Adios, Arrivederci, Au Revoir, Cheerio, and Goodbye to Stephen Drew

What a sad day in Major League Baseball and in the Greedy Pinstripes world, former Boston Red Sox player, New York Yankees player, and Major Leaguer Stephen Drew has announced his retirement from the game this week. We have given Stephen a hard time over the years after his short tenure with the Yankees and even have an award named after him in his honor that we give out here on the site. The news of his retirement hit me hard and it left me with just one thing to say… Stephen Drew still sucks.

On a serious note the former 15^th overall pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft has announced his official retirement from the game after not finding a job this winter. Drew had spent the last two seasons with the Washington Nationals in their organization where he enjoyed a strong 2016 season, before injuries robbed him of his 2017 and final season.

Drew was drafted and developed by the Arizona Diamondbacks where he spent parts of seven seasons with the organization. Drew was ultimately dealt to the Oakland Athletics in August of 2012 where he finished strong before hitting free agency for the first time in his career. Drew signed with the Boston Red Sox for the 2013 season where he put in a mediocre .253/.333/.443 triple slash. Boston extended Drew a qualifying offer for the 2014 season, but Drew declined the offer and ultimately sat out until June 1, 2014 when he was eligible to be signed without the signing team giving up draft pick compensation for his services. Drew ultimately went back to Boston on a one-year deal but was later traded to the New York Yankees where he finished his 2014 season.

Drew was back with the Yankees for the 2015 season further frustrating and infuriating fans of the Bronx Bombers slashing just .185/.257/.347 over the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Drew landed with Washington in a utility role for the 2016 season where he bounced back a bit slashing .266/.339/.524 with eight home runs before injuries robbed him of his 2017 season, and any chance of erasing his legacy with us here at the site.

Drew will coach his children now that his playing days are over. Never forget, and always remember… Stephen Drew Sucks. Enjoy your retirement, and no hard feelings. It is all in fun.

And the 2018 “Stephen Drew Sucks Award” Goes To….

The 2018 season and the annual “Stephen Drew Sucks Award” given out here on The Greedy Pinstripes has a little bit of a different feel to it. Last year and in years past we have always given this award to not only one of the players on the roster that we expected to fall far below expectations, but we also prefaced the award presentation by stating that this player would receive far too much playing time than he deserved because of manager Joe Girardi’s insistence on playing a veteran over a rookie or young guy at all costs. With the hiring of new manager Aaron Boone I am not entirely sure anyone really knows what to expect going forward in terms of bullpen usage and how production will or will not dictate playing time. With that said we will simply have to use the thought process and prediction power that we clearly (and sarcastically) possess to predict, and subsequently award, the player we think that will most live up to the name, Stephen Drew Sucks. Congratulations, I think, go out to the newest member of the New York Yankees, Neil Walker.

Now before I get too far into this post I want to preface this by saying that after the news that Greg Bird would start the season on the disabled list and would miss six-to eight weeks (which in Greg Bird terminology means six-to-eight months) I felt pretty fortunate to have Walker on the team. The guy is a veteran than can play all over the field, literally, and is a player that was once thought of as a middle-of-the-order type hitter that signed for a measly $4 million plus incentives on a one-year deal. I am not terribly upset to have him for depth purposes, but it doesn’t mean I think he is going to excel here in 2018 either, and for more than a few reasons.

Walker is very injury prone and has been for quite some time now at the Major League level. Playing in the American League should only help him as he can potentially take “half days off” at the designated hitter position whenever necessary, but I still can’t bring myself to really feel confident that he can hold up over the course of a 162-game season. I won’t feel confident in that until he proves he can do it for a season or two, who could blame me?

Walker posted a combined 1.4 WAR in 2017 according to Baseball Reference, and that was playing every day with the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers. Walker could conceivably see his playing time reduced in 2018, which would ultimately see his WAR and overall production numbers drop as well. It isn’t like a 1.4 WAR is all that great anyway, well unless you consider players like Manny Pina, Jordy Mercer, Evan Gattis, Rafael Devers and Cameron Maybin to name a few who all put up similar or close WAR’s in 2017 as well to be “great” players. At this point in his career Walker is just average, if even that, and he is line to take a huge step back, even if he stays healthy.

