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Credit:  Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports

“But I like it, I love it, I want some more of it…”

He didn’t get the win, gave up a home run to a journeyman infielder, and didn’t last the length of an official game, but Jordan Montgomery has earned my respect and I am looking forward to his next start.

Montgomery was rudely introduced to the Major Leagues by Tampa’s Rickie Weeks Jr, who hit a homer with two outs and one on in the top of the first inning.  It was a moment that could have sent any young pitcher (or Micheal Pineda) into a tailspin.  Instead, he induced Corey Dickerson into a ground out and it was inning over.   He did get into a little trouble in the third when he allowed a single to Peter Bourjos and hit Kevin Kiermaier with a pitch with just one out, however, he proceeded to strike out the next two batters to end the threat.

In the fourth inning, Steven Souza Jr doubled to start the inning.  What’s with all these Jr’s in the Rays lineup?  Maybe I should just call myself Fid Jr.  Sorry, I digress.  Back to the topic at hand, Montgomery struck out the next two batters (Kevin Kiermaier and Evan Longoria).  At that point, he was pulled in favor of Bryan Mitchell.  Souza Jr subsequently scored on a fielding error by Starlin Castro so the run wasn’t charged against Montgomery.

The line reads 4 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts, but it doesn’t tell the story how Montgomery got tougher when the stakes were raised.  He was resilient and did not allow bad plays to influence his game.  Like Mariano Rivera, he had a short memory and was not intimidated by any of the Rays hitters, including slugger Evan Longoria.  Some guys may not profile as top of the line aces but they are just winners.  That’s what Montgomery is to me.  He seems like he can be a guy you want to hand the ball to in a pressure situation.  We need a few more of those.  

I thought it was great that the Yankees started Montgomery’s minor league catcher, Kyle Higashioka.  I am sure that helped with the transition to Yankee Stadium.  Higashioka didn’t do much with the bat, but that wasn’t why he was so important to the game.  Bravo to Montgomery for his first start and congrats to Higashioka for calling it.  I think Jordan will be even stronger the next time out.  The Yankees decision to promote Montgomery has been validated.  

For the game, the Yankees did win.  With the 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, they’ve won two of two out of a three game set.  The series concludes today.  At the beginning of the week, I was hopeful for two out of three.  Sorry, but now I want a sweep.  A 5-4 record would be so much better than 1-4 or in this case, 4-5.  Aaron Judge was 2-for-3 with yet another home run (his third in consecutive games).  But his single was the talk of the game.  The exit velocity of the ball was 116.5 MPH, the fastest base hit of 2017.  Is there any doubt Manager Joe Girardi made the right decision when he picked Judge over Aaron Hicks to start in right field?  All of us have known that Judge has the potential to be a monster.  He’s showing us the evidence.  

On the downside, Brett Gardner was injured in a collision at first base with Rickie Weeks Jr.  Not sure if the collision is a product of Weeks’ inexperience at first, but Gardner will be out for a few days with a bruised jaw and strained neck.  Aaron Weeks, who had completed a three game streak of starting in right, center, left figures to get a few more starts until Gardner returns.  In the interim, it pushes Jacoby Ellsbury to the top of the lineup as the leadoff hitter.  Ugh.  Here's hoping for a quick recovery to good health for Gardy.

Credit:  Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Pitcher James Kaprielian has met with Dr Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles but no word has been released regarding Kaprielian’s decision.  I am sure this is a very difficult decision for the young hurler.  While I hope for the best result to get him back on the field again, what’s best for Kaprielian takes precedence over what’s best for the Yankees.  So, whatever decision Kaprielian makes, I will support and accept.

Regarding the 40-man roster, the loser of the seat at the table is pitcher Johnny Barbato.  While I was worried that Robert Refsnyder might be the player DFA’d, I did feel that it was most likely one of the lesser known pitchers.  I think in my mind, Barbato is the pitcher I thought of first.  Since being acquired from the San Diego Padres for reliever Shawn Kelley (now a vital part of the Washington Nationals’ bullpen), Barbato has not done anything at the Major League level.  His brief appearances have not been memorable and I was surprised over the winter when the Yankees left some quality guys off the 40-man roster to protect Barbato.  I assumed the Yankees saw something in the pitcher that I haven’t seen.    With the number of quality arms in the organization, I have no problem with losing Barbato.  Hopefully, GM Brian Cashman will be able to flip him for something of value as he’d probably be claimed off waivers by another team.  

