The Yankees and the 2020 MLB Schedule

Graphic incorrectly says "NL West" It should say NL East*

The 2020 season for Major League Baseball is happening, at least where we stand here today at the end of June. What a year it's been, but the return of baseball (at least to me) means so much more than just a return to normalcy. To me, it's a return to everything.

While the entire 2020 schedule has not been released as of yet, we do know that the Yankees will be inside Nationals Park facing off against Max Scherzer and the defending MLB World Series Champions on July 23rd. Once the MLB odds are released, we will be able to see what the point-spread is. The presumed starting pitching matchup on that night will be Gerrit Cole, who will finally be making his Yankees debut after signing a 9-year deal worth $324 million, against Scherzer. 

What we do know thus far is that the Yankees will play 10 games each against each of their AL East rivals, as well as a total of 20 games against National League East teams as well. In some capacity, the Yankees will play 10 games each against the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. New York will also play three games each with the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, while playing four games against the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins. In a bit of a twist, MLB has decided to allow teams to play their "rivals" from their opposing division an extra two times, so the New York Yankees and New York Mets will play a total of six times head-to-head in 2020. 

 Check back in a few days after the full schedule is out.

The World Series is Back On in New York!

Welcome back to the blog!

As I am sure most everyone has heard, baseball is back for the 2020 season. Despite the concerns surrounding the country right now, including COVID-19, Major League Baseball and the Players Union have agreed to a 60-game season here in 2020. The 2020 season will be unlike any other that any of have seen during our lifetime, and not just because the number of games being played is significantly less than the usual 162-game marathon. The universal DH will be making its way to the league, giving the National League their first real taste of the designated hitter. Also, there will be a schedule change that will include 40 games within your own division and 20 games against teams in the NL that share your divisional alignment (The AL East plays the NL East, the AL Central plays the NL Central, the AL West plays the NL West). The Yankees will play 10 games each against the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays while they will also play 4 games each against the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets, the Miami Marlins, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the defending World Series Champion Washington Nationals.

There will be no expanded playoffs, and whether anyone likes it or not... the World Series WILL count for 2020. It's in the record books, deal with it. No asterisk. Wouldn't be an asterisk if the Red Sox, Astros, or Mets won it, so there won't be one when the Yankees win it. Deal with it and save your tears.

I am so excited to be back, ladies and gents. The game needed this, in some opinions the country needed this, and I really, REALLY needed this.

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/3: Yankee Stadium & Citi Field

On this day way back in 2009 the Yankees and the Mets both debuted their new stadiums on the same day. The Yankees hosted the Cubs at the new Yankees Stadium and the Mets hosted the Red Sox at Citi Field. Both teams would win their debuts in these exhibition games and the Yankees would bring home a World Series ring in the same season.

Meet the 2019 Yankees: Luis Cessa

I know all 5000+ of my Twitter followers just rolled their eyes when they saw this post go live and get tweeted on Twitter but hear me out. Love him or hate him, I have to support Luis Cessa. Why? Because he wears Yankees pinstripes. Not every player on the team every single season will win you over, and that’s Cessa for me, but you still have to support the player and the team. Let’s meet the man that has a lot of “winning me over” to do, Luis Cessa.

Luis Cessa, 26-years old, is a right-handed starter and reliever currently within the New York Yankees system. Cessa possesses a 95 MPH four-seam fastball, an 84 MPH slider, an 86 MPH changeup, and a rarely thrown 81 MPH curveball. Cessa creates a lot of ground balls with his fastball as well as with his changeup. His slider has a 12-6 movement and has some two-plane movement.

Luis Enrique Cessa was born on April 25, 1992 in Cordoba, Mexico where he was signed as an international free agent by the New York Mets back in 2008. The Mets signed Cessa as a shortstop and watched him in his first two professional seasons at the position before transitioning him to a pitcher in 2011. Cessa continued his work as a starter with the Mets until July 31, 2015 when New York traded Cessa and Michael Fulmer to the Detroit Tigers for Yoenis Cespedes. By the end of the 2015 season, Cessa was on the move again, this time back to New York. On December 9, 2015 the Tigers traded Cessa along with Chad Green to the New York Yankees for lefty Justin Wilson.

