The Yankees & The World's Highest Paid Athletes

Here's a little something to depress you as you all get ready to go to your job to make significantly less than these members of the New York Yankees. Forbes released a list of the highest paid players in the world and there are more than a few members of the Yankees on the list, and the man you think it on the top is not surprisingly.

Just to get this out of the way, the highest paid athlete in the world is Floyd Mayweather raking in $105 million this year. The first Yankee to make the list is Derek Jeter in the 35th spot bringing in a reported $24.3 million in 2014, $15.3 million in salary and $9 million in endorsements.

CC Sabathia is 37th with $24.2 million, $1.2 million in endorsements. Alex Rodriguez is 48th with a technical $22.9 million and only $300K in endorsements(not from Tony Bosch). Mark Teixeira is ranked 50th with $22.7 million, $200K in endoresements.

Former Yankee Robinson Cano landed at the 60th slot, Vernon Wells is 65th and probably won't play a single game this season, and Alfonso Soriano is 93rd.

The entire list can be seen HERE.

2013 Yankees Better Than 2014 Yankes Through May

This is a bit of a disconcerting post and I hated writing it but it must be seen, and cannot be unseen. The 2013 Yankees were a better team through May then the 2014 Yankees team was, unfortunately that is fact.

The Yankees record through May 2013: 31-23 (2nd place)

The Yankees record through May 2014: 29-25 (2nd place)

2013 Run Differential: +18

2014 Run Differential: -10

You can argue that the Yankees were running high off contributions from Vernon Wells that nobody expected to last a full season and that's why the team was better, uh hello? Yangervis Solarte anyone? No one knows how long the Solarte fire will burn, although I hope for all season long.

The Yankees had an excuse last season, they don't this season. Unacceptable.

The Official "Adios" To Vernon Wells

"Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home"

As we all know, and are probably still recovering from with all the celebration parties that were sure to pop up, Vernon Wells was designated for assignment yesterday to make room for Matt Thornton. Nothing made me happier to remove him from our roster pages, payroll page, and Yankees Wives & Girlfriends section of the site. Thanks for the memories Vern, even though they weren't so great.

Yankees Officially Sign Matt Thornton & DFA Vernon Wells

Although Vernon Wells started off really hot for the Yankees, hitting .301/.357/.538 with 10 home runs in his first 38 games, his OPS was a pathetic .495 for the remaining 92 games he appeared in. So the news that the Yankees have designated him for assignment, in order to make room for Matt Thornton (whose deal became official shortly after Wells was DFA'd), should not be surprising. Especially when the Yanks already have more than enough outfield options.

Vernon Wells Wants One More Year W/ The Yankees

Vernon Wells was interviewed and told reporters that he wanted one more year with the Yankees. That makes one of us. Here is the quote from NJ.com from Wells:

"I had so much fun," he said. "My family had fun. It's a truly unique experience."

But, he also said, he's not worrying about his future.

"There's possibly one spot" up for grabs in the outfield, Well said, "depending on if there are any moves made between here or there. But I've learned not to concern myself with things I have no control over. All I can control is getting ready for spring training and going in, and being ready to help the team in whatever what I can. Whatever role that I end up playing, whether it's there or somewhere else, I have to be ready and ready to produce."

Let The 40 Man Roster Crunch Begin

After the Yankees signed Brian Roberts and Matt Thornton yesterday, as well as still being unofficial with Carlos Beltran, they have 43 players by my unofficial count and only 40 roster spots. Let the 40 man roster crunch begin.

There are two solutions to clearing a sport for Beltran, cut Vernon Wells or designate Ramon Flores. The former obviously makes more sense and is more likely than the latter but both possibilities are there. Unless of course the Yankees move Brett Gardner or can move Ichiro Suzuki between then and now.

David Huff was always a non tender candidate and now that the Yankees have Thornton in the fold as well as Vidal Nuno and Cesar Cabral I think Huff gets the cut. He may come back on another minor league deal but I think he is definitely off the 40 man roster in the next week or two.

