The Yankees Could Take On THIS Contract AND Move Jacoby Ellsbury?

What the New York Yankees have on their hands is a $153 million fourth outfielder and bench player. While in years past I wouldn’t have personally blinked an eye at that because I was far from concerned with the austerity and the budget side of things when it came to my favorite team but this year it seems different. I see the end game here. I see the fact that the Yankees can spend one season being fiscally responsible before going back to the “Greedy Pinstripes” that the team was when they bought up the free agent market before the 2009 season thus spawning The Greedy Pinstripes blog and mindset. With that in mind I got thinking if the Yankees could possibly take on a bad or hefty contract that is possibly shorter in nature while somehow also shedding themselves of the Jacoby Ellsbury contract in the same move. Is it possible? Keep reading.

Before we get into the “who” the Yankees would be trading for let’s take a quick second and delve into “what” the Yankees are trading. Ellsbury is owed $21.2 million in 2017 (obviously a prorated amount since more than half the season has passed) as well as $21.2 million in each of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 season with an option and $5 million buyout option for the 2021 season. That’s $77 million the Yankees would be trying to move and officially four years on a deal. If the Yankees are going to move that they are going to have to take on a comparable contract so with that in mind I looked at not only comparable contracts but useful players with comparable contracts as well. Keep in mind that likely none of these players alone will lead the Yankees to a World Series but I truly think all of them could at least be useful down the stretch and for the remainder of the season.

The San Francisco Giants are presumably in sell mode and the team has a couple of pitchers that will presumably be moved before the deadline. Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto were added to the club a couple offseasons back with the intention of San Francisco heading back to the World Series but that plan never came to fruition for Brian Sabaen and company leading to the possible sell off of these contracts here in 2017. Samardzija has three years left on his deal worth $59.4 million while Cueto has an opt-out clause that would allow him to walk away from his four-years and nearly $100 million left on his deal on the table. According to Jon Heyman the Giants will lose Cueto to the opt-out clause this offseason regardless of how the right-hander pitches. That’s a big risk for the Yankees to take though just because Heyman and his “sources” say so though likely leading to a non-deal for the Yankees here. The team wants to shed salary and years, not gain a ton of it with a pair of pitchers at or above the 5.00 ERA mark in 2017 in a historically pitching friendly ballpark.

The Detroit Tigers also have a pair of pitchers that could and will likely be dealt before the deadline in 2017 in Jordan Zimmerman and Justin Verlander. Zimmerman is owed nearly $81 million for this season and the next three seasons while Verlander is owed $68 million for the remainder of 2017 and two seasons beyond this season. Neither Verlander nor Zimmerman has pitched well in a pitcher friendly environment out in Detroit and both pitchers would absolutely scare the life out of me inside Yankee Stadium. No thanks and no thank you.

Speaking of scaring the life out of people, the final potential trade the Yankees could make to shed some salary takes the team to the Deep South to Marlins Park in Miami. Yes I do realize that it is highly unlikely and borderline foolish for anyone to think the Yankees could pull off a deal involving Giancarlo Stanton for many reasons but now is the time to dream for the fans. Dream on this, dream on the idea of having Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez in the middle of the Yankees lineup for the next 10-15 years or longer. The Marlins’ hands will be tied for the most part with the team now up for sale by owner Jeffrey Loria but the only way the team is going to make any significant moves in my opinion is to shed some salary. That salary belongs to Giancarlo after he signed a monster 13-year deal worth $325 million, $300 million of that Stanton is still owed more or less. Taking back the salary of Jacoby Ellsbury is a drop in the bucket for Miami while the trade is potentially organization changing for both clubs. It isn’t likely to happen in my opinion but man is it nice to dream about having an outfield of Stanton, Judge and Clint Frazier going forward.

Keep in mind that if the Yankees don’t move Ellsbury before the July 31^st trading deadline that it doesn’t mean that the team can’t and won’t move him. There aren’t many teams or presumably any teams who would flat out claim him off waivers and risk being stuck with that entire contract so it seems very likely that the Yankees outfielder could clear waivers allowing him to be traded to any of the other 29 MLB teams. I’d say stay tuned but we have another month and a week before this one potentially works itself out. Stay tuned anyway though. 

Complete List of All 155 Free Agents This Winter

All 155 MLB free agents that will be competing for a new job this winter have hit free agency as soon as the World Series ended. Today is the final day that their former teams have exclusive negotiating rights and tonight at 12:01 am the free agency free-for-all begins. Do you think the Yankees sign any of the below 155 free agents? Leave those predictions in the comments section below.