Cessa made the Yankees Opening Day roster in 2016 and made his MLB debut on April 8, pitching two innings and allowing two hits, including a home run, with two strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. Cessa bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the Bronx for the remainder of the 2016 season before starting the 2017 season back in Triple-A. Cessa bounced back and forth again in 2017 and 2018 with the Yankees, mainly as a spot starter, but may have found his niche with the team as a relief pitcher during the 2018 campaign.

Listen, Cessa isn’t my favorite Yankee of all-time, I am on record of thinking that many, many times, but I still support him. I think Cessa could be more than serviceable as a relief pitcher, but in no way do I ever want him starting games for the New York Yankees again. His stuff just doesn’t translate in my opinion, but again… I will still support him regardless. I support my Yankees, and you should too.

Hello… Respecting Jacob deGrom’s 2018 Season

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog. Give credit where credit is due, Jacob deGrom was an absolute animal here in 2018 despite not having much of a team behind him to speak of. I saw this tweet on Twitter the other day, but I cannot find it since so I am having to paraphrase (after doing the research myself on Baseball Reference).

If the Mets had scored just four runs or more in each of deGrom’s starts entering last night the Mets righty would be 30-0.

If the Mets had scored just three runs deGrom would have been 25-1.

If the Mets gad scored just two runs deGrom would have been 20-6.

Tell me again why New York held onto him at the trading deadline?

Baby, I love you and I hope you have the very best day.

Remembering My 2018 Predictions: The Standings

Here is a quick look at my predictions for the 2018 season and the overall standings for all 30 teams!

As we count down the days until Opening Day 2018 I wanted to take the opportunity to say this, it is Prediction Season here on The Greedy Pinstripes. Every season I make a series of predictions, sometimes bold and sometimes not so much, before the season, and then I look back on them at season’s end to see how in tune I really was with my wizardry. Spoiler alert, I usually don’t do well in these predictions, but I put them and myself out there nonetheless for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy, and leave any constructive criticism in the comments below, or hit us on Twitter by tagging @GreedyStripes. Two million strong and counting folks!!

American League East

New York Yankees (X)                       94-68

Boston Red Sox (Y)                           90 -72

Baltimore Orioles                               80 - 82

Toronto Blue Jays                               76 - 86

Tampa Bay Rays                                 72 - 90

American League Central

Cleveland Indians (X)                        93-69

Minnesota Twins                                84-78

Kansas City Royals                            83-79

Chicago White Sox                            73 - 89

Detroit Tigers                                     64-98

American League West

Houston Astros (X)                           94-68

Seattle Mariners (Z)                          88-74

Texas Rangers                                   85-77

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim      83-79

Oakland Athletics                             75-87

National League East

Washington Nationals (X)                 96-66

Philadelphia Phillies                          84-78

New York Mets                                  82-80

Atlanta Braves                                   71-91

Miami Marlins                                   62-100

National League Central

St. Louis Cardinals (X)                       92-70

Chicago Cubs (Y)                               89-67

Milwaukee Brewers                            86-76

Pittsburgh Pirates                                74-88

Cincinnati Reds                                  70-92

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers (X)                 95-67

