Trading Places: Gray Pitches like Jimenez and Vice Versa...

Credit:  Bill Kostroun

Orioles 6, Yankees 4...

The Yankees apparently forgot that it was Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound yesterday. Jimenez entered the game with a 5-10 record and 6.75 ERA. It's pretty much representative of who the pitcher has been the last few years. On Sunday, he may as well have been Chris Sale...5 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts. He was certainly a better version of Sonny Gray on this day.

For as much as Sonny Gray has given the Yankees so far, they could have picked up an average starter for much less (somebody better than Jaime Garcia) to give them three wins since the July trading deadline and kept Jorge Mateo, Dustin Fowler and James Kaprielian in pinstripes. I know, that's a bit harsh, and Gray is an upper echelon rotation starter but in the small sampling size with the Yankees, the results have been underwhelming. Granted, he doesn't get run support with his losses but I was hoping for better results. The Red Sox, meanwhile, will ride the arm of a pitcher (Doug Fister) they picked up off the scrap heap to go with Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz. Fister has four wins for the Red Sox since the end of July. I'd take Gray over Fister any day of the week (obviously), but it is disappointing that more wins have not materialized.

Credit:  Jim McIsaac-Getty Images

Baltimore got on the board first in the top of the 2nd inning. Chris Davis hit a one-out fly to left for a double. Clint Frazier misjudged his leap and was unable to make the catch. Seth Smith hit a grounder to third and was thrown out at first, but Davis moved to third on the play. Todd Frazier almost tagged Davis out but opted to go for the sure out at first. After Mark Trumbo walked, Austin Hays singled up in the middle, past a diving Didi Gregorius, into center field, scoring Davis. 

The Yankees got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Didi Gregorius led off with a homer just over the wall in right center to tie the game at one. It was Didi's 24th home run, which tied the Yankees mark for most home runs by a shortstop set by Derek Jeter in 1999.  

Credit:  Jim McIsaac-Getty Images

The Orioles quickly took the lead again in the top of the 3rd. Manny Machado hit a one-out single to right, breaking an 0-for-19 slump. With two outs, Trey Mancini doubled down the left field line to the corner to score Machado.  Baltimore had taken a 2-1 lead.

The 4th inning was the one that got away from Sonny Gray. He walked Seth Smith to start the inning.  He retired the next two hitters and was a strike away from getting out of the inning with Caleb Joseph at the plate. Unfortunately, Joseph singled to left, between Todd Frazier and Didi Gregorius, to keep the inning alive. Tim Beckham, proving to be one of the best trading deadline pickups, homered into the bleachers in left to give the O's all the runs they would need. 5-1, Baltimore.  

Credit:  Anthony Grupposo-USA TODAY Sports

Gray got Manny Machado to hit a liner to right for the final out (great diving play by Aaron Judge) but he would not return.  

Bryan Mitchell took over for Gray in the top of the 5th inning. Jonathan Schoop led off with a single to left and Trey Mancini singled to center past a diving Didi Gregorius. The O's had runners at the corners and no outs. After Chris Davis struck out, Seth Smith hit a grounder between first and second. With a throw from Starlin Castro to Didi Gregorius, they forced Mancini out at second but Schoop scored on the play. The O's had increased their lead to 6-1.

In the bottom of the 6th, Mychal Givens took over for Jimenez who had thrown 100 pitches through five innings. Gary Sanchez drew a one-out walk and with two outs, Starlin Castro hit a soft grounder toward third and beat the throw from Givens which pulled Chris Davis off the base.  Runners at first and second.  Matt Holliday drilled a line drive to left for a double which scored both Sanchez and Castro. 6-3, O's. Buck Showalter pulled Givens and brought in former Yankee Richard Bleier to face Greg Bird. Bird had homered off Bleier in Friday night's win and he had a chance to make it a game once again. Sadly, Bleier won the battle this time when Bird grounded out to first to end the inning.  

