Without McCann Now the Yankees Need a DH

Yes ladies and gentleman this Saturday has turned into the “Everything Brian McCann traded to the Houston Astros” show, I hope you don’t mind too much. We’ve met the two pitchers that the Yankees got back in return for McCann and I had my say on the state of the franchise and the trade in general so now we go to the aftermath of the deal. The New York Yankees, assuming they don’t want to rotate young guys like Tyler Austin and Greg Bird, in and out of the designated hitter position will now need a DH for the 2017 season. Who is your man?

Carlos Beltran’s name immediately comes to mind for many reasons. Beltran is already acclimated to the New York atmosphere, he was a damn good hitter in 2016 for the Yankees and he will likely command a one-year deal as a DH in 2017. The only problem is that he gives very little in the way of roster or payroll flexibility, even on a one year deal he will likely want more than the $15 million he was paid in 2016, which is important when considering that Greg Bird will likely be a question mark all season long with that shoulder.

Edwin Encarnacion comes to mind as a possible replacement for McCann at the DH position and for some reasons he makes sense for the Yankees while for other reasons he does not. Encarnacion makes sense because he is one of the most prolific power hitters in the game right now at both the DH and first base positions but the contract he will command at his age will likely be out of the comfort level and range of the Yankees this offseason. And good for them, FYI. I know it would be nice to have some insurance and depth at first base just in case Greg Bird isn’t ready after shoulder surgery or just in case he struggles but Encarnacion is not the answer in my opinion.

Who is the answer is a man who has already donned pinstripes this season for that exact reason, Billy Butler. Butler can DH, he can play first base, he takes his walks and he does everything that a sabermatrician likes. Butler likely won’t command a huge contract both in terms of years or dollars but he does make sense. He, like Encarnacion, can serve as insurance for Greg Bird and his shoulder, he can hit towards the lower half of the order or maybe even higher if Brett Gardner is traded while taking his walks and putting the ball in play. 

He may not be the sexy name or big time star that many Yankees fans probably want but he may make the most sense for the team this offseason. Stay tuned to see how it all works out. 

Meet a Prospect: Jorge Guzman

Earlier today we introduced one of the newest prospects to join the Yankees farm system in Albert Abreu so it would only be fair to also get to know the other right-handed arm that joined the Yankees in the Brian McCann trade, Jorge Guzman. Welcome to the team, the organization and most importantly welcome to the family. This is Meet a Prospect: The Jorge Guzman Edition.

Guzman, unlike Abreu, has struggled a bit as a starter in the Houston Astros minor league system and may find himself in the bullpen for the New York Yankees before things are all said and done. Guzman has a great fastball at just 20-years old but his command has been questionable at best throughout his short minor league career.

Guzman strikes out an absolute ton of hitters which is evident by his 11.5 K/9 ratio but his 4.63 ERA leaves much to be desired overall. Guzman’s walk numbers were better in 2016 when compared to his 2015 numbers, which is encouraging, but he sure has a long way to go before he is considered at least a starting pitching prospect let alone a potential game changing prospect in my eyes.

Guzman has a long way to go, he also reached A-Ball in 2016, but if he can develop some command he could be a strong bullpen piece for the Yankees going forward. If he adds another pitch or two he could conceivably pull a Chance Adams or equivalent and get converted to a starter as well but again, he has a long way to go either way. One step at a time.

Welcome to the family, Jorge. Glad to have you.

My Thoughts Following the Brian McCann Trade

When I heard the news that the New York Yankees had traded away catcher Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for two right-handed starting pitchers on Thursday, one we have already met this morning in Albert Abreu and the other we will meet in a few hours in Jorge Guzman, I had a bit of bittersweet emotions hit me. I tried to put those into words on twitter when I talked about the trade but you guys know me by now, I cannot be contained to merely 140 characters. I like to talk so here are my thoughts on the Brian McCann to Houston trade from Thursday.

First, let me be frank. I love the direction that the team and the organization is going. I have preached for God knows how many years that the Yankees had to stop relying on veteran players leaving or well past their primes and instead need to focus on building and using their farm system. After ranting and raving about that on various forums, emails, Twitter and now blog posts it seems like they are finally listening so of course I am quite happy about that but as a fan you tend to get attached to players at the same time and hate to see them leave.