I am not meaning to talk bad about Walker, and again I am grateful for his presence on the team with the loss of Bird… I just can’t bring myself to be excited about him being here though. I usually have high hopes, but I picked Walker over players like Brandon Drury (who Bryan Van Dusen is not high on this upcoming season if you read his most recent post), Jacoby Ellsbury, CC Sabathia and others… so that should tell you something about how I feel about the prospect of having him in Pinstripes here in 2018. Prove me wrong, Neil, but if you do you have to give the award back. “Thems the rules”

ICYMH: Rob Refsnyder

The New York Yankees absolutely broke my heart over the weekend, and I am exaggerating a bit but if I am being completely honest I’m not exaggerating by that much, when the team traded utility player Robert Refsnyder to the Toronto Blue Jays for a minor league first baseman. I think it is well documented and has been since the 2015 season that I feel very strongly about my fandom and draw towards Refsnyder and I truly believe that Refsnyder should have been the Yankees starting second baseman back during the 2015 season. Stephen Drew Sucks. I feel like Refsnyder was always given a raw deal by the Yankees and will always be given a raw deal by the Yankees so while I am heartbroken as a fan I am happy for Refsnyder and excited to see what he can become out in Toronto. In case you miss him though like I do here is a quick recap of Refsnyder’s tenure here in the Bronx. Enjoy.

The Yankees drafted Refsnyder in the fifth round, 187^th overall, in the 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft as a second baseman despite the fact that Refsnyder was a corner outfielder at the University of Arizona. Refsnyder signed for a $205,900 signing bonus before being assigned to Low-A Charleston with the Charleston Riverdogs. Refsnyder flew through the organization reaching Triple-A by June of 2014 which is where he would stay for what felt like a long, long time. In Refsnyder’s first 19 games at Triple-A in 2014 the righty batted .371 with three home runs forcing the Yankees to allow him to play the outfield as well as second base as the team prepared to call him up to the Major League level. And then they didn’t.

Stephen Drew was absolutely horrible for the Yankees during his entire tenure yet the Yankees continued to let a red hot Refsnyder toil around in the minor leagues due to concerns with his defense. I truly believe there is such thing as backwards progression and I fully believe this is what went on with Refsnyder and the Yankees. Eventually you reach a point where you plateau both physically and developmentally and if you aren’t pushed to go further then you simply just don’t. This is what happened with Refsnyder until he eventually took a step back, then two steps back and then the team wondered why he struggled when he took his two at-bats once a month.

Refsnyder was the Yankees starting second baseman in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros which despite the team’s loss may have been the highlight of Refsnyder’s Yankees tenure. Refsnyder jumped back and forth between Triple-A and the Major Leagues in 2016 and thus far in 2017 before finally being designated for assignment and ultimately traded to the Toronto Blue Jays during the fallout of the David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle acquisitions from Chicago. 

I personally will miss you Ref and I hope nothing but the best for you during the rest of your playing career no matter what uniform you’re wearing. You’re always a Yankee in my eyes. 

And the 2017 “Stephen Drew Sucks” Award Goes To….

Every single season there seems to be this one player that Yankees manager Joe Girardi loves no matter how terrible he does. To name a few from years past, in no particular order, we have suffered through Andruw Jones every day in center field, Sergio Mitre far too often in the rotation and in the bullpen, Stephen Drew stinking up the joint for multiple seasons at second base and most recently Chase Headley at third base in 2017. So who will win the now aptly named “Stephen Drew Sucks” Award from us here at The Greedy Pinstripes?

I have a feeling that we will be saying “Jacoby Ellsbury Sucks” a whole lot this season. Now I have to admit that this is all contingent on the health of Ellsbury, which is never a guarantee, and I also have to admit that I have been one of Ellsbury’s biggest fans since his signing but enough is enough. The guy is a speed demon that refuses to steal bases. The guy is a leadoff type hitter that seems more worried about getting a catcher’s interference call than roping a single over the infielder’s heads and getting on base. Ellsbury just seems to be on cruise control after signing that mega seven-year deal worth $153 million and it makes me sick to even think about it.

I know some don’t like these awards and they don’t like the constant “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets after every out he made at the plate or every error he made in the field but that’s just me being a fan. Just because I’m a fan with a blog doesn’t mean I am not a fan first and cannot express my fandom in a way that I deem fit. Stephen Drew did suck and Jacoby Ellsbury does too so why should I be made to feel bad for saying so just because I am on a platform or held to a higher standard or whatever. I don’t put myself on that platform and I don’t hold myself to a higher standard. I’ll get down and talk baseball with anyone, anytime, anywhere. I’ve always been big on putting the social aspect back in social media and I try to acknowledge and respond to every tweet and comment we get in some way, shape or form unlike those other publications.

So yeah, before I get too far off topic here as I like to ramble from time to time, it’s going to be a long season for Jacoby here at TGP. Fair warning and there’s only one way (well two or three ways I guess as he could get injured or traded) to reverse the Stephen Drew Sucks curse…. By performing! Good luck Jacoby, I’m truly rooting for you. 

Was Starlin Castro Better Than Stephen Drew (Sucks)?

