BOLDLY Predicting the MLB Trade Deadline: National League West

The July 31^st trading deadline is fast approaching here for the 2018 MLB season, so let’s take the chance to post a few bold predictions for every team in the National League West before the deadline next Tuesday. Enjoy, and leave your comments and thoughts below in the comments section.

The Arizona Diamondbacks need a shortstop and a catcher, but their biggest issue will be the lack of prospects that their farm system has available in order to acquire either one of these positions of need. Another area of concern for Arizona this summer will be money, especially with the bulk of their allotted salaries going to RHP Zack Greinke. The window to win in Arizona is quickly closing as Patrick Corbin will hit the free agent market after the season leaving Arizona with no choice but to take advantage of the slow start by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. The team will need to go all-in, but unfortunately the market for both shortstops and catchers is dry and barren. The team needs to make some additional moves in my opinion to hold off the rest of the National League West, but I just can’t see them having the pieces and the dollars to make any substantial moves.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already made the biggest splash to date in the July 31^st trading deadline season and you would be a fool if you thought that they were done. The Dodgers stumbled coming out of the gates here in 2018 and have a lot of ground to make up, but the good news for Los Angeles is that now they are back within striking distance of not only the playoffs, but the division as well. The team needs second base help and could look at a veteran rental like Brian Dozier to team with Chase Utley and others as well as a relief pitcher or two to help get the ball to Kenley Jansen. The Dodgers are not done though, not by a long shot, so stay tuned.

The Colorado Rockies need a first baseman or an outfielder as well as more pitching, much like every single contender and potential playoff team here in 2018, so why wouldn’t the team get all that done in one major deal with the Cincinnati Reds. I truly think these two teams can matchup for a blockbuster trade that could bring in outfielder and first baseman Adam Duvall along with reliever Raisel Iglesias. If the Rockies truly want to get greedy they could also try and pry away Matt Harvey in the deal as well to plug in a hole at the back end of their rotation. The Rockies window for winning is closing as Nolan Arenado, their third baseman, inches closer towards free agency so the time to strike for this club may be now. They have already solidified the bullpen some this trade season, but this move may finally push the Rockies to the “All in” category. The team is close not only to clinching a postseason berth, but also close enough to potentially snipe the National League West away from the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks.

The San Diego Padres will trade Kirby Yates, Tyson Ross and Craig Stammen. The Padres are not going anywhere this season and will likely trade away all their valuable arms before the deadline much like the team did with Brad Hand and Adam Cimber. Kirby Yates is a true rental and is having a career-year, which to be honest was likely aided by pitching in baseball’s equivalent of Yellowstone Park, while Ross came back to San Diego this season on a Minor League deal. I could see a team like the New York Yankees taking a waiver on Ross just because of how cheap he is in terms of dollars and cents, or any other team for that matter who needs a starter including the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals or the Milwaukee Brewers.

The San Francisco Giants will trade Jeff Samardzija. Yes, I said it. The team went out and aggressively acquired Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen before the season, but to date their efforts have been for nothing as the team is once again on the outside looking in at the postseason as we stand here today. I don’t think the Giants are out of it enough to completely tear everything down, and I don’t think they are at the point yet where they will or where they need to trade Madison Bumgarner, so a simple trade that could net them a prospect or two in a weak pitcher’s market while also clearing some money off the luxury tax cap could be in order in San Francisco. Sorry, Giants fans… I know you expected more.

Disclaimer: BOLD predictions are meant to be BOLD for a reason. Keep that in mind before directing hate mail towards me or any of my writers on the blog or on Twitter. Thanks in advance.

Predicting the 2018 Trade Deadline: Matt Harvey

The New York Mets essentially dumped Matt Harvey onto the Cincinnati Reds after designating him for assignment earlier in the year. The Mets wanted rid of the headache, and presumably the contract if at all possible, while the Reds acquired him with the hopes of building his trade value back up for a meaningful trade before the July 31^st trade deadline. The Mets took on Devin Mesoraco who makes more than twice as much as Harvey, although the Reds did send cash back to offset the difference, while the Reds have been successful in establishing some value for Harvey, a value that will see the former All-Star and Mets product in the Bronx by the end of the month in my opinion.

