If at First you don't succeed...

He has swing and miss ability!…

My first thought hearing the news (allegedly, as there has been no official announcement yet) that the Yankees signed free agent first baseman Chris Carter was the team had captured last year’s strikeout leader.  Great if the signing was for a pitcher, but not so great when it is a hitter.  

Credit:  USA Today Sports

Still, for a team with questions at first base, the signing makes some sense.  It’s not a given that Greg Bird will pick up where he left off in 2015 given that he missed most of last year due to injury (playing only in the Arizona Fall League).  

The other first base candidate (Tyler Austin) was completely off the Yankees’ radar last off-season.  He had a surprisingly good year to recapture prospect status and came up with some big hits in the Bronx at the end of the year.  But he is not the second coming of Don Mattingly, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi or Mark Teixeira.  

Carter will end many innings with strikeouts, but the potential for the big smash to win games is there.  He provides help from the bench if Bird captures first with a strong Spring performance or is there for a platoon if necessary.  He also provides insurance at DH for Matt Holliday who has spent a fair amount of time on the DL over the last few years.

For only $3.5 million (and one year), Carter is a good investment.  He can play his way into a new contract with the Yankees or the parties can decide to part ways at the end of the year which fits with Hal Steinbrenner’s desire to get under the luxury tax threshold next year.  

We’ve been spoiled by great first basemen over the years, but I didn’t enjoy the various Teixeira ailments that plagued the team in recent years.  I am hopeful that Bird grabs the position and runs with it.  Carter will be there for insurance.

Wanted:  Starting Pitchers…

I had been hopeful the Yankees would sign a veteran pitcher to bring to camp but it doesn’t look like it will happen.  Jason Hammel had been my choice, but he recently signed with the Kansas City Royals as they attempt to recover from the devastating passing of Yordano Ventura.  Doug Fister is still out there, but I don’t think he’ll be coming in for the Yankees.  So, it looks like the Yankees will fill the two open spots in the rotation with in-house candidates.  Clearly, they have to be hoping for a rebound by Luis Severino who failed miserably as a starter last year (finding success only in the bullpen).  But in off-season work with Pedro Martinez, maybe Sevy can show he is capable of becoming a good starter at the major league level.

I would love for James Kaprielian to take the other spot, but I recognize that he is not ready yet.  He’ll need more time in the minors and might get a chance later in the year.  Luis Cessa and Chad Green will be given every opportunity, but Jordan Montgomery is quickly becoming my favorite.  Last year, he pitched to a 2.95 ERA in 19 starts with AA Trenton, and then 0.97 in just 6 starts with AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre.  At 6-6, he is a formidable presence on the mound with the pitches to match.  His time may be now.  Severino and Montgomery have the potential to make the back end of the Yankees rotation quite strong, which would certainly help the questions that exist in the front end.

Credit:  Jason Farmer/Scranton Times-Tribune

It’s exciting that baseball is almost back.  Pitchers and catchers will report on Valentine’s Day (that must have made a bunch of wives and girlfriends happy) so we’re only days away.  It seems like it wasn’t that long ago Aroldis Chapman was on the mound winning a World Series.  It will be good to see him back in blue (well, a darker shade of blue than we last saw him wearing).  The excitement of spring training, along with the limitless possibilities it brings, is fun.  

Welcome back, Yankees!

Sad Day for Detroit and all of Major League Baseball…

On a final note, my deepest sympathy and condolences to the Detroit Tigers, their fans, and the family of their late owner Mike Ilitch who passed away yesterday.  He was great for the Tigers, the city of Detroit, and MLB.  He will be missed.  It’s unfortunate that he was unable to see a Tigers championship or the opening of the new Little Caesars Arena for his other team, the Detroit Red Wings.  Time for Ilitch to compete with George Steinbrenner in the Heaven Baseball League…

Credit:  MLB.com

My Thoughts On The Yankees "Big" Offseason Moves

More often than not I like to share my opinion of news that comes out about our New York Yankees. However, thanks to life getting in the way, I haven't said much of anything lately.

So I decided to give some quick thoughts regarding the bigger transactions the Yankees have performed this offseason.

And since you have probably already skipped past this introduction to get to the bolded part, let's get it going.

And let's tip our caps to Mr. McCann.

11/17/2016 Traded C Brian McCann and cash to Houston for RHPs Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.

Two years and $34 million, along with a vesting option for a third year at $15 million. The trade really comes down to all that money. But let's take a look at other reasons...

1. Gary Sanchez is the starting catcher for 2017, and hopefully for many years after that. I don't need to tell you why, either. 