The entire year before Brian McCann came over via free agency I blogged about him and the need for him in pinstripes. As a former New Yorker who now calls Atlanta “home” I’ve seen plenty of McCann and knew what he would bring to the table in New York and I made it my life’s goal to blog about it until he donned pinstripes. I was ecstatic when he was signed and I immediately went out and bought a pair of #34 Yankees away jerseys (you know, because I live in Atlanta so I only buy away jerseys anymore). Now here I am stuck with two nameless jerseys because one of my favorite players is gone.

I’m happy for McCann, don’t get me wrong, because he wanted an opportunity to play every day and an opportunity to catch as much as possible and he can’t exactly have that in New York right now but it’s a bittersweet moment for me. I loved what McCann brought to the team, the staff and the clubhouse and while the more I read the more I get really, really excited for these two prospects I just can’t bring myself to committing to being 100% happy or upset with this trade either way. Again, I love the direction and the plan the team is following through with right now but at the same time I really liked McCann wearing pinstripes catching CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and others over the past couple of years.

Thank you for all the memories Mac!

Meet a Prospect: Albert Abreu

The New York Yankees sent Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for two pitching prospects late Thursday and today we will meet them both. The first of the two prospects is right-handed pitcher Albert Abreu who was thought to be the center piece of the deal from Houston. Let’s meet the newest member of the farm system and the newest member of the family. This is Meet a Prospect: The Albert Abreu Edition.

At the time of the trade Abreu was the Houston Astros 7^th best prospect in what is considered to be a solid farm system despite flooding their MLB roster with talent from the minor leagues in recent years. Abreu is a project for the Yankees and their minor league instructors as Abreu reached just Single-A Ball in 2016 posting a 3-8 record with a 3.72 ERA. Pay no attention to the wins and loss record, especially that low in the minor league system, and instead focus on the flashes of dominance that Abreu displayed this season with Houston.

Abreu projects to be a starter at the Major League level with his 99 MPH fastball at just 21-years old. When the Astros signed Abreu out of the Dominican Republic back in 2013 the right-hander was throwing just 91 MPH with his fastball.

Like many pitchers from the Dominican Republic and like many 21-year old pitchers the career for Abreu will be made or lost on whether he can develop his secondary pitches. Abreu throws a slider and a changeup but both pitches are considered to be raw or underdeveloped at this time.

Abreu is a project but the sky is the limit for the kid. The Yankees could have ace or #2 pitcher type projections on their hands if they can develop him carefully. If not he’d make for a hell of a bullpen arm to team up with Dellin Betances or whatever other flamethrower the Yankees have in the bullpen at the time. The wait on players like Abreu is tough but I am excited to see this kid in the system.

Welcome, and enjoy. 

Weekly AFL Check In: James Kaprielian

Another successful week under the belt and on the right elbow for Yankees top pitching prospect James Kaprielian. The Yankees prospect missed basically the entire 2016 regular season with an elbow injury and was sent down to the Arizona Fall League to not only get some work in but to test out the elbow and so far all signs seem to be pointing to the right direction. Great news Yankees family, great news.

Here is the stat line, and I know I say this every time but I feel like I have to emphasize it to some Yankees fans, although the most important stat should be the number of games he has missed with a flare up in the elbow. That number is 0. Enjoy. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/19: A-Rod the Yankees MVP

On this day in 2007 Alex Rodriguez received 26 of the 28 first place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America to win the Most Valuable Player award. A Rod belted 54 home runs and knocked in 156 RBI's while posting a .314 batting average to bring home the MVP award. This would be Alex's third MVP award overall and second with the Yankees, his first coming in 2005


Also on this day in 1968 the Yankees right handed pitcher Stan Bahnsen was named the American League Rookie of the Year. Bahnsen put up a 17-12 record with a 2.05 ERA and 162 strikeouts in his rookie campaign. Del Unser of the Washington Senators finished in second place, a distant second place.


Finally on this day in 1939 the Yankees All-Star outfielder Joe DiMaggio would marry his well-known actress girlfriend Dorothy Arnold at St. Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco. DiMaggio met Arnold on the set of the movie "Manhattan Merry Go-Round" in which Joe had a very minor role in.

Yankees Open to Dealing Gardner, Headley

Here’s a quick hit to end your day and a bit of a hot stove rumor that could be percolating. The New York Yankees are reportedly open to trade either one or both of outfielder Brett Gardner and third baseman Chase Headley. It seems as though the Yankees are at least comfortable with the idea of continuing their youth movement and cost cutting measures, at least temporarily, into this winter while continuing to build a strong farm system.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was the first to report that the Yankees would be willing to trade these two veteran players over at FoxSports.com. Both players are over that 30-year old plateau and both have two years remaining on their current deals which may motivate the Yankees to move them now rather than later. New York has been open about their plans to try and get under the luxury tax threshold after the 2017 season and moving the contracts of Headley and Gardner can only accelerate that plan.

