Moving To Plan B

When it became clear that Manny Machado was going to be traded to the Dodgers a thought came to my head...

If necessary, the Yankees should still trade Miguel Andujar for a top starting pitcher.

Hold on, put the ax down.

My initial reason for this thought was that the Yankees offense was good enough without Andujar, especially when Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez return to the lineup. However, the starting rotation is clearly inferior to the other probable postseason teams (the Astros and Indians rotations are #1 and #2 in MLB with fWARs of 14.1 and 12.7, while the Red Sox are fifth at 9.8 and the Yankees are sixth at 8.3).

On the surface, that opinion makes sense. Going from Andujar to Brandon Drury would certainly lead to fewer runs scored, but the decline in runs scored would be offset by having a starter whose ERA is closer 3.00 than 5.50. Even if we're only talking about 12 or so starts for the rest of the regular season, that could very well lead to three or four more wins. And winning three or four more games over the final 67 could mean the difference between starting the postseason in a winner takes all Wild Card game and the American League Divisional Series.

But once I started doing the research I realized something... the Yankees do not need a top starter. They don't need a guy like Jacob deGrom or Madison Bumgarner. The 2018 New York Yankees simply need their starter to avoid blowing up like Domingo German did in his last start against probable American League Central winner the Cleveland Indians (six runs, all earned, in four innings).

*Note: the Yankees lost that game 6-5, which is further proof that they don't need a shutdown starter to win.

That simply means someone like JA Happ or Cole Hamels. Guys that won't cost a coveted youngster such as Andujar, Justus Sheffield, or Estevan Florial.

For the record, unless Brian Cashman is able to pull something out of his... you know what... then I wouldn't mind if JA Happ joins the team. 

Yes, Happ has been hit around recently, but here are a few things to keep in mind...

1. On June 20th, against the Atlanta Braves, Happ did give up four runs. However, that was over 8.1 innings, and he didn't walk a single batter.

2. In his next start on June 25th, against the Houston Astros, Happ gave up three earned runs in six innings. With the Yankees bullpen and offense being as good as it is that type of outing should still be enough to win (for evidence, see the aforementioned German start against Cleveland).

3. In Happ's last start before the All Star break, against the Boston Red Sox, not one of the five runs he gave up were earned. Furthermore, JA struck out six while walking just one. 

4. Happ is just as good when facing a lineup the first time through as he is facing them the second and third time. This season opponent's OPS the first time through the lineup is .698, the second time through it's .704, and the third time though it drops to .635. Mind you, in his career, his OPS against the fourth time through is .857 but that leads me to the second part of my plan... improving the bullpen to avoid him even needing to face them a fourth time (more on this later).

I should point out that I've thought about the Yankees acquiring more than one starter, which would mean removing Sonny Gray from the rotation. But I can't do it. I know it's crazy being okay with keeping Gray in the rotation, but I just can't give up on the guy. He's throwing as hard as he ever has, and in his last start (zero runs over six innings, along with eight strikeouts and only three hits) he finally reverted to throwing mainly fastballs and curveballs, instead of throwing a much higher percentage of cutters and sliders.

So here's what I'd like to see happen...

1. Trade for JA Happ. It will likely cost Clint Frazier, as the Blue Jays should be desperate to improve their corner outfield situation for now and the future. However, I'm perfectly okay with that. As good as Brett Gardner has been, he'll probably be back in left field next season, which would leave Frazier on the outside looking in again. Which would be a complete waste of resources.

and... 

2. Trade for a top reliever such as Brad Hand (I published this article right before the news broke of the Indians trading for Hand). This would allow the Yankees to limit the innings pitched by all their starters, as they wouldn't have to worry about handing the ball to a lesser reliever such as Chasen Shreve. Nor would they have to worry about overworking guys like Chad Green. Making everyone fresher for the postseason.

The returns of Torres and Sanchez will make their offense one of, if not the best in the Majors, in the second half of the season (currently second to the Red Sox in runs/game... 5.41 to 5.19). Their bullpen, which is already the best in the league (and by quite a bit, as evidenced by their 6.6 fWAR compared to second place Houston and their 5.1 fWAR), will be even better. And while their starting rotation may not be the best, it should be more than good enough to beat anybody. 

Manny Machado & The Trade Deadline

The rumors surrounding a trade for Manny Machado are nearly out of control.

Some people have Machado in pinstripes in the same way the trade for Cliff Lee in 2010 was a "done deal". And while I'm not as confident that those people are, my money is on Manny being a Yankee before the All Star break.

If you've spent any time on Twitter since it was announced the Yankees have serious interest in Machado, then you know there are plenty of Yankees fans against such a move. Over and over again I've read the same type of reaction from those people... "the Yankees don't need Machado, they need a starter".

But like so many other things in life, from sports to politics, why is it one or the other? Why not both?

Acquiring Manny Machado means one of the Yankees regulars are free to include in a trade. Sure, I suppose the Yankees could decide to just move Miguel Andujar to AAA, and recall him for the 2019 season instead of signing Machado to a big money deal. But why would they do that?

No, going from Andujar to Machado is not a sideways deal. While Miguel has an OPS+ of 115, Manny's is 163. It's a definite upgrade on offense. But we're not talking about an offense that truly needs help. When it comes to runs per game, the Yankees are second with 5.21. Unfortunately, the team in first is the Boston Red Sox, but if the Yankees lose the American League East it won't be because they can't hit.

By the way, if you're worried about Boston's offense currently scoring more often, take a look at the pitching stats. Because the Yankees pitching staff has an ERA better than Bostons (3.42 to 3.53). Oh, and that's with Sonny Gray having made 18 starts with an ERA of 5.46.

To reiterate, the Yankees have little reason to lose any prospects in order to score a few more runs over the course of the season. Which is why I believe Brian Cashman is not going to stop with trading for Machado. Nor is he going to simply send Andujar to Scranton until next season.

Cashman may be able to get a good starting pitcher for someone like Justus Sheffield along with Clint Frazier, but I see a few issues with that...

One, as good as Frazier could be in the future, he is a corner outfielder, and good corner outfielders are not that difficult to obtain.

Two, Sheffield only has ten starts above AA ball. Sure, he's looked good in AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre, but if I'm the team giving up a really good starter with another year or more of team control I'd want something closer to a sure thing.

Three, I don't think Brian Cashman wants to give up Sheffield, anyway. Even if the Yankees were to acquire a strong starter, who is under team control into next season, the rotation could still use Justus around for some high upside depth. Especially with Sabathia having thought about retirement, Montgomery possibly out until 2020 (and who knows how he'll return from Tommy John surgery), Gray's future with the team up in the air, and not being comfortable counting one or both of Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga, there's a good chance Sheffield begins the 2019 season in New York.

Now, before wrapping this thing up, I should note that I don't believe Manny Machado would refuse to move to third base if he were dealt to the Yankees. When he said recently that he's a shortstop, it wasn't a way of saying he wouldn't move positions, it was simply a statement of fact. At this moment Machado is the shortstop in Baltimore, and unless something significant happens, that's the way things will be until the end of the season.

Besides, I would be very, very, surprised if the Yankees shortstop... Didi Gregorius... was traded instead of Andujar. Didi will be a free agent after next season, and teams that are selling are typically thinking two or more years into the future. Not to mention that having Andujar and Machado on the left side of the infield would be far from ideal, as that defense would be pretty bad*.

*Since there has been some controversy, I wanted to note that while Andujar is very good at making routine plays, it's his range that needs a lot of work.

So here's my prediction...

