVP but I am okay if he wants to take the next two games off.

Photo Credit: John McCoy, Getty Images

After his first couple of at-bats, I certainly didn’t think Didi Gregorius had a multi-homer night in store for him. His two home runs which included a grand salami in the fifth and five RBIs ensured the the Dodgers would not be making one of their patented late inning walk-offs this game. 

Photo Credit: Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG

Congratulations to Gary Sanchez for his 100th career home run. His third inning shot off Hyun-Jin Ryu (a tremendous lower body power shot that brought his knee to the ground) allowed him to reach one hundred faster than any player not named Ryan Howard. For those worried about El Gary, I think he’s doing just fine. I’ve never doubted the player, even through those difficult slumps. I am glad he’s the Yankee catcher and there isn’t anyone that I’d rather have. Well, I’d take 1970’s Thurman Munson but that’s not an option.

Photo Credit: Mark J Terrill, Associated Press

I was a little bummed the Yankees fared so poorly in Oakland. West Coast games are tough since they start so late, and then to have every result end in defeat is harder to take. I jumped off the J.A. Happ bandwagon long ago. He was the guy I wanted the Yankees to replace at the trading deadline. I say this knowing how ineffective CC Sabathia has been at times. I’d rather have Sabathia in the rotation as the fifth starter over Happ, but Happ has pitched so poorly, he is the rotation’s weakest link, moving Sabathia up in the pecking order which admittedly is “not what you want”. I am really hoping that Luis Severino can come back next month to at least form a multi-inning opener tandem with Happ. With another year committed to Happ, I really hope the Yankees can find a way to move him this off-season. I’d be fearful of Happ reaching the milestones to trigger a third year in his contract if he stays in the rotation.  

I am not a big fan of the Players Weekend uniforms with the white and black themes. It reminds me of the old Spy vs Spy comics.

I actually liked the refusal of Jon Lester to wear a black cap, instead donning the traditional Cubs hat in their home game against the Washington Nationals. The pitchers wearing the home white uniforms had to wear black caps instead of the white ones worn by the rest of the players to ensure hitters had no difficulty with seeing pitches. Lester’s action was adopted by his entire team who wore the traditional Cubs caps. That was/is much better than those funky white and black caps, in my opinion. The Dodgers, as I’ve said before, are my favorite NL team, and I would have preferred the classic Dodger white with blue lettered and red numbered uniforms against the traditional Yankee road grays. I like the weekend of player individuality but this year’s theme is not a favorite.

Photo Credit: Stacey Wescott, The Chicago Tribune

I love Dodger Stadium so I really enjoy these games at Chavez Ravine. When I lived in Los Angeles, I lived near Dodger Stadium (two miles away) so I frequently drove by the stadium when not there for games. I certainly hold affection for the stadium and the area despite my love of the Yankees. 

It was a surprise yesterday to see the Yankees release former top prospect RHP Domingo Acevedo when they claimed Seattle Mariners reliever Cory Gearrin. 

Photo Credit: Dean Rutz, The Seattle Times

I know, the bloom is off Acevedo as a prized prospect, but I thought there are other guys who were better candidates to go (like Ryan Dull or, in my opinion, Luis Cessa). I still have hope Acevedo can become a late-blooming relief option but it appears that he’ll do it elsewhere unless he re-signs a minor league deal with the Yankees. Whatever happens, I wish him the best of luck. It’s kind of funny that Gearrin has become a Yankee because of former Yankee prospect Justus Sheffield. Gearrin was the casualty when the Mariners decided to recall Top Sheff to the Majors this week. I don’t really see a long-term future in the Yankees’ organization for Gearrin. He’ll no doubt be one of the casualties when the Yankees begin to activate some of the guys off the 60-day Injured List, like Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, Giancarlo Stanton and Jacoby Ellsbury. Ha-ha, the last name was just thrown on there to see if you are awake! Ellsbury is never coming back or at least I hope not.

Speaking of Sheffield, he made his Major League starting debut last night against the Toronto Blue Jays but received a no-decision in the M’s 7-4 victory. He went four innings, throwing 86 pitches, giving up seven hits and three runs. He both walked and struck out three. His first inning was Paxton-like, 37 pitches and two runs but he persevered. Hopefully for him, his next start goes better. I’d like to see him fulfill his promise even if he doesn’t wear the Pinstripes anymore (so long as he doesn’t do it against the Yankees).  

