Yankees finish the 1st half 6.5 games up on Tampa

Yankees split a 4-Game Series with the Rays. They still have a comfortable lead at 6.5 games. Yankees offense hasn’t really done anything the past 2 days. James Paxton gave the Yankees a quality start going 6 innings striking out 11. The lone run came off of Gardner’s solo shot.



Yankees have had an incredible 1st half to the season. With all the injuries taken place this year, it’s incredible that the Yankees are in 1st place & by a good lead. Injuries include Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier, Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Andujar, Greg Bird & the list goes on. Yankees had an All-Star team of players on the Injured list in 2019. Yankees did acquire OF Cameron Maybin, who has done an excellent job since being acquired. Although, he went on the IL.

As the trading deadline looms, the obvious need is starting pitching. Potential targets include: Tigers’ Matthew Boyd, Indians’ Trevor Bauer, San Francisco Giants’ Madison Bumgarner, BlueJays’ Marcus Stroman, Mets’ Zack Wheeler etc. A few of these options are unlikely to happen but never rule out any trades. Yankees may also look at bullpen help as the situation with Dellin Betances is unknown. There should be a abundant of relievers made available as teams signal they’re out of contention.

It’s been a great 1st half & there’s a lot to look forward to in the 2nd half. Yankees will continue to

 look to acquire pitcher(s) & continue their quest to win a World Series in 2019.  

                                         Credit (New York Yankees official Twitter) 

No Need To Worry About Second Or Third Base

"To infinity 2017 and beyond!"

If the Yankees were to trade for or acquire a second or third baseman, then that person has to be for 2017 and beyond. 

With the firepower the Yankees batting lineup possesses, there's absolutely no need for a move to be made. We could have 2015 Stephen Drew at second, and 2013 Jayson Nix at third, and the team would still average over five runs a game. 

I'm not saying that if we had players that contributed as little as Drew in 2015 or Nix in 2013 in the lineup regularly I'd be ok with that. However, I don't expect to have another All Star, let alone another MVP candidate, playing those positions this season. 

Therefore, unless the Yankees acquired somebody that's clearly above average, and under team control for at least a couple more years, then there's no point.

Here's a list of such players....

Second Base

Jose Ramirez

Jonathan Schoop

Robinson Cano

Third Base

Justin Turner

Jose Ramirez

Kris Bryant

Anthony Rendon

Nolan Arenado

Joey Gallo

Alex Bregman

Travis Shaw

Nicholas Castellanos

The Yankees are not trading for any of those three second basemen. Ramirez plays for the Indians, who would be looking to add to their team... not subtract. I suppose something might be able to get done to bring back Cano, but the $24 million AAV of his contract would be a huge obstacle. Jonathan Schoop is another outside possibility, but seeing that he's in Baltimore I doubt a deal would get done. 

Although Turner, Ramirez, Bryant, Rendon, Bregman, and Shaw look to be off-limits, third base does present some possibilities. 

Joey Gallo is a bit intriguing thanks to him coming off a 41 homer campaign last season, but his batting average is pretty bad (.209). So even though he's on that list, unless the Rangers asking price for him was pretty low, I'd pass.

One name that's quite intriguing is Nolan Arenado. Arenado is right there with Manny Machado in that they're both very good players, at the same position, but the one big difference is that Nolan is not eligible for free agency until after the 2019 season. But would Colorado want to move him? While the Dodgers seem to have a firm grip on the National League West division, the Rockies certainly have their eyes on one of the Wild Card spots. Taking things a step further, the Rox also have a nice crop of starters that the Yankees could go after. But I just don't see such a big trade happening with a team that has serious postseason hopes.

There's been plenty of talk about trading for Michael Fulmer of the Detroit Tigers, but third baseman Nicholas Castellanos (he can also play right field) would be a nice target. He brings a good batting average and can hit 20+ home runs. His defense leaves some to be desired, although it's not awful by any means. Miguel Andujar and a non-Adams/Sheffield pitching prospect could probably get a deal done. But what about a trade that would bring over Castellanos and Fulmer? While that would be perfect, I'm not sure about the cost. Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar, Chance Adams, and another lower-level pitcher? Is that too much? Probably, but I would think hard about this trade.