The last spot is a little less obvious than the other two as I am not 100% sure what the Yankees will do here. Roberts is an infielder so the obvious choice would be to cut or DFA'd are Eduardo Nunez. I think Nunez would probably clear waivers and if he didn't I don't think the Yankees have much confidence in him anyway.

A lot can happen between then and now, trades for example, but if you ask me right now this is what the Yankees will do to remedy their current 40 man roster crunch. I think it will be a mistake to let Nunez walk for nothing, he does have a minor league option, but you have to do what you have to do.

Vernon Wells Will Wear #19 In 2014

In other, not so important news, I'll be wearing #19 #BreakingNews #Not
— Vernon Wells (@VernonWells10) December 14, 2013

Vernon Wells announced breaking news via his Twitter that he gave up his #22 for Jacoby Ellsbury and will wear #19 next season. Breaking news if anyone cares.

Ellsbury & Kuroda Signings Have Been Made Official

It's official Jacoby Ellsbury will be a New York Yankees for at least the next seven seasons with an option for an eight season. The deal will pay Ellsbury $148 million with a $21 million team option with a $5 million buyout that will take him into his age 37 season. Ellsbury and his guaranteed $153 million will be introduced at Yankee Stadium on Friday, lunch is on Jacoby.

The 40 man roster is now full and an outfielder will likely get the cut when the Carlos Beltran signing is announced. Ramon Flores could get the DFA since he would likely clear waivers and return to the team. If the Yankees do not go that direction we could see an Ichiro to the San Francisco Giants trade or a Vernon Wells outright release. Either way I am happy.

Hiroki Kuroda was also officially signed this afternoon while me and the newborn napped on a one year deal worth $16 million for his third and likely his final year in pinstripes. The deal was actually official Thursday night but we didn't get the news until right now, dropped the ball you have my apologies. #HIROK

Poll: Starting Right Fielder For 2014

Who Should Be The Yankees Starting Right Fielder In 2014
	Curtis Granderson
	Carlos Beltran
	Ichiro Suzuki
	Vernon Wells
	Zoilo Almonte
	Jacoby Ellsbury
	Other Free Agent
	Other -- Please Specify in Comments Section
pollcode.com free polls

Here is a quick poll asking who you, the Yankees fans, want to see starting in right field for the New York Yankees when Opening Day comes around in 2014. Make sure to vote and we will post the results tonight or tomorrow or whenever we get enough votes. Thank you guys

Late wild pitch lifts Yankees to third straight win in Baltimore

Despite David Robertson blowing a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Yankees were able to bounce back quickly and win tonight's game over the Orioles, 6-5. With this win, the Yankees will leave Baltimore on a three game winning streak, and are now just one game behind the Rays in the Wild Card standings. 

The Yankees scored most of their runs early on this one, as Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Wells hit a two-run single in the third. In the seventh, Curtis Granderson hit what looked like the dagger when he hit a high fly ball over the right field fence. But, since Robertson gave up three runs in bottom of the eighth inning, it wasn't. Thankfully in the top half of the ninth the Bombers would re-take the lead after Jim Johnson threw a wild pitch, but it was still frustrating. Robertson's gotta do better. 

Anyway, this series was fun. Now on to Boston. 

Shaking Up Next Year's Team

A lot of Yankees fans have wanted the team to really shake things up, and I can't blame them for that. For most of the season the team has just seemed flat. So while I've advocated the team bringing back Curtis Granderson to start in LF and Hiroki Kuroda to pitch, along with Vernon Wells to be a bench player and Francisco Cervelli to at least share catching duties, I'm going to change that stance (at least for the time being) and say "let them all go".

Here's a box of puppies as a good-bye present.

Let's start with Curtis Granderson. Curtis will likely be able to take a qualifying offer (about $15 million) this offseason, and could even get offered a contract by the Yankees. While I would be okay bringing him back, this could be a way for the team to save a few bucks while taking advantage of some decent outfield options in free agency (see below).

