Anyone Worth a Gamble Left on the Free Agent Market?

Pitchers and catchers are in full swing and full team workouts are happening all around the league as we inch closer and closer to Grapefruit League games and MLB games that actually count in the win/loss column. All winter long teams have made a plan and seemingly stuck to it whether it be acquiring the top free agent talent available like the Red Sox did with David Price and Craig Kimbrel, selling off all their talent to jump start a rebuild like the Atlanta Braves did or sign nobody at all, literally, like the New York Yankees did. The Yankees did not sign a single major league free agent this winter but they have not shied away from handing out the minor league deals for depth down on the farm, is there anyone left on the free agent market worth that gamble?

Well yeah, Dexter Fowler is still out there on the free agent market but I strongly believe he isn’t going to settle for a minor league deal. There’s almost 0% chance of it. He may sign a one-year pillow contract with a team and test a no-so-stacked free agent market again in 2017 but there’s absolutely no chance he signs a minor league deal. The same can likely be said for starters Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee and Alfredo Simon. Also Ian Desmond is another one of those names to add to the “no way, no how” list when it comes to signing a minor league free agent deal this winter. We know the names of who won’t sign a minor league deal but who conceivably could or would?

David Freese is a solid third baseman with a track record of hitting in the postseason but for whatever reason not many are knocking down his door to sign him this winter. New York needs a capable third baseman and a true third baseman, apologies to Starlin Castro, and if Freese is willing to sign a MiLB deal, however unlikely, I think the Yankees should pounce. The longer the winter drags on and the closer the spring comes closer the more likely other players like Juan Uribe, Justin Morneau and Pedro Alvarez may be willing to defy the odds and the doubters and sign a minor league deal as well with an opt-out clause simply to get into a spring camp and show teams they are still capable of playing at the Major League level. If the Yankees want to take advantage of any of those three I would also be willing to sign off on those deals.

Finally you have a laundry list of players including Rickie Weeks, Jimmy Rollins, Tommy Hunter, Matt Thornton, and others who would likely jump at the opportunity to sign a minor league deal in New York but I just can’t see any of them being true fits for the Yankees. I have always said there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal and I will stand behind that today as well but there are some I’d be willing to write a “Meet a Prospect” for and there are some I may just let slide and move on with, you know what I’m saying? 

Recap: Yankees 3, Mariners 1

Masahiro Tanaka returned to the rotation in style, holding the Mariners to just one earned over seven solid innings as the Yankees completed a sweep of their AL West rival, 3-1, today at Safeco Field.

All That Talk for Nothing: After months of facing questions about his health and effectiveness, Tanaka threw a straight-up gem in this one -- yielding just three measly hits while walking none and striking out nine. He retired the Mariners 1-2-3 in every frame but the third, more than compensating for the offense's slow afternoon.

Garrett the Great: Yesterday's eleventh-inning three-run bomb appears to have sparked something in Garrett Jones, who hit yet another go-ahead home run with the game tied in the fourth. Batting with a man on against Seattle's Taijuan Walker, Jones smoked a 2-1 fastball high into the right-field stands -- giving the Yankees the 3-1 advantage with which they would ultimately win.

Your Daily Tex Message: Mark Teixeira continued his productive series with a solo shot in the second, lifting a fly ball just past a leaping Seth Smith in right for his 16th four-bagger of the year. Teixeira now leads all major-league first basemen in that category, trailing only Nelson Cruz overall.

A Lot of Nerves: One-sided as this contest was during Tanaka's time on the mound, the Mariners did load the bases with one out in the eighth -- putting two on versus Andrew Miller when Mike Zunino walked and Rickie Weeks got hit by a pitch. Fortunetaly for the Yankees, though, Miller was able to escape the jam with a strikeout of Logan Morrison and a force-out from Austin Jackson -- keeping New York on top despite a poor performance in the inning.

Damn Injuries: The injury bug has already affected Yankees such as Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury and Chris Martin this season -- and it may have just claimed its next victim. Catcher Brian McCann will undergo an MRI tomorrow after exiting today's victory with soreness in his right foot, the same foot which cramped in last week's loss to the Rangers.

Next Up: The Yankees will take a much-needed off-day tomorrow, but begin a weekend set with the Angels Friday night in the Bronx. First pitch for the opener is currently scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, with Nathan Eovaldi (4-1, 4.40 ERA) opposing LA's Jered Weaver (4-4, 4.08 ERA).