Atlanta Braves
Ross Detwiler
Edwin Jackson
Peter Moylan
A.J. Pierzynski

Arizona Diamondbacks
David Hernandez
Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Baltimore Orioles
Wei-Yin Chen
Chris Davis
Darren O’Day
Gerardo Parra
Steve Pearce
Matt Wieters

Boston Red Sox
Craig Breslow
Rich Hill

Chicago Cubs
Trevor Cahill
Chris Denorfia
Dexter Fowler
Dan Haren
Tommy Hunter
Austin Jackson
Jason Motte
Fernando Rodney

Chicago White Sox
Matt Albers
Gordon Beckham
Jeff Samardzija
Geovany Soto

Cincinnati Reds
Sean Marshall
Manny Parra
Brayan Pena

Cleveland Indians
Mike Aviles
Gavin Floyd
Ryan Webb

Colorado Rockies
Kyle Kendrick
Justin Morneau

Detroit Tigers
Alex Avila
Rajai Davis
Tom Gorzelanny
Alfredo Simon
Randy Wolf

Houston Astros
Scott Kazmir
Oliver Perez
Colby Rasmus
Tony Sipp
Joe Thatcher

Kansas City Royals
Johnny Cueto
Ryan Madson
Franklin Morales
Chris Young
Ben Zobrist

Los Angeles Angels
David Freese
Chris Iannetta
Matt Joyce
Matt Latos
Shane Victorino
Wesley Wright

Los Angeles Dodgers
Brett Anderson
Howie Kendrick
Jimmy Rollins

Miami Marlins
Don Kelly
Jeff Mathis
Casey McGehee

Milwaukee Brewers
Kyle Lohse

Minnesota Twins
Blaine Boyer
Neal Cotts
Brian Duensing
Torii Hunter
Mike Pelfrey

New York Mets
Jerry Blevins
Yoenis Cespedes
Tyler Clippard
Bartolo Colon
Kelly Johnson
Daniel Murphy
Eric O’Flaherty
Bobby Parnell
Juan Uribe

New York Yankees
Chris Capuano
Stephen Drew
Chris Young

Oakland Athletics
Edward Mujica
Barry Zito

Philadelphia Phillies
Chad Billingsley
Jeff Francoeur
Aaron Harang
Jerome Williams

Pittsburgh Pirates
Antonio Bastardo
Joe Blanton
A.J. Burnett
J.A. Happ
Corey Hart
Aramis Ramirez
Sean Rodriguez
Joakim Soria

San Diego Padres
Josh Johnson
Shawn Kelley
Ian Kennedy
Brandon Morrow
Bud Norris
Justin Upton

San Francisco Giants
Jeremy Affeldt
Alejandro De Aza
Tim Hudson
Mike Leake
Tim Lincecum
Marco Scutaro
Ryan Vogelsong

Seattle Mariners
Joe Beimel
Franklin Gutierrez
Hisashi Iwakuma

St. Louis Cardinals
Matt Belisle
Randy Choate
Jason Heyward
John Lackey
Mark Reynolds
Carlos Villanueva

Tampa Bay Rays
Asdrubal Cabrera
John Jaso
Grady Sizemore

Texas Rangers
Yovani Gallardo
Colby Lewis
Mike Napoli
Ross Ohlendorf
Drew Stubbs
Will Venable

Toronto Blue Jays
Mark Buehrle
Marco Estrada
Jeff Francis
LaTroy Hawkins
Munenori Kawasaki
Mark Lowe
Dioner Navarro
Cliff Pennington
David Price

Washington Nationals
Ian Desmond
Doug Fister
Denard Span
Matt Thornton
Dan Uggla
Jordan Zimmermann

Recently Opted Out or Released:

Burke Badenhop (Reds)
Skip Schumaker (Reds)
Joe Nathan (Tigers)
Chad Qualls (Astros)
Jeremy Guthrie (Royals)
Alex Rios (Royals)
Zack Greinke (Dodgers)
Cliff Lee (Phillies)
Jonathan Broxton (Cardinals)
Clint Barmes (Padres)
Casey Janssen (Nationals)
Nate McLouth (Nationals)
Alexei Ramirez (White Sox)
David Murphy (Angels)
Alex Gordon (Royals)
Ryan Raburn (Indians)

The Free Agency Royal Rumble Returns – Starting Pitching

Last year around this time the blog was in full offseason mode with our eyes, as writers, on the 2015 season. The World Series was over and all 30 MLB teams were making their shopping lists and checking it twice for the winter so I thought this year we would do the same with the return of the Free Agency Royal Rumble. This is a bit of a play on the popular WWE PPV, the Royal Rumble, as we pit all the potential starting pitching targets for the New York Yankees and see which one wins the rumble (and is most likely to sign with the club).