I see no reason to keep Vernon Wells around. He's batting below .250, his on-base percentage is below .300, and a slugging percentage of .371 is hardly something to be proud of. Wells does hit left-handed pitchers well (.295/.349/.423 this season), and would cost nothing towards the Luxury Tax, but the team already has a bad player under contract to play the outfield (Ichiro). For those saying "why not let go of Ichiro, instead", Suzuki would cost more if released. And at least Ichiro is still a solid defender.

Francisco Cervelli came out of the gate on fire in 2013, before getting injured and then suspended. So I thought, and still think, it would be interesting to see what he could do in 2014. But with Austin Romine looking better as of late, and JR Murphy possibly being ready for MLB-duty, it may be time to let go of Cervie. While having faith that he could continue hitting like he did at the beginning of this season is okay, I wouldn't expect such a thing. 

By the way, it's about time Chris Stewart left the team too.

Yep, you too, Chris. Get out.

Looking at the full season, there's no doubt that Hiroki Kuroda has been the best starting pitcher on the team. Even if CC Sabathia was having his typical good season, Kuroda would still likely be some people's choice for starting the first game in the postseason. But I can't ignore the way he's faltered at the end of the last two seasons. And at 38 years old, I don't think we should disregard that. This is looking like one of those times when a team should get out while they're ahead, because the Yankees are sure as hell "ahead" with Hiro.

With all of those guys being let go, it's time to see what the Active Roster looks like so far for 2014. And the arbitration salaries are just guesses, as is Cano's new contract.

Catcher - Austin Romine $500,000 (pre-arbitration)
First Base - Mark Teixeira $22.5 million
Second Base - Robinson Cano $25 million (re-signed)
Third Base -
Shortstop - Derek Jeter $14.375 million
Left Field -
Center Field - Brett Gardner $6 million (arbitration 3)
Right Field –
Designated Hitter - Alfonso Soriano $4 million

Bench - Jayson Nix $1.5 million (arbitration 1)
Bench - JR Murphy $500,000 (pre-arbitration)
Bench - Ichiro Suzuki $6.5 million Note: Ichiro hits LHP well, but must sit vs. RHP
Bench - Eduardo Nunez $600,000 (pre-arbitration)

Starting Pitcher - CC Sabathia $24.4 million
Starting Pitcher -
Starting Pitcher - Ivan Nova $2.5 million (arbitration 1)
Starting Pitcher - Michael Pineda $750,000 (arbitration 1)
Starting Pitcher - David Phelps $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

Closer - David Robertson $5 million (arbitration 3)
Relief Pitcher - Shawn Kelley $1.5 million (arbitration 2)
Relief Pitcher - Adam Warren $500,000 (pre-arbitration)
Relief Pitcher - Preston Claiborne $500,000 (pre-arbitration)
Relief Pitcher - Dellin Betances $500,000 (pre-arbitration)
Relief Pitcher - ??? $500,000 (pre-arbitration)
Relief Pitcher - ??? $500,000 (pre-arbitration)

That means the team has spent $118.625 million, leaving $53.375 million to spend. Remember, that is after the 15 remaining roster spots and portion of player bonuses are taken care of. And I didn't even take into account the fact the team may want to leave itself with a few million dollars to play with.

No, not this type of "playing". I was thinking in case a mid-season move needs to be made.

While I hope Cashman can pull off a good trade or two to fill some of those holes (particularly at least one outfielder, and a third baseman), let's see what free agency has to offer.

Outfield
Jacoby Ellsbury – Ellsbury is a good defender, gets on base, and carries batting average. However, his power has diminished, and something about him being a key Red Sox player turns me off.

Carlos Beltran – Carlos will be 37 by Opening Day, and therefore shouldn't cost more than a two-year deal. He has good power, but a very low walk rate this season.

Shin-Soo Choo – Choo could cost as much as 5 years, which may be a bit much. Especially seeing that he's almost useless vs. LHP (.199/.330/.230 this season), even though he's really good vs. RHP (.329/.461/.580 vs. RHP). Another thing to keep in mind is that he's not a good defender.

