So it Seems… The Cry to Move Judge

Aaron Judge needs to move down in the batting order. Gary Sanchez probably does too. Bat DIdi Gregorius third, because Didi is probably your best hitter on the team and the third spot is reserved for your team’s best hitter, and go back to winning baseball games by lopsided score totals. It’s easy but why doesn’t Joe Girardi see it? Why doesn’t he do anything about it if he does see it? Is he scared to hurt egos? He didn’t seem scared to hurt the ego of Aroldis Chapman when he removed him from the closer’s role. Come on Girardi, do something.

Beating your head against the same wall every day in the same motion at the same time every single day and expecting a different result is loosely the definition of insanity. I added the bit about beating my head into the wall because that’s how Girardi makes me feel sometimes. Jesus Christ open your eyes and lead and MANAGE this team to a postseason slot. Stop letting talent override your bad decision making or move the hell on back to Miami.

I’m done with Joe Girardi. Can you tell? I apologize for starting the day off on a rant but I can only take so damn much sometimes. Good morning everyone. Especially you. Hey you. I love you!!

So it Seems the Yankees Need a Closer

What the hell happened to Aroldis Chapman? I’m sorry but if you’re throwing 172 MPH you should be able to get MLB players out consistently, period. Chapman just can’t do that right now yet Joe Girardi keeps on running him out there in the 9^th inning like he can. I don’t get it. I don’t understand it and I likely never will. It makes me so mad I’m infuriated watching these Yankees games and highlights lately. So it seems the Yankees need a closer. Whether that close is Dellin Betances, Chad Green who has been a monster out of the bullpen, David Robertson or someone from outside the organization and team I don’t know but something needs to be done. Well, if the team wants to make the postseason in 2017 anyway.

Oh and HEY YOU. HEY YOU. You get two today because in just two more days I am all yours. I love you. 

The Case For and Against Trading Aroldis Chapman

If the New York Yankees are going to trade Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran and Nathan Eovaldi (hypothetically since those are the players we have covered thus far in this series) then you almost have to trade Aroldis Chapman as well, right? The Yankees basically stole Chapman away from the Cincinnati Reds with a lesser prospect package this winter because of his ties to a domestic violence case and have rode out his 30 game suspension. With that now behind him and the club and after enough of a sample size that shows Chapman is healthy, back and can handle closing out games in the Bronx the Yankees could lose Rookie Davis, Eric Jagielo, Tony Renda, Caleb Cotham and others and turn them indirectly into a whole lot more. That’s only if it makes sense to trade him this summer.

 

The case for trading Aroldis Chapman:

His contract expires after the season and the Yankees aren’t going anywhere in 2016. 

He would likely fetch much more in a July trade than the Yankees gave up to acquire him this winter. 

I’ve said it four times now but it’s true, the Yankees would finally admit to rebuilding. 

Brian Cashman could buy a couple brownie points back by buying low and selling high. 

The case against trading Aroldis Chapman:

If the Yankees compete for a Wild Card or make a historic second half run the bullpen would be thin and weaker without Chapman. 

The Yankees can’t offer him a qualifying offer after the season and get a draft pick as compensation. 

This may affect a potential and completely hypothetical chance for him in free agency before 2017. 

I can’t think of all that many reasons not to trade the Cuban Missile this summer as long as the Yankees are out of it. His contract is expiring, he’s making a ton of money for a relief pitcher and he would presumably fetch much more than the Yankees gave up for him this winter. If the Yankees continue to fall I can absolutely, 100%, see Chapman packing his bags and wearing his third ever uniform in his short MLB career. 

Joe Girardi Confirms What We Already Knew

Joe Girardi confirmed that Aroldis Chapman will be the Yankees closer in 2016. Basically what the Yankees manager is saying is the sky is still blue, the grass is still green and I'm still not going to win the Powerball on Wednesday. We all knew Chapman was going to be the closer, it was basically announced weeks ago when Andrew Miller told the media he was willing to pitch the 7th or 8th. Anyway the news is slow so people are latching onto this so I felt compelled to post it. Enjoy?