You guys know me, you read my stuff and you follow us @GreedyStripes on Twitter, so you know that I was never a fan of Stephen Drew. I clamored for what felt like years to get the Yankees to let go of Stephen Drew and to plug Robert Refsnyder in at the position to no avail so you can understand how ecstatic I was when New York acquired Starlin Castro in the offseason from the Chicago Cubs. I was skimming through other Yankees blogs and new publications lately like I always do when I ran across a post that boggled my mind, the post was explaining how the Yankees got nothing from Castro this year that they didn’t get from Stephen Drew last year. Their basis for the post? One stat. Albeit one pretty heavily weighted stat in the sabermetric community but still just one stat. No stat, however liked or heavily used across the board, tells the whole story so I will look to tell the whole story here for you today in hopes of seeing whether Castro was better than Drew in 2016. 

In 146 games Starlin Castro has played an awesome second base committing just 11 errors while posting a .981 fielding percentage. Castro was a part of 68 double plays this season along with Didi Gregorius and while these were all career bests for the Yankees second baseman there is no reason not to think he cannot keep up this pace defensively. Drew on the other hand? In his final season in pinstripes in 2015 Drew posted 131 games played with seven errors and a .984 fielding percentage. The numbers are comparable yet no one gushes over Castro’s defense like they did for Drew. No one is using Castro’s defense as a reason to keep Robert Refsnyder out of the discussion for the second base job either. Two Robert Refsnyder references in one day. One more and you have to free him. 

In those same 146 games Castro hit 21 home runs, seven more than his career high, with a .273/.301/.434 triple slash, 69 RBI and a 1.2 WAR. Drew on the other hand? .201/.271/.381 with 44 RBI, 17 home runs and a 0.4 WAR. Castro gets the slight edge. 

One thing that was definitely not suggested or mentioned in the article that I will not link because it doesn’t deserve the attention and the views is age. Castro is 26-years old and entering the beginning of his prime while putting up these numbers. This was also Castro’s first season in the American League and the first year in front of the bright lights of Yankee Stadium. The pressure, the fan scrutiny, the media questions, etc. This is all something that Drew was used to by 2015 after heading to the World Series with the Boston Red Sox and playing with the Bronx Bombers the season prior after coming over in a trade. These are things you can’t put a stat on and this is what, in my opinion of course, sets Castro apart from Drew across the board in every category. 

Castro is the man and will continue to be the man while Stephen Drew still sucks! And you can tell him I said that too. 

Aaron Hicks Sucks. Bench Him.

EDIT: I don't want to hear about a 12 game sample size when I am using multiple seasons as a sample size in my side of the argument. Don't bother, I won't acknowledge.

Many have been granted the honor of having every single at bat scrutinized and called out by the crew here at the Greedy Pinstripes but we will anoint one more soul before the end of the 2016 regular season, his name is Aaron Hicks and he sucks. Many have heard the chants before him. Stephen Drew sucks. Chase Headley sucks, although he turned it around after hearing it for a month or so, and Mark Teixeira sucks to name a few but now it’s Hicks turn and here is why he sucks and why the Yankees need to bench him. Now.

Aaron Hicks was acquired in the offseason from the Minnesota Twins to be an occasional fourth outfielder and replacement for Chris Young but for whatever reason in Joe Girardi’s infinite wisdom he has become basically an everyday player for New York. Hicks has had a load of excuses made for him for his lack of hitting, it takes switch hitters a lot longer to get going because they have to fine tune both swings as an example of one of those excuses, but there is absolutely no excuse for what we are seeing day in and day out. His defense sucks, or at the very least is not nearly as good as advertised, and his ability to do simple things like run the bases, steal bags and bunt have been downright terrible. Turrible in fact.

Hicks hasn’t hit right-handed pitchers and he hasn’t hit left-handed pitchers either. His UZR/150 is negative and so is his fWAR and his batting average at the time of this writing is below .200. This is all going down while the Yankees have a farm system absolutely overflowing with talented outfielders including Aaron Judge (who has been called up), Ben Gamel, Tyler Austin (who has also been called up to play first base), Clint Frazier and Jake Cave to name a few and all while the Yankees are losing games. Bench him, designate him for assignment or give him away for a bag of baseballs. I don’t care at this point. You can all point out the Jackie Bradley Jr. comparisons all you want and commend Boston for the patience they showed their young outfielder but there is one difference that many people don’t point out, this is for you Mr. Cashman, when they make those statements. Bradley struggled for a year in the Major Leagues when the Red Sox waited him out, Hicks has been struggling for many years now. It’s all about sample size and the sample is big enough and the writing is on the wall… you just have to take off the rose-colored glasses to see it.

Aaron Hicks sucks. Wish him goodbye, please?

Making the Case for and Against Trading Didi Gregorius/Starlin Castro

Here we are back at it again making the case for against trading some of the New York Yankees big names and bigger contracts before this season’s trading deadline. We’ve gone over some of the more obvious choices to be moved and some of the names that have expiring contracts or were mentioned in trade rumors this winter but today we are throwing you all a little bit of a curveball. With Jorge Mateo having an absolute monster of a season after an absolute monster of a season in 2015 the Yankees may find themselves with too many middle infielders and not enough positions to play them all. Would trading one of Didi Gregorius or Starlin Castro make sense to clear the spot for Mateo?