Starting Pitcher
Matt Garza – Matt's under 30, so his arm should be good for years to come. And one good thing is that he's getting AL experience with a contender. On top of that, Garza's strikeout and walk rates are pretty good.

Tim Lincecum – At one time Timmy was in line for a Greinke-like payday, but that ship has sailed. There's a chance he's looking for a shorter contract to boost value for another FA bid. Lincecum has shown signs of his old Cy Young-self (see no-hitter in July), too. If he can get walks under control, and maintain his nice K rate, he could be a good option.

Ricky Nolasco – Nolasco has been killing it in Los Angeles with Dodgers, but that could be due to his low BABIP. Even so, thanks to a low BB rate and decent K rate, he could be interesting.

Third Base
Can you say “nothing good”? Seriously, the free agent list at the hot corner looks damn cold. Mark Reynolds may be the best 3B available, and he’s a very bad defender over there. Michael Young? Well, he has a good batting average, and his on-base percentage is okay, but that SLG is very low, not to mention his poor defense. A trade here is pretty much a "must".

And we haven't even got into a good bullpen arm, who could possibly set-up for Robertson, or be the new closer for the team (no... Girardi will not talk Rivera into returning).

So while the team could certainly use this offseason as an opportunity to shake things up, their ability to compete while doing so next season is in question. 

"This job is really hard."

Don't Look Now But Vernon Wells Is Awake Again

I think Vernon Wells is having the quietest productive month of baseball in the history of quiet and productive baseball. On June 22nd against the Tampa Bay Rays, shortly after being ousted as an every day player by Zoilo Almonte, Vernon Wells pinch hit and walked off with a double. Since then Vernon Wells has been batting over .300 although he has only two extra base hits in that span. While Vernon has been a huge part of the Yankees transitioning from the Bronx Bombers to the Bronx Singles's Vernon has still been a productive piece of the lineup. Vernon was not brought here to be a middle of the order type of hitter but has been forced to be with the rash of injuries the Yankees have endured this season. While I am not ready to crown Vernon Wells for what he has done he has been far from our biggest thing to worry about in this lineup and I will take anything like that at this point. Maybe Vernon can continue this barrage of hits for the rest of the season and add some power in there and we can get this ball rolling again into the win column.

Is It Time To Reunite With Chris Dickerson?

Chris Dickerson was designated for assignment yesterday by the Baltimore Orioles and could soon become a free agent. If Dickerson clears waivers he can accept a minor league assignment or he can elect free agency and become a free agent. If Dickerson is claimed then the Orioles can either trade him or they can basically give him away for his salary. Either way should the Yankees be interested with having a reunion with Chris Dickerson?

Dickerson batted .245/.274/.412 in 106 plate appearances with the Orioles this season after signing a minor league deal with Baltimore shortly after being DFA'd by the New York Yankees. Chris Dickerson is a left handed outfielder and 31 years old but would he give us even a marginal upgrade over what we currently have? I cannot say so because I would not say that C Dick would be an upgrade over any of Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki, Curtis Granderson, or Zoilo Almonte. He may be an upgrade over Vernon Wells but Vernon bats right handed and gives him an obvious edge over Dickerson.

"Still a NO Chris..."

In the end as much as I would love to have Chris Dickerson back with the Yankees as I am a member of the C Dick fan club I cannot see it happening. Unless it is on a minor league deal it just does not make sense for Dickerson to sign on with the Yankees. I can see a team like the Atlanta Braves jumping all over this deal to temporarily replace their injured Upton brothers and Jayson Heyward.

Yankees First-Half Awards: Results

[caption id="attachment_16014" align="aligncenter" width="246"] Will Brett Gardner take home BOTH the Defensive MVP and Offensive MVP award? Read to find out![/caption]

Welcome back Yankees fans! Now, on July 6th, I posted a poll about the Yankees First-Half awards. The poll had now closed and now it's time to give the results.

