Dodging Their Way to Game Seven...

Credit:  LA Times - Robert Gauthier

2017 World Series 

Dodgers 3, Astros 1

Series tied, 3-3

The Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, okay I am not quite that old...the Los Angeles Dodgers...forced the first World Series Game 7 in Dodger Stadium history with their win over the Houston Astros in Game 6 on Tuesday night. We're a week into this World Series and we now stand in the month that Derek Jeter made famous. Who will be the latest November hero?  We'll find out later today.

The game was expected to be a pitching duel with veteran ace Justin Verlander pitching for the Astros against the resurgent Rich Hill for the Dodger Blue. Unlike the slugfest the broke out between Dallas Keuchel and Clayton Kershaw match-up, Verlander-Hill did not disappoint.  

Credit:  LA Times - Robert Gauthier

The Dodgers started the game by having former Dodgers greats Tommy Lasorda and Orel Hershiser, champions in 1988, throw out the first pitches. Hershiser is regularly seen by Dodgers fans on SportsNet LA but it was wonderful to see Lasorda on Dodger Stadium turf again. It's always good to see the legendary Lasorda whenever he makes an appearance. I didn't love the guy back during those World Series against the Yankees in the late 70's, but he grew on me over time and I appreciate his role in Dodgers history.  

Credit:  Los Angeles Daily News:  John McCoy/SCNG

Once the game began, it was a scoreless affair until George Springer's solo shot to right into the front row seats with two outs in the top of the 3rd broke the ice. On a team with multiple offensive stars, Springer and teammate Alex Bregman have really stood out for the Astros. If the Astros ultimately win this World Series, there's no doubt that one or both of these guys will be in the thick of the action. 

Credit:  LA Times - Wally Skalij

Bregman followed Springer's homer with a sharply hit ball to short that Corey Seager booted but Seager was able to recover quickly with his throw just beating Bregman to the bag for the final out.

While Verlander was cruising through the early innings, allowing only a meaningless single by Yasiel Puig in the second inning, the Astros finally got to Hill in the top of the fifth. Brian McCann led off the inning with a single to deep right which Yasiel Puig cut off in the corner. Marwin Gonzalez was next and he doubled down the left field line into the corner, moving the huffing and puffing McCann to third. After Hill struck out Josh Reddick and Verlander, Springer was intentionally walked to load the bases. 

Credit:  LA Times - Robert Gauthier

Much to Hill's disappointment, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made the call to the bullpen and brought in reliever Brandon Morrow who had imploded during his previous outing in Houston. The day of rest helped for the former Blue Jay. He was able to get Alex Bregman to ground out to short, through the runner's legs, on the second pitch of the at-bat to end the inning with the bases overflowing with Astros.  

The Astros threatened again in the top of the 6th, while Verlander was still pitching a one-hitter at that point. With two outs, Yuli Gurriel singled to center off Morrow. Dave Roberts then made a double switch, bringing in former Pirates closer Tony Watson to replace Morrow and second baseman Chase Utley to replace Logan Forsythe. Watson promptly hit Brian McCann with a pitch in the back of the right arm that I am sure was not part of the plan. Runners at first and second. Fortunately, Marwin Gonzales hit a liner to second, with Chase Utley jumping up for the catch, for the final out. Another missed scoring opportunity for the Astros (bummer for them, for me...not so much). 

In the bottom of the 6th, Austin Barnes led off with a single to left. Chase Utley, batting in the pitcher's spot thanks to the double switch, was hit by a pitch on his right foot with a bouncer in the dirt. Chris Taylor, who probably makes Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto lose sleep everytime he revisits that trade in his head, came up big...again...when he doubled to right, scoring Barnes and advancing Utley to third. The game was tied.  

Credit:  LA Times - Wally Skalij

Corey Seager hit a high fly to right that died in front of the wall but it was deep enough to score Utley on the sacrifice. Verlander was able to get Justin Turner to foul out on the first base side and he struck out Cody Bellinger, but the Dodgers had taken their first lead of the game, 2-1.  

The Astros made noise again for the third consecutive inning in the top of the 7th. After Tony Watson walked the lead off hitter, Josh Reddick, Dave Roberts took the ball from him and brought in Kenta Maeda to face Evan Gattis, pinch-hitting for Justin Verlander. Gattis hit into a fielder's choice at short that erased Reddick at second but the Dodgers were unable to turn a double play. Gattis clearly reached first base before the throw but the Dodgers challenged and lost the play at second when they argued unsuccessfully that Reddick had purposely tried to take out Chase Utley (on the appropriately named Chase Utley rule). Mets fans were probably snickering as they recalled the time in the 2015 NLDS when Utley  slid into Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada rather than the base, breaking Tejada's leg and sending the shortstop's career on a downward trajectory. Not snickering because of Tejada but because Utley was the victim of an aggressive play. 

Credit:  Pasadena Star-News:  Keith Birmingham/SCNG

George Springer hit a grounder to short but the ball got by Corey Seager and rolled into left field. Gattis moved to second and was replaced by pinch-runner Derek Fisher. Alex Bregman flied out to center, with Fisher tagging and moving to third. It brought Jose Altuve to the plate. Altuve hit a hard grounder to third, but Justin Turner made a great play in throwing the ball to first for the out to end the inning.

Joc Pederson added an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th when he took reliever Joe Musgrove deep with a solo blast to left. There was some initial doubt if he had hit the ball far enough but it carried over the wall much to the excitement of Pederson and his teammates.  

