New York Yankees 2018-2019 International Spending Pool

All 30 Major League teams have received notification of their spending pools for the 2018-2019 international free agent signing period according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler, and the New York Yankees have $4,983,500 to spend beginning on July 2, 2018. Teams are allotted into their respective pools based on revenues and market size and their allotment is considered to be a hard cap on how much teams can spend on international prospects who are under the age of 25 and have played six seasons or less in an international professional league.

$6,025,400 bonus pool: Athletics, Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Twins

$5,504,500 bonus pool: Diamondbacks, Indians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies, Royals

$5,004,500 bonus pool: Cardinals

$4,983,500 bonus pool: Angels, Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Mets, Nationals, Rangers, Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Yankees

$3,949,000 bonus pool: Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies lost money from their draft pool after signing both Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta while the St. Louis Cardinals also lost money after their signing of closer Greg Holland, all three of which rejected qualifying offers from their former teams. Also, just as a reminder, the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox are still limited to signing players for no more than $300K each under the old international rules that penalized teams for going over their spending pool limits.

With the penalties on these eight teams mixed in with the fact that any team can acquire up to 75% of their international pool limit in trades we could see a lot of teams trading away international money this summer. Bonus pool money can be traded away in $250K increments.

Top 10 2017 MLB Free Agents & the Yankees

It seems to be the general consensus around the Yankees blogosphere, any Yankees fans forums or blogs, Twitter and other news media outlets that most of the team's fanbase does not want the team to go all-in this offseason on a free agent. The only exception to that rule would possibly be Aroldis Chapman and/or Kenley Jansen but for the most part the Yankees fan in general does not want anything to do with the Top 10 or so free agents on the market this winter. Did they get it right? Here are my Top 10 free agents this winter and whether I think the Yankees should make an offer to them.

1. Edwin Encarnacion
2. Yoenis Cespedes
3. Aroldis Chapman
4. Kenley Jansen
5. Mark Melancon
6. Rich Hill
7. Mark Trumbo
8. Matt Wieters
9. Ian Desmond
10.  Justin Turner

To me it's Aroldis Chapman or bust. Encarnacion, Cespedes, Hill, Desmond, Wieters and Turner are either all too old for what the Yankees are trying to do, don't fit the positional needs for New York or will want far too much money than they deserve because the market is so thin.

Kenley Jansen will undoubtedly receive a qualifying offer and as long as Chapman is on the board I am not okay with giving up a draft pick for his services while Melancon may or may not also fit into this category. I think Pittsburgh will offer him a qualifying offer but for whatever reason I am truly on the fence about whether he will accept or not.

I would honestly add Mark Trumbo for his right-handed power (albeit with some additional roster moves obviously) but I can't see Hal Steinbrenner putting up the money for someone like Trumbo so I'll leave him off the Yankees roster for 2017 due to that unfortunately.

Chapman or bust Yankees family. Chapman or bust.

2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations Officially Underway

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have a big hump to overcome before December of 2016 as the current labor agreement and collective bargaining agreement is set to expire. The MLBPA and MLB met for the first time to discuss the potential renewal of the CBA and any potential changes this week in Florida for the first of presumably many meetings between the two sides before the year is out.

Reportedly around 20 players joined the union for the dialogue with MLB as they look to extend the current 21 consecutive years of labor peace. This time around the league and the union has much to discuss including a potential overhaul of the free agent and qualifying offer system that is hampering some veteran players and players that decline the initial offer from their original club.

This will be the first set of CBA negotiations for both Union head Tony Clark and Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the end. I have to assume that neither want a work stoppage on their resume though so I assume both sides will do whatever bending and budging they have to do in order to get this done, I’m far from worried personally.

All signs point to this getting done eventually but it’s still good news to hear that the discussion has begun. This is something we will monitor closely all season long here at The Greedy Pinstripes and I hope you join us in it!

Call Me Crazy But How About Ian Desmond On a One Year Deal?

This is a crazy thought so go ahead and call me crazy, I can take it. It is crazy but this is also The Greedy Pinstripes, not the fiscally responsible pinstripes, and the offseason is the time to dream. The sky is the limit in the offseason and almost every team is optimistic right about now, why not the Yankees as well? The Yankees roster is just about set with just a few spring training competitions to go down at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa this spring but New York could take one of those spring competitions away with one Ninja Cashman, out of left field and really freaking crazy signing that actually works. Sign Ian Desmond?