Remembering 2015: Andrew Miller

Jonathan Papelbon Interested in the Yankees

If any of you reading this ever had a middle school or high school crush you know one thing is more true than anything else you have ever known in your life. It takes two to tango. You can be interested, you can even borderline on obsessed, but that doesn't guarantee that the "one made for you" would even know you existed let alone also be interested in you that way. This brings me to the delusional one, the one closing games in Washington. Jonathan Papelbon.

Papelbon has a limited no-trade clause written into his contract and can block trades to 17 teams around the league. Those teams are the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Atlanta Braves, the Baltimore Orioles, the Cincinnati Reds, the Colorado Rockies, the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros, the Kansas City Royals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Miami Marlins, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Minnesota Twins, the Oakland Athletics, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays.

One team name not listed, the New York Yankees. Papelbon is interested in the New York Yankees, let's hope the interest is not mutual. Friend zone this guy, and now.

Andrew Miller for Stephen Strasburg Makes Sense Unfortunately

The New York Yankees are being aggressive as the GM meetings begin and the offseason kicks off in fashion. Brian Cashman is said to be on the phone and meeting with every GM across the league and has stated that no one is safe in the Bronx, the Bronx may be burning. Cashman mentioned one player by name specifically that either excited or infuriated many fans when they learned that he could potentially be shopped and/or traded and that was Yankees closer Andrew Miller.  As much as I don’t want to admit it to myself the deal that is being floated around, whether it be by the beat writers or the fans themselves, that would send Yankees closer Andrew Miller to Washington heads up for Stephen Strasburg makes sense for both teams… and I’m prepared to tell you why.

Before we get too in-depth with this let me put out a short disclaimer. I don’t want to trade Andrew Miller. Closing games in New York is not like closing games anywhere else and I don’t just believe that any closer can do it. I believe Dellin Betances could do it, mind you, but trading away a player that is meeting or exceeding his contract seems redundant on THIS team with so many who aren’t. Whether I want to let the fact that I am a fan of Miller’s or not cloud my judgement remains to be seen but I am level-headed enough to admit the deal makes sense.

The Yankees need an ace, bottom line. They have a ton of good pitchers that could be great but right now they don’t have that one guy that can stop a losing streak almost each and every time. Luis Severino could be that guy and up until now Masahiro Tanaka has been acting like that guy but Strasburg has all the makings to be that guy. Sure he’s been injury prone thus far in his career, some pitchers react differently to Tommy John surgery both mentally and physically, and sure he hasn’t lived up to the hype but it’s not often that #1 overall talent from the MLB Draft becomes available, especially to the Yankees. Acquiring Strasburg would give him and the Yankees a one-year audition and quite a long time to decide whether they want to offer him a qualifying offer or sign him to a contract extension after 2016.

The Yankees could take that money they cleared from the Miller contract and sign one or two relievers to “replace” him. Darren O’Day could come in and pitch the 8^th inning with Betances sliding into the 9^th inning role while New York fills out their bullpen with Adam Warren, Justin Wilson, Chasen Shreve and maybe a Joakim Soria or a Tony Sipp.

The deal makes sense and on paper and makes the team better on paper but that doesn’t necessarily mean the deal sits well with me. I’m a fan, I can’t help it. 

Mariano Rivera Honored by Latino U College Access

The former New York Yankees legend and long-time closer Mariano Rivera, along with his wife Clara, were honored this month by Latino U College Access. Latino U is a non-profit organization that provides guidance and services to Latin Students who are the first in their respective families to attend college. This was Latino U’s third annual event and benefit and the third time they handed out their Community Partner Award.

Here is a quote from the event by Latino U College Access founder Shirley Acevedo Buontempo:

"We are honored to present Mr. and Mrs. Rivera with the Community Partner award for their support of our scholars. The Mariano Rivera Foundation is dedicated to working today to build a better tomorrow, and that aligns beautifully with Latino U's mission to increase college enrollment and completion rates among Latino youth to ensure the success of future generations."

Visit www.latinoucollege.org for more information on Latino U. The Mariano Rivera Foundation website can be found at www.marianoriverafoundation.org.