Before the All Star break the Yankees will trade for Manny Machado. I don't have a good idea of what the package would be for him, but it wouldn't include any of Andujar, Frazier, or Sheffield. By the way, I wouldn't be surprised if Britton was included on the Orioles' side, but I'm not counting on it. There are too many teams in need of bullpen help, so the Orioles will deal Britton for another nice return.

Closer to the non-waiver trade deadline, when prices fall, Brian Cashman will package Andujar and Frazier, along with a couple of other pieces, for a high-end starter.

And to put the cherry on top of it all, those two moves will help the Yankees have the best record from August 1st on.

The Yankees Need A New Starter

Yesterday I sent out the following Tweet...

On a lighter note... the @Yankees WILL get a starting pitcher to solidify their rotation and help lead them into and through the postseason. There's no doubt about that. They are over-flowing with MLB help, as well as prospects.

— Bryan Van Dusen (@BryanVanDusen) May 28, 2018

While I believe the Yankees will have a new starter by August 1st, I have no idea how it will go down. The team could trade for their MLB roster, although teams in the hunt rarely subtract from their big league roster. Furthermore, I don't think Brian Cashman has to include Clint Frazier to get a big deal done. However, the biggest question is this...

Who will lose their starting rotation spot?

Let's look at the current starters...

Luis Severino - He's not going anywhere.

Masahiro Tanaka - 'Hiro is not "killing it" by any means, as he's given up three or more runs in seven of his eleven starts this season. But I don't see him going to the bullpen, and at $22 million a year ($23 million in 2020) I don't think anyone would give up anything while trading for him. Tanaka is here to stay.

CC Sabathia - The Rangers lit him up the other day, but CC has been the team's second best starter this season. I'd like to see him go a little deeper in games, but with the Yankees bullpen I'm okay with that. The second best starter, though? Ugh.

Sonny Gray - Normally I'd be yelling for him to be sent to the bullpen. In their first plate appearance opponents are hitting .200/.289/.338, but in their next plate appearance opponents are hitting .382/.486/.539. But I don't see where Sonny would fit there, as the bullpen is packed... Chapman, Robertson, Betances, Green, Shreve, Kahnle, Holder, and Cole. I don't think he's finished, but four quality starts out of ten starts is not good enough.

Domingo German - For starters, we shouldn't give up on German. He wasn't rattled after giving up a three run home run yesterday, and he's gotten a lot of swings and misses. Plus, he hasn't been pitching on regular rest very often. He may get pushed out of the rotation when Montgomery returns, but he could force the Yankees to keep him as a starter now.

Jordan Montgomery - Jordan just started playing catch, so he's still a ways away from returning. Based on early estimates, Monty should be back by late June. I don't think Domingo will do well enough to hold him back from regaining his starting role, though. Besides, Montgomery has been pretty good and should be a regular starter from the day he returns til the end of the season.

I wonder if Cashman would deal away one of those relievers I mentioned earlier to clear a spot for Gray or Montgomery (I believe German will be sent to AAA to continue starting), thus opening a starting role for their trade acquisition.

I've heard many people say that don't believe any big acquisition will happen, but based on how the season has gone so far I disagree. The current rotation can, at the very least, get the Yankees to the postseason, but beyond that they would be in trouble.

Severino would obviously be their top starter, but after that none of us should feel confident. The Red Sox #2 starter may be Rick Porcello, the Indians #2 may be Trevor Bauer, and the Astros #2 could be Gerrit Cole. I wouldn't feel good with any of our non-Severino starters in those spots. And if the Yankees need Severino to start the Wild Card game (I think we'll win the East over Boston, but you should have a plan), that'll leave someone else to likely face Sale, Kluber, or Verlander.

So not only should you believe the Yankees will acquire a top starter by August 1st, you should be rooting for it.

Do You Choose Trade Number 1, Trade Number 2, Or Trade Number 3?

The acquisition of Brandon Drury has not only created many possibilities for this season, but it also creates many opportunities for the future. Brandon's only 25 years old, and won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season. And although his numbers don't suggest he's a long-time solution (.275/.323/.453 with an OPS+ of 95 in his last 269 games for Arizona), his youth and the hype surrounding him (Brian Cashman has been chasing Drury for a while now) makes it a definite possibility.

Look at it this way... Didi Gregorius hit .241/.314/.368 with an OPS+ of 88 in 183 games for the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Yankees, and now we're happy to have him as the regular shortstop for the team, at least through 2019 when he's scheduled to hit free agency.

So where do the Yankees go from here? Cashman has been after another starter this entire offseason, and I see a great opportunity to make it happen now. Let's look at the possibilities...

1. Brian Cashman can trade Miguel Andujar in a package for a starting pitcher, while Drury handles third base this season. However, I don't think Brandon isn't good enough to keep the Yankees from going after Manny Machado in the offseason.

2. If Cashman and Company aren't convinced Drury is good enough, they can hold onto Andujar to take over third base. In that case trade Clint Frazier in a package for a starter. Then, in the offseason, let Brett Gardner go and bring in Bryce Harper to play left field.

3. Nobody knows how good a pitcher the Yankees could get in a trade including Andujar or Frazier. However, a trade including Andujar and Frazier could surely net the Yankees an incredible return. So perhaps that's the way to go. In this case, the Yankees could go with Drury at third base regularly and sign Harper, or sign both Harper and Machado.

As for what I would choose...

First of all, let me say that I would rather see the Yankees sign Bryce Harper than Manny Machado. It's not that I don't like Manny, but Bryce is clearly the better hitter. Not to mention that another big lefty bat to hit around righties Judge, Stanton, and Sanchez would be great. And can you imagine how many home runs Harper could hit at Yankee Stadium?

So you can eliminate scenario 1.

Although Didi Gregorius has been a big hit for the Yankees, I don't have the confidence in Brandon Drury doing the same thing. I'll fully admit that I could be wrong here, after all Drury does make very good contact, but keeping Miguel Andujar around would be ideal.

And I'll go ahead and say this now... signing both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper would be insane. It would be hard enough having Harper signed for the next 12+ years, along with having Giancarlo Stanton signed for another eight (assuming Stanton doesn't opt-out). But throw in another guy signed for 8+ years? No thank you.

So you can eliminate scenario 2.

Yes, and it's not the first time I've said it... put Clint Frazier in a package along with Chance Adams and trade for a good/young starter. You might think that's not enough for somebody like Michael Fulmer, but after reading that Cashman was offering Frazier and Nick Solak for Gerrit Cole, as well as seeing some recent trades, I think it very well could be. Even if he traded for a guy that's not a future ace, but a top of the rotation guy under team control for a while, that would be great. Especially having Luis Severino around through 2022, Masahiro Tanaka signed through 2020, Sonny Gray being around at least through 2019, and prospects like Justus Sheffield and Albert Abreu.

So to reiterate, trade Clint Frazier, Chance Adams, and whatever smaller pieces (maybe flip Drury, as teams love guys that have as much MLB experience as Brandon does at such a young age) for a starter. Which could be done right now, instead of waiting to see what things look like at the trade deadline when so many other teams will be hunting for pitching. And in the offseason decline the team option for Brett Gardner, and sign Bryce Harper.

You think the current lineup looks like a monster? Check this out...

1. Gleyber Torres - 2B
2. Aaron Judge - RF
3. *Bryce Harper - LF
4. Giancarlo Stanton - DH
5. Gary Sanchez - C
6. *Greg Bird - 1B
7. *Didi Gregorius - SS
8. #Miguel Andujar - 3B
9. Aaron Hicks - CF (note: *Estevan Florial could make his MLB debut in 2019)
* - denotes left-handed hitter
# - denotes switch-hitter

And by being able to juggle Judge, Harper, and Stanton at designated hitter, you can keep them healthy longer (especially in regards to Harper and Stanton who would be under contract for a while longer).