The participants in the 2015 Free Agency Royal Rumble for starting pitchers are David Price, Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Jordan Zimmerman, Zack Greinke and Wei-Yin Chen. Men, take your positions the rumble is about to begin.

Immediately the group begins to wrestle and Zack Greinke, feeling his anxiety kick up and wondering what it would be like being booed off the Yankee Stadium field like the team was during the AL Wild Card Game, throws himself over the top rope and eliminates himself from the competition. The rest of the competitors take this opportunity to work together while they still can to get David Price up and over the top rope before his $30 million expected AAV on the wrong side of 30-years old and his postseason demons and monkey’s on his back make it impossible to take him out. Four remain.

Johnny Cueto walks up to Jordan Zimmerman and takes a peak at the contract he is said to be asking for that will undoubtedly set the market and wants to mimic Zimmerman’s demands with his own. Zimmerman catches Cueto peaking and reminds him of his numbers after switching to the American League and his postseason numbers as he throws him over the top rope to eliminate him. While this is happening Mike Leake, the opportunist, is also sneaking a peak at Zimmerman’s proposed contract demands and gets offended that he won’t make that for the rest of his career, let alone in one contract, and throws Zimmerman over the top rope while he is distracted leaving just two contestants remaining.

Mike Leake and Wei-Yin Chen. Leake has been active, eliminating Zimmerman, but Chen has quietly been sitting back resting and waiting for the opportunity. Chen is an ace in the making but is never mentioned alongside the other aces in this market and that has visibly angered him. Chen rushes at Leake intending to take out his frustrations on the former Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants right-hander and knocks him over the rope and to the floor. The problem is his momentum also carries himself over the rope and to the floor leaving no clear cut winner for the Yankees.

Chen is probably the best suited for the Yankees because he won’t command an astronomical contract in terms of years and dollars despite being American League East tested and Leake is the most likely for the same reasons, just on a lesser scale than Chen. With the Yankees already having a ton of depth, although no defined ace as we stand today, it seems unlikely that either are signed, or anyone in this field for that matter. The Yankees may take this rumble as a sign to stand pat here this winter. 

Is Mike Leake the Answer for 2016?

With all the talk surrounding the New York Yankees and their offseason plans before the 2016 season many names are being thrown around like the team is playing with house money. Unfortunately for the fans of the Yankees the team is not playing  with house money, they are playing with Hal’s money and no matter how many times he stands at a podium and tells the fans that he’s not cheap I don’t think he is convincing many fans otherwise. In a free agent market where his father would snatch up David Price, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Jordan Zimmerman Hal may, or he may not, only open up the strings for Mike Leake.

Leake was said to be a trade target for the New York Yankees at this past July 31^st trading deadline before the Cincinnati Reds traded the right-hander to the San Francisco Giants for a couple of prospects that I have never heard of and that San Francisco fans are not losing any sleep over. New York, in my opinion with hindsight being 20/20 like it is, dropped the ball in acquiring Leake and a wrong, for lack of a better word, could be righted this winter with just a paycheck.

Leake will not qualify for a qualifying offer since he was traded during the season meaning the Yankees could hold onto their first round draft pick for the 2016 season. Leake will also not command the salary or the years that many of this year’s free agent crop will command. Leake will not touch the $30 million AAV that Zack Greinke is expected to ask for and he will not come anywhere near the six or seven years that David Price is said to be requesting this offseason. Leake could end up signing for three years or so with a modest $12 million AAV, although that is simply my estimation and I could be wrong.

Leake doesn’t solve the Yankees “lack of an ace” problem the team has but if the club feels like that ace could be either Masahiro Tanaka or Luis Severino then having a potential #2, but likely solid #3, starter in Leake would be ideal for the club. Leake will eat innings and keep you in almost every single ball game which is huge for a team that is built around a solid offense and a juggernaut of a bullpen. 

Zack Greinke to the Yankees? No way... Right?

The New York Yankees, if you're using the World Series or bust mindset that many of the fans use every single season, failed in 2015 and enter the offseason with just as many question marks as they had when they went into the American League Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros. Does the team have enough confidence in their young guys to build another dynasty that all the fans want so bad? Does the team have one more run in them, especially offensively, before all these major contracts start coming off the books? Does the team have a true ace and who is it? The team could answer at least one of those questions on the free agent market, especially if Zack Greinke opts out of his current deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers after a first round exit in the postseason, but the Yankees couldn't make a run at Greinke... could they?