The case for trading Didi/Castro:

It clears the way for Jorge Mateo.

The free agent market next season is weak so the Yankees could get a haul for both players.

Yeah… not too many good things I see about trading them so let’s move on.

The case against trading Didi/Castro:

Both are young and under controllable team friendly contracts which help with the youth movement and help with getting under the luxury tax threshold.

Didi is a great defensive shortstop, although not without his flaws defensively mind you, and a young guy a rebuilding team generally rebuilds around.

The core nucleus and clubhouse presence of these two men are presumably underrated to most. You can tell they are both a huge part of the clubhouse family.

New York has proven that middle infielders don’t grow on trees, well not productive ones anyway, which may lead to more Stephen Drew like signings.

Jorge Mateo is still in A-Ball. Let him have a monster season in Double-A or Triple-A first.

I really can’t bring myself to justify trading one of these two right now. They are both young and under team friendly deals for a bit and both fit the mold of what the team is trying to do. They can handle their own with the bat, the defensive side of things has improved with both of them in the field, they are both young, versatile and flexible and they are both a huge part of the clubhouse atmosphere. When and if Mateo gets to the higher levels and starts banging on the door then we can revisit this option but right now both of these options have to be off the table for me. What say you? 

It Has Begun, Chase Headley Sucks

Ladies and gentleman it has begun. I thought we could go a whole season without donning a new Stephen Drew, which used to be a Sergio Mitre and used to be a Chris Stewart and used to be an Andruw Jones and used to be a whole plethora of people, but we were not that fortunate. Ladies and gentleman, Chase Headley sucks.

When the New York Yankees acquired him at the trading deadline in 2014 I have to admit that a big part of me was ecstatic. Yangervis Solarte had ridden his hot streak and wave and had been at the low point in the tide for the better part of a month at the time of the trade while Chase brought a clutch switch-hitting bat and some stellar defense with him. His defense was immediately compared to that of the great Graig Nettles and after some research I salivated over his clutch hits and huge seasons he had in an even huger ballpark in San Diego. What New York got in return though was a shell of that man with throwing problems and a bad back.

I’m not making this personal and I’m trying not to be down on the guy but something has got to give. New York gave him a huge contract over four seasons and the first year the Yankees got in return was littered with throwing errors and a total zap of any sort of power. This season, and yes I am still preaching the small sample size, he has somehow found new ways to get worse with the bat. The defense has been solid, maybe even great, but he’s making Stephen Drew look like a .300 hitter right now, hence the honor of my “Chase Headley Sucks” tweets.

I’m rooting for Headley, I truly am and I truly mean that, and I’m borderline hoping that this can be used as motivation to get better or do whatever it is you have to do to get better. I don’t want to tweet four or five times a night that he sucks, I don’t I want Headley to have the monster seasons he had inside Petco Park and I want him to lead the Yankees back to the promised land but as a fan that not only supports the Yankees from afar but a fan that buys the merchandise, purchases tickets when they are close, purchases this television subscription and that television subscription to see them etc. I feel like I have the right to at least say something.

And this is what I say. Chase Headley Sucks. Prove me wrong. I like being wrong.

Recapping Stephen Drew’s Tenure as a Yankee

In all my years of being a fan of the New York Yankees I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a tenure for a player than that of Stephen Drew. The Yankees have shown Drew the utmost confidence, respect and patience during his season and a half tenure with the team and I have not, for that I apologize. I never truly meant anything by it, the “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets and such, I am just a fan at the end of the day who happens to put his opinion on the internet in a blog form. Sometimes I was unruly and rude and sometimes I was just plain out unreasonable, I apologize. My sudden change of heart comes after the news that Drew may or may not have a concussion and has been battling a dizziness that may end his tenure and season with the New York Yankees.

Drew was acquired by the New York Yankees at the July 31 trade deadline in 2014 when the team sent Kelly Johnson to Boston straight up for the shortstop. Drew was moved to second base for the Yankees, a position he never played full-time in his career, and after a few early missteps actually took to the position well. Drew’s defense was never the concern, it was always his hitting and his seemingly inability to hit above .200 for any stretch of his tenure here in the Bronx. Drew only played half a season in 2014 after declining a qualifying offer that attached him to draft pick compensation as a free agent and left him unsigned until after the draft that season. That was the reasoning and what caught most of the blame for Drew’s lackluster 2014 campaign so the Yankees decided to take a waiver and give him a one year deal worth $5 million for the 2015 season.