Andrew Miller is the AL Reliever of the Year

Andrew Miller has been named the American League's Best Reliever for the 2015 season, congratulations to him. Miller finished the season with 36 saves in his first season as a closer in the league. Miller wins the Mariano Rivera Award while pitching for the New York Yankees, seems like fate to me.

2015 Yankees: Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances Highlights

The 1-2 punch for the New York Yankees. 

End of the Season Comparisons: The Closer

The New York Yankees were heavily criticized this winter when the team allowed former closer David Robertson to leave via free agency to greener pastures in Chicago with the Chicago White Sox after the team signed Andrew Miller to close games in the Bronx. Robertson ended up signing a four-year deal with Chicago worth $46 million while Miller signed for four-years and $36 million, in case you’re terrible at math and don’t have a calculator handy that’s a $10 million difference. Did the Yankees make the right move in allowing Robertson to walk in favor of Miller for less money and comparable stats, you know the kind of move that 29 other teams would make and be praised for, or did the Yankees drop the ball in letting the temporary heir to Mariano Rivera walk?

Miller:

Robertson:

Robertson has been Robertson in 2015 while Miller has been Miller other than the save totals. In Miller’s first season as a full-time closer the left-hander has thrived in the position and not let the pressure get to him. That same pressure we as fans used to think Robertson buckled under as he walked the bases loaded or was forced to pull off another Houdini act. Robertson’s stats in 2015 with the White Sox are comparable to his stats in New York and they have been comparable, but not superior, to Miller’s this season. All-in-all it looks like Brian Cashman made the right decision in letting Robertson walk and by signing Miller although I can’t see many people agreeing with that just because. 

Quick Hit: Comparing Dellin to Mariano in Season Two

When Dellin Betances broke into the league and broke into the back end of the New York Yankees bullpen in 2014 many compared him immediately to the Yankees legendary closer Mariano Rivera. When looking at the stats from Mariano's first full season in 1996 and Dellin's 2014 campaign you can see that Dellin met or exceeded many of Rivera's totals including passing his franchise record for strikeouts in a single season. Has Dellin met, exceeded or fallen short of Rivera's second season in the majors in only his second full season in 2015?

Dellin Betances 2015 stats (to date):

Year	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015 ★	6	3	1.36	70	8	79.2	41	15	12	5	39	124	295	2.43	1.004	4.6	0.6	4.4	14.0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Mariano Rivera's 1997 stats: 

Year	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
1997 ★	6	4	1.88	66	43	71.2	65	17	15	5	20	68	239	2.96	1.186	8.2	0.6	2.5	8.5

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

You have to keep in mind that Rivera was the closer for the New York Yankees in 1997 which led to a decrease in innings pitched and subsequently most of his stats in his second season. Rivera was throwing multiple innings in 1996 where he was limited to one, and no more than two, innings in 1997. The stats don't lie either way though and they tell a very interesting story, a story that states that Betances

Fantasy Baseball: The Closer Position

We are about 1/5 of the way through the Major League Baseball season and if you’re bullpen is in shambles in your fantasy league you may want to keep reading. I am by no means a Fantasy Baseball guru but I do like to think I know a thing or two about MLB in general so hopefully this post can help you shore up the back end of your bullpen and propel you to a victory in your league.

If you don’t already have Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, Greg Holland, David Robertson, Andrew Miller, Glen Perkins, Trevor Rosenthal, Huston Street, Joakim Soria or Hector Rondon you may or may not be in trouble in your league right now. Every pitcher on this list with the exception of Kimbrel (flirting with a 6.00 ERA that has to come down soon) and Holland have been dominant all season long notching save after save and K after K but what if you weren’t lucky enough to get these players? I may have a few names that may be available via trade or even in the free agent market if you league size, team wise, is small enough to help you make your second half push.

Koji Uehara has bounced back from a slow start this season and a DL trip and looks more like the guy the Red Sox hoped they were getting when they signed him to an extension at 40 years old. Zach Britton, Drew Storen, Jonathan Papelbon, Santiago Casilla and Francisco Rodriguez seemingly have no one in their bullpens to challenge them for the jobs so it seems like even if the ERA’s and peripherals are inflated a bit these men are shoe-in’s for every save opportunity their respected teams get this season unless traded.