Baltimore reliever Brad Brach took over in relief of Darren O'Day to start the bottom of the 8th inning. Aaron Judge doubled to left with a fly ball off the base of the wall to lead things off. Gary Sanchez struck out on three pitches for the first out. Didi Gregorius hit a grounder to short, but Tim Beckham's throwing error (pulled Chris Davis off the bag) allowed Didi to reach first safely. Judge moved to third on the play. Starlin Castro hit a fly to right field and it was deep enough to score Judge on the sacrifice. The Yankees had cut the Orioles lead to 6-4. Matt Holliday walked to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate. Showalter pulled Brach and brought in closer Zach Britton. The Yankees replaced Holliday at first with Tyler Wade and sent Chase Headley in to pinch hit for Greg Bird. Unfortunately, Headley grounded out to short to end the rally.  

The Yankees made one last valiant effort in the bottom of the 9th. Todd Frazier struck out for the first out, but Jacoby Ellsbury looped a double down the left field line to give the Yankees a runner in scoring position. Brett Gardner grounded out to first for the second out but Ellsbury advanced to third. Aaron Judge was intentionally walked to pit Britton against Gary Sanchez.  Sanchez, representing the potential tying run, failed to deliver when he went down swinging for the final out. Bummer, the Yankees had clearly proven they were the better team in this series and they had their chances. If Sonny Gray could have avoided the disastrous 4th inning...I know, if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts...

The Yankees (82-67) did not lose any ground to the Red Sox despite the loss. Boston dropped a 3-2 decision to the Tampa Bay Rays. So, the Yankees remain three games behind the Red Sox. The Minnesota Twins clobbered the Toronto Blue Jays, 13-7, so they moved back to four games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card standings.  

Next Up:  Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York...

The Twins come into this series very motivated. Since they only trail the Yankees by four games for the top Wild Card slot (home-field advantage), they can make up serious ground on the Yankees with a sweep. If the Twins beat Jaime Garcia, they'll be able to sit back and laugh "our plan worked to perfection!". Steal a couple of prospects from the Yankees and give them a starter who is unable to produce in the clutch.  

TODAY

Twins:  Ervin Santana (15-7, 3.35 ERA)

Yankees:  Jaime Garcia (1-2, 4.50 ERA)

TUESDAY

Twins:  Jose Berrios (12-7, 3.84 ERA)

Yankees:  CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.85 ERA)

WEDNESDAY

Twins:  Bartolo Colon (4-5, 4.80 ERA)

Yankees:  Masahiro Tanaka (12-11, 4.73 ERA)

The Yankees are not exactly leading with their best foot, but I understand the need to keep CC Sabathia's knee off the artificial turf for the next series in Toronto.  

Odds & Ends...

The Yankees have recalled another RailRider. The latest to get the invitation to join the big league club is RHP Domingo German.

Have a great Monday! Time for the Pinstripers to make a statement about their October chances. Let's Go Yankees! 

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 4/7

Yankees family it is game time between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. Tonight marks the first time that these two teams match up in this very young season and the first of many head-to-head matchups between these two American League East rivals. The Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound looking to start his season off better than he did last season while the Baltimore Orioles will counter with Ubaldo Jimenez. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Oriole Park and Camden Yards and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV while the contest can also be heard on the radio with WFAN.

Follow along with us on Twitter by giving @GreedyStripes a follow. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 4/7

Ladies and gentleman welcome to the weekend and welcome to Baltimore as the New York Yankees begin a three-game weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight inside Oriole Park and Camden Yards. The Yankees stumbled a bit out of the gate against the Tampa Bay Rays losing two-of-three to their division rival but with an off day yesterday and three potential big guns in their starting rotation going this weekend for the Bronx Bombers it could be time to turn it around for New York. It is always fun when these two teams get together, especially when the Yankees win because Buck Showalter’s blood pressure visibly goes up which is always great, and this weekend should be no exception. Now about those pitching matchups…

The Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound looking to improve on a disaster of a season as a starter in 2016. Severino posted an 0-8 record with an 8.50 ERA in 11 starts last season although he did find himself and his secondary pitches in the bullpen which should help his confidence entering this season for New York.

The Orioles will send Ubaldo Jimenez to oppose Severino on the mound tonight in Baltimore as he also makes his first start of the young season. Ubaldo was pushed back by manager Buck Showalter because the Orioles manager believed the lefty matched up better with the Yankees than the Orioles first opponent of the season in the Toronto Blue Jays.

The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Oriole Park and Camden Yards and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV and can also be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN. For the first time this season, because I’m a slacker and I’ve been busy as hell, Go Yankees!!!! 