Go ahead and laugh, make your jokes about Harvey in New York and how he won’t be the missing piece to the Yankees World Series puzzle. I’ll call your sarcastic chuckle and raise you a few stats that may open your eyes to the possibility just a bit. Since joining the Reds the former Mets right-hander has pitched to a 4-3 record with a 3.86 ERA including a 3-0 record with a 1.47 ERA in his last three starts. The command is back, the filthy pitching is back, and so is the velocity after peaking at 97.2 MPH in his last start. Harvey is fresh off a start in which he shutdown and shutout the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers for 5.2 innings, only leaving the game because of a 54-minute rain delay.

Harvey is a free agent at the end of the season and, fiscally anyway, he would fit into the Yankees plans for the 2018 season. If he could pitch like he did back in his hay day with the Mets, then he fits into the Yankees plans for the 2018 season in so many other ways. Harvey would be and likely would be much better than Sonny Gray at this point and would give the Yankees another veteran arm to help their march towards the postseason.

What would the Reds want in exchange for Harvey? What any young and rebuilding teams wants, pitching. Enter Jonathan Loaisiga who has been being showcased for the Yankees over the past couple of weeks including this week inside Yankee Stadium against the Atlanta Braves. Would the Reds be willing to do a one-for-one swap? I can only presume, but my presumption would be that they would be willing to make the swap. Loaisiga is a young and controllable starting pitcher that is MLB ready, obviously, which would check a lot of boxes for the Reds. This may anger some Yankees fans, myself included, but we must remember that this is a business and that Brian Cashman is not as attached to these young guys as we are. He will make the move if the Reds allow him to pull the trigger for Loaisiga, you can bet on it.

USA Today’s Weekly MLB Power Rankings

Cue the music, “coming for that number one spot.” And the New York Yankees did just that this week as the USA Today released their newest set of weekly power rankings over on their site. The Boston Red Sox slipped to second as the Yankees went from a .500 ball club to the best team in baseball, according to these rankings, in just three weeks’ time. Imagine what will happen when the team gets a healthy Brandon Drury and Greg Bird back. The sky is the limit with this team, I have said that from day one.

The Red Sox slipped to second place while the Houston Astros (3^rd), Arizona Diamondbacks (4^th) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (5^th) round out the Top 5. The five worst teams in the league according to these rankings are the Kansas City Royals (26^th), the Baltimore Orioles (27^th), the Cincinnati Reds (28^th), the Miami Marlins (29^th) and the Chicago White Sox (30^th).

Surprises? The Milwaukee Brewers are back in the Top 10 and climbing, so are the Atlanta Braves as well with a huge +56 run differential. Meanwhile the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays are in a free fall out of contention and off the board. You have to think the biggest surprise though is the Los Angeles Dodgers who not only got swept by the Cincinnati Reds recently but have also fallen to 21^st overall in the rankings. Will the Dodgers even make the postseason at this point?

The Cincinnati Reds are 6-0 to start the Matt Harvey era. Have a great day everyone.

MLB Opening Night 2016 Open Thread

Ladies and gentleman it's time, MLB's Opening Night! Today is the first game that counts this season and it's a rematch of the 2015 World Series between the New York Mets and the defending champion Kansas City Royals. In the game tonight the Mets will send their ace Matt Harvey to the mound to face off with the Royals #1 starter Edinson Volquez. This is a rematch of Game Five of the World Series with these two starters both on the mound for their respective teams.

The game will be played inside Kauffman Stadium, home of the Royals, at 8:37 pm ET and can be seen nationally on ESPN.

TOMMY JOHN SURGERY: Facts, Myths, Risk Factors and Prevention

During my 18 yrs as a Physical Therapist no topic has induced more discussions with my clients than Tommy John surgery (AKA ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction or UCL). Questions range from "What is it?", "Should I still draft Matt Harvey to my fantasy baseball team?", to "How can I prevent my Little Leaguer from hurting his elbow?". Here is my attempt to satisfy all.

WHAT IS IT?

This triangular ligament connects the humerus (upper arm bone) to the ulna (inside forearm bone) and provides stability to the elbow. Throwing athletes who sprain their UCL may experience sharp pain along the inside of their elbow or hear a "pop," after throwing. Sprains are defined as an overstretching or tearing of ligamentous tissue and are graded on a scale of I to III. Grade I sprains being the most mild, usually respond well to (RICE) rest, ice compression and elevation along with skilled physical therapy. A grade III sprain is complete tearing of the ligament resulting in elbow joint instability and usually requires "Tommy John surgery."