With Montgomery’s strong start, I am hopeful that Luis Severino answers the bell today against the Rays.  After last year’s 0-8 record in starting assignments, I didn’t want to go into this year with Severino chasing wins again.  He failed his first attempt last week but today represents redemption.  I hopeful that he drops a “W” in his win-loss record so that we can get that bad boy out of the way and move into friendly debates about which young pitcher is better.  

We’ll have a Bird in the lineup today so there’s no reason we can’t fly!  Go Yankees, and have a great Thursday!

Weekly Prospects Check In: The Forgotten One, Johnny Barbato

Hey, you guys remember when the Yankees made a trade with the San Diego Padres for a relief pitcher that may or may not have needed Tommy John surgery? His name was Johnny Barbato and for a couple years after the trade he was seemingly forgotten down in the Yankees farm system until he broke camp with the team in 2016. Barbato pitched well all spring long and for a while in the Majors he pitched lights out even donning the name 'the Yankees secret weapon" from some publications. Since then? Well he's being forgotten again.

Barbato was told to go back down to Scranton and find the slider that made him so effective when he was sent down earlier this season. Has he found it? Well let's see what the box score says.

Year	Age	Lev	W	L	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2016	23	AAA	1	2	4.50	12	6	1	18.0	15	12	9	1	11	18	1.444	7.5	0.5	5.5	9.0
2016	23	MLB	1	2	5.54	12	5	0	13.0	10	8	8	2	4	15	1.077	6.9	1.4	2.8	10.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Meet a Prospect: Johnny Barbato

Johnny Barbato was the young man that the San Diego Padres sent to the New York Yankees in the offseason trade that sent relief pitcher Shawn Kelley, and his horse mask I can confirm, to the West Coast a couple offseasons ago. It was originally thought that Barbato would need Tommy John surgery immediately following the deal but those reports turned out to be false leaving Barbato healthy and available to pitch well in both Double-A and Triple-A this season. Barbato pitched well enough to catch the eye of many people inside the Yankees organization, and probably a few of the scouts outside the Yankees organization as well, this season and was added to the 40 man roster this week in order to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Barbato is now a Yankee for the long haul so now is as good of a time as any to meet him. Let’s Meet a Prospect: The Johnny Barbato Edition.

Barbato stands 6'2" and throws right handed from a 185 lbs. frame with a 94-97 MPH fastball, a knuckle curve which he uses as a strike out pitch and an average changeup. The best part of Barbato is his control that saw him strikeout almost two for every one walk in his career. Barbato likely sits ahead of Nick Rumbelow and Nick Goody on the depth chart and is currently side by side or right behind Caleb Cotham and Branden Pinder as far as right handed pitchers go.

Year	Lev	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	AA-AAA	6	2	2.67	40	67.1	55	20	20	5	25	70	1.188	7.4	0.7	3.3	9.4
2015	AA	2	2	4.04	26	42.1	42	19	19	4	14	44	1.323	8.9	0.9	3.0	9.4
2015	AAA	4	0	0.36	14	25.0	13	1	1	1	11	26	0.960	4.7	0.4	4.0	9.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

In 2015 Barbato split time between the Double-A Trenton Thunder and the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders and posted this overall pitching line. This was well enough to warrant being added to the 40 man roster despite a slew of other candidates seemingly ahead of him on the depth chart. I don’t pretend to know more than the Yankees and their advisers that watch players like Barbato every day, I was quite vocal about the protection of Mason Williams in 2014 and I am still cleaning egg off my face for that, so if the Yankees protected him then I agree that it was a good move. Welcome to the family Mr. Barbato, officially. 

Weekly Check In: Johnny Barbato

I hate to premise a post on something negative but we will do that this morning with one of our last prospect check in posts. Johnny Barbato was acquired from the San Diego Padres this offseason in the trade that sent Shawn Kelley back to the National League. It was originally thought that Barbato needed Tommy John surgery at the time of the trade but Barbato was able to work his way back to the pitching mound and all the way to Triple-A where his 2015 season unfortunately ended on a sour note.

