July 31st Trade Deadline Countdown: Starting Pitching

Now that we totally didn’t figure out that whole first base situation and very likely only left you with more questions than you had before… let’s tackle the starting pitching problem! The Yankees learned this weekend that CC Sabathia has a Grade II strain of his hamstring while Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda haven’t exactly been great this month leaving the team a little thin in the starting pitching department. Chance Adams, until I hear otherwise, is not deemed to be ready to make the big jump to the Major Leagues so here are a couple options that could stop gap for the team until Sabathia is healthy and until Adams is ready to make the jump. 

When Sonny Gray is healthy he is as dominant as they come, the problem for the Oakland Athletics is that he hasn’t been healthy or dominant in the last two seasons. For those reasons alone the A’s may be inclined to just hold onto their young righty but if the team does decide to sell him at the deadline he may come cheap, or “cheap.” The A’s are in need of a complete rebuild and the team isn’t dumb, they know Sonny Gray jumpstarts that rebuild… hurt in 2016 and struggling in 2017 or not.  The Yankees would have to give up three-or-four prospects for Gray but none of them would be named Clint, Gleyber, Jorge or Justus in my opinion. 

If the asking price for Gray becomes too rich for the Yankees liking they could always go after another young arm that has never seemingly put it together due to injuries. Low risk, and subsequently a low cost, and a high reward comes attached to the talented, but injury prone, right-arm of Michael Wacha and the Yankees may be ready to pounce on that. The Cardinals aren’t likely to reach the postseason in 2017 and Wacha has struggled, although Wacha struggling is still good for a 3.86 career ERA, leaving many to wonder and believe that he could be moved. If Wacha pitched like he did when he was an All-Star the Yankees may easily have one of the best starting rotations in all of the game. If not, what are the Bronx Bombers really out? A couple prospects that are either blocked or that had no real shot at making the Major Leagues anyway. That sounds like a risk worth taking if you ask me. The Cardinals have a ton of pitching talent coming through their farm system and Wacha is merely keeping a spot warm for them anyway, why not move him now for something rather than later for potentially nothing? Small and mid-market teams just don’t do the latter anymore. 

Finally, and before you laugh I am strictly talking as an inexpensive stopgap and not as a savior for the team, the Atlanta Braves have a couple pitchers that could be intriguing. Is it time for a Bartolo Colon reunion in the Bronx? Colon is 44-years old, making $12 million in salary that I would be willing to eat in order to keep all my prospects, and struggling with an ERA pushing 8.00 but one thing he has is experience. Is Colon the ideal choice? As it stand now, hell no. You have to remember though that Colon was an All-Star just last year so I find it hard to believe that Father Time caught up to him that quickly and all at once. I’ve been wrong before. Stay tuned. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals 4/14

Game time ladies and gentleman between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals as these two historic teams begin a three-game weekend set in the Bronx. The Yankees will send their ace Masahiro Tanaka to the mound tonight looking to turn around his dreadful season to date, it’s still early Yankees family, while the St. Louis Cardinals will counter with Michael Wacha. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV while you can also listen on the radio with WFAN.

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Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals 4/14

This is always a classic matchup, isn’t it? Tonight the team with the two most World Series Championships in the history of the sport begin a three-game weekend set in the Bronx with a trio of interesting pitching matchups. In the opener tonight inside Yankee Stadium the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound looking to rebound from a slow start to the 2017 season while the Cardinals will counter with Michael Wacha who was once thought of as one of the best young up-and-coming pitchers in the league.

Tanaka has been disappointing thus far this season for New York but as I said earlier in the week he is the absolute least of my worries on the mound for the Yankees. Tanaka lasted just 2.2 innings on Opening Day and lasted just five innings in his last start with the Baltimore Orioles walking four and hitting two in another Yankees loss. The Yankees need a much better Tanaka tonight if they are going to beat Wacha and the Cards.

