Meet the 2019 Yankees: Albert Abreu

One of the top pitching prospects in the New York Yankees system is Albert Abreu. Abreu was brought over to the Yankees from the Houston Astros in a trade for Brian McCann back in 2016. Abreu is slowly, due to injuries, working his way towards the Major Leagues, so let’s meet him and his uber-talented right arm.

Albert Abreu, 23-years old, is a right-handed starting pitcher inside the New York Yankees organization and a RHP that sits at or near the top of the Yankees top pitching prospects in their system. Abreu stands 6’2” and weighs 175 lbs. and possesses a 95-96 MPH fastball that tops out at 99 MPH, as well as a slider, curveball and changeup that he can throw consistently for strikes. Abreu’s changeup is probably his most consistent pitch in his repertoire with its steep drop late in its path.

Albert Enmanuel Abreu was born on September 26, 1995 in Guayubin, Dominican Republic where he was signed by the Houston Astros as an international free agent in 2013. Abreu was 17-years old at the time and signed with Houston for $185,000. Abreu spent time in the Astros organization until November 17, 2016 when he was traded along with Jorge Guzman for the Yankees starting catcher, Brian McCann.

Abreu made stops with three affiliates in 2017, starting with the GCL Yankees and ending in A-Ball with the Charleston Riverdogs, finishing the season with 53.1 innings pitched. New York saw enough in those 53 innings to add Abreu to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.

Abreu pitched for the GCL Yankees again in 2018, as well as the Tampa Yankees and the Double-A Trenton Thunder before heading down to the Dominican Winter League following the season. Abreu was hampered by injuries once again in 2018 and was limited to just 17 games, plus another six games in the DOWL.

Abreu will look to continue his path towards the Major Leagues in 2019, likely starting the year with the Trenton Thunder. If healthy, it won’t be long before Abreu is in Triple-A with Scranton… and then eventually the Bronx.

Meet a Prospect Special Edition: Giancarlo Stanton

Wow guys, Daniel Burch be slacking. Somehow, someway the New York Yankees shocked the world acquiring the reigning National League MVP from the Miami Marlins in Giancarlo Stanton and I did not formally and officially introduce him to the Greedy Pinstripes family. My apologies, I do not know how this one slipped through the cracks. With that said, and I don’t need to say much because it is Giancarlo freaking Stanton we are talking about here, let us honor and introduce one of the newest members of the Yankees the only way we know how. This is Meet a Prospect Special Edition: The Giancarlo freaking Stanton Edition baby!!

Giancarlo Cruz Michael Stanton was born on November 8, 1989 as a future man of many names. I say this because his mother calls him Cruz, but his father and other relatives call him Mike or Mikey. Stanton was known as Mike Stanton all the way through High School, his minor league career and through the 2011 season MLB season before letting it be known that he preferred to be called Giancarlo. Giancarlo comes from African American, Irish and Puerto Rican descent and grew up idolizing both Roberto Clemente and Ivan Rodriguez, who are both from Puerto Rico.

Stanton attended Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California for two years before transferring to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California where “Mike” became a three-sport athlete. Stanton obviously played baseball, but also played wide receiver and cornerback in football, and also played basketball. Stanton was offered football scholarships from UCLA, UNLV and USC to play football but decided that baseball was his passion leading him to accept a scholarship from Tulane to play baseball, thus beginning his amateur career. Well, that was the plan anyway until the Florida Marlins came calling in the second round, 76^th overall, of the 2007 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft with a $475,000 signing bonus. Rather than go to Tulane to play baseball like he committed to Giancarlo was headed to the minor leagues instead with the Gulf Coast League Marlins.

Giancarlo was moved through the Marlins system quickly after signing making quick pit stops in the Gulf Coast League, the Class-A Short Season New York – Penn League, and A-Ball through the 2008 season. While in A-Ball with the Greensboro Grasshoppers Giancarlo showed the Marlins what kind of power he could possess hitting 39 home runs with a .293 batting average and 97 RBI. Giancarlo opened a lot of eyes within the Marlins organization and even received an invitation to the 2009 Marlins spring training camp after winning numerous post-season awards for his performance in the 2008 minor league season. With that showing Giancarlo was ranked as the 16^th best prospect in all of Major League Baseball according to Baseball America, all at age 18 (soon-to-be 19).

