2016 Offseason Calendar for Major League Baseball

Bookmark me because here is the 2016/2017 offseason calendar for Major League Baseball:

Today:
Options decisions are made.

Monday, December 7th:
MiLB free agency begins, qualifying offers are made, the Award season begins and 60-Day DL players have to be activated. The qualifying offer is set at $17.2 million and the Yankees have five players to activate off the 60-Day DL including Nathan Eovaldi, Branden Pinder, Nick Rumbelow, Chad Green and Dustin Ackley.

The GM Meetings also begin on this day and will run through November 10th in Scottsdale.

November 8th:

Free agency officially begins and Gold Glove Awards are announced.

November 10th: 

Silver Slugger Awards announced.

November 14th: 

Decision day on all qualifying offers.

Also starting on the 14th and running through November 17th the major award winners will be announced.

November 18th:

Last day to protect players like Kule Higashioka, Tyler Webb and others from the Rule 5 Draft.

December 1st:

Collective bargaining agreement expires. This is a big one to watch out for.

December 5th - December 8th

2016 Winter Meetings! Also the Rule 5 Draft goes down on Thursday the 8th.

January 18th:

Hall of Fame class announced for 2017.

March 7th - March 22nd:

World Baseball Classic 2017



Spring training, arbitration numbers and hearings are currently TBA. Opening Day is April 2nd.

Article Revisit: I Have a Bad Feeling About 2016

Bryan Van Dusen wrote this almost exactly one year ago about the 2016 season. Did he get it right? You have to think he did in a lot of cases so enjoy this article revisit from October of 2015 and check in on the original post HERE. Enjoy.





I want to be optimistic about next season. I really do. This is especially true after the team got my hopes up in the 1st half of the season, only to stumble into the Wild Card game. It also doesn't help that I'm not a patient person. But, alas, I don't have a good feeling about 2016.

"I've been looking through this thing for hours, and I still don't see anything good."

While there are teams that were good, and could very well get better next year, the Yankees are not one of them. Let's face it... the team is unlikely to change.

Let's start by taking a look at players that are either under contract or team control, and will probably be regulars in the starting lineup....

Catcher - Brian McCann
1st Base - Mark Teixeira
3rd Base - Chase Headley
Shortstop - Didi Gregorius
Left Field - Brett Gardner
Center Field - Jacoby Ellsbury
Right Field - Carlos Beltran
Designated Hitter - Alex Rodriguez

The only position that's not set right now is 2nd base, and while anybody would be better than giving Stephen Drew another 428 plate appearances, chances are it won't make much difference.

Drew's bWAR this past season was 0.3, while Ben Zobrist had the highest bWAR among upcoming free agent 2nd basemen at 2.9. For argument's sake, let's say Zobrist would be worth 3 more wins thanks to the upgrade. That would give the Yankees 90 wins, which would probably not be good enough to win the division, leading to another winner-take-all Wild Card game.

No thanks.

Speaking of improving at one position, and the team getting better, you have to assume the other eight hitters produce like they did this past season. That's no certainty.

Carlos Beltran's poor 2014 season for the Yankees was easily his worst since 2005, which could simply mean it was an aberration. But the guy will turn 39 in April. I don't think his best case scenario next year is to be better. No, his best case scenario is to simply not be to be any worse.

Then we have Alex Rodriguez, who may be healthier now than he's been in years. Along with that he might not be as dumb as he once was, either. But you know what would be more surprising than his 2015 season was? Him having a better 2016 season. Again, like Beltran, his best case scenario for next year is probably that he doesn't get worse.

Next we have Mark Teixeira. Sure, Mark is not exactly old, as he'll turn 36 in April. Then again, he's far from being part of the Yankees' youth movement. So I can't really buy into that 146 OPS+ continuing for another season. Mark's slugging percentage was over .500 for the first time since 2009, and that's easily where the largest chunk of his value comes from. If that power goes back to the 2010-2012 levels (average SLG of .484), then we're going to hear much more about his defense next year than his offense.

When it comes to players that are unlikely to improve next year, you can add Brian McCann, Brett Gardner, and Didi Gregorius.

McCann's OPS+ of 107, while better than the 93 he put up last year, was still pretty darn low for him considering the fact that it was 118 the year before joining the Yankees. That might make you think he could be better, but it's hard for me to believe somebody on the wrong side of 30 is going to get better. It's possible, but hard to count on.

Gardner's OPS+ of 105 was lower than the 110 he put up in each of the previous two seasons, but he's actually older than McCann is. Brett's game relies on his legs, and in case you aren't aware, a person's legs tend to get worse as they get older... not better.

I'm a fan of Didi Gregorius, but that doesn't mean I'm fooling myself into thinking he's a future All Star. Despite Yankees fans generally being pleased with their new shortstop, Didi's OPS+ was still only 90. His batting average of .265 was well above the .226 he had in 2014, while his slugging percentage was about the same (.370 vs. .373). So the only place I can see him getting better is in the on-base percentage department, which won't do a whole lot of good when he's hitting at the bottom of the lineup.

But it's not all bad. I believe Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury can hit better.

"I knew he couldn't stay negative for long."

"Hold on, buddy."

The days of Headley finishing in the top 5 of MVP voting are long over with. So while he could improve upon that 92 OPS+ he had this season, it likely won't get much higher than the 101 he put up in 2014. At the same time, there's a good chance Ellsbury's OPS+ is better than the 84 he put up this year, but will probably not get any higher than the 110 he put up the previous season.

So you can take that smug look of yours and... use your imagination.

I think that about covers the offensive side of things. So how about the starting rotation?

The good news is that the starting rotation for next season already has plenty of options... Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, Luis Severino, Ivan Nova, Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell. Yeah, I said it has plenty of options. I didn't say those options make for a strong rotation.

I will admit to feeling pretty good about Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino. However, those guys are not a strong 1-2 at the top of the rotation. Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad up there, but you have to wonder what will happen with Severino after the league sees him a little more. Plus, Tanaka's strikeout rate went down quite a bit (9.3 K/9 in 2014 to 8.1 K/9 in 2015).

Despite having an ERA of 5.80 in the second half, I think Michael Pineda should be a solid starter next season. Will he be a #2 like some of us thought going into this season? I'm not holding out a ton of hope. But I believe he'd make a really good #4.

Those three guys would make me comfortable in the 2-4 spots in the rotation, but as of now we're looking at 1-3. Which leaves the last two spots for Sabathia (2015: 4.73 ERA), Nova (2015: 5.07 ERA), Mitchell (5.13 ERA in his MLB career, and only 3 starts), Eovaldi (has given up 10 or more hits per 9 innings in his past two seasons), and Warren.

I'm going to give Adam Warren his own paragraph, because he may very well be the only player on the 2016 Yankees that actually helps make the team better. Adam's got a 3.98 ERA in 20 MLB starts. Now, his strikeout rate is a tad low as a starter (6.4 K/9), but I think it may be time to see what the guy can do. Heck, he's already 28 years old, so it's time to put up or shut up with him.