Credit:  LA Times - Robert Gauthier

From there, the Dodgers not to take any chances and brought in ace closer Kenley Jansen for the top of the 8th to get the six-out save. He easily retired the three batters he faced to send the game to the bottom of the inning. The Dodgers had a chance for more runs when they had two on with two outs for Cody Bellinger, but Clay's son struck out swinging in an extended 9-pitch at bat against Francisco Liriano (who was making his first appearance in the World Series).

Kenley Jansen came back out for the top of the 9th (obviously). Marwin Gonzalez had the first chance to get the Astros back into the game. He popped out to first baseman Bellinger in shallow right. Next up, Josh Reddick. He struck out, swinging and missing the last two pitches. One last man stood between the Dodgers and victory...former Yankees slugger Carlos Beltran. Jansen threw a 94 mph Cutter with the count at 0-2 in favor of the pitcher. Beltran took a big swing  at the high pitch and missed. 

Credit:  Houston Chronicle:  Michael Ciaglo

Game over. Dodgers win!

Credit:  LA Times - Gina Ferazzi

Dodgers Legend and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax was in attendance as a spectator, looking like he could be the Game 7 starter if necessary.  Of course, it's Los Angeles so there were more than few celebrities in the house, such as former Los Angeles Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Credit:  Houston Chronicle:  Karen Warren

I have no clue who is going to win the World Series, but it comes down to one game. Winner take all. The matchup will feature Lance McCullers, Jr on the mound for the Astros. He'll face Yu Darvish. If the game was to be the played in Houston, you'd have to like the Astros chances. But we are not at Minute Maid Park anymore. Darvish will have the support of the partisan crowd and Chavez Ravine will be rocking tonight. It should be another World Series classic.  

Credit:  Pasadena Star-News:  Keith Birmingham/SCNG

Editor's Note:  This writer is pro-Dodgers (if you didn't notice already).

Odds & Ends...

It was sad to read the words of Ken Rosenthal's interview with former Yankees manager Joe Girardi on yesterday's The Athletic. I refuse to pay a subscription fee to Rosenthal but fortunately the article was available in full. Girardi clearly sounded like a guy who wanted to be a part of the next great Yankees era. I was glad to read that Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner left the door open for Girardi's eventual return to the organization in some capacity if he so chooses. I personally doubt Girardi returns, but I thought he handled his first interview since the dismissal with style and grace.

Credit:  Getty Images

As expected, Gabe Kapler was named manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. So the Yankees are the only team without a manager. Unless there is a secret deal already in place (probably), today brings an unsigned general manager too as Brian Cashman's deal expired last night. I think it's a given that Cashman will return but I'll be anxious to get his new contract behind us so that the Yankees can truly begin their off-season strategy and preparation to bring us their 28th World Championship.  

Have a great Wednesday! This is it...the final day of Major League Baseball for 2017. Let's Go Dodgers, but more importantly, Let's Go Yankees!

World Series Game Two Thread: Houston Astros @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Game time once gain in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Dodgers are set to play host to the Houston Astros in Game Two of the 2017 World Series. Last night we all watched as two left-handed starters faced off head-to-head and tonight will be the battle of two veterans as Justin Verlander takes the ball for the Astros and Rich Hill takes the ball for the Dodgers. The game will be played at 8:00 pm ET and can be seen on FOX.

Follow us on Twitter by following @GreedyStripes and enjoy the game.

Prediction: Astros win 6-3

World Series Game Two Preview: Houston Astros @ Los Angeles Dodgers

The World Series is back tonight and is back in sunny California as the Los Angeles Dodgers play host to the Houston Astros in Game Two of the series. Last night we were all entertained by the amazing pitching matchup of two dominant left-handers in Dallas Keuchel and Clayton Kershaw and tonight another lefty and one right-hander take center stage. On the mound tonight for the Dodgers is the veteran left-hander Rich Hill while the Astros will counter with a veteran right-hander of their own in Justin Verlander. Runs, once again, should be hard to come by with these two savvy pitchers on the mound which is almost fitting in this National League environment, at least in my opinion.

Hill will be making his World Series debut tonight inside Dodger Stadium after pitching in the Independent League as recently as the 2015 season. What a comeback and what a story Rich Hill has been in recent years. Hill has not pitched more than five innings in either of his two postseason starts this season, but the lefty has limited damage allowing three runs on six hits combined in those two starts before handing it off to the Los Angeles bullpen.

Verlander was named the 2017 ALCS MVP for his pitching efforts against the New York Yankees and the right-hander will look to continue his success tonight and in the World Series. During the ALCS the Astros right-hander allowed just one earned run in 16 innings of work after having less than stellar stats against the Yankees throughout his career. That bodes well for Verlander who has not pitched well in the World Series through his career either to the tune of a 7.20 ERA in three World Series starts with the Detroit Tigers.

The game will be played at 8:00 pm ET inside Dodger Stadium and can be seen on FOX. As the sting from the Yankees losing in the ALCS wears off I find myself missing baseball more and more this season. I know I stated I would be boycotting this World Series… but damn… I miss baseball already and we are already facing months without it anyway in the offseason. I may cave, I don’t know. Stay tuned to find out, LOL.

End of Astros' Two-Game Winning Streak...

Credit:  Los Angeles Times: Wally Skalij

2017 World Series

Dodgers 3, Astros 1...

Dodgers lead Series, 1-0

Powered by the arm of Clayton Kershaw and the bat of Justin Turner, the Los Angeles Dodgers captured Game 1 of the World Series. It was a bittersweet game for Yankees fans as we were left to wonder what could have been. Nevertheless, the Yankees turn will be here soon enough. For now, it's about the Dodgers and Astros.