Stanton continued his quick move towards the Major Leagues in 2009 with stops with Class A-Advanced and a trip to Double-A after being named to the All-Stars Futures Game for Team USA. After the season Giancarlo represented the Marlins in the Arizona Fall League and was named the 3^rd best prospect in all of Major League Baseball and the top prospect in the Marlins system according to Baseball America and John Manuel. Stanton began the 2010 season in Triple-A for the Marlins, but he was not long for the league as Florida decided to call up Giancarlo to the Major Leagues on June 6^th of 2010. Giancarlo was just 20-years old at the time of his call up making him the third youngest player in Marlins history to be called up to the Show behind Edgar Renteria and Miguel Cabrera. Stanton debuted with a 3-for-5 night with two infield singles and two runs scored. Giancarlo had a great rookie season that ended with him being named as an outfielder on Baseball America’s 2010 All-Rookie Team as well as an outfielder on the 2010 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team.

For as many highs as Giancarlo had in 2010 he had just as many lows in 2011 due to leg and eye injuries that kept the outfielder from really being consistent at the plate. Stanton overall finished the season with 34 home runs and 87 RBI in 516 at-bats but finished with just a .262 batting average. Giancarlo used the injury riddled season as motivation for him in the 2012 season which saw Stanton be named to the National League All-Star Team for the first time in his MLB career. Giancarlo was slated to participate in the Home Run Derby as well that season but ended up missing both events after undergoing knee surgery in July of 2012. Despite the injury and missing the Mid-Summer Classic Giancarlo finished the season with a .290 batting average, 37 home runs, a .361 OBP, and a .608 slugging percentage. The 2013 season was another typical season for Giancarlo, just with a few more injuries than he would have like sprinkled in.

Stanton represented Team USA in the World Baseball Classic before the 2013 season, but it was downhill after that as by the end of April the right fielder was on the disabled list with a Grade II hamstring injury. Stanton missed six weeks of the season ending the season with just 425 at-bats, a .249 average, 106 hits, 62 RBI and 24 home runs including his 99^th and 100^th of his career. Stanton came into the 2014 season more determined than ever to stay on the field and stay healthy, and that he did with another NL All-Star Game appearance representing the Marlins. Stanton finished the 2014 season with a .288 batting average, 37 home runs, 105 RBI, and 94 walks, but his 2014 season may best be remembered as the season he took a fastball to the face off then Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers. Stanton was hit in the face with the ball resulting in multiple facial fractures, lacerations and dental damage which is why he wears the protective head piece on his batting helmet that he can be seen wearing even today, four years later. Stanton, despite the injury, finished second in the NL MVP vote behind Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. The runner up position in the NL MVP vote was likely disappointing, but he wasn’t disappointed long after the Miami Marlins approached their right fielder about a contract extension that offseason.

On November 17, 2014 the Marlins and Stanton agreed to the most lucrative contract in sports history when the two teams decided on a contract that would pay Stanton $325 million over the next 13 seasons. The deal included a no-trade clause and an opt-out clause written into the contract that Stanton could exercise after he turns 30-years old. Stanton’s salary would increase each year he played for the Marlins per the terms of the deal. Heading into the 2015 season all eyes were on Stanton and whether he could live up to the most lucrative contract given in all the major North American sports and Stanton did everything he could, and everything his body would let him, to do just that. Stanton hit bombs in 2015, 27 of them in 74 games, but his season would end prematurely once again due to injury in 2015 after breaking the hamate bone in his left wrist during the month of June. Once again, a season ended much earlier than it should have for Stanton.

Stanton was determined to make the 2016 season not only a full season, but his best season yet at the Major League level. Stanton did not get elected to the National League All-Star team in 2016, but he was selected to participate in the 2016 Home Run Derby and Stanton made a statement for all to see on that eventful Monday night. Stanton hit a total of 61 home runs winning the Derby, a new record for a single Home Run Derby, including the 10 longest home runs hit that night and 18 of the 19 longest among the eight competitors. Stanton once again missed time in August and September after suffering another Grade II hamstring strain, this time missing 22 games. Stanton ended the season with a .240 batting average, 27 home runs and 74 RBI. While this was a down season by all accounts for Stanton he was able to make it back on the field by the end of the 2016 season, something that his doctors and the training staff did not see happening after the hamstring injury.

Stanton finally put it all together for a complete season in 2017 earning his fourth selection to the All-Star Game as a representative for the National League. Stanton once again participated in the Home Run Derby but lost in the first round by one home to the New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez despite putting on another show for the fans. Stanton set a Marlins franchise record for the most home runs in a season with his 43^rd home run on August 14, passing Gary Sheffield’s 42 home runs set in 1996, and even hit a home run in six consecutive games in 2017, also a franchise record. Stanton ended the 2017 season with 59 home runs, 132 RBI and a .281 batting average earning Giancarlo not only his second Hank Aaron Award of his career, but his first National League Most Valuable Player Award as well, beating out Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto by two voting points.