Let's quickly put to bed the ideas of him not being mentally tough enough to handle New York, that's ridiculous. First and foremost Greinke has been in the Los Angeles market and the postseason in recent seasons and has been seemingly unfazed. In fact Greinke hasn't had any sort of set backs from his social anxiety disorder or his depression since his early days with the Kansas City Royals, something that was treated according to his wikipedia page. Greinke's medical problems are now diagnosed, where before they weren't, medicated and treated. He'll be fine. Here's the wiki page:

Greinke was quiet and sometimes awkward in the clubhouse. To alleviate some of his anxiety and solitude, the Royals arranged for him to live with Royals Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.[23] Still, Greinke's uneasiness grew. By the 2005–2006 offseason, he almost quit baseball. Greinke later remarked that, at the time, he did not expect to return to baseball.[24] He left spring training for personal reasons in late February 2006.[25] It was later revealed that he was suffering from social anxiety disorder and depression.[26] He reported back to the Royals' spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona, on April 17, where he underwent ongoing pitching sessions. He was placed on the 60-day disabled list due to psychological issues and took time away from baseball entirely.[27] He began seeing a sports psychologist and taking anti-depressant medication.

What you have to worry about when it comes to the Yankees is if New York is willing to open their purse strings to acquire Greinke. Greinke walked away from three years and $71 million, reportedly as it has not been officially announced, in search of at least a five-year deal worth $150 million. I honestly cannot fathom any team giving a 32-year old starting pitcher $30 million a year, he's not as young or as good as Clayton Kershaw was when he got an AAV of $30 million, but in a market flooded with pitching talent he just might if he's patient enough. Teams get desperate in December and January, and teams will especially get antsy when Jordan Zimmerman and David Price come off the board, so while I personally don't feel like it will happen I could totally see it happening, just not from the Yankees.

If New York is going to give another $20-$20 million AAV to a starting pitcher it has to be for David Price, no? Postseason struggles and all. I can't see New York giving that kind of money to any starting pitcher for quite a long time. What Alex Rodriguez did to 10-year deals for New York CC Sabathia has done to huge money contracts for pitchers in the Yankees eyes. I can see the Yankees waiting on James Kaprielian and building for the 2017 and 2018 season while still competing before I can see them going all in for any starting pitcher this winter. Hal Steinbrenner has done weirder things so stay tuned...

What if CC Sabathia Retires before 2016?

One of the biggest unknowns heading into the winter before the 2016 season and for the entire 2016 season will not be Carlos Beltran or Alex Rodriguez, it will be CC Sabathia. Sabathia’s 2015 season ended with him checking himself into an alcohol rehabilitation center in the midst of his battle with alcoholism while the left-hander spent another partial season on the disabled list with knee concerns. Sabathia has had trouble with his right surgically repaired knee for three consecutive seasons now and isn’t getting any younger, what would the Yankees do if the southpaw decided to just hang up his spikes and his rosin bag before 2016?

If Sabathia was to retire that would drop the potential list of Yankees starters from eight to seven leaving just Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Luis Severino, Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell, Ivan Nova and Nathan Eovaldi realistically vying for rotation spots. Theoretically Rookie Davis, Brady Lail and anyone acquired via free agency or in a trade could also make their way to the front of the line but that’s the core as it stands today, October 16^th.

I don’t think a Sabathia retirement would lead the team to dip into the free agency pool. Sabathia’s departure would not bring a David Price, a Jordan Zimmerman or a Johnny Cueto. It may bring Warren to the rotation and Davis to the bullpen but that’s about the extent of it. Sabathia is not relied upon as an ace or a stopper anymore and as much as I hate to say it, because I like his leadership, his guts and his fire, he is possibly the most replaceable starter in the Yankees rotation.

I admittedly do not know how the whole contract language in the collective bargaining agreement works so I am unclear how his remaining contract and vesting option would play out if he was to retire. The vesting option triggers if Sabathia does not end the 2016 season on the disabled list with left shoulder injuries or concerns. If Sabathia retires would he technically not end the season on the DL or would he surrender any option years? That’s for Hal Steinbrenner, the MLB Players Association and for a room for a lawyers to figure out. If someone knows for sure please leave a comment in the comments section because I am not 100% sure either way. 

How Will Qualifying Offers Affect Yankees Free Agency Plans?