After Kershaw easily set down the Astros in the top of the 1st, Chris Taylor jumped on the first pitch from Astros starter Dallas Keuchel to send it 447 feet over the left field wall. The Dodgers led 1-0 on a very hot Los Angeles evening. It seems like every time I watch the Dodgers play, Taylor is coming up big.  He filled in for shortstop Corey Seager during the NLCS when Seager was left off the roster to recover from a lower back sprain. Back in center field, Taylor hit 21 home runs and drove in 72 RBI's in 140 games for the Dodgers this year, batting .288. It's incredible to think the Dodgers acquired Taylor from the Seattle Mariners in June 2016 for a pitcher (Zach Lee) who has been released two times since the trade.  

Credit:  Los Angeles Times:  Gina Ferazzi

The 1-0 score held up until the top of the 4th inning when Astros third baseman Alex Bregman took Kershaw deep with a solo shot to left leading off the inning. It was not as far as Taylor's blast but it still counts the same. It got Kershaw's attention...he responded by striking out the side.  Say what you will about Kershaw but he's arguably the best pitcher in baseball. He has not had great post-season success to add to his resume...until now. With Kershaw pitching as well as he did, the Astros didn't really have a chance.

With both starting pitchers still on the mound, the game stayed tied until the bottom of the 6th inning. The Dodgers recorded two quick outs when both Austin Barnes and Kershaw grounded out to shortstop Carlos Correa. But then Keuchel issued a two-out walk to aforementioned Chris Taylor. Justin Turner, the one-time Mets cast-off, strolled to the plate with long red hair and beard flowing. Dallas Keuchel tried to slip a 1-2 cutter past Turner. Boom! Over the wall in the left center and the Dodgers led, 3-1.  

Credit:  Los Angeles Times

Kershaw was done after seven innings, receiving congratulations and hugs from Manager Dave Roberts and others in the Dodgers dugout while the Dodgers were preparing to bat. It was a tremendous performance by the big Texan left-hander. He was never in trouble despite the game-tying home run in the 4th inning, limiting the Astros to three hits and one run. He struck out eleven batters and didn't walk anyone. A big game performance by the game's elite.  

Credit:  Los Angeles Times: Robert Gauthier

From there, it was time for the trusted Dodgers bullpen. Despite scoreless relief from Houston's Brad Peacock and Chris Devenski to hold Los Angeles in check, the two-run Dodgers lead was a canyon with Brandon Morrow and Kenley Jansen setting down the Astros in order for the final six outs. Jansen may have gotten a few dollars less than Aroldis Chapman last off-season when he re-signed with the Dodgers in free agency, but right now, it's Jansen and not Chapman that you would want for that big final out. He has been Mr Consistency all season long.  

This was a great win for the Dodgers and a wonderful way to start the World Series. The 2017 post-season has been punctuated by home field advantage which certainly works to the favor of the Dodgers.  

Former Yankee Rich Hill gets the Game 2 start tonight for the Dodgers. He'll be opposed by Houston's Justin Verlander. I look for the Dodgers to grab a two-game cushion before the series heads to Minute Maid Park in Houston. My prediction is Dodgers 7, Astros 4.  

Credit:  Stephen Dunn-Getty Images

Prior to yesterday's game, I was saddened to see that former Yankee Curtis Granderson was left off the World Series roster for the Dodgers. Based on performance, it was an easy decision for Dave Roberts. The Grandy Man was 1-for-15 in the post-season and he only hit .161 in 36 games for Los Angeles after being acquired from the New York Mets on August 19th (after that tremendous grand slam against the Yankees at Citi Field).  Still, it would have been nice to see Granderson, one of the game's classiest guys, on the roster after such a good career. The Dodgers made room for 12 pitchers on the World Series roster including oft-injured former Yank Brandon McCarthy which cost Grandy his spot.  

It was great to see Corey Seager back on the field after his absence in the NLCS. Kyle's brother is one of the game's best young talents and the Dodgers are clearly a better team with him in the lineup.  Seager will most likely see time at DH when the series shifts to Houston to limit the wear and tear on his back.  

Credit: Los Angeles Times: Wally Skalij

Editor's Note:  This writer is pro-Dodgers.  

Odds & Ends...

The World Series means very quiet news for other MLB teams.  The only meaningful day for potential news will be Thursday since it is a travel day for the World Series teams.  

Yankees manager Joe Girardi made a one hour visit to Yankee Stadium yesterday which drew tremendous speculation on social media but no news from credible Yankees beat writers.  It's also being reported that the Houston Astros are looking at Yankees third base coach Joe Espada for the bench coach vacancy created when current bench coach Alex Cora accepted the managerial gig in Boston effective at the end of the World Series.    

I was glad to see former Cardinal great and one-time Yankees prospect Willie McGee added to the coaching staff for the St Louis Cardinals.  I can still remember feeling so underwhelmed when the Yankees traded McGee, a highly touted young prospect, to St Louis for the forgettable Bob Sykes in October 1981.  McGee went on to have a tremendous career for the Cardinals including the 1985 NL MVP Award.  He was elected to the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.  His specific role on the coaching staff has yet to be announced.  

Have a wonderful Wednesday!  Their season may be over, but Go Yankees!

Sevy & The Sanchino...

Credit:  Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees 10, Tigers 2...

I could really get used to these easy wins.  Riding the arm of Luis Severino and the bat of Gary Sanchez, the Yankees rode their way to victory over the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers opened the game with two good defensive plays to record outs.  As Gary Sanchez strolled to the plate, the FOX announcer said "This cat can hit".  Yes, he can.  Sanchez sent the pitch from Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann high into the left field stands for the early lead.