Tommy John surgery involves using a graft from either another tendon in the body such as Palmaris Longus (an unused forearm muscle) or a portion of hamstring to reconstruct the UCL. Sometimes tissue is harvested from a cadaver.

FACTS AND MYTHS:

Myth: Pitchers who have had TJ surgery throw harder than they did prior to surgery.
Fact: Pitchers actually lose 2-3 mph from their fastball following surgery. They may gain velocity as a result of vigorous rehabilitation with emphasis on core strength, motion analysis, improved mechanics and a regimented throwing program.

Myth: TJ surgery is no big deal.
Fact: Typical recovery for a throwing athlete is 18 months for return to sport and almost 2 yrs before their performance level catches up. Only 75% of pitchers are able to return to the Major Leagues at all following TJ surgery.

Myth: UCL sprains occur primarily in professional throwing athletes.
Fact: UCL sprains have reached epidemic proportions in children as young as 6 over the past 15 yrs. The best way to combat this problem is to prevent it from occurring. This starts at an early age.

RISK FACTORS:

#1 Risk factor for UCL sprain is competitive year round baseball. I call this Tiger Woods Syndrome. Once a parent discovers their child has a gift in a particular area they isolate training to this one activity.

#2 Throwing with fatigue. Kids are throwing too many pitches and are not allowing themselves enough recovery time between bouts of hard throwing.

#3 Showcases. These are events where the child is required to throw as hard as they can for a short duration. Frequently the athlete is given insufficient time to warm-up and they overthrow to impress their audience or a radar gun.

#4 Participating in 2 leagues at once. Doing so may not leave the elbow enough recovery time resulting in repetitive micro-trauma and injury.

PREVENTION:

Active Rest: Participate in multiple sports to cross train. If your child is playing a throwing sport one season, have them compete in a lower body sport such as soccer, basketball or track the next.

Attempt 2-4 months off from competitive throwing after each baseball season. This does not mean they shouldn't play catch in the yard from time to time; just don't repetitively max out.

Pitch count: Coaches and parents should not allow their little leaguer to throw more than 80-85 pitches per game. They should monitor the child's pitch count and watch for signs of fatigue such as getting wild or a drop in velocity.

Young athletes should participate in activities that promote core strength, lower body conditioning, functional strength training vs. isolating particular muscle groups and encourage them to use sound throwing mechanics.


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Complete List of Players Who Filed for Salary Arbitration

VIA THE USA TODAY:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BALTIMORE (8) — Brad Brach, rhp; Zach Britton, lhp; Ryan Flaherty, 2b; Miguel Gonzalez, rhp; Manny Machado, 3b; Brian Matusz, lhp; Chris Tillman, rhp; Mark Trumbo, of-1b.

BOSTON (3) — Joe Kelly, rhp; Robbie Ross, lhp; Junichi Tazawa, rhp.

CHICAGO (4) — Avisail Garcia, of; Dan Jennings, lhp; Brett Lawrie, 3b; Zach Putnam, rhp.

CLEVELAND (5) — Cody Allen, rhp; Lonnie Chisenhall, 3b-rf; Jeff Manship, rhp; Bryan Shaw, rhp; Josh Tomlin, rhp.

DETROIT (4) — Jose Iglesias, ss; J.D. Martinez, of; Andrew Romine, inf; Justin Wilson, lhp.

HOUSTON (6) — Jason Castro, c; Josh Fields, rhp; Evan Gattis, dh; Marwin Gonzalez, inf; Dallas Keuchel, lhp; Luis Valbuena, 3b.

KANSAS CITY (7) — Drew Butera, c; Lorenzo Cain, of; Louis Coleman, rhp; Tony Cruz, c; Danny Duffy, lhp; Jarrod Dyson, of; Mike Moustakas, 3b.

LOS ANGELES (3) — Kole Calhoun, of; Garrett Richards, rhp; Fernando Salas, rhp.

MINNESOTA (6) — Eduardo Escobar, ss; Casey Fien, rhp; Kevin Jepsen, rhp; Tommy Milone, lhp; Eduardo Nunez, inf; Trevor Plouffe, 3b.

NEW YORK (6) — Dustin Ackley, 2b-of; Aroldis Chapman, lhp; Nathan Eovaldi, rhp;Didi Gregorius, ss; Ivan Nova, rhp; Michael Pineda, rhp.