Oh, and speaking of pitcher, I loved reading about Jeff Samardzija. Not because I think he's awesome, but because the Division Series has just started. Let's at least wait until the World Series is over before we start spreading rumors around.

The fact of the matter is that unless Brian Cashman is able to trade away an outfielder to open up a spot for somebody like Jason Heyward, along with making room for even a Jeff Samardzija or... oh would this be nice... David Price, then you're unlikely to see me be very optimistic before Opening Day.

I'm sure to try, as the Yankees may only add another reliever or two, but a stronger bullpen is not going to turn this team from one that barely makes the postseason to one that is a true World Series contender.

"So, Mr. Cashman... are you up to the challenge?"

The Most Important Offseason

We may be on the verge of the most important offseason for the Yankees of all time.

"What? No 'lol'?"

Okay, there may be a bit of hyperbole in that statement. After all, I was born in 1977, and the Yankees' history goes back a little further than that. But what this team looks like on Opening Day 2017 will tell likely tell us for sure about where this organization is going.

Yeah, it's great to see young players like Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge play as often as they have. Knowing a prospect the caliber of Clint Frazier is so close to Major League Baseball is very exciting, too. And there's so much more talent in the minor league system. But what happens once the World Series is over with?

Do the Yankees use top prospects like Clint Frazier and Jorge Mateo, along with sprinkling in a few other good prospects, to trade for a starter like Chris Sale?

With their need for pitching, I could see the Yanks making the aforementioned trade as well as signing somebody like Doug Fister. And we all know Fister, along with every other starter, is going to get a larger contract than they deserve due to the outrageous prices for starters these days.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want either of those thing to happen, but looking back on this team's history it wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Which is scary.

Thin about it. A rebuild like this is unheard of for the Yankees (at least since free agency became a thing). The last time we can remember the Yankees being anything close to "sellers" at the trade deadline was in 1989 when they traded away Rickey Henderson. And in my opinion that's a big stretch, seeing as how their offense was not the problem that season (out of 26 teams, the Yankees were tied for 7th in MLB in runs scored/game and 25th in runs allowed/game).

But if we go into Opening Day with a lineup similar to what we've seen in the past couple of weeks, that will tell me for sure that the New York Yankees are headed in the right direction, and truly have a very bright future ahead of them.

MLB Trade Rumors: New York Yankees Offseason Outlook

Article SOURCE HERE

The Yankees could have a bit of room to add another big contract this winter, though a greater need may be finding young depth to bolster its veteran core.

Guaranteed Contracts
Masahiro Tanaka, SP: $111MM through 2020 (Tanaka can opt out after 2017)
Jacoby Ellsbury, OF: $105.714MM through 2020 ($21MM club option for 2021 with $5MM buyout)
Brian McCann, C: $51MM through 2018 ($15MM club option for 2019, can vest to become player option)
Alex Rodriguez, DH: $40MM through 2017
Chase Headley, 3B: $39MM through 2018
Brett Gardner, OF: $36MM through 2018 ($12.5MM club option for 2019, $2MM buyout)
Andrew Miller, RP: $27MM through 2018
C.C. Sabathia, SP: $25MM through 2016 ($25MM vesting option for 2017, $5MM buyout otherwise)
Mark Teixeira, 1B: $22.5MM through 2016
Carlos Beltran, OF: $15MM through 2016

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections by MLB Trade Rumors)
Sergio Santos (5.110) – $900K projected salary
Andrew Bailey (5.034) – $900K arbitration projection (has $2MM club option).
Ivan Nova (5.024) – $4.4MM
Michael Pineda (4.099) – $4.6MM
Dustin Ackley (4.087) – $3.1MM
Nathan Eovaldi (4.013) – $5.7MM
Adam Warren (3.036) – $1.5MM
Justin Wilson (3.035) – $1.3MM
Didi Gregorius (2.159) – $2.1MM
Non-tender candidates: Santos

Contract Options
Brendan Ryan, IF: $2MM club option/$1MM player option for 2016
Andrew Bailey, RP: $2MM club option

Free Agents
Stephen Drew, Chris Young, Chris Capuano

In many ways, 2015 was a successful year for the Yankees. They returned to the postseason (albeit for just one game, losing to the Astros in a wild card matchup), got some solid contributions from building-block younger players and received several bounce-back seasons from their expensive veterans. While anything short of a World Series championship is generally considered a disappointment in New York, the Yankees at least made some positive strides.

The trick for GM Brian Cashman, however, is figuring out how exactly to add major upgrades to a roster that has over $180MM committed to just 10 players. There’s a light at the end of the guaranteed-salary since at least $37.5MM (Mark Teixeira andCarlos Beltran) will be freed up after 2016, plus Alex Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia (a combined $45MM) will be off the books after 2017. The Yankees don’t seem likely to go on another free agent spending spree, but with some financial relief in sight, it doesn’t seem out of the question for them to make one or two major free agent signings on backloaded contracts. It may make more sense for New York to strike in free agency now rather than next winter, when the projected open market doesn’t look nearly as deep in talent, particularly in frontline pitching.

Starting pitching indeed stands out as an area of focus, and free agent righty Jeff Samardzija has already been cited as a Yankee target this offseason. Samardzija would cost less than pursuing one of the top-tier arms in this winter’s free agent pitching market, though the lower price tag is due to Samardzija’s lackluster 2015 season. He posted a 4.96 ERA over 214 innings with the White Sox, and while ERA predictors were a bit more kind to his performance (Chicago’s bad defense certainly played a role), Samardzija also suffered drops in his strikeout and grounder rates. It should be noted, though, that the Yankees weren’t interested in signing free agents that required draft pick forfeiture, and Samardzija reportedly will receive and reject a $15.8MM qualifying offer from the White Sox.

Acquiring a new starter would require the Yankees to bump a current rotation member. The 2016 rotation projects as Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Nathan Eovaldi,Michael Pineda and Sabathia, with Ivan Nova and Adam Warren on hand as depth. Sabathia recently entered an alcohol rehabilitation program, adding a far more pressing personal concern to his 2016 status beyond just his knee injuries and declining performance. Sabathia has only made one relief appearance in his 15-year career (during the 2011 playoffs) and he still ate 167 1/3 innings last season, yet as strange as it would be to see him coming out of the bullpen, he’s the most logical candidate to leave the rotation. Tanaka and Severino obviously aren’t going anywhere, and trading promising young starters like Eovaldi and Pineda (whose ERA indicators show he drastically outperformed his 4.37 ERA) would be an odd move for a club that claims to want to get younger.

It’s hard to see where a major new salary could be fit around the diamond since that’s where most of the Yankees’ payroll commitments can be found. Aside from shortstopDidi Gregorius and the unsettled second base situation, every other position is filled by a veteran with an eight-figure salary, the youngest of whom (Chase Headley) is entering his age-32 season. The Yankees enjoyed several bounce-back seasons from many of these older stars in 2015 but even those came with some caveats; Teixeira missed the last six weeks with a shin fracture and Rodriguez hit only .191/.300/.377 in 213 PA after Aug. 1.