Just for the heck of it, the possible starting rotation...

1. Luis Severino
2. Masahiro Tanaka
3. Sonny Gray
4. Michael Fulmer (or somebody like him)
5. Justus Sheffield

And there's still Jordan Montgomery hanging around, while Albert Abreu could make his MLB debut next season.

I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments or on Twitter. Which scenario from above do you like? Or maybe it's none of those, as you would pass on trading for a pitcher while keeping both Frazier and Andujar instead of signing either Machado or Harper?

Trade Reaction: Andrew Miller For Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and JP Feyereisen

I hate to see Andrew Miller go.

Just look at that face.

He pitched in 104 games since signing with the Yankees, and had an ERA of 1.77 and WHIP of .822. Since 2014 only two relief pitchers had a higher fWAR than Miller, and that was Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances.

Not only was Miller an awesome reliever, whether he was the set-up man or closer, but so many people talk up him as a person. From teammates, coaches, and those in the media, Andrew was liked by all.

And to top all that off the Yankees were only paying the guy $9 million a year, and had him under contract for another two years.

But I guess Brian Cashman and others came to the realization that the Yankees were not going to be World Series contenders any time soon, and made moves to build a core of players the team could build around later. Particularly in what will be an extremely exciting 2018-2019 offseason.

In exchange for Miller the Yankees got another nice haul of players.

Firstly there's Clint Frazier. Frazier is a center fielder who was playing for Columbus, the Indians' AAA affiliate. Clint looks like he could be a 20 home run/20 stolen base player in the Majors. But seeing as how he's only played 5 games in AAA, it's not like he's ready to jump into MLB right away. It's likely that Frazier opens next season in Scranton.

Columbus is a nicer town*, but who wouldn't rather be a Yankee?

*I'm a little biased on that.

Next the Yankees received Justus Sheffield from the Indians. Like Frazier, Sheffield is also a former first round draft pick. He's a left-handed starter, currently playing in high-A ball. His numbers don't look great, but Baseball America placed Justus at #69 in their Top 100 Prospect list recently, so there's some big-time upside to the guy.

The final two players coming to New York are Ben Heller and JP Feyereisen. Both of these guys are right-handed relievers. Ben has spent his last 28 games at AAA Columbus, so he could help the Yankees bullpen soon. JP, on the other hand, is currently playing at the AA level, so he could be a year or so away from the big club. Both guys are strikeout pitchers that could help make the Yankees bullpen strong for years to come.

I took a look at the Yankees current crop of prospects and got a big smile on my face. Here are some prospects the Yankees have, and where they rank in Baseball America's midseason Top 100 Prospect List...

Jorge Mateo #19
Clint Frazier #21
Gleyber Torres #27
Gary Sanchez #36
Aaron Judge #42
Justus Sheffield #69
James Kaprielian #99

How awesome is that? And that doesn't include Greg Bird, who could take over for Mark Teixeira at first base on Opening Day 2017. As well as Luis Severino, who's had it rough this season, but is still young and has a ton of upside. And what about the Yankees first rounder this year, Blake Rutherford? He should be in that Top 100 list next season as well.

That's an incredible crop of youngsters.

It seems clear now that the Yankees are selling. Why else would they trade away such an awesome player in Andrew Miller, who they have on a team-friendly contract for another two years? While their asking price for Carlos Beltran is reportedly too high (so was Miller's a few days ago), and Ivan Nova doesn't have that much interest surrounding him, I think we're in for plenty more before the deadline arrives tomorrow night.

Who's Cashman talking to now?

Andrew Miller Traded To Cleveland

Andrew Miller has been traded to the Cleveland Indians.

It's being said that the Yankees will get back center fielder Clint Frazier and left-handed pitcher Justus Sheffield, plus two others.

Initially I wasn't blown away by this news, but I'll give it a little while longer to sink in before reacting. But wow... the Yankees look like they are indeed selling.

Edit: The other two players coming from the Indians are relievers Ben Heller and JP Feyereisen.

Trade Deadline News & Notes

Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yankees will indeed trade away Ivan Nova before the Trade Deadline.

They will not extend the qualifying offer to Nova, which makes total sense. Ivan is not worth the estimated $16.5 million that the QO would give a player, which means that the Yankees would lose him and get nothing in return.

And when you look at the fact that the team will have Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, and Luis Severino in 2017, there's no reason to spend that much on a middle to bottom of the rotation starter.

To put that another way, the Yanks already have Eovaldi, Pineda, and Sabathia to fill the 3-4-5 spots in the rotation, and Nova is certainly not a 1 or 2. And when an injury pops up next season, the Yankees will have either Chad Green or Luis Cessa to fill in.

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Yesterday I was thinking that a player about to hit free agency would probably love to be traded. That way they can not be given a qualifying offer, which could very well hurt their chances of a contract since the team that signed him would lose a draft pick. That's especially true for a guy like Ivan Nova, who is not good enough for a team to disregard losing that draft pick.

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The Yankees are about to run into a problem. Mind you, it's a nice problem to have, but a problem none-the-less.

The manager of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders says that Aaron Judge is about four or five days from being activated from the disabled list. That means there would be quite the logjam in the outfield, with Judge, Ben Gamel, Jake Cave, Mason Williams, and Cesar Puello. And that's not including Tyler Austin, who the Yankees would probably like to keep putting out there to get familiar with the position.

Furthermore, that's not counting on the fact that newly acquired Billy McKinney and Dustin Fowler are right there in AA, about ready to make the jump to AAA.

Like when it comes to losing Nova, the Yankees should find a trade involving one or more of these prospects to clear things up. Perhaps they could package one of them with Ivan Nova to get a stronger return.

"The Yankees Have Been Great!" Really?

The Yankees have won three straight, had won four straight as of a week ago, and threw in another win for good measure. So in their last 10 games that makes them 8-2. And for those of you that think records are not a good gauge of how good a team is, their run differential over their past ten games is +18.

Oh, you poor fools.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Unless, of course, you're on Team Sell and are afraid this winning streak means the Yankees won't do anything else before the trade deadline.

But I have a few more stats for you...

Over the past ten games the Yankees have scored a grand total of 35 runs (3.5 runs/game), which means the offense is still as bad as ever. Actually, seeing as how they've scored 4.11 runs per game throughout the season, the offense is actually worse.

But the defense/pitching has been great, right? Why, yes it has! Over the past ten games the Yankees have only given up 17 runs, or just 1.7 per game. That's awesome! Unfortunately, it's also totally unrealistic that that pace will continue. Especially for a team that's given up 4.32 runs per game all season.

You see, winning is great. I don't think that's a secret. But what may be a secret to some is that this team is still very much flawed. There are still changes that need to be made in order for this team to even get a whiff of the postseason.

And when it comes to building a team for next season, and even seasons after that, change has to come sooner than later.

Daniel's already pointed out that this coming offseason's free agent list is hardly "great". Hell, this upcoming class is closer to "bad" than anything else. So if you think Brian and Hal can just buy some more talent, you're sadly mistaken.

Yes, Cashman can make trades in the offseason. He can wait and trade Michael Pineda and/or Nathan Eovaldi then. But he's not going to get as good a return for those guys, because teams will have other options for middle to bottom of the rotation pitchers to add to their squads (see the aforementioned free agent list).