OAKLAND (4) — Yonder Alonso, 1b; Josh Reddick, of; Fernando Rodriguez, rhp;Danny Valencia, 3b.

SEATTLE (3) — Charlie Furbush, lhp; Leonys Martin, of; Evan Scribner, rhp.

TAMPA BAY (10) — Alex Cobb, rhp; Hank Conger, c; Logan Forsythe, 2b; Brandon Guyer, of; Desmond Jennings, of; Jake McGee, lhp; Logan Morrison, 1b; Erasmo Ramirez, rhp; Rene Rivera, c; Drew Smyly, lhp.

TEXAS (7) — Robinson Chirinos, c; Jake Diekman, lhp; Mitch Moreland, 1b;Jurickson Profar, 2b-ss; Tanner Scheppers, rhp; Shawn Tolleson, rhp; Tom Wilhelmsen, rhp.

TORONTO (8) — Brett Cecil, lhp; Jesse Chavez, rhp; Steve Delabar, rhp; Josh Donaldson, 3b; Drew Hutchison, rhp; Aaron Loup, lhp; Michael Saunders, of; Drew Storen, rhp.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

ARIZONA (7) — Welington Castillo, c; Patrick Corbin, lhp; Rubby De La Rosa, rhp;Randall Delgado, rhp; Daniel Hudson, rhp; Shelby Miller, rhp; A.J. Pollock, of.

ATLANTA (2) — Arodys Vizcaino, rhp; Chris Withrow, rhp.

CHICAGO (7) — Jake Arrieta, rhp; Chris Coghlan, of; Justin Grimm, rhp; Hector Rondon, rhp; Pedro Strop, rhp; Adam Warren, rhp; Travis Wood, lhp.

CINCINNATI (2) — Zack Cozart, ss; J.J. Hoover, rhp.

COLORADO (3) — Nolan Arenado, 3b; Charlie Blackmon, of; DJ LeMahieu, 2b.

LOS ANGELES (6) — Luis Avilan, lhp; Yasmani Grandal, c; Chris Hatcher, rhp;Kenley Jansen, rhp; Justin Turner, inf; Scott Van Slyke, of.

MIAMI (8) — Carter Capps, rhp; Jose Fernandez, rhp; Dee Gordon, 2b; Adeiny Hechavarria, ss; Tom Koehler, rhp; Bryan Morris, rhp; David Phelps, rhp; A.J. Ramos, rhp.

MILWAUKEE (3) — Wily Peralta, rhp; Jean Segura, ss; Will Smith, lhp.

NEW YORK (9) — Lucas Duda, 1b; Josh Edgin, lhp; Jeurys Familia, rhp; Matt Harvey, rhp; Jenrry Mejia, rhp; Addison Reed, rhp; Ruben Tejada, ss; Carlos Torres, rhp; Neil Walker, 2b.

PHILADELPHIA (3) — Freddy Galvis, ss; Jeanmar Gomez, rhp; Jeremy Hellickson, rhp.

PITTSBURGH (7) — Francisco Cervelli, c; Jared Hughes, rhp; Jeff Locke, lhp; Mark Melancon, rhp; Jordy Mercer, ss; Chris Stewart, c; Tony Watson, lhp.

ST. LOUIS (4) — Matt Adams, 1b; Seth Maness, rhp; Brandon Moss, of-1b; Trevor Rosenthal, rhp.

SAN DIEGO (4) — Andrew Cashner, rhp; Derek Norris, c; Drew Pomeranz, lhp; Tyson Ross, rhp.

SAN FRANCISCO (2) — Brandon Belt, 1b; George Kontos, rhp.

WASHINGTON (5) — Danny Espinosa, 2b; Wilson Ramos, c; Anthony Rendon, 2b-3b; Ben Revere, of; Stephen Strasburg, rhp.

Since the Yankees Refuse to Spend Money for 2016…..

Since the New York Yankees and specifically their owner Hal Steinbrenner refuse to spend money before the 2016 season I thought it would be fun, and it can help pass the time as the hot stove market begins to cool down a bit, to look at the free agency market set to hit before the 2019 season. You know, that season where the Yankees are supposedly going to get Bryce Harper.