During the offseason of the 2018 season the Miami Marlins ownership changed hands to a group that included former Yankees legend Derek Jeter. New ownership sought to dump salary and start fresh with the organization which began and ended with Stanton. The Marlins began the process of trying to deal Stanton and his no-trade clause to the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, but Stanton exercised his NTC in both deals. In the end the New York Yankees acquired Stanton and cash considerations from the Marlins for Starlin Castro and minor leaguers Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers. Stanton became just the second player in Major League history to be traded the season after hitting 50 home runs, the other being Greg Vaughn, but instantly the reigning NL MVP became first in the hearts of Yankees fans after his acquisition.

Stanton has immediately become a fan favorite in New York and the “best friend” (as evident by the tweet sent by his new teammate on Twitter after news broke of the trade) of current Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge. Stanton will split time between the outfield and the DH position here in 2018, something that will hopefully keep him fresh and healthy all season long and should be penciled in for about 173 home runs this season. Marlins Park was named one of the six hardest parks to hit a home run out of in 2017, so hitting inside Yankee Stadium III at least 81 games a season should truly benefit the right-handed slugger.

I know I am late and I know this has probably been said numerous times before, but better late than never. Giancarlo, Mike, Cruz, whomever. Welcome to New York, welcome to the biggest stage, welcome to the team, welcome to the tradition and the history that is the Yankees, and most importantly WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!!!

The End of the Winter Meetings...

Lots of Sun in Florida for the Yankees…

The Baseball Winter Meetings are always my favorite time of the off-season and this year did not disappoint.  

I just returned from a trip (hence, my silence on the site for the past few days). As I was departing on Saturday morning, I first read some tweets that the Yankees had been talking aggressively overnight with the Miami Marlins. By the time, I reached the airport, Twitter was exploding with tweets that the Yankees had pulled off the trade that brought the great Giancarlo Stanton to the Bronx. 

Credit:  Willie J Allen, Jr, Associated Press 

I hadn’t really thought about Stanton in pinstripes until recently when Bryan Van Dusen had  raised the possibility on The Greedy Pinstripes website. At first, I dismissed the idea, thinking there was no way to fit Giancarlo into Hal Steinbrenner’s budget for 2018. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Still, I thought either the San Francisco Giants or the St Louis Cardinals, with negotiated trades in place with the Marlins, would be successful in their talks with the slugger to get him to waive his no-trade clause. I also kept thinking the Los Angeles Dodgers were waiting in the weeds to make their strike.  Much to my surprise, Stanton’s representatives announced on Friday that the Cardinals were out, followed later that he would not be going to San Francisco. We didn’t know it at the time, but the Yankees had already been making headway in their talks with Miami and Stanton had rejected St Louis and San Francisco because he had knowledge that he would be headed to one of his original four desired destinations.  

I had a strong feeling that the Yankees were going to trade Starlin Castro this winter based on some reports that I had heard. Perhaps he would have stayed in Pinstripes if Stanton hadn’t fallen into GM Brian Cashman’s lap. But regardless of his faults, I am sorry to see Castro go. There were a lot of jokes about how the Yankees fleeced the Marlins and got Stanton for nothing, but I disagree. The Marlins landed an All-Star second baseman and an all-around good guy in All-Starlin. The two prospects acquired by the Marlins were lower level but we’ve all heard about the 100 mph arm of Jorge Guzman (one half of the return, along with Albert Abreu, for former Yankees catcher Brian McCann from the Houston Astros last winter).  Guzman has a chance to be a quality Major League arm. The other, infielder Jose Devers, is only 18, and is a cousin of Rafael Devers, the young Boston Red Sox third baseman. Granted, the Yankees didn’t relinquish any of their top prospects but they still paid a good price to take Stanton’s contract. If Stanton doesn’t exercise his opt-out in three years (his agent has already said that he will not), the Marlins will send $30 million to the Yankees to help pay down the contract. There’s no doubt this was a trade the Yankees had to make and any of us would have pulled the trigger on it, but it does carry a sense of loss for those players the Yankees sent to South Beach. So, I am tired of hearing that the Yankees acquired Stanton for nothing. 