Neither deal has a no-trade clause written into it so moving them will not be the issue, finding a taker who is willing to pay Brian Cashman’s kinds ransom will be though in my opinion. Stay tuned ladies and gents. Stay tuned.

Chapman and Beltran Could Both Be Back in New York?

There is plenty to love about the hot stove and offseason in Major League Baseball and at the same time there is plenty that just frustrates you and makes you want to either just scratch your head or throw your phone through the wall. It’s rumors like the ones I am reading about not only Aroldis Chapman but Carlos Beltran as well returning to the Yankees that make me want to do a little bit of both…. And it’s not even Thanksgiving yet.

The news that the New York Yankees could be interested in bringing back closer Aroldis Chapman excited me to no end for a few reasons. He’s dominant and he gives the Yankees the best chance to win each night he takes the ball but it also allows Dellin Betances to move back to a more familiar and comfortable role as set-up man and fire man. Chapman will command a lot in salary but the Yankees have around $56 million coming off the books this winter and a load of money coming off the books next offseason as well. What’s more important than money in the Chapman situation though is the lack of draft pick compensation and a qualifying offer since the Yankees traded Chapman to the Cubs just a few short months ago. If New York could pull Gleyber Torres from the Cubs in the trade only to get him back a few months later, well that’s just highway robbery right there.

Now to the news that makes me want to scratch my head and throw a phone through the wall, the news that the Yankees may be the favorites to land Carlos Beltran this winter. Why in the world would the Yankees want Beltran back in 2017? No offense to Carlos intended because what he did as a whole during his tenure with the Yankees was fantastic but the time is now to get younger, more flexible and less reliant on aging veterans well past their prime. All signing Beltran does, besides giving the Yankees their right fielder back in addition to RHP Dillon Tate, is block Mason Williams,  Aaron Hicks, Tyler Austin and most notably Aaron Judge from getting the necessary at bats they need to succeed in 2017 and going forward.

So could both players be headed back to New York? Well I guess it certainly is a possibility but it’s not a possibility that I necessarily agree with. Yes to Chapman. No to Beltran. Please?

I Have A Plan, A Better Plan, A Yuge Plan

Only I'm not just going to say I have a plan, I actually have one and will share it with you.

Did any of you seriously think the Yankees were a World Series contender last season?

What about the season before?

Or the season before that?

Before that?

The truth is the Yankees haven't been serious contenders since 2012. Do you realize that CC Sabathia was the only regular that was on that team and is still here, albeit in his final season? The only others that even wore Yankee pinstripes that season were Brett Gardner (was injured for majority of season) and Adam Warren (threw just 2.1 innings).

I know, there are millions of fans out there that have never experienced their team winning the World Series, and I sit here having lived through six of them. But I'm not trying to get you or anybody to say "poor Bryan". What I'm trying to point out is that this is a totally different team, and it's time for us all to accept that and move on.

And it's not just fans that need to move on, Yankee management has to move on too. Stop trying to hold onto past glory and start planning for a future. And none of this half-assed "rebuild on the fly" stuff, either.

It's time to let go of the past and go all-in on the future. That doesn't mean cutting everybody that we don't see as part of the future, as it would be nice to win a few games next season. It just means that the Yankees have to make developing their prospects the #1 priority. Not "1a" or "1b"... just "1".

It's not like the Yankees don't have a good core of players for the future, either. Gary Sanchez looks like a rising star. Aaron Judge, while he had some big-time strikeout issues last season, could very well be the next great power hitter for the Bombers. And then there's Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, Jorge Mateo, James Kaprielian, Blake Rutherford... I could go on.

"No, please, keeping going."

Therefore, I wanted to look through the roster and make some decisions on players. First up let's talk about Brian McCann.

I had originally thought the Yankees should hold onto Brian. I believe catchers are, in general, the smartest players on the diamond. They not only call pitches, they have to know their team's pitching staff, and they have to know opposing hitters. They don't just sit in the dugout and think about their next at bat, instead they are oftentimes seen talking with coaches to figure out strategy for the next inning.

Not to mention that McCann just finished his 12th season in Major League Baseball, while having spent a solid chunk of time in both the American and National Leagues.