No free agent market in recent memory has looked like the one this season has yet the Yankees fiscal hands are seemingly tied. Why? Because the last time there was this deep of a free agent market the team went out and signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and AJ Burnett while also acquiring Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox in a trade. That was 2009 and the team, along with a few bumps along the way, is still paying for it. Literally and figuratively.

An early look at the 2019 free agent class looks tantalizing. Bryce Harper is not the only name that will presumably interest the Yankees. Names like Clayton Kershaw, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Donaldson, Adam Jones, Dallas Keuchel, Jose Fernandez and Matt Harvey headline the list while both the best starting pitcher and hitter on this year’s market, Jason Heyward and David Price, can opt out looking for larger deals. That’s before you mention that the Yankees Andrew Miller, the Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel and former Yankees right-hander David Robertson will also hit free agency all before the 2019 season. It’s going to be a deep class to say the least with many intriguing names for New York and their fans to drool over all winter long.

That offseason Chase Headley’s contract will be off the books, hello Donaldson, as well as the bigger names like Carlos Beltran, Miller, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira. The Yankees, as it stands today, have a whopping $57 million coming off the books before that season and Hal Steinbrenner has said the team will spend heavily when they have substantial money coming off the books. That is substantial, expect the Yankees to spend heavily once again before 2019.

A lot can change between now and then, a lot, but it’s still fun to look at as a fan. 

Could a Miller/Gardner/Prospects Package Land a Mets Ace?

This was something that was brought up in our comments section that got the wheels in my head turning so a hat tip to our commenter that goes by the name of “Spade.” Spade asked the question “Would you trade Brett Gardner and Andrew Miller in a package for one of the New York Mets aces?” Truth be told I think it would take more than just Miller and Gardner to land one of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, although it may be a bit of an overpay for Steve Matz and/or Zach Wheeler, so I thought about maybe adding a prospect or two to sweeten the deal, do you make the deal?

Whether we would make the deal I guess is a moot point, it’s whether the Mets would make the deal. In a perfect world and on paper you have to think the Mets would be interested in the trade. Their bullpen was shaky at best in 2015 with Juerys Familia blowing multiple postseason saves and Tyler Clippard being more “wild” that “effectively wild” for much of the second half. Clippard is now hitting free agency alongside Daniel Murphy, Yoenis Cespedes and others leaving a set of huge holes for New York at the back end of the bullpen, in the outfield and at first base. Those holes could be filled by the Yankees with the Mets trading from a position of power, young and controllable starting pitching.

Miller would give the Mets an immediate 9^th inning presence while Gardner could slot into center field to replace Cespedes or anywhere else in the Citi Field outfield. Adding a potential first base option like Tyler Austin and another lower level prospect that many haven’t heard of but has upside could sweeten the pot for the Mets. I still can’t see the team pulling the trigger, that’s a long commitment with a lot of money heading to the budget-stricken Mets, but the deal makes sense for both sides.

The Yankees get another young fire ball starting pitcher to add to Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda while the Mets full multiple holes in one move. Don’t start penciling one of the Mets multiple aces in just yet, although the offseason is the time to dream for fans of the team. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 9/20

Thank goodness for MLB.TV's radio broadcasts so you can mute the ESPN crew and listen to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. If I was to listen to ESPN I could hear it now, John Kruk will work up the New York Mets and Matt Harvey as World Series winners instead of the contenders they are and he would hand Harvey the NL Cy Young Award now. It is high, it is far, it is... caught by the second baseman in short right field but it's still better than listening to the blatantly obvious bias given out by the ESPN crew. Anyway, tonight the Yankees and Mets finish off the Subway Series with CC Sabathia heading to the mound to face off against Matt Harvey and his innings limit. The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

The Yankees will play until nearly midnight tonight and then have to travel to Toronto before tomorrow night's contest with David Price and the Toronto Blue Jays, thank you MLB schedulers and thank you ESPN. Be sure to give @GreedyStripes a follow on Twitter to rant and rave about it while rooting for the Yankees all the way to the postseason.

Sabathia is ready to roll and so are the Yankees. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 9/20

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets will finish off their three game series and the Subway Series for the season tonight inside Citi Field. Both teams need a win but the pressure is especially on the Mets in my opinion with their ace on the mound in Queens tonight. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound tonight to face off against the Mets phenom Matt Harvey. The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

• Sabathia heads into this start fresh off his first start off the disabled list and possibly his best start of the season. Sabathia held the Tampa Bay Rays to just three hits in 6.2 scoreless innings of work on September 14. Sabathia has faced the Mets once this season and took the loss on April 25 after giving up seven runs in five innings. 

