Ok, Guys. New Plan. Don’t Get Greedy JUST YET! Part 1

I kind of chuckled about a week back when I was reading the comments section on the blog and I saw a comment by a fellow writer here on the blog, Scott Fiedler, who said “Daniel is going to yield to pressure and re-name the blog The Complacent Pinstripes.” Obviously, his comment was very tongue-in-cheek, and I literally laughed out loud when I read it but the more this slow and weird offseason goes on the more I think that may actually be the best plan, at least for now. The Yankees made the big splash this offseason already acquiring Giancarlo Stanton and the team doesn’t NEED to make another. Sure, another would be great. I’d take Yu Darvish at or around five-years and $86 million, whether that’s a reality or not I am not sure, but it is a number I saw on Twitter a few times over the weekend, and I’d take a Mike Moustakas on a one-year “pillow” contract, but at the same time I’d be just as happy and comfortable heading into the season “as-is.” I expect Yankees GM Brian Cashman to add at least a veteran infielder option on a minor league deal that could compete for a job in spring alongside Gleyber Torres, Ronald Torreyes, Miguel Andujar and Tyler Wade to name a few but other than that I think the heavy lifting for the Yankees is over. Honestly, that’s okay because I have a new plan and it goes along with becoming the Complacent Pinstripes. At least for now.

The Yankees ultimate plan this offseason is not only to compete with their young and hungry core of players but to also get under the $197 million luxury tax threshold in order to reset their tax penalties on their payroll. The way you do that is you bring in young and cost-effective players like New York has at key positions while filling in the cracks with veterans. What many do not understand, or may not want to anyway, is that the team needs money and wiggle room throughout the season as well and not just here in January. The team needs money to add pieces potentially at the July 31^st trading deadline and they can’t, and shouldn’t frankly, rely on moving dead contracts like Jacoby Ellsbury to help accommodate. They can’t, it is potentially disastrous and not entirely feasible in my opinion because a lot can happen between now and July 31^st, 2018. Instead of expending all their ammunition now in terms of dollars and prospects I think New York should simply head into camp with what they have and play to be a second-half team. That isn’t to say the team cannot be great in the first half, I truly think they will be as they stand today, but I am saying that the team should be playing for that second half run that propels so many teams into the postseason and the World Series.

While the free agent market is stagnant, and the trade market is almost non-existent until some of these big names come off the board I find it imperative that the Yankees simply head into camp and wait until June or July before they do more heavy lifting. Obviously, Brian Cashman should be doing his due diligence and if the right deal for New York comes along, you make it. If the deal isn’t on the Yankees terms though I think the team should stand pat and wait for the trade deadline. Looking across the league at potential “bad” teams who don’t look like they will compete in 2018 and their depth charts there should be plenty of options for New York before the deadline if they so choose to make a big splash.

I am going to purposely ignore the American League East because I don’t believe any of the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles or the Tampa Bay Rays will deal within the division, especially to the Yankees, regardless of their win/loss record and regardless of whether the best deal would come from New York. Sorry Yankees fans, no Chris Archer in July. No Manny Machado either. No Marcus Stroman and no Andrew Benintendi (Get Greedy!!) either. In their places though I could see the following players potentially being available at the deadline. Keep in mind that I tried to include areas of need for the Yankees only leaving this as a Yankees-specific shopping list and not a complete list for the entire league.

American League:

Detroit Tigers:

Every conversation for the foreseeable future between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers will begin and end with right-handed starter Michael Fulmer. Fulmer is an amazing talent that is pre-arbitration eligible, also known as expensive when it comes to the trade market. The Yankees have been rumored to be interested in Fulmer and you have to think Cashman did his due diligence and at least checked in with their GM to gauge a cost and their interest in moving the RHP. If the Tigers are as bad as many people expect this season Cashman may be able to rehash those conversations come this July.

Kansas City Royals:

Every team wants or needs more starting pitching at the deadline and if the Royals are out of it then they have a nice piece they could move in Danny Duffy. Duffy, a left-handed starter, has three years of team control beyond the 2018 season worth a shade over $15 million annually so it may be unlikely that he is moved, but you never know. The window to win in Kansas City is either closed or really close to it so the Royals may want to use Duffy to jumpstart the rebuild.

I can’t see much else being moved that the Yankees would be interested in unfortunately, so it may be Duffy or bust for the Bombers.

"I'll finally be able to win a playoff series!"

Minnesota Twins:

Brian Dozier could be moved if Minnesota falls out of contention with just one year and $9 million remaining on his contract with roughly half of that being pro-rated and paid by the Minnesota Twins at the time of the deadline. Dozier plays a solid second base and would be a great veteran addition for the Yankees if Gleyber Torres is deemed not ready at second or if Torres has to shift over to third base for a struggling Miguel Andujar.

Miguel Sano may be a bit of a stretch to be moved but after the sexual harassment allegations this offseason and the plethora of injuries during the 2017 season with Minnesota, you never know. The Twins may just want out from under this headache and try to use him to kickstart a rebuild. Sano is not arbitration eligible until next offseason, so it is unlikely that the Twins would deal a cost-effective star before his arbitration begins, but again… it’s Minnesota. Look at what they did last July 31^st trading deadline when the team was still in contention.

You never know what next season will bring with Greg Bird in New York, so it may be wise to have a backup plan in your pocket for the first base position if you’re the Yankees. Enter Joe Mauer, the face of the Minnesota Twins. Mauer, like Dozier, has just one-year left on his deal that will pay him $23 million so you would think if the Twins were not competing that they would at least be willing to listen to offers for Mauer and his roughly $12 million remaining on his contract. But this is a moot point because Greg Bird is going to play 150+ games and hit 37 home runs, right?