The way I see things when it comes to trading for a second or third baseman, it's Detroit or bust. I don't think any other player would be available without the Yankees having to blow a team away with an offer. And let's be honest, the Yankees absolutely do not need to offer a package that would blow anybody away. 

I'm going to definitely be thinking more about that Fulmer and Castellanos trade I mentioned above.

Hopping Aboard The Giancarlo Train

I'm an assistant manager for a men's formal clothing store, and seeing as how Black Friday has pretty much come to an end it goes without saying that I'm not totally "with it" right now. So the following may be completely insane, but just bear with me. Cool?

I'm all about trading for Giancarlo Stanton. For a while I thought we may as well wait for Bryce Harper in a year. After all, at that point Harper will only cost money, and the Yankees could have plenty of it without have to live with a huge Luxury Tax hit. But then I looked at how much time is left on Stanton's contract, while comparing it with what Harper could get.

Going into 2018, Giancarlo has ten years remaining on his contract (assuming he doesn't opt-out after the 2020 season), which would take him through his age 38 season. Meanwhile, Harper could very well get a 13 year deal that would match the length of the one Stanton got, which would also take run through his age 38 season.

Not to mention that Stanton's 13 year deal was worth a total of $325 million, while Harper is likely to get around $450 million. So while money may not be a big deal to the Yankees after this next season, they could very well spend significantly less with Stanton than Harper... minus the value of the prospects in a trade for Giancarlo.

And the opt-out part of Stanton's contract doesn't bother me that much since Harper is liable to get an opt-out in his contract too. Although Bryce's opt-out would likely come a few years after Stanton's currently does, meaning the Yankees would have Harper for a little while longer during his prime years.

In the end I'm not going to be that upset if the Yankees do not trade for Giancarlo, which is a good thing since they likely won't. The only thing that would bother me is if he went to the Red Sox. But just imagine...

1. Brett Gardner
2. Aaron Judge
3. Giancarlo Stanton
4. Gary Sanchez
5. Didi Gregorius
6. Greg Bird
7. Chase Headley
8. Starlin Castro
9. Aaron Hicks

And by the way, I am seeing the bench consisting of Jacoby Ellsbury, Ronald Torreyes, Tyler Austin, and whatever backup catcher.

Oh, and as for the guys being sent to Miami... Clint Frazier, Chance Adams, Tyler Wade, and a couple of other prospects in the low minors (yeah, yeah... my trade proposal sucks).

If you think he'll cost more than that then you've been smoking the same thing that Derek Jeter and his cronies have. I mean, sure, Giancarlo Stanton would probably get more on the open market (at least dollar-wise), but it's not so much more that he should cost a team more than that in terms of prospects. Heck, Miami would be getting three players with at least five years of team control, and a couple of others whose MLB clocks won't even start for 2-3 years.

If the Marlins would kick in some money, then fine... give them more in prospects. But if they expect the Yankees to take on his entire contract, then they should take that package and run with it.

It brings a tear to my eye looking back at that lineup. The 2-6 hitters could bash 170+ home runs alone. And with prospects like Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, and Estevan Florial still to come.

And with that, my friends, it's time for me to get some sleep. Have a great weekend!

Brian Cashman's Legacy Is Built On 2016 Trade Deadline Moves

The Yankees moves this past week have helped set up the playoff picture in the AL and NL. The Yankees shipped off free agents to be Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran also surprisingly they dealt Andrew Miller who has two years left on his deal. The Yankees ended up making five total trades which are recapped below

Aroldis Chapman to Chicago Cubs for Glebyer Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford

Andrew Miller to Cleveland Indians for Clint Fraizer, Justus Sheffield, J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller

Vincente Campos to Arizona Diamondbacks for Tyler Clippard

Carlos Beltran to Texas Rangers for Dillon Tate, Nick Green, and Erik Swanson

Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh Pirates for Two PTBNL

Of the 14 players the Yankees acquired only Adam Warren, and Tyler Clippard will be joining the Major League roster. These moves were made with the future in mind. Clint Fraizer and Gleyber Torres now stand atop the Yankees prospect watch at one and two respectively. Justus Sheffield slots in at number seven and Dillon Tate comes in at number 11.