• Harvey starting with all eyes in the nation on him on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, this is the kind of start that Harvey was seemingly made for. No one knows how long he will be in this game with the innings limit concerns surrounding the right-hander and the Mets right now and that may be the Yankees best chance tonight in Queens. 

The next four days are likely to make or break the Yankees season. Tonight's finale with the Mets is followed by the final three games with the Toronto Blue Jays head-to-head. Three or four losses in these four games could really make things interesting in the Wild Card race in the American League. Three or four wins in that same span can propel the Yankees right back into the conversation for the American League East Division race. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ New York Mets 9/19

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets continue to battle for bragging rights in the great state of New York this afternoon as the two face off in a day game at Citi Field. This series means so much to both team’s that the pitching, the defense, the situational hitting and the strategies will be on full display inside a National League park this afternoon. In the second game of this three game set the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to harness some “Big Mike XXL” powers while the Mets counter with rookie Noah Syndergaard. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on FOX and MLB TV.

• Pineda has not been sharp since coming off the disabled list as he has allowed four runs in each of his last two starts. Pineda beat the Mets earlier in the season when the two faced off on April 24^th holding the Mets to just one run on five hits in 7.2 IP. Pineda was seemingly a different pitcher then and this Mets offense was definitely much thinner at that time as well.

• Syndergaard had his start skipped two starts ago but did not seem to be affected by it in his last start against the Atlanta Braves. Syndergaard threw seven innings against Atlanta and gave up just one run in a victory for the Mets. Syndergaard, like teammate Matt Harvey, will have his innings limited going forward with hopes of keeping him fresh and available for the postseason.

These two teams also get a day off after this contest as they don’t play again until tomorrow evening on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. The battle for New York and the Subway Series continues this weekend so take advantage of it before it’s gone. Go Yankees!

DO NOT Pitch To Yoenis Cespedes

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets are a mere two hours away from kicking off a three game series inside Citi Field. These two teams will play all weekend long including tomorrow afternoon and Sunday night on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball (because who doesn't love playing until midnight before having to travel this late in the season, right?). These two teams faced off three times already this season and the Yankees won two of those three games inside Yankee Stadium. These Yankees were a different team then with Nathan Eovaldi and Mark Teixeira and the Mets are a different team, and a much better team this time around, with Tyler Clippard and the man of the hour in New York right now, Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes has not faced the Yankees as a member of the Mets this season but he faced off against New York plenty of time as a member of the Detroit Tigers. These stats mean very little in the grand scheme of things because Cespedes has been playing with a new fire lit under him of late but here they are nonetheless, Cespedes against current Yankees pitching in his career.

*courtesy of ESPN.com 

DO NOT pitch to Yoenis Cespedes all weekend long. That is all.

Last Minute Pickups to Win Your Fantasy League

Many fantasy baseball leagues around the web are finishing up soon and the playoffs will be here before we know it. Whether you’re comfortable winning your league, in the playoffs or just on the cusp it can never hurt to add another piece or two late in the season. That’s where I come in hopefully with some solid advice on who to pick up for the stretch run and who to avoid. Enjoy and I hope it helps.

Austin Jackson did not well in a huge park in Seattle and he struggled with a huge park in Detroit but Chicago’s Wrigley Field is a whole new ballpark in a whole new league. You can buy extremely low on Jackson right and likely get a huge return on him, especially in an NL-only league. Abraham Almonte has quietly turned his season around after being traded to the Cleveland Indians while Stephen Drew, believe it or not, may be the hottest second baseman in the league right now.

In the category of good players on bad teams you have Hector Olivera who will presumably play every day at third base for the Atlanta Braves while the Boston Red Sox will find a place for Blake Swihart’s red hot bat whether it be behind the dish or at the DH position for the remainder of this season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers called up the top prospect in Major League Baseball Corey Seager putting him into a deep and heavy lineup making him attractive for the shortstop position if you need RBI help. Steven Matz will also be inserted into the New York Mets six-man rotation to help limit the innings of Matt Harvey while Ryan Goins looks to be locked into the second base job in Toronto for the foreseeable future.