Credit:  Joseph D Sullivan

From a roster standpoint, I really like that it opened second base for super prospect Gleyber Torres. I’ve felt that second or short would be a much better fit for Torres than the previously projected third base. Shortstop Didi Gregorius is not going anywhere anytime soon so second is the next best spot. There’s no doubt that Torres could have been special at third base but I like him better as the team’s second baseman. I doubt we see Torres at the start of the season as the Yankees will delay his service time for a few weeks to gain an extra year of control. This means we’ll have patchwork at second until Torres arrives…most likely some combination of Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade.  

It’s probably too early to speculate how the Yankees will use Stanton and Aaron Judge. At first, I thought Judge would probably be moved to left to make room for Stanton in right, but Judge’s defense is too valuable. There’s the speculation that the outfield will be a rotation with the DH spot which makes sense, but I think we’ll have better clarity in the coming days and weeks.  Both Stanton and Judge are too young to be used exclusively at DH. It would be huge if the Yankees could somehow find a way to move Jacoby Ellsbury’s contract along with oodles of the cash it will take. 

Tuesday’s trade that sent Chase Headley and Bryan Mitchell to the San Diego Padres surprised me. The biggest surprise was San Diego’s willingness to take Headley’s contract. The Yankees paid half the assignment bonus (or $500,000 in this case) but did not have to ship cash to accompany the monies still owed to Headley. I figured that Mitchell’s time was coming to an end. I really like the pitcher but he’s been very inconsistent in his limited opportunities in the Bronx. If he hadn’t been traded, he was probably a candidate to be designated for assignment at some point in the upcoming season to free up room on the 40-man roster. I think Mitchell will thrive in San Diego and will achieve the potential we had projected for him (which is obviously the reason that the Padres were willing to take Headley’s contract). Last night, there were strong reports that the Padres could possibly trade Headley to the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels had acquired second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Detroit Tigers earlier in the evening as they attempt to rebuild the talent around Mike Trout and newly signed two-way Japanese star Shohei Otani. Angels GM Billy Eppler was behind the Yankees’ acquisition of Headley from San Diego a few years ago so he’s a Headley fan.   

Coming to the Yankees organization from San Diego is outfielder Jabari Blash.  Blash hit .213 with 5 HR and 16 RBI in 164 at-bats for the Padres last year.  His numbers at Triple A were much better (.285, 20 HR, 62 RBI in 235 at-bats).  Outfield is a position of redundancy in the Yankees organization so this leads me to believe that some of the congestion will be relieved in a future trade.  

The Yankees now have openings on both sides of Didi Gregorius. I find it unlikely they’d go with rookies at both second and third, but stranger things have happened. Ideally, it would be great if the Yankees and Todd Frazier could come together on a short time deal. However, the Toddfather has earned a multi-year deal opportunity which probably removes the Yankees from the equation.   

The Yankees are expected to make a play for a starting pitcher but I hope that it doesn’t result in the loss of free agent CC Sabathia. There’s room to add a starting pitcher and bring back CC, the team’s leader.  Sabathia’s camp has talked with the Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays. It would be difficult to watch Sabathia go to either of those teams. The longer the Yankees put off Sabathia, the greater the chance he goes elsewhere. If one of the Bay Area teams came calling, it would probably be hard for Sabathia to pass up the chance to go home to play for his final season(s).  

Regardless of Josh Bard’s qualifications, I was disappointed with his selection as the Yankees new bench coach. Last year, the Yankees had a wealth of experience with Rob Thomson sitting next to Joe Girardi. When Thomson left after not getting the manager’s job, I was hoping that the Yankees would find someone with commensurate experience. The toughest part for new Yankees manager Aaron Boone to master will be in-game action and I was hopeful that he’d have someone who has served time on the battle lines to help his learning curve.  Granted, Boone has managerial experience with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and new third base coach Phil Nevin but Bard will be the chief lieutenant on the bench. I hope that ‘smart’ and ‘confident’ help yield the right in-game decisions. As expected, the Yankees promoted minor league coaches Reggie Willets and Carlos Mendoza.  Willets will take first base (replacing long-time Yankees coach Tony Pena), while Mendoza will serve as infield coach/quality control and will be in uniform during games. Marcus Thames (hitting coach) and Mike Harkey (bullpen coach) are expected to return.  