Sorry, Yankees fans. No Ervin Santana and no Jose Berrios. Minnesota will build around these guys.

Chicago White Sox:

No, Yankees fans. We aren’t going to get Yoan Moncada. That ship has sailed unfortunately but I am not entirely sold on the fact that Chicago won’t once again be moving some pieces at this season’s July 31^st trading deadline. Matt Davidson would be nice, although he was the whole reason why the Yankees acquired Todd Frazier in the deal that also brought David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Bronx, and Jose Abreu would be better if something were to happen to Greg Bird but honestly, I don’t see these two teams matching up very well. If I were to take a wild guess and a stab at one potential target for New York, because you can never have enough pitching, I go to the current White Sox closer Joakim Soria. Soria is on a one-year deal worth $9 million in 2018 with a team option for $10 million in 2019 that may or may not be attractive to the Yankees with the potential losses of David Robertson, Dellin Betances and others after this season.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:

The Angels added a lot this offseason including Shohei Otani, but what if it is all for nothing? What if the team once again cannot keep up with the Houston Astros and the rest of the pack in the American League Wild Card chase? You have to think they would start selling pieces and possibly the biggest piece they have to sell is RHP Garrett Richards. Richards is one of the most dominant pitchers you will find around the league, which is a great reason for Los Angeles to hang on to him, but the problem the Angels likely face is whether they trust the fact that he is healthy. Richards has spent a ton of time in his short MLB career on the disabled list with various elbow, knee and arm injuries and is in the final year of his deal with the Angels making just $7.3 million. If Richards were to be healthy and the Angels were to be out of it the Los Angeles RHP could be a huge rental addition for a team marching towards the World Series.

Even if the team struggles you have to think players like Justin Upton, Zack Cozart and Ian Kinsler are there for the long haul after signing deals just this winter. Shohei Otani obviously isn’t going anywhere and neither is Mike Trout leaving the Yankees just one more target to possibly acquire if things were to go back out on the left coast, Matt Shoemaker. Shoemaker will not make or break a pennant chase, but he could add some solid innings to a starting staff that is loaded down with question marks. The Angels may be willing to unload him for cheap, especially if the team is struggling, because of the young and emerging pitching currently on their staff like Parker Bridwell, Andrew Heaney, and Tyler Skaggs. Shoemaker definitely wouldn’t be a Plan A for the Yankees if the team needed starting pitching help at the deadline, but he wouldn’t be a Plan Z for me either.

Seattle Mariners:

Before we even get into this I don’t care how much the Yankees need a second baseman, no Robinson Cano. No. Bridge burnt, that’s why his beard looks like that. Now that I got that out of my system we can move on. Thanks for understanding.

If the Mariners were to struggle I cannot see them parting with many of their positional players, especially Kyle Seager, but they may want to unload a starter or two including James Paxton and Felix Hernandez. How long have Yankees fans yearned to see King Felix in the Bronx? Even as he has seemingly taken a step back in recent years due to injury I have to admit if the price were right I would still welcome Felix Hernandez to the Bronx with open arms.

The real prize would be Paxton though, a left-handed pitcher that the Yankees have coveted for some time according to trade rumors in recent seasons. Paxton is 29-years old and would come with a year-and-a-half of team control by the time the July 31^st trade deadline comes about this season. Paxton posted an impressive 12-5 record with a 2.98 ERA last season and would fit well in with the Yankees starters if acquired. The Mariners are unlikely to go full rebuild with all the veterans on the team, Cano and Nelson Cruz the most notable, but the team may need to trade from a position of strength to fill in the gaps if the team was either struggling or looking to get over the hump. Obviously if the team is close then Paxton isn’t going anywhere but with the Mariners GM you truly never know. I mean, look at the deal he gave Robinson Cano for crying out loud.

Texas Rangers:

Would Cole Hamels finally bite the bullet and come to New York if his Texas Rangers were unable to keep up in the American League West Division? You would have to think that yes, maybe he would at this point in his career at age-34. Hamels is set to hit free agency after the season if the Rangers do not pick up a hefty $20 million option for the 2019 season after putting $23.5 million in the bank for the 2018 season. Texas would presumably have to eat some of that in order to facilitate a trade if the Yankees are still serious about getting under the luxury tax threshold, and they will be, but if Texas wants to move him and Hamels wants a shot at a ring a wrong could finally be righted bringing the lefty to the Bronx.

It may be out of the realm of possibilities but if the Rangers decide to go full-sell mode the team could also dangle third base veteran Adrian Beltre out there as well. Beltre has just one more year left on his deal worth $18 million before testing free agency at age 39 or retirement. You have to think Beltre would want a chance at a World Series championship if the opportunity presented itself and you would have to think that the Yankees would want a veteran presence and bat with them as well, unless of course Miguel Andujar is just producing well above what is expected.

Oakland Athletics:

Do the Oakland A’s have another Sonny Gray to send the Yankees before the trading deadline in 2018? The depth chart suggests not as the young Oakland Athletics continue their rebuild out by the Bay. The Yankees and Athletics don’t appear to be a good matchup for a trade on paper with maybe Jed Lowrie being the only possibility for these two clubs to make a deal. Lowrie is a veteran second baseman who can also play third base and shortstop if needed, hello versatility. Lowrie is a switch hitter with pop, which is evident by his 12 home runs last season while playing his home games inside the spacious Oakland Coliseum, that could provide a boost for the Yankees if either Miguel Andujar or Gleyber Torres are not living up to expectations right away in a pennant race. 