Desmond is listed as a shortstop according to Baseball Reference but he does have very limited time at second base and right field as well. Desmond, list most shortstops, are extremely athletic and has a strong throwing arms meaning that Desmond learning third base is not out of the realm of possibility and neither is a transition, at least on a part-time basis, to first base. Desmond could conceivably play any position in the Yankees infield other than catcher and truly give the Yankees a complete infield and bench.

Sure Desmond would eat up the first round draft pick of the Yankees and sure he would likely command a substantial AAV on a one-year deal but he sure does make the team a whole lot better in my opinion on both the offensive and defensive side of the baseball and that's all that should matter at the end of the day.

Sure Robert Refsnyder could be that guy, you all know by now that I prefer that scenario to come to fruition, but the Yankees have shown little to no interest in him at the major league level. Desmond pacifies the organization and pacifies the fans due to being a big name and an upgrade over what the team has. I don't think it's going to happen and I don't necessarily want it to happen as a fan but hey, it could happen.

Chris Davis the Gate Keeper

The 2016 offseason began with a bang as teams began to cash in and get some “bang” for their buck. Craig Kimbrel came off the trade market pretty early while David Price and Zack Greinke’s families presumably had some great Christmas holidays after the free agent contracts they signed. Since then though the market has slowed down and has been slow to develop in many areas, especially the outfield department. Why? Jason Heyward, the top overall free agent and the top outfield prospect, has already signed and the dominos were expected to fall by now… but they haven’t. I know why, its former Orioles slugger Chris Davis’s fault.

Chris Davis is the gate keeper to the entire offseason, let me explain why. The Baltimore Orioles are interested in at least one outfielder this offseason but in their market they have to make a choice. Do they want Davis to come back or do they want one of Yoenis Cespedes or Justin Upton. Baltimore has put out a deal worth $150 million to Davis and have since retracted the deal supposedly but I’m not buying it. If they had they would have jumped on an outfielder, Upton specifically since his family ties run to the Virginia area, but they haven’t. Why? Because they are waiting on Chris Davis to make up his mind.

Upton is a better outfielder than Cespedes and unless a sweetheart deal comes around, like the three year deal the San Francisco Giants or Chicago White Sox would like to sign Cespedes to, he will likely wait until Upton comes off the board. Why? Because this is going to be the biggest and presumably best contract that the Cuban-born outfielder gets. He is going to milk it dry for every penny possible and teams won’t get desperate until Upton signs.

So this is a Yankees blog, how does Chris Davis, Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes affect the Yankees? Brett Gardner. The Yankees aren’t going to have many takers for an outfielder, especially a 32-year old outfielder like Gardner, when there is such talent out there on the free agent market. Some teams may shy away from Upton since he declined a qualifying offer this winter and will be attached to draft pick compensation but that is not the case with Cespedes. Cespedes was traded to the New York Mets this season and is ineligible for the qualifying offer. No one is going to give up good prospects for Gardner with Cespedes out there on the market.

So Upton isn’t signing until Davis does and Cespedes isn’t signing until Upton does and the Yankees couldn’t dream of trading Gardner until Cespedes signs. Get it? Confused? Me too. That’s the baseball offseason though. Enjoy it. 

The Free Agency Royal Rumble Returns – Infielders

For the first time in Free Agency Royal Rumble history an incumbent member of the New York Yankees will have his job on the line as both Dustin Ackley and Robert Refsnyder will be in the rumble. Joining Refsynder and Ackley in the rumble will be the Kansas City Royals second baseman Ben Zobrist, the Los Angeles Dodgers second basemen Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick and the incumbent Yankees second baseman, Mr. Stephen Drew.

Howie Kendrick was taken out and backstabbed almost immediately by Chase Utley on an errant slide into the ropes leaving the field at five. Utley hurt himself on the slide, he is 37-years old after all, and was easily eliminated by Stephen Drew who was stat padding his stats in garbage time leaving the field at four. Ben Zobrist felt excited looking at the field remaining, especially considering he is not linked to draft pick compensation but the Yankees threesome quickly took advantage of his head in the clouds, and bulky contract that in my opinion he will never live up to at 35-years old and after all the hype he received in Oakland, and eliminated him.