San Francisco Giants (Z)                  87-75

Colorado Rockies                             85-77

Arizona Diamondbacks                    83-79

San Diego Padres                             70-92

(X) denotes Division Winner

(Y) denotes Wild Card 1 Winner

(Z) denoted Wild Card 2 Winner

Yes, I went bold in the American League West. I don’t have a real and true reason why I feel like the Seattle Mariners will have a great season, but I just do. They have a younger team with a few key guys in key positions that are hungry, and I just have a hunch. This will be one I will likely regret when we look back at the end of the 2018 season, but oh well. For now, the Seattle Robinson Cano’s are in as the 2nd Wild Card team in the American League while the Texas Rangers are selling off pieces in July. Another bold prediction in the National League East as I have the young Fightin’ Phils in second place behind the big right-arm of Jake Arrieta. It isn’t so much that I feel like the Phillies are ready to compete, although they have a young core and nucleus that could easily sneak up on people this summer, but I feel like the NL East is just going to be that bad this season. I truly wanted to put the Atlanta Braves a little higher, but with Philadelphia (and the rest of the NL East) facing off with the Braves and Marlins around 40 times a season each we should see some inflated win numbers out of that division in my opinion. I truly think the most competitive division in all of Major League Baseball this season will be the National League West who will have four potential teams that could make the postseason, with the exception being the San Diego Padres. I like all their teams, and I think it could be fun to watch all summer long out West this season.

Again, leave your predictions in the comments section below or hit us op on Twitter, @GreedyStripes.

Remembering My 2018 Predictions: Comeback Players of the Year

The original post was written below on March 23, 2018 stating that Tim Lincecum and David Wright would win the American League and National League Comeback Player of the Year Awards for their respective leagues. Boy, what a good war to start off my prediction recaps… WRONG! 

Lincecum was released by the Texas Rangers on June 5th after his rehab clock for a blister problem that popped up in Spring Training ran out. No one else signed Lincecum for the 2018 season and his career is likely over after another failed comeback attempt. David Wright will play in one last game for the Mets, his only game of the season, before calling it a career and retiring at the end of the season. I went bold, and unfortunately being bold backfired on this one. Maybe on the next prediction.  

The Comeback Player of the Year Award is generally given to a player who has not only a great season but has a great story behind their great season. For example, if a player misses a bulk of the previous season or seasons due to injury they are generally a candidate for the award if they come back the next season and have a strong season. Remember when Bartolo Colon basically came out of retirement for the New York Yankees only to shock the baseball world by showing that he could not only still pitch, but still pitch effectively at the Major League level? Or remember last season when Greg Holland returned from missing the 2016 season with Tommy John surgery to lead the National League for a chunk of the seasons in saves in 2017? Those are the kind of stories that win you a Comeback Player of the Year Award, and here are my 2018 stories. 

I know I am reaching way out in left field on this one, but you almost have to with any of these sorts of predictions at this stage in the year. No one knows who is going to come back healthy, and nobody knows who is going to be the “next big thing” in Major League Baseball. So why not go bold? Why not predict that Tim Lincecum will not only make the Major League roster at some point in the 2017 season with the pitching-starved Texas Rangers, but why not predict that he will do well for the team in whatever role they use him in? It could happen, and according to my predictions it will happen. The Freak is back, likely as a reliever, and he wants some more hardware for his shelves at home. 

The National League version was a little harder to come up with, so I decided to go bold once again in predicting that David Wright finally makes his way back onto the field with the New York Mets. At this point Wright doesn’t even have to be all that effective to earn to award, the story in itself of him working his way back to the Major League level would be story enough. Wright is currently working on trying to get back to the Mets after undergoing shoulder surgery in September of 2017 and an additional surgery on his lower back in October of 2017. Currently at the time of this writing Wright has been shut down from baseball activities for at least eight weeks, but if the Mets former third baseman can make it back by June or July he would easily be the story of the second half around Major League Baseball.---

ICYMI: 2019 Schedule

In case you missed it, the 2019 MLB schedule has been released, so it is officially time to start making your Yankees plans for next season! Below I will list the entire Yankees schedule, but I will also hit some of the high points and notable dates on the schedule as well.

March 28, 30-31 vs. Orioles

Opening Day baseball in the Bronx with the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. I wonder who will be starting these three games for the Yankees. Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and maybe Patrick Corbin?