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles 9/9

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are just about ready to kick off the finale of their three game set this week in the Bronx. The Yankees may be looking past this game a bit and who could blame them as the Toronto Blue Jays, the team they are chasing in the American League East, come to town tomorrow night for a huge four game series inside Yankee Stadium. It's Joe Girardi's job to keep the team focused on tonight and CC Sabathia's job to get the team started with a strong pitching performance. Opposing Sabathia will be Ubaldo Jimenez for the Orioles. The game will begin at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

To see any of the four games this weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays be sure to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog. Be prepared to open your wallet though as these games are some of the most expensive third-party ticket buying games of the season, and for good reason. If you can't make it to the Bronx or you need your arm and a leg that it will cost to see the game at this point simply jump on Twitter and give @GreedyStripes a follow to interact with us during the game and root for the Yankees for the remainder of the 2015 season.

I'ts CC Day, let's see if that's going to be a good thing or a bad thing. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles 9/9

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are ready to finish off their three game series head-to-head tonight inside Yankee Stadium. The Yankees welcome CC Sabathia off the 15 day disabled list and back into the starting rotation as New York replaces injured Nathan Eovaldi with Sabathia for at least the next two weeks of the season. The Orioles meanwhile will send Ubaldo Jimenez out to the mound tonight looking to keep Baltimore in the hunt for a second Wild Card spot in the American League. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Sabathia will be activated off the 15 day disabled list before tonight's game after leaving his last start with right knee pain. The official diagnosis was right knee inflammation and is not the first time Sabathia's knee has bothered him. 

• Jimenez did something in his last start not many pitchers can say of late, he beat the mighty Toronto Blue Jays. Jimenez did walk six batters but completed six innings, something he has only done 11 times in his 27 starts this season, but was able to grind out a victory for Baltimore. 

It will be interesting to see what CC Sabathia looks like in his first start back off the disabled list. Sabathia was wearing a protective sleeve over his surgically repaired right knee before landing on the disabled list and will come back with a brace that will reportedly be non-restrictive. Will it take a while for CC to adjust to having the brace on the knee and can he pitch effectively with it? Only one way to find out, Go Yankees!

Recap: Yankees 9, Orioles 3

Ubaldo Jimenez had a thoroughly terrible start, surrendering seven earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings as the Yankees blew out the Orioles, 9-3, to complete the sweep Thursday at Yankee Stadium. 

Early Offense: The Yankees tallied Jimenez for four runs in the bottom of the first, a bases-loaded double from Chase Headley plating all but one of them. After watching Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran fail to produce before him, Headley drilled a first-pitch fastball high off the center-field wall -- giving the Yankees an early cushion and setting up Didi Gregorius for a subsequent RBI single.

Like an Ace: For the third outing in a row, Masahiro Tanaka looked great on the mound -- yielding just three earned runs over 7 2/3 innings while walking none and striking out seven. Tanaka held the Orioles to just five hits on the afternoon, but once again had trouble with the long ball as three O's -- Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy and Manny Machado -- took him deep. 

Productivity at its Best: Jacoby Ellsbury homered, drove in four and scored twice in Thursday's contest -- finishing a triple shy of the cycle following a groundout in his last at-bat. Ellsbury's second-inning solo shot landed all the way in the right-field bleachers, good for the outfielder's third home run of the year and second in eight games. 

Help from an Unlikely Source: Not known for his offensive capabilities, Stephen Drew laced an RBI double to right in the third -- easily scoring Gregorius from second and extending New York's advantage to 6-1. The knock was part of a 7-for-12 day for the Yankees' lower third, which along with a 3-for-4 performance from John Ryan Murphy, contributed to each of the team's major rallies. 

Who's Chris Capuano?: The lefty appeared for the first time since July 5 in the eighth, tossing a scoreless frame in relief of Tanaka. He fanned Davis for the second out in the ninth, and was removed moments later for youngster Branden Pinder.

Next Up: The Yankees will try to make it five straight wins on Friday when they visit the Twins at Target Field -- beginning at 8:10 p.m. ET and airing live on the YES Network. Michael Pineda (9-6, 3.77 ERA) will start for the Yanks hoping to rebound from a rough loss on Saturday, facing former Pinstripes phenom Phil Hughes (8-6, 4.15 ERA).