Unfortunately for the Yankees the lack of hitting for average continued in 2015 despite him having a full spring training and even with him playing the full season. Drew did manage 17 home runs this season but barely kept his batting line above the Mendoza line finishing at .201. Home runs are nice but #TooManyDamnHRs is bad and in a lineup that hits far too many home runs, solo home runs at that since no one gets on base consistently, Drew just did not fit into the lineup. Drew finished his Yankees tenure with the below batting line and may or may not be back in 2016. Stay tuned.

Year	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2014	46	155	7	21	8	3	15	0	13	36	.150	.219	.271	.491	38
2015	131	428	43	77	16	17	44	0	37	71	.201	.271	.381	.652	79

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

We wish Drew nothing but the best as he battles these dizzy spells. Even if he hit .000 his health and his life after baseball and away from baseball far supersedes anything that goes on in the stadium. Get well soon Drew and maybe we’ll see you in October. 

Finishing the Weekend w/ a Robert Refsnyder Rant

Normally I would finish the weekend with an open thread to leave you to talk about whatever you like but I am not feeling that this weekend. Not after Brian Cashman came out in public and actually said aloud that Stephen Drew, not Robert Refsnyder, was the Yankees best option at second base? Come again?

Drew has never been above the .200 mark for the Yankees in his now season and a half with the team. Not on Opening Day, not the first week of the season, never. Cashman did mention that Drew "cares about winning" and "busts his tail" while also pointing out that the team could not upgrade what they have in Drew outside of the organization. Huh? Robert Refsnyder is an upgrade over Drew who also cares about winning and busts his tail, Jose Reyes does too. The Toronto Blue Jays ball boy could probably do better at this point.

I've beat the drum and you know how I feel. Drew sucks, Refsnyder does not. Watch the video.

ICYMI: The Rant That Got Robert Refsnyder Promoted

If you follow us on Twitter you know that I have no love-loss for the Yankees second baseman, Stephen Drew. If you’re not following @GreedyStripes on Twitter then it’s likely that you miss out on four or five “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets a night because I’ve made it my mission to tweet that after every out he makes or error he commits. As a fan of this team and as a fan that spends his money on Yankees jersey’s Yankees tickets, Yankees memorabilia, MLB TV subscriptions and such frankly I’m disgusted and I’m fed up. The Mendoza Line is being moved down from .200 to .175 and being named the Stephen Drew Line for crying out loud. Drew is really one of the best 750 players in Major League Baseball right now?


Jose Pirela is currently the Yankees backup second baseman and as much as I clamored for the guy last season he hasn’t exactly made me look good in 2015. Pirela’s defense has been atrocious, I’ll say it, while Drew’s has been above average and Pirela hasn’t done much to press the issue on the offensive side of the ball either forcing the Yankees to keep Drew in the lineup five days a week hitting in the 9th hole. I know the guy is making a monstrous, and I say this with the utmost sarcasm, $5 million this season but there are better options simply being wasted away in Triple-A, his name is Robert Paulson Refsnyder.


I’ve seen so many ridiculous tweets over this calendar year regarding Refsnyder as a below average defender with a miniscule improvement offensively but I vehemently disagree. The defense means nothing to me when the incumbent’s offense resembles that of a blind and crippled senior from the nursing home taking at bats for the local high school’s JV Baseball team. Neither does Drew’s 11 home runs on a team that fails to string hits together, manufacture runs and score many runs outside of the long ball. Waiting on the three run home run doesn’t work over the course of 162 and beyond. We’ve seen it far too many times and I thought the team was getting away from that. Drew brings that home run or die mentality and at this point the Yankees offense is dying.


Refsnyder not only brings a very much improved defense to the club, something all those tweeters are not exactly pointing out any more conveniently, a right handed bat that can even out a very left handed heavy lineup, average hitting, power hitting and power to the gaps, young legs and speed. In 77 games in Triple-A last year Refsnyder batted .300/.389/.456 with an OPS of .845 while hitting eight home runs and driving in 33 RBI. Refsnyder did strike out 67 times but he walked 41 times which more than made up for it. In 2015 thus far in 78 games, at the time of this writing, Refsnyder is batting .290/.388/.414 with an OPS of .802. Ref has hit seven home runs thus far and has drove in 36 RBI in a very pitching friendly PNC Park while walking 43 times and striking out just 44 times. Refsnyder has three less doubles, 16 to 19, in 2015 than he did in 2014 and has stolen nine more bases this season.


So to those who keep stating that Refsnyder is struggling or not putting the pressure on Drew and Brian Cashman this season after a great 2014 campaign, you’re wrong. If you were beating the drum for Refsnyder in the Bronx in 2014, and lord knows I was leading the marching band in that deparment, then you should be in 2015 as well. Maybe more so this season. Drew is a black hole at the bottom of the lineup and a black hole in the Yankees lineup. Refsnyder continues the youth movement around Major League Baseball and in the Bronx while being a sight for sore eyes in many Yankees fans eyes. Hal Steinbrenner wants ratings and attendance? Bring the fans what they want and something entertaining to watch because this offense goes to sleep after the first three innings. Brian Cashman wants to keep payroll down? Stop paying veterans who suck $5 million when you comparable or far superior players in the minor leagues. Joe Girardi wants victories? Stop playing Drew and start playing Refsnyder. I hate starting a Friday morning pissed off but this is how I feel and I can’t keep it bottled in anymore.





