Recap: Yankees 12, Braves 5

Masahiro Tanaka threw 3 2/3 shutout innings and Andrew Bailey made his first appearance of the spring Wednesday night as the Yankees blewout the Braves, 12-5, in a preseason slugfest in Lake Buena Vista.

Tanaka's Dominant Start: Tanaka surrendered just two hits during his 11-out performance -- striking out three while walking none. He was awarded with a win after getting some early run support, his first decision of the month.

Bailey's Debut: Bailey, like CC Sabathia on Tuesday, pitched competently when on the mound in the sixth -- still not looking very sharp as he gave up two singles. The latter of those knocks -- a fly ball off the bat of Alberto Callaspo -- drove in an unearned run, and highlighted a rally for the Braves that began with two outs and the bases empty.

Using the Long Ball: Up 1-0 in the top of the fourth, the Yankees began to pull away thanks to a two-run home run from Stephen Drew -- followed an inning later by another two-run shot by Brian McCann. All in all, the Yankees scored six times off Atlanta's James Russell in the fourth and fifth to take a 7-0 lead -- their other two runs coming courtesy of a Chris Young single and a Didi Gregorius triple.

A Loud Visit from an Old Friend: Former Yankee Kelly Johnson put the Braves on the board with a three-run homer in the fifth -- a hard-hit blast to right that easily cleared the outfield wall. It cost New York youngster Jose Ramirez a scoreless outing, and allowed another ex-Yankee in Zoilo Almonte to jog home from first.

Other Notable Offense: Chase Headley broke a 0-0 tie with an RBI single in the second, the only run the Yankees mustered on the evening off Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz. Garrett Jones also plated a run with a sac fly in the sixth -- pushing the Yankees' advantage to 10-3 at the time.

Next Up: Esmil Rogers will get the ball against Aaron Harang Thursday night when the Yankees host the Phillies at 7:05 p.m. ET -- a contest which can be seen on both YES and ESPN. Rogers is expected to pitch four innings as he continues to compete for the last spot in the Yankees' rotation -- doing so on national television in a rare occurrence for March. 

Jacoby Ellsbury has a Mild Abdominal Strain

EDIT: MRI reveals Ellsbury has a mild oblique strain and he will miss at least a week.

Jacoby Ellsbury will miss tonight's Grapefruit League game and tomorrow's travel squad game due to a mild abdominal strain. It's hard to tell just how serious this injury is because the Yankees have a tendency of downplaying injuries and also babying their players at this point in the season.

For what it's worth Ellsbury saw a doctor and no further tests were ordered so there is always that to grasp on to.

Spring Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Atlanta Braves 3/18

The New York Yankees will get another glimpse at the health of Masahiro Tanaka tonight when the New York Yankees travel to face off with the Atlanta Braves as a part of their Grapefruit League schedule. Tanaka made his spring debut last week against this same Braves team in George M. Steinbrenner Field as was incredibly effective against the team throwing for velocity with pinpoint control on all of his pitches. Now Tanaka takes his next step in his recovery from his partially torn ulnar collateral ligament tonight against the Braves in his second spring start.

The game will be played at 6:05 pm ET and can be seen locally on Sports South in the Atlanta area and on MLB TV everywhere else. Go Yankees and Go #TANAKA

The Worst Case Scenario for the 2015 New York Yankees

I cringe while writing this admittedly because the last time I posted something like this I considered, well in advance I may add, what the team would do if they lost Mariano Rivera, Robinson Cano, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter in the same offseason. Well aside from Jeter the team did lose all three of those and then went on to sign Kelly Johnson and others like I suggested in the three part post making me somewhat responsible and guilty for the way the 2014 season went down. So here I stand again writing about what could possibly be the worst case scenario for the 2015 version of the New York Yankees.

The Yankees are relying heavily on the bounce backs physically for Carlos Beltran, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Masahiro Tanaka. By June Beltran is back to being a full time DH with lingering pain and stiffness in his elbow while Sabathia is having his knee drained almost weekly. Sabathia is still on the mound but he is as ineffective as we have ever seen him in his career, It is no bad it would almost be better for the Yankees if he were injured and they could call up Bryan Mitchell. Ivan Nova is back and is going through his normal growing pains in his first season back from Tommy John surgery while Chris Capuano is still stinking up the place while Masahiro Tanaka recovers from his own Tommy John surgery. Of course that surgery doesn’t happen until the first week of June after it’s basically too late for GM Brian Cashman to do anything about it at the trading deadline. Mark Teixeira took a day just because he read this article.