I knew the Rule 5 Draft was going to be difficult in terms of potential losses and it was.  In the first round of the Major League Phase, the Yankees lost RHP Anyelo Gomez (Atlanta Braves), LHP Nestor Cortes (Baltimore Orioles) and 1B Mike Ford (Seattle Mariners). In the third round, the Orioles grabbed RHP Jose Mesa, Jr. I don’t think any of the names are a surprise as  all of them had been cited as potential losses. Of course, they have to stick on their new team’s MLB roster for the entire year or they must be offered back to the Yankees. Last year, the Yankees lost C Luis Torrens to the San Diego Padres when he stuck the entire year on their active MLB roster. I am expecting at least one of this year’s draftees to stick. Nestor Cortes is probably the one that I wanted to keep the most as quality left-handers are hard to find. I thought RHP J.P. Feyereisen would be taken but he was not. In the Minor League Phase, the Yankees lost RHP Yancarlos Baez (Minnesota Twins) and C Sharif Othman (Miami Marlins). These are permanent losses. The Yankees grabbed a Single-A outfielder, Junior Soto, from the Cleveland Indians. In 2017 for Single A-Lake County Captains, Soto hit 9 home runs and 17 RBI’s in 52 games while batting .172.  He struck out 61 times in 174 at-bats, while taking only 6 walks.

  

The Winter Meetings have come to an end but the Yankees still have much work to do. There are rumors that the Orioles have Manny Machado in play but I seriously doubt the O’s would trade him intra-division. To me, it would make sense. The O’s will lose Machado at some point and why not grab top prospects from a key division rival. But O’s owner Peter Angelos is 88 and I am sure that he does not want to spend his final years watching Machado star for the Yankees. All things considered, I’d rather use the prospects to grab another frontline starter and then potentially sign Machado after next season when he is a free agent. But of course, the “greedy” side of me would love to march both Machado and Stanton out onto the field at Yankee Stadium next year for simultaneous debuts along with another quality starter to join the rotation.

I wonder what Joe Girardi thinks about all this?…

Go Yankees!

Thinking Baseball on Football Sunday...

I may be a Minnesota Vikings fan and looking forward to seeing how the team performs today against the Washington Redskins with Teddy Bridgewater standing on the field for the first time in 15 months, albeit in a backup role…for the moment. But truth be told, I am more interested in the moves that can be made to continue the growth and development of the 2018 New York Yankees.  

Ohtani or Otani?…

I’ve spelled it both ways but I guess I’ll go with Otani moving forward. I continue to see it spelled either way and I don’t have Ohtani/Otani on speed-dial to clarify.  

Credit:  Getty Images

The Associated Press reported that Shohei Otani held a news conference on Saturday. Otani’s words included, “The other day I met with team officials and stated my intentions. My request was met with warm words of support, so I hope to do my best in America from next year on.” While it would be financially wiser to wait until he turns 25 to enter Major League Baseball (when he could be a free agent with no restrictions), Otani wants to raise the level of his game now rather than wait. “I am not a complete player yet, and I want to go to an environment where I can continue to get better”.  

Otani apparently had a desire to go to MLB straight from high school but instead opted to sign with the Nippon-Ham Fighters with assurances that he could play a two-way role for the team. While he would like to continue hitting and pitching, it sounds like he is a realist and wants to see what situations are available to him in the United States. “Just before I turned professional, I didn’t imagine I would be able to do both, but since then, the fans have encouraged it,” Otani said. “That has left me with a strong desire to keep doing it…not only for me, but for them.” The DH role seems to tilt the scales in favor of the American League and the big market endorsement opportunities ($$$$) seem to favor the Yankees.  

The Yankees remain the frontrunners but until he is formally posted and signs a contract with a MLB team, it’s anybody’s guess where he’ll ultimately end up. I hope he is a Yankee and that the presence of Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka in the organization are deemed as huge positives for him. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe cites the Toronto Blue Jays as a possible  dark horse destination for Otani but, seriously, the Blue Jays do not bring the honor and prestige of MLB’s most-storied franchise.   

My off-season goal remains to see the headline, “Yankees to sign Otani”, followed closely by “Yankees trade Ellsbury”….

Eric Wedge…Seriously?

The second name on GM Brian Cashman’s interview list was the former Indians and Mariners manager.  Ummm, next please. I do not want to see the former backup Red Sox catcher as Manager of Baseball’s greatest franchise. I don’t buy the ‘third time’s a charm’ logic for the two-time managerial loser. This name reinforces to me that I want someone with connections to either the Yankees or to the city of New York and its surrounding region as the next skipper.  

Aaron Boone is another name receiving much attention and he’ll most likely be included on the interview list in the not-so-distant future.  