So it Seems Gleyber Torres is ONE Step Away

The New York Yankees are being super aggressive with their top prospect and honestly it is a sight for sore eyes. The Yankees organization announced over the weekend that top prospect Gleyber Torres was promoted from Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton leaving the infielder just one step from the Major Leagues. Congratulations to Gleyber.

Torres is just 20-years old and at the time of his promotion was hitting .273/.367/.496 with five home runs, 17 walks and 21 strikeouts in just 32 games with the Trenton Thunder. That includes him missing a little over a week with a shoulder injury.

Just in case you have been living under a rock and haven’t heard of or don’t know much about Torres here is the scouting report from MLB.com who ranks Torres as the second best prospect in all of Major League Baseball behind Chicago White Sox star Yoan Moncada.

Torres has exceptionally quick hands that allow him to excel at the dish and in the field. He's very advanced at the plate, recognizing pitches well, displaying patience and using the entire field. His power projections seem to increase each year as he adds strength and experience, and he now looks like he'll deliver 20-plus homers on an annual basis in his prime.

Scouts also seem to gain a greater appreciation for Torres' defense with each passing season. Though he's just an average runner, he definitely has the actions, hands and arm strength to play shortstop for a long time. Chapman may have helped Chicago win the World Series, but Torres may help New York win the trade.

With this promotion is it out of the realm of possibility that Torres could be an injury away from a call up to the show? Or at the very least a September call up? I would think that Tyler Wade would stand ahead of him on the depth chart but honestly I won’t be the one to count him out. Not anymore.

Have a great day everyone. Especially you. Hey you. 

Spring Training Around the AL East: The Boston Red Sox and David Price’s Elbow

So if covering the New York Mets and David Wright is fair game on the site this morning then I think covering the Boston Red Sox left-hander David Price and his ailing elbow also should get at least a mention, don’t you? Price, the Red Sox and his elbow have direct implications to the Yankees since they play in the same division while the Mets third baseman simply shares the spotlight in the same busy city as the Bronx Bombers. Again, new rules. More me. Here we go!

Price was scratched from his first start of the spring with elbow soreness and a sore forearm and has consulted with specialists regarding the elbow including, dun dun dun, Dr. James Andrews and Neil ElAttrache. I don’t have to tell you that it’s probably not great news for the Red Sox or for Price, who just got done saying earlier in the week that the 2017 season was going to be his “best yet” for the Boston Red Sox, if he is having his elbow looked at by Tommy John surgery specialist Dr. Andrews.

Price is coming off a season in which he made 35 starts while posting a 17-9 record with a 3.99 ERA in his first season with Boston after signing a mega deal worth $210 million for seven years. Losing Price for any amount of time would be significant for Boston despite them already having the reigning American league Cy Young Award winner in Rick Porcello and Chris Sale who they acquired from the Chicago White Sox for four top prospects including Yoan Moncada. Not that the Red Sox likely wouldn’t still win what is considered to be a weaker American League East this season with or without Price but still, this can only help the Yankees chances.

Let me be clear. I am not wishing an injury on ANY player no matter what uniform they wear. I don’t want Price to be injured, I am just speaking of the implications that would happen if he were to be injured. Remember that before furiously typing out your hate email that, if I’m being honest, I will likely ignore anyway. I am flushing all negativity out of my life or as close to all as I can... so fair warning. Have a great Saturday everyone.

My Thoughts Following the Winter Meetings

The Winter Meetings are over and so is the Rule 5 Draft, more on the draft later as I wanted to focus on that in its own blog post today, so as I play catch up I want to leave you with my thoughts on the winter meetings as a whole. I have made it quite clear what I think about the pair of Yankees signings, although technically Matt Holliday was signed the night before the meetings kicked off but whatever, and the joy it brings my heart as a fan so this morning I will hit the high points and discuss the rest of the league and the signings that went down. Enjoy.

I find it shocking that Mark Trumbo, the Major League home run leader from 2016, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are still free agents while players like Dexter Fowler and Ian Desmond have come off the board for big money. I do not find it shocking that Kenley Jansen is still on the board as once again teams are reluctant to give up draft picks due to qualifying offers for pitchers who are only going to give you 50-70 innings a season. And I don’t blame them.

The Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox trade was huge. Huge for Boston, huge for the rest of the teams in the American League East and huge for the entire American League as a whole. The Boston Red Sox are all-in while the White Sox have to presumably be in full sell mode now. Sale was the first, yet the biggest, domino to fall. Adam Eaton is already gone and Jose Quintana, David Robertson and Todd Frazier aren’t likely far behind him. Just hopefully not to Boston.

I’m shocked to see that Andrew McCutchen is still a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I all but expected him to be traded last week. I guess Pittsburgh wanted him to make an appearance at PirateFest to boost sales and such first. And that was not a tongue-in-cheek type message, the Pirates are frugal like that.

Regardless of what anyone says, I’ve seen writers suggest the Cleveland Indians somehow won the Winter Meetings just by doing nothing at all, the Boston Red Sox won the meetings. Hands down. Yoan Moncada and a bunch of A-Ball players for one of the best pitchers in the American League? You do that ten times out of ten, no questions asked.

The Yankees? They did okay too. They improved for 2017 and beyond without mortgaging the future. Just what they said they were going to do. 