The team also is relying heavily on a shutdown bullpen, the health of Chase Headley and the effectiveness of Didi Gregorius. The bullpen looks great on paper but there is a reason the Braves got rid of Chasen Shreve and David Carpenter, not even Brian McCann could save them. Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances are great but Carpenter looks more and more like Shawn Kelley while Jacob Lindgren and Luis Severino continue to sit in Triple-A. Chase Headley’s back problems flare up again causing Alex Rodriguez to be an everyday third baseman again. He was doing surprisingly well with the bat bringing the question up of whether he was clean or not but the everyday grind of playing third base gets to him and he continues to break down. He just doesn’t break down enough for the Yankees to collect on the remainder of his contract and just enough for him to collect his home run milestone for passing Willie Mays on the All-Time Home Run list. Didi cannot take the pressure of playing in New York, replacing Derek Jeter or hitting left handed pitching. Gregorius shows a sensitive side of himself that is ripped to shreds in the tabloids, and by the media, bloggers and fans. Total Miley Cyrus type breakdown. Troy Tulowitzki is asked if he would accept a trade to New York by an ESPN reporter and his response is “hell no, the Bronx looks like it’s burning again. “ 

Bailey ready to resume his career with Yankees

After missing the last year and a half with a shoulder injury, Andrew Bailey is ready to compete again.

The 2009 AL Rookie of the Year, 30, is set to make his spring training debut in Wednesday night's Yankees-Braves game in Lake Buena Vista -- likely slated to pitch an inning against a lineup of mostly major-leaguers. It's currently unknown how good Bailey's chances at earning a spot on the Yanks' roster are, or even if the team plans to consider him.

But the veteran is nonetheless looking forward to the opportunity -- his first outing since July 12, 2013.

"What keeps you driving is the opportunity in front of me now," Bailey said Tuesday, according to The New York Post. "I'm a big believer success happens when you take advantage of opportunities."

Bailey is recovering from a torn capsule in his throwing arm, which he suffered while with the Red Sox in 2013.

Bailey had recorded eight saves for Boston before going down, keeping his ERA at a respectable 3.77. In 2009, the best season of his career, Bailey compiled 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA for the A's -- helping him garner enough votes for his first of two All-Star selections.

It's anyone's guess whether Bailey will ever put up those numbers again, but the right-hander is at least feeling healthy for the moment. 

"I feel great," Bailey said. "I've passed all the tests, now it's time to let it go in a game."

Bailey will probably have to impress notably to get the Yankees' attention, though -- seeing as the club is presently stacked with relief options. Five of the Yankees' bullpen jobs for this season have already been locked up, with youngsters Chris Martin and Jacob Lindgren also seen as possibilities. 

Bailey isn't viewing his situation negatively, however, instead opting to praise the Yankees' pen for its talent.

"With the starters we have, coming off injuries last year it's a bullpen you can lean on if need be," Bailey said. "Everyone is excited and hopefully I'm a part of that."

Still, Bailey admits Wednesday's contest is just the first of many steps for him -- not necessarily a milestone to be celebrated. 

"Wednesday's game is the first goal of many goals," he said. "My goal was to get into a spring training game. The ultimate goal is to win the World Series and be a part of it. That's where we all want to be. My road starts with Day 1 in spring training and that's Wednesday."

The Trenton Thunder Present “Welcome North” Event April 7

Welcome North Event Set For April 7




The Thunder, Double-A Affiliate of the New York Yankees, will host a free event prior to the season, the "Welcome North Open House," on Tuesday April 7 from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM.

The annual event begins at 3:00pm with the team's first practice of the year at ARM & HAMMER Park and tours of the stadium. Following practice, fans will have the opportunity to meet this year's team and seek autographs for approximately one hour. Concession stands will be open throughout the event and will serve free hot dogs and sodas. This is a rain or shine event that will conclude for the general public at approximately 6:30pm.

"We're excited to continue the tradition of giving our fans an opportunity to meet the current team and coaches," said Thunder General Manager Will Smith. "It's a unique opportunity for all fans to see our players and coaches in action before the season begins."

Members of the Thunder's 90% Club, a group of season ticket holders who attended at least 90% of the team's games last year, will have a special reception in the Yankee Club and Conference Center from 5:00 PM until 7:30 PM. The reception will feature a buffet dinner and an approximately 45 minute exclusive "meet and greet" with Thunder team members.

WELCOME NORTH OPEN HOUSE

WHEN: Tuesday April 7, 2015 (3:00 PM - 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM for 90% Club)
WHO: Open to Media, Sponsors, Season Ticket Holders and General Public

Gates Open For Fans: 3:00 PM
Stadium Tours: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Team Practice Ends: 5:15 PM
Player Autograph Session: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Players visit 90% Club in Yankee Club (Private): 6:30 PM - 7:15 PM
Ballpark Closes: 7:30 PM
Times are approximate and may change

The Thunder, the Double-A Affiliate of the New York Yankees, will begin the 2015 season on April 9 in Erie against the Seawolves. The first home game at ARM & HAMMER Park is on Thursday, April 16. Tickets for 2015 games are on sale now atTrentonthunder.com/tickets. All Thunder games can be heard on 91.3 FM WTSR and online at Trentonthunder.com.