So who better to help Gary Sanchez, and other young players, learn to play in the Majors? Who would be better to help develop young pitchers like Justus Sheffield?

The one problem I saw in keeping Brian McCann would be his bat. While he was among the better hitting catchers in the league (which isn't saying much), that would mean little next season when he was set to be the primary designated hitter. And the fact is McCann's bat would not play well at DH.

But, like I've said, 2017 should not be about winning as much as it's about building the future.

But my thoughts on McCann are moot now, anyway. Hopefully Austin Romine, who first appeared in MLB in 2012, can help Gary keep working to be better behind the plate. While veterans like Jacoby Ellsbury and CC Sabathia can take it from there (foreshadowing?).

But what about others, who are still part of the New York Yankees? Let's see...


Nathan Eovaldi - Cut

Nathan's not going to be available to pitch next year, due to having his second Tommy John surgery in August of last year. So when it comes to the "Water Pistol", it's about whether or not we believe he can help the team in 2018 and beyond.

I'm not betting on it.

While he was able to lower his hit rate from 9.7 hits per nine innings pitched to 8.9, it wasn't enough for me to breath easier. And it wasn't nice seeing him give up home runs at a higher clip than he ever has (0.6 to 1.7 HR/9IP), although that may be an anomaly.

He simply has not improved like we hoped he would, and looks to be a career bottom of the rotation starter. Which is something the Yankees do not need more of.


Michael Pineda-Keep

Perhaps this is a case of me being masochistic... I'm not sure. But seeing that he was able to make 32 starts last year, he can miss bats (career-best 10.6 K/9 in 2016), he'll only be 28 in January, and he'll only make around $8 million in 2017 (MLB Trade Rumors projects $7.8 million in arbitration), I suppose it's a case of "why not?".

While I don't see the Yankees having interest in CC Sabathia as a free agent (I'm going to get to him, hold on), I think there's an outside chance that Pineda has a solid season. And by keeping him around, hopefully he'd be willing to return on a more team-friendly contract than most starters are getting these days.

There's a part of me that thought maybe the Yankees should cut Michael, seeing as how they wouldn't be out much money. However, since there's a slim chance of him being a part of the team's future, unlike others, let's just keep him around. Besides, if he's a decent starter, there's a chance the Yankees could trade him to a contender at the deadline this season.


CC Sabathia - Wait & See

This one has been very difficult. On the one hand, I believe the Yankees should cut the guy and move on. Just give his rotation spot to somebody like Luis Cessa or Chad Green, and see what they can do with regular work. See, I do not believe CC is going to finish 2017 with another sub-4.00 ERA. And I'm not sure he'll start more than 25 games, let alone 30 like he did last season.

But on the other hand, the Yankees don't have a ton of depth at starting pitcher. Even if Brian Cashman is able to acquire Rich Hill, or some other starter, losing CC would leave seven guys. Seeing as how nine pitchers made at least five starts last year, that's simply not enough.

And what about what I said earlier in regards to Sabathia helping the development of young starters like Severino and Kaprielian? There is some value there, no?

The decision on CC comes down to options. If the Yankees are able to acquire a couple of starters, then let Sabathia go. But if their options are limited, along with having to fill in some bullpen spots, then keep CC around.

"Very good, CC, that is a baseball."

So what about the offense?

Chase Headley - Keep

I am not a Headley fan. Not that I despise the guy, but in his first two years under contract he's hit just .255/.326/.375. Out of 17 third baseman with at least 1,000 plate appearances over the past two years, Chase ranks dead last in both wOBA and wRC+.

So why in the World would I want to hold onto him? Well, like when it comes to deciding what to do with Sabathia, it comes down to options.

Who else do the Yankees have to play third base in 2017? Ronald Torreyes, he who hit .258/.305/.374? I don't think so. I like Torreyes, but the guy hasn't looked like anything special since 2011 when he played Class A ball for the Dayton Dragons. Miguel Andujar looks like he could be the team's future third baseman, but he's not only a couple years away from MLB, his name has come up in trade talks this offseason.

So it looks like we'll have to deal with Chase Headley for at least one more season. I don't necessarily like it, but I can live with it.


Brett Gardner - Trade

Unlike with Headley, I am a Brett Gardner fan. I've enjoyed watching him play ever since he first broke into the league about six years ago. So saying I'd trade Brett does not mean I don't like him. The thing is I'm a bigger Yankees fan than I am a Brett Gardner fan (that's true of any player, by the way).