Photo Credit: Dean Rutz, The Seattle Times

The Yankees should soon see the return of first baseman Luke Voit. Voit has begun his minor league rehab assignment and is expected to be activated in time for next Friday’s game against the Oakland A’s at Yankee Stadium. Voit made his first appearance last night with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, going 0-for-3, with a walk and run scored, in the RailRiders’ 11-4 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Hopefully Voit can begin ramping up his play (i.e., recapture his timing) over the next few days so that he can make a good contribution to the Yankees again when he returns. He is a vital part of this team’s potential post-season success.  

The calendar page soon turns to the final month of the regular season so it’s nearing time to finish off those pesky Tampa Bay Rays to win the AL East and ensure a one-game do-or-die Wild Card game will not be played the Bronx this year. Although I didn’t experience it firsthand, the long ago story of the collapse of the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies (the “Phoid of ’64’”) has stuck with me since I first heard about it as a child. The Phillies looked like a World Series team through the summer of ’64, and held a 5 1/2 game lead over the Cincinnati Reds on September 1st. They went 12-9 for the month and held a 6 1/2 game lead with 12 games to play. But when the regular season reached its end, the Phillies were a game behind the St Louis Cardinals and their season was over. While I don’t expect the Yankees to have that type of collapse, I can’t shake the belief it can happen because it has. There’s no doubt a four-game losing streak can leave me thinking the worst, like many Yankee fans, so I am just glad the Yankees took care of business last night on a night that both the Rays and the distant Boston Red Sox also won. Today is a wonderful day to start a winning streak.

As always, Go Yankees!

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Domingo Acevedo

I have personally donned this man the next Dellin Betances, and for more than one reason. Both men are really big, intimidating figures on the mound. Both men can throw right at or in excess of 100 MPH. Both men struggle with control, and ultimately for that reason both men may be destined to share the same Yankees bullpen in the future. For now, though, Domingo Acevedo is a starter within the New York Yankees organization, so let’s meet him.

Domingo Acevedo, 24-years old for a few more days, possesses a 96 MPH four-seam fastball, an 87 MPH slider, and an 88 MPH changeup that he mixes in to keep opposing batters off of his heater.  

Domingo Antonio Acevedo was born on March 6, 1994 in Los Almacigos, Dominican Republic where he was signed as an international free agent by the New York Yankees in 2012. Acevedo signed with New York for just $7,500 and began his professional career with the Dominican Summer League Yankees. Acevedo worked his way through the Yankees organization, reaching as high as Double-A and Triple-A in 2017 as well as participating in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game.

Acevedo’s biggest hurdles that he faces is his struggle with command and control, as well as his seemingly inability to stay healthy. In six minor league seasons, Acevedo has made just 92 appearances for the Yankees various minor league affiliates.

Acevedo was called up to the Major Leagues on July 21, 2018 but was optioned back to Double-A in just a few hours, not making an appearance for the big-league club. Will 2019 be the year that Acevedo finally puts it all together for a full, healthy, and productive season? Stay tuned.

What it could take to acquire post-season superstar pitcher Madison Bumgarner

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

One pitcher the Yankees should definitely look to trade for is 29-year-old Madison Bumgarner. His value diminished, as he has regressed significantly over the last three years, two of which have been plagued by injuries. In 2017, Bumgarner missed nearly three months of the season due to an injury that occurred when he was riding a dirt bike. This past season, Bumgarner missed all of April and May with a fractured left hand (off of a line drive that struck him during a preseason game against the Royals). Presumably, his recent drop in performance can be attributed to a combination of the aforementioned fluke injuries and age decline (which has subsequently led to decreased FB velocity and potency). The stat-line (all metrics according to Fangraphs) below provides evidence for Mad Bum’s recent reduction in effectiveness…

IP

2015: 218.1

2016: 226.2

2017: 111.0

2018: 129.2

K/9, FB Vel, and FB SwStr%

2015: 9.65; 92.8; 10%

2016: 9.97; 91.5; 9.7%

2017: 8.19; 91.0; 6.5%

2018: 7.57; 90.9; 4.7%

BB/9

2015: 1.61

2016: 2.14

2017: 1.62

2018: 2.98

ERA

2015: 2.93

2016: 2.74

2017: 3.32

2018: 3.26

xFIP

2015: 3.02

2016: 3.54

2017: 4.07

2018: 4.32

WAR

2015: 5.2

2016: 4.9

2017: 1.7

2018: 1.4

Despite the fact that Bumgarner’s value is deteriorating, there is lots of room for growth if Bumgarner virtually ditches his fastball…