2. While the designated hitter position seemed to be McCann's for the taking,  I can't help but look at his batting numbers for the last five years and wonder... can't the Yankees do better? 

Maybe I'm alone in this, but a person with a batting line of .238/.314/.421 while averaging 22 home runs is nothing special. Especially for a designated hitter. In fact, last season, out of the players with at least 450 at bats as the DH, Brian's wOBA of .326 would have ranked 15th. Yeah, striving for better than that, especially at $17 million a season, makes perfect sense.

By the way, I like Brian McCann. He's a great guy. But in the immortal words of Triple H, you gotta do what's "best for business".

Best of luck coming back, Nathan.

11/19/2016 Released UTL Dustin Ackley. Designated RHPs Nathan Eovaldi (released on 11/28) for assignment.

Dustin Ackley is a pretty versatile player. During his career he's played over 2500 innings at second base and over 1500 innings in left field. Plus he's had a significant amount of playing time in center field (to be honest, it's not much lately, but he could probably handle CF if it was needed), and last season played primarily at first base. 

However, a batting line of .235/.296/.358 since 2012 is... well... it's not very good. If the Yankees had nobody else for that 25-man roster spot, then I wouldn't be too against holding onto him. However, at the time the Yankees still had five outfielders on the 40-man roster, and that doesn't include Clint Frazier and Jake Cave who are currently at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Then there's Nathan Eovaldi. I've stuck up for the guy before, but regardless of what my heart says you can't argue with the numbers. Or, in Nathan's case, the lack thereof. He's been a slightly below average starter his entire career (94 ERA+). Can he get better? Sure. He's got a strong arm, and while he's not a "prospect", he isn't "old" either. 

And you have to take into consideration that he won't pitch in 2017. due to having Tommy John surgery in August. 

Finally, look at the plethora of young pitching the Yankees have... Luis Severino, Luis Cessa, Chad Green, Bryan Mitchell, James Kaprielian, and Justus Sheffield. Even if none of those guys become aces in MLB, it's not hard to imagine them being as valuable as Eovaldi.

Hopefully we see this stance often, and while he's wearing a Yankees uniform.

12/7/2016 Agreed to terms with OF/DH Matt Holliday on a one-year contract.

Especially after trading away Brian McCann, the Yankees had a clear opening at designated hitter. But we can't ignore the cost for filling that spot, because it's quite clear that Hal Steinbrenner is not ignoring that cost. So what could the Yankees do? A lot worse, that's for sure.

The days of Holliday batting around .300, and having an on-base percentage pushing .400, are probably over with. But he's never hit at or below .235 (McCann's overall batting average as a Yankee), and his OBP has never been at or below .313 (McCann's overall OBP as a Yankee). Furthermore, Matt's never hit less than 20 home runs in a season (excluding injury shortened ones). 

Now, it's true that the Yankees will end up paying $1.5 million more having Matt Holliday at DH in 2017, than if they held onto Brian McCann. See, the Yankees are on the hook for $5.5m of McCann's salary, while only paying Holliday $4m less than Brian will make. But the key is the extra year on Brian's contract, along with the vesting option for a third.

A still picture like this is one of the only times you'll actually see the ball after it comes out of Chapman's hand.

12/15/2016 Agreed to terms with LHP Aroldis Chapman on a five-year contract.

There are millions of Yankees fans that don't remember the last time the team didn't have a strong one-two (or three) punch in the bullpen. From Rivera-Wetteland, to Robertson-Rivera, to Betances-Miller-Chapman, we've seen over and over again how the back-end of the bullpen can lead to more and more wins.

So it comes as no surprise that the team would look to find somebody strong to pair with Dellin again in 2017. Furthermore, it wasn't much of a question who they were going after. As good as Kenley Jansen has been, the fact of the matter is Aroldis Chapman has been a little better. And the real tie-breaker of this "battle" is the fact that Chapman, unlike Jansen, has gotten it done in New York.

I'm not 100% confident that Aroldis will be as dominant as he has been for the next five years (he has a no-trade clause for the first three). Pitchers that depend on power as much as Chapman does tend not to be great long into their 30s. For example, CC Sabathia's decent began at age 31, and it took him three years to become effective again.

So while I'm cool with this signing, if you read between the lines the deal makes me smile a bit more.

Answer me this...

Why would the Yankees sign a closer for $86 million if they didn't have plans for this team to contend again soon?

Okay, if you're answer is simply "they're idiots", then don't bother responding. Unlike some people I don't think that Brian Cashman is dumb. Regardless of where you rank him among MLB General Managers, you don't keep that job as long as he has while being a moron.