Game Thread: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles 7/23

Get ready to say goodbye to the Bronx and the friendly confides of Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees finish their quick six game home stand this afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles. These two teams have played an entertaining pair of games this week with the Yankees looking to start spreading some more news this afternoon for the home crowd. The Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound who has been great in afternoon games in the Bronx to face off against Ubaldo Jimenez. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

The Yankees are heading west for games with the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers so you have time to click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog and get your tickets in hand for when the team returns home to Yankee Stadium. In the meantime you can root for the home team while they are on the road by heading over to Twitter and giving @GreedyStripes a follow. We’re around for every game home or away and we’d love to interact with you.

Happy Tanaka Day ladies and gentleman, let’s get out of here with a victory. Go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles 7/23

For the final time this week the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles will face off head-to-head inside Yankee Stadium. This series has been exciting for both clubs and has been a great series for the Yankees as they continue to put space between them and the rest of the pack in the American League East Divisional race. New York will look to gain another game on the competition this afternoon by sending Masahiro Tanaka to the mound to face off with the Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and the getaway game can be seen on the YES Network, MLB Network and MLB TV.

• Tanaka is coming into this start fresh off a victory over the Seattle Mariners where he allowed just three runs in seven innings of work. Tanaka struck out seven as he continues to improve with every start after a blip on the radar in his last couple of starts before the All-Star break. Tanaka has never beaten the Baltimore Orioles in his short MLB career.

• Jimenez heads into this start in the Bronx fresh off easily his worst start of the season. Jimenez allowed seven earned runs, including three monster home runs, to the Detroit Tigers in just 4.2 innings resulting in a loss for Baltimore. Rinse, repeat, and recycle? Emphasis on the repeat, please.

Every game head-to-head inside the division, whether it’s July or September, is important and the Yankees have been making the most of these opportunities. As each day passes and with every series victory for New York things get a little easier. The more the Yankees win the more the rest of the division has to win until it gets to the point where New York has to win every series while the opposition has to sweep every series. Let’s get another game for good measure this afternoon, go Yankees!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles 6/12

The New York Yankees are rested and in Baltimore tonight to take on the Baltimore Orioles inside Oriole Park and Camden Yards. The Yankees will play in one of the most beautiful ballparks in all of Major League Baseball three times this weekend with the first game coming tonight in Baltimore. The Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound to face off with the Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Pineda is making his first start in almost two weeks after having his start skipped last time out. New York wants to limit the innings on their stud RHP’s arm as much as they can this season in order to keep him fresh and healthy in September and for a potential playoff run. Pineda is 0-1 in his career with a 4.50 ERA with at least six days rest so let’s see how he looks with 11 days of rest tonight in Baltimore.

• Jimenez is coming off his fourth consecutive no-decision of the season and has not seen a victory since he started on May 11. Jimenez went five innings allowing just one run on six hits and five strikeouts against the Cleveland Indians but it was his season-high six walks that led to the no-decision. 

The Yankees have a three game set with their American league East rivals before heading down to Miami for an Interleague matchup with Giancarlo Stanton and the Marlins. These are the games that the Yankees need to win and take advantage of if they want to make it into the postseason in 2015. New York has to beat the teams they are expected to beat, i.e. the Orioles and the Marlins, and hang around with the tougher teams in the league i.e. the Washington Nationals, because that’s what good teams do and that’s what playoff teams do. Here’s to hoping the Yankees continue the “good team” trend all the way to the playoffs tonight in Baltimore. Go Yankees!

McCarthy's Struggles Doom Yankees in 5-4 Loss to Orioles

Brandon McCarthy surrendered five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings and three different opponents hit home runs tonight as the Yankees' last spark of playoff hope died with a 5-4 loss to the Orioles.

Going into this one's top of the second, after Ubaldo Jimenez (5+ IP, 2 ER) recorded a walk and an HBP in New York's first at-bat of the evening, things were looking alright for McCarthy and the Yanks, who came into the day with a bit of momentum following yesterday's blowout.

Nonetheless, once ex-Pinstripe Kelly Johnson homered to begin that frame and Nick Markakis contributed a two-out RBI Single it was clear McCarthy wasn't in for his best performance. Indeed, from then on things only got worse for the veteran right-hander, who would also got taken deep for a two-run shot by Markakis in the fourth and by Nelson Cruz for a solo one in the fifth.