Credit:  Duane Burleson-Associated Press

The Yankees added more runs in the 3rd inning.  Jacoby Ellsbury, making a rare start, led off with a single to center.  Ronald Torreyes followed with a single through the hole into left field.  Brett Gardner came up and everyone was expecting bunt.  But Gardy swung away and lofted a fly ball deep enough into center for Ellsbury to tag and move to third.  Tigers centerfielder Andrew Romine threw the ball to third, over the head of the cut-off man, too late to get Ellsbury but the throw allowed Toe to recognize the opportunity to take second. Aaron Hicks took a walk to load the bases. Gary Sanchez hit a fly ball that dropped in between the outfielders in left center field.  Both Ellsbury and Toe scored to make it 3-0. Hicks moved to second.  Aaron Judge added a run on a double to center that went over Andrew Romine's head and bounced on the warning track, scoring Hicks.  After a coaching visit to the mound, Didi Gregorius singled to up the middle to center to score Sanchez.  Judge moved to third.  He didn't wait there long as Chase Headley lofted a fly deep enough to center for Judge to tag up and score.  The Yankees had taken a 6-0 lead.

Credit:  Duane Burleson-Associated Press

Didi Gregorius added a solo homer to right center, a few rows behind the wall, in the 5th inning to make it 7-0.

Tigers reliever Chad Bell replaced Zimmermann to start the 6th inning and he proceeded to walk the first two batters (Todd Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury).  The big little man, Ronald Torreyes, singled to left through the hole between third and short to score Frazier.  

Luis Severino had been cruising up to this point but Ian Kinsler led off the bottom of the 6th with a homer to left to get the Tigers on the scoreboard.  The Yankees wasted no time in getting the run back when Chase Headley homered to left inside the foul pole with two outs in the top of the 7th inning, a solo shot.  It was 9-1 Yankees.

In the bottom of the 7th, Sevy struck out John Hicks to start the inning.  Then, he walked Andrew Romine, and Jose Iglesias singled to center.  Sevy got the second out when he struck out Ian Kinsler swinging but that would be all.  Manager Joe Girardi made the trip to the mound and brought in former Tiger prospect Chad Green.  Green struck out Alex Presley for the third out.

The Yankees final run came in the top of the 8th.  With one out, Ronald Torreyes reached on a grounder that glanced off first baseman Miguel Cabrera's glove into right field.  It was scored a hit for Toe. Brett Gardner chopped a grounder to second and the Tigers got the force out on Toe but a throwing error on second baseman Ian Kinsler (off-balance throw that went into the Yankees dugout) allowed Gardy to make it to second.  A ground ball to left by Aaron Hicks scored Gardy.  10-1, Yankees.

Tommy Kahnle replaced Chad Green for the 9th inning.  John Hicks, the first batter, hit a deep fly to right but it stayed in the park for the out.  Kahnle struck out Andrew Romine for the second out but the next batter, Jose Iglesias, smashed a change-up from Kahnle into the left field stands.  Iglesias may not hit a lot of home runs (this was his 5th) but when he gets a hold of one, it goes far.  Dixon Machado doubled down the left field line, making me wonder if Kahnle was going to make it to the end of the game (Aroldis Chapman was warming up) but Alex Presley grounded out to first to end the drama.  The Yankees win!

The Yankees (68-57) were unable to make up any ground on Boston as the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians for the second day in a row.  They remain 4 games behind.  The see-saw battle for third place continued as the Baltimore Orioles reclaimed the spot with an 8-7 victory over the Oakland A's in 12 innings.  The Tampa Bay Rays dropped to fourth with a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.  The O's and Rays are 7 and 7 1/2 games behind the Yankees, and the Jays are one game behind the Rays.  The Yankees picked up a game in the Wild Card standings and lead the Minnesota Twins by 3 1/2 games for the top spot.

Great game by Luis Severino (11-5).  He went 6 2/3 innings (100 pitches...71 for strikes).  He scattered 6 hits and gave up only one run.  One walk and eight strikeouts.  Chad Green had four strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings against his former organization.  I'd like to see Tommy Kahnle get back on track with a few clean innings but at least he got the job done despite the Iglesias home run.  

Credit:  Gregory Shamus-Getty Images

Gary Sanchez continues to scorch August with the homer and 3 RBI's.  The Kraken will be well prepared to take the field this weekend for Player's Weekend at Yankee Stadium.  Aaron Judge had one strikeout to extend his latest consecutive game strikeout streak to one game.  Seriously, it was a good game for Judge.  2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.  Also, hats off to Ronald Torreyes who was 4-for-4, also with an RBI and run scored.  You can't say enough great things about the job Toe has done this year filling in for Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro, not to mention his time at third before Todd Frazier's arrival.

Credit:  Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Odds & Ends...

The Boston Red Sox made a few roster moves yesterday.  Starting centerfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr was placed on the 10-day DL with a sprained left thumb (he is expected to be out longer than the minimum time).  They also designated first baseman/outfielder Steve Selsky for assignment. President of Baseball Ops Dave Dombrowski then swung a trade with the Oakland A's to acquire swifty outfielder Rajai Davis. The A's received a low level outfielder from the Red Sox (Rafael Rincones). Davis had the game-tying home run off Aroldis Chapman in Game 7 of last year's World Series.  The Sox also recalled 2B Deven Marrero from Triple A.  