Refsnyder – 2016

Most Popular Article of the Week: Milwaukee Brewers Potential Trade Partners

The New York Yankees are still atop the American League East despite essentially black holes at second base and right field while the bullpen that was showcased as a plus has been anything but. I’ve said it in every one of these posts and I’ll say it again here, the American League East Division will be decided by the July 31st trading deadline. While the last two teams we covered, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox, are unsure of whether they will sell or not but one thing for sure is the Milwaukee Brewers will sell this summer, could the Yankees take advantage?


Milwaukee has stated that they would like to build around, not sell off, pieces like starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson, catcher Jonathan LuCroy and shortstop Jean Segura but the team would be willing to sell on about anyone else. The list of available players for trade is highlighted by center fielder Carlos Gomez and closer Francisco Rodriguez while Aramis Ramirez and others will likely be shipped off before seasons end. The only two players that would really fill a need for New York would be second baseman Scooter Gennett, who the team would like to hold onto if they could, and very expensive outfielder Ryan Braun. Gennett is hitting .240 and has posted a .279 OBP this season with four home runs and 16 RBI. Gennett would not come cheap and is likely out of the Yankees budget as far as prospects go. Young middle infielders with upside, good defense and pop are hard to come by these days making Gennett unlikely to even be traded, let alone to the Yankees.


Braun is intriguing to some, not so much to others. He has had issues with his thumb for the last few seasons and has seen a steep decline in his numbers as well. Braun was also involved in the Biogenesis scandal that cost Alex Rodriguez his 2014 season while he also comes attached to a hefty salary with all these questions marks making his acquisition questionable. What is not questionable is his on the field performance which is evident by his .273 average, .339 OBP, 15 home runs and 55 RBI. Braun would give the Yankees another middle of the order bat that hits from the right side and an enormous upgrade over Carlos Beltran. If the Yankees take on the whole salary they could also pay less in terms of prospects, but would they?



Honestly New York would not make the trade for Braun. The team has aspirations of getting under the luxury tax threshold either in 2017 or 2018 and Braun’s contract that runs through the 2021 season (his age 32-37 seasons) for $111 million doesn’t exactly fit into that plan. If Braun was able to replicate his numbers he posted earlier in his career he’d still be a bargain for $20 million or less annually and could replace the production left behind when Mark Teixeira and A-Rod’s contract expires but I just can’t see the Yankees doing it. It makes too much sense to do it now when they can wait until he’s broken down and 35 or 36 years old and get him in a “salary dump” type trade. Silly Yankees.

Robert Refsnyder Wasting At Bats in Triple-A

If you follow us on Twitter you know that I have no love-loss for the Yankees second baseman, Stephen Drew. If you’re not following @GreedyStripes on Twitter then it’s likely that you miss out on four or five “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets a night because I’ve made it my mission to tweet that after every out he makes or error he commits. As a fan of this team and as a fan that spends his money on Yankees jersey’s Yankees tickets, Yankees memorabilia, MLB TV subscriptions and such frankly I’m disgusted and I’m fed up. The Mendoza Line is being moved down from .200 to .175 and being named the Stephen Drew Line for crying out loud. Drew is really one of the best 750 players in Major League Baseball right now?

Jose Pirela is currently the Yankees backup second baseman and as much as I clamored for the guy last season he hasn’t exactly made me look good in 2015. Pirela’s defense has been atrocious, I’ll say it, while Drew’s has been above average and Pirela hasn’t done much to press the issue on the offensive side of the ball either forcing the Yankees to keep Drew in the lineup five days a week hitting in the 9^th hole. I know the guy is making a monstrous, and I say this with the utmost sarcasm, $5 million this season but there are better options simply being wasted away in Triple-A, his name is Robert Paulson Refsnyder.

I’ve seen so many ridiculous tweets over this calendar year regarding Refsnyder as a below average defender with a miniscule improvement offensively but I vehemently disagree. The defense means nothing to me when the incumbent’s offense resembles that of a blind and crippled senior from the nursing home taking at bats for the local high school’s JV Baseball team. Neither does Drew’s 11 home runs on a team that fails to string hits together, manufacture runs and score many runs outside of the long ball. Waiting on the three run home run doesn’t work over the course of 162 and beyond. We’ve seen it far too many times and I thought the team was getting away from that. Drew brings that home run or die mentality and at this point the Yankees offense is dying.