Fortunetaly, a Chris Young groundout, a Stephen Drew sac fly, and a Brian McCann two-run homer with Derek Jeter on between innings 4-8 would still keep the hosts from getting shut out on the night, but since the Royals simultaneously blew out the Indians over in Cleveland and Zach Britton was able to pitch a scoreless ninth their doing so didn't really prove relevant. Granted, the Yankees aren't yet mathematically eliminated, but considering it'd take a perfect last five days for them along with a nightmarish last five ones for Kansas City it's definitely likely that their season will end Sunday, an unfortunate fact that also means this is probably Jeter's last home series.

New York Yankees Game Preview vs. Baltimore Orioles 7/12

The New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles will play in the second of their three game set at Camden Yards this afternoon. The Yankees will send Shane Greene to the mound to face off with Chris Tillman for the Orioles. Tillman is filling in for the injured Ubaldo Jimenez this afternoon after he was placed on the disabled list with an ankle injury before the Yankee series. The Yankees have owned Ubaldo in his career so you have to wonder if this convenient timing is simply a phantom DL kind of situation. Anyway, the game will be played at 4:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network, MLB TV, and can be heard on the radio with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman on WFAN.

Greene earned a second start after impressing the team in his first start of his career last time out against the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees would win the game and Greene allowed two runs in six innings. Greene threw tons of sinkers and the Indians batters simply pounded the ball into the ground all night long.

Tillman has quality starts in four of his last five starts including his last start against the Washington Nationals. Tillman allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings to match zero for zero with the Nats Stephen Strasburg.

You're running out of chances to see the Yankees live before the All Star break so get your Yankees tickets HERE right now. Cheap tickets, no fees, and no shipping costs to see the greatest team in sports history. 

Go Yankees!!

Big Ninth Inning Backs Up Offensive Struggles in Yankees First Walk-Off Win of Season

In his last three starts, Hiroki Kuroda has frustratingly gotten just two earned runs of support.

The Yankees' number two pitcher, going into tonight's outing against the Orioles, had surrendered no more than two trips around the bases in two of his last three appearances, all New York losses.

Unfortunately, that trend continued for most of this contest, before a bottom-of-the-ninth rally headed by Carlos Beltran bailed the Yanks out in a 5-3 win.

In the contest, Kuroda, whose ERA is now 4.23, didn't give up a hit until the top of the sixth, when Baltimore broke out for four total knocks, a double from Steve Pearce and a single from Adam Jones driving men home.

At that point, Kuroda and the Bombers trailed 2-1, blowing an advantage Mark Teixeira gave them in the bottom of the first, when #25 scored Jacoby Ellsbury with a base hit to right after the latter singled and stole second.

From then until the bottom of the ninth, the Pinstripes got plenty of scoring opportunities, stranding the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh.

Overall, New York left 11 runners in this one, making their final AB appear pretty worthless.

Good thing that wasn't true.

After watching David Huff allow another unearned run in the top half of the frame, the Yanks rallied with a man on first and two out in their last chance, putting the tying run on base after a Teixeira walk.

Following that, the suddenly-hot Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran stepped up to the plate, with McCann singling home a run to keep the game alive and Beltran driving one into the left field seats, giving Zach Britton (0.2 IP, 4 ER) the loss and the Bombers their first walk-off victory of the season.

Beltran's seventh homer of the year also spoiled a nice start from the O's Ubaldo Jimenez, who gave up just one earned run in 5.2 frames.

Ubaldo Jimenez, Predictions, & Premonitions... Meme

A premonition for tonight?A prediction? Both?? We hope so....

Ubaldo Jimenez Close To Coming Off The Board

Ubaldo Jimenez is close to coming off the board for the New York Yankees as he is close to striking a deal with the American League East rival Baltimore Orioles. The contract is said to be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of four years and $48 million. After waiting out Jimenez you have to wonder why he got so much money and so many years at the end of the day. This, even with his ups and downs, makes the Orioles a better team which is never good for the Yankees.

If the deal gets done and the Orioles don't magically find something in his physical they would have to surrender the 17th overall pick in the MLB First Year Players Draft. The Cleveland Indians would also receive a first round compensation sandwich pick for losing their free agent.