Jeurys Familia has done well with the New York Mets and you could snatch him up in a trade with someone thinking they got the best of his hot start and who are thinking they are selling high. The same can be said for A.J. Ramos who stole the job from Steve Cishek in Miami and has done well in a very limited sample size in the 9^th inning.

The final list of players include a few that are shaky at best but are the walking poster child of high risk high reward type signings. Players like Cody Allen, Brett Cecil, Jason Grili, John Axford, Mark Melancon and whoever comes out on top of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers closing competition on the fly may get you above water just enough to do some damage in your leagues. If not I offer a money back guarantee on all my Fantasy advice, good thing it’s free right?

Safe to Say Andrew Miller is the Closer, No?

I think it’s safe to say that after eight games of the 2015 season that whether Joe Girardi comes out and says it or not, Andrew Miller is his closer. Miller got the save Monday night in Baltimore getting the final five outs of the contest while getting the Yankees out of a jam that Dellin Betances started. Betances has pitched a handful of times this season and every time he has entered a game it has been in either the 7^th or the 8^th inning. Miller has three appearances as well (entering play Tuesday) and has pitched in the 8^th or the 9^th inning but always in a closer’s situation. Miller has two saves in two chances, Betances has none in zero chances. Miller is the closer, officially or not.

Who Wins the Closers Job?

For the first time in a very, very long time the New York Yankees are seemingly having a competition in spring training to determine who their closer will be. As far back as the 1996 season John Wetteland was going to be the closer for the Yankees and starting in 1997 all the way to the end of the 2013 season the guy closing out games for New York was Mariano Rivera. Last season was the first season without Rivera but no matter what the Yankees said to keep his arbitration numbers down David Robertson was the new Yankees closer but this season there are two very viable and equally inexperienced closers for the Yankees to choose from in Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. Who do they chose?

Much has been made of the control and velocity for Betances this spring but many haven’t done the research before screaming that the sky was falling. Last spring training, and Joe Girardi confirmed this in a YES Network interview during one of the games that Betances pitched in, Betances was only hitting 92-94 MPH on the gun and was not as crisp and absolutely dominant as he was when he was in mid-season form in the Bronx. Granted Betances was better in 2014’s spring camp but all in all these starts and stats mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Betances is a big guy and will likely struggle with his mechanics and control his entire life but with a good pitching coach in Larry Rothschild I don’t believe this is the finished piece we will see in April, let alone June, July or in September.

Miller has little closing experience but has been pitching in the American League East for a few seasons with the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles most recently so the adjustment shouldn’t be as drastic as with most free agent pitchers. Miller has looked as lights out as ever this spring with healthy strikeout numbers while showing an ability to get both left handed and right handed batters out. Miller looks like the more polished and ready pitcher at this point in the spring and has the veteran mindset to close out games anywhere, even in the Bronx.

Call me crazy but if I’m Joe Girardi I am giving the ball to Miller as my closer to start the season. I’d rather have Betances coming in and actually saving a game, just without the stat, in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning with the ability to go multiple innings rather than tying him down and saving him for one inning at a time. I know the same was said about Mariano Rivera after the 1996 season but Betances is not Rivera, no one is Rivera, and I’d rather take advantage of his young and fresh fireballing arm as often as we safely can and you cannot do that just one inning at a time. 

Sergio Romo May Have Turned Down Yankees Offer

First and foremost I want to start out by saying that this is pure speculation on my part. I have no sort of inside information, this hasn’t been reported on anywhere etc. but I was reading some quotes from an article on USA Today about the San Francisco Giants offseason to date and a few key notes caught my eye. The first quote from the article SEEN HERE quoted Romo as saying “Man, do you realize how lucky and blessed you really are?” Okay, I took that as a guy saying all the right things after signing a two year deal worth $15 million but the next quote really stuck in my mind.

The exact quote was “you have to go to a place where you’re happy and you’re excited to go to work every day.” Now taken out of context this quote seems rather politically correct and a non-issue but if you read the article this was his response to a question about why he returned to San Francisco and reportedly turned down opportunities to be a closer elsewhere. Rather than be a closer in a place like New York, who was reportedly interested in Romo and who presumably need a closer, Romo chose to fall into line with Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez.