In a shocking turn of events the Yankees Three, that’s what they are now calling themselves, left the ring hand-in-hand-in-hand leaving the Yankees with all three of them for the 2016 season. According to reports, reports I am making up for the purpose of this post and for fun, Drew will ride the bench and be the backup to Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley while both Ackley and Refsnyder will platoon at second base. When Refsnyder is at second Ackley will relieve one of the corner outfielders, especially Brett Gardner, to keep them fresh and prevent another second half letdown.

The Hisashi Iwakuma vs. Hiroki Kuroda Comparison That Could Help the Yankees in 2016

The Major League Baseball postseason is still in full motion as we sprint towards the World Series in a classic “hurry up and wait” type situation. I say that because the ALCS and NLCS series look unlikely to go deep into the month of October with seven game series looking less and less likely. We’re all in a hurry to get to the World Series so we can sit by our window looking out it with sadness across our faces while we wait for Spring Training 2016. The good news for the MLB fan, and especially for the Yankees fans until recently, is you have the Hot Stove and free agency markets to keep you busy and occupied until then. New York has never shied away from reloading and retooling via free agency, although the team is trying to be smarter about it these days, and that mindset may lead them to a man that reminds me a lot of a former Yankee Hiroki Kuroda, Hisashi Iwakuma.

The comparisons only begin at the fact that both are Japanese-born players that have made their way over to the United States to play in the Major Leagues. Both are veteran right-handed starting pitchers that have expressed an interest in staying out on the West Coast to stay closer to their native Japan, could both be lured East for significant salary on a one-year or two-year deal? If you’re looking at the stats and the current status of the Yankees starting rotation you would certainly hope so.

Here are Iwakuma’s stats thus far in the Major Leagues with the Seattle Mariners:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2012	9	5	3.16	30	0	0	125.1	117	49	44	17	43	101	121	4.35	1.277	8.4	1.2	3.1	7.3
2013 ★	14	6	2.66	33	0	0	219.2	179	69	65	25	42	185	138	3.44	1.006	7.3	1.0	1.7	7.6
2014	15	9	3.52	28	0	0	179.0	167	70	70	20	21	154	103	3.25	1.050	8.4	1.0	1.1	7.7
2015	9	5	3.54	20	1	1	129.2	117	53	51	18	21	111	107	3.74	1.064	8.1	1.2	1.5	7.7

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

And here are Kuroda’s stats, specifically with the Yankees:

Year	W	L	ERA	G	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2012	16	11	3.32	33	3	2	219.2	205	86	81	25	51	167	127	3.86	1.165	8.4	1.0	2.1	6.8
2013	11	13	3.31	32	1	1	201.1	191	79	74	20	43	150	121	3.56	1.162	8.5	0.9	1.9	6.7
2014	11	9	3.71	32	0	0	199.0	191	91	82	20	35	146	104	3.60	1.136	8.6	0.9	1.6	6.6

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Iwakuma would give the Yankees another top of the rotation type starter, maybe not an ace but definitely a solid #2 or great #3, adding to Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Luis Severino. Iwakuma would likely come attached to a qualifying offer and draft pick compensation but many of the great starters, besides David Price and Johnny Cueto who were traded mid-season and are ineligible, will be this winter so it’s six of one and a half dozen of the other. Iwakuma gives the Yankees a substantial upgrade in the starting rotation without sacrificing the future in long-term contracts and in potential trades on the trade market.

Iwakuma makes perfect sense for the Yankees, will Brian Cashman once again get his man?

TGP Daily Poll: Less Than 10 Players Get Qualifying Offers

The World Series is over and now it’s time for the offseason and the offseason gets started with Qualifying Offers. I predict that less than 10 players will receive qualifying offers this winter.

Vote in our poll!

Yankees Ask Morales To Hold Off Signing

The New York Yankees had the audacity to ask free agent Kendrys Morales to hold off signing so they would have more time to evaluate the injuries to Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira. Morales has not played at all this seasons after not being tendered a contract after declining a qualifying offer and the Yankees want him to wait longer? Wow.

Obviously Morales and his agent Scott Boras said no and said that he would sign within a day or two of the first day of the draft being over, so tomorrow or Saturday. The Yankees need help and they need depth and while Morales may not be the most ideal person to fill those holes he would be invaluable if either Beltran or Teixeira goes down and we're going to miss out on him because we're being hesitant.

Are Qualifying Offers Ruining Baseball's Free Agency?