With the GM Meetings on tap for this week, starting Monday, it will be interesting to see if Cashman is able to continue with the interview process or if he has to take a brief pause. The big name agents will be present at the meetings to begin dialogue for potential signings leading up to next month’s Winter Meetings. So even though there probably won’t be any significant trades or signings this week, the groundwork is being laid. Perhaps Cashman spends just a day or so at the GM Meetings before excusing himself and leaving his chief lieutenants to represent the Yankees.  

I don’t know the Yankees time frame, but I am hopeful they resolve the managerial search by Thanksgiving so the team knows its leadership as we head into the very busy and vital December trading/signing period.  

Albert Abreu, Ace or Bullpen Duty?…

I personally like Yankees prospect Albert Abreu, the young 22-year-old right-hander acquired from the Houston Astros in the Brian McCann trade, as one of my favorites in the farm system.  But scouts seem mixed regarding whether he is the next Luis Severino or is deemed to be a more valuable component to add to the bullpen mix. Of course, it was only last off-season the same question was being asked about Severino. I prefer to see Abreu start, but opportunity will play a major role. If the Yankees sign Otani, the Yankees rotation seems fairly solidified with Otani, Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery. That’s already considering young arms like Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield (plus Domingo Acevedo) are waiting in the wings. But I can never think of a season off the top of my head where a team’s sixth or seventh starter didn’t play a key role at some point in the season. Abreu must take advantage of any opportunities that he is given. He’s one of the arms that I’ll be paying close attention to next Spring.

Credit:  Zachary Lucy, Four Seam Images via AP

Brian McCann may have picked up a World Series ring, making his acquisition a huge win for the Astros, but the Yankees did very well picking up Abreu and RHP Jorge Guzman for the former Yankees catcher. I’ve seen a number of pro-Astros articles that claim a huge Astros victory for the trade, but in time, I think the Astros and their fans will rue the day they let Abreu and Guzman go.

Where will the path lead Giancarlo Stanton?…

I know that it’s been written on this site that the Yankees should go after Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, but it’s not going to happen on Hal Steinbrenner’s watch. With the team committed to getting under the payroll cap to reset luxury tax penalties, I don’t see the Yankees parting with the young prospects that it would take to acquire Stanton or committing the necessary dollars to take on Baseball’s largest contract. Yes, Yankee fans can dream but it is not going to happen for the Pinstriped faithful.

So, where does Stanton go? There is talk that early conversations are being held with the Boston Red Sox. I fully expect the Red Sox to add a big bat this off-season but I’d be surprised if they went after Stanton. It’s scary to think of Stanton in that lineup, but the Red Sox will need big dollars for their young, cheap talent like Mookie Betts and Chris Sale. Betts made just $950,000 last year and is now arbitration-eligible. The Red Sox have Sale for two more years  and will need lock him up on a long-term deal to avoid losing him through free agency. Those are two guys who will command a healthy chunk of Red Sox payroll over the next few years. I think it is more likely the Red Sox pursue someone like free agents first baseman Eric Hosmer or outfielder J.D. Martinez to help fill the void when David Ortiz retired after the 2016 season. Nevertheless, it’s within the realm of possibility for Boston to get “greedy”. After all, Sox owner John Henry has to feed the beast, otherwise known as the Red Sox Nation.  

Another team mentioned for Stanton is the St Louis Cardinals. I don’t see the Cardinals ponying up the cash to take on Stanton’s contract, let alone the prospects that it would take. While it now looks like a very prudent financial decision, they let their franchise player, Albert Pujols, one of the all-time Cardinal greats, depart through free agency a few years ago over money.  

The other two teams mentioned as possible destinations are the San Francisco Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies.  

It will be interesting to see how this develops over the course of the off-season even if we are forced to be bystanders as Team Hal looks at the bigger picture and of course the bottom line.

Well, let’s see what this week brings. Go Yankees!

These Prospects Are Likely Available Before the Trade Deadline

The New York Yankees are open for business and despite already acquiring David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Todd Frazier already the heavy lifting may not be done in the Bronx. Depending on who you read or what news sources you trust depends on who the Yankees are scouted, being scouted by and reportedly linked to before this year’s July 31^st trade deadline including the rumored mega-deal between them and the Oakland Athletics that is being worked on presumably as we speak. If the Yankees are going to acquire first baseman Yonder Alonso and right-handed starter Sonny Gray the team is going to have to be willing to give up big-time prospects so I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of these prospects that could be or that are likely to be at least available (not necessarily traded) at this season’s trade deadline.