Overall Barbato had a strong season, and just in time as he needs 40 man roster protection from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, but his season did not end the way he had hoped. Barbato was on the mound in the 9th inning of the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders playoff game and allowed four earned runs, the last of which ended the season. Ouch.

Year	Lev	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	AA-AAA	6	2	2.67	40	67.1	55	20	20	5	25	70	1.188	7.4	0.7	3.3	9.4
2015	AA	2	2	4.04	26	42.1	42	19	19	4	14	44	1.323	8.9	0.9	3.0	9.4
2015	AAA	4	0	0.36	14	25.0	13	1	1	1	11	26	0.960	4.7	0.4	4.0	9.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Meet a Prospect: Johnny Barbato

When the New York Yankees traded Shawn Kelley to the San Diego Padres for prospect Johnny Barbato many around Yankeesland were up in arms, in a good way. Kelley didn't have many fans in New York, especially around the hardcore fans, even though all he did was pitch to the back of his baseball card while with the Yankees. New York fans are the best in the world in my very humble and bias opinion but we also tend to be a tough crowd, comes with the territory I guess. That same uproar came when Jack Curry reported that Barbato may need Tommy John surgery before throwing a single pitch in a Trenton Thunder or Scranton Wilkes Barre RailRiders uniform.

Barbato is just 22 years old and destined to start the season in Double-A if the elbow injury that shut him down in June does not require the surgery. Barbato stands 6'2" and throws right handed from a 185 lbs. frame with a 94-97 MPH fastball, a knuckle curve which he uses as a strike out pitch and an average changeup. The best part of Barbato is his control that saw him strikeout almost two for every one walk in his career.

Barbato likely sits ahead of Nick Rumbelow on the depth chart and side by side or right behind Danny Burawa and Branden Pinder as far as right handed pitchers go.

Meet a Prospect: Johnny Barbato

When the New York Yankees traded Shawn Kelley to the San Diego Padres for prospect Johnny Barbato many around Yankeesland were up in arms, in a good way. Kelley didn't have many fans in New York, especially around the hardcore fans, even though all he did was pitch to the back of his baseball card while with the Yankees. New York fans are the best in the world in my very humble and bias opinion but we also tend to be a tough crowd, comes with the territory I guess. That same uproar came when Jack Curry reported that Barbato may need Tommy John surgery before throwing a single pitch in a Trenton Thunder or Scranton Wilkes Barre RailRiders uniform.

Barbato is just 22 years old and destined to start the season in Double-A if the elbow injury that shut him down in June does not require the surgery. Barbato stands 6'2" and throws right handed from a 185 lbs. frame with a 94-97 MPH fastball, a knuckle curve which he uses as a strike out pitch and an average changeup. The best part of Barbato is his control that saw him strikeout almost two for every one walk in his career.

Barbato likely sits ahead of Nick Rumbelow on the depth chart and side by side or right behind Danny Burawa and Branden Pinder as far as right handed pitchers go.

Get to Know New Yankees' Reliever David Carpenter

While minor-leaguer Chasen Shreve was also dealt to the Yankees in Thursday's trade between they and the Braves, there's no question the biggest piece heading to New York is right-handed reliever David Carpenter. 

Carpenter, a 29-year-old who's been in the league since 2011, will fill the set-up role recently vacated by Shawn Kelley, according to NJ.com's Brendan Kuty. For the most part in his career, he's been alright, holding hitters to a .260 batting average while solidly recording a 3.62 ERA.

But what can we expect from him in 2015 and beyond? Well, when you take a look at his past numbers it's kind of tough to say.

On the bright side, Carpenter was great in 2013, his first full season in the majors. He pitched to a 1.78 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while walking 20 and striking out 74 in 65 2/3 innings that year, impressively keeping opponents below the Mendoza Line.

But then last season his stats suddenly worsened, making it difficult to really judge him. His ERA inflated to 3.54, and his WHIP followed it by going up to 1.26. 

Basically, how Carpenter will do next year is a mystery, but that doesn't mean it's not still a safe bet he'll contribute. The aforementioned Kelley's best ERA and WHIP with the Yankees were both higher than Carpenter's highests with the Braves, so it's likely the latter will at least be an upgrade. 

Maybe not much of one, but one nonetheless.