Cutter SwStr%: 2015 – 14.8%; 2016 – 11.5%; 2017 – 11.3%; 2018 – 11.8%

vs

Fastball SwStr%: 2015 – 10%; 2016 – 9.7%; 2017 – 6.5%; 4.7%

and

Cutter AVG: 2015 – .230; 2016 – .224; 2017 – .224; 2018 – .214

vs

Fastball AVG: 2015 – .242; 2016 – .236; 2017 – .256; 2018 – .299

and

Cutter HRs and pitches: 2015 – 4 (1040 pitches); 2016 – 8 (1185 pitches); 2017 – 3 (594 pitches); 2018 – 5 (719 pitches)

vs 

Fastball HRs and pitches: 2015 – 11 (1630 pitches); 2016 – 18 (1709 pitches); 2017 – 10 (712 pitches); 2018 – 8 (703 pitches)

In 2018, Mad Bum threw his cutter 35% of the time and his fastball 34.2% (basically the same frequency). If he had implemented the following pitch mix (using more CBs and cutters in lieu of his FB), he would have indisputably pitched more effectively…

Cutter: 50% (2018 – 11.8 SwStr%)

Curveball: 37.2% (2018 – 11.7 SwStr%)

Changeup: 8.6% (2018 – 8.9 SwStr%)

Fastball: 4.2% (2018 – 4.7 SwStr%)

We can now estimate what his overall SwStr%, HRs against, and AVG against would have looked like last year with this seemingly improvised pitch repertoire. For the purpose of this investigation, let’s assume the 2018 SwStr%, HRs against, and AVG against for a particular pitch remain constant regardless of the change in its usage). 

2018 Overall SwStr% – 9.2%

vs

Overall SwStr% with improved pitch mix: [2018 total pitches – 2045; 50% cutters – 1022 pitches; 37.2% curveballs – 761 pitches; 8.6% changeups – 176 pitches; 4.2% fastballs – 86 pitches]; [(cutter 11.8 SwStr% * 0.5) + curveball 11.7 SwStr% * 0.372) + (changeup 8.6 SwStr% * 0.089) + (fastball 4.7 SwStr% * 0.047)] = 5.9 + 4.4 + 4.3524 + 0.7654 + 0.2209 = 15.6 SwStr%

That SwStr% is 6.4% higher than his 2018 mark and would have put Bumgarner in a tie for the 2nd highest overall SwStr% (Corbin: 15.6 SwStr% and Scherzer: 16.2%).

and

2018 HRs against: 14 HRs 

• # of HRs conceded / 100 cutters: 0.69541 (5 HRs off cutter in 2018 / 719 cutters thrown)
• # of HRs conceded / 100 fastballs: 1.13798 (8 HRs off fastball in 2018 / 703 fastballs thrown) 
• # of HRs conceded / 100 curveballs thrown: 0.21978 (1 HR off curveball in 2018 / 455 curveballs thrown)
• # of HRs conceded / 100 curveballs thrown: 0 (0 HRs off changeup in 2018 / 157 changeups thrown)

vs

HRs against with improved pitch mix: (0.69541% * 1022 cutters) + (0.21978% * 761 curveballs) + (0% * 176 changeups) + (1.13798% * 86 fastballs) = 7.11070902 + 1.6725258 + 0 + 0.9786628 = 10 HRs

and 

2018 AVG against: .235

• AVG against cutter: .214
• AVG against fastball: .299
• AVG against curveball: .187
• AVG against changeup: .303

vs

AVG against with improved pitch mix: (.214 * 50% cutter usage) + (.299 * 4.2% fastball usage) + (.187 * 37.2% curveball usage) + (.303 * 8.6% changeup usage) = .107 + .012558 + .069564 + .026058 = .215 AVG against

In summary, if Mad Bum had utilized the improved pitch mix, he would have likely…

• Gotten more strikeouts
• Given up fewer HRs
• Given up fewer hits

A trade of Bumgarner represents the best opportunity for San Francisco to obtain high-end young players as the franchise begins what it hopes will be a rapid rebuild under new president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi

Although "Zaidi has publicly stated that the Giants aren’t making outgoing calls regarding Madison Bumgarner, ... that doesn’t mean talks with every team have died down" (The Mercury News).