Yankees Done Adding Major League Deals

According to Joel Sherman on Twitter the New York Yankees are done adding Major League contracts to their already crunched 40 man roster since Spring Training has started. That does not mean that we won't see another minor league deal or two but if you believe Mr. Sherman that does mean we will not be seeing Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, or Stephen Drew in Yankees pinstripes in 2014. This also means the Yankees are content with going with what they have in the bullpen, which could really work out for us or really, really back fire. It also could mean that the Yankees and Brian Cashman are pulling another "Bubba Crosby is our starting center fielder" line, stay tuned.

With The $189 Goal Toast It's Time To Get Greedy!

This blog was built on the backs of the New York Yankees dominating the offseason and free agency spending millions of dollars at will, much like they did this offseason. The Yankees have flirted with the whole luxury tax $189 goal, but not a mandate, threshold for two seasons but I think the Masahiro Tanaka signing for seven years and $155 million put that whole discussion to bed at least for another season. With that said Mr. Hal Steinbrenner himself said that the Yankees would either get under the cap or go way over it, no middle ground, so it is time to get greedy.

The Yankees bullpen is now the biggest glaring "weakness" on the team with the starting rotation all but set in stone up so Grant Balfour come on down! Balfour has stated that he has a willingness to pitch the 8th inning and that is perfect for us because we have David Robertson closing out games. The Yankees truly need a guy in the 8th inning with closing experience just in case D Rob's Houdini act does not translate well into the 9th inning. With the "concerns" over Balfour's wrist and knee he should come relatively cheap as well on a one or two year deal, sign me up.

The Yankees infield is the second biggest weakness and easily the biggest question mark on the team, Stephen Drew come on down. Drew has stated, through Scott Boras of course, a willingness to play a different position other than shortstop where he has played his entire career. That's perfect for us as we need a third basemen and will likely need a second basemen before it is all said and done. Also Drew could sign a multi-year deal and have the opportunity to go back to shortstop for the 2015 season assuming Derek Jeter decides to walk away. Sounds like a perfect match to me, but that's just if you ask me.

Finally the Yankees, because it wouldn't be getting greedy if you weren't signing someone just for the simple fact of signing someone, need to bring Ubaldo Jimenez into the fold. When he is on he is on, and unfortunately when he is not he is not, but we would be paying for when he is on. The Yankees would have enough starting pitching on the team to be able to mask and hide his AJ Burnett type splits and still survive. Plus I have always liked the guy and I am a fan first, sue me.

In closing it's time to man up, get greedy, and show the rest of the league that the real evil empire is not sitting on a beach on Los Angeles right now it is right here in New York City!

Yankees Wont Make Moves Until Tanaka Signs

The New York Yankees will not make any significant moves until the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes ends in less than two weeks. This coming from Steven Marcus from Newsdsay as he points out that this is limited to the major league roster and not minor league deals and such. Next Friday at 5:00 pm ET is the signing deadline meaning he has to be signed, pass his physical, and on the 40 man roster no later than that or he is heading back to Japan.

The way the starting pitching market has evolved it looks like the Yankees are not the only team taking this stance as it has come to an absolute halt with great starting pitchers still available. Ubaldo Jimenez, Matt Garza, and Ervin Santana should start coming off the board rather quickly after Tanaka signs, maybe by the end of next weekend. We're still waiting but we draw closer every day.

Article Revisit: Joe Blanton As A Plan C?

If the Yankees miss out on Masahiro Tanaka and really do not like the other options in Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, & Matt Garza to name a few what would the Yankees do to fill their razor thin rotation? Would Brian Cashman dumpster dive, which he has already stated that he would, would he build the rotation from within, or would he just throw his hands up and say the hell with it? Obviously the latter is not happening with Cash in a contract season and with so many question marks down on the farm right now Cashman may have to try and catch lightning in a bottle again. Enter Joe Blanton.

The bad on Blanton is obvious but the good you may have to look a little deeper to see. Blanton went 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA in the first year of a two year deal worth $15 million, which is bad. The good thing is he is on a one year deal, is affordable with a $7 million AAV, and would be easily obtained for scraps, a PTBNL, or cash in a trade, which is good. The Los Angeles Angels are even reportedly willing to eat salary to move him and if they don't they are prepared to release him before Spring Training, again good. Why would we want him though, right? Keep reading.