State of the Yankees Bullpen without Shawn Kelley

The New York Yankees threw a bit of a curveball to their bullpen earlier in the week when they traded Shawn Kelley to the sleepless AJ Preller and the San Diego Padres for a RHP prospect. This leaves the Yankees 40 man roster at 39 players and potentially opens the door for a Jacob Lindgren, Tyler Webb, Danny Burawa, Branden Pinder or equivalent.

Set in stone right now seem to be the positions, in no particular order, of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, Adam Warren, Justin Wilson and Esmil Rogers. Rogers is cheap enough to where his spot is pretty fringy at best but without Kelley in the 7^th inning his spot looks to be more secure than ever.

Presumably New York will use one of those spots on another long man and that job will likely go down to either Bryan Mitchell or Manny Banuelos. The last spot looks to be wide open with the above aforementioned players and a few others like Jose Ramirez. Either way with the trade the Yankees continue to get younger, cheaper and more flexible while still trying to compete in a watered down version of the AL East. I guess I can see the logic in that.

Quick Hit: An Interesting Quote from Shawn Kelley

Kelley: “[Cash] said he hated to see me go, but they have some things they’re doing, things they’re working on, and it was part of new plan”
— Daniel Barbarisi (@DanBarbarisi) December 29, 2014

I thought this quote from Shawn Kelley, courtesy of Dan Barbarisi's Twitter account, was pretty interesting and worth a share. What about you? Sounds like Kelley knows what's going on and isn't talking and it more importantly sounds like there is actually a plan here, which is encouraging. What say you?

Kelley: Yankees Trading Me to Padres Part of Their "New Plan"

If the Yankees want to sign an expensive free agent like Max Scherzer or James Shields this offseason, they'll no doubt need a lot of money. 

The team has maintained a stance of shying away from doing so up to this point, but might be forced to later on due to the health issues CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova have recently experienced. 

And the Yankees may have taken the first step in that process with Monday's trading of Shawn Kelley to the Padres, a move that will save them just under $2 million in 2015. Or at least that's what Kelley said shortly after the deal was completed, reviewing what club GM Brian Cashman told him while talking to The Wall Street Journal's Daniel Barbarisi. 

"[Cashman] said he hated to see me go, but they have some things they're doing, some things they're working on, and it was part of a new plan," Kelley said.

It's difficult to judge what that plan is, as the Yankees' winter intentions right now are still mostly a mystery. Some speculate they're secretly gearing up for a belated spending spree, while others buy the rhetoric they're just going to build from within. 

Whichever possibility is true, Kelley made sure to express his own thoughts on the move to San Diego, the third city in which he will have played.

“It was a little shocking at first but I’m sure [the Yankees] are still going to have a good pen, even with [David] Robertson gone and now myself gone,” he said. “I was really looking forward to a third year. I hate to go. But at the same time I’m excited for this new opportunity.”

Kelley went 7-8 with a 4.46 ERA in 105 innings with the Yankees the last two seasons, and often threw either sevenths or eighths. He struck out 3.2 hitters for every walk, solidifying his role as a valuable bullpen piece.

He's expected to be the Padres' set-up man next year, working in front of closer Joaquin Benoit.

Yankees Trade Shawn Kelley to Padres for Minor League Pitcher

The New York Yankees have officially traded RHP Shawn Kelley to the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Johnny Barbato. Kelley is on the 40 man roster and Barbato is not so essentially the Yankees cleared a 40 man roster spot with this move begging the question if this is part of a bigger deal. New York also saved about $2 million with the deal and continued their process of getting younger across the board.

Barbato, if healthy, will presumably start the season in Triple-A in his age 22 season. I say if healthy because Barbato was shut down last season due to elbow soreness and there is at least a possibility that he will need Tommy John surgery.

Here's a quick scouting report on Barbato:

He pitches with mid-90s velocity and verve, attacking hitters with a live fastball that sinks and runs as it nears the plate. He throws a true curveball in the high 70s that features extreme break through the zone, and he locates and mixes his two pitches well enough to boast a career strikeout rate of 9.2 per nine innings … Barbato has the raw stuff to zoom to [New York] in 2015 and gradually work his way up to a setup role. - 

Does Brian Wilson Make Sense?