We will integrate Fangraphs’ new Update to Prospect Valuation system in order to most precisely formulate realistic compensation that the Yankees could conceivably part with (for Madison Bumgarner). 

results are presented in present-day WAR and translated to a rough dollar figure based on $9 million as the cost of a win on the free-agent market. Keep in mind that the dollar figure isn’t a direct value, but rather equivalent value of a prospect relative to the free-agent market. Part of the reason prospects have such tremendous value is due to the suppressed salaries permitted by the CBA until a player has reached six years of service time. By translating the WAR figure into a monetary value, we can compare the value of prospects with the values of major-league players and their contracts. These values likely roughly approximate what an individual player might get as a signing bonus if he were declared a free agent and teams could only provide a signing bonus instead of a long-term contract.

Fangraphs’ Craig Edwards

In other words, Fangraphs assigned a monetary value for all minor league prospects (based on how former prospects belonging to that tier / rank performed during the first 9 seasons of their baseball career [“including the season in which a prospect was ranked”]). These values are comparable to current major leaguers (calculated through incorporating WAR [$9 million / 1 WAR] and the cost of the player’s contract). 

The calculations for Madison Bumgarner’s surplus monetary value can be seen below…

(2.1 WAR projection [per Steamer] for 2019 * $9 million / 1 WAR) – $12 million (salary for 2019) = $18.9 million – $12 million = $6.9 million in surplus value

The chances of the Giants netting a top 100 prospect for Mad Bum are improbable, especially when you consider that Anthony Banda, who is ranked 131st on Fangraphs’ top 131 list, is worth $9 million in monetary value. The Giants would likely have to take back some salary on Bumgarner’s contract. The majority of the prospects that are excluded from Fangraphs’ top 131 list (which can be viewed at the bottom of their Update to Prospect Valuation article) are likely on the table, with the lone exceptions being position player (hitters) prospects who are graded 45+ FV (on the 20-80 scouting scale); they have a monetary value of $8 million.

New York Yankees

The Giants are bound to be interested in RHP Jonathan Loaisiga ($6 million). On the surface, his 5+ ERA in around 25 IP gives a bad impression; however, it is important to note that Loaisiga’s FIP and xFIP were 3.53 and 2.95, respectively. He also struck out over 12 batters per 9 innings and generated GBs at an above average clip (49.2%). Loaisiga’s minor league numbers in 2018 were spectacular (though they did drop off some after a promotion to AA)…

A+

• IP: 20
• K/9: 11.7
• BB/9: 0.45
• HR/9: 0
• GB%: 52%
• ERA: 1.35

AA

• IP: 34.1
• K/9: 10.49
• BB/9: 1.57
• HR/9: 1.57
• GB%: 38.7%
• ERA: 3.93

Loaisiga’s upside is that of a #3 starter, but it appears to me that he may be better utilized as a multi-inning reliever. His ERA as a SP the 1st time through the order (10 IP) is 0.90, and his ERA the 2nd time (7 IP) is 6.43.

In addition to Jonathan Loaisiga, the Giants could ask for $0.9 million or a 40 FV pitching prospect ($1 million)…

• RHP Trevor Stephan
• RHP Matt Sauer
• RHP Domingo Acevedo
• RHP Chance Adams
• RHP Garrett Whitlock
• RHP Nolan Martinez

Of the players on the list above, Domingo Acevedo would likely be the best fit. He had a 2.92 ERA in 64.2 IP at AA. His walk rate was a tad below 3 BB / 9 IP, and he struck out just over 7 batters / 9 IP. He had a solid 1.10 WHIP at AA. Acevedo’s upper 90s FB would presumably play up in the bullpen, where he is likely to land. 

The proposal we have come up with reads as follows…

The San Francisco Giants trade LHP Madison Bumgarner to the New York Yankees for RHP Jonathan Loaisiga and RHP Domingo Acevedo

Would you do this trade? Comment below.

Thanks for reading and if you're interested in reading the full article (includes what it could take for the Brewers and Mets to trade for Mad Bum), click here. Feel free to follow me on Twitter (to receives updates when I release new content) @MaxGold81356590 and make sure to check out my website (Max's Sporting Studio).

MLB Pipeline's Top 10 Yankees Prospects

Luis Medina

Most notably... no Chance Adams. Ouch.