April 1-3 vs. Tigers
April 4-7 at Orioles
April 8-10 at Astros
April 12-14 vs. White Sox
April 16-17 vs. Red Sox
April 18-21 vs. Royals
April 22-25 at Angels
April 26-28 at Giants
April 30-May 1 at Diamondbacks

Interleague play will happen with the National League West this season. The Yankees will make the trip to Dodger Stadium again, which is always fun.

May 3-5 vs. Twins
May 6-9 vs. Mariners
May 10-12 at Rays
May 13-15 vs. Orioles
May 17-19 vs. Rays
May 20-23 at Orioles
May 24-26 at Royals
May 27-29 vs. Padres
May 30-June 2 vs. Red Sox

First five times the rivalry is renewed it is inside Yankee Stadium? Huh.

June 4-6 at Blue Jays
June 7-9 at Indians
June 10-11 vs. Mets

Subway Series Part 1

June 13-16 at White Sox
June 17-19 vs. Rays
June 20-23 vs. Astros
June 24 vs Blue Jays
June 29 Red Sox at London
June 30 Red Sox at London

Rivalry renewed, over crumpets and tea?

July 2-3 at Mets

Subway Series Part 2

July 4-7 at Rays
July 12-14 vs. Blue Jays
July 15-18 vs. Rays
July 19-21 vs. Rockies
July 22-24 at Twins
July 25-28 at Red Sox
July 30-31 vs. Diamondbacks
Aug. 2-4 vs. Red Sox
Aug. 5-7 at Orioles
Aug. 8-11 at Blue Jays
Aug. 12-14 vs. Orioles
Aug. 15-18 vs. Indians
Aug. 20-22 at Athletics
Aug. 23-25 at Dodgers
Aug. 26-28 at Mariners
Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Athletics

Man, the last West Coast road trip of the season comes at the end of August and into September? That is rough for the Bombers.

Sept. 2-4 vs. Rangers
Sept. 6-9 at Red Sox
Sept. 10-12 at Tigers
Sept. 13-15 at Blue Jays
Sept. 17-19 vs. Angels
Sept. 20-22 vs. Blue Jays
Sept. 24-25 at Rays
Sept. 27-29 at Rangers

The final three games of the season, hopefully the Yankees have already locked up the division crown and are resting regulars by this point… stay tuned.

Curtis Granderson, No, But Daniel Murphy, Yes

Earlier in the week as my hiatus from the blog was coming to a close I made the time to type out a simple post entitled “The New York Yankees Don’t Need Curtis Granderson.” That post went over about as well as Greg Bird swinging at the first pitch in the bottom of the 9^th inning down by two runs to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon, as you could imagine. While I outlined, albeit in an unpopular fashion, how Curtis Granderson just didn’t make sense for the Yankees I would be remiss to point out that Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals makes a whole lot of sense for the Yankees this season, and for more reasons than you may think. 

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, calling for one outfielder shortly after dismissing another can be seen as playing both sides of whatever, but keep in mind that this post dismissing the need for Granderson was written before the news broke that Aaron Judge received a cortisone shot and would need longer than three weeks of rest before he started swinging a bat. Also, Murphy would be more than just an outfield option for the Yankees as he can play first base as well. Please keep this in mind before sending your hate mail, comments and tweets directed my way, assuming that you read the article and didn’t just respond to the headline like a lot of people do. Anyway, back on topic.  

As we enter play last night the Nationals found themselves eight games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and 6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies (Phillies led by a mere .001 percentage point for the first Wild Card) in the National League Wild Card race. As the calendar and the MLB season becomes shorter and shorter it is becoming more and more clear that the Nationals should move a few veteran pieces before the August 31^st trading deadline, at least in my opinion. The first piece they should move, because again in my opinion they will not and should not trade Bryce Harper, is first baseman and outfielder Daniel Murphy. 