My Thoughts on the Chris Sale to the Red Sox Trade

The Chicago White Sox are open for business and instead of just putting an “Open for Business” sign on the front window like everyone else they had to come out in a big way by trading their ace and best player Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox. This is Yankees related for obvious reasons, the Boston Red Sox are in the same division as the Yankees and now have three of the best pitchers in the American League when you include Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and southpaw David Price. Here are my thoughts on the trade.

Well, to be completely honest here, my initial thought included a four-letter word that I tend to not use here on the blog for obvious reasons. I was gutted. The Boston Red Sox already won the division in 2016 and they just added a great left-handed arm to their arsenal for years to come. This is not going to be fun matching up with these guys 20+ times a season, not at all, even though the Yankees have done surprisingly well, all things considered, against Sale in his career. I was visibly upset when I read the news until I looked at the prospect haul that the Red Sox had to give up to get Sale. That’s when I knew the Yankees weren’t touching Sale and that Sale went to the team with the better farm system and the organization with the gonads to get the deal done, Boston.

Boston gave up Yoan Moncada, arguably the top prospect in Major League Baseball, Michael Kopech, Victor Diaz and Luis Basabe in the deal for Sale. Now I don’t pretend to know much about Kopech (A-ball pitcher who was drafted 33^rd overall in 2014), Diaz (A-Ball relief pitcher), Basabe (A-Ball outfielder) or the Boston Red Sox farm system in general but I know the name Yoan Moncada and that had to sting a bit for Red Sox fans. I know that Sale is a “sure thing” and that Moncada is not and I know you make that deal 10 times out of 10 (and I make a similar deal with Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier just as an FYI) but the Red Sox losing Moncada at the expense of Sale somehow lessened the blow for me as a Yankees fan, I can’t explain why. 

Yankees Send Two to AFL All-Star Game

The Arizona Fall League has their own All-Star Game much like Major League and Minor League Baseball does and that All-Star Game will be played this Saturday, November 5th. MLB Network and MLB.com will showcase the game at 8:00 pm ET this Saturday and in the game we will see, as it stands right now anyway, 16 of the Top 100 prospects in all of Major League Baseball competing in the contest. Included on these impressive rosters is

The list of Yankees prospects attending the East Team All-Stars is right-handed pitcher Dillon Tate and infielder Gleyber Torres. Torres is the highest ranked prospect in the game according to MLB.com rankings now that the Boston Red Sox have decided to shut down Yoan Moncada for the winter after Moncada suffered a thumb injury.

There is a final vote list that you can vote on as well for both teams and Miguel Andujar, the Yankees third base prospect, is on it so this list could climb to three for the Yankees.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Lourdes Gourriel Held September Showcase for MLB Teams

The latest “next big thing” to come out of Cuba is Lourdes Gourriel and after being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball recently he is ready to take the next step towards his professional career in the United States. Gourriel held a showcase for Major League teams yesterday in Panama City and Lourdes, the younger brother of Houston Astros prospect Yulieski Gourriel, reportedly put on a show. Were the Yankees watching?

I can remember when it was announced that these two fled their native country for a career in the United States that many believed it was Lourdes and not Yulieski that was the ultimate prize. Yulieski was a little bit older but he has been seen absolutely tearing the cover off the ball for the Astros since Houston promoted him in August. If Yulieski is this good, Lourdes should be better. I think so anyway, do the Yankees?


The Yankees are working towards a youth movement and the 2017 season and beyond and Lourdes fits that mold much better than Yulieski would have. Lourdes is expected to wait until October to sign so he will not be subject to MLB’s international free agency signing rules and restrictions for amateur players which also fits into the mold of what the Yankees are currently doing. See the Yankees are still on a signing restriction from their international haul from a few years back and cannot sign an amateur free agent for more than $300K if they fall under the IFA criteria, once Lourdes has a birthday in October he will no longer be subject to those rules and will be treated as a true free agent.


Lourdes is 10-years younger than his brother Yulieski and all signs point to him being a cheaper sign than the $47.5 million the Astros gave to his older brother earlier this year. For these reasons and many more there is expected to be stiff competition for Lourdes and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball has even said as many as 20+ teams will be interested in his services once he decides to sign after his 23rd birthday.


Gourriel turns 23-years old on October 19, 2016 and then all hell breaks loose for his services. The Yankees have never been publicly linked to Gourriel but when the Yankees have an opportunity to add a young player with talent for just money they usually get their guy when they want him. Here’s to hoping they want Lourdes Gourriel. Don’t let this be another Yoan Moncada incident.

Lourdes Gourriel Held September Showcase for MLB Teams

The latest “next big thing” to come out of Cuba is Lourdes Gourriel and after being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball recently he is ready to take the next step towards his professional career in the United States. Gourriel held a showcase for Major League teams yesterday in Panama City and Lourdes, the younger brother of Houston Astros prospect Yulieski Gourriel, reportedly put on a show. Were the Yankees watching?

I can remember when it was announced that these two fled their native country for a career in the United States that many believed it was Lourdes and not Yulieski that was the ultimate prize. Yulieski was a little bit older but he has been seen absolutely tearing the cover off the ball for the Astros since Houston promoted him in August. If Yulieski is this good, Lourdes should be better. I think so anyway, do the Yankees?

The Yankees are working towards a youth movement and the 2017 season and beyond and Lourdes fits that mold much better than Yulieski would have. Lourdes is expected to wait until October to sign so he will not be subject to MLB’s international free agency signing rules and restrictions for amateur players which also fits into the mold of what the Yankees are currently doing. See the Yankees are still on a signing restriction from their international haul from a few years back and cannot sign an amateur free agent for more than $300K if they fall under the IFA criteria, once Lourdes has a birthday in October he will no longer be subject to those rules and will be treated as a true free agent.