OF Estevan Florial RHP Jonathan Loaisiga RHP Albert Abreu RHP Domingo Acevedo C Anthony Seigler RHP Clarke Schmidt RHP Trevor Stephan RHP Luis Medina RHP Matt Sauer RHP Garrett Whitlock

Top 20 Yankees Prospects Pre-August 31st Trade Deadline

Roansy Contreras - Photo credit Pinstriped Prospects

The countdown is on as the August 31^st trading deadline is now less than two weeks away. Will the Yankees make a significant move? Who will be this year’s Justin Verlander? Will the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners add more pieces? So many questions and not enough answers. Here is an even better question, will the Yankees trade any more notable prospects before the trading deadline? And if so, who are those notable prospects? Again, more unanswered questions, but I think I can help with the last question. Here are my Top 20 Yankees prospects before the August 31^st trading deadline. Enjoy.

(1)    Justus Sheffield

(2)    Estevan Florial

(3)    Jonathan Loaisiga

(4)    Albert Abreu

(5)    Domingo Acevedo

(6)    Anthony Seigler

(7)    Clarke Schmidt

(8)    Trevor Stephan

(9)    Luis Medina

(10) Matt Sauer

(11) Everson Pereira

(12) Thairo Estrada

(13) Garrett Whitlock

(14) Deivi Garcia

(15) Chance Adams

(16) Domingo German

(17) Josh Breaux

(18) Michael King (not a popular opinion, and I am okay with that)

(19) Ryder Green

(20) Roansy Contreras

Did the Yankees Miss an Opportunity w/ Nathan Eovaldi?

The Boston Red Sox have done thus far this trade season what the New York Yankees could not, they acquired a starting pitcher. In a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays the Boston Red Sox acquired RHP and former Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi for prospect Jalen Beeks, did the Yankees miss an opportunity to acquire the flame throwing right-hander?

I think every Yankees fan already knows what to expect out of Eovaldi, even after his second Tommy John surgery. Eovaldi has shown he can still reach back and touch 97MPH or faster with his fastball but has also shown a tendency to give up runs which is evident by his 4.26 ERA at the time of the trade. Eovaldi is sporting a 20.1 K/BB ratio, the best of his career, and has generated more swings and misses, 11.0%, than he ever has (a huge issue for him during his tenure as a Yankee), and in my opinion would have been a great upgrade over Luis Cessa, Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga and whomever the team decides to throw out there not named Justus Sheffield between now and October.

Beeks is a left-handed arm that has seen the MLB level here in 2018, although both appearances left much to be desired. Over 16 starts at Triple-A this season Beeks has pitched to a 2.89 ERA with a 12.1 K/9 ratio and a 2.6 BB/9 ratio over 87.1 innings at the time of the trade. Beeks was the Red Sox’ sixth-best prospect in their system, a thin system at that, due to his four-pitch mix. Beeks is projected to be a 4^th or 5^th starter at the Major League level by many scouts which makes you wonder if the Rays see something that the rest of the league doesn’t see in Beeks, or if New York couldn’t have matched or exceeded the cost to acquire Eovaldi.

Would the Rays have taken Chance Adams plus a lower-level minor league player to sweeten the pot for Eovaldi? Not likely, Adams has not had the type of season down in Triple-A that Beeks has had, but I truly believe the Rays would have been intrigued by one of Luis Medina, Freicer Perez, Matt Sauer, Domingo Acevedo, Clarke Schmidt or Trevor Stephan… and honestly, I would have traded any of them for Eovaldi, although I would prefer to hold onto Medina and Perez if at all possible.

Eovaldi would have been perfect for the Yankees given that the righty is a pure rental that is making just $2 million this season, plus incentives. Unless the Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman have something else in the works or up their sleeves to spend their remaining (estimated) $11.5 million they have to spend while still staying under the luxury tax threshold I think they absolutely missed out on a huge chance here.

Thud! Starts the Second Half...

Yankees fall to the lowly Mets in Series Opener…

Well, that was disappointing. I can’t say I met the news the Yankees would start Domingo German and Sonny Gray to open the second half with great optimism. Still, I had hoped for a better performance from German on Friday but it was not to be. From the time German walked the lead-off hitter with four consecutive balls to start the game, it felt like it wasn’t going to be his night.  

The Mets had a 3-0 lead before the Yankees had even come to bat, and German was headed for the showers after 3 2/3 innings and four runs. He somehow made the pathetic Mets offense look like a juggernaut. The Yankees tried to rally but the hole dug by German and reliever Adam Warren was too great as the Yankees fell to the Mets, 7-5. German’s season record dropped to 2-6 with the loss, paired with a 5.68 ERA. After the game, German was given a ticket to catch up with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in Columbus, Ohio to work on his mechanics. I can’t say that I am sorry to see him go.