Murphy checks a lot of boxes for the New York Yankees here in 2018 including the fact that Murphy is a free agent after the 2018 campaign, Murphy is left-handed which works well inside Yankee Stadium while it also helps to even out a heavy right-handed batting lineup in the Bronx, Murphy can handle the pressure of New York as he has spent much of his career across town with the New York Mets, the prospect cost would be minor for basically just a month of his services plus a potential postseason trip, he is hitting at an impressive .310/.354/.446 clip with limited playing time and in a smaller sample size of 53 games, and most importantly his salary could be worked into the roster without forcing the team to exceed the luxury tax threshold. Murphy is set to make $17.5 million this season which would roughly equate to $3 million in remaining and pro-rated salary for the remainder of the season. 

Murphy would not solve all of the Yankees problems that the team is facing right now, but he would go a long way in keeping the likes of Shane Robinson on the bench, or in the Minor Leagues, and keeping Greg Bird fresh, since you know… he is fatigued and all. Murphy makes a lot of sense for the Yankees, which usually means we will not be seeing him in pinstripes this fall… but one can hope, right?

Jacoby Ellsbury and the Yankees Literal Insurance Policy

The New York Yankees announces earlier this week that they would be without their center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury for the remainder of the 2018 season after the lefty tore his labrum in his left hip. Ellsbury, who has not played a game thus far this season, will miss the entire season and will miss the fifth year in his seven-year contract that the New York Yankees handed him worth $153 million when Robinson Cano jetted to the Seattle Mariners via free agency. With two years left on his contract you would think the Yankees would be wanting him to get back on the field as healthy and as soon as possible, well you would think that until you realized just what the team had to gain via the insurance policy that they took out on Ellsbury when they signed him to his monster contract.

Ellsbury is set to make $21 million in 2018 and will earn every dime of it despite not playing in a single inning for the Major League club this season. Luckily for the Yankees they took out an insurance policy that would reimburse the team $15,857,142.86 according to Wallace Matthews of ESPN and Forbes.com. Reportedly the Yankees signed a similar insurance policy on Ellsbury that the New York Mets took out on third baseman David Wright, a policy that cost the team $2 million but would pay up to 75% of his salary if he were physically unable to play on the field in any given season. The policy does not kick in until a player has missed at least 60 games in any given season.

Now while I am not a conspiracy theorist one has to wonder if either Ellsbury, the Yankees, or a combination of the two are really slowing down his recovery process and timetable. Ellsbury went down in spring training with an oblique injury and has seen various other, less serious, injuries keep him out of Major League action including, but not limited to, a hip issue that required a cortisone shot, plantar fasciitis, “back issues” and then ultimately the torn labrum in his hip that ended his season. Ellsbury never stood a chance this season, and it makes you wonder why when both he and the Yankees benefit from it, both financially and in the Yankees case with the all-important roster spot on the Major League team.

I am sure there are procedures and policies and such that prevent against what basically equates to insurance fraud, but damn things look a little fishy right now as we look back… right? Oh well, here’s to 2019 and a speedy recovery for Ellsbury… so the team can dump him and trade him before the season with any luck and a healthy bill of health. Here’s to hoping, and here’s to the eating of salaries.

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 7/21

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Subway Series Part 2, version 2018. Let’s do this. In the start this afternoon the Yankees will send Sonny Gray to the mound to face off with Steven Matz for the Mets, a trade target I wish Brian Cashman would look at acquiring. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, hurt Matz’s trade value only to make our GM pay less after the game, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 7/21

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets will continue the second part of the Subway Series for the 2018 season with another game played in front of the Bronx faithful here inside Yankee Stadium. In the second of this three-game set the Yankees will send out Sonny Gray to the mound to face off with Steven Matz for the Mets. Oi Vey. Let’s get to it here in the Bronx.

Gray heads into the second half fresh off a great start last time out against the Baltimore Orioles where he allowed zero runs on three hits in six innings of work inside Camden Yards. Prior to that start and a few tweaks to his mechanics with pitching coach Larry Rothschild the Yankees right-hander had been hammered for 11 runs over 4.1 innings of work in his last two starts.