Blanton, using advanced metrics, was an average pitcher or maybe a tick above in 2013 in the American League. His xFIP was a respectable 3.84 which was 26th best in the AL. Yankees ace CC Sabathia's xFIP was 3.76, albeit in a down year, Jimenez's xFIP is 3.62 in 2013, and Santana's xFIP was 3.69 in 2013.

Blanton still misses enough bats, 7.33 K/9 in 2013, and keeps it in the strike zone, 2.31 BB/9, which is another attractive element to look at. You would also have to think that Blanton's 2013 BABIP, batting average on balls in play, has to come down from an insane .346 and come back closer to his career .305. One alarming rate though is his fly ball rate which produced a home run which was a staggering 19.1%, up from a career 11.0%, would probably not translate well into Yankee Stadium if this were to come to fruition.

Blanton's numbers may not look great, pitching in the batter friendly Citizens Bank Park for four of the last five seasons has not helped that,  but the guy can give you 175-200 innings and has all the signs of improving next season with a change of scenery. If it comes down to Spring Training and we still need a starting pitcher lets make sure that change of scenery happens in the Bronx.

Ubaldo Jimenez Seeking $14 Million Or More Annually

So apparently many writers, readers, and fans took speculation of "I think the Yankees will end up with Ubaldo Jimenez" and turned it into "the Yankees are interested and the front runners for Ubaldo Jimenez." I really love Twitter and such but like everything else in the world it has it's downfalls. I digress. Let's assume the Yankees are the front runners and are interested in Ubaldo Jimenez, are we still interested after what was announced today?

It was announced that Jimenez is seeking a multi year deal worth $14 million plus annually in salary. Obviously Jimenez's market has been slowed by the wait, and now 30 day window, for Masahiro Tanaka but is expected to pick up later this month or early in February. The problem with Jimenez is that he rejected a qualifying offer which links him to draft pick compensation which is less of a problem for the Yankees when they have to give up a pick somewhere in the 50th overall range than other teams.

The market for Jimenez seems limited right now with possible suitors limited to the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and possibly the Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles.

Plan C: Joe Blanton In Pinstripes?

If the Yankees miss out on Masahiro Tanaka and really do not like the other options in Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, & Matt Garza to name a few what would the Yankees do to fill their razor thin rotation? Would Brian Cashman dumpster dive, which he has already stated that he would, would he build the rotation from within, or would he just throw his hands up and say the hell with it? Obviously the latter is not happening with Cash in a contract season and with so many question marks down on the farm right now Cashman may have to try and catch lightning in a bottle again. Enter Joe Blanton.

The bad on Blanton is obvious but the good you may have to look a little deeper to see. Blanton went 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA in the first year of a two year deal worth $15 million, which is bad. The good thing is he is on a one year deal, is affordable with a $7 million AAV, and would be easily obtained for scraps, a PTBNL, or cash in a trade, which is good. The Los Angeles Angels are even reportedly willing to eat salary to move him and if they don't they are prepared to release him before Spring Training, again good. Why would we want him though, right? Keep reading.

Blanton, using advanced metrics, was an average pitcher or maybe a tick above in 2013 in the American League. His xFIP was a respectable 3.84 which was 26th best in the AL. Yankees ace CC Sabathia's xFIP was 3.76, albeit in a down year, Jimenez's xFIP is 3.62 in 2013, and Santana's xFIP was 3.69 in 2013.

Blanton still misses enough bats, 7.33 K/9 in 2013, and keeps it in the strike zone, 2.31 BB/9, which is another attractive element to look at. You would also have to think that Blanton's 2013 BABIP, batting average on balls in play, has to come down from an insane .346 and come back closer to his career .305. One alarming rate though is his fly ball rate which produced a home run which was a staggering 19.1%, up from a career 11.0%, would probably not translate well into Yankee Stadium if this were to come to fruition.

Blanton's numbers may not look great, pitching in the batter friendly Citizens Bank Park for four of the last five seasons has not helped that,  but the guy can give you 175-200 innings and has all the signs of improving next season with a change of scenery. If it comes down to Spring Training and we still need a starting pitcher lets make sure that change of scenery happens in the Bronx.