The question is simple, are qualifying offers ruining baseball's free agency season? The answer may not be so simple but it is hard to ignore the fact that it is early March and very capable players like Stephen Drew, Ervin Santana, and Kendrys Morales are still available, likely due to teams reluctance to give up draft picks.

While players like Ubaldo Jimenez have gotten nice sized deals they had to wait for them far longer than he probably would have or should have under the old system. Nelson Cruz rejected a $14.1 million qualifying offer and settled on a one year deal worth $8 million with the Baltimore Orioles. It was definitely not his ties to Biogenesis that caused that because look at the deal that Jhonny Peralta got with his ties from the Cardinals, four years and $52 million.

Look at last years qualifying offers, Michael Bourn did not sign until mid February due to his draft pick attachment. Nick Swisher was one of the better outfield players available and did not sign until nearly January. Adam LaRoche did not sign until the second week of January and simply re-upped with the Nationals rather than going elsewhere, David Ortiz also went back to the Red Sox rather than testing the market. Rafael Soriano was the best closer on the market and did not sign until the middle of January. Go figure though, BJ Upton signed in the middle of November. Kyle Lohse signed on March 25th, that's not a typo! This is broken!

The only way the qualifying offer system works is if the teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, etc. are buying these players. When they are not this will severely hurt the players and in my opinion the game. It's no coincidence in my opinion that all 13 players this season rejected their qualifying offers and they all rejected them last season as well. We have this system through the 2016 season when the new collective bargaining agreement is up and I think when it comes up again this will be rejected again. Until then this is a big problem and it is ruining baseball's free agency and hot stove season.

Are The Yankees & Dodgers Trade Partners?

With the news that Carlos Beltran has declined the St. Louis Cardinals qualifying offer in search of a three or four year deal the Yankees may be out of the running for the 37 year old but that does not mean the Yankees may not get an upgrade in right field. According to Ken Rosenthal the Dodgers are shopping outfielders Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier in an effort to make room for probably Rookie of the Year Yasiel Puig. Should the Yankees be interested in and make a run at either Ethier or Kemp? We're purposely ignoring Carl Crawford because he is not a fit, I don't like him, and it's just not going to happen this year or ever.

Kemp obviously has his injury question marks as well as Ethier and both are owed big money long term going forward so should the Yankees take a look? Kemp is in his age 29 season and Ethier is 31 so they would both be younger and probably upgrades over Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki but do they fit into the $189 mill;ion luxury tax goal? Doubtful but let's take a closer look.

Matt Kemp:

2014 – $21M, 2015 – $21M, 2016-2019 – $21.5M annually (6 years / $128 million)

AAV: $20,000,000

Andre Ethier:

2014 – $15.5M, 2015 – $18M, 2016 – $18M, 2017 – $17.5M, 2018 – $17.5M club option ($2.5M buyout) (4 years / $69 million plus option hat would make the $17.5 million a guaranteed year AAV wise).

AAV: $16,500,000 without option

AAV: $16,667,666 with vesting club option

Obviously, assuming health of course. Kemp is the better option here as he can still play center field and would easily be able to switch to a corner outfield spot later in his career. Kemp is also the better all around player and does not have the obvious glaring holes and splits in his offensive game. The problem will be that the Dodgers know all of this if I know all of this and the price will be much steeper unless we can sell them on the whole Boston Red Sox esque fiscal reset by taking him off the Dodgers hands and getting them to pay some of the salary. I don't see the Yankees acquiring either of these players when the day ends but Matt Kemp would be a huge upgrade for us offensively, defensively, and in the Wives and Girlfriends section of the site so my vote and support is in the Kemp corner.

Yankees Said To Not Be "In" On Ervin Santana

The New York Yankees are interested in almost every starting pitcher on the free agent market right now with the exceptions of Phil Hughes, for obvious reasons, and Ervin Santana, for not so obvious reasons. The Yankees brass does not feel that Santana would be a good fit in New York, which I disagree with, and do not like the fact that he would cost the Yankees a draft pick since Santana was offered a qualifying offer. Santana is expected to decline the offer fro the Royals and will test the market via free agency. There is no way that Santana would fit in with the Yankees goal of getting under the $189 million luxury tax threshold which may be the ultimate decision maker for the Yanks.