Matz has been great for the Mets lately posting a 2.91 ERA over his last 13 starts and will look to keep that rolling into the second half tonight in the Bronx. Matz has made just one start inside Yankee Stadium in his career where he allowed six runs in six innings of work in a loss for the Mets. Here’s to letting history repeat itself again.

The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, save some runs for deGrom’s start tomorrow, and go Yankees!!

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 7/20

And just like that it is game time here in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Subway Series, Part Two. Let’s do this. In the game tonight the Yankees will send Domingo German out to the mound to face off with Noah Syndergaard for the Mets. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, possibly an audition of sorts for Syndergaard in the Bronx tonight, and go Yankees!!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets 7/20

The Subway Series Part II begins tonight in the Bronx as the New York Yankees play host to the New York Mets for the next three games in the Bronx. In the opener of the second half the Yankees will send Domingo German out to the mound to face off with Noah Syndergaard of the Mets. I find it interesting that both Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, two potential trade targets for the Yankees, are pitching in the series this weekend in the Bronx, so let’s get to it.

German will open up the second half for the Yankees due in large part to the fact that New York wants to save Luis Severino and CC Sabathia for the looming series with the Boston Red Sox. German struggled in his last start against the Cleveland Indians where he allowed six runs in just four innings of work and will head into the start tonight looking for his first win since June 19^th.

Syndergaard has made one start since returning off the disabled list and will make his second start since his seven-week stint on the DL tonight in the Bronx. In his first start since his injury the Mets right-hander allowed one run in five innings of work against the Washington Nationals. If the Mets look to trade Syndergaard before the deadline he will have to prove his health over the next two weeks.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11 and MLB Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Enjoy the game, continue the dominance in the Subway Series, and go Yankees!

Zack Wheeler Checks A Lot of Boxes for the Yankees

Just because the New York Yankees are unlikely to acquire either right-handed starter Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard it doesn’t mean that the Yankees and the New York Mets don’t match up in a potential trade for pitching. Late in the week it was reported that the Yankees have been scouted and have some interest in another one of the Met’s right-handed starters, Zack Wheeler.

According to Andy Martino of SNY the Mets are asking for a “couple prospects” in return for Wheeler including one that is a Top-10 prospect in the Yankees system. I don’t have to list off the Yankees top 10 prospects to know that I don’t feel comfortable trading one of our Top 10 prospects for what basically equates to the Mets 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th starter (for the record MLB.com has him listed as the Mets 3^rd starter currently and had him ranked 4^th before Jason Vargas went down with an injury).

Wheeler checks a lot of boxes for the Yankees, none bigger than his team control and affordability. Wheeler is only making $1.9 million this season and the right-hander comes with a year of team control in 2019 as well before hitting free agency before the 2020 season.

Wheeler has been pitching well as of late after seeing his ERA balloon to 5.40 through the month of April only to see it drop to 3.44 as it stands at the time of this writing. Wheeler has been durable and effective and would be cost effective for any potential team that acquires him. I wouldn’t mind Wheeler in Pinstripes come August 1, 2018, but not at the price of a top 10 prospect though.

Stay tuned.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/12: Denny Neagle

The New York Yankees had an absolutely loaded pitching staff in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was the off the radar type deals that really put New York over the edge and into the World Series in 2000 against the New York Mets. Deals like the Yankees made on this day in 2000 where Denny Neagle (8-2, 3.52 ERA) and outfielder Mike Frank were to sent to the Yankees and Drew Henson, Jackson Melian, Brian Reith, and Ed Yarnall (basically nobody) was sent to Cincinnati in return.

Also on this day in 1989 Major League Baseball lost another great arm as Louisiana Lightning Ron Guidry called it a career. Guidry finishes with a 170-91 record and a 3.29 ERA during his 14 year career, all with the Yankees. Guidry won the 1978 American League Cy Young Award unanimously after posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA. Incredible.

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.

Hypothetical: Scranton RailRiders vs. New York Mets – Who Wins?