Many fans and Yankees reporters have been heaping praise on Brian Cashman, and rightfully so. Cashman deserves credit for not only convincing Hal Steinbrenner to sell but also getting top dollar in the trades he made. Cashman is entirely responsible for the flawed roster construction but realized a tear down was needed to compete, throwing around money for free agents is not the way to win anymore. The trades of Miller and Beltran sting. They were likable and had been awesome this year; both were all-stars. The Miller trade hurts the most to me because Miller was signed for relatively cheaply the next two years, I don't like the idea of rebuilding the next two years to get to the stacked free agency class of 2019. 

Many fans have been salivating over what the Yankees rotation and lineup will look like come this time. With arguably a Top-3 farm system they have positioned themselves as a team that could rely on youth to lead them back to the promised land or flip them in a blockbuster trade (looking at you Chris Sale). Through further trades and just natural attrition, it is highly unlikely all 10 prospects are going to make it the show with the team. 

Cashman has been GM since 1998, but these trade deadline moves are what his legacy will be judged on. The success he experienced with the 1990's Yankees dynasty was built off of the farm system put together by Gene "Stick" Michael. He has continued to throw money at big name free agents but has started to change his way of constructing the team. He has rebuilt the farm system through the draft over the past few years and has now moved on to filling it with other high-end talent. If even half of the ten prospects acquired, develop as expected the Yankees will be well positioned for a sustained run of success. Remember, five players built the 1990's dynasty (Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter). Combined with the Yankees current farm system there are plenty of players who could follow in their footsteps.

Just Get It Done, Already!

I'm so tired of hearing what the #Yankees need to do, or should do. That's fairly obvious. Can we just get to what's being done? @bryanv21

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) July 6, 2016

This season is really wearing on me. Watching the games is too difficult, as they leave me completely unfulfilled. On the one hand, if they win, I get upset because that gives the Yankee brass another reason to not trade anybody away. On the other hand, if they lose, I get upset because I absolutely hate losing.

It's a lose-lose situation. I just wish we could get past the trade deadline, that way I can just root for the team to win... no matter what they look like.

That's not to say I won't complain should some of their current players still be around, but at least I can watch a game without getting depressed no matter what the result of it is.

Yes... I'm on Team Sell. This is a team clearly in transition (I know they hate the word "rebuild", so how about "transition"?), and in order to do things correctly they need to let go of anything and everything holding them back.

That means on and off the field. Perhaps I'll get to the "off the field" people later (although some of our commenters love to chime in on that). Right now, I want to think about those "on the field" people that I think should be traded.

Let's start with an obvious one...

Aroldis Chapman

I wouldn't be against trading away Andrew Miller, and bringing back Chapman to be the team's closer for four or so more years. The reason being that Miller would return the better player(s) for the Yankees, due to him being signed for far less than market value for two more seasons. However, it's not like the return for Aroldis would be "so-so". Besides, Miller is simply better. And for less money, the Yankees might as well go the other route.

And it's not as if there are only one or two teams with playoff hopes that would be in on Chapman. The Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals could all use a strong closer. Even the Chicago Cubs, who already have a really good closer in Hector Rondon, would surely love to add Aroldis.

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Carlos Beltran

I know Carlos has been the Yankees best hitter so far this season (by far), but that can't deter them from getting something for him. They should not even think of re-signing him after this season. Beltran is already 39 years old, which makes it a horrible bet that he'd maintain his current batting numbers. And unless we're talking about David Ortiz, no team should have a full-time designated hitter.

Along with the the effectiveness and position questions surrounding Beltran, there's the fact that the Yankees have a handful of other outfield options. As of right now, Aaron Judge should be looked at as the Yankees' starting right fielder next year. Even if they hold off on that, Rob Refsnyder has more than earned more at bats*.

*I'd like to see the team to play Refsnyder in the infield every once in a while this season, as they could look at dealing away Starlin Castro in the offseason, and start Refsnyder at second base next year.