Assuming the former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Brian Wilson is willing to shave his beard and be normal, which he has stated he would not consider in previous seasons, would the recently designated RHP make sense for the Yankees?

Let’s start at the beginning when on Tuesday the Dodgers designated Wilson for assignment eating his $9.5 million in salary for 2015. This left Wilson as a free agent free to sign with any club he chooses. Wilson is 32 years old and is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.66 ERA in 48.1 IP last year with the Dodgers in their bullpen.

Wilson’s ERA and metrics were bloated in 2014 after having a strong second half in Los Angeles in 2013 and the Dodgers were right to simply eat his contract and let him walk away. Just because he will come on the cheap doesn’t mean he makes sense for the Yankees. To put this into layman’s terms, and I can’t believe I am saying this out loud, Wilson may be worse than Shawn Kelley if he came to New York and makes absolutely no sense for the Yankees in 2015 or beyond. 

Betances Prepared to be Yankees' Closer if Needed

Now that David Robertson's playing for the White Sox, the Yankees have a decision to make with their closing role.

Robertson was set to be the team's successor to Mariano Rivera at this point last year, but his sudden departure has seemingly exposed a hole in its bullpen. The Yankees signed Andrew Miller last Friday, but he's never been much more than a set-up man.

So who will pitch ninth innings for them next season? Dellin Betances is always an option, and he says he's up for it.

"For me, I think I would just try to treat everything the same, no matter what happens," Betances told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch Friday. "I know obviously it's a different role, but I'm just looking forward to helping the team win, no matter what situation they want me in."

Last year that situation largely consisted of throwing eighths, where Betances thrived. He struck out 135 hitters while maintaining a 1.40 ERA in 70 appearances, putting him in the running for AL Rookie of the Year.

Yet he's confident any of the guys in the current group could succeed if chosen to replace Robertson, referring to many by name. 

"I believe in the guys we have down there, especially getting [Andrew] Miller," Betances said. "He's a guy that is a high strikeout guy and can get both lefties and righties out. We still have [Adam] Warren, [Shawn] Kelley and a bunch of guys down there that can help us out as well."

Warren and Kelley were certainly solid in 2014, and when Kelley temporarily took over Robertson's duties in May, he recorded four saves. As for Warren, his sub-three ERA can't hurt his chances either, though he tended to struggle under pressure.

Nonetheless, it appears the two primary candidates for the job right now are Miller and Betances, both of whom had five wins last season.

Article Revisit: Sergio Romo

With the loss of David Robertson to the New York Yankees bullpen still heavy on my heart for some reason I attempted to move on and consider viable backup options for the former Yankees closer. I was going through the TGP archive and I found an article I had written on November, 19 of this year and the article still makes a lot of sense. You may even be able to go as far as to cross out Shawn Kelley’s name in the article and insert Robertson’s in. Thoughts? Here’s the article:

Sergio Romo's free agency this winter can be described in about three sentences or less making him an interesting bullpen option for the Yankees and a viable backup option in case David Robertson decides to sign elsewhere. Let's take a look at those three sentences to see if he makes sense for the Yankees.

1. Romo has closed out all three rounds of the National League playoffs including the World Series, clutch comes to mind.

2. Romo had a not so great start to the 2014 season but pitched lights out when it matters posting a 1.29 ERA in October to go along with his career 2.59 ERA with the Giants.

3. Romo is better than Shawn Kelley.

http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/2014/11/sergio-romo-defined-in-three-sentences.html

Robertson "Letting it All Play Out," Shawn Kelley Says

David Robertson is just weighing his options, Yankees' Reliever Shawn Kelley said.

Kelley joined MLB.com's Bryan Hoch for a phone interview this week, and didn't seem fearful that Robertson is about to leave the team in doing so. He said that he talks to Robertson "once in a while," and that Robertson is just seeing what's out there after rejecting the Yankees' qualifying offer.

"I’ve texted him personally to see what his thoughts are," Kelley said. "Honestly, I think he’s just kind of letting it all play out at this point. Since he turned the qualifying offer down, he might as well hear what the teams have to say and see what the best situation is personally for him.”

Robertson reportedly received interest from the Astros recently, a happening that has some Yankees fans concerned. Had Robertson not turned down New York's original proposal, he'd make $15.3 million in 2015, but has made it clear that he wants more length.