DISCLAIMER: I was not allowed/couldn't vote for anyone in any category in anyway. All of these votes are from you guys.  Now that we are perfectly clear, let's start with the Pitching Category, shall we?

Who Is the Yankees Starting Pitcher MVP?

For this category, I listed the pitchers that have had either great or s0-so years. (Ivan Nova wasn't added because he wasn't in the rotation the entire half and Phil Hughes was plain terrible when I made the poll). So, here were your nominees for the Starting Pitcher MVP.

1) CC Sabathia

2) Hiroki Kuroda

3) Andy Pettitte

4) David Phelps

The Winner Is:

Hiroki Kuroda!

Hiroki Kuroda had a whopping 92% of the vote among Yankees fans. Andy Pettitte was second in the voting at 3% and CC Sabathia and David Phelps were tied with 2%. So pretty much Kuroda had this category in the bag.

Who is the Yankees Bullpen MVP?

Our next category takes us to the bullpen, where we have some of our top relievers that have outperformed above and beyond. (Shawn Kelley, Preston Claiborne and Adam Warren were not listed in this category because there was a specific category for them. We all know why Joba Chamberlain wasn't nominated in any category, so that's that.) Here were your nominees for Yankees Bullpen MVP.

1) Mariano Rivera

2) David Robertson

3) Boone Logan

The Winner Is:

Mariano Rivera!

Mariano Rivera had 85% of the vote, so it wasn't shocking who won. It was shocking who came second. Boone Logan had 11% of the vote and David Robertson came in third with 4% of the vote. I would have figured more people would have voted for D-Rob. Interesting.

Who is the Yankees Bullpen Standout?

Here is the category where I listed some pitchers that weren't in the other category. (Again, Joba is not in this category). These are some first time Yankees that have opened everyone's eyes with what they could do. Here are your nominees for Yankees Bullpen Standout.

1) Shawn Kelley

2) Preston Claiborne

3) Adam Warren

The Winner Is:

Preston Claiborne!

Preston Claiborne had 63% of the vote among Yankees fans while Shawn Kelley had 34% of the vote. Adam Warren finished last in this category with 2%. I was surprised with Warren getting the least amount since he has helped out the bullpen so much as well

Now we move on to the Defense Category. 

Who Is The Yankees Defensive MVP?

This category involved multiple players that have opened our eyes with their defense. Luis Cruz wasn't added to this category because he came after I already made the poll, but we could give him a pat on the back for the great defense he provided. Here are your nominees for Yankees Defensive MVP:

1) Robinson Cano

2) Brett Gardner

3) Ichiro Suzuki

4) Jayson Nix

5) Vernon Wells

The Winner Is:

Brett Gardner!

Brett Gardner quickly ran away (pun not intended) with this category with 69% of the vote. Robinson Cano came in second with 17% of the vote while Ichiro Suzuki came in third with 11% of the vote. Jayson Nix had 2% of the vote while Vernon Wells had 1%.

Onto the biggest award: The Yankees Offensive MVP

This is the final category of the awards. It also was the tightest race out of all the categories. I pulled up the Yankees best three offensive players throughout the first half and the winner...may shock you. Here are your nominees:

1) Robinson Cano

2) Brett Gardner

3) Ichiro Suzuki

The Winner Is:

Robinson Cano AND Brett Gardner!

I know what you're thinking, how could BOTH of them win the Offensive Award? It was simple. The race was SO tight that by the time voting closed--they were tied. Both Gardner and Cano had 47% of the vote. Ichiro unfortunately was left in the dust with 7% of the vote.

And those are your winners for the Yankees First-Half Awards! Join me again in September after the regular season when we have 2013 Yankees Awards (awards that are for the entire year, instead of the first half).