With the qualifying offer number set at $15.8 million and a laundry list of players that I predicted to receive said qualifying offer earlier today I wanted to take a stab at whether those offers would affect the Yankees free agency plans for 2016. Usually you can use the past as an indicator or a stepping stone for the future but honestly that won't help us here. Before the 2014 season the team wen't crazy on the free agent market surrendering draft picks for Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury while last year the team stockpiled draft picks in an effort to jump start and rebuild the farm system.

The Yankees are barely a season removed from their international haul that cost them $30 million for a crew of 16-year old international free agents and the team is also less than six months removed from adding James Kaprielian, Kyle Holder, Jeff Degano and others to the farm from the MLB Draft. With this season's free agency crop as deep as it has been in recent memory this may be the season that proves to be the first free agent market that's worth mortgaging the future for, especially with the Yankees picking at the end of the first round once again in the 2016 Draft. Below is a list of players that I feel like will receive a qualifying offer and the bolded players are players I believe the Yankees will be interested in, not necessarily sign.

LHP Wei-Yin Chen - Baltimore Orioles
1B/DH Chris Davis - Baltimore Orioles
C Matt Wieters - Baltimore Orioles
OF Jason Heyward - St. Louis Cardinals
RHP Jeff Samardzija - Chicago White Sox
OF Dextor Fowler - Chicago Cubs
RHP Zack Greinke - Los Angeles Dodgers (if he opts out)
OF Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals (if he declines his player option worth $12.5 million)
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma - Seattle Mariners (They want him back anyway)
RHP John Lackey - St. Louis Cardinals
OF Justin Upton - San Diego Padres
RHP Jordan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
LHP Brett Anderson - Los Angeles Dodgers
INF Ian Desmond - Washington Nationals
INF Daniel Murphy - New York Mets
OF Colby Rasmus - Houston Astros

The Yankees will not receive any draft compensation for their free agents this season, Stephen Drew, Chris Capuano and Chris Young, so any players signed that are attached to draft pick compensation will negatively affect the future of the farm system in my opinion. With that said I think the Yankees could target a David Price, a Mike Leake, a Ben Zobrist or a Johnny Cueto and avoid the draft pick compensation or the team may give up a pick for Justin Upton or Jordan Zimmerman. Other than that it looks like the Yankees will be picking somewhere around the #18-22 position next June for the 2016 MLB First Year Players Draft. There just isn't that's realistic enough to give up a draft pick for. Greinke is not coming to the Bronx, Zimmerman probably isn't either and Heyward is just a pipe dream that I will hold onto all offseason long.

Predicting the 2016 Qualifying Offers

While many fans are still in full blown "MLB Playoffs" mode I myself am more focused on the 2016 season. Sure I have been watching the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals series rooting for the Cubs and I've watched about a game of the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers series but I'm not glued to my television by any means. I am more focused on the New York Yankees and the 2016 season and this week we learned that the qualifying offer for the 2016 season would be set at $15.8 million, up from $15.5 million in 2015.

Which players do I think get a qualifying offer for 2016?

LHP Wei-Yin Chen - Baltimore Orioles
1B/DH Chris Davis - Baltimore Orioles
C Matt Wieters - Baltimore Orioles
OF Jason Heyward - St. Louis Cardinals
RHP Jeff Samardzija - Chicago White Sox
OF Dextor Fowler - Chicago Cubs
RHP Zack Greinke - Los Angeles Dodgers (if he opts out)
OF Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals (if he declines his player option worth $12.5 million)
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma - Seattle Mariners (They want him back anyway)
RHP John Lackey - St. Louis Cardinals
OF Justin Upton - San Diego Padres
RHP Jordan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
LHP Brett Anderson - Los Angeles Dodgers
INF Ian Desmond - Washington Nationals
INF Daniel Murphy - New York Mets
OF Colby Rasmus - Houston Astros

Keep in mind that David Price, Gerrardo Parra, Johnny Cueto, Yoenis Cespedes, Tyler Clippard, Marlon Byrd,Austin Jackson, Scott Kazmir, Joakim Soria and Ben Zobrist are not eligible for qualifying offers after being traded during the middle of the 2015 season.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Making the Case to Trade Michael Pineda

"Got traded... see ya guys." - Michael Pineda

The New York Yankees and GM Brian Cashman ruffled the feathers of the league when they traded then top prospect Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners for an up-and-coming pitcher named Michael Pineda. It took a while for New York to reap some of the benefits of having the young right-hander, Pineda missed the entire 2012 and 2013 season with shoulder issues and missed some of the 2014 season with arm trouble as well, but finally got a long look at what they traded for in 2015. At times Pineda looked to be the ace of the staff and the savior for the team and at other times I wouldn’t have personally given up Jesus Montero’s mother for him in a trade. All in all though Pineda finished the season with a 12-10 record and a 4.37 ERA as he prepares to enter salary arbitration for the first time in his career. Is it time to sell “high” on Pineda and his two seasons of team control?