I’m not sure the Yankees made the offer to be the everyday defined closer or not but it sure would make sense if they did. These are the stories that the Brian Cashman haters, and granted I am borderline and on the fence about himself and far from a Cashman apologist, will never hear about. All they will hear is what they want to hear, that Cashman did nothing to improve the team and we’re doomed. The sky is falling, or maybe it’s not. 

What I Want for Christmas: Yankees Edition

Yesterday I asked for Max Scherzer under my Yankees themed Christmas tree to fill out the Yankees rotation and today on this Christmas Eve I ask for someone to help fill out the bullpen. Enter Rafael Soriano an AL East and New York tested battle closer who could fill the defined 9^th inning role for the Yankees, untuck.

Sure Soriano has lost a MPH or two on the fastball but not enough to worry about him as he is likely to land a one year deal, two years max, after losing his job in Washington last season. Signing Soriano allows the team to get multiple innings out of at least one of, if not both of, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances every single night. Add in an inning from Justin Wilson, Jacob Lindgren, Adam Warren or any other Yankees reliever and the starters, the biggest question mark on the team, need to simply get through 5 IP and go take a shower.

Bring me Soriano wrapped in a bow, I’ve been good. Untuck. 

Andrew Miller Won't Close, per Brian Cashman

Brian Cashman was in a conference call after making the Didi Gregorius trade and after signing Andrew Miller to a four year deal so you have to assume there would be a sound bite or two. The most notable blurb in my eyes was the fact that Andrew Miller would not be the Yankees closer, whether the team got David Robertson back or not. Where does that leave the Yankees bullpen in 2015?

Honestly, if I know Cashman the way I think I know Cashman, if the team does not bring Robertson back then the team will go after a Jason Grilli or a Casey Jannsen. I can't see the team handing Dellin Betances the closers role in 2015, whether he deserves it or not, due to the way the game is played these days. Sometimes the "save" really comes with two outs in the 6th, or when a pitcher gets out of a rally in the 7th etc. Betances nay have hurt his own chances by being too valuable as the Yankees multi-inning fireman in 2014. With that said let's assume the Yankees get Robertson back and take a look at the Yankees bullpen:

CP: Robertson
SU: Betances
SU: Miller
RP: Justin Wilson
RP: Esmil Rogers
RP: Adam Warren
RP: Shawn Kelley
RP: David Phelps/Bryan Mitchell/ Long Man

One word describes that, filthy. That's before Jacob Lindgren comes up or any of Branden Pinder and Danny Burawa.

Francisco Rodriguez For The Yankees Pen In 2015?

The Yankees at least for now are without their closer in David Robertson for the 2015 season thus weakening New York's bullpen.  Now while I am a huge advocate for Joe Girardi and his ability to build a bullpen on the fly, especially with prospects, I think everyone would like a little more certainty. Francisco Rodriguez signed a minor league deal in 2013 with the Milwaukee Brewers and a major league deal in 2014 as well and has done nothing but lock down games since leaving the Mets. 

Every pitcher comes with pros and cons obviously. Rodriguez strikes out guys, has closing experience, doesn't walk many batters, has not given up many home runs in his career and gets almost enough ground balls to survive in Yankee Stadium. He has also pitched in the New York market before with him time with the New York Mets which while it probably does not compare it cannot really hurt.

The cons are painfully obvious especially looking at his half a season in the AL East in 2013. While K Rod finished with a 2.70 ERA in 2013 he also had a 4.50 ERA while in an Orioles uniform. He gave up over twice the home runs in the AL as he did in the NL, and was average according to WAR.

Should the Yankees take the plunge and the chance? Absolutely! As much as I love David Robertson he could sign elsewhere and having a suitable back up plan is never a bad idea. Who cares if he beat his father in law, can he get batters out with consistency? I wouldn't mind finding out...

I've Got Til 5! - Locking Up David Robertson

I feel like we're in the calm before the storm. Or maybe the eye of the hurricane. Honestly, I'm not great with idioms, but one of those two has to fit this subject.