So do I think the Yankees will compete next season? No. In 2018? Maybe, but that would depend on Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, and other young/cheap players reaching their ceilings. But I sincerely believe 2019 will be the Yankees year.

The Yankees And Chris Carter Agree To A One-Year Deal

Well, I just posted about the Yankees looking into Chris Carter, which I did not like. And it just came to light that he and the Yankees agreed to a deal.

I still don't understand. I can only see Carter as a backup 1B, or as the DH should Matt Holliday need to play the outfield.

Here's my post from earlier...

I don't understand this news.

Yeah... yeah... the Yankees need more power. Gary Sanchez seems like a lock for at least 20 home runs, as does newcomer Matt Holliday, but after that the team looks to lack in the power department.

Didi Gregorius hit double digit homers for the first time in his career, and 2016 was the first time Starlin Castro hit more than 14 in one season. So while Greg Bird and Aaron Judge have plenty of power upside too, the Yankees need a few more dingers before they can be called the "Bronx Bombers" again without some people rolling their eyes.

I suppose that's why some people think Chris Carter would be a good addition to the lineup. The guy did lead the National League with 41 home runs last season (tied with Nolan Arenado). But that batting average (career .218) and OBP (career .314). Yuck!

And Carter should not put a glove on. There's not a single positive UZR/150 on his Fangraphs page, and the majority of those negative numbers are quite low.

The only value Carter would bring to the Yankees would be as a designated hitter. But that spot is unlikely to be much of an opening unless both Greg Bird and Tyler Austin fail, leading to Matt Holliday playing more first base than anybody would like.

But I suppose everybody has to kick the tires on all players. I just hope this news doesn't move beyond the rumor stage.

This Day In New York Yankees History 1/21: Joe D Misses the Hall

On this day in 1953 the Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio missed out on the Hall of Fame in his first try at Cooperstown. DiMaggio would have to wait until the 1955 season before 88.8% of the BBWAA added him to the ballot and inducted him into the hall. On this day Cardinal legend Dizzy Dean and Al Simmons were elected to the hall.

What’s Coming to George M. Steinbrenner Field?

As we inch closer towards Spring Training 2017 the players, coaches and fans are all presumably excited to get down to Tampa and get things started. Not only is everyone excited for the beginning of a new season but many may be excited about the changes that are coming to the spring training home of the Yankees as well. The organization plans to renovate George M. Steinbrenner Field in the coming years and here is what is to come down in Tampa. Check it out.

Planned updates for the Yankees and George M. Steinbrenner Field include new outfield concourses, the addition of group and social gathering areas at the ballpark, new shaded areas, improved entrances that hope to get more people in and out of the ballpark more quickly, and improvements to the concourses, locker rooms, seating bathrooms, kitchen facilities, luxury suites, elevators and other parts of the building that were not specifically specified by name.

The Yankees committed to staying in the facility through the 2046 season and with the agreement came a $40 million renovation program that was approved by Hillsborough County Commissioners.

Remembering Yankees of the Past: Tim Raines

This morning we discussed one of the newest members of the Hall of Fame Pudge Rodriguez’s short and rather uneventful time in Yankees pinstripes but there was a second former Yankees player to be elected to the Hall this week as well. His name was Tim “Rock” Raines and while he will likely be heading into Cooperstown with a Montreal Expos hat on his head he, and now we, will never forget his time spent here in the Bronx.

Raines was a career National League player before coming over to the American League in 1992 with the Chicago White Sox but he never found true success in the AL until his time with the Bronx Bombers. On December 28, 1995 the New York Yankees acquired Raines in a trade. Raines would be an integral part of the 1996 and 1998 World Series teams in the Bronx although his playing time was ultimately curtailed due to injury.

Raines was always considered to be a great clubhouse and chemistry type guy and he finished his Yankees tenure with a .299/.395/.429 triple slash in three seasons with 18 home runs and 118 RBI. Raines was the perfect example of what made these Yankees teams in the mid-90’s great. Raines played a position or three, he played a role and he played it well.

Now he’s playing that role in the Hall of Fame. Congratulations to him and to his family and friends. This one was a long time coming. 

Promote Torres, Keep Castro, Dump Headley

You know the general Yankees fan base is bored when off-the-wall ideas and trade proposals start coming to the forefront but sometimes there’s an idea that just makes sense and sometimes there’s an idea or two that simply work, and subsequently stick. This I am hoping is one of those ideas as the general consensus seems to be that Gleyber Torres, the main piece the Yankees received back in the Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs deal from the 2016 season, will make his presence felt in 2017. Now with this hypothetical emergence to the show from Torres in 2017 many fans are left wondering what the Yankees will do with incumbent second baseman Starlin Castro but have no fear Yankees family, I have an idea.