Refsnyder not only brings a very much improved defense to the club, something all those tweeters are not exactly pointing out any more conveniently, a right handed bat that can even out a very left handed heavy lineup, average hitting, power hitting and power to the gaps, young legs and speed. In 77 games in Triple-A last year Refsnyder batted .300/.389/.456 with an OPS of .845 while hitting eight home runs and driving in 33 RBI. Refsnyder did strike out 67 times but he walked 41 times which more than made up for it. In 2015 thus far in 78 games, at the time of this writing, Refsnyder is batting .290/.388/.414 with an OPS of .802. Ref has hit seven home runs thus far and has drove in 36 RBI in a very pitching friendly PNC Park while walking 43 times and striking out just 44 times. Refsnyder has three less doubles, 16 to 19, in 2015 than he did in 2014 and has stolen nine more bases this season.

So to those who keep stating that Refsnyder is struggling or not putting the pressure on Drew and Brian Cashman this season after a great 2014 campaign, you’re wrong. If you were beating the drum for Refsnyder in the Bronx in 2014, and lord knows I was leading the marching band in that deparment, then you should be in 2015 as well. Maybe more so this season. Drew is a black hole at the bottom of the lineup and a black hole in the Yankees lineup. Refsnyder continues the youth movement around Major League Baseball and in the Bronx while being a sight for sore eyes in many Yankees fans eyes. Hal Steinbrenner wants ratings and attendance? Bring the fans what they want and something entertaining to watch because this offense goes to sleep after the first three innings. Brian Cashman wants to keep payroll down? Stop paying veterans who suck $5 million when you comparable or far superior players in the minor leagues. Joe Girardi wants victories? Stop playing Drew and start playing Refsnyder. I hate starting a Friday morning pissed off but this is how I feel and I can’t keep it bottled in anymore.

Refsnyder – 2016

Weekly Check in: Robert Refsnyder

We have more on Robert Refsnyder a little later so I’ll keep this short and sweet. Stephen Drew sucks, I’ve said it numerous times throughout the course of his Yankees tenure and I will continue to say it until his Yankees career comes to a close. The Yankees are in a unique situation this season where they can add and upgrade to their team pretty much more than any other team in the month of July without selling off top prospects. The Yankees are in first place in the American League East Division and just added closer Andrew Miller and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to the team and now have one more glaring hole to address, second base.

Refsnyder is light years ahead of Drew offensively and quickly closing the gap defensively on the Yankees incumbent second baseman. When you have a great first baseman in Mark Teixeira and a shortstop with a ton of range and speed that can cheat an extra step or two to his left in Didi Gregorius the Yankees wouldn’t miss that much defensively. Not to take all the blame off Refsnyder but you have to remember that the first baseman he is throwing to in the minor leagues, Kyle Roller, is here for his offense. His defense is borderline atrocious and he lacks the special sort of defense that Teixeira harnesses at first base every day. How many errors, hits and runs does Teixeira save every single season with his defense?

Refsnyder wouldn’t be Willie Randolph at second base but I don’t think he would be a young and promising Derek Jeter defensively either. Drew’s days are numbered, that much is clear, but whether the team signs another player to block Refsnyder or if the year of the prospect continues remains to be seen. Let’s hope for the latter.

Offense:

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	AAA	80	360	45	88	16	7	36	10	43	44	.287	.383	.407	.790

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Defense:

Year	Lev		G	Ch	PO	A	E	DP	Fld%	RF/G
2015	AAA	2B	72	376	141	222	13	49	.965	5.04

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Potential Trade Partners: The Milwaukee Brewers

The New York Yankees are still atop the American League East despite essentially black holes at second base and right field while the bullpen that was showcased as a plus has been anything but.  I’ve said it in every one of these posts and I’ll say it again here, the American League East Division will be decided by the July 31^st trading deadline. While the last two teams we covered, the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox, are unsure of whether they will sell or not but one thing for sure is the Milwaukee Brewers will sell this summer, could the Yankees take advantage?

Milwaukee has stated that they would like to build around, not sell off, pieces like starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson, catcher Jonathan LuCroy and shortstop Jean Segura but the team would be willing to sell on about anyone else. The list of available players for trade is highlighted by center fielder Carlos Gomez and closer Francisco Rodriguez while Aramis Ramirez and others will likely be shipped off before seasons end. The only two players that would really fill a need for New York would be second baseman Scooter Gennett, who the team would like to hold onto if they could, and very expensive outfielder Ryan Braun. Gennett is hitting .240 and has posted a .279 OBP this season with four home runs and 16 RBI. Gennett would not come cheap and is likely out of the Yankees budget as far as prospects go. Young middle infielders with upside, good defense and pop are hard to come by these days making Gennett unlikely to even be traded, let alone to the Yankees.