Any list like this has to begin and end with Jorge Mateo because, as much as it pains me to say this, it just makes sense for the Yankees to move him now. Let me stipulate that it only makes sense to move Mateo if the team plans on making a deep run into the postseason in 2017 but I feel comfortable making the assumption that they are after seeing the trade with the Chicago White Sox so thus I feel comfortable including Mateo on this list. Mateo is a shortstop by trade, that position is blocked there by a young Didi Gregorius, who learned second base, which is blocked by Starlin Castro and possibly Gleyber Torres as well, and center field, take your pick on who potentially blocks this position but you have to include Dustin Fowler, Clint Frazier who has shifted to left field for Fowler and Estevan Florial. Trading Mateo just makes sense for the Yankees and for Mateo and the young shortstop probably fetches more than most back in a trade as well.

Speaking of Estevan Florial the Yankees could conceivably trade him as well this summer before the deadline. According to reports the Oakland Athletics have already been scouting the Charleston Riverdogs where Florial plays and even after moving Blake Rutherford in the Chicago White Sox deal the Yankees still have an absolute ton of outfield depth to trade from this summer. Florial could be moved, and in my opinion he shouldn’t be unless the deal is just too good to be true, and the Yankees could still field an outfield of Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge, Dustin Fowler, Tyler Wade and Aaron Hicks among others. Florial does project as the best Yankees outfielder in the entire system but it’s hard for even me to hold onto a player that hasn’t played above Low-A Ball when a potential ace that is young and controllable like Sonny Gray could potentially be coming back in return.

Another player the Yankees could conceivably trade this summer is a player that I have personally never been big on. Tyler Wade has made two separate trips to the Major League level this season and has shown at least flashes of brilliance in both. The Yankees seem to want to platoon Wade which I don’t think is the best use of his talents nor is it the best way to showcase him in a potential trade but what do I know? I’m just a guy with a blog.

Dustin Fowler could be traded as could Gleyber Torres as a player to be named later in any deal despite their injuries. Keep that in mind.

Finally the Yankees have a trio of starting pitchers not named Chance Adams that could conceivably be moved in the right deal this winter. Domingo Acevedo, Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman all look like useful pieces inside the Yankees organization and for that reason could all be attractive to other teams in a trade. Acevedo is currently in Double-A and has reached as high as Triple-A for two starts and can touch 103 MPH on the radar gun. Acevedo’s stock comes from him being a starting pitcher but some scouts and coaches within the Yankees organization think of him as a full-time relief pitcher at the MLB level due to his inability to develop a third pitch as of the time of this writing. Acevedo has to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft after this season anyway so if the Yankees don’t see a way to protect him then they may decide to move him now for something rather than lose him later for nothing.

Guzman is in Staten Island with the Staten Island Yankees rookie ball team while Albert Abreu is struggling thus far at the High-A level in six starts. Guzman is probably three seasons or so away from the Major Leagues and has many within the organization wondering if his future is that of a starting pitcher or as a lockdown closer. Guzman has a filthy fastball and is striking out a ton of batters while Abreu on the other hand hasn’t used his fastball since early June. Abreu has been dealing with a shoulder injury that the Yankees are saying isn’t serious, of course they are, but his stats with the Tampa Yankees (0-3 record and 5.09 ERA in six starts) suggest otherwise.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential prospects that the Yankees could deal before next week’s July 31^st trading deadline. The Yankees have one of, if not the deepest systems in all of Major League Baseball and are primed to strike if they see the need and opportunity. The scary part is that the Yankees could trade every one of the prospects listed above and still have a Top 10 farm system in the league. That’s actually more than scary. It’s terrifying for anyone not in the league wearing a Yankees uniform right now. 

Meet a Prospect: Jorge Guzman

Earlier today we introduced one of the newest prospects to join the Yankees farm system in Albert Abreu so it would only be fair to also get to know the other right-handed arm that joined the Yankees in the Brian McCann trade, Jorge Guzman. Welcome to the team, the organization and most importantly welcome to the family. This is Meet a Prospect: The Jorge Guzman Edition.

Guzman, unlike Abreu, has struggled a bit as a starter in the Houston Astros minor league system and may find himself in the bullpen for the New York Yankees before things are all said and done. Guzman has a great fastball at just 20-years old but his command has been questionable at best throughout his short minor league career.

Guzman strikes out an absolute ton of hitters which is evident by his 11.5 K/9 ratio but his 4.63 ERA leaves much to be desired overall. Guzman’s walk numbers were better in 2016 when compared to his 2015 numbers, which is encouraging, but he sure has a long way to go before he is considered at least a starting pitching prospect let alone a potential game changing prospect in my eyes.