Now I know that Torres is a shortstop by trade but the Yankees seem happy with Didi Gregorius at the position and I would be inclined to agree with them. He’s been great, Castro has been good but he hasn’t been great which makes the decision an easy one for me. The free agent market at basically every position right now is thin so why not take advantage of that and trade Castro away for a new slew of prospects to drool over? OR the team could simply dump third baseman Chase Headley, he does not have a no-trade clause written into his contract, while moving Castro to third base and sliding Torres in at the second base position.

Now don’t get me wrong, this is not going to happen outside of spring training. Sure, Torres tore up minor league pitching in 2016 and continued that against advanced talent down in the Arizona Fall League this season but Torres is likely to start at Double-A Trenton with the Thunder as 2017 opens up, not in the Bronx and not against the Tampa Bay Rays. This discussion and idea set is more geared towards maybe July 2017 and is contingent on if the Yankees are in contention or not and absolutely not geared towards Torres breaking camp with New York. I mean if he tears up the spring camp and manager Joe Girardi wants to bring him to the Major Leagues for Opening Day, more power to him. I’m just not that confident, yet.

There’s no need to rush the 20-year old Torres by any means but if he’s ready the Yankees shouldn’t let a veteran contract or two get in their way of calling him up. Headley can be moved and Castro is willing to play third base, he’s said that as recently as the 2016 season, so don’t hesitate. Do it. 

IBWAA Elect Guerrero, Rodriguez to Hall of Fame

IBWAA SELECTS VLADIMIR GUERRERO AND IVAN RODRIGUEZ IN 2017 HALL OF FAME VOTE

 

Los Angeles – In its eighth annual Hall of Fame election, the IBWAA selected Vladimir Guerrero and Ivan Rodriguez, both with 84.54% of the vote (175 votes). A 75% threshold is required for election.

 

Mike Mussina came up one vote short, finishing in third place with 74.88%, followed by Trevor Hoffman (73.91%), Barry Bonds (73.43%) and Roger Clemens (71.50%). There are 470 members in the IBWAA; 208 voted in this election.

 

Jeff Bagwell (2015), Edgar Martinez (2016) and Tim Raines (2015) did not appear on the 2017 IBWAA Hall of Fame ballot because they have already been honored in previous IBWAA elections.

 

With those exceptions, the IBWAA ballot was identical to the one used by the BBWAA. All voting is done electronically.

 

Per a group decision in January, 2014, the IBWAA allows members to vote for up to 15 players, instead of the previous 10, beginning with the 2015 election. In the 2017 election, 92 members voted for 10 or more candidates. Seventeen members voted for 15 candidates. The average vote per member was 8.94.

 

Complete voting results are as follows:

 

 

Player Name	Votes	Percentage
Iván Rodríguez	175	84.54%
Vladimir Guerrero	175	84.54%
Mike Mussina	155	74.88%
Trevor Hoffman	153	73.91%
Barry Bonds	152	73.43%
Roger Clemens	148	71.50%
Curt Schilling	120	57.97%
Larry Walker	117	56.52%
Manny Ramírez	109	52.66%
Gary Sheffield	91	43.96%
Fred McGriff	85	41.06%
Billy Wagner	84	40.58%
Jeff Kent	80	38.65%
Sammy Sosa	68	32.85%
Lee Smith	65	31.40%
Jorge Posada	32	15.46%
Tim Wakefield	8	3.86%
Jason Varitek	7	3.38%
Matt Stairs	6	2.90%
Magglio Ordóñez	5	2.42%
Edgar Rentería	4	1.93%
Arthur Rhodes	2	0.97%
Derrek Lee	2	0.97%
J.D. Drew	2	0.97%
Pat Burrell	2	0.97%
Casey Blake	1	0.48%
Melvin Mora	1	0.48%
Mike Cameron	1	0.48%
Carlos Guillén	0	0.00%
Freddy Sánchez	0	0.00%
Orlando Cabrera	0	0.00%

 

Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates.

 

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.

 

In 2010, the IBWAA began voting in its own relief pitcher category, establishing the Rollie Fingers American League Relief Pitcher of the Year and the Hoyt Wilhelm National League Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards.

 

Among others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden and David Schoenfield of ESPN.com; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Jon Heyman and Jesse Spector, Today’s Knuckleball; Danny Knobler, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs; and Bill Arnold.

 

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a $75 lifetime fee. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.

Contact:

 

Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAA
baseballsavvy@aol.com