--THUNDER--

Players to Avoid in Your Fantasy Draft

If you haven’t already had your Fantasy Baseball draft this season you may want to read this first as I introduce some players that I think you should avoid this season. Most of these players had career years in 2014 and will be picked up a lot higher than they should be, in my opinion, in 2015.

Nobody better to start off with then the Astros Jose Altuve who won the American League batting title in 2014. Altuve isn’t going to hit .341 again and the offense around him is not significantly better that it will improve his runs, stolen bases or RBI total. The same can be said for the Twins Phil Hughes who walked a total of 0.69 batters per nine innings in 2014. Hughes dialed up his velocity in Minnesota but was still prone to the fly ball and to being hit hard, which he was even in his career season in 2014, so I expect his ERA and peripherals to rise. He’s still worth taking, just not in the first few rounds.

Yoenis Cespedes will be hurt from a change in his home park. Cespedes has played in the Oakland Coliseum but Comerica Park is no friendlier than his stadium was in Oakland. He should get plenty of pitches to hit with Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera in the lineup but his average is dropping and so are his home run and RBI totals. He doesn’t take walks and he doesn’t steal bases. Unless he’s a no brainer kind of late in the draft I say you pass. The same can be said for Nelson Cruz as he moves from one of the most beautiful stadiums in Major League Baseball to Safeco Field in Seattle. I think Cruz peaked and had a chip on his shoulder in 2014, the same will not be said in 2015 with a much bigger salary and only Robinson Cano protecting him in the lineup.

We finish with Masahiro Tanaka as the ultimate high risk high reward type player in fantasy. If he’s healthy and he’s on he is as dominant as anyone else on the field and in fantasy. If the elbow pops, and it could at any second of any day and ultimately it probably will before his pitching career is over, then you ultimately wasted a first or second round pick on a guy that will end up on waivers and in the free agency bin for the next two seasons more than likely. 

The Best Case Scenario for the 2015 New York Yankees

Ideally, what is the best case scenario for the New York Yankees? What cards have to fall just right and what acquisitions have to succeed for the fans to call this team a success in 2015? Me being the optimist that I am, although I was accused of not being in recent weeks, I wanted to take a look at just how far this team could go if all the stars aligned and all the dominoes fell where they may.

It starts with health and ends with effectiveness. I think every team that has ever won a World Series or has made the playoffs can and would say that, luck cannot be quantified nor relied on in Major League Baseball. The Yankees luckily had all three in 2015 with 35 starts each from both Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia. Sabathia was never the ace he was in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s but still managed to win 15 games with a low 4.00 ERA while Tanaka was the first Yankees pitcher to win 20 games in a season since Sabathia with 22, just because it’s one more than Sabathia’s 21 in 2010.

Mark Teixeira was also much healthier in 2015 and had to take fewer and fewer days as the grind of the season wore on. Teixeira never came close to hitting .300 again but a very respectable .260 with 38 home runs kept the Yankees in a lot of ball games. Carlos Beltran was on base when almost all 38 of those Teixeira home runs cleared the fences proving that he still had something left in the tank and that his production was affected by the elbow spurs. Beltran never hit the 30 home run power New York may have hoped for but he did flirt with .300 for much of the season before settling in with a .289 average in 151 games played, 135 of them in right field. Alex Rodriguez was not only effective in 2015 he was surprisingly good all things considered. Considering that he is 40 years old and coming off a second hip surgery with a yearlong steroid suspension and a platoon role with Garrett Jones thrown in Alex still shows a good batters eye at the plate and some good opposite field power. Rodriguez only hits 12 home runs in 2015 but his OBP is 125 points higher than his batting average and in years past a lot of his doubles would have been home runs inside Yankee Stadium.

Finally the Yankees got a ton of help from their farm system that they finally began to rely on more heavily. Tyler Austin came up when Chris Young injured himself assaulting a pitching machine (yes, he struck out again) and shined for the Bombers while Luis Severino came up in September and put the rest of the league on notice for 2016. The bullpen was easily the best in the game as the Yankees boasted the first four-headed monster with Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, Adam Warren and Jacob Lindgren while the likes of David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve shined in their 6^th and 7^th inning roles. The Yankees rode their fresh legs and their young arms and their veteran presences all the way to the World Series because probably seven times out of ten talent always wins out over luck. 

TGP Daily Poll: Masahiro Tanaka Stays Perfect This Spring

Masahiro Tanaka makes his second start of the spring against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday after he shut them down for two innings in his spring debut. Tanaka will go at least three innings and not allow a run while staying healthy for the Yankees.

Vote in our prediction poll on knoda.com

My 2015 March Madness Bracket