Pineda is a young talent that just can’t seem to stay healthy nor can he remain effective. Excuses are thrown around that Joe Girardi wasn’t giving him enough rest or was giving him too much rest of that someone messed with his Buddha statue named Jobu in his locker (Pedro Cerrano reference) and not enough results to really back him up on anything. After basically a full season and a glimpse into the future I’m not sure if Pineda has the marbles (I have a million of these “Major League II” references so stay tuned) to cut it in New York.


Pineda is an immense talent but this team is without a true #1 starting pitcher in my opinion while also having a few holes elsewhere to fill. When you look at the free agent market heading into this winter the talent pool is flush with starting pitchers, namely David Price, Jordan Zimmerman, Johnny Cueto and likely Zack Greinke if he opts out of his deal as he is expected to, while the Yankees have a laundry list of names to fill just five positions in the rotation. Masahiro Tanaka leads that list followed by Luis Severino, Adam Warren (Brian Cashman himself called him a starter recently), CC Sabathia for likely two more seasons, Ivan Nova, Bryan Mitchell and a slew of minor leaguers that are unlikely to crack the rotation out of Spring Training including Brady Lail and Rookie Davis.



If the Yankees could sell Pineda off for a right-handed hitting power bat or a second baseman the team has enough confidence in to play every day then I’m all for it. I’m all for selling high on a player when selling high makes sense for the organization and selling Pineda off this offseason may be in the best interest for everyone involved. Or not.

Making the Case to Trade Michael Pineda

"Got traded... see ya guys." - Michael Pineda

The New York Yankees and GM Brian Cashman ruffled the feathers of the league when they traded then top prospect Jesus Montero to the Seattle Mariners for an up-and-coming pitcher named Michael Pineda. It took a while for New York to reap some of the benefits of having the young right-hander, Pineda missed the entire 2012 and 2013 season with shoulder issues and missed some of the 2014 season with arm trouble as well, but finally got a long look at what they traded for in 2015. At times Pineda looked to be the ace of the staff and the savior for the team and at other times I wouldn’t have personally given up Jesus Montero’s mother for him in a trade. All in all though Pineda finished the season with a 12-10 record and a 4.37 ERA as he prepares to enter salary arbitration for the first time in his career. Is it time to sell “high” on Pineda and his two seasons of team control?

Pineda is a young talent that just can’t seem to stay healthy nor can he remain effective. Excuses are thrown around that Joe Girardi wasn’t giving him enough rest or was giving him too much rest of that someone messed with his Buddha statue named Jobu in his locker (Pedro Cerrano reference) and not enough results to really back him up on anything. After basically a full season and a glimpse into the future I’m not sure if Pineda has the marbles (I have a million of these “Major League II” references so stay tuned) to cut it in New York.

Pineda is an immense talent but this team is without a true #1 starting pitcher in my opinion while also having a few holes elsewhere to fill. When you look at the free agent market heading into this winter the talent pool is flush with starting pitchers, namely David Price, Jordan Zimmerman, Johnny Cueto and likely Zack Greinke if he opts out of his deal as he is expected to, while the Yankees have a laundry list of names to fill just five positions in the rotation. Masahiro Tanaka leads that list followed by Luis Severino, Adam Warren (Brian Cashman himself called him a starter recently), CC Sabathia for likely two more seasons, Ivan Nova, Bryan Mitchell and a slew of minor leaguers that are unlikely to crack the rotation out of Spring Training including Brady Lail and Rookie Davis.

If the Yankees could sell Pineda off for a right-handed hitting power bat or a second baseman the team has enough confidence in to play every day then I’m all for it. I’m all for selling high on a player when selling high makes sense for the organization and selling Pineda off this offseason may be in the best interest for everyone involved. Or not. 

Would a Six Man Rotation Effect The Yankees In Free Agency?

The New York Yankees, before the injury to CC Sabathia over the weekend, announced that they were likely to roll with all six of their starting pitchers for the remainder of the 2015 season as they implement the six-man rotation. The team has tried to give as much extra rest as possible to Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Nathan Eovaldi this season and have inserted a sixth starter on a temporary basis more than once already this season which made the decision to go to a six-man rotation less of a surprise. Would the decision to go with a six-man rotation makes sense for the 2015 season and would it affect the Yankees plans for the 2016 season as well? Well, it could!