Lourdes is 10-years younger than his brother Yulieski and all signs point to him being a cheaper sign than the $47.5 million the Astros gave to his older brother earlier this year. For these reasons and many more there is expected to be stiff competition for Lourdes and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball has even said as many as 20+ teams will be interested in his services once he decides to sign after his 23^rd birthday.

Gourriel turns 23-years old on October 19, 2016 and then all hell breaks loose for his services. The Yankees have never been publicly linked to Gourriel but when the Yankees have an opportunity to add a young player with talent for just money they usually get their guy when they want him. Here’s to hoping they want Lourdes Gourriel. Don’t let this be another Yoan Moncada incident.

With September Call Ups It’s Not Too Late to Win Your Fantasy League

The calendar says September which means time is running out both on the 2016 regular season and in your fantasy league which ends a bit before the regular season does. Things may look grim for some teams right now and they may look equally as grim in your fantasy league but have no fear, September call ups are here. What does that mean for you? Well it’s simple, all 30 MLB teams went from having 25 players at their disposal to having 40 options now giving you more opportunities to mix and match. Need stolen bases? Well teams like the Yankees have players like Eric Young Jr. whose sole purpose on the roster is to steal bases and pinch run. Need home runs? Pick up a guy like Aaron Judge who should hit plenty with more than a few strikeouts thrown in the middle. These are just two of many examples of how September call ups can aid you in pushing and potentially winning your fantasy league this season. It’s not too late but it’s getting late, early.

Need Power?

Randal Grichuk had a productive August and it should continue in September for the power hitting Red Birds. Ryan Schimpf has also handled hitting in Petco Park well and has put up impressive power numbers as a second baseman. He, like Aaron Judge, will strikeout a ton though so it’s a double-edged sword.

Need Stolen Bases?

Take your pick. Keon Broxton of Milwaukee steals a ton of bases and gets on base at a .360 OBP clip while Ender Inciarte is a contact hitter with a lot of speed for Atlanta. Nick Franklin of the Tampa Bay Rays is doing enough to remain in the conversation while the Yankees should give Eric Young Jr. plenty of base stealing opportunities with Brian McCann and others in the lineup.

Need Veteran Pitching?

Ivan Nova has been terrific for the Pittsburgh Pirates posting a 2.87 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. Where was this guy when he was with the Yankees? Alex Cobb is also back and will be making his second start in almost two years tonight for the Rays.

Need Rookies?

Byron Buxton has been disappointing to date in his MLB career but he has impressed since his latest call up. Yoan Moncada has impressed as well and should play every day for the remainder on the season. Moncada will strikeout a lot but he adds a lot to almost every other category.

Yoan Moncada & the First Day I Questioned My Yankees Fandom

Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating a little bit as I have never and will never question my Yankees fandom but really today is a day that is going to sting a little bit for a long, long time. Today is the day that the Boston Red Sox call up and insert Yoan Moncada into their team and into their youth movement. The same Yoan Moncada that I clamored so hard for the Yankees to sign only to see another top prospect and top Cuban product go elsewhere. It hurts more especially when it’s the Yankees most hated rivals. Today is the day, the Yoan Moncada era begins today.

Back in February of 2015 the Boston Red Sox signed Moncada to a deal worth $31.5 million, which truth be told ended up costing the team $63 million after a tax penalty on international free agents, and after a slow start to his MLB career Moncada has flourished. At the time of his call up Moncada was in Double-A Portland and was batting .285 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases in 44 games. Moncada also hit .307 with four home runs and 36 stolen bases in 61 games at Class-A Salem before his call up to Double-A. Now he is going to bring that consistency to Fenway Park.

Moncada is here and just in time to see the Yankees here in a few weeks. I may not even watch those games. I wanted Moncada so bad and the Yankees barely made an effort for him. Sigh. Oh well, good luck to him I guess and congratulations.

The Boston Red Sox and International Free Agent Exploits

So the Red Sox may have exploited (AKA cheated) the International Free Agent system this year? Wonder if ESPN even covers it....

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) May 11, 2016

The internet is a gift and a curse much like most everything on a long enough time line. You can easily sit down and write our 100 pros and 100’s cons for most anything on the internet. WebMD is great because it can save you hundreds of dollars in doctor bills only to find out the Mexican you ate for lunch gave you heartburn but at the same time it seems obligatory to put “cancer” down as a possible cause for each and every symptom on the site. This can be said about Twitter as well which I absolutely adore. I love the fact that you can talk to people around the world at any given time but at the same time, especially if you run a blog, you have lots of opinions and lots of differing opinions that you may not necessarily agree with. How you handle those opinions either makes you a nice guy, a troll or a jerk and there is usually no in between. I will reserve judgement on which one of these three I received this week when I discussed the MLB Trade Rumors article showcasing the fact that the league is now investigating the Boston Red Sox for possibly exploiting and cheating the international free agents market but it sure was a doozy.

If you missed what happened here is the Reader’s Digest version of it. The Red Sox signed a boat load of IFA’s including Yoan Moncada a year back and now face the same penalties as the Yankees do in the international market. Neither team can sign an IFA for more than $300K and while that has slowed down the Yankees pursuits of the top tiered talent in the league that has not stopped the Red Sox whatsoever. The league is investigating the Red Sox after the team signed a group of IFA’s that all share the same trainers for exactly $300K despite the fact that these men were expected to sign for much more this summer. The league thinks the Red Sox signed them all as a package deal which not officially breaking any written rule it is still an exploit.