Combine those with down years from Headley, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, and a team-wide lackluster defense (24th in team UZR/150, 27th in team Defensive Runs Saved), and you have to question if the Yankees can realistically expect to catch lightning in a bottle again and contend with this aging lineup. Manager Joe Girardi was already pretty liberal with off-days for many of his veterans last year, and the same can probably be expected in 2016 now that the manager has a few more young reinforcements to be called upon.

Greg Bird and John Ryan Murphy lead the way in this regard, as the rookie first baseman and third-year backup catcher both had strong seasons, particularly Bird stepping in to deliver big numbers after Teixeira was lost to the DL. There has been some speculation that Bird could be tried out at third base or right field so he could get regular time spelling Teixeira, Headley and Beltran, though it remains to be see how Bird could adjust to playing two new positions for the first time in his pro career. Murphy could also see some time at first base, though it’s probably more likely that he could get more time behind the plate spelling Brian McCann (who would either rest on those days or play first himself). More at-bats for Murphy would also get a right-handed bat into the lineup on a more regular basis, which would help a Yankees offense that struggled badly against southpaws.

Chris Young was a valuable weapon against left-handed pitching last season, posting a .972 OPS in 175 PA against southpaws en route to an overall very solid .252/.320/.453 slash line and 14 homers in 356 PA. Young and his new representationwill be looking for a multi-year contract and a job that offers more regular playing time, though I’d expect the Yankees will explore keeping a lefty-masher who can play both corner outfield spots and handle the occasional fill-in game or two in center. If Young signs elsewhere, the Bombers will be in the market for another versatile backup outfielder.

Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela were the two young second base candidates rumored to be in for long looks in 2015, though Stephen Drew ended up seeing most of the at-bats at the keystone. It’s unlikely that Drew returns in the wake of his rough season, so the Yankees could go with a platoon of left-handed hitting Dustin Ackley and either Refsnyder or Pirela (both righty batters) at second next season. Ideally, the Yankees would probably prefer to have Refsnyder or Pirela win the job outright in Spring Training as Ackley has only played in 10 games at second over the last two years.

Could New York look for a more permanent answer at second base? Names likeHowie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Ben Zobrist stand out as the most promising options on the free agent market. Murphy and Zobrist, in particular, could fill depth needs as Murphy can also play third and Zobrist can play short and left. Neither are defensive standouts, though, as Zobrist’s usually-solid defensive metrics took a plunge in 2015; signing Zobrist in particular would mean the Yankees would commit another big contract to another mid-30’s player.

Signing an everyday second baseman would allow the Yankees to package Refsnyder as part of a trade, as he could be a young talent the club would be willing to part with if rumors of attitude issues are true (Cashman has denied these rumors, for the record). The Yankees have become much more wary about trading top prospects for established stars over the last few years, so you’re more apt to see the likes of Aaron Judge, Eric Jagielo or Jacob Lindgren in the pinstripes next season than another Major League uniform.

The bullpen was rebuilt last winter with good results, as Yankees relievers led the league in K/9 (10.11) and ranked third in fWAR (5.2). Andrew Miller, Dellin Betancesand Justin Wilson should again be a very tough late-game trio for opponents to overcome, and if another starter is acquired, adding Warren or Nova as a full-time reliever would further strengthen the pen. Warren and Nova could also be trade chips; Nova’s stock isn’t high after a tough 2015 campaign, but it was his first year back from Tommy John surgery.

While the relief corps was already a strength, the Yankees also explored adding elite bullpen arms like Craig Kimbrel or Aroldis Chapman at the trade deadline. If the Yankees make another attempt at creating a super-bullpen, perhaps they could offer Major League pieces rather than prospects. This is entirely speculation on my part, but maybe the Padres be interested in adding a needed left-handed bat and outfield defense in the form of Gardner (plus a prospect or two) for Kimbrel.

Since Ellsbury may be untradeable at this point due to his big contract and disappointing season, moving Gardner or Beltran would open up a corner outfield spot. This could open the door for a big signing, and Mike Axisa of the River Ave. Blues blogrecently opined that Jason Heyward would be an ideal fit, even without the Yankees making room by trading someone else. Heyward would play every day and then Ellsbury, Gardner and Beltran would be rotated (or, Beltran would DH on days that A-Rod sits), which would be a uniquely big-market way of solving a fourth outfielder problem if Young doesn’t re-sign. The juggling of playing time would only be an issue for 2016 since Beltran’s contract is up next winter, or it might not end up being an issue at all if someone gets injured, as Axisa notes.

Heyward is only 26, is one of the game’s elite defensive outfielders, and he’ll commandthe kind of massive long-term contract that only the Yankees and a handful of other big-market teams can afford. He’s also a player that New York targeted last offseason in trade talks when Heyward was still with the Braves, so the interest is there. The Yankees, as usual, will be linked in rumors to just about every notable free agent name, though in Heyward’s case, there could be some legitimate substance to the whispers. Adding Heyward would bring both youth and elite talent to the Bombers in one fell swoop.

On the surface, Cashman doesn’t appear to have a ton of maneuverability given that his club is still a year away from finally starting to shed some of its major salary commitments. Last winter, however, Cashman was very active on the trade market and came away with such important pieces as Gregorius, Eovaldi and Wilson. If he can expand on that creativity and manage to unload one of his big contracts, it could unlock several new offseason possibilities.

A Bad Feeling About 2016

I want to be optimistic about next season. I really do. This is especially true after the team got my hopes up in the 1st half of the season, only to stumble into the Wild Card game. It also doesn't help that I'm not a patient person. But, alas, I don't have a good feeling about 2016.

"I've been looking through this thing for hours, and I still don't see anything good."

While there are teams that were good, and could very well get better next year, the Yankees are not one of them. Let's face it... the team is unlikely to change.

Let's start by taking a look at players that are either under contract or team control, and will probably be regulars in the starting lineup....

Catcher  - Brian McCann
1st Base - Mark Teixeira
3rd Base - Chase Headley
Shortstop - Didi Gregorius
Left Field - Brett Gardner
Center Field - Jacoby Ellsbury
Right Field - Carlos Beltran
Designated Hitter - Alex Rodriguez

The only position that's not set right now is 2nd base, and while anybody would be better than giving Stephen Drew another 428 plate appearances, chances are it won't make much difference.

Drew's bWAR this past season was 0.3, while Ben Zobrist had the highest bWAR among upcoming free agent 2nd basemen at 2.9. For argument's sake, let's say Zobrist would be worth 3 more wins thanks to the upgrade. That would give the Yankees 90 wins, which would probably not be good enough to win the division, leading to another winner-take-all Wild Card game.

No thanks.

Speaking of improving at one position, and the team getting better, you have to assume the other eight hitters produce like they did this past season. That's no certainty.