Yankees HOPE Week Presents Pillows Of Love

In the second day of the Yankees HOPE Week they visited 10 year old Autumn Blinn who has dedicated herself to helping those in need through her "Pillows of Love" movement.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Robinson Cano, David Robertson, Jayson Nix, and Vernon Wells attended her event at the Ronald McDonald House on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Autumn was surprised to see the Yankees players walk through the door as she was handing out her homemade pillows to the sick children at the hospital. The players spent time with the patients, Autumn, and Autumn's family by handing out pillows, playing games in the game room, and by having a pizza party. Autumn and her family were invited to Yankees Stadium tonight to watch the Yankees take batting practice and be part of an on the field ceremony before they take on the Kansas City Royals at 7:05 pm ET.

Click the link to see Chad Jennings write up about Pillows of Love and young Autumn Blinn.

Interesting Perks & Stipulations Of Yankees Contracts

Alex Rodriguez

Alex may purchase four of the best Legends Suite season tickets from 2009 - 2017. He also has a $30,000,000 marketing agreement based on home run milestones including $6,000,000 for each home runs when he passes Willie Mays at 660 home runs, Babe Ruth's 714 home runs, Hank Aaron's 755 home runs, and another $6,000,000 each for tying and passing all time home run record king Barry Bonds.

Vernon Wells

Vernon has to donate $143,000 every year to the Toronto Blue Jays charity.

From an AAV standpoint Vernon Wells has agreed to be a "free' player next year

Mark Teixeira

Mark may purchase up to eight of the Yankees best season tickets every season.

CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia gets a suite on every Yankees road trips. I guess when you are the king of the Yankees rotation you want to be treated that way.

CC gets paid twice a month spread out for all 12 months of the season unlike normal Yankees contracts which get paid out twice a month during the season only.

Derek Jeter

Derek has $2,000,000 annually deferred off of his contract without interest to be paid to him in each of the 2015,2016, and 2017 seasons. The payment will be paid on March 17th each of these three seasons for whatever reason.

Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro has a fat check on his way presumably after the 2014 season because the Seattle Mariners are on the hook for $25,000,000 to be paid to Ichiro the year after he retires. Ichiro will be paid $5,000,000 annually on January 30th for five years the year after he retires.The kicker is that Ichiro has a 5.5% interest rate on that money as well.

Yankees First Half Awards Poll

[caption id="attachment_16098" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner are MVP's for the Yankees, but who will take home the Offensive and Defensive MVP?[/caption]

With the All-Star break approaching us, it's time to reward the Yankees on the team for their hard work that they've done for half of the year. It's been a tough 3 months, but with a loss of many players, the Yankees are still in the hunt for a play-off spot (yes, I know it's hard to fathom). So, with the first half of the season closing in, it's time to have a poll on some deserving players who have went above and beyond in trying to help the Yankees. So here are the categories:

Yankees Offensive MVP:

The Yankees have been through a lot through the last 3 months of the season, some good, some bad, some terrible and some horrendous. However, for the Yankees there have been a few bright spots on the team. I had to find at least three players to be nominated for this award and with this lineup--it was very easy to make my decision. So thank you to the rest of the lineup for constantly struggling. Anyway, here are your nominees for Yankees Offensive MVP:

[polldaddy poll=7229651]

Yankees Starting Pitching MVP:

There haven't been a lot of bright spots for the Yankees Starting pitching, but so once again it was pretty easy to find at least three (or four) nominees for this subject. So here are your nominees for Yankees Starting Pitching MVP:

[polldaddy poll=7229653]

Yankees Bullpen MVP:

The Yankees bullpen MVP was the hardest part to choose Yankees nominees (thanks for being so good guys). These nominees went above and beyond to protect the leads for the most part, and even shut down the opposing team's offense. Here are your nominees for Yankees Bullpen MVP:

[polldaddy poll=7229659]

Yankees Bullpen Standout:

Now, there are Yankees MVP, and then there are players that have joined the Yankees in the pen for the first time in 2013 and have shut down the offense. So this category is for those players. Here are your nominees for Yankees Bullpen Standout:

[polldaddy poll=7229671]

Yankees Defensive MVP:

Now, there are some good catches...and then there are catches that leave the offense wanting to throw their helmets down on the floor in anger. Here are your nominees for the Yankees Defensive MVP for the first half of 2013:

[polldaddy poll=7229675]

Here are the polls, Yankees fans! You have until July 14th to get your votes in and I'll have the winners posted up during the All-Star Break! You can vote as many times as you want for a player, so good luck and may the best player win.