Now me being me, a Yankees fan with a Yankees blog and a Yankees-centric passionate following, I posted something on twitter along the lines of “The Boston Red Sox are exploiting (AKA cheating) the IFA system and I wonder if ESPN will even cover it” and apparently some of my Red Sox readers took offense to that. This one follower in specific asked me things such as “did you read the details of what is being investigated? It’s laughable and not “cheating.” When I pushed back that MLB Trade Rumors ran the article, a credible news source, and that yes I was pretty well versed in what had been released to the public I got what I consider to be an immature “back against the wall” comment. The comment, word for word, was “show me the rule that is being broken. If you think that the IFA system is without its flaws you are mistaken.”

Now. I don’t remember saying the IFA system was perfect or that anything in this world other than my wife and children were without its flaws. All my work is very well documented either on Twitter or on my blog and I challenge anyone to show me where I said it was perfect or without flaws. Secondly we can argue semantics all day but those same semantics have to go both ways. Boston Red Sox fans, for the most part because you cannot lump them all together obviously, were up in arms when Alex Rodriguez took steroids and thought he should be suspended for it. If I threw out a hypothetical response along the lines of “show me a failed test” most Red Sox fans wouldn’t want to hear that. They would argue masking agents and all that hoopla. So no, there isn’t a specific rule written that says you can sign a small village to $300K deals each but when you get your money you have to give $200K of yours to this guy and you have to give $150K of yours to that guy but that doesn’t make it any less of an exploit. Exploits, semantics or not or no matter how you want to spin it, is cheating. If you disagree I respect that but I believe you’re wrong. That’s my opinion and you should respect that.

Look, I get it. You’re a homer. I understand because I’m a homer too. Maybe we can be friends, we have plenty of non-Yankees fans friends on our blog including some Red Sox fans. We’re respectful to those who are respectful to us despite their allegiances but when you come at us like this that changes this into a whole new ball game. And no, I won’t put their Twitter handle on this post or link to their site, who did it is not important. It’s the message. It’s the need for respect. We’re all fans here and if you’re just happy your team is doing whatever they need to do to win then just say it. I’ll respect you a whole lot more for it.

Be good everyone and Happy Friday!

MLB Plan: Invest Heavily In Your Youth

Major League Baseball is a game that is in transition. The “old-timers” are on the way out and the youth and aggression is taking over the league. We saw just this week a former top closer in Rafael Soriano retire at age 36 after toiling around the minor leagues for parts of two seasons looking for work and we’ve also seen the likes of Maicer Izturis and Chone Figgins, reasonably young guys who can still be useful, also announce their retirement. Why is this new trend occurring you may be asking yourself? Because MLB has a plan and they have stuck to their plan, the plan being to invest heavily in their youth and young prospects.

Major League Baseball released their financial data to the Associated Press this week and it showed that across the board the players received right at 50% of the net revenue in 2015 like they have every year since 2006. What the data also showed was that money spent on amateur players and minor league players rose a whopping 29% in 2015.

Overall MLB net revenues, or how much the league made after all the bills were paid and MLB Network dues were spent, rose from $7.16 billion in 2013 to $8.15 billion in 2015. In the big leagues the players received a nice $4.15 billion in total salary last season while amateurs and minor league players received $540 million, up from $420 million in 2013.

The influx of Cuban and other international free agents amounts for much of the spike in money spent on amateurs especially after the Boston Red Sox gave Yoan Moncada $31.5 million and three other Cuban-born players signed for $8 million or more each including Yoan Lopez, Roberto Baldoquinand and Pablo Fernandez.

Major League Baseball has a plan and that plan is to spend heavily on their youth and invest in the game’s future. So far, so good. 

The Latest Cuban the Yankees Are Interested In & Won’t Sign

The New York Yankees have missed out on the likes of Yasmany Tomas, Yoan Moncada, Yoan Lopez, Rusney Castillo, Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes and a load of other prospects that have come out of Cuba so rather than get excited about the fact that the team is interested in Cuban outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez I will prefer to take the pessimistic route this time around.

Martinez is 20 years old and could reach the $10 million plateau when he signs a contract this summer since at least seven or eight teams are interested. Along with the Yankees the Braves, Giants, Cubs, Nationals, Diamondbacks and White Sox have shown some degrees of interest with teams like the Red Sox lurking in the shadows.

It is unclear whether Martinez will be eligible to sign during this year’s signing period or next but if the negotiations go past July 2^nd teams like the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox and others will be instantly out of the negotiations after exceeding their spending limit this signing period. If the guy becomes available before July 2^nd then why not sign him? The Yankees have nothing to lose but money and Forbes and the rest of us know that will never be a problem as long as we are all alive in the Bronx. 

Andy Ibanez, Cubans Face More Than We Think

There has been an explosion of Cuban talent heading over to the Major Leagues, whether legally or illegally, in recent years which is evident by the fact that 74 Cuban born players were on major or minor league rosters on Opening Day. In 2014 we saw 63 Cuban born players on MLB and MiLB rosters and we have seen a steady climb since the 2008 season when there were just 29 players. Andy Ibanez, the speedy second baseman and the youngest player for Team Cuba in the last World Baseball Classic, seems to be the next ball to drop sometime this season and the New York Yankees are interested. Whether they sign him or not remains to be seen, and honestly isn’t the point of this article, but when yous top and think about it could you imagine being Mr. Ibanez right now?