Carlos Beltran's poor 2014 season for the Yankees was easily his worst since 2005, which could simply mean it was an aberration. But the guy will turn 39 in April. I don't think his best case scenario next year is to be better. No, his best case scenario is to simply not be to be any worse.

Then we have Alex Rodriguez, who may be healthier now than he's been in years. Along with that he might not be as dumb as he once was, either. But you know what would be more surprising than his 2015 season was? Him having a better 2016 season. Again, like Beltran, his best case scenario for next year is probably that he doesn't get worse.

Next we have Mark Teixeira. Sure, Mark is not exactly old, as he'll turn 36 in April. Then again, he's far from being part of the Yankees' youth movement. So I can't really buy into that 146 OPS+ continuing for another season. Mark's slugging percentage was over .500 for the first time since 2009, and that's easily where the largest chunk of his value comes from. If that power goes back to the 2010-2012 levels (average SLG of .484), then we're going to hear much more about his defense next year than his offense.

When it comes to players that are unlikely to improve next year, you can add Brian McCann, Brett Gardner, and Didi Gregorius.

McCann's OPS+ of 107, while better than the 93 he put up last year, was still pretty darn low for him considering the fact that it was 118 the year before joining the Yankees. That might make you think he could be better, but it's hard for me to believe somebody on the wrong side of 30 is going to get better. It's possible, but hard to count on.

Gardner's OPS+ of 105 was lower than the 110 he put up in each of the previous two seasons, but he's actually older than McCann is. Brett's game relies on his legs, and in case you aren't aware, a person's legs tend to get worse as they get older... not better.

I'm a fan of Didi Gregorius, but that doesn't mean I'm fooling myself into thinking he's a future All Star. Despite Yankees fans generally being pleased with their new shortstop, Didi's OPS+ was still only 90. His batting average of .265 was well above the .226 he had in 2014, while his slugging percentage was about the same (.370 vs. .373). So the only place I can see him getting better is in the on-base percentage department, which won't do a whole lot of good when he's hitting at the bottom of the lineup.

But it's not all bad. I believe Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury can hit better.

"I knew he couldn't stay negative for long."

"Hold on, buddy."

The days of Headley finishing in the top 5 of MVP voting are long over with. So while he could improve upon that 92 OPS+ he had this season, it likely won't get much higher than the 101 he put up in 2014. At the same time, there's a good chance Ellsbury's OPS+ is better than the 84 he put up this year, but will probably not get any higher than the 110 he put up the previous season.

So you can take that smug look of yours and... use your imagination.

I think that about covers the offensive side of things. So how about the starting rotation?

The good news is that the starting rotation for next season already has plenty of options... Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, Luis Severino, Ivan Nova, Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell. Yeah, I said it has plenty of options. I didn't say those options make for a strong rotation.

I will admit to feeling pretty good about Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino. However, those guys are not a strong 1-2 at the top of the rotation. Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad up there, but you have to wonder what will happen with Severino after the league sees him a little more. Plus, Tanaka's strikeout rate went down quite a bit (9.3 K/9 in 2014 to 8.1 K/9 in 2015).

Despite having an ERA of 5.80 in the second half, I think Michael Pineda should be a solid starter next season. Will he be a #2 like some of us thought going into this season? I'm not holding out a ton of hope. But I believe he'd make a really good #4.

Those three guys would make me comfortable in the 2-4 spots in the rotation, but as of now we're looking at 1-3. Which leaves the last two spots for Sabathia (2015: 4.73 ERA), Nova (2015: 5.07 ERA), Mitchell (5.13 ERA in his MLB career, and only 3 starts), Eovaldi (has given up 10 or more hits per 9 innings in his past two seasons), and Warren.

I'm going to give Adam Warren his own paragraph, because he may very well be the only player on the 2016 Yankees that actually helps make the team better. Adam's got a 3.98 ERA in 20 MLB starts. Now, his strikeout rate is a tad low as a starter (6.4 K/9), but I think it may be time to see what the guy can do. Heck, he's already 28 years old, so it's time to put up or shut up with him.

Oh, and speaking of pitcher, I loved reading about Jeff Samardzija. Not because I think he's awesome, but because the Division Series has just started. Let's at least wait until the World Series is over before we start spreading rumors around.

The fact of the matter is that unless Brian Cashman is able to trade away an outfielder to open up a spot for somebody like Jason Heyward, along with making room for even a Jeff Samardzija or... oh would this be nice... David Price, then you're unlikely to see me be very optimistic before Opening Day.

I'm sure to try, as the Yankees may only add another reliever or two, but a stronger bullpen is not going to turn this team from one that barely makes the postseason to one that is a true World Series contender.

"So, Mr. Cashman... are you up to the challenge?"

Discussing a 2016 Contract for Chris Capuano

Yesterday I probably shocked over 90% of our readers and Twitter followers, shameless plug alert... follow @GreedyStripes on Twitter, when I actually defended a 2016 contract for the Yankees second baseman Stephen Drew. Yes, that Stephen Drew and no he doesn't have naked pictures of me or dirt on me that I am trying to keep from my wife and off the internet. Could I possibly do the same thing for Chris Capuano? In a word, nope.

While I appreciate Capuano taking one on the chin more than once this season I think the need for his veteran arm in 2016 is quickly deteriorating. The New York Yankees learned and proved this season that where the team lacks in producing positional players and starting pitchers they more than make up for it in the bullpen department. The Yankees have a shuttle bus running back and forth from Yankee Stadium to Scranton/Wilkes Barre this season bringing up and sending back viable relief pitcher after viable relief pitcher. Capuano's only saving grace has been his ability to give the team multiple innings, something he may lose the more he loses his routine and starting job.

I'm not going to bad mouth Capuano, he's given his all for the Yankees and continually taken his DFA's quietly and come right back to the team when he could easily elect free agency and latch on elsewhere. That doesn't mean I'd rather the Yankees waste another 25 man roster spot on him for 2016 thus sending one of Nick Goody, Nick Rumbelow, Caleb Cotham, Branden Pinder, Bryan Mitchell or another back to Triple-A.

There's no such thing as a bad minor league deal, mind you, but if the deal comes with a 40 man roster commitment I would have to pass. Sorry Cap.

Discussing a Stephen Drew Contract for 2016

The 2016 Major League Baseball season will be here before you know it and the fans will all be up in arms discussing why this guy should be signed or what it would take to trade for that guy but what will the Yankees do with Stephen Drew? Drew was acquired from the Boston Red Sox last season at the July 31st trading deadline for Kelly Johnson and struggled for the remainder of the 2014 season. As you probably remember Drew had missed almost half of the 2014 season after declining a qualifying offer and failing to find a Major League deal before the June MLB First Year Players Draft came and went. Many blamed his lack of production on not getting a full Spring Training or a full season which led the Yankees to bring him back for 2015, could a set of unforeseen reasons lead New York to bring him back for the 2016 as well?