Braun is intriguing to some, not so much to others. He has had issues with his thumb for the last few seasons and has seen a steep decline in his numbers as well. Braun was also involved in the Biogenesis scandal that cost Alex Rodriguez his 2014 season while he also comes attached to a hefty salary with all these questions marks making his acquisition questionable. What is not questionable is his on the field performance which is evident by his .273 average, .339 OBP, 15 home runs and 55 RBI. Braun would give the Yankees another middle of the order bat that hits from the right side and an enormous upgrade over Carlos Beltran. If the Yankees take on the whole salary they could also pay less in terms of prospects, but would they?

Honestly New York would not make the trade for Braun. The team has aspirations of getting under the luxury tax threshold either in 2017 or 2018 and Braun’s contract that runs through the 2021 season (his age 32-37 seasons) for $111 million doesn’t exactly fit into that plan. If Braun was able to replicate his numbers he posted earlier in his career he’d still be a bargain for $20 million or less annually and could replace the production left behind when Mark Teixeira and A-Rod’s contract expires but I just can’t see the Yankees doing it. It makes too much sense to do it now when they can wait until he’s broken down and 35 or 36 years old and get him in a “salary dump” type trade. Silly Yankees.

What Other Prospects Will Debut in 2015?

The 2015 season can easily be described as the year of the prospect as many of the best and top prospects across the league have made their major league debuts this season. While New York has not called up a prospect that could come close to the hype that surrounds Byron Buxton, Kris Bryant and others the team has called up many of their own prospects and plugged them into key spots and situations. The impressive list of players that the Yankees have called up include 2014 MLB Draft top pick Jacob Lindgren, outfielders Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams and Ramon Flores and a plethora of pitchers including Danny Burawa, Nick Rumbelow, Branden Pinder, Diego Moreno, Jose De Paula, Bryan Mitchell, Jose Ramirez and a slew of others. What other prospects could the Yankees call up in 2015?

If the revolving door surround the Yankees bullpen continues to swing open and closed the team may eventually call up Nick Goody. Goody is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and is the next in line to be called up to Triple-A before the All-Star Game setting him up for a potential call up to the Bronx. The team may also decide to call up their top prospect Luis Severino in your typical "keeping up with the Jones's" type move to get his feet wet and plug him into the bullpen to limit his innings on his arm going forward. There are other bullpen options including Tyler Webb, James Pazos and reunions with Joel De La Cruz and Jose Ramirez if need be giving Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi plenty of options to build a bullpen on the fly.

Stephen Drew sucks, if you follow us on Twitter you know that I feel that because I say it at least once in every single game. While the Yankees top second baseman prospect Robert Refsnyder is not exactly tearing it up on the offensive side of the ball I truly believe a lot of that has to do with how the Yankees like to "over-groom" their players and leave them in the minor leagues for too long. Refsnyder seems bored and unchallenged in Triple-A and a call up to the major leagues could wake him up and re-energize him both offensively and defensively. The infield is actually the least of the Yankees worries for once which is great since the team lacks upper level infield options once again in 2015.

Finally if the Yankees need to upgrade their starting pitching a bit the team can always call up left hander Miguel Sulbaran who was acquired in the deal that sent Eduardo Nunez to the Minnesota Twins. Sulbaran has made it all the way to Triple-A in his minor league career. Joining Sulbaran in the "solid but not top prospect" category is Brady Lail, Jaron Long and possibly Eric Ruth who are both enjoying stellar breakout seasons in the upper levels of the Yankees farm system.

Trades are going to happen over the next month or more so a lot can change between now and then but if the Yankees needed a call up at any of these top positions today these men would likely lead the charge.

Weekly Check In: Robert Refsnyder

After a couple weeks of Stephen Drew knocking the cover off the ball and knocking that ball over the fence for the big league club he has earned back the “Stephen Drew Sucks” nickname given to him here at The Greedy Pinstripes. While the drum beating for Refsnyder never stopped here on the blog, and it never will until the second baseman is called up to the big league club, it did get a bit quiet there for two or three weeks… That stops today!

Refsnyder would bring an immediate jolt to this inconsistent and struggling offense from the right side of the batter’s box. Refsnyder would not only balance out the lineup but would also add on base percentage and a great batting average to the bottom half of the lineup. This would help with the Yankees inability to string together hits and would help with their reliance on #TooManyDamnHRs while also plugging in some speed at the bottom of the lineup.

Imagine when Jacoby Ellsbury comes back having Didi Gregorius bat 8^th, Refsnyder bat 9^th, Ellsbury leading off and Gardner in the second slot. That’s a whole lot of speed, a whole lot of contact with Ellsbury and Refsnyder and a whole lot of potential to score and manufacture runs. But no, we still have Drew.

Offense:

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	AAA	60	268	31	66	13	5	29	6	26	36	.278	.353	.397	.750

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Defense:

Year	Lg	Lev		G	Ch	PO	A	E	DP	Fld%	RF/G
2015	IL	AAA	2B	54	298	115	171	12	36	.960	5.30

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table