So it Seems the Yankees Need a LOOGY

So it seems, for the second time today, the New York Yankees need a LOOGY. While the New York Yankees have easily been one of the best teams in all of Major League Baseball this season the team may have one glaring hole in their arsenal right now, the left-handed reliever out of the bullpen whose sole job is to get a left-handed batter or batters out. That’s better known as a LOOGY, or a Lefty One-Out GuY.

Tommy Layne is the man tasked with getting the opposing team’s toughest and best left-handed hitter out and to date he just hasn’t gotten the job done. Sure, the sample size is small but the stats are alarming and they simply won’t cut it on a team that looks to compete for an American League East Division title and possibly more.

At the time of this writing Layne is sporting an ugly 8.22 ERA and 2.217 WHIP in 11 games and 7.7 innings pitched but that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that lefties are slashing .400/.438/.533 this season against him with a walk. They aren’t walking because they are too busy smoking the meatballs he is leaving over the plate every single night.

This isn’t going to work guys. The Yankees need a LOOGY and they may need one now as Layne’s ERA and struggles rise and continue. The Pittsburgh Pirates may be in total sell mode this summer and one such arm, Tony Watson, is set to hit free agency after the 2017 season thus making him intriguing to New York. Since the beginning of the 2013 season Watson owns the second-best ERA against left-handed hitters and his 1.53 ERA is better than some familiar names like Aroldis Chapman (1.86), Andrew Miller (2.03) and Zach Britton (1.55). Watson is a strikeout pitcher that would fit extremely well in this bullpen and inside Yankee Stadium and he wouldn’t cost and arm and a leg in terms of prospects.

This is far too early to predict and obviously much of this depends on where Pittsburgh is sitting in the standings on or around July 31^st but if they are out of it or want to move Watson I think the Yankees should jump on the deal, regardless of whether Layne turns it around or not. Improve the bullpen and turn every game into a five inning game, that’s the plan. Or it should be anyway.

Former Yankee Update: Clay Rapada

Bleeding Yankee Blue: CLAY RAPADA SIGNS WITH THE GIANTS! http://t.co/1flgZOMrGW @oswegos1 @MikeSkrzenski @ChristinaParkNY @charlespmoses
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) February 5, 2015

Remember Clay Rapada the side arm throwing LOOGY and former New York Yankee? Well according to Robert Casey of Bleeding Yankee Blue, yes he has his sources now (how long before a fake account tweets out fake information at the July 31st trading deadline?), Rapada has signed on for his 14th season with the San Francisco Giants. Rapada signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training and will compete for a roster spot in 2015.

We're rooting for you Clay and we hope you make the team and continue your dreams.

This Team Continues to Lack Direction & Planning

The New York Yankees are officially making moves simply to make moves, I’m convinced of it, and there is no plan of attack and no direction for this team right now. FYI, before you comment in the comments section, mediocrity and failure is not a direction in my book, they are the New York Yankees dammit. For much of the offseason the team looked to be getting younger, more versatile, cheaper and more dependent on their own homegrown players and then Stephen Drew showed up.

I understand the signing, I truly do, because it gives the Yankees a true low risk high reward guy that can bounce back offensively and be a real bargain at only $5 million. On a win now team and an offensive juggernaut this signing is ideal because it gives Refsnyder one more year or at least a half a year, which I agree he needs defensively, to work on his tools and such and it also allows Jose Pirela a bench option. It also gives the team a true backup at shortstop if the team decided to move on from Brendan Ryan. The problem here is, in my opinion, the team is not a win now team and the team is not an offensive juggernaut.

Even if Drew bounces back and plays to the back of his baseball card or better the Yankees team will still struggle as a whole to score runs, again in my opinion. Drew does make the defense better but honestly Refsnyder, and WAR supports this theory, gives the Yankees a right handed bat that would truly help the lineup. Drew just makes it easier for opposing managers to bring in a left handed LOOGY and mow down more than half of our lineup in the later innings.

I’m not mad about the signing I just wish the Yankees would go one way or the other. Either go young, rebuild and retool on the fly or go all in and spend, spend, spend. No words right now. 

The Argument Against Jacob Lindgren Stinks

The argument against calling up Jacob Lindgren in a word, stinks. All I have heard is how Lindgren has thrown too many innings this season between his time at Mississippi State and the Yankees minor league affiliates. Yankees fans are quick to point out that the one troubling inning that Lindgren had at the end of the season was a telltale sign enough to keep him in the minor leagues until Spring Training, what kind of logic is that? When did the team start making excuses to keep guys like Josh Outman on the team and not call up flame throwers and exciting young arms like Lindgren? When did we start to ignore 79 innings of sample size and blame one bad inning or outing for a relief pitcher for why we cannot call up a player?

One has to keep in mind that the Yankees manager is still Joe Girardi and Girardi has shown an unwillingness to use rookies in any capacity lately, especially in the pitching staff. Bryan Mitchell was called up three different times this season before he was used (and he pitched well by the way before being sent right back down for a veteran struggling arm in Matt Daley) and we all by now know the story of Shane Greene and how he burst onto the scene out of necessity in the starting rotation out of necessity. If the innings are really a concern, which they aren’t because Lindgren was a starting pitcher not too awful long ago, then how many innings will Girardi realistically give to Lindgren? Is thinking that Girardi would give Lindgren five innings be being too generous to Joe?