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Jacoby Ellsbury

I don't expect the Yankees to get much in return for Ellsbury. It's not because he hasn't been a very good hitter, either. On the contrary, I think Jacoby has been pretty good. His .280 batting average is good, his on-base percentage of .348 isn't too shabby, and he's seventh in MLB in stolen bases this season.

The problem with Ellsbury is that damn contract. After this year, there will still be four years and over $84 million remaining on his deal. Nobody in their right mind would pay Jacoby $21 million a season. But if the Yankees pay part of that remaining salary, say $5 million a year, then I think there would be some interested parties.

The combination of saving around $16 million a year, along with making room to give another player such as Ben Gamel a shot in the big leagues, makes this a trade well worth looking into.

The biggest hurdle I see here for the Yankees is Ellsbury's no trade protection. Would Jacoby be willing to play for the Washington Nationals or San Francisco Giants, two teams that are in the playoff hunt year after year, and both of whom could use help at the top of the lineup and in center field? The Yankees gotta try.

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Brian McCann

When thinking of players the Yankees could trade away, chances are Brian's name isn't one of the first people think of. However, I think the Yankees have to give serious thought to dealing away their starting catcher.

The Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers all have a couple of things in common. One, they are all within 3 games of a playoff spot. Two, they have issues at the catching position.

Meanwhile, Brian McCann is tied with Wilson Ramos and Evan Gattis in home runs by catchers (to be fair, six of Gattis' home runs have come as the Astros' designated hitter). Furthermore, McCann actually ranks 8th in fWAR among the 20 catchers with at least 200 plate appearances this season.

Like Ellsbury, the Yankees would have to get McCann to waive the no trade protection in his contract. But playing for the Cardinals or Dodgers would certainly appeal to many baseball players.

This guy's not the only one that wants to play for a winner.

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For a moment I thought of including Masahiro Tanaka on this list. My initial thought was that he'd likely opt-out of his contract after next season, and there's a decent chance the Yankees will let him walk. In that case, why not see what they can get for the guy now?

But where would that leave the rotation? I'll give you a hint... it's not a pretty place. Other than CC Sabathia, the Yankees have no starting pitcher that they can rely on. And to be honest, every time he steps on the mound, I hold my breath waiting for reality to knock him back to 2013-2015 CC Sabathia.

This leads me to my next point, which very likely takes care of the dumbfounded looks from some of you due to their exclusion from the above list of players.

Do not trade either Michael Pineda or Nathan Eovaldi.

I can't remember for sure, and I'm way too lazy to go back and look, but there's a good chance I've lobbied for the Yankees to do the opposite with those two. But at least for now, the Yankees should hold onto anybody that could possibly fill a rotation spot in the future .

Let's look at some current Yankees starters...

• As I mentioned earlier, Masahiro Tanaka can opt out of his deal after next season, and while I've said the Yankees should bring him back, letting him walk is certainly an option. 
• CC Sabathia has turned a page, but I just can't see him pitching well enough that he's re-signed when his contract is up after next season.
• Luis Severino is doing well in AAA, but not so well that I'm convinced he can re-enter the Yankees' rotation next year and be counted on every five days. 
• James Kaprielian looked like a shoe-in for the big league rotation as soon as next season, but elbow injuries are always concerning.
• Ivan Nova is a free agent after this season, and he's given us no reason to believe the Yankees would want to bring him back. 

So trading away two under-30 pitchers, both of whom have the raw talent to be good to great starters, is a bad idea. It's true that they've both had plenty of time for that raw talent to turn into something tangible, but unless one a trade is made for at least one more future starter, what else can they do?

Contrary to what some people around here believe, I'm not naive. Yes, I'm well aware that there are 17 teams within three games of a playoff berth (18 if you count the Seattle Mariners, who are only 3.5 games out). That means that even a decent starting pitcher would attract some level of trade interest.

But keep in mind that the Yankees would not get back a prospect of the same caliber Jesus Montero was when he was traded away, nor would they get a Major Leaguer as good as Martin Prado was. Trading Pineda or Eovaldi would likely get the Yankees an "okay" prospect or two, and the fact is those pitchers are simply more valuable to the team wearing pinstripes.

I'm sure at least some of you remember this.