Photo Credit: NY Post (Charles Wenzelberg)

This really underscores the inability of GM Brian Cashman to secure much-needed reinforcements for the starting rotation. We’ve known for a long time the team needed help. I know Jordan Montgomery’s Tommy John surgery was unforeseen but Cashman was openly talking about the need for another quality starter last winter (an obvious need that everyone saw). German and Jonathan Loaisiga may turn out to be great middle-of-the-rotation arms but for a team in contention, we don’t have the luxury of learning with their bumps and bruises. Last start excluded, I don’t think anyone thought Sonny Gray would be this bad and that has magnified Cashman’s inability to find adequate help. If the deal-breaker to acquire former Pittsburgh Pirate Gerrit Cole last winter was Clint Frazier, it was a huge error on Cashman’s part.  Cole (10-2, 2.52 ERA for the Houston Astros) would look great in the Yankees rotation right now.  

After last night’s game when German was demoted, manager Aaron Boone said Luis Cessa would make German’s next start. The Yankees were expected to temporarily call up a reliever until it was time for Cessa to make his start and today they promoted Domingo Acevedo to take German’s spot. Acevedo, a starter for Double-A Trenton, is expected to provide long relief for the Yankees until it is time for Cessa to make his start. He provides Boone with another power arm in the pen for now. I think Acevedo’s long term future is the bullpen so this is his moment to impress.  

Photo Credit: Martin Griff

Cessa pitched fine his last time out for the Yankees but I am starting to join the crowd that wants to see top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield. I don’t think Sheffield will be a starter for a pennant-chasing team as we head toward the stretch run, at least not this year particularly given he’ll be bumping up against an innings limit, but I am intrigued to see what he can do.  It can’t be any worse than German has already given us. The downside with the promotion of Sheffield is the need to create room on the 40-man roster, which is not a factor for either Cessa or Acevedo. The Yanks have to place Sheff on the 40-man roster prior to December’s Rule 5 Draft, but that’s a move for later.  

Prior to yesterday’s game, the Yankees recalled infielder Brandon Drury to fill the spot vacated when they optioned Clint Frazier to Triple A prior to the All-Star break. By spend ing more time in the Minors, the Yankees secured an extra year of control on Drury. I hope he’s here to stay. It remains my opinion that I’d be very comfortable with Drury at third should the Yankees find it necessary to include Miguel Andujar for a top starting pitcher. Andujar is a very nice young player but there’s no doubt this team’s greater need is starting pitching. 

The Yankees apparently lost out on reliever Brad Hand when they refused to include Andujar in a potential trade with the San Diego Padres before he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians. As much as I would have liked to have given the bullpen a Hand, I agree if Andujar is moved, it should be for a top starter (not guys like Cole Hamels or J.A. Happ) and certainly not for relievers. I really like Baltimore’s Zach Britton but Andujar should not be part of the discussion despite the O’s obvious need for a third baseman now that Tim Beckham has moved back to short.  

Drury is penciled in to play second base today against the Mets and Steven Matz. The two ribbies last night by Neil Walker was nice but I’ll gladly take Drury over Walker any day of the week. “Yankees DFA Walker” remains the headline that I am most anxious to see. Well, maybe “Yankees acquire elite starting pitcher…” but the elimination of Walker is not far behind.

The most painful aspect of last night’s loss was the win by the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox made a solo first inning run hold up in the 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers behind former Tiger David Price. The win allowed the Red Sox to increase their lead in the AL East to 5 1/2 games. If the Yankees can’t shake this tailspin, the Red Sox are going to run away with the division as they’ve shown no signs of losing anytime soon. The Red Sox continue to show that they can do what the Yankees cannot, beat the teams you are supposed to.  

Gary Sanchez, who struck out to end the eighth inning last night with the bases loaded, remains a disappointment.  His batting line stands at .191/.289/.428. Entering the season, I felt Sanchez was the Yankees best hitter but clearly I was wrong. I saw one random Twitter post suggest the Yankees should include Sanchez in a trade for Jacob deGrom and then swing a deal with the Miami Marlins for their catcher, J.T. Realmuto. A few months ago, I would have laughed at the thought but today it is one that gives you pause. I remain hopeful that El Gary starts hitting like 2017 and there’s still time. We need his bat.  