Guzman has a long way to go, he also reached A-Ball in 2016, but if he can develop some command he could be a strong bullpen piece for the Yankees going forward. If he adds another pitch or two he could conceivably pull a Chance Adams or equivalent and get converted to a starter as well but again, he has a long way to go either way. One step at a time.

Welcome to the family, Jorge. Glad to have you.

My Thoughts Following the Brian McCann Trade

When I heard the news that the New York Yankees had traded away catcher Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for two right-handed starting pitchers on Thursday, one we have already met this morning in Albert Abreu and the other we will meet in a few hours in Jorge Guzman, I had a bit of bittersweet emotions hit me. I tried to put those into words on twitter when I talked about the trade but you guys know me by now, I cannot be contained to merely 140 characters. I like to talk so here are my thoughts on the Brian McCann to Houston trade from Thursday.

First, let me be frank. I love the direction that the team and the organization is going. I have preached for God knows how many years that the Yankees had to stop relying on veteran players leaving or well past their primes and instead need to focus on building and using their farm system. After ranting and raving about that on various forums, emails, Twitter and now blog posts it seems like they are finally listening so of course I am quite happy about that but as a fan you tend to get attached to players at the same time and hate to see them leave.

The entire year before Brian McCann came over via free agency I blogged about him and the need for him in pinstripes. As a former New Yorker who now calls Atlanta “home” I’ve seen plenty of McCann and knew what he would bring to the table in New York and I made it my life’s goal to blog about it until he donned pinstripes. I was ecstatic when he was signed and I immediately went out and bought a pair of #34 Yankees away jerseys (you know, because I live in Atlanta so I only buy away jerseys anymore). Now here I am stuck with two nameless jerseys because one of my favorite players is gone.

I’m happy for McCann, don’t get me wrong, because he wanted an opportunity to play every day and an opportunity to catch as much as possible and he can’t exactly have that in New York right now but it’s a bittersweet moment for me. I loved what McCann brought to the team, the staff and the clubhouse and while the more I read the more I get really, really excited for these two prospects I just can’t bring myself to committing to being 100% happy or upset with this trade either way. Again, I love the direction and the plan the team is following through with right now but at the same time I really liked McCann wearing pinstripes catching CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and others over the past couple of years.

Thank you for all the memories Mac!

Meet a Prospect: Albert Abreu

The New York Yankees sent Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for two pitching prospects late Thursday and today we will meet them both. The first of the two prospects is right-handed pitcher Albert Abreu who was thought to be the center piece of the deal from Houston. Let’s meet the newest member of the farm system and the newest member of the family. This is Meet a Prospect: The Albert Abreu Edition.

At the time of the trade Abreu was the Houston Astros 7^th best prospect in what is considered to be a solid farm system despite flooding their MLB roster with talent from the minor leagues in recent years. Abreu is a project for the Yankees and their minor league instructors as Abreu reached just Single-A Ball in 2016 posting a 3-8 record with a 3.72 ERA. Pay no attention to the wins and loss record, especially that low in the minor league system, and instead focus on the flashes of dominance that Abreu displayed this season with Houston.

Abreu projects to be a starter at the Major League level with his 99 MPH fastball at just 21-years old. When the Astros signed Abreu out of the Dominican Republic back in 2013 the right-hander was throwing just 91 MPH with his fastball.

Like many pitchers from the Dominican Republic and like many 21-year old pitchers the career for Abreu will be made or lost on whether he can develop his secondary pitches. Abreu throws a slider and a changeup but both pitches are considered to be raw or underdeveloped at this time.

Abreu is a project but the sky is the limit for the kid. The Yankees could have ace or #2 pitcher type projections on their hands if they can develop him carefully. If not he’d make for a hell of a bullpen arm to team up with Dellin Betances or whatever other flamethrower the Yankees have in the bullpen at the time. The wait on players like Abreu is tough but I am excited to see this kid in the system.

Welcome, and enjoy. 

Yankees Trade Brian McCann to Houston

The New York Yankees are not done trading away high-priced veterans for prospects this offseason as the team has sent their catcher Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for a pair of right-handed pitching prospects. Houston will send Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to the Yankees in return for McCann along with $5.5 million in salary in both 2017 and 2018.

Abreu and Guzman were the Astros 5th and 8th best pitching prospects at the time of the trade. More to come as we get it.