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So there you go. Are all of those things I listed off going to happen? No. Are most of them going to happen? Probably not. Will any of them happen? I think there's a decent chance. And in about three weeks time we're going to find out. 

Justin Wilson Dealt To Detroit

After already trading away Adam Warren, one piece of the 2015 bullpen, the Yankees have now agreed to a trade involving Justin Wilson.

Wilson has been dealt to Detroit for minor league pitchers Luis Cessa and Chad Green.

Cessa was drafted by the New York Mets as a 17 year old and spent his first two seasons of pro ball as a second and third baseman (with an inning at shortstop thrown in). Since then, as mostly a starting pitcher, Luis has an ERA of 3.68. He did throw 62 innings in AAA last year between Las Vegas (Mets) and Toledo (Tigers), but had a poor 7.55 ERA. I'm not excited about this guy.

Green's also spent the majority of his time in pro ball in the minors as a starter, and despite the fact he has yet to reach AAA he's actually a year older. During his three years in the minors, Chad's ERA is 3.55, but last year in AA Erie his ERA was 3.93. Another guy that's not exactly "eye-popping".

While I won't truly miss Justin Wilson, I can't help but wonder what will happen in the bullpen. Cashman has already dealt away Adam Warren, who threw 35.1 innings of strong relief work, and now another 61 innings of strong relief work is gone.

I know the Yankees have done a great job with their relievers, but at some point things aren't all going to come up roses in that department.

Potential List of Pitchers That Interests the Yankees

Hal Steinbrenner has been asked what the Yankees plan will be at this season's July 31st trading deadline and Hal responded that the team would likely go the route they went during the 2014 season. In 2014 the team did not acquire any players that were under contract past that current season meaning the team will likely look towards pure rentals this season as well. New York will presumably be interested in the pitching market specifically this season, much like every season, so I decided to take a look at a short list of arms the Yankees will presumably be interested this July. Remember that this is just based off the fact that the player has pitched well this season and is a pure rental, there are no reports that the team is interested in any potential trade.

• Every list starts and ends with Cole Hamels because he has been linked to almost every team that expects to contend this season. I realize that Hamels is not the pure rental that we described above but his talent at 31 years old from the left side of the pitching rubber makes him the exception to every rule. 

• Speaking of left handed pitchers the Oakland Athletics have one in Scott Kazmir who has been pitching well as of late. Kazmir is left handed and is a pure rental for any team presumably making him attractive to any team, including the Yankees. With Oakland not playing well this season it seems likely that Billy Beane will trade his ace. 

• Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds screams Brandon McCarthy to me and that trade worked out well for the Yankees last season. Leake is a middle of the rotation type starter that won't presumably cost much in the prospects department for New York. He may not be the big and sexy name that the Yankees fans love but he will keep your team in a game and is still just 27 years old. 

• Johnny Cueto is a big time arm that the Yankees could be interested in but he would be awfully expensive to acquire for any team. New York could acquire Cueto if they were willing to give up a package including at least one of, and probably two of, Greg Bird, Robert Refsnyder, Luis Severino and Aaron Judge. Cueto seems like the least likely pitcher to acquire this season. 

Solarte Thankful Yankees Gave Him An Opportunity

When the Yankees first traded Yangervis Solarte to the Padres yesterday, many fans were surprised the team would give up his kind of talent for a rental.

The 25-year-old rookie, who spent eight seasons in the minors before making the Yanks out of spring training, hit .300 for them over the first two months of 2014 and .254 overall, making the fact he was dealt for someone batting just .229 tough to understand.

Still, since the exchange did happen the world, including Solarte, has to come to terms with it, something the youngster seemed to do yesterday, telling ESPN Deportes' Marly Rivera how thankful he was to be a Bomber.

"I just want to thank the New York Yankees for the opportunity they gave me; they made my dream to play in the majors come true," he said. "I am very thankful for the support the Yankee fans gave me, which was completely unexpected; they gave me inspiration to keep fighting and working hard." 

Way back in April, Solarte, then just a utility infielder, took the starting third base job from Kelly Johnson, arguably the high point of his success, as the majority of his playing time from then on included only slumps and frustration.