Manny Machado’s debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers was a successful one. He singled in his first at bat against the Brewers at Miller Park in Milwaukee, and finished the game with two hits and a couple of walks. The Dodgers used a three-run homer by Kike Hernandez to hold off the Brewers for a 6-4 win to make Machado’s first game as a Dodger a winning one. Machado was met with boos from the Milwaukee crowd. Milwaukee had fallen short in their quest to acquire Machado. As if it was Manny’s fault Orioles GM Dan Duquette made the decision to send him to sunny LA rather than the Beer Capital of the World. I enjoyed how seamlessly Manny fit in with the Dodgers on his first day, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I hope he doesn’t like it well enough to prevent him from signing with the Yankees in the off-season. 

When it was speculated that Manny had chosen #8 with the Dodgers out of respect for Orioles great Cal Ripken, Jr, he should have run with it even if it wasn’t the case. 

During his press conference for his Dodgers introduction, he stated that he was a fan of Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant (even has a dog named after him) and chose the number for Kobe. I know that Kobe won more titles with #8, but I tend to remember him as #24. Machado also stated the number 8 was symbolic of “new beginnings”. Orioles fans are grieving about the loss of Machado and I think it would have been very soothing for them to hear that he had chosen the number for Ripken rather than Bryant. But on the other hand, you can’t blame Manny for wanting to turn the page. Hopefully he’ll be turning the page on the Dodgers in a few months and making plans for finding a new home in Manhattan.

I remain hopeful Brian Cashman surprises us all with a golden stealth move to strengthen starting pitching and help give the Yankees the necessary weapons to take down the Boston Red Sox. We’re ten days away from the non-waiver trading deadline so there’s time. Personally, I am feeling the urgency, especially considering starts like German last night, but I am optimistic that Cash will not let us down. There is too much potential for the 2018 Yankees to let it slip away.  

Sonny Gray, please man up today. I know you’re pitching at Yankee Stadium, a venue you do not seem to appreciate if your pitching stats are any indication, but today is a new day. And these are the Mets. Just win, that’s all I ask.

Go Yankees! 

Yankees Set Thunder Opening Day Roster

THUNDER ROSTER 4-5-18

The New York Yankees have set the Thunder roster for the 25th season of play at ARM & HAMMER Park.

The roster features three of the top starting pitching prospects in the organization with RHP Domingo Acevedo, LHP Justus Sheffield and RHP Dillon Tate lining up at the front of the rotation. All three rank in the top-10 of Baseball America's pre-season Yankees prospect list with Sheffield checking in at #3. RHP Will Carter and RHP Erik Swanson round out the starting group for the Thunder, a team that set the franchise record for team ERA (2.83) and shutouts (20). 

The bullpen features a number of strong arms including Rule V returnee RHP Jose Mesa Jr.. Righties Jordan Foley, Joe Harvey, Brian Keller, and Andrew Schwaab will be joined by left-handers Caleb Frare, James Reeves and Stephen Tarpley. 

Behind the plate C Jorge Saez returns after hitting nine home runs in 67 games for the team. Former Reading Fightin Phils catcher Chace Numata joins Saez as a catcher for the club. 

In the field, the roster features two local products. Council Rock South High School graduate Billy Fleming breaks camp with the team. He's joined by West Windsor Plainsboro South High School graduate, Ben Ruta; who will make his Double-A debut when he takes the field for the first time.

Rounding out the position players on the roster, infielders Chris Gittens, Bruce Caldwell, Vince Conde, Gosuke Katoh, and Mandy Alvarez join the team. Conde and Fleming are the only infielders returning to the team from 2017. In the outfield, Trey Amburgey, Rashad Crawford, and Jhalan Jackson join Ruta. Amburgey appeared in one game for the Thunder in the 2016 ELCS against Ak

Daniel Burch’s Bold Predictions for the 2018 Season

I have to admit, and a bit of an ICYMI here, when I read Bryan Van Dusen’s bold predictions for the 2018 season here on the blog I immediately thought about potentially doing a similar post of my own. When I read the article and then the subsequent comments about how Bryan was “high on shoe polish” or whatever the exact terminology was I, for one, laughed because who says that? And two, I then decided I wanted to do one of my own, so I could see what kind of “your trade proposal sucks” comments I could get myself. So here we go, my bold predictions for the 2018 season.