Drew will be 33 years old when the 2016 begins and while he is unlikely to ever reach his career norms of .252/.318/.421/.739 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI he can still be useful believe it or not. Drew's one or two saving graces have been his defense at second base and his ability to stumble into one and hit a home run every once in a while. In an era where offense is down around the league and where we see the second base position especially anemic offensively Drew may not be as bad as I and others have made him out to be, especially for a modest $5 million in salary annually.

If the Yankees can bring Drew back for a salary less than what he is making in 2015 with no guarantees of an every day job I can't say I would be terribly upset about it. I've had my rants about Drew and his role on the team but it has always ended with something along the lines of me saying that Drew would very much be a welcomed addition to the team's bench and not as an every day player. Having a versatile guy on the bench defensively that can also pop a home run late in a game is never a bad thing to have, especially in the American League. Having Drew not only work with but mentor Robert Refsnyder could not hurt either as both players have one thing in common besides their uniform, neither started their careers as second baseman.

I know this sounds crazy and many may think that I am growing soft in my old age but if the Yankees want to bring back Drew for the 2016 season I am all for it, under one condition of course. That one condition being that Refsnyder is your every day second baseman. Well that and maybe a buyout of Brendan Ryan's contract that he will likely pick up on a team option for next season as well.

Brian Cashman And The Right Things

Brian Cashman may be saying all the right things, but is he doing the right things?

No.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Okay, I'll expand on my answer...

First of all, we should define what those "right things" are.

Saying "we’re trying to take care of both on both ends", meaning winning while building a future for the team, is absolutely the right thing to say. The Yankees have created an atmosphere that demands a winner. Yankees fans these days are not accustomed to down years or re-building.

You have to keep in mind that the Yankees haven't had a losing season since 1992. That's 22 years of winning. Furthermore, during those 22 years, the Yanks have made the playoffs 19 times, won the division 14 times, won the American League seven times, and won the World Series five times. There are people alive today, that can legally drink, who have literally never seen the Yankees with a losing record.

There's a really good chance that there are Yankees fans out there that don't know Don Mattingly was a Yankee, and a great one at that.

"Why is the Dodgers' manager wearing a Yankees uniform?"

What I'm trying to say is that the days of having Yankees fans that are okay with mediocrity, let alone losing, are long gone. However, winning is not the only thing that fans these days are demanding.

Fans want the Yankees to build a bright future, or more specifically another dynasty. They saw home-grown players like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams lead the team through that dynasty, and they want the team to do it again.

Therefore, the Yankees have to win a World Series, while also building a team that will keep winning year in and year out. Sorry to break it to you, but that's not as easy as some make it out to be.

----------------------------------------------

So... Cashman is definitely saying the right things. But is he doing the right things?

There was debate during the last offseason about who to sign... Jon Lester or Max Scherzer? What's funny about that debate is not that it was happening, but that it was almost a foregone conclusion that one of those two would be in pinstripes. I'm not going to lie, as I thought the same thing. Not "if", but "who".

And I was wrong.

The Yankees didn't have to spend that much money. While the health of Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda were in question, those two are more than capable of leading the starting rotation. After those two the Yanks don't need a Cy Young candidate like Scherzer or Lester. Along with Ivan Nova, who while injured could be a force in the middle of the rotation, and a possible ace in Luis Severino, the Yankees already had guys in the organization that they could build around.

So what did Cashman do? Trade for Nathan Eovaldi. A guy that has the raw tools to be a star, but wouldn't cost any arm, leg, or any other body part to acquire. Brian Cashman saw he had a very good second base prospect in Rob Refsnyder, along with a very good outfield prospect in Aaron Judge, and had just signed a third baseman, so they could afford to trade away Martin Prado.

"Our stadium has a retractable roof, but we were in a rain delay for 16 minutes. WTF?"

And while Cashman could have gone after Hanley Ramirez to replace Derek Jeter at shortstop, he didn't do that. Brian saw that Hanley's defense was so bad at shortstop that chances were pretty good the team would still have a hole there soon. Nor did Cashman trade away the farm to acquire Troy Tulowitski, who... while a great player... just turned 30 and his coming off of hip surgery. He instead paid a much smaller price to deal for a guy that plays above average defense at short, is only 25 years old, and was very successful in AAA between 2013 and 2014.

What about signing Andrew Miller over David Robertson? Honestly, as much of a fan I was of Robertson, Cash made the right choice. Not only did he save $10 million (Miller was signed for $36 million over four years, while Robertson signed for $46 million over four years), but Miller has been more successful too. Over the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Miller's ERA+ was 179, while Robertson's was 155. Heck, Miller's FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) was 2.02, compared to D-Rob's mark of 2.65. The only thing Robertson did better was close more games, which is kind of unfair to say here as Miller was not a closer then.

One move that Brian Cashman made this offseason that I wasn't completely on board with was signing Chase Headley. And, honestly, it's not a "bad" move at all. Chase is only 30 years old, so his four year deal isn't going to take him to the end of his career. And the guy has been an above-average hitter, or better, every season since 2010. Not to mention the fact that Headley is a very good third baseman. If it wasn't for the fact that the Yankees had Prado already on the team to play third base, the move would have probably been a no-brainer.

I know what you're all expecting me to talk about, at least for the "wrong move" section... Stephen Drew. Well, I don't have a real problem with this move. Let me tell you why...

I don't think Cashman was looking for somebody to be anything like a long-term solution at second base, due to a kid named Rob Refsnyder. Perhaps if there was somebody that really stood out among free agents, but there wasn't.

So you're looking at a one year deal, which leaves you with Alberto Callaspo, Rickie Weeks, Emilio Bonafacio, Asdrubal Cabrera, Rey Navarro, and Mike Aviles. The only guy that I would have been cool with out of those six is Cabrera. Callaspo can't hit or field, Weeks is horrible in the field and has lost a lot of power, Bonafacio can't hit, Navarro is unproven, and Aviles is no good with the bat.

While Stephen Drew is far from ideal, when it comes to one-year deals he may have been the lesser of many evils. And at $5 million, it's not like the Yankees can't afford to dump him should he hit poorly again, and/or Refsnyder is ready to jump to the Majors. 

So Brian Cashman has done all the right things, right?

"Well?"

No.

"Damn."

While he clearly did the right things for the future of the team, he didn't do the right things for the 2015 team, which is one of the things Yankees fans demand from him. It's not what I demand of him, it's what a lot of other Yankees fans demand of him. Is that fair? I don't think so. But that's the way it is.

See, unless a whole lot goes right for the Yankees this season, then there's a very good chance they miss the postseason for the third straight year. I won't go as far as Joel Sherman, and say the Yankees may finish below .500, but there's no doubt that this year's team is not a legit World Series contender. 

So while Brian Cashman has said the right things, and he's done the right things in order to build a great future for the team, he hasn't done the right things for this year's squad. And frankly, that's what needed to be done.

If Not Hanley Ramirez, What About That Cuban Guy?