In the final category we look at long shots that could turn the tide in your league this season but shouldn’t be relied upon alone to do so, if that makes any sense. Players like Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays who was originally slated to be out for the entire 2015 season with a knee injury before shocking the world and his doctors with his recovery and comeback. Stroman is one more minor league appearance away from re-joining the Blue Jays but could be one awkward move away from being back on the shelf. The same can be said for Tanner Roark who has struggled for much of the season in the bullpen but is being placed back in the rotation due to innings limits for his teammates. Roark once won 15 games for the Nationals in their rotation so the talent is there, but is the execution?

The final piece is Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers. He’s a huge bat that destroyed the minor and major leagues in his first two weeks before falling victim to the strikeout bug. Gallo continued to strike out in the minor leagues but if he can get hot he’d be a huge pickup at third base. 

Comparing Nathan Eovaldi to Matt Harvey? Say What?

The New York Yankees and Nathan Eovaldi, with a little help from Greg Bird, were able to lock down a series sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx. With the victory Eovaldi was able to lock down his 13th win of the season for the team, easily a team high. In our comments section of the site, which you should check out in my opinion because it's growing every day and there are some great minds and fans in there, from Day One of the Eovaldi trade some have been against the trade and some have shown some patience. I personally was always on the "patience" bandwagon because Eovaldi was showcased as a work in progress and has been a work in progress this season. He's been up and he's been down but the good news for the Yankees is he's been more up than down in the past few months.

With every bad Eovaldi start you have the "I told you so's" flying while you have much of the same during every good start from Nathan. The biggest complaints on Eovaldi this season have been the run support he's received and his lack of length that he is giving the team and quite often he has been compared, however loosely, to Matt Harvey in the comments section. In no way, shape or form does anyone think Eovaldi is on the same level playing field  but the running comment always was something along the lines of "give Matt Harvey seven runs of run support a game and he would have a lot of wins too." That's a valid point I guess, he hasn't received a ton of run support (4.1) that Eovaldi has (5.5) according to the RS/GS (run support per game started) stat on Baseball Reference, but the good thing about sabermetrics is there are plenty of stats to quantify a pitchers performance.

FIP, or fielding independent pitching, takes out everything that the pitcher cannot control including run support, defense, unearned runs, etc. and gives you the true value of a pitcher. I posted this in the comments section but I wanted to bring this stat to the attention of a broader audience who may or may not have seen the comment.

Eovaldi's FIP - 3.52 in 136 IP (+0.72 difference in ERA)

Harvey's FIP - 3.41 in 154 IP (-0.84 difference in ERA)

FYI, the lower the FIP the better. Eovaldi is not Harvey and he's not the true ace that Harvey is but he may not be the "water pistol" that some have called him this season. He, according to this stat anyway, has been quietly having one of the better seasons in the American League. Eovaldi isn't Harvey and with this team and he doesn't have to be but he's been great for the Yankees this season and I don't think many can argue that.

Leave your thoughts and comments in the comments section.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 4/25

I had to tell all my friends, family and followers that are fans of the New York Mets that I was temporarily rescinding my friendship this weekend for games like today. It is game time as the New York Yankees play host to the New York Mets in the Subway Series. This will be the second game of the three game set this weekend in the Bronx and Yankee Stadium and it will showcase CC Sabathia on the mound for the Yankees and Matt Harvey on the mound for the Mets. The past ace vs. the current ace will go face to face at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on SNY, Fox Sports 1, WPIX Channel 11 and MLB TV.

Get your Yankees tickets here on the blog for the Subway Series finale tomorrow in the Bronx or for any game this week against the Tampa Bay Rays. Through our partnership with Ticket Monster and by clicking our Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog you will receive your tickets fast without all those shipping costs and handling fees associated with the price. Plus we’ll give you a slight 5% discount on top of that just for being a Greedy Pinstripes reader so you can’t really go wrong there. If you’d rather stay at home and watch the game on the couch or in your man room then jump on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) or our comments section to chat with us during the game. We put the social back into social media and would love to interact with as many of you as we can.