The starting pitching market will be absolutely insane this offseason with the likes of David Price, Jordan Zimmerman, Johnny Cueto and even Doug Fister hitting free agency this winter. With the idea of a six-man rotation, even on a temporary basis, still being uncharted territory in Major League Baseball it may potentially scare pitchers away from coming to the team with the fear of their routines and habits being messed with.

Another question would be whether the likes of Price, Zimmerman or Cueto would be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million plus per season for 25-28 starts in a season rather than 35 starts or so in the regular season.

Some pitchers have benefited from the extra rest, Tanaka and Sabathia as great examples of that, while others have struggled with the extra rest, see Michael Pineda, which could also be a huge factor in whether or not a pitcher will come to the club. While pitchers like David Price, who will be 30 in just a few days, is likely to sign his last big contract of his career this winter pitchers like Zimmerman and Fister will likely sign deals in the four-to-five year range leaving one more big free agency push to go in their careers. Would they want to risk struggling in New York in a six-man rotation for four or five years and risk hurting their potential free agency status later?

There a lot of questions in this post and not a lot of answers unfortunately. The six-man rotation will presumably help the 2015 Yankees but if the team likes the results they may want to go forward with it in 2016. How that line of progressive thinking may or may not hurt the Yankees going forward, specifically in free agency, is unclear and the unknown is generally scary.

The Max Scherzer Domino Has Fallen

Max Scherzer signed with the Washington Nationals late Sunday night on a reported seven year deal marking the biggest domino to finally fall this winter. This will undoubtedly escalate the market for James Shields, Ryan Vogelsong and the rest of the market’s free agent starting pitchers. How does this domino falling affect the Yankees though you may be asking? Washington now has far too much starting pitching and not enough rotation spots to fill them all. Enter Jordan Zimmerman.

We have clamored for Zimmerman once or twice already this winter so the name should be familiar to you all. Zimmerman comes with just one year remaining of team control, which would keep his prospects cost down, but would give the Yankees the legitimate ace they undoubtedly need. More moves will come so the Yankees should not just limit themselves to Zimmerman or bust as all the teams that will miss out on both Scherzer and Shields will begin scrambling for what’s left on the market and especially in the trade market.

Cole Hamels will get extremely expensive while Zimmerman will be extremely well sought after. Is this not the deal Brian Cashman has been waiting for? The deal that Cashman has been stockpiling pitching for? Stockpiling prospects for? If not Zimmerman, what about Doug Fister? The possibilities are endless and I think this is the eventual endgame for Cashman. He’s been sitting and waiting patiently for this shoe to drop and this domino to fall so he can pounce, and that time is now. Get it done Cash. 

Hey Washington, Better You Then Me

When I read the news that the Washington Nationals had signed Max Scherzer to a seven year deal I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. When I read that the deal was worth $210 million my disappointment level plummeted. When I read that Washington will be paying Scherzer until he’s 45 years old and for the next 14 years I just kind of chuckled a bit.

While this deal is genius for the next four or five years, especially with Scherzer in the National League and facing the pitcher once every three innings, this deal is going to potentially handcuff the organization down the road. Scherzer will be on the books until 2028 and won’t be on the team after the 2021 season. This is not even mentioning the similarities in the contract to Clayton Kershaw and factoring in how much younger, better and which hand Kershaw throws with versus Scherzer.

This deal has all the makings of looking terrible and crippling to the franchise in five to nine years. This makes me very happy that Brian Cashman, for once, did not fold to Scott Boras. Scherzer is great but just how much better are the Nationals with him anyway? Especially if they trade away Jordan Zimmerman or Doug Fister? Not 14 years and $210 million better that’s for darn sure. 

Cole Hamels or Jordan Zimmerman Ready to Don Pinstripes?

During the Winter Meetings many Yankees fans were upset while New York and Brian Cashman sat on their hands and watched the rest of the league throw money around like they were printing it themselves. Before the meetings and ever since Cashman has been making moves and additions including adding Nathan Eovaldi, David Carpenter, Didi Gregorius, Chasen Shreve, Johnny Barbato and others that could potentially be a part of bigger deal for a starting pitcher. The Yankees don't seem interested in free agent RHP Max Scherzer but the Washington Nationals do and may need to unload Jordan Zimmerman to do so. The Philadelphia Phillies also need to rebuild and the only way that's done right is to trade Cole Hamels.