Yesterday I posted an article going over my ideas for the offseason. That post was done with only free agents in mind, as you can't predict trades. If the Yankees could make a deal for a better hitter at third base than Chase Headley, then I'd be okay with finding a better defender to play shortstop. The bottom line is that the team needs to do is improve the offense.

Now, I'm picturing numerous people yelling at their computer monitors, with the name "Pablo Sandoval" being said somewhere between all the spit. My response to Sandoval is two-fold...

Stop yelling and let me explain.

For starters, the Giants have a history of re-signing guys that are key to the team and the fans love. Look at Tim Lincecum, and his 2-year $35 million deal, as evidence.

Secondly, I don't trust the guy. I'll never fully believe a guy that's overweight is somebody you can count on for five or so years.

He's an extreme example, but Cecil Fielder garnered MVP votes from his age 26 season through his age 29 season. After that he not only didn't get a single MVP vote, he didn't appear in any All Star games, and he only had one more healthy season (1996, when he was traded to the Yankees). In fact, if it wasn't for being able to hit quite a few home runs between the ages of 30 and 33 (and by a "few" we're talking 28, 31, 39 and 26), he would have been a below replacement-level player.

Sandoval hasn't got as much power as Fielder did, doesn't get on base as much as Fielder did, and his batting average... while higher than Fielder's... is nothing to get excited over (.279 over the past two seasons).

Perhaps Chase Headley can improve on his last two seasons, and get closer to what he was 2012. But I'm not counting on that, and neither should the Yankees. They need to find a sure way to improve the offense first. And Hanley Ramirez seems to be that guy.

Unless, like I said in the introduction, the team could swing a trade. Or...

"You've got my attention. Now, this better be good."

If the Yankees could either void the remainder of Alex Rodriguez's contract, or decide to just release him, then that would open up the DH slot for Carlos Beltran. Then the Yankees could sign Headley for third base, find a better defender for shortstop, and improve the offense by adding a middle of the order bat in outfielder Yasmani Tomas.

At 24 years old Tomas has yet to reach his prime. Baseball America gave him a 70 out of 80 on the power scale, and go on to say he's a decent runner for his size. While Yasmani could jump right into MLB, BA went on to say that he may need to spend some time in AAA to get accustomed to things in MLB. If so, the Yankees would want to add a good 4th outfielder who could handle things for a couple months or so until they call up Tomas.

However, there would be risks. Tomas ran into an outfield wall last season, which resulted in him losing playing time during the second half of the Serie Nacional season. His power that season took a big hit, as he could only manage 6 home runs (he had 15 the year before). But the fact that he was able to continue to hit well (batting average at .290), along with a solid on-base percentage of .346, makes me think the power will return.

And due to all the hurdles Yasmani needs to jump through before even being eligible to sign a contract, such as gaining residency in another country and get an unblocking license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, he may not be able to sign until well into 2015. At that point the other good options could be off the table.

Perhaps just signing Hanley Ramirez would be easier, but there are options rather than dealing with more sub-par defense from our shortstop. Let's hope Brian Cashman and Co. are smarter than I am.

My Ideas For The Yankees Offseason

Now that that pesky World Series thing is out of the way, it's time to get the offseason started.

While a number of writers are breaking down what the Yankees should do this offseason by going position by position, I thought I'd skip those that don't need attention, and move to their more pressing problems. I mean, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner have center and left field pretty well covered. The same goes for right field, as the team is likely hoping Carlos Beltran can play the majority of games there, or could play Martin Prado out there again like they did last season. Oh, and you can pencil in Brian McCann as the Opening Day starter at catcher.

Then you come to the left side of the infield, the bullpen, and of course... the starting rotation. I suppose a backup first baseman shouldn't be ignored, either.

McCann didn't do a bad job, but another option would be nice.

I wanted to lead off with the starting rotation. While I understand people wanting to see the Yankees sign Max Scherzer or Jon Lester, I don't understand why some people see it as a need.

Per Fangraphs WAR, Yankees' starters were 3rd in the American League. Two of the guys returning to the team next season, Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda, were ranked 2nd and 3rd among starters. However, keep in mind that they each missed quite a few starts, and without those missed starts they could have easily been the top two starters on the team. There's good reason to be worried about each player's health, but that doesn't mean the Yankees should go out and spend upwards of $150 million for Scherzer or Lester in case either or both of them go down again. You have to plan on those two being around. That doesn't mean not having depth, but "depth" falls on guys like David Phelps and Shane Greene... not somebody making over $20 million a season. I've said it plenty of times before... spending that much money should be done on guys needed, not simply wanted.

CC Sabathia has at least 2 more years left with the Yankees (he has an option for another year depending on the health of his left shoulder), and that makes some fans sad. Not me. You see, even though Sabathia probably won't ever again be the ace we saw years ago, that doesn't mean he's worthless. In 2013, quite possible his worst season as a professional, CC was still ranked 46th among qualified starters. So while I wouldn't want him starting big games for the Yankees, as a #3 starter I'm perfectly content. Stop thinking about what he's paid, and just think about what he can or can't do for the team.

Shane Green is somebody that's caught the eye of many in the Yankees organization. In 14 starts last season he posted an ERA of 3.79, while striking out just over a batter an inning. And keeping half of batted balls on the ground bodes well for a guy that would pitch most of the time at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. That doesn't mean I think Shane should be thrust into the top of the rotation, but as a 4th or 5th starter I think he'd not only do well but could excel.

So there we have four starters for Opening Day. By the way, I said "for Opening Day" because a month or two into the season Ivan Nova will return from Tommy John surgery. And if Ivan can pitch anything like he did in 2013, then the Yankees will be in a very nice position.

On the surface you might think the Yankees just need somebody to give the team a few starts until Nova returns (David Phelps?), at which point the rotation will be all set, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. Sure, I may be optimistic about the health of Tanaka, Pineda, and Sabathia, but I'm not stupid. Even if those three didn't miss a single start in 2015, there's still a chance that Green gets hurt, Nova suffers a setback during rehab, or Phelps has issues.That means bringing in another pitcher as insurance. And not just any "insurance," but good "insurance." And to me that guy is Brandon McCarthy.

While Lester and Scherzer will likely demand contracts in the range of 7 years and $165 million, McCarthy could be looking at a deal around 3 years and $45 million. No matter how good he was last season, Brandon has missed way too much time over the years to warrant being given a deal much higher. Should Brandon go down with injury again, a contract like that would be much easier for a team like the Yankees to stomach, making it a good gamble in my opinion. And if McCarthy does stay healthy, then the Yankees have an average starter at worst.

Yeah, this picture has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. But it's NPH, and he's awesome.

Since we're on the subject of pitching I'm going to next take a look at the bullpen. Last season, again... per Fangraphs WAR, the Yankees were tied with the Royals as having the best bullpen in baseball. And while middle relievers have something to do with that, I'm more concerned with the two guys that the Yankees depend on most in the 'pen...the closer and set-up man. Dellin Betances, who busted out in a huge way last season, will be back next season. And while he may not be quite as dominant in his sophomore season in MLB, I see no reason why he won't be among the better relievers yet again. However, just because he could very likely thrive as the new closer, that doesn't mean the Yankees should let David Robertson walk away.