Even though there was a lot going on this past offseason (see the signings of Masahiro Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran), there were still many fans that wanted the team to lock-up David Robertson like they did Brett Gardner. And after watching Brett Gardner play way above his 4 year/$52 million deal this season (Fangraphs has Gardner worth $19.4 million so far in 2014), I can see many more fans going nuts when it comes time to put up or shut up with D-Rob.

Too bad Gardner's effectiveness has pretty much gone to waste.

But I'm not sure anybody should be upset about that. And I'm not just talking about the fact that, up to that point, Robertson hadn't done that well as a closer, as he had eight blown saves in 14 chances between 2011 and 2013.

For starters, we don't know what Robertson meant when he said he would have signed for a discount this past offseason. My guess is that, while he wouldn't have signed for "set-up man" money, he wouldn't have demanded Jonathan Papelbon money either (note: Papelbon signed a 4 year/$50 million contract with Philadelphia two seasons ago). An extension with Robertson before this season started probably would have been in the 3 year/$30 million range. So what are we looking at now? Well, going by my very unscientific approach to estimating future contracts, I'd say somewhere around 4 years and $55 million. Although I could actually see it being a little less, as Robertson hasn't had as much closer success as Papelbon had before he signed with the Phillies. And seeing how that Philly/Paps contract has worked out could be a bad thing for the Robertson camp too.

So we're talking about the Yankees possibly having saved about $25 million, which would be spread out for three to four years. While that's a ton of money to "normal" people such as myself, we're talking about the Yankees. The same team that a lot of fans (myself included) would like to see pay Alex Rodriguez $61 million over the next three years to stay away. If this were the Florida Marlins then we'd have a reason to be ticked off at Brian Cashman for not moving on David before the season, but thankfully we're not the Marlins. The Yankees may very well give Robertson upwards of $60 million to return as the team's closer, and they won't bat an eye doing it.

Here are a few more reasons not to be upset about the Yankees not pursuing an extension with Robertson earlier...

• Jim Johnson led the American League in saves in 2012 and 2013. Today, Johnson has an ERA of 7.14 with only two saves.
• Not even a year after leading the National League in saves, Jason Motte had to have Tommy John surgery. And after returning to the St. Louis Cardinals this season he holds an ERA of 4.91 without a single save.
• Brian Wilson was masterful as the closer for the Giants in 2010, leading the NL with 48 saves, and helping his team win the World Series. After one more good season (I say "good" as an ERA of 3.11 is hardly "masterful") he had to have Tommy John surgery, and he's still having issues with his throwing elbow to this day.

Pitchers like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, who were effective closers for their entire careers, just don't happen often. Looking at closers right now, only two stick out as being in the Rivera/Hoffman league... Craig Kimbrell and Greg Holland. While there are other good/young closers like Kenley Jansen, Trevor Rosenthal, Steve Cishek, and Addison Reed, their higher ERAs and other stats don't instill enough confidence in me that I'd want my team to commit to them as my team's closer for years to come.

But all of this doesn't mean I don't want to see David Robertson don the pinstripes for the next 4+ years. We can't count on somebody else stepping up next year like Dellin Betances did this year. While we had Robertson to take over for Rivera as the Yankees' closer, I don't want to go through another offseason wondering who is going to fill in for Betances in the set-up role. And as good as Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman have been when it comes to building a good bullpen, eventually the scrap heap isn't going to have anything more than garbage in it.

Yeah, it's hard to find value in these things.

And even if you think somebody like Jacob Lindgren could jump into the big leagues and be awesome, wouldn't you want him in addition to David Robertson and Dellin Betances? Remember... you can never have too much talent. And that saying is especially true for the bullpen, where having one or two effective arms is just not enough. I'm sure the Detroit Tigers, whose starters have the highest fWAR in baseball, while their relievers have 6th worse, would agree. Although saying the Tigers even have one effective arm in the bullpen is a stretch.

The point I'm trying to make is this...

I completely understand why the Yankees didn't give Robertson an extension offer before the season, but at the same time it would be very smart to sign him in the offseason. And hopefully they do it during their exclusive negotiating window, and not because I'm afraid waiting any longer could cost them more money thanks to having competition for David's services, but because it's possible another team could lure him away.


By the way, I'm not retiring the list concept for this column, but "normal" articles like this will be seen more often.