Nonetheless, according to Kelley, Robertson still has a part of him that is open to a return to the Bronx, where he's spent the entirety of his young career.

“I know he loves New York, I know he’s close with Mariano (Rivera) and wants to kind of follow in Mariano’s footsteps,” Kelley said. "...But he’s got to do what’s best and see what’s out there. That’s where he’s at in his career right now. I’ll support anything he does. We’re close friends, we always will be and I want what’s best for him and his family.”

Robertson has gone 25-19 with a 2.81 ERA in 393 1/3 innings pitched since 2008. This season, his first as the Yankees' closer, he successfully converted 39/44 save opportunities, the third most in the American League. 

However, with Dellin Betances now a record-breaking contributor and Adam Warren slowly evolving into a reliable threat, it's beginning to look more and more like the Yankees could still survive without Robertson if they had to, as good as he's been.

MLB Trade Rumors Predicts Arbitration Salaries

MLB Trade Rumors is at it again predicting all the arbitration salaries for the 2015 season. CLICK HERE to view the whole post and give those guys a view or two and see below as I plucked the Yankees related material as an excerpt. Enjoy.

Yankees (7)

• Shawn Kelley (5.128) – $2.5MM
• Francisco Cervelli (4.146) – $1.1MM
• Esmil Rogers (4.088) – $1.9MM
• Ivan Nova (4.024) – $3.3MM
• Michael Pineda (3.099) – $2.1MM
• David Huff (3.062) – $700K
• David Phelps (2.156) – $1.3MM

Should New York Be Interested in John Axford?

John Axford was designated for assignment over the weekend and is now a free agent to be had by any team this winter. Axford was originally signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent during the 2006 season and could be on his way back to where his major league career all began. First and foremost let's take a look at Axford's career stats as a relief pitcher because they truly tell the story.

Year	Age	Tm	W	L	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	HBP	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2009	26	MIL	0	0	3.52	7	6	1	7.2	5	3	3	0	6	9	0	122	3.10	1.435	5.9	0.0	7.0	10.6
2010	27	MIL	8	2	2.48	50	43	24	58.0	42	17	16	1	27	76	1	163	2.13	1.190	6.5	0.2	4.2	11.8
2011	28	MIL	2	2	1.95	74	63	46	73.2	59	19	16	4	25	86	0	202	2.41	1.140	7.2	0.5	3.1	10.5
2012	29	MIL	5	8	4.67	75	54	35	69.1	61	42	36	10	39	93	2	88	4.06	1.442	7.9	1.3	5.1	12.1
2013	30	TOT	7	7	4.02	75	16	0	65.0	73	32	29	10	26	65	2	97	4.34	1.523	10.1	1.4	3.6	9.0
2013	30	MIL	6	7	4.45	62	13	0	54.2	62	29	27	10	23	54	1	87	4.77	1.555	10.2	1.6	3.8	8.9
2013	30	STL	1	0	1.74	13	3	0	10.1	11	3	2	0	3	11	1	223	2.08	1.355	9.6	0.0	2.6	9.6
2014	31	TOT	2	4	3.95	62	28	10	54.2	43	26	24	6	36	63	2	94	4.34	1.445	7.1	1.0	5.9	10.4
2014	31	CLE	2	3	3.92	49	24	10	43.2	34	21	19	6	30	51	1	96	4.71	1.466	7.0	1.2	6.2	10.5
2014	31	PIT	0	1	4.09	13	4	0	11.0	9	5	5	0	6	12	1	90	2.86	1.364	7.4	0.0	4.9	9.8
162 Game Avg.			5	5	3.40	68	42	23	65	56	28	25	6	32	78	1	117	3.43	1.346	7.8	0.8	4.4	10.7

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table


As you can see Axford has had trouble with his command and his control and averages 4.4 walks per nine innings in his career. Axford makes up for that by missing a ton of bats with a 10.7 K/9 ratio which would fit well into the Yankees bullpen. Axford is far removed from his glory days in the Milwaukee bullpen in 2010, 2011, and 2012  but at this point would be no better than Shawn Kelley or Adam Warren. If the deal came on the cheap I would invest in Axford for the 7th inning and if not I may have to pass, the WHIP, ERA, and walk totals really scare me.