And you know what else? Brian Cashman can not trade Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova in the offseason, because they won't be Yankees any more!

Sure, I understand not liking the idea of selling. It basically means giving up. And the Yankees never say "no".

Seriously? A reference to The Game Plan? Ugh!

Well, besides trying the "buy and sell" thing. But to be honest, I'm not sure Cashman could pull that off (mainly because other teams are more desperate to win this year, and therefore willing to give up larger packages of players/prospects). Besides, he'd have to get rid of some top prospects for that type of thing, and that seems counter-productive to me. Yeah, you can trade guys like Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres, due to guys like Luis Torrens and Jorge Mateo, and get nice returns. But when it comes to prospects depth is pretty darn important, as few of them will pan out.

Like Bernie Sanders at the DNC last night, it's time to face facts. It's time to accept that a run at the 2016 postseason is but a dream. It's time to accept that we can make sure 2017 is better, to accept that we can make a deep run in 2018, and to accept that we can make 2019 a championship season.

Warren Added & Shreve Optioned. Is A Trade In The Works?

To the surprise of many, instead of sending Luis Severino back down to AAA in order to make room for Adam Warren, the Yankees have decided to send Chasen Shreve to Scranton.

Although I lobbied yesterday for Severino to be added back into the rotation, I didn't think it would actually happen tonight. I figured the team would continue to be stubborn, and keep Masahiro Tanaka, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, and Ivan Nova in the rotation.

Wait... so what is going on?

The Yankees are not going with a six-man rotation. That's been talked about for years, but I just don't see it happening.

I suppose Girardi could use Severino or Warren as a spot-starter, in order to give Tanaka an extra day of rest every once in a while (Hiro's been pitching much better with extra rest). But is it worth keep two long relievers in the bullpen, on the off chance that one of them is needed when the other makes a start? I don't think so.

That begs the question... is somebody getting traded?

I'm going to guess that it's not CC Sabathia. First of all, who would want to pay him around $12 million for the rest of the season, and then take a huge gamble his vesting option goes through for next season and another $25 million? Secondly, I doubt I'm alone in thinking that his early season success was not what's to be expected from here on out (to be fair, I don't think he's as bad as he's been lately, either).

Although I could see the team being willing to trade away either Michael Pineda or Nathan Eovaldi, I don't see that happening. The team wouldn't hold onto an extra long reliever for five or six days, which is the time between now and their next starts.

But I can see the Yankees holding onto both Warren and Severino for a couple games. It could mean overworking one or both of Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, but with Adam Warren aboard and pretty well rested this season I don't see a real problem.

Therefore, I think either Masahiro Tanaka or Ivan Nova are on the move.

Honestly, I don't see Tanaka going away, although it wouldn't surprise me that much. The Yankees have an eye on the future, and with 'Hiro's opt-out looming, they could very well be thinking of letting him go. Especially if they get another top pitcher in return.

My guess at this time is Brian Cashman has a deal in place to trade Ivan Nova... Friday's starter. That gives them a couple more days to finalize the deal, so that Nova can start for his new team Friday night.

Trading Andrew Miller Or Dellin Betances

Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller rank #1 and #2 in strikeout rate among all pitchers in Major League Baseball with at least 30 innings under their belt. And when it comes to fWAR among all relievers, Dellin is #1 while Andrew is #3.

On top of the numbers, both Betances and Miller can pitch in any situation their thrown into. Set-up man? You got it. Closer? Sure thing. Come into the game with men already on base with less than two outs? No problem.

Only a handful of teams in the league wouldn't be interested in acquiring either of these pitchers to add to their bullpens. And most of those teams are all but eliminated from the postseason.

While the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals are the more obvious trade partners, that doesn't mean there aren't other teams that could use some bullpen help.

The San Francisco Giants are unlikely to make a big splash at the deadline, but they could use something better on the mound at the end of games. The Chicago White Sox are another team with a struggling bullpen. And don't count out the St. Louis Cardinals, especially after their division rival Cubs landed Aroldis Chapman yesterday.

The question is, how high are they willing to pay for Dellin or Andrew? Because if you think Chapman got the Yankees a nice return, Betances and Miller should absolutely get more.

Before I go over some of the guys that pique my interest, I must say that I'm actually against trading either of those two.

This isn't like with Aroldis Chapman, where he was set to be a free agent at the end of the year. Hell, both members of DnA are under team control through the 2018 season (unlike Andrew, Dellin isn't actually eligible for free agency until 2020). As I've argued, I think this team could contend as soon as next season, but in order to do that they can't afford to weaken their bullpen that much.

But at the same time, it's going to take another big move or two from Brian Cashman to make the 2017 Yankees into true contenders. And in order to do that, moving one of the team's remaining elite relievers may be necessary.

"Would somebody just tell me what to do?"

So we're stuck in a bit of a conundrum.

I say a "bit" because if the Yankees can get back one of the following players then I wouldn't be too upset. After all, the Yankees are known to be able to find/develop closers almost at will.

All but one of the players listed below are starters, and that's on purpose. Sure, there are other players that would be enticing, but I believe the Yankees need to concentrate on what they need for next season. That would be starting pitching, and perhaps a third baseman.

SP Luis Giolito (Nationals)
-Like with so many young pitchers, Giolito is having issues with walking hitters. But talk about a good base of talent to work with!

SP Alex Reyes (Cardinals) 
-Reyes is also struggling with control this season. However, he still misses a ton of bats and is ready to join MLB next season.

3B/OF Joey Gallo (Rangers) 
-Joey strikes out quite a bit, and has a low batting average, but that can be overlooked while he's hitting 30+ HRs a season and getting on base over 35% of the time.

Those three players are probably more pipe dreams than realities, due to them being so valuable to their current organizations.  But when you're talking about trading away guys like Betances or Miller, then I truly believe that's what it should take.

With that said, the following players would be nice gets, but other pieces would be necessary for me to approve dealing Dellin or Andrew for them. I'm thinking players that are under team control in MLB, or prospects not far removed from the top 100.

SP Reynaldo Lopez (Nationals) 
-Reynaldo's not as big a prospect as Giolito, but the Nats may be more willing to deal him. His strikeout rate is still quite nice, and he's ready to open next season in MLB.

SP Mike Clevinger (Indians) 
-Yet another young starter with control issues, but he misses plenty of bats and his MLB-ready.

SP Adalberto Mejia (Giants) 
-A decent walk rate and nice strikeout rate, along with being MLB-ready makes him attractive.

While some of you will like this list, I'm sure there are other players you'd be willing to deal away Betances or Miller for. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you simply said "no" to dealing away Dellin or Andrew for anyone.

So go ahead and hit me with whatever you got.

A New Plan, And A New Dream

I just can't bring myself to believe the Yankees will have anything close to resembling a fire sale. Mind you, team management is not the same as it once was, but this team has never given up on a season.

And don't talk to me about 1989, either. Rickey Henderson was having his worst offensive season since his rookie year in 1979, and wouldn't have another season that bad until 1994 (to be fair, he did finish the season very strong with Oakland). Furthermore, the Yankees received Luis Polonia in the trade to fill in for Henderson, and Luis actually hit better for the Yankees than Rickey had.

If you squint really hard, and ignore the signature, he kind of looks like Rickey Henderson.

This doesn't mean that I think the trade deadline will come and go without the Yankees doing anything. The possibility of the Yankees trading Aroldis Chapman are stronger than ever. Even if this team has playoff aspirations, you don't need the vision of a hawk to see that upgrades need to be made.