I really felt bad for one-time Yankee Rich Hill last night when he lost a no-hit bid in the 10th inning.  The Pittsburgh Pirates beat Hill and the Los Angeles Dodgers on a walk-off home run by Josh Harrison.  The Dodgers have not had any issues with scoring runs this season but yesterday they were unable to score any and it cost Hill the chance for the no-hitter.  He carried a perfect game into the 9th until Logan Forsythe's error allowed a baserunner.  One run could have given Hill the no-hitter in a regular 9-inning game.  That's a tough way to lose a no-no.

Credit:  Justin K Aller-Getty Images

Have a great Thursday!  It's Getaway Day.  Let's get away with the series sweep! Go Yankees!

Michael Pineda Out, Sonny Gray In?

EDIT: This was written before news broke that Michael Pineda would indeed be having Tommy John surgery today.

It has all been decided that Yankees right-handed starter Michael Pineda is having Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing elbow. It’s a huge blow to the Yankees in 2017 and an even bigger blow to Pineda who was set to hit free agency at the end of the 2017 campaign. When you have a torn UCL and you head for a second opinion you can generally get a second, third and fourth opinion and you usually will still need the season-ending surgery so the sooner it gets done the sooner Pineda can return to the mound. That’s the 2018 season at the earliest and the Yankees cannot afford to think about 2018 or even 2019 while the team is still in the thick of things here in 2017 so it’s time to start thinking about a replacement. How about Sonny Gray?

Now I know I have been wishy-washy on Gray in the past and I know I have been quick to point out his injury history and inconsistencies over the past few seasons but that was before Pineda was lost for the season with the ulnar collateral ligament tear. This changes everything. Well, it doesn’t change everything. Let me explain.

The Yankees still shouldn’t and still shouldn’t have to part with top prospects like Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield for Gray. I wouldn’t give the Oakland Athletics Chance Adams for Gray either, not with Adams so close to the Major Leagues. Who would I give up for Gray you ask? I’d give the Athletics their choice of prospects, maybe three or four, and I would include Jake Cave, Jorge Mateo, Billy McKinney, Domingo Acevedo, Jorge Guzman, Albert Abreu, Domingo German, Tyler Wade and many of the prospects in Double-A or below along with Luis Cessa who isn’t technically a prospect anymore.

Would this be enough? I’m not sure, only Brian Cashman knows that at this point. It is encouraging that Cashman seemingly and openly has a good working relationship with the A’s general manager as well as Billy Beane so anything is possible. The Athletics have not been shy about trading starting pitching at the deadline, see Rich Hill and Scott Kazmir as recent examples of this, so there’s no reason to believe the team won’t do so again this July. Whether the Yankees be willing to pony up the prospects for Gray who not only protects the team in 2017 but beyond 2017 as well, something Michael Pineda sis not, is anyone’s guess. I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out. 

In No Way, Shape or Form is Rich Hill Worth $16 Million Annually

The New York Yankees dodged an absolute huge bullet this offseason. I’m not kidding, the team should send the Los Angeles Dodgers a “Thank You” card from the organization and the fans after the team signed Rich Hill, a left-handed starting pitcher the Yankees were said to be interested in this offseason, to a three-year deal worth $48 million. I’m sorry but as the title of this blog states there is no way, shape or form where Rich Hill is worth an AAV of $16 million annually. No way. Here’s why.

First and foremost Rich Hill is 36-years old which does not fit into the Yankees current youth movement and nor does a $16 million AAV fit into New York’s sudden plan for austerity again. Hill has battled injuries throughout much of his career, some major some minor of course, and you have to think despite his last couple of seasons that he is going to become more injury prone as he ages, not less injury prone. Hill has had a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder in 2009 and even has elbow ligament replacement surgery in 2011 causing him to miss some time and he even potentially missed out on a perfect game in September of this past season due to a groin injury and blisters on his throwing hand.

If the Yankees had given such an “old” and injury prone type pitcher that kind of deal the media and fans would be going head over heels bonkers right now. When it happens in a town like Los Angeles though it’s celebrated, I don’t get it. Hill pitched great last season, he went 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA for the Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics, but he was only able to make 20 starts all season. That’s almost a million dollars a start in a game where pitching is at an all-time high of importance. I understand the flow of money in the game is insane right now but this deal is just foolish for a soon-to-be 37-year old arm with a history of arm trouble.

New York dodged a serious bullet here in my opinion and by the time this three-year contract ends, and this is pure speculation on my part, I think the Dodgers would have traded Hill away or begun to truly regret the deal they just gave the southpaw and former Independent League pitcher. Just a hunch, stay tuned to find out if I’m right. We’ll still be here.

Top 10 2017 MLB Free Agents & the Yankees

It seems to be the general consensus around the Yankees blogosphere, any Yankees fans forums or blogs, Twitter and other news media outlets that most of the team's fanbase does not want the team to go all-in this offseason on a free agent. The only exception to that rule would possibly be Aroldis Chapman and/or Kenley Jansen but for the most part the Yankees fan in general does not want anything to do with the Top 10 or so free agents on the market this winter. Did they get it right? Here are my Top 10 free agents this winter and whether I think the Yankees should make an offer to them.

1. Edwin Encarnacion
2. Yoenis Cespedes
3. Aroldis Chapman
4. Kenley Jansen
5. Mark Melancon
6. Rich Hill
7. Mark Trumbo
8. Matt Wieters
9. Ian Desmond
10.  Justin Turner

To me it's Aroldis Chapman or bust. Encarnacion, Cespedes, Hill, Desmond, Wieters and Turner are either all too old for what the Yankees are trying to do, don't fit the positional needs for New York or will want far too much money than they deserve because the market is so thin.