As it has been stated basically everywhere on the Yankees blogosphere and on Twitter, the New York Yankees need either a second baseman or a third baseman. The free agent market is dry and/or too expensive for the Yankees blood as they try to remain under the $197 million luxury tax threshold (according to reports the team is sitting at $178 million after the CC Sabathia signing that could pay him an additional $2 million leaving the total payroll for the Yankees at $180 million) so it looks like the only realistic option for the Yankees going forward is the trade market. Enter Ninja Cashman, as Bryan Van Dusen and many others call him.

While I like a deal that could potentially add Michael Fulmer to the stable of young Yankees pitchers I feel like the Tigers don’t have a reason to HAVE to trade him, thus making him really expensive. Fulmer could easily bridge the gap during the Tigers rebuild and would have immense value for the team going forward, plus I would rather get this whole infield situation rectified first before I add a sixth starting pitcher anyway. With that said I can see Brian Cashman calling up his old buddy Theo Epstein in Chicago and swinging a deal with him. Who would the Yankees be acquiring? Both Javier Baez and Ian Happ are young, cheap, controllable, versatile and could conceivably be grabbed if the Yankees sweeten the pot enough. The Cubs need bullpen help, especially in the closing department, and the Yankees have a few options including Dellin Betances and David Robertson. Giving up one of these two pitchers, preferably Robertson because of salary, and a prospect that is MLB ready or close or two like Billy McKinney or Jake Cave and a Domingo Acevedo (basically anyone but Clint Frazier or Estevan Florial at this point) could likely get one of these two infielders in the fold for New York.

Yes, I am well aware that the Cubs are high on Happ and I am also aware that the team plans on having Happ play center field as soon as next season, but one must also consider the fact that the Cubs still have Albert Amora Jr. waiting in the wings, Jason Heyward on the books and Bryce Harper in their line of site for the 2019 season. Happ played five different positions in 2017 while hitting 24 home runs at just age 23. Yes, Happ strikes out a lot. Aaron Judge does too and so does Giancarlo Stanton. In the era of sabermetrics and advanced metrics though a strikeout counts almost the same as a 400 foot fly out to center field inside Yankee Stadium, you can deal with those. Plus, Happ is left-handed which would be a great compliment to the aforementioned Stanton and Judge who are both right-handed along with fellow slugger Gary Sanchez.

Happ plays second and the Yankees stopgap at third base until Gleyber Torres is ready and his service calendar is delayed a season, the infield is set. The bench is set with Tyler Wade, Austin Romine or Alex Avila (remember we saved money by trading away David Robertson), Clint Frazier and Tyler Austin. I know what you’re asking, where is Jacoby Ellsbury? I am also eating his salary, up to about two-thirds of his salary, and I am also sending him to the San Francisco Giants but not along with Jordan Montgomery. That, I have to agree with “little p” patrick, is crazy talk. We are eating the salary, or we are sending a good prospect or MLB-proven player, not both. Bryan, himself, showed us that Ellsbury can still be useful and valuable so I don’t see a need in sending a proven player along with him. If the Giants want another player or two that most of us probably have never heard of, fine. Sweeten the pot and take the chance, but you don’t give them Montgomery and you don’t give them anyone who has a chance of making the team during the 2018 season in my opinion. Maybe send a couple of those fringe players that the team was unsure of adding to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection, the who is not as important as the fact that Ellsbury and at least all but $7-10 million of his salary annually is gone while Frazier is still on the team.

The Yankees have plenty of arms to survive the loss of Robertson and to survive the season until either Chance Adams or Justus Sheffield or ready, or until the July 31^st trading deadline arrives. Whichever comes first. If a need arises before-hand then you adjust just like any other team filling the slot with Chad Green or Adam Warren who are both coming to camp as starting pitchers, although likely to end up in the bullpen when all is said and done, and Opening Day is upon us. With the luxury tax threshold a real thing and the plan to get under it finally coming to fruition for the Yankees the time to “get greedy” has come and passed. The team has to be smart and they need to assess what is a want, like a sixth starting pitcher, and what is a need, an infielder and maybe a bullpen arm if my trade happens.

So what exactly is my boldest prediction of all? In a world where every wants the Yankees to go crazy, get greedy and acquire someone like a Michael Fulmer, Gerrit Cole or Patrick Corbin I am just sitting here expecting the five pitchers currently on the roster to be the starting five on Opening Day. Save some money and some ammo, i.e. prospects, for the trade deadline and get more for your buck. I expect, and boldly predict, the Yankees heavy lifting to be done aside from an infielder. Here’s to hoping Ian Happ or bust in the Bronx.

What are your bold predictions for the 2018 season?