With that said I’ll let Mr. Sabathia have the stage. Go Yankees! #BeatTheMets

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 4/25

The New York Mets and the New York Yankees face off once again today as a part of the Subway Series in the Bronx. Last night we were all entertained by the Michael Pineda and Jacob deGrom pitching matchup and today we have another one to look forward to when the Yankees send CC Sabathia to the mound to face off against the Mets ace Matt Harvey. Keep in mind that Harvey suffered an extremely mild ankle sprain in his last start and has some fluid building up in the ankle and rather than skipping a start in April to make sure he’s okay for the long haul he will make the start today in the Bronx. Maybe it’s the Joe Girardi in me talking but that sounds like you’re asking for trouble but as long as that trouble works out in the Yankees favor then I’m all for it. The game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on SNY, WPIX Channel 11, Fox Sports 1 and MLB TV.

• Sabathia is coming off easily his best start of the 2015 season after he pitched a complete game against the Detroit Tigers last time out. Sabathia allowed just two runs over eight innings however his Yankees teammates could only muster one run off Alfredo Simon in the loss for New York. Sabathia has pitched much better than his 0-3 record shows and he hopes to improve on his 3-1 record and 2.14 career ERA against the Mets.

• Harvey was sick in his last start against the Miami Marlins plus he hurt his ankle and was still able to improve his 2015 season record to 3-0. Harvey has never pitched in the Bronx or Yankee Stadium and will be making his debut later on this afternoon.

Sabathia has looked better and better with each start this season and is finally giving some length to Girardi and the Yankees bullpen. Sabathia may not throw a complete game and give up just two runs today like he did against the mighty Detroit Tigers but if he can keep the team close I feel good about the Yankees chances against that young Mets bullpen. Only one way to find out and that’s to watch the game. Go Yankees!

#BeatTheMets

TGP Daily Poll: Matt Harvey’s Ankle Keeps Him Down

Matt Harvey takes the mound for the Mets on Saturday after suffering from a mild ankle sprain and some fluid buildup. Harvey will still make his start against the Yankees and CC Sabathia and will regret it in a loss for the Mets.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Spring: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 3/25

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets face off for the second time in less than a week as a part of the Grapefruit League and Spring Training. The last game had the Bombers as the road team but this time around the Yankees are at home playing host to the Mets inside George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB Network. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with the Mets Rafael Montero. It’s not CC Sabathia against Matt Harvey but it will do, I guess.

Go Yankees!!

TGP Daily Poll: New York Yankees Extract Their Revenge

The last time the New York Yankees and the New York Mets faced off in a Spring Training game Matt Harvey and the Mets got the best of the Yankees. This time around the Yankees will extract their revenge and come out on top.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Recap: Mets 6, Yankees 0

CC Sabathia surrendered four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings and Jose Pirela left the game early with an apparent concussion Sunday as the Yankees fell to the Mets, 6-0, in a one-sided affair at Tradition Field.

Sabathia Struggles: Sabathia gave up three home runs in his relatively-short outing -- including two in the bottom of the first alone. He did strike out four, however, and told Jack Curry after his removal he feels better now than he did last spring.

Pirela's Injury: On the first batter Sabathia faced on the afternoon, Mets CF Juan Lagares lifted a deep fly ball to center -- one Pirela nearly tracked down before slamming hard into the wall. Pirela then laid on the ground for a few minutes as Lagares circled the bases for an inside-the-parker, eventually being taken off in a cart.

Baker's Strong Performance: On a day when plenty of things went wrong for the Yankees, Scott Baker acted as one of the few bright spots -- throwing 4 1/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen while striking out two. In all, Baker retired 13 of 14 Mets between the fourth and eighth -- sitting down nine consecutive at one point while never letting a man reach second.

Offensive Blues: The Yankees mustered just two hits in 5 2/3 frames against Mets starter Matt Harvey -- a pair of routine singles from Mark Teixeira and John Ryan Murphy. They finally threatened in the top of the ninth, but stranded a runner in scoring postion when Rob Refsnyder hit into a double play. 

Teixeira Shows Off His Wheels: Teixeira did put together an interesting moment in the second, though -- collecting a rare stolen base following his knock off Harvey. Teixeira wasn't being held by the Mets' Lucas Duda, strangely, so he sprinted toward second in a nice showing of awareness. 

Next Up: The Yankees will continue their tour of Florida's Atlantic coast Monday when they visit the Nationals in Viera -- a contest you can see live on MLB Network. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET -- with Bryan Mitchell slated to start for the Yankees in their lone trip to Washington's complex this month.