Wacha has battled shoulder injuries over the past three seasons but seems to finally be back and healthy for the Cardinals in 2017. Wacha threw 83 pitches in his last start which lasted eight innings. Wacha gave up just one run in the contest and seemed to have a great control for his fastball and changeup which he lives and dies by on most nights.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV. The game can also be followed along with on the radio with WFAN and John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Enjoy the game tonight and as always, Go Yankees!!

Whitley Solid, Bullpen Lights Out in 12-inning win over Cardinals

When the pitching matchup of Michael Wacha vs. Chase Whitley was revealed for this contest, things didn't look too promising for the Yankees.

Wacha, 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA this season, is arguably the Cardinals' best starter, so it was only logical to assume his team would emerge victorious.

That didn't happen today though, as the Yanks' offense was able to score three times off Wacha on way to a 12-inning, 6-4 win, their third consecutive.

It wasn't always pretty, as the Bombers did blow multiple leads throughout, but in the end, it was good enough, largely thanks to a three-run top of the twelfth that broke a longstanding tie.  

In that frame, the Pinstripes took the lead thanks to a duo of RBI Singles from Brian Roberts and Brendan Ryan and a PH Sac Fly from Alfonso Soriano, setting up David Robertson's unearned run-including save, his 11th in 12 chances this season.

All of that in the wake of Whitley's first five-inning start, in which the Cardinals scored three times on eight hits. 

Going into the bottom of the sixth, Whitley actually had a 3-1 lead, before loading the bases with nobody out, eventually leading to a tie game.

Still, Whitley was overall solid in the outing, making a couple of run-scoring singles from Jacoby Ellsbury and Kelly Johnson and a Sac Fly from Brett Gardner stand up.

He didn't dominate by any means, but overall, he did keep the team in the game, allowing the bullpen, led by Preston Claiborne, Dellin Betances, and Alfredo Aceves, who threw 1.1, 2, and 2 scorless innings respectively (Aceves getting the win, improving his record to 1-2), to pave the way to victory, the third time he's done so already this month.

Game Thread: Yankees vs. Cardinals 5/26

The New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals will play on Memorial Day this afternoon at Busch Stadium in the first of a three game set. The Yankees will send Chase Whitley to the mound to face off with Michael Wacha for the Cardinals. The game will be played at 4:15 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Get your Yankees tickets HERE for this historic series or any New York Yankees game home or away right here on The Greedy Pinstripes. You can follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, to chat during the game or you can always leave us a comment in our comments section.

Have a great Memorial Day everybody and enjoy the game Yankees family, it's back to work tomorrow.

Preview: New York Yankees @ St. Louis Cardinals 5/26

Happy Memorial Day everyone and what better way to spend it than to watch two historic baseball teams going head to head. In today's matchup the New York Yankees will travel to Busch Stadium for a three game set with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees will send Chase Whitley to the mound to face off with 2013 phenom Michael Wacha. The game will be played at 4:15 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN, MLB TV, and WFAN.

Whitley is filling in admirably for the injured CC Sabathia and will look to keep his impressive start going in his third career start. Whitley had an early hook in his last start only throwing 71 pitches against the Chicago Cubs while holding them to one run and six hits in 4.1 innings. Whitley is expected to throw anywhere from 80-85 pitches today against the Cardinals.

Wacha's last start ended when a foul ball struck him in the right throwing elbow while sitting in the dugout. Wacha had only allowed two hits in six shutout innings last time out before being lifted from the game. Obviously there were no lasting effects from the injury because he will be back on the mound this afternoon against the Yankees.

Go Yankees!!

2013 World Series Game 2: Open Thread

The World Series continues tonight in Fenway as the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Boston Red Sox. The pitching match up will be Michael Wacha (Wacha Wacha) against John Lackey for the Sox. Will Lackey lead the beard to a victory? Will Wacha Flacha Flamethrower buckle under the pressure of the postseason lights and his first World Series start on the road? Tune into FOX to find out.

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