Hypothetical, but serious question. If the New York Mets were to play the Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders in a seven-game series who do you think would win the series? Let’s analyze and discuss.

RailRiders 25-Man Roster:

C: Kyle Higashioka

1B: Tyler Austin

2B: Tyler Wade

SS: Thairo Estrada

3B: Brandon Drury

LF: Billy McKinney

CF: Shane Robinson

RF: Clint Frazier

DH: Mike Ford

BN: Wilkin Castillo

BN: L.J. Mazilli

BN: Ronald Torreyes

BN: Mark Payton

SP: Justus Sheffield

SP: Chance Adams

SP: Erik Swanson

SP: Josh Rogers

SP: Brady Lail

CL: Cody Carroll

RP: David Hale

RP: Tommy Kahnle
RP: J.P. Feyereisen
RP: Giovanny Gallegos

RP: Nestor Cortes

RP: Daniel Camarena  Oliver Perez

BOLDED players are currently on the Yankees 40-man roster

Mets 25-Man Roster:

C: Devin Mesoraco

1B: Wilmer Flores

2B: Asdrubal Cabrera

SS: Amed Rosario

3B: Todd Frazier

LF: Yoenis Cespedes

CF: Michael Conforto

RF: Jay Bruce

DH: Dominic Smith

BN: Brandon Nimmo

BN: Jose Reyes

BN: Kevin Plawecki

BN: Jose Bautista

SP: Jacob deGrom

SP: Noah Syndergaard

SP: Steven Matz

SP: Jason Vargas

SP: Zack Wheeler

CL: Jeurys Familia

RP: Jerry Blevins

RP: Anthony Swarzak
RP: Robert Gsellman
RP: Chris Beck

RP: Tim Peterson

RP: Drew Smith

Game 1

Jacob deGrom vs. Justus Sheffield

If the RailRiders were going to steal a game in this series I truly think it would be in Game One behind Justus Sheffield. The Mets would undoubtedly come into the series confident and would possibly overlook the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, so just because I am going to give Scranton the victory and the early 1-0 series victory.

Scranton leads series 1-0

Game 2

Noah Syndergaard vs. Chance Adams

Chance Adams has struggled throughout much of his Triple-A career with his command and control and that will be the key reason why Scranton will fall in Game Two. Syndergaard is a tough pitcher to give a lead to, but that is exactly what Chance would do presumably under the bright lights and in front of all the eyes watching on this big stage.

Series even 1-1

Game 3

Steven Matz vs. Erik Swanson

Erik Swanson has taken many by surprise this season with his great pitching. Swanson has seemingly come out of nowhere this season and has broken out leading the RailRiders to victory after victory, a trend that will continue tonight in Game Three. Swanson was dominant and Matz made that one mistake to Clint Frazier that cost the team the victory in the middle innings.

Scranton leads the series 2-1

Game 4

Jason Vargas vs. Josh Rogers

To be completely honest I had to Google who the Mets 4^th starter was, that’s how unimpressed with that other team from New York I am. Rogers has pitched well in Triple-A, but many wonder if his stuff will translate well into the Majors as a starter. Vargas did just enough to win behind a strong night from Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes to even the series.

Series tied 2-2

Game 5

Jacob deGrom vs. Justus Sheffield

Sheffield cannot beat deGrom twice in a row, can he? Unfortunately, I have to say no. The RailRiders may have caught deGrom and the Mets by surprise in the first start, but I cannot see lightning striking twice. deGrom comes out with a victory and a bit of retribution.

Mets lead series 3-2

Game 6

Noah Syndergaard vs. Chance Adams

Chance Adams had a much better game in Game Six while Syndergaard matched him zero for zero late into the contest. Partly because we haven’t mentioned him yet, and partly because I want to see a seventh game in this hypothetical series, Brandon Drury comes up with the big home run late to send the series to a deciding and final game. RailRiders win.