The loss of Robertson would leave gigantic shoes to fill. Face it, the Yankees were lucky last year when they didn't find a suitable replacement for Mariano Rivera. Even though Robertson was there to step into the closer's role, the set-up spot was hardly solidified. If it wasn't for Dellin stepping up like he did, then there's a good chance the team would have been eliminated from postseason play much sooner than they were. And I sure as hell don't want to go into next season hoping to get lucky again. So re-signing Robertson should be fairly high on the team's to-do list this offseason. In fact, they should get it done as soon as possible so they can move on to other things.

Onto the infield... I really think the team should bring back Chase Headley. Not only will the team not have to give Headley a large contract like they would somebody like Pablo Sandoval, but the guy has shown a love of New York. That means quite a bit to me.

On that note, the fact that Carlos Beltran wanted to be a Yankee so bad that he turned down two larger offers makes me believe in him bouncing back. Playing poorly is bad enough for a professional athlete, but doing so in a place where you really want to play has to hurt quite a bit more.

Back to Headley...

Chase's wOBA of .347 is pretty good, and would be welcome back. Sure, I'd like to see him get some more power back, as a .398 slugging percentage (what he did with the Yankees last season) is cringe-worthy, but being able to get on base as often as he did is certainly a good thing.

Then you have Headley's ability to play 1B. Mark Teixeira is not going to be able to play a ton in the field, as he has a fairly good size injury history (as mentioned in a previous article of mine), making Headley's ability to handle 1B every so often a good one. And in that case you can play either Alex Rodriguez (whose contract is not going to be terminated... sorry) or Martin Prado at third.

I suppose I should have mentioned that I really don't think Alex Rodriguez is going to be able to play regularly at third base. With all his hip issues, his missed time due too suspension, and the fact that he was an average defender there in the first place, I think ARod will spend the majority his remaining MLB career as a designated hitter.

Then again, it might be a good idea to just release Rodriguez. The team would probably be better off, as it's highly likely that Alex has to go on the DL again at some point anyway. Not to mention that they will have to give DH time to Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira too.

That's probably a dream, though. So might as well include ARod when talking about the 2015 Yankees.

Yeah, that looks better.

That leaves the most pressing concern... shortstop. The only guy within the organization that could regularly take over the position is Brendan Ryan, and I really wouldn't want a guy that's hit .234/.295/.314 in his career to get anything close to regular playing time. And looking at the free agency pool doesn't get me excited either.

Asdrubal Cabrera has hit pretty bad the past two years, Jed Lowrie's bat isn't much better, and Stephen Drew doesn't instill a ton of confidence at the plate either. For a team like the Yankees, who were pretty bad offensively last season, those options are bad, bad, and bad. Then we come to Hanley Ramirez.

Now, I'm well aware of the fact that Ramirez is a shortstop by name only. As a matter of fact, he reminds me of a player that is good for fantasy baseball, as he's eligible at a premium position, but in reality you probably wouldn't play him there. But when thinking about Ramirez I remembered two things...

1. The Yankees have to put offensive ability before defensive ability. Run prevention wasn't nearly as big a problem as run production.
2. The Yankees previous shortstop wasn't the greatest defender, either.

At 30 years old, with a little work, I think Hanley could get the job done at short for a few more years. That doesn't mean I think he could win a Gold Glove, but I don't think he would be a huge liability on defense. And assuming he were signed for five years, third or first base could open up for him to be moved to.

Again, run production is the key thing to gain this offseason, and Hanley's the best option to get that done.

So let's review...

1. Sign Brandon McCarthy
2. Re-sign David Robertson
3. Sign Chase Headley
4. Sign Hanley Ramirez

I believe the top three things could happen pretty soon. The Yankees should take advantage of their exclusive negotiating window with Robertson and get him locked up, while McCarthy and Headley have said they loved their time with the Yankees and would like to return. I don't know much of anything about what Ramirez is thinking, so he could be tough. Perhaps he bought a house and is settled on the west coast, making it easier for the Dodgers to retain him. But he did play for the Marlins and the Mets before going to LA, and playing for the Yankees is still attractive to baseball players.

So you bring back the majority of what was the best pitching staff in the American League last season, improve on offense with Ramirez over Jeter, and hope guys like McCann and Beltran can get back to their pre-2014 selves. Not to mention Alex Rodriguez being able to come back from missing the last 1+ years and contribute, and Mark Teixeira being able to cope with a something as minor as a hangnail without needing to take a day or two off. What I'm saying is the Yankees have a tough hill to climb to be true contenders in 2015, but it's not impossible to do so either.

Seriously, Mark... get up and play already.

The Sad Truth About Me And The 2014 Yankees

I have to give major props to my cohorts here at The Greedy Pinstripes. In the 36+ years that I've been alive the Yankees have had plenty of bad seasons. For example, from 1990 through 1992 the Yankees finished the seasons 21, 20, and 20 games out of first place (keep in mind that there were only two divisions, the east and west, at the time). But 2014 has been the most trying Yankee season for me.

Sadly, there are a lot of people that would rather watch this show for three hours straight than any Yankees game from 2014.

At their current rate, the Yankees could finish with their worst record in 22 years, and if it wasn't for some great pitching this year, things could be even worse (while their true winning percentage is .514, their Pythagorean winning percentage is .477).

They're doing this with the oldest average age of their hitters ever (32.7, actually tied with the 2012 team). When your offense was the biggest problem this season, that is definitely not what you want to see.

Alex Rodriguez is signed for three more years. Not only has he only played 44 games the past two years, but he'll turn 40 in July, and I'm not confident he'd be much better than a replacement level player when he does return.

To further add to the contract situation, Mark Teixeira is signed for two more years, Brian McCann has four more years remaining on his deal, CC Sabathia has at least two more seasons to go, Carlos Beltran has two more years left, and Jacoby Ellsbury has at least six more years on his contract. As a matter of fact Jacoby is the only player among them that I'm the least bit okay with (although I think McCann is going to bounce back and have a nice season in 2015).

While I don't have any real problem with Brian Cashman, I'm not sure he's the guy to guide the team from here on out. Cashman has been able to spend big money to build teams, but the best players are no longer reaching free agency due to teams being more willing to sign players to extensions. And face it... the Yankees haven't had to build their team from within since the Core Four were in the minors, which was before Cashman took over the GM role. I'm not saying Brian can't do it, and will continue to trade away young stars like Aaron Judge, but the past shows otherwise.

However, regardless of those things, I am looking forward to 2015 and the future. And here's why...