Brewers Have Scout Following The Yankees

According to George A. King III the Milwaukee Brewers have special assignment scout Dick Groch basically following around the New York Yankees. Who could the Brewers be scouting you ask? The details are obviously not set in stone but Milwaukee was said to be interested in some of the Yankees catching depth back in Spring Training and the Yankees were said to have varying amounts of interest in Rickie Weeks. Or Groch could just be watching the Derek Jeter farewell tour, he was the scout that originally signed Jeter out of the 1992 MLB First Year Player's Draft.

Aramis Ramirez could make sense for the Yankees at third base or Weeks could as a shortstop but a trade seems unlikely at this point. This doesn't upset me too much with the emergence of Yangervis Solarte and a roster crunch on the 40 man roster.

Should The Yankees Be Interested In Juan Francisco?

We all heard and read that the Brewers were among the teams scouting the Yankees excess catching depth recently. Milwaukee is said to be dangling Rickie Weeks or Aramis Ramirez but why not Juan Francisco? I think we could use Francisco more for a plethora of reasons, especially if it only costs Austin Romine or John Ryan Murphy.

Francisco would give us another power hitter in the lineup and a huge bat coming off the bench from the left side of the plate. Francisco split time with the Brewers and the Atlanta Braves last season and hit 18 home runs in 348 at bats, that's a home run every 19 at bats for those without a calculator. Over a 162 game season that ranks 11th best in the American League, who couldn't use that?

Francisco also gives us a legitimate backup at both third base and first base. He won't win a Gold Glove award at either position but he is probably a better candidate than Alfonso Soriano at first and Eduardo Nunez at third base defensively right now.

Francisco also looks like he is the odd man out on the Brewers roster thanks to former Yankees Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds signing deals with Milwaukee over the winter. The Brewers have excess infielders and we need infielders, the Brewers need a backup catcher and we have more than a couple. Let's make a deal Brian Cashman.

Brewers, White Sox, & Mariners Scouting Yankees Players

Via George A King the Yankees had a few visitors recently scouting their players for potential trades. The Seattle Mariners recently had a scout at last night's loss against the Baltimore Orioles scouting Yankees starting pitcher David Phelps. Phelps may be expendable with so many arms, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno, and Michael Pineda to name a few, vying for that last rotation spot and for open spots in the Yankees bullpen. I can't see the Mariners having anything we would necessarily want unless they are willing to give up Tijuan Walker, I'd take that. It's a Nick Franklin for Phelps trade that is more likely to happen but you have to have dreams, right?

The Chicago White Sox were also in attendance last night at George M. Steinbrenner Field keeping their eyes on Yankees players. The White Sox are said to have a few infielders available for young catching depth. The Milwaukee Brewers are also said to be in the backup catcher market making John Ryan Murphy, Francisco Arcia, and Austin Romine especially attractive. The Brewers are said to be dangling Rickie Weeks and Aramis Ramirez while Chicago is willing to part with Gordon Beckham and Jeff Keppinger.

I personally want no part of either Keppinger and Beckham but Weeks and especially Ramirez intrigue the hell out of me. Both are owed a ton of money, so you would think they come cheap in terms of players acquired, and both may be better than what New York currently has. Ramirez has surprisingly been the 6th best third basemen in all the league using wRC+ with his 136 wRC+ over the last three seasons. Even if Ramirez is a shell of his former self he would be a huge upgrade as a right handed platoon over Eduardo Nunez.

Get it done Cash, you have my approval, just make it for Romine and not Murphy, I'd like to keep him a bit longer.

Yankees To Monitor Rickie Weeks & Possible Trade Partner Found In Chicago?

According to George A. King the Yankees will continue to monitor Milwaukee Brewers second basemen Rickie Weeks this spring just in case he loses his starting job to rookie Scooter Gennett. I guess this is what GM Brian Cashman mean't today when he said that any upgrades that were to be made had to be done on the cheap.

Rickie Weeks is not what he used to be, and probably never will be, as he is entering his age 31 season in 2014 coming off a major hamstring injury that required surgery in August of last year. Weeks is set to make $11 million this season and if Gennett, who filled in quite well for Weeks last season, wins the job Weeks could be had as a simple salary dump one would think. The problem is the Yankees already have Brian Roberts for second base, would Weeks want to ride the bench four or five days a week?

The Yankees may have also found a trade partner in the Chicago White Sox who are searching for catching help. Reportedly the White Sox had scouts down to watch the Yankees while they played the Florida State Seminoles baseball team yesterday. The Yankees have a definite surplus in catchers right now with Brian McCann, Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine, John Ryan Murphy, and Gary Sanchez to name a few. Cervelli, Murphy, and Sanchez all played in yesterday afternoons game if that means anything, which it probably does for Murphy. Would the Yankees want Gordon Beckham or Jeff Keppinger in return though? I sure hope not.