Series tied 3-3

Game 7

Steven Matz vs. Erik Swanson

You didn’t really think I was going to let the New York Mets win, did you? Hell no. 13 runs later and another dominating performance by Erik Swanson later and the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders have just beaten the New York Mets in a seven-game series. How embarrassing.

Rosters are all assuming health and is all hypothetical. This post was written in fun, take it that way and enjoy.

Predicting the 2018 Trade Deadline: Jacob deGrom

Warning: This is the post that no fan of the New York Yankees wants to read. This will scare you. You have been warned. 

The New York Mets will listen to offers regarding three of their top starting pitchers this summer including Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and the right-hander that every team wants, Jacob deGrom. The Mets will certainly listen to offers for any of their veterans, but the team can truly jumpstart a rebuild by trading one or all of these starters, especially deGrom. Ultimately, I believe deGrom will be traded before the end of the July 31^st trading deadline, and I believe the team that will acquire his services will scare a lot of teams in the American League. Can you imagine how good the Houston Astros will be once they acquire deGrom this summer? 

I know, it sounds crazy that a team so rich in pitching would be in the market for a pitcher at the trade deadline but hear me out. This move is a multi-headed monster for the Astros, hypothetically. First and foremost, the Astros know that they will at least have a tough time bringing Dallas Keuchel back via the free agent market after the 2018 season. Keuchel is set to hit free agency before his age-31 season while deGrom’s earliest free agent year is the year 2021. Acquiring deGrom now allows the team to let Keuchel walk via free agency after the season while still keeping a cost-controlled and strong starting pitching staff for 2019 and beyond.  

The deal could also open up an avenue where the Astros could at least consider trading Keuchel, but another reason the team “needs” deGrom is because Keuchel has not been the dominant force that he has been in the past. Keuchel is pitching to a 4-8 record with a 3.90 ERA at the time of this writing with 97 innings pitched and just 77 strikeouts. That’s great for some teams to be completely honest, but Houston may look to upgrade to hold off the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.  

Speaking of the two mammoth giants in the American League East, that alone could be worth the Astros acquiring deGrom just to keep him away from either of those two teams. Obviously, the Astros wouldn’t acquire deGrom for that sole reason, but the fact that he checks so many other boxes while keeping him away from their biggest competitors in the postseason is just too convenient and obvious to ignore. 

The Astros have a strong farm system and a young team meaning they have the pieces to make such a deal work with the Mets. The Astros also have, for lack of a better term, a need for deGrom as well, so watch out for Houston if and when the Mets truly make their right-handed ace available this summer.

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/16: RIP Tony Gwynn

On this day in 2014 Major League Baseball lost a great soul when Tony Gwynn lost his battle with cancer and passed away at his home.


Also on this day in 2006 the Yankees played a regular season game in Washington D.C. for the first time in 35 years. The Yankees would beat the Nationals at RFK Stadium 7-5. The last time the Yankees played in the nation's capital was September 30, 1971 where the Yankees beat the Washington Senators 9-0. The fans were upset about losing the Senators for the second time since 1961 and refused to leave the field with their team ahead by two runs in the season finale.


Also on this day in 1997 the New York Mets would play, and beat, the New York Yankees for the first time ever in the regular season. The Mets would win 6-0 behind a Dave Milicki complete game shutout.


Also on this day in 1996 the legendary Mel Allen lost his battle with heart failure, he was 83 years old, Allen was in the Hall of Fame and best known for his play by play work with the New York Yankees. Allen was best known for his "How About That?" moniker.


Also on this day in 1962 Jerry Kindall of the Cleveland Indians hits a two run walk off home run to give his team a 10-9 victory. Yogi Berra was playing left field and probably had a bit of deja vu after seeing Bill Mazeroski's Game 7 home run in the 1960 World Series also go over his head for a big loss.


Finally on this day in 1953 the New York Yankees 18 game winning streak comes to an end at the hands of the St. Louis Browns. The Browns would snap their own 14 game losing streak in the battle in the Bronx that handed Whitey Ford his first loss in eight decisions.