Kenley Jansen will undoubtedly receive a qualifying offer and as long as Chapman is on the board I am not okay with giving up a draft pick for his services while Melancon may or may not also fit into this category. I think Pittsburgh will offer him a qualifying offer but for whatever reason I am truly on the fence about whether he will accept or not.

I would honestly add Mark Trumbo for his right-handed power (albeit with some additional roster moves obviously) but I can't see Hal Steinbrenner putting up the money for someone like Trumbo so I'll leave him off the Yankees roster for 2017 due to that unfortunately.

Chapman or bust Yankees family. Chapman or bust.

Looking Ahead to the 2017 Offseason Pitching Will Be a Key for New York

The 2016 MLB Playoffs are now in full swing but no one invited the New York Yankees to the part unfortunately so instead we, “we” being the fans, the team and the GM Brian Cashman, are left getting prepared for the offseason before the 2017 season. It’s not hard to see what did the Yankees in this season, an aging core that finally got old and less than stellar starting pitching, and while the Yankees have seemingly addressed one of these issues the other will have to wait until free agency and the trade markets officially open up. With the retirements and trades of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran the Yankees are a whole lot younger but with a staff anchored by Masahiro Tanaka and a bunch of questions marks the pitching is still an issue.

First and foremost, and I don’t care if Buster Olney said it, Rich Hill is not and should not be coming to the Yankees. He is 36-years old, injury prone and all he does is block potential youth from making the club both in terms of a roster spot and in terms of the pretty penny he is going to command in a weak free agent market this winter. Hill won’t command $100 million, don’t think I’m saying that, but I could see him commanding $50 million on a three year deal or so and that, again in my opinion, is the biggest overspend and reach the Yankees could make this winter.

Instead it looks like the Yankees may have to once again scour the trade market and that may begin Colorado with Chad Bettis. Acquiring players like Bettis though requires prospects and right now the Yankees need all the prospects they can keep in my opinion. That’s where an old plan becomes a new plan, stockpile the bullpen and simply let Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Luis Severino, James Kaprielian and others fight it out. Add Mark Melancon to be the closer, move Dellin Betances back to the 8^th inning and let Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren fight it out for the 7^th. If Warren loses, or maybe you could do it anyway, stretch him out back as a starter and let him compete with the young kids.

The ultimate goal is to leave the team with too many options where statistically and mathematically they can’t, and I use the word can’t lightly, fail. Make them “too big to fail.” One thing is for certain though the Yankees have to add pitching and they have to add more than one arm. One arm has to be added to the bullpen at least and another has to be added to the rotation if possible. If not we could see a repeat of what happened here in 2016 and nobody reading this wants that to happen again. Do we?

Yankees Trade Partner: The Toronto Blue Jays?

Yeah, you read that correctly and no that is not a typo. The New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays could potentially line up for a trade before the August 1^st trading deadline if all the stars align and all the right cards fall into the right place. The Blue Jays are looking to defend their American League East Division crown but they will need some starting pitching if they want to do it and scouts for the team were inside Yankee Stadium watching and taking notes this week and they were specifically looking at Yankees veteran CC Sabathia. Yes, again you read that correctly and no, again, that is not a typographical error. The Jays might want to take on Big CC.

Now there are quite a few obstacles that the Yankees and Blue Jays would have to hurdle to accommodate such a trade which makes this unlikely to happen but I feel like it’s still worth a discussion. First CC Sabathia has a full no-trade clause and even if he didn’t he has ten-and-five rights so he can refuse a trade to all of the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball and there isn’t much the Yankees can do about it. Let’s say New York does approach CC about a trade and he does accept a potential deal to Toronto, do the Blue Jays have what it takes to land CC or would New York simply be selling low on Sabathia. And one final question I don’t have an answer for yet, would it be worth it for New York to deplete their pitching depth even more and add even more of a strain on their already over-worked bullpen?

This is a developing story but it may be just a developing story due to due diligence. I can’t see Sabathia accepting a trade out of New York, especially to Toronto after the debacle in the streets and on the balcony of his hotel room last season, and this trade just doesn’t pass the sniff test. I know the pitching market is expected to be thin this trading season and I know Sabathia has looked much improved in 2016 over his last two-or-three seasons but that is an awful lot of money and an awful lot of risk for Toronto to take on as long as the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Rich Hill are still on the board.

Stay tuned. 

What Does Strasburg’s Extension Mean for Pineda/Eovaldi

The Washington Nationals disappointed a lot of people not named Strasburg this week when the team announced a seven-year extension for the young right-hander. It was long thought that Strasburg, a former first overall pick by Washington in the MLB Draft, would hit free agency following this season but the Nationals instead locked up their ace righty begging the question how will this affect the Yankees? What will the Yankees do now with their starting pitching both on the free agent market and with their own free agents to be Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda.

This coming offseason’s free agent market took a big blow with the loss of Strasburg with the front runners being Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Rich Hill. If New York needs another starter next offseason they may have to go the same route they went this season and they may have dig deeper into the trade market. That’s if the team has their eye on the 2017 roster and team and that’s only if they don’t have their eyes on the prize in 2018 and 2019. If it’s the latter and not the former you have to wonder if the team would consider trading either or both of Eovaldi and Pineda this July or offseason.

Both Eovaldi and Pineda are young fireballers that are under contract for the 2017 season and may be the team’s best trade pieces going forward. The Yankees have shown a reluctance to go dig deep into their farm system to make the big trades when they feel it’s necessary and the free agent class is barren leaving the Yankees with little in the way of options. Either they hope to contend or they need to trade and get what they can now rather than later.