But you can't deny that he's not the same player he was as a rookie in 2008. He doesn't steal bases like he used to, his batting average has dipped a bit, his power was nice in 2014 and 2015 but slipped last season, and his defense has gone from extraordinary to merely "good" (don't let Gold Glove awards fool you).

However, he still has value. He can likely still handle any outfield position. And although his bat isn't what it once was, he's certainly above "replacement level". So while he wouldn't fetch a "Clint Frazier" in a trade, we're not looking at receiving a "Dustin Ackley" either.

I guess the biggest issue with Brett Gardner is that he's a bit redundant. And that leads us to this guy...


Jacoby Ellsbury - Keep

Perhaps you've heard of this guy...

Bats around .260, will hit around 10 home runs, can steal around 20 bases a year, plays good but not great defense, and is 33 years old.

No, I'm not talking about Brett Gardner again. I'm talking about Jacoby Ellsbury.

In a vacuum it's a toss-up between keeping Brett Gardner or Ellsbury, but unfortunately MLB isn't played in a vacuum. It's played in an environment where some idiot decided to give Jacoby a seven-year contract worth $153 million. A contract that's all but immovable without basically giving the guy away.

That's why I'm about keeping Ellsbury and trading Gardner. We don't need both of these guys, and since the Yankees can get something out of Gardner, they might as well do it.

Within the next couple years I may be screaming for the Yankees to cut Ellsbury, but for right now I believe they should hold onto him.

That's the grin of a man that knows he's way overpaid.

I'm not going to do a full write-up on anybody else, but I thought I'd give you a few notes on them.

Tyler Austin - I like Tyler, and I can see him being a part of the future Yankees. Unfortunately, I don't see a spot for him on the 25-man roster on Opening Day. He's already spent a couple years in AAA, and I hope another year won't hurt him. However, I could easily see him getting the call back to New York due to the inevitable injury or two.

Bryan Mitchell - I could have very well put Luis Cessa or Chad Green into the starting rotation, but I'd really like to see Mitchell get a real chance there. Out of 123 game appearances in the minors, only five of them came out of the bullpen. And he looked nice in four of his five starts last season, particularly on September 28th against Boston, when he gave up just two hits and zero runs in seven innings of work.

Aroldis Chapman - I'm not sure if I'd rather the Yankees sign him or Kenley Jansen, but at this point it looks like it'll be Chapman. And I think that's the right decision, as we know what he can do in New York/American League, while Jansen has spent all of his 6+ years in the National League. Although Kenley has pitched just as well in interleague play. Oh well. Whatever. Just get one of them.

Mason Williams - Although he may not be long for New York due to Clint Frazier not being far away, and Jorge Mateo possibly getting moved to centerfield, Mason looks like the outfielder most ready to step into a regular role for the Yankees in 2017. I'm not his biggest fan, but I'd like to see what he could do with regular playing time. Will he hit .300 like he has in AAA? Probably not. But if there's a time to see what a guy can do, and not worry too much about the results, 2017 is the time to do it.

The Designated Hitter - I'm not sure what the Yankees will do, but I will tell you that I don't want them to commit a large contract here. For example, Edwin Encarnacion is a heck of a hitter, but he's in line to get a contract of 4-5 years. That's too much in my opinion. At least for the Yankees. Whereas Carlos Beltran could sign for one year, seeing as how he's about to turn 40 years-old.

The Bench - I not only looked at how good or bad a player was, but also at their versatility. For example, I went with Aaron Hicks because he can not only play everywhere in the outfield, but he's a switch-hitter as well. That versatility is one reason why Tyler Austin is not there, while Ronald Torreyes is.


Those decisions would leave the Yankees with the following Active Roster...

Starting Pitchers
Masahiro Tanaka
Michael Pineda
Luis Severino
CC Sabathia
Bryan Mitchell

Relief Pitchers
Aroldis Chapman
Dellin Betances
Adam Warren
Chad Green
Luis Cessa
Jacob Lindren
Chasen Shreve

Starting Batters
C - Gary Sanchez
1B - Greg Bird
2B - Starlin Castro
3B - Chase Headley
SS - Didi Gregorius
LF - Mason Williams
CF - Jacoby Ellsbury
RF - Aaron Judge
DH - ???