Sure Ibanez is going from a country that paid no more than $2,500 a month (if you’re lucky) to a country whose average player makes over $4 million but it’s not all about money. Cuban players who legally leave the country have eight years before they can come back to the island country and forever to wait if they leave illegally like Ibanez. Ibanez left behind family, friends and everything he has ever known to learn a whole new set of laws, customs, a new language, paying income taxes, autograph seekers, paparazzi, people trying to take advantage of his ignorance, etc. All Ibanez will know when he officially hits the states is his name and how to play the game of baseball. That’s scary!

This may be why the Yankees are shy about signing these Cuban born players and throwing them into the zoo that is Yankee Stadium and the zoo that is the Bronx in general. New York has chewed up and spit out a many of player, no matter where they were born, and the team has some of the roughest fans in the game right now. Signing these players is like signing anyone else, it’s an investment to Hal Steinbrenner and company, and for some New York is the last place that they want to be and the last place that they should be. This article wont appease the fans who long for their own Yasiel Puig, Yoan Moncada or Yoenis Cespedes but there is more to it then just “here’s your $70 million contract now go win me a World Series” and many of you reading this should remember that.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Yankees Valued at $3.2 Billion According to Forbes

The New York Yankees are still the most valued franchise in all of Major League Baseball after Forbes released their valuations of every team this season. The Yankees came in worth $3.2 billion, up from $2.5 billion last year, after the Yankees estimated revenue sat at $508 million. Coming in second was the Los Angeles Dodgers who are worth $2.4 billion while the World Series champion San Francisco Giants are third at $2 billion.

The average MLB team is worth $1.2 billion, an increase of 48% since the 2014 season. Money is coming into the game quicker than they can spend it and with the Yankees making over $500 million in the 2014 season alone it makes you wonder why the team couldn’t go an extra $5 million or so extra on Yoan Moncada….

The $3.2 Billion Rant You All Knew Was Coming

I like to rant when I am given a good reason to, it soothes the soul and it keeps my blood pressure down. It’s not good to keep all that anger and pent up aggression inside, it can kill you. I felt a lot of this anger, aggression and such this week when Forbes came out and announced that the New York Yankees were valued at $3.2 Billion as a franchise heading into the 2015 season. $3,200,000,000.00, Count the zeroes. 10 zeroes. The team also made over $500 million in revenue in 2014 without much stake in the YES Network and with attendance, parking, merchandise sales etc. down. I touched on this in the blog post but I will go more in-depth with it today as my first thought when I read this information was how the team could lose out on the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes.

The Yankees loved Moncada, you don’t work out a guy privately three times in a month if you don’t, and admitted themselves that he was a once in a decade type talent. Moncada was #1 overall talent in a draft that the Yankees would otherwise never have the opportunity to sign under normal circumstances. The team, the $3.2 billion team that made over $500 million alone in 2014, let Moncada sign with the Boston Red Sox for a measly $6 million or so. Let’s do some math, $500 million divided by 162 games is a shade over $3 million a game in revenue. We let Moncada not only sign somewhere else but sign with our most hated and heated rivals for two games worth of revenue over a six season deal

Now Hal Steinbrenner does not think he’s cheap and frankly, he’s not. No one with a $200 million payroll is cheap. What Hal leaves out is the fact that a ton of that money was on the books when he took over. The 2009 spending spree, the Alex Rodriguez contract, etc. Hal may say he’s not cheap but we won’t know that until after the 2017 season when all of his father’s doings and signings are officially off the books and the bottom line. I reserve judgment on whether Hal is cheap or not but with the announcement three seasons in advance that the team will try and get under the cap again I can’t say I feel hopeful that I’ll be on his side on this one.

I’m not screaming for new management, I’m not screaming for Mark Cuban to take over the team like Mr. Hans in the comments section, hell I’m not really screaming for anything. I just want to win and it angers me that the team looked a gift horse named Moncada in the mouth and watched as he walked away for what Hal carries in his pocket to give out to the bums on the street of New York City as long as a camera is watching. It’s madness and I’m not happy. I said if the team didn’t sign Moncada I wouldn’t buy a Yankees ticket this season and I haven’t, and I won’t. Now you know why. 

Yankees Valued at $3.2 Billion According to Forbes

The New York Yankees are still the most valued franchise in all of Major League Baseball after Forbes released their valuations of every team this season. The Yankees came in worth $3.2 billion, up from $2.5 billion last year, after the Yankees estimated revenue sat at $508 million. Coming in second was the Los Angeles Dodgers who are worth $2.4 billion while the World Series champion San Francisco Giants are third at $2 billion.

The average MLB team is worth $1.2 billion, an increase of 48% since the 2014 season. Money is coming into the game quicker than they can spend it and with the Yankees making over $500 million in the 2014 season alone it makes you wonder why the team couldn’t go an extra $5 million or so extra on Yoan Moncada….

Would the Red Sox Trade Dustin Pedroia?

The Boston Red Sox made me sick this weekend when the team officially announced the signing of Yoan Moncada. The team will essentially pay $31.5 million to Moncada and $31.5 million in penalties and taxes for a second baseman that they announced would start his professional career in A-Ball. Moncada could move through the system quickly but it is important to temper expectations since he is just 19 years old. If Moncada did fly through the system like many expect him to would the Red Sox be willing to trade Dustin Pedroia?

Pedroia's contract runs through the 2021 season and has $96.5 million remaining on the contract. Pedroia never makes more than $16 million a season for the remainder of the contract and has limited no trade protection on the deal. Pedroia was the first second baseman ever to get more than $100 million on a contract. Let's say the Red Sox can delay Moncada's Major League debut for two seasons that still leaves five seasons of Pedroia on a contract where the player hasn't hit less than .278 since his rookie campaign in 2006.