If the Yankees plan on contending they could always extend either Eovaldi and/or Pineda but that may have just gotten pretty damn expensive. Eovaldi is 26-years old while Pineda is 27-years old while Strasburg is still somehow just about to turn 28-years old this season and all three pitchers are all upside. If Strasburg is getting $175 million over seven seasons for mediocrity what would Eovaldi and Pineda get? At least $150 million you would have to think which begs the question if they are worth it? Honestly I’m not so sure.

If the Yankees are out of it in July then trade them, if they aren’t then the hard question comes. To extend or not to extend. I don’t have the answer. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics 4/21

The New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics are set to finish their three game set tonight in the Bronx as these two teams go head-to-head one last time in the Bronx. This series has been much like the Yankees season to date, frustrating and not nearly as good as the expectations were coming in. It’s still early though and there is plenty of time for the Yankees to turn it around, the sooner the better though would be good. Just saying. Anyway, the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound tonight looking for his first victory of the season while the Athletics will counter with a familiar face in Rich Hill. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

The New York Yankees stay home this weekend to play host to the Tampa Bay Rays so we should be entertained by some fantastic pitching matchups. To see any of the three games live click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to visit Ticket Monster and to snag your tickets to see the game without having all those bulky and annoying fees and shipping costs tacked on. If you can’t make it live then that’s okay too, simply head over to Twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow to interact and live tweet during this and every Yankees game this season.

Don’t get caught looking ahead to your division rival and take care of business tonight in front of the home crowd. Beat the A’s. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics 4/21

Tonight the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics will make the trip to the Bronx one last time as these two teams finish off their three game set inside Yankee Stadium this week. The first game went to extra innings with the Yankees losing a heartbreaker while the second game was a tough one for both sides. Who will win tonight and take the series and who will head into their next series with a little bit of momentum? We’ll have to stay tuned and watch to find out as the Yankees send Luis Severino to the mound tonight to face off against a former Yankee in Rich Hill for the Athletics.

Severino has not had the start to the 2016 season that he or his Yankees teammates would have hoped for. Severino is slated to make his 14^th MLB start tonight at just 22-years old and will look to lower his ERA and 15.2 H/9 IP ratios specifically tonight in the Bronx. This is why small sample sizes are bad to use as indicators for future performance, Severino’s H/9 ratio last season was just 7.7.

 Hill heads into tonight’s start with two loses already on his record despite pitching well in his starts for the most part. In Hill’s last start against the Kansas City Royals the right-hander allowed three runs on nine hits in just 4.1 innings in the loss and has yet to go over five innings more than once this season. This is the game the Yankees must win.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. The Yankees need this win in the worst way. You can’t win a division or clinch a playoff spot in April but you sure can lose one by losing games like this that you should be winning. Severino needs to turn things around and Hill is an average, at best, starter. Don’t fall for the trap game, just win. Go Yankees.

Quick Hit: Top Fantasy Sleepers for 2016

As the Hot Stove season comes down from a rapid boil to a simmer the fantasy baseball season begins to heat up as spring training draws closer. We have discussed many times this winter already ways to improve your late pick draft strategy in hopes of winning those later rounds and in turn your leagues and this morning I want to talk about a few sleepers that I have in mind for my own personal draft. Some are big names and others are at least recognizable names but many of them had down or irregular seasons in 2015, something I cannot see these players making a habit of in 2016. If you’re worried about your draft then give this a read and maybe even a bookmark to keep handy for your draft day, maybe it will help you!

Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto fit the same mold here because both are coming from either hitting friendly ballparks or somewhat neutral ballparks in terms of hitting vs. pitching. They won’t have that problem in San Francisco as AT&T Park is one of the biggest and best pitching ballparks in all of Major League Baseball. What is an upper deck shot inside Yankee Stadium doesn’t seem like it would reach the warning track in San Francisco making what Barry Bonds did there all the more special. If either are there later in the draft then snatch them up. Both of them.

The same can be said for starter, turned relief pitcher turned starter again Rich Hill. Hill came back into the league last season with the Boston Red Sox and pitched well enough to get a team like the Oakland Athletics to give him a shot as a starting pitcher. Hill should enjoy pitching inside the Oakland Coliseum more than he enjoyed the wacky dimensions inside Fenway Park. His defense behind him in Oakland, other than at shortstop with Marcus Semien, should be solid as well. He’s a good late round pick if you need wins.

Brett Lawrie is entering his prime years finally at age 26 and will be shifting to one of the more hitting friendly parks in U.S. Cellular Field. Lawrie will be eligible at first and third base for the White Sox this season and should see enough playing time at both positions to justify a real late pick.

Speaking of favorable park switches you have to think that Mark Trumbo and his power will enjoy hitting at Camden Yards and Oriole Park, ask Chris Davis and Nelson Cruz.

Rich Hill the 2016 Version of Chris Capuano, Only Better

Back during the summer of 2014 the New York Yankees let left-handed reliever Matt Thornton go to the Washington Nationals in a straight waiver claim with the promise that the Yankees young talent would begin to funnel into the bullpen out of the minor leagues. One Josh Outman and one Rich Hill signing later and the Yankees had their replacements, neither of which were Yankees prospects mind you, although both were ultimately designated for assignment before the 2015 season. Outman has not had any significant time back in the Major Leagues since then but Hill reinvented himself as a starting pitcher with the Boston Red Sox and enjoyed a rejuvenated second half with the ball club. Hill is set to hit free agency this season, wouldn’t he be the perfect candidate to be in 2016 what Chris Capuano was supposed to be in 2015?