Bench Hitters
C - Austin Romine
1B, 2B, RF - Rob Refsnyder
3B, 2B, SS - Ronald Torreyes
RF, CF, LF - Aaron Hicks


So what do you think? Am I a genius? Am I an idiot? Should I go back into hiding, or perhaps stop writing entirely?  Although it's nice to feel inspired to write again, so I'd rather not give it up.

Either way, thanks for reading.

Mike Trout, the Yankees and a Quick Reminder

The Yankees world has absolutely lost its mind and it began when the Sweeny Murti of CBS mentioned the idea of the New York Yankees taking a stab at acquiring Mike Trout this offseason. Well, let’s be fair, the losing of the mind for the New York fan started long before Sweeny hit publish on this post but for dramatic effect just roll with it. I thought that was an awful cute and novel idea to acquire one of the best young hitters and all-around players in the game right now with this new-found farm system but the idea of it is not so unique if you think about it. You see, I already thought about it back on October 7^th so in case you missed it, and want to lose your mind all over again, here is the post again in its entirety. The post is dates, so remember that, but the general gist remains the same. Use prospects, acquire Trout, win. Period.

SEE ORIGINAL POST HERE

This is a pipe dream but as the New York Yankees season ended abruptly on October 2nd the offseason is officially underway for the team and now is the time to dream. If you’re going to dream then you have to dream big and I don’t think it gets any bigger than thinking about the Yankees making a huge splash this offseason by acquiring Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 

Now before you all simply roll your eyes and click off the post please hear me out. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were absolutely horrible again in 2016 and with now five seasons under the belt for Trout and Albert Pujols together the team has about as many playoff game victories as I had during my MLB career, zero. In fact the 2016 season was the worst season for the Angels since 1999 so why wouldn’t they at least entertain the thought of blowing it up and beginning a rebuild with a move of Trout and Pujols?

The Angels have a top-heavy payroll and no farm system in sight to bail the team out if and when they get hit by the injury bug like they did in 2016 and at some point the team has to either sacrifice winning now for a future or continue to live in mediocrity while wasting the best years of Mike Trout’s playing career. CJ Wilson made $20 million in 2016 and didn’t throw a pitch, Garrett Richards missed five months with an elbow ligament injury, Andrew Heaney and Andrew Tropeano will likely miss 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery and no one knows the status of Matt Shoemaker after taking a line drive to the head late in the 2016 season. With no arms, no prospects to replace them and no money to acquire any the Angels may have to make a trade. They don’t want to, they may have to though and that is where the Yankees should come in with their new-found Top 5 farm system they acquired this summer doing similar trades. 

Before we get too far into this you must remember that Brian Cashman’s former right-hand man Billy Eppler is now the GM in Anaheim so you have to think he is at least somewhat familiar with the bulk of the Yankees system. So what can the Yankees offer to make this deal work for both clubs? I honestly think there are two options that could work. One option is throwing prospects at the Angels and hoping for the best. Headlining a package for Trout could be Jorge Mateo, an outfielder (preferably not Clint Frazier but to acquire Trout it would likely have to be Aaron Judge), and a pitching arm like James Kaprielian or Chance Adams (or Justus Sheffield or Brady Lail or a slew of other names and prospects) and hope for the best or the New York Yankees could get creative and help Anaheim out in multiple ways. 

The Angels need prospects, salary relief and MLB ready talent so why don’t the Yankees give them all three? No I’m not suggesting taking on an aging Albert Pujols to play DH, he has five years left on his deal at $140 million and he is 36-years old, but instead I am suggesting “taking the Josh Hamilton contract” off the Angels books. I put that in parenthesis because Hamilton is not on the Angels anymore, he’s being paid over $26 million by the Angels to play for the Texas Rangers, so if the Yankees could send “cash considerations” over to Anaheim to essentially pay for the Hamilton contract while giving up significantly lesser prospects I think this could work for both sides. 

The Angels have CJ Wilson and Jered Weaver coming off their books which should help but having an extra $26 million, or even less depending on what the league would allow, could only help Anaheim rebuild and get better. Adding back some talent for Trout as well can only help speed up the impending rebuild in Anaheim. Is it unlikely? Yeah, sure is. Is it impossible? No, nothing is impossible. Well it’s only impossible if you don’t ask. So Cashman, ask. 

So I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that I’m either the biggest idiot you’ve ever read for even suggesting this or that they should make a Moneyball type movie about me and let me play myself in it since I am so much better looking than Brad Pitt. Whichever it is, leave it below in the comments section or Tweet me @GreedyStripes.