And at least in my mind, the Yankees' biggest area of concern is the starting rotation.

Yes, the offense has problems. Their 388 runs scored is 4th worst in the American League. However, there isn't a clear spot on offense that they could improve on outside of the designated hitter. That is, if you see Alex Rodriguez getting a decent amount of plate appearances from that position.

Second Baseman Starlin Castro has allegedly figured something out thanks to the help of Carlos Beltran. Since May 1st third baseman Chase Headley has actually been a solid hitter, slashing .279/.344/.455. Despite a rough July so far (.200/.275/.257), Rob Refsnyder had a very good June (.296/.371/.370) and could handle first base for the rest of the season.

So what is it about the starting rotation that bothers me? Well, it's mostly about the future, since the current roster has zero starters signed past 2017 (Masahiro Tanaka could opt-out of his contract after next season). Yeah, the team has a nice prospect in James Kaprielian, but it's kind of hard right now to pencil him into the starting rotation. Then there's another possible rotation filler in Luis Severino, but he's had some trouble so far, making his future at least questionable.

As for what's happening with the rotation this season, the Yankees' starting rotation has some real problems...

CC Sabathia has been getting shelled lately, giving up 25 earned runs over his past five starts. I don't think there's a person on this planet that would use the word "confidence" when speaking of Michael Pineda. Nathan Eovaldi got rocked in all five of his June starts (0-3, with an ERA of 8.65), and hopefully he figured something out while spending time in the bullpen (he had a good start last night against Baltimore, going 5.1 innings while giving up just one run on four hits). And Ivan Nova had just two quality starts in his last ten games.

So here we are, 12 days from the trade deadline. So what do the Yankees do now?

Hop into one of these and either go back 7 years, or go forward 3?

First of all, we must realize that the Yankees can't get MLB players in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. Aroldis is a rental, so any team acquiring him would do so to win this year. Therefore they aren't going to trade away a good MLB player. That would be counter-productive. So the Yankees should look to get a top prospect for Chapman, with some other good prospects thrown in there.

I can see the Yankees trading Chapman to the Washington Nationals for Lucas Giolito. While Giolito was called up to Washington not long ago, he was recently sent down to AAA. That move shows me that the Nats do not plan on Lucas being in their rotation this season. At least not regularly.

Lucas Giolito is only 21 years old, and had a strikeout rate of 9.7 per 9 innings in the minors. In his debut against the Mets on June 28th, Lucas gave up just one hit over four innings. He did get roughed up nine days later against the same Mets team, though. But that doesn't change the fact that he was #4 on Baseball America's Top 100 Midseason Prospect list.

Yeah... #4 out of all baseball prospects. That might mean the Yankees would have to part with Andrew Miller instead of Chapman. If that's the case, then I might be for it, as long as the team can re-sign Chapman to team with Dellin Betances in the bullpen for a few more years. But for right now, I'm going to dream that Aroldis gets it done.

The Yankees could plug Giolito straight into their rotation. But one thing to keep in mind... Giolito's never thrown more than 117 innings in a season, and if he were to start every five days from now on he could be looking at throwing around 170. Is that too much? Would the Yankees have to push back a few starts? The old school thought is "yes", however I personally don't believe in being that careful with simple inning counts.

Now, since the Yankees are getting a top prospect and a couple of good ones for dealing Chapman, they can deal away some of their prospects to get a starter. This is where Daniel's sell and buy idea comes into play.

The Atlanta Braves have some catching issues, and they go far beyond the fact that their current starting catcher, Tyler Flowers, is currently on the disabled list.

Flowers is only signed through next season, and I doubt any Braves fan is excited about him anyway. His OPS+ this season is actually more than a hundred points higher than during his previous three seasons (108 vs. 83).

The Braves won't be getting any catching help from the minors, either. Their top catching prospect, Lucas Herbert, is actually only ranked 18th in their farm system. Besides, even if Herbert were higher he won't be in the Majors for a few more years, as he's still playing in single-A ball.

So I'm positive Atlanta would be very interested in an upgrade there, especially one that would be under team control for six years.

If you've been paying attention to trade rumors, then you'll know that Julio Teheran's name has come up quite often. Julio's current ERA of 2.79 is lower than it's ever been in MLB, but it's not like that number comes out of nowhere.

Last season Teheran's ERA was 4.04, while it was 2.89 in 2014, and 3.20 in 2013. What's better is that he's made 115 starts since 2013, throwing over 200 in both 2014 and 2015, showing some very nice durability.

"'Durable'. Unlike every part of my entire body."

Oh, and I should mention that Julio is just 25 years old, and signed for the next three years at just $25.3 million. When you take into account that JA Happ is 33, was a below average pitcher in the 5 seasons leading up to last year's offseason, yet got a three year contract worth $36 million, you'll see that Teheran is quite the bargain.

So here's my awful trade prosposal...

The Yankees trade Gary Sanchez, Michael Pineda, Luis Cessa, and Jake Cave to the Braves for Julio Teheran. I've read that the Braves are only interested in getting MLB players in return, as opposed to another crop of prospects. That makes sense, as any team should look to get MLB players when dealing away any player from their active roster. Thankfully, all but Cave have MLB experience, which could very well fit into what Atlanta would like.

In the end the Yankees would get two good starters in Lucas Giolito and Julio Teheran, improving their chances of having a good enough second half to make the playoffs, and they do so without doing much harm to their farm system. At the same time they're helping their future by having Giolito and Teheran under team control for three to four more years.

I would like to see the Yankees then promote one of Ben Gamel or Aaron Judge to handle right field duty regularly, while Carlos Beltran becomes the regular designated hitter. That would leave this team...

C - Brian McCann
1B - Rob Refsnyder
2B - Starlin Castro
SS - Didi Gregorius
3B - Chase Headley
LF - Brett Gardner
CF - Jacoby Ellsbury
RF - Ben Gamel/Aaron Judge
DH - Carlos Beltran

SP - CC Sabathia
SP - Masahiro Tanaka
SP - Nathan Eovaldi note: if he can cut down on home runs, he can still be a nice starter
SP - Julio Teheran
SP - Lucas Giolito

RP - Andrew Miller
RP - Dellin Betances

Is that a World Series contender? I don't think so. But those trades appease the fans by getting something good to great for the future, while appeasing team management by not giving up on this season.

Just Get It Done, Already!

I'm so tired of hearing what the #Yankees need to do, or should do. That's fairly obvious. Can we just get to what's being done? @bryanv21

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) July 6, 2016

This season is really wearing on me. Watching the games is too difficult, as they leave me completely unfulfilled. On the one hand, if they win, I get upset because that gives the Yankee brass another reason to not trade anybody away. On the other hand, if they lose, I get upset because I absolutely hate losing.

It's a lose-lose situation. I just wish we could get past the trade deadline, that way I can just root for the team to win... no matter what they look like.

That's not to say I won't complain should some of their current players still be around, but at least I can watch a game without getting depressed no matter what the result of it is.

Yes... I'm on Team Sell. This is a team clearly in transition (I know they hate the word "rebuild", so how about "transition"?), and in order to do things correctly they need to let go of anything and everything holding them back.

That means on and off the field. Perhaps I'll get to the "off the field" people later (although some of our commenters love to chime in on that). Right now, I want to think about those "on the field" people that I think should be traded.

Let's start with an obvious one...

Aroldis Chapman

I wouldn't be against trading away Andrew Miller, and bringing back Chapman to be the team's closer for four or so more years. The reason being that Miller would return the better player(s) for the Yankees, due to him being signed for far less than market value for two more seasons. However, it's not like the return for Aroldis would be "so-so". Besides, Miller is simply better. And for less money, the Yankees might as well go the other route.