Hill will be 36-years old when the 2016 season begins, the same age as Capuano, but the similarities don’t stop there. Both reinvented and rejuvenated their careers with other teams before catching the Yankees eyes and both can easily bounce back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation. Both are left-handed and would serve as more than suitable long relief roles with the club. The biggest glaring difference is that if a Yankees starter goes down and Hill pitches like he did for the Red Sox this season he could make an immediate impact for the Yankees in the rotation. Capuano, on the other hand, merely gave the Yankees some innings and tried his best to keep the team in those games before burning out the bullpen. Hill could quietly be a difference maker for the team in 2016.

With the Yankees roster seemingly set and the majority of the money allocated towards 2016 already spent New York is going to have to get creative, get depth and get lucky if they want to compete for a World Series championship next season. It will be players like Hill, the bench roles that can play multiple positions and bring versatility and the minor league deals and the one-year deals that catch lightning in a bottle that is going to separate New York from the other teams in the American League East Division. Does that start with Hill? If it doesn’t then it probably should. 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox 10/1

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox one more time this season. This time of the year is always bittersweet, sure the team is likely going to the postseason and will host a Wild Card playoff game but at the same time even if the team runs the gauntlet I know that baseball is over no matter what in a month. Cherish these four, five or however many games we have left. The Yankees will send CC Sabathia to the mound tonight to face off against Rich Hill for the Red Sox. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, ESPN2 and MLB TV.

The Yankees are hosting a playoff game this season against one of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins or Houston Astros so be sure to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to secure your seat now. If the past two seasons prior to 2015 has taught us anything it’s that the postseason is no longer guaranteed in the Bronx so take advantage while you still can and let’s make sure the house is rocking come October 6^th because as we all know #SuitsDontCheer. Also be sure to follow @GreedyStripes on Twitter to root for the team if you can’t be there live.

One last time in the Bronx and one last time against the Red Sox. Go Yankees. 

A Look At The Yankees 2015 Free Agents

The New York Yankees technically have ten major league free agents heading to the open market after the 2014 World Series concludes. This does not count the Yankees minor league free agents that will also be hitting the open market this winter, some for the first time. Here is the list of the Yankees available free agents. I have bolded the names that I believe the Yankees will or should re-sign.

Starting Pitchers:

Hiroki Kuroda
Brandon McCarthy
Chris Capuano

Relief Pitchers:

Rich Hill
Heath Bell (This is where the "technically" comes in as he was still getting paid by New York)
David Robertson

Positional Players:

Ichiro Suzuki
Chase Headley
Chris Young
Stephen Drew

The Yankees Bullpen Is Done

The bullpen of the New York Yankees is done, it has hit a wall, it has hit an innings limit, and it is done. The only saving grace this season has been the bullpen and the strong starting pitching but the bullpen has been overused, abused, and should not be relied on any more this season. It’s probably a good thing that the Yankees aren’t making the postseason this year because we may have two or three more Tom Gordon and Scott Proctor’s on our hands.

Dellin Betances has been affected the least as he has thrown 23 IP since August and has seen his ERA fall from 1.52 to 1.35. Get Dellin past the magical 130 strikeout mark so he can pass Rivera and use sparingly. Dellin has been the exception and not the rule and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that he is 26 years old. 

David Robertson may have been the one affected the most although he has been effective in save situations. Robertson has had 40 save situations this season and has saved 36 of them, which is not a number to bow your head down too in shame, but lately he has been shaky at best. Robertson has thrown 17.2 IP since August and that includes a streak of not pitching in over a week in a save situation at the end of August and early September. Robertson has seen his era rise from 2.81 to 2.93.

Adam Warren has nothing left in the tank and has fallen out of the “circle of trust” with Joe Girardi in recent months. Warren has thrown 18.1 IP since August 1 and has seen his ERA rise from 3.19 to 3.30. Warren is reminding me a lot of our new version of Joba Chamberlain when he fell from grace in 2013.

Shawn Kelley, Rich Hill, Josh Outman, and others have been used sparingly, obviously some more than others specifically in Kelley’s case, and have pitched well lately all things considered. With David Phelps back in the fold and in the bullpen I expect Girardi to ride his formerly inflamed elbow all the way to October when the bullpen finally gets a well-deserved and much needed rest this winter. 

Quick Hit: I'm Finally Convinced, Fire Brian Cashman

Brian Cashman 20 minutes before making his September call up decisions........

I have been one of the biggest supporters and apologists for Brian Cashman during his tenure as the New York Yankees general manager but after yesterday's round of roster moves and September call ups I'm done defending him. Fire Brian Cashman, sooner rather than later. If you want to save face let him continue to ruin the team and the organization for the remainder of the season and give him the boot after the season. This is ridiculous and I'm tired of it.

So you let Matt Thornton go and build up Tyler Webb and Jacob Lindgren to call up Rich Hill and trade for Josh Outman. What do we do in September? We bring Hill back and totally ignore Lindgren (more on him later specifically) and Webb.

We start the clock on Slade Heathcott and designate switch hitter Zoilo Almonte for a month's worth of Chris Young and some guy named Antoan Richardson. To be completely honest I am pretty familiar with Richardson but I was trying to drive home my point with the decisions going on right here.

You call up John Ryan Murphy and once again slap Austin Romine in the face. You make a roster move for Preston Claiborne but you leave Manny Banuelos in the minor leagues, oh yeah we have Rich Hill. Is this guy doing it on purpose or do the personnel people really know something I don't?

I'm utterly wordless right now.