1. I talked about teams signing players to extensions, and the Yankees did just that with Brett Gardner... a guy that's outperformed his salary by a lot the past two years. Let's hope they continue to do so.
2. The team defense has gotten a lot better. Ellsbury and Gardner alone could make for an above average outfield defense, but add in an adequate right fielder and the outfield looks excellent. Brian McCann is a really good catcher, the team could very well bring back a great third baseman in Chase Headley, and Martin Prado is not only a good fielder but is very versatile as well.
3. As much as I love Derek Jeter, you can't deny that his defense and hitting (particularly in the #2 spot on the order) has hurt the team. Along with the Captain, the Yankees no longer have to worry about aging legends.
4. The team does have prospects that could be key contributors in the future, such as Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, and Gary Sanchez, Not to mention younger players like Dellin Betances and Masahiro Tanaka who are already doing great in the majors.
5. Whether it's in free agency or on the international market, the team still has the ability to spend. It may not have worked out for the 2014 team, but having deep pockets can still come in handy.

So while you don't see much of me these days, that's going to change.

This guy could very well be part of the biggest story this offseason.

I've Got Til 5! - Locking Up David Robertson

I feel like we're in the calm before the storm. Or maybe the eye of the hurricane. Honestly, I'm not great with idioms, but one of those two has to fit this subject.

Even though there was a lot going on this past offseason (see the signings of Masahiro Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran), there were still many fans that wanted the team to lock-up David Robertson like they did Brett Gardner. And after watching Brett Gardner play way above his 4 year/$52 million deal this season (Fangraphs has Gardner worth $19.4 million so far in 2014), I can see many more fans going nuts when it comes time to put up or shut up with D-Rob.

Too bad Gardner's effectiveness has pretty much gone to waste.

But I'm not sure anybody should be upset about that. And I'm not just talking about the fact that, up to that point, Robertson hadn't done that well as a closer, as he had eight blown saves in 14 chances between 2011 and 2013.

For starters, we don't know what Robertson meant when he said he would have signed for a discount this past offseason. My guess is that, while he wouldn't have signed for "set-up man" money, he wouldn't have demanded Jonathan Papelbon money either (note: Papelbon signed a 4 year/$50 million contract with Philadelphia two seasons ago). An extension with Robertson before this season started probably would have been in the 3 year/$30 million range. So what are we looking at now? Well, going by my very unscientific approach to estimating future contracts, I'd say somewhere around 4 years and $55 million. Although I could actually see it being a little less, as Robertson hasn't had as much closer success as Papelbon had before he signed with the Phillies. And seeing how that Philly/Paps contract has worked out could be a bad thing for the Robertson camp too.

So we're talking about the Yankees possibly having saved about $25 million, which would be spread out for three to four years. While that's a ton of money to "normal" people such as myself, we're talking about the Yankees. The same team that a lot of fans (myself included) would like to see pay Alex Rodriguez $61 million over the next three years to stay away. If this were the Florida Marlins then we'd have a reason to be ticked off at Brian Cashman for not moving on David before the season, but thankfully we're not the Marlins. The Yankees may very well give Robertson upwards of $60 million to return as the team's closer, and they won't bat an eye doing it.

Here are a few more reasons not to be upset about the Yankees not pursuing an extension with Robertson earlier...

• Jim Johnson led the American League in saves in 2012 and 2013. Today, Johnson has an ERA of 7.14 with only two saves.
• Not even a year after leading the National League in saves, Jason Motte had to have Tommy John surgery. And after returning to the St. Louis Cardinals this season he holds an ERA of 4.91 without a single save.
• Brian Wilson was masterful as the closer for the Giants in 2010, leading the NL with 48 saves, and helping his team win the World Series. After one more good season (I say "good" as an ERA of 3.11 is hardly "masterful") he had to have Tommy John surgery, and he's still having issues with his throwing elbow to this day.

Pitchers like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, who were effective closers for their entire careers, just don't happen often. Looking at closers right now, only two stick out as being in the Rivera/Hoffman league... Craig Kimbrell and Greg Holland. While there are other good/young closers like Kenley Jansen, Trevor Rosenthal, Steve Cishek, and Addison Reed, their higher ERAs and other stats don't instill enough confidence in me that I'd want my team to commit to them as my team's closer for years to come.

But all of this doesn't mean I don't want to see David Robertson don the pinstripes for the next 4+ years. We can't count on somebody else stepping up next year like Dellin Betances did this year. While we had Robertson to take over for Rivera as the Yankees' closer, I don't want to go through another offseason wondering who is going to fill in for Betances in the set-up role. And as good as Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman have been when it comes to building a good bullpen, eventually the scrap heap isn't going to have anything more than garbage in it.

Yeah, it's hard to find value in these things.

And even if you think somebody like Jacob Lindgren could jump into the big leagues and be awesome, wouldn't you want him in addition to David Robertson and Dellin Betances? Remember... you can never have too much talent. And that saying is especially true for the bullpen, where having one or two effective arms is just not enough. I'm sure the Detroit Tigers, whose starters have the highest fWAR in baseball, while their relievers have 6th worse, would agree. Although saying the Tigers even have one effective arm in the bullpen is a stretch.

The point I'm trying to make is this...

I completely understand why the Yankees didn't give Robertson an extension offer before the season, but at the same time it would be very smart to sign him in the offseason. And hopefully they do it during their exclusive negotiating window, and not because I'm afraid waiting any longer could cost them more money thanks to having competition for David's services, but because it's possible another team could lure him away.


By the way, I'm not retiring the list concept for this column, but "normal" articles like this will be seen more often.

David Robertson Will Not Return On A Discount

The Yankees had a shot at signing David Robertson to an extension at a discounted rate last offseason, but passed. But now, according to D-Rob himself, they'll have to pay market value to retain their new closer.

During an interview with George King of the NY Post, Robertson said "this offseason I probably would have gone for a discount, although I wasn't a closer," then later added "[a contract offer] would have to be a legit offer at this point of the year."

David said he wasn't surprised by a lack of an extension offer, as he understands that's how the team works. Outside of Brett Gardner, the Yankees are known for not doing contract extensions.

While many fans are fine with the team letting David Robertson go in free agency, as Dellin Betances looks like he could step into the closer role, I want the Yankees to bring D-Rob back. Sure... the Yankees have another guy that could likely be a good closer, there would still be a big hole that needs to be filled in the bullpen. And while it's rare that a good to great closer gets traded, they also don't come cheap in free agency. Besides, just because somebody has success as a player on one team, that doesn't mean success will come on another.

Cano's Offer Has A Time Limit

The Yankees are set to meet with the agents for Robinson Cano today. And one thing they plan on letting Cano's camp know is that their current offer has a time limit.

If the team wants to stay under $189 million, then they can't afford to go much higher than the 7-year $160+ million deal they've already offered Robbie.

The team has been in talks with many free agents, and they aren't going to wait for Robinson to make his decision before moving on them. History has shown us that this is a good plan, as most of the top free agents get gobbled up in a hurry. Just look at Jhonny Peralta and Brian McCann for proof of that.

"He just made a Thanksgiving pun!"