The American League West is one of the toughest divisions in all of baseball to predict because of how wide-open the top of the division is. The Texas Rangers have won the division the past two consecutive years and look poised to do so again in 2017. Seattle has made more trades since hiring Jerry DiPoto as their GM than any other team in the show, but has yet to make any truly meaningful moves to get themselves over the proverbial hump. And Houston, with one of the most talented rosters around, appears ready to bring home their first championship in team history. Who's going to "cowboy up" and rope in the West? Here we go.
5. Oakland Athletics
Unless you're a Golden State Warriors fan, sports life in Oakland is pretty grim these days. Just a few days ago, the Raiders were moved out of the big O for the second time in franchise history, this time to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Similarly, the A's cannot get any financial backing from city officials to break ground on a new ballpark, forcing them to play 81 games in what Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball referred to as a "shit hole". As for the on-field problems; Oakland is definitely looking for a bounce-back campaign from their ace Sonny Gray, who endured the toughest year of his young Major League career in 2016. The rest of their thin rotation is comprised of the works-in-progress Jesse Hahn, Kendal Graveman and Sean Manaea, and one of the three youngsters Chris Bassitt, Raul Alcantara or Jheral Cotton will fill the final spot. As for their offense, Oakland made a few lineup-lengthening additions this off-season: bringing in lefty-slugging right fielder Matt Joyce, reacquired a leadoff hitting speed threat in center fielder Rajai Davis and picked up the streaky-hitting Trevor Plouffe from the Twins to man the hot corner this year. Put those guys with Marcus Semien, Stephen Vogt, Yonder Alonso and Khris Davis and the green and gold should put some runs on the board. The best thing the A's have going for them is undoubtedly their bullpen; which includes four guys with closing experience in Jon Axford, Santiago Casilla, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle. Despite their best efforts though. I don't see how Oakland can finish anywhere other than last in the division
4, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
This is actually one of the best jobs Angels brass has done to surround once-in-a-generation superstar Mike Trout with some talented pieces to compete in 2017. For starters, the Halos picked up Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere to provide some speed atop their batting order. They also added Danny Espinoza to strengthen the defense up the middle while adding a sneaky-powerful switch-hitter to the lineup. Surprisingly, the Angels added left-handed slugging Luis Valbuena. who will at worst give them a formidable left-handed 3B/DH option against right-handed pitching. With Albert Pujolz, Kole Calhoun, Yunel Escobar and C.J. Cron, Trout may be in line to possibly set career-highs in both RBI and runs scored this season. But, it's going to come down to what it always comes down to in Anaheim; starting pitching. The Angels are hoping staff ace Garrett Richards can retake the form of the strikeout machine he once was. Tyler Skaggs and Michael Shoemaker had pretty good 2016 numbers, and hope to build off that success in 2017. And it looks like Ricky Nolasco and Jesse Chavez are competing with a few rookies for the final two spots in the rotation. In the bullpen, Cam Bedrosian made a big splash last season and looks to be a closer in