And it's not as if there are only one or two teams with playoff hopes that would be in on Chapman. The Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals could all use a strong closer. Even the Chicago Cubs, who already have a really good closer in Hector Rondon, would surely love to add Aroldis.

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Carlos Beltran

I know Carlos has been the Yankees best hitter so far this season (by far), but that can't deter them from getting something for him. They should not even think of re-signing him after this season. Beltran is already 39 years old, which makes it a horrible bet that he'd maintain his current batting numbers. And unless we're talking about David Ortiz, no team should have a full-time designated hitter.

Along with the the effectiveness and position questions surrounding Beltran, there's the fact that the Yankees have a handful of other outfield options. As of right now, Aaron Judge should be looked at as the Yankees' starting right fielder next year. Even if they hold off on that, Rob Refsnyder has more than earned more at bats*.

*I'd like to see the team to play Refsnyder in the infield every once in a while this season, as they could look at dealing away Starlin Castro in the offseason, and start Refsnyder at second base next year.

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Jacoby Ellsbury

I don't expect the Yankees to get much in return for Ellsbury. It's not because he hasn't been a very good hitter, either. On the contrary, I think Jacoby has been pretty good. His .280 batting average is good, his on-base percentage of .348 isn't too shabby, and he's seventh in MLB in stolen bases this season.

The problem with Ellsbury is that damn contract. After this year, there will still be four years and over $84 million remaining on his deal. Nobody in their right mind would pay Jacoby $21 million a season. But if the Yankees pay part of that remaining salary, say $5 million a year, then I think there would be some interested parties.

The combination of saving around $16 million a year, along with making room to give another player such as Ben Gamel a shot in the big leagues, makes this a trade well worth looking into.

The biggest hurdle I see here for the Yankees is Ellsbury's no trade protection. Would Jacoby be willing to play for the Washington Nationals or San Francisco Giants, two teams that are in the playoff hunt year after year, and both of whom could use help at the top of the lineup and in center field? The Yankees gotta try.

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Brian McCann

When thinking of players the Yankees could trade away, chances are Brian's name isn't one of the first people think of. However, I think the Yankees have to give serious thought to dealing away their starting catcher.

The Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers all have a couple of things in common. One, they are all within 3 games of a playoff spot. Two, they have issues at the catching position.

Meanwhile, Brian McCann is tied with Wilson Ramos and Evan Gattis in home runs by catchers (to be fair, six of Gattis' home runs have come as the Astros' designated hitter). Furthermore, McCann actually ranks 8th in fWAR among the 20 catchers with at least 200 plate appearances this season.

Like Ellsbury, the Yankees would have to get McCann to waive the no trade protection in his contract. But playing for the Cardinals or Dodgers would certainly appeal to many baseball players.

This guy's not the only one that wants to play for a winner.

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For a moment I thought of including Masahiro Tanaka on this list. My initial thought was that he'd likely opt-out of his contract after next season, and there's a decent chance the Yankees will let him walk. In that case, why not see what they can get for the guy now?

But where would that leave the rotation? I'll give you a hint... it's not a pretty place. Other than CC Sabathia, the Yankees have no starting pitcher that they can rely on. And to be honest, every time he steps on the mound, I hold my breath waiting for reality to knock him back to 2013-2015 CC Sabathia.

This leads me to my next point, which very likely takes care of the dumbfounded looks from some of you due to their exclusion from the above list of players.

Do not trade either Michael Pineda or Nathan Eovaldi.

I can't remember for sure, and I'm way too lazy to go back and look, but there's a good chance I've lobbied for the Yankees to do the opposite with those two. But at least for now, the Yankees should hold onto anybody that could possibly fill a rotation spot in the future .

Let's look at some current Yankees starters...

• As I mentioned earlier, Masahiro Tanaka can opt out of his deal after next season, and while I've said the Yankees should bring him back, letting him walk is certainly an option. 
• CC Sabathia has turned a page, but I just can't see him pitching well enough that he's re-signed when his contract is up after next season.
• Luis Severino is doing well in AAA, but not so well that I'm convinced he can re-enter the Yankees' rotation next year and be counted on every five days. 
• James Kaprielian looked like a shoe-in for the big league rotation as soon as next season, but elbow injuries are always concerning.
• Ivan Nova is a free agent after this season, and he's given us no reason to believe the Yankees would want to bring him back. 

So trading away two under-30 pitchers, both of whom have the raw talent to be good to great starters, is a bad idea. It's true that they've both had plenty of time for that raw talent to turn into something tangible, but unless one a trade is made for at least one more future starter, what else can they do?

Contrary to what some people around here believe, I'm not naive. Yes, I'm well aware that there are 17 teams within three games of a playoff berth (18 if you count the Seattle Mariners, who are only 3.5 games out). That means that even a decent starting pitcher would attract some level of trade interest.

But keep in mind that the Yankees would not get back a prospect of the same caliber Jesus Montero was when he was traded away, nor would they get a Major Leaguer as good as Martin Prado was. Trading Pineda or Eovaldi would likely get the Yankees an "okay" prospect or two, and the fact is those pitchers are simply more valuable to the team wearing pinstripes.

I'm sure at least some of you remember this.

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So there you go. Are all of those things I listed off going to happen? No. Are most of them going to happen? Probably not. Will any of them happen? I think there's a decent chance. And in about three weeks time we're going to find out. 

I Feel Nothing Right Now

It's never really easy to be a Yankees fan, but right now may be the most difficult that I've had to endure.

I really don't think I'm alone, at least among Yankees fans, in saying that I don't want the Yankees to lose. If somebody could make it so the Yankees went the entire season, including the postseason, without losing a game I'd say "HECK YEAH!" Even if that meant that watching each game may not be as fun, since I know the Yankees are going to win. 

I just can't stand losing. Right now I have a really hard time watching the Yankees, not just because they aren't playing well, but because more often than not they're losing. Anybody that knows me would agree that when the Yankees, or any of my favorite teams for that matter, lose I'm not in a good mood the rest of the day/night. 

I guess that's why I tend to be optimistic.

I know that Alex Rodriguez is old, and will likely hurt the team until his contract ends. I know that signing Jacoby Ellsbury through 2020 was stupid, and like Alex he'll likely hurt the team for four more years after this season. But why spend my time watching an ARod or Ellsbury at bat thinking they're going to fail? If I wanted to be miserable while watching something I'd turn on the latest episode of Fuller House instead of the Yankees game.

The point is I can not, in any way, root against the Yankees. Which makes things extremely difficult for me this season. 

Like with ARod and Jacoby, I know that the 2016 Yankees are not a World Series Championship caliber team. Sure, they aren't the last place team in the division, but nobody is going to convince me that a team with the third worst run differential in the American League is going to win the pennant. 

I also know that the Yanks need to make moves to help build themselves for the future. Yes, they have some nice prospects such as Aaron Judge, James Kaprielian, and Jorge Mateo. Unfortunately, even if those three become successful Major Leaguers, the Yankees will need to do more to contend for another title.

And how can they do that? 

Well, fewer and fewer good players are making it to free agency, so the team's financial advantage is worth less than it ever has. And even if their player development was incredible, waiting on future draft picks to get to the big leagues and contribute won't get the job done. So Brian Cashman is going to have to find some good pieces through trade.

Okay, so when is the best time to make a trade? How about after the season is over with? 