Pedroia has been extremely durable in his career for the most part and has showcased 20 home run power, albeit in Fenway Park, but the problem in after the 2016 season Pedroia will be in his age 33 season. Not many people are going to want to trade for the 33-37 seasons for an AAV over $12 million per season. Basically, unless Pedroia is Derek Jeter and Pete Rose and can contribute late into his career, the Red Sox will be stuck with Pedroia and force Moncada to learn a new position. This all leads me to believe that the Red Sox more wanted to block the Yankees on this one then they actually wanted Moncada because there is no way they are going to be able to unload Pedroia, whether they wanted to or not.

Most Popular Article of the Week: The Yoan Moncada Rant You All Knew Was Coming

Somehow I forgot to do this yesterday like I normally do so we are doing the Tuesday Edition of the Most Popular Article of the Week where I ranted and raved about the New York Yankees losing out on the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes. Enjoy, again. 

You guys read my stuff and you know I tend to pour my heart into subjects that I truly feel passionate about. With that said I think you all were waiting and knowing that this rant about the Boston Red Sox signing Yoan Moncada was coming, right?

Moncada ended up signing with Boston for $31.5 million which equates to $63 million after penalties for going over the International Free Agents cap. When you consider that any team that blows past the cap like the New York Yankees and now the Red Sox have they cannot sign an IFA for more than $300K for each of the next two seasons. New York always spends in the International market and cannot for the next two seasons so signing Moncada for $63 million this season would really only equate to $21 million annually spread across three years, also known as chump change for New York.

I’ve always been under the impression that you bring in the best possible players and then you find a spot in the field and in the lineup for them. It doesn’t matter, to me, if Robert Refsnyder looks like the next Babe Ruth in Triple-A, it’s Triple-A for a reason. If they both work out, great, and if they don’t then at least you have a backup plan. It’s also worth mentioning that Moncada is 19 years old. If he’s “blocked” at second base see if he can play shortstop, or first base, or third base, or the outfield, or catcher or something. He’s young, agile, versatile, and teachable while still a year or more away from the big leagues anyway.

My plan, and I urge you all to follow me in this plan, is to hit the Yankees in the pocket. I’m not going to see any Yankees games this year. I’m not buying the YES Network this year. I’m not planning on buying any new Yankees merchandise or memorabilia. They will get my MLB TV money and that’s it. If the team cannot justify to me, the consumer, that their ticket prices and merchandise prices and YES Network subscriptions (which I know they have basically sold out of) then I cannot justify shelling out major dollars to see the team live. I can’t do it. I’m not going to spend hundreds of dollars to go see Andrew Miller, Didi Gregorius, or an over the hill CC Sabathia or Carlos Beltran. I would for Masahiro Tanaka or Michael Pineda and I damn sure would have for Moncada, but you had that chance and you blew it. It’s time to hit them in the pockets.

And notice that I waited almost a full day to post this. I am not shooting off from the hip and I am not letting my emotions or anger write this. I am calm, I am level headed and I know what I am saying to be true and factual. I hope that you fall in line and follow me. Rusney Castillo and now this…

New Faces Hit Fantasy Baseball 2015, Should You Draft Them?

Every year in Major League Baseball there seems to be at least a couple of new faces that either defect from Cuba, get posted from Japan or come over through the posting system in Korea. The game is becoming more and more of an international game with an international feel to things and 2015 expects to be no different. With new faces like Yoan Moncada, Jung-Ho Kang and a slew of prospects making their first impressions with teams it can be confusing and scary when deciding to draft these players or not but don’t worry, I have your back.

Let’s start with Kang who came over from the Korean Baseball Organization to the Pittsburgh Pirates to be their everyday shortstop. Kang is 27 years old and coming off a 40 home run season in the Korean League, which equates closer to Triple-A in the majors than it does AAAA like Japan. Kang is in competition with Jordy Mercer for a job in Pittsburgh so he isn’t necessarily guaranteed a job and he isn’t guaranteed to even hit 20 home runs this season in the majors but he seems to be as safe a bet as any as long as defense isn’t weighed too heavily in your league.

One of those prospects I alluded to hits sort of close to home with the Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez. Vazquez is almost guaranteed to beat out Ryan Hanigan for the starting job behind the dish in Boston and will be given every opportunity to fail in Boston. With that lineup even if he hits 10 home runs and hit around .250 he may still drive in 50-60 RBI with all those runners hitting in front of him.

Another prospect close to home, my home anyway, is Jose Peraza who plays second base for the Atlanta Braves. The Braves traded away Tommy LaStella this offseason and watched Dan Uggla leave last season and without a suitable backup plan other than Alberto Callaspo on the roster Peraza may win the job outright in Spring Training. It’s doubtful as Peraza hasn’t played a single inning in Triple-A but he did combine for a .339 batting average across A Ball and Double-A in 2014 while also stealing 60 bases. Peraza is 20 years old, will be 21 in April, has an amazing glove at second base (he is a former shortstop but currently being blocked by Andrelton Simmons) and can flat out hit. He won’t hit you 30 home runs but he won’t strike out more than 100 times either and in today’s game that is a valuable attribute.

Finally we showcase a starting pitcher on the Oakland Athletics roster Kendall Graveman. Graveman was acquired in the Josh Donaldson for Brett Lawrie trade after blowing through Low-A, High A, Double-A and Triple-A all the way to the major leagues last season at age 24. Graveman is penciled in as the team’s fifth starter and has added a cutter and a power sinker to an already impressive repertoire. Maybe Billy Beane isn’t as crazy as we all think he is…..