Enter the Yankees who now have, if there is such a thing, too many arms for too little spots in the bullpen and in the minor leagues. Just the LHP options alone include Jamez Pazos, Jacob Lindgren, Tyler Webb, Justin Wilson and now Shreve. The RHP options include Barbatos, Jose Ramirez, Chase Whitley, Bryan Mitchell, Branden Pinder, Danny Burawa and a ton of others I could list. The infield depth is materializing with Cole Figueroa, Robert Refsnyder, Jose Pirela and others while the catching and outfield depth has always been pretty present.

Are the Yankees lining themselves up for a trade or are they simply stockpiling and cornering the market? Who knows but if the Yankees want to send Refsnyder, Eovaldi, Wilson and a throw in for Zimmerman I think they are lined up to do just that. If the Yankees want to unload the farm with Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird and a combination of the above including Eovaldi for Hamels then they could. That's all due to Brian Cashman and his inactivity at the Winter Meetings, not that he will ever get the recognition he deserves.

Why the Yankees Should Pursue Jordan Zimmerman

We all know about the Nathan Eovaldi trade and the re-signing of Chris Capuano. We all probably know those moves should put an end to the Yankees' offseason.

After making them, the Yankees have five respectable starters they can use to put up a decent fight in 2015. Again, they're respectable, not necessarily above-average.

Basically, the Yankees' rotation is mediocre right now. Considering their weak offense, the Yankees will likely only be able to win next season with pitching, so why aren't they still looking for arms? They've shown no interest in doing so up to this point, but that can change. The Nationals have expressed interest recently in trading Jordan Zimmerman to make room for Max Scherzer, so the Yankees can always go after him. They have to in my opinion, and here's why:

1. Zimmerman is Reliable:

I personally believe that Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda will do fine next year, but that doesn't mean everyone one else will as well. CC Sabathia is losing velocity, Eovaldi's a mystery, Capuano's not really supposed to dominate, and Ivan Nova is coming off Tommy John surgery. Zimmerman would bring reliability to the Yankees if acquired, giving them a nice trio to cancel out the others' inevitable struggles.

2. Zimmerman's a Cheap Ace:

It may be too good for Brian Cashman to believe, but Zimmerman's actually affordable. He only has one year left on his contract, but in it he's set to make just under $12 million. That's not bad, especially when the Yankees have already proved more than willing to give Capuano just under half that. Not to mention, Zimmerman's also an ace, so if Tanaka or Pineda go down, the Yankees need not worry.

3. The Yankees Can't Pass Up the Opportunity:

If next season's second base battle's going to be between Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, then why don't the Yankees just pick their favorite and send the other to DC? I don't want to do that, but trading's all about sacrificing. A nice prospect package is worth nothing compared to Zimmerman.

To put it simply, we've all been wishing, secretly or openly, the Yankees make a run at the aforementioned Scherzer, and we all know New York's current group isn't championship-caliber. Unfortunately, signing Scherzer won't happen, but that doesn't mean the Yankees can't still improve. Zimmerman's better than James Shields, cheaper than Scherzer, and healthier than Tanaka. Why the Yankees wouldn't at least try to get him, frankly, beats me.

If Jordan Zimmerman is Available...

The New York Yankees have seemingly made it their goal to get younger, deeper and more flexible this offseason while still trying to compete. The additions of Nathan Eovaldi, Didi Gregorius and the presumable addition of either Robert Refsnyder and/or Jose Pirela to second base are evidence of a team trying a new philosophy when it comes to team building. Should that new team philosophy force Brian Cashman to make a phone call to the GM of the Washington Nationals if Jordan Zimmerman really is available? Sure, why not.

If the Nationals want to sign Max Scherzer and have to trade Zimmerman to accommodate then New York should definitely try and help. Zimmerman would give the Yankees a true ace, not an ace in waiting and not an ace with health questions in 2015, and while he would cost a lot for a one year rental he could be re-signed to an extension before the season begins. Scott Boras does not represent Zimmerman and the Yankees broke their policy of not negotiating with free agents before their current deal expires so it would not be out of the realm of possibilities for an extension to be a part of the negotiations. Zimmerman is 28 years old and will be 29 entering free agency so if worst came to worst New York could offer him a qualifying offer and get a first round draft pick as compensation if he left.

I don't pretend to know what the Nationals need or what they would want from us so I could be totally off base with this trade idea but it seems Washington may be nearing a cap to their spending. With the likes of Wilson Ramos, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg set to hit free agency soon they would obviously need a replacement or some salary relief elsewhere. Gary Sanchez could be ready by the time Ramos is set to be a free agent and could headline the deal. The rest of the deal I'm not so sure about but if it took a controllable NL pitcher like Nathan Eovaldi and another prospect or two to get the job done then it seems worth it to me.

What say you?