No. On the one hand, teams could hold onto their young players and just sign a free agent. On the other hand, Cash would have lost the opportunity to get a nice haul for Aroldis Chapman. Not to mention possibly getting a decent return for somebody like Carlos Beltran, or maybe even Ivan Nova... two more free agents at the end of this season.

So a significant trade will have to happen before the trade deadline. 

But for that to happen the Yankees would have to clearly be out of the running for a postseason spot. With all the money at stake, there's just no way Brian Cashman would deal away a key player like Aroldis, or even Carlos or Ivan, if the team has a shot at the playoffs.

That brings us back to what I was saying at the beginning of this post... the Yankees have to keep losing. And I can not bring myself to root for that to happen. 

So here I am. I'm not delighted about this season, and how the rest of it will likely play out. I'm not yet miserable about this season, either. I'm just... here. 

To be frank... this sucks.

Even worse that this abomination.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Let's Get Some Things Straight

By Bryan Van Dusen SEEN HERE:

After everything I've read on Twitter, Facebook, and in many other Yankees blogs, I feel the need to drop some truths.

"You mean there are people on the internet that are dumb!?!?"

Some of the things below are pretty obvious, but believe me when I tell you that there are people that don't "get it". It's like some people think Major League Baseball is no different than fantasy baseball, meaning a player can be dropped without giving it a second thought. Or that trading a player is simple.

They don't understand that it's more than the numbers a player puts up on Baseball Reference. Honestly, I'm sure there's a heck of a lot more to how a General Manager constructs a team than I'll ever know. But I feel pretty confident in saying the following things...


1. Jacoby Ellsbury is a Yankee, and chances are he's going to be a Yankee for four more years (that's after this season). 

There are only two ways that would change...

The first is by the team cutting him, which is highly unlikely when the guy we're talking about cutting makes over $20 million a season. No team in any sport wants to spend that much money on absolutely nothing, even if they have something great to replace him with.

The second option is by trading him. The only possibility of that happening is in a bad contract for bad contract deal. And while many people may perk up at that idea, I urge you to relax and realize something... the Yankees would not get back anything good in return. The return for Jacoby might make less money, or maybe for a year or two less, but don't expect that new guy to help the team any more than Ellsbury currently is. Or should I have said any more than Ellsbury currently is not?

2. Chase Headley is going to get every opportunity to play. 

That means he's likely to start at third base for the majority of Yankees games. Sure, the team has less money wrapped up in Headley than they do with Ellsbury, but they are going to do their damnedest in order to recoup that investment.

Does that mean the Yankees wouldn't cut him? Not necessarily. Chase is owed $26 million over two years after this season, which by Yankees standards isn't a ton. So I wouldn't be too shocked to see them spend that for nothing. But during a time where the salary threshold is on the minds of the team, I don't see it happening.

What about trading him? I guess there's a chance, albeit a slight one, of this happening. On the surface he'snormally an average hitter with a good to great glove at third base, which seems appealing. However, his home run total being in the lower double-digits is sure to turn off any team even thinking of acquiring a new player at the hot corner, as that position is usually reserved for somebody with power.

3. It's perfectly fine to hope that Mark Teixeira and/or Alex Rodriguez get traded, but you better not expect it.

Since the start of the 2014 season, Teixeira has hit .233. That number is bad. But we all know Mark is no longer a high batting average hitter, he's more about power. Okay. Well, last season Tex averaged .28 home runs per game, and this season that average has been cut in half to .13 homers a game. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but even that isn't great as we're talking about a guy hitting around 23 long balls a season. You know how many MLBers hit 23 or more home runs last season? 42. And he's hardly a cheap rental for a team, seeing as how he'll be owed about $11 million come the trade deadline.

Alex Rodriguez is another name I've seen as somebody that could get dealt before this season's deadline, thus giving me another reason to roll my eyes. While he's unlikely to finish this season with a sub-.200 batting average, nobody should expect it to get much further north of that mark. He seems to be hitting better as of late, but when I see a 40 year-old with a slow bat it's hard to be very optimistic. Sure, a 25 home run season is a fine bet, but expecting another 33 home run total is probably a bit naive. And keep in mind that he's not a half-year rental like Tex would be, as the acquiring team would owe Alex around $30 million through next season.

"Who needs to buy Cuban cigars when you can just buy Cuba?"

4. Didi Gregorius is not going anywhere.

Although the majority of Yankees fans like the guy, there are a few that have wanted to see the Yankees rid themselves of Sir Didi. They look at his poor hitting this season, combined with his average bat in 2015, and see a totally replaceable player. But what these people tend to forget, or simply don't understand, is that defense at shortstop (or simply up-the-middle defense) is very important.

I can't tell you how many times since last season I've watched Gregorius complete a play and thought "Jeter hasn't been able to make a play like that since the early 2000s". For so long Yankees fans have seen decent to downright poor defense from the shortstop position, and I believe that has caused them to dismiss good to great defense at that spot as important.

I suppose the Yankees could trade Didi away, move Castro back to short, and call up Refsnyder to play second base again. But would the Yankees be better off? I'm not so sure. The Gregorius-Castro combo in the middle of the infield has been tremendous, and going from that to Castro-Refsnyder would absolutely be noticeable (and not in a good way). That wouldn't be helped by a struggling pitching staff, either. Besides, the offense might get better thanks to Ref possibly being a better hitter than Didi, but would it be that much better. I have my doubts.

5. Don't count on the team trading Brett Gardner.

Brett is one of the best trade pieces the Yankees could offer another team. He's a good to great defender, and not just in left field, where he's spent most of his time since Jacoby Ellsbury joined the team. Many teams would love to have his glove in centerfield for them.

He's also been an average to good hitter in each of the past 4+ years. That's not to say his batting average, which may not get above .260, is anything to write home about. But he can hit 15+ home runs, and couple that bit of power with the ability to steal well over 20 bases a season. Heck, in the right situation, I think 30 stolen bases is more than possible.

The most intriguing thing about acquiring Gardner would be his pay. He's making just $13 million this season, $12 million next year, $11 million in 2018, and his club will have an option for 2019 at just $12.5 million. Yes... "just". You know how much money he was worth from 2013 through 2015, according to Fangraphs? Over $70 million!

But the money thing is exactly why I don't see the Yankees trading Brett away. Unlike so many others on the team, here we have a guy that's not only out-playing his salary. but said salary isn't so high that it keeps the team from being able to spend elsewhere... should it want to actually do that again.

6. There's a good chance Starlin Castro is a Yankee for many years to come.

Nobody, whether they work in the Yankees organization or simply root for them, would confuse Castro for Robinson Cano. However, you have to remember that while Starlin will make $46 million through the 2020 season (assuming the Yanks exercise their club option for him), Cano will make $96 million during the same time period. Oh, and then another $72 million in the three years after that. Which is a round-about way of saying Castro is fairly cheap.

Don't get me wrong, I believe Starlin is hitting over his head right now. In fact, if his batting average is .300 at the end of the season, I'll eat the shorts I'm currently wearing*. But he should at least be able to average .280 this year, and for the foreseeable future. And while a double-digit home run total is totally doable, I don't think he'll flirt with a total of 20 homers by year's end.

And don't forget what I talked about with Didi earlier, as these two could anchor the middle of the Yankees' infield for a while. And I don't think any of us should be upset with that.

*Just kidding, I'm naked while I 'm writing this

7. Brian McCann is about as close to non-tradeable as you can get.

I'm not saying Brian McCann is a bad player. He's a good hitter, who actually had the most home runs among all catchers in the Majors last season. And Brian is among the better defensive catchers in the game, thanks to his ability to frame pitches and throw out attempted base stealers at a rate better than league average.