Are We A Trade Match With The Whitesox - Outfielders

The Yankees have had some less than stellar results from their outfielders this season and the White Sox may be a match to help us improve in that area. Brett Gardner has been great, maybe even an All Star, this season and Ichiro has been hot and cold all season long. Vernon Wells had a great first month and has fallen off the face of the earth while Zoilo Almonte broke onto the scene in a huge way only to remember that he is a prospect. We have been so desperate for outfield help this season we even let Lyle Overbay play out there since Curtis Granderson has been out for most of the season with two freak injuries. Are the White Sox a good match to help us with our outfield problems? Let's see...

Alejandro De Aza has put up a triple slash of .261/.316/.420 with an OPS of .736. De Aza has also put up 10 home runs and 40 RBI's playing center field for the White Sox. His versatility and speed, 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts, make him an obvious attractive choice for the Yankees. He has the versatility to play any of the three outfield positions and can bat anywhere in the lineup. The only down fall for De Aza and the Yankees may be that he is a left handed batter and the Yankees have more than enough left handed batters and especially outfielders. De Aza is also a free agent after this season and is owed a little less than $1,000,000 for the rest of the season.

Alex Rios has put up a triple slash of .272/.330/.452 with an OPS of .783 this season. Rios has also slammed 11 home runs, knocked in 36 RBI's, and hit 18 doubles this season in right field for the White Sox. Rios has 13 stolen bases in 18 attempts and has only struck out 53 times in 294 at bats. The biggest issue with Rios is that $12,500,000 owed to him both this season and next season and that may keep him out of pinstripes. One redeeming factor that Rios has though is the fact that he is right handed and an upgrade over every Yankees outfielder not named Brett Gardner this season so I would at least kick the tires on this guy.

The DeWayne Wise ship has sailed in New York so I cannot see him coming over in a trade and anyway he is on the DL so that will make any trade difficult. Jordan Danks has only had 32 at bats and is batting a minuscule .125 batting average with a .222 on base percentage so he is definitely not in the Yankees plans this season. Casper Wells has also been limited to 39 at bats and has struggled putting up a .179 batting average with a .238 on base percentage so I cannot see him in the Yankees plans either. Dayan Viciedo is only batting .227 with a .263 on base percentage and can only be an improvement over Vernon Wells at this point so I cannot see him getting in Yankees pinstripes this season either.

It looks like it is Alejandro De Aza, Alex Rios, or bust for the Yankees and the White Sox this trading deadline.

Yankees Willing To Add Payroll At Trade Dealine

The New York Yankees already have an all time high payroll of roughly $230,000,000 this season and are willing to add even more at the trade deadline in order to compete. The Yankees have roughly $100,000,000 sitting on the disabled list alone and with them basically paying Vernon Wells for this season and next season all in 2013 you can see where that number seems a little bloated. I am glad to hear that the Yankees are willing to add payroll and even made a statement about the trade deadline without bringing up the 2014 luxury tax threshold goal and austerity budget. If the Yankees could not add payroll this July then we would be stuck seeing this same punch-less lineup for basically the rest of the season and that is enough to depress a guy.

Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees 6/23

The Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays will finish up their four game series this afternoon at Yankees Stadium with the Yankees looking to bury the Rays in the AL East. The Yankees have won two out of the first three games and have sent the Tampa Bay Rays into last place in the division, thank you Vernon Wells and Zoilo Almonte. The Yankees are hoping to get a good start from Ivan Nova today as he is back from AAA Scranton on a few days extra rest to take on the Rays Chris Archer. The game will be televised at 1:05 pm ET on YES, TBS, and on MLB TV.

Buy your tickets here for Old Timer's Day and today's Yankees game now before they sell out.