Also when did one bad outing damn a relief pitcher? What if the Yankees had used that same approach with David Robertson? Robertson was sent down to the minors multiple times before sticking as the Yankees set up man and now is the closer that replaced the great Mariano Rivera. Speaking of Rivera he was also demoted in his time as a Yankees reliever and was a failed starter as well, good thing we called him up anyway. Dellin Betances struggled in 2013 when he was called up but was used this season out of necessity, look how well that turned out. Don’t base your decision off one bad outing down in Double-A is all I am saying.

If you want to keep Lindgren down because of the 40 man roster crunch I can get behind that and understand that, I don’t necessarily agree with it but still. Call a spade a spade, don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining. Don’t tell me you’re going to let Matt Thornton go so you can call up guys like Jacob Lindgren and Tyler Webb only to shove more journeyman LOOGY’s down my throat. I’m tired of being lied to and I’m tired of losing with mediocre talent while good talent rots in the minor leagues praying to be traded so they can play. That is all. 

Quick Hit: The August NO Trade Deadline

The August revocable waivers trade deadline has come and passed and according to the Yankees MLB Transactions page not much went on whatsoever. This has definitely been the August NO trade deadline while we all watched the Baltimore Orioles beef up their lineup and improve their infield depth. The Yankees are going with what they have as they continue to push towards a postseason spot. Anyone who is acquired today or for the rest of the season will not be eligible for the postseason so maybe Brian Cashman isn't done, but it is likely that he is.

On 8/5 the Washington Nationals claimed and acquired Matt Thornton in a straight waiver claim and took on his contract for the 2014 and 2015 season. The Yankees in return purchased the contract of Rich Hill and placed the lefty in the bullpen.

The Yankees signed minor league relief pitcher Wilking Rodriguez on 8/18 but released him on 8/30. Rodriguez was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals before coming over to New York and will now look to latch on with another major league team.

Finally, the Yankees made yet another marginal upgrade on 8/28 when the team acquired LHP Josh Outman for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Outman ended the Rich Hill era in New York.

Before the deadline passed the Yankees added a 27 year old relief pitcher out of the Miami Marlins organization named Chaz Roe. The new Shawn Kelley, I'm coining the term now.

That's it, that's all Brian Cashman and company could muster this month as the team needed obvious upgrades all over the field. The Yankees lost a LOOGY, added a LOOGY, and released that LOOGY when they acquired another LOOGY. Oh and Chaz Roe. Brilliant.

Quick Hit: Reunion w/ Clay Rapada Make Sense?

The New York Yankees need a left handed LOOGY type pitcher after letting Matt Thornton go to the Washington Nationals for his contract. While the Yankees have stated they will look internally to fill the gap and are focusing on versatility and length an interesting option has presented itself none the less. Clay Rapada was released from his minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles late last night. Could a reunion be in the works and would the reunion make sense for the Yankees?

Rapada has bounced around since having a successful 2012 season with the Yankees posting a 2.82 ERA and 8.9 K/9 in 38.1 innings. Rapada does have a 5.83 ERA in 38.1 innings this season in Triple-A but could he be any worse than Rich Hill? That I'm not entirely sure of... what say you?

Rich Hill Called Up To Replace Matt Thornton

The New York Yankees traded Matt Thornton to the Washington Nationals today so they could save some cash and create more flexibility in their bullpen. Both manager Joe Girardi and General Manager Brian Cashman stated that the move was partly made to make room for some of the younger guys in the Yankees system, namely Manny Banuelos, Jacob Lindgren, and Tyler Webb. Then the Yankees went and promoted 34 year old Rich Hill to take Thornton's roster spot and use him as a LOOGY. Say what?

I'm as confused as you are. I know this move was more for the 2015 season or even more so for September when Lindgren and Banuelos could be called up but don't piss on me and tell me it's raining. Don't trade a guy away for cash to make room for a young guy and then call up a journeyman in Hill. Whatever.

Yankees Sign Left Hander Matt Thornton

It must be a trend this offseason to acquire guys four or five years too late as it started with Carlos Beltran, continued with Brian Roberts, and now extends to left handed reliever Matt Thornton. Thornton received a two year deal worth $7 million to replace Boone Logan and be our LOOGY.

Thornton has been pretty durable in his career only spending two disabled list trips since suffering a herniated disc back in 2003 so that is good news for the Yankees. The bad news is that Thornton's strikeout numbers have dipped, down to 6.2 K/9 last season, but he saw his numbers against right handers go from bad to awful so the LOOGY role may be the best thing for Thornton and for the Yankees.

Yankees Remain In Contact With Boone Logan

The New York Yankees are being active in the reliever market as well as every other market and have kept in contact with their own free agent Boone Logan. Logan recently had bone spurs removed from his left throwing elbow and is expected to start throwing again sometime in January. Logan is said to be looking for a set up man job and not a LOOGY, something that I cannot see the Yankees handing him, so that may count his former team out of the running. The Hal Cap of $189 million may also keep the Bronx Bombers on the back burner for Logan's services.

Mike Zagurksi Opts Out & Becomes A Free Agent

Yankees minor league left handed pitcher Mike Zagurski has used his opt out clause to become a free agent in search of a major league opportunity. The 30 year old lefty has allowed 10 runs in six innings with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season but has dominated AAA batters with a combined 2.66 ERA and a 14.3 K/9 ratio in 47 innings this season between the two clubs. The problem is he has not limited lefties enough to be a true LOOGY, left handed batters have a triple slash of .244/.310./321, but is not good enough to be more than a one or two batter kind of pitcher in the majors. Hopefully he latches on with a team that will give him a shot at a major league deal and good luck to Mr. Zagurski.