The problem with McCann is his contract. He's due to make $34 million through 2018, which is the third most among his catching peers. And note that one of the guys making more than him behind the plate, Buster Posey, is one of the better hitters in the league... regardless of position.

Even if the Yankees were able to find a taker for McCann, which likely means they'd have to eat a good chunk of his remaining salary, the problem they'd run into is the ability to replace him.

It's a little sad that McCann has pretty much carried the Yankee offense this season, having the 2nd highest OPS+  on the team. Yeah, Castro's OPS+ is higher, but I believe McCann's spot in the lineup makes his slightly lower OPS+ have a bigger effect on the offense. And anybody that would replace his at bats is going to bring with him a weaker bat.

Austin Romine has little experience in MLB, and his .251 batting average in AAA does nothing to help me get over that. Meanwhile, Gary Sanchez is only hitting .238 for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to go along with an OBP of .299... ouch.

8. Masahiro Tanaka's back has got to be killing him.

No, the health of his back is just fine. That thing about his back is my way of saying he's carried the Yankees rotation moreso than any other pitcher in the Majors. He not only has an ERA below 3.00, while every other starter has an ERA above 5.00 (two of them are actually above 6.00), but he's the only starter who is giving up less than ten hits for every nine innings he pitches.

Heck, every other starter has a won-loss record below .500.

I don't care how much or little the guy is making, because the Yankees would be a lost cause without Tanaka right now. Then again, I don't know of anyone that wants the Yankees to trade 'Hiro away, but just in case let me simply say "uh-uh".

And I didn't even get into his role on future Yankees' teams.

9. Luis Severino is still a big part of the team's future, so he's not going anywhere.

Luis is hardly the first pitcher to struggle early on in his MLB career. I've already pointed out how pitchers like Felix Hernandez had a rough early going before turning into a dominant pitcher. Not that I would put those type of expectations on anybody, but we're still talking about a guy that not long ago was seen as the future ace of the team.

Which is exciting when you see a guy like James Kaprielian throw like he has in the minors, and could be a part of a killer one-two punch for the Bombers for many years to come. then you can put them with the aforementioned Tanaka, to create a top 3 in the rotation that could rival some of the best in the game.

Unfortunately, a team needs at least five starters, meaning the starting rotation is not an area the Yankees should even think about subtracting from.

10. Ivan Nova is probably going to be in the Bronx at season's end.

There was a time I thought that Nova would make a good trade chip. He had started over a hundred games in MLB, and was at least serviceable in that role. You've all heard the old adage "a team never has enough pitching", so I don't think it would be hard for Brian Cashman to find a taker for Ivan.

But that thought all but vanished before the season even started, thanks to the injury to Bryan Mitchell, which will cost Bryan the vast majority of the season. I suppose the team could call on Luis Cessa to take Nova's place as the multi-inning reliever in the team's bullpen, but Ivan's history of starting makes me believe the team would rather hold onto him.

Keep in mind that Nova's return would be "okay" at best, so it's not like the Yankees would miss out on something big by holding onto him. I suppose he could be part of a nice package of players, which would get the Yankees an attractive return, but I could see the Yankees balking at adding him to said package. Besides, I don't think the other team would back out of such a deal just because Ivan wasn't included in it.

11. The Yankees are stuck with CC Sabathia.

Do I really need to expand on this? The combination of his salary, his ineffectiveness, and his poor health history, make him as unmovable as Pablo Sandoval at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Will any of us ever forget this moment?

12. Now for a real trade possibility.

While Carlos Beltran is certainly not the player he was between 2006 and 2011, he's still somebody that could contribute to many teams.

That's not to say he's going to come into a situation and turn a bad offense into a good one, but Carlos will put up respectable numbers across the board. And when you combine that solid bat with his ability to at least fake it in the outfield, along with his vast experience in the postseason, you have a guy that plenty of teams should find valuable by trade deadline time.

13. Everybody is on the lookout for starters...

... and the Yankees could very well have two guys that a contender could want going into the second half of the season.

Like Carlos Beltran, neither Michael Pineda nor Nathan Eovaldi would join a team and make them instant favorites to win the World Series. However, both of them have shown the ability to be a good middle of the rotation starter.

Pineda was not only able to finish 2015 with a solid ERA of 4.37, but for a guy with an iffy shoulder making 27 starts was quite nice. And his ability to strikeout around a batter an inning is sure to turn some heads come late July.

Then you have Eovaldi, who has never finished a season with an ERA higher than 4.43, and is a good bet to stay healthy until year's end, so that he could slot into the #3 or #4 spot in a team's postseason rotation.

Before this season I thought one of these two would pitch his way into an extension for the Yankees, seeing as how their rotation beyond Tanaka, Severino and Kaprielian was up in the air for the future. But with all the money coming off the team's books between this and next season, it has to go somewhere, and the starting rotation could very well be it.

I mean, where else will it go?

McCann and Sanchez could lock down the catching spot for a long time, Castro has second base covered, Gregorius and/or Mateo could keep shortstop warm for a while, the team has a plethora of outfielders to choose from up for a long time, Bird could very well be the first baseman of the future. In fact, other than possibly third base, I don't see a spot where the team has to spend any more at all.

So I say trade away one or both of Pineda and Eovaldi.

14. There is one place where the Yankees could really make a splash, and improve their future...

Instead of separating these next three players into their own sections, I figured I'd put them together. After all, the fact that there are three of them actually makes this the one spot where the Yankees could actually do something to make the team better, without hurting themselves much at all.

See, the Yankees have three guys that could be among the better closers in the league. I don't have to get into the numbers on these three guys, heck... I don't even have to say their names.

However, even though there are three of them, I believe only one of them is a true trade candidate.

Aroldis Chapman is going to be a free agent after this season, and his ability to shut an opponent down at the end of the game is utterly meaningless to a team that may not be close to a playoff berth. However, there will be plenty of teams not named the Yankees with playoff aspirations come the end of July, and any one of them would love to have the services of Mr. Chapman.

But why hold onto both Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller? Well, just look at the history of the Yankees. Since the mid-90s the Yankees have had a great one-two punch at the back of the bullpen. You had Rivera-Wetteland, you had Robertson-Rivera, you had Robertson-Soriano, you had Betances-Robertson, and now you have Betances-Miller. And seeing what those combos did over the years makes me believe the Yankees would never want to stray from it.

And look at the money part of it...

The highest paid reliever in baseball, outside the Yankees, is Craig Kimbrel at $11.25 million (Chapman will make $11.35 million this season). Meanwhile, Miller and Betances make less than that combined. And come next season, when Betances will be arbitration eligible, they likely won't make much more than Kimbrel anyway.

That combination of history, effectiveness, and cost make me believe Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances will continue to rack up strikeouts for the team for another couple of years.

15. And then you have the rest.

Aaron Hicks, Ronald Torreyes, Dustin Ackley, Austin Romine, Chasen Shreve, Johnny Barbato, and Kirby Yates are fine players. Heck, some of them could turn into solid regulars on the Yankees or another team. But for the time being, whether the Yankees keep them or trade them, I don't see anything of significance happening with their name connected to it.

So there you have it. It's likely that I missed a good point here or there, but this should give you a good idea of where the Yankees stand when it comes to what they can do this season.

So even if the Yanks can't make up enough ground to turn into contenders this season, you should at least watch some of these guys to see if they can help the team in one way or another this season and for years to come.

"But I want it now!!!"