Carlos Beltran Wants Three To Four Year Deal

Carlos Beltran is expected to decline his qualifying offer from the St. Louis Cardinals in hope of landing a three or four year deal this winter. I had a lot of interest in Beltran manning right field for the Yankees in 2014 and now it's gone. Beltran's days in St. Louis are numbered and now his chances of coming back to New York are dwindling as well, especially with the Boston Red Sox said to be in the mix for his services. Beltran turns 37 years old in April and I do not covet the idea of having another 40 year old in right field finishing out his career, I thought that is what we were trying to get away from here. I understand asking for the moon in November and settling in the middle in December but if there is an inkling of truth to this count me out of the Beltran sweepstakes.

Curtis Granderson Hints At Declining His Qualifying Offer

The Yankees offered Curtis Granderson a one year $14.1 million qualifying offer on Monday and Curtis is hinting at declining this offer. Granderson mentioned in a phone interview that he was weighing all options and mentioned that there were 29 other teams out there and everyone has a shot at competing right now. Is it posturing or is he being sincere? Take it all with a grain of salt this early into free agency. 

If Curtis declines and gets a deal from a team other than the Yankees then New York will get draft pick compensation. If Granderson accepts he is a Yankees player for 2014 with a $14.1 million salary and AAV. I like Granderson but if he accepts then we have no room for a Carlos Beltran so it comes down to who you like more at this point. 

The Yankees, Free Agency, & Qualifying Offers

The New York Yankees have a much clearer look at the free agent market now that the qualifying offers have been handed down to free agents yesterday. Now the Yankees can look at their potential free agent targets and see if the cost outweighs the benefits of signing these free agents. Here we will take a look at the high spots of the qualifying offers and how they affect the Yankees.

Carlos Beltran is widely believed to be the Yankees starting right fielder in 2014 and the St. Louis Cardinals extended a qualifying offer to him yesterday. For the Yankees to sign Beltran they would have to give up somewhere in the market of $30,000,000 plus the 18th overall pick in the MLB First Year Player's Draft.

The Atlanta Braves also extended their catcher Brian McCann a qualifying offer, which is bad news for the Yankees. New York is linked to the 30 year old catcher and he may not be worth losing that 18th overall pick.

The Kansas City Royals extended a qualifying offer to Ervin Santana today which he will surely decline. With the Yankees linked to about every starting pitcher this is worth mentioning.

Ubaldo Jimenez opted out of his contract and was extended a qualifying offer as well. He may end up accepting it and getting a raise but I think he will search for a multi-year deal after a strong second half in 2013.

The Boston Red Sox did not offer Jarrod Saltalamacchia a qualifying offer so the Yankees may make a run at him as a catcher after a strong productive offense year for the World Series champions. The Sox did give offers to Mike Napoli, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Stephen Drew though and neither seem worth the contract and the loss of the draft pick in my eyes.

The Detroit Tigers did not make any qualifying offers so if the Yankees are seriously interested in Jhonny Peralta, Omar Infante, Joaquin Benoit, etc they will not have to lose their first round pick to acquire any of them.

Joe Nathan may be an option for the Yankees as a closer after opting out of his contract with the Texas Rangers and was not extended a qualifying offer. We could sign him to a deal and not lose our first round pick although he would probably command a two or three year deal which makes me cautious.

Josh Johnson did not receive a qualifying offer from the Toronto Blue Jays as expected so the Yankees may take a high risk high reward kind of waiver on the right hander. He screams of AJ Burnett to me, both when he is off and when he is on, and would not mind him whatsoever if he is healthy. Well also if he is counted on as a 5th starter type and not a front line starter of course.

Finally the Seattle Mariners extended a qualifying offer to Kendrys Morales. Morales may be in the discussion for the Yankees DH position and as a back up for Mark Teixeira but probably not now with the cost of a draft pick looming.

Granderson, Cano, & Kuroda Get Qualifying Offers

With today being the final day to offer your free agents a qualifying offer the New York Yankees have extended qualifying offers to three of their free agents. Robinson Cano, Hiroki Kuroda, and Curtis Granderson all received a qualifying offer and have a week to either accept or decline the offer. Accepting means they would be signing a one year deal worth $14.1 million with the Yankees. Declining and signing with another club means the Yankees would receive a compensation pick in this years draft. 

The only player who may accept is Curtis Granderson but with a multi year deal being rumored from the Grandy camp I doubt it. Kuroda and Cano were offered offers as a formality as I believe both will be back with the Yankees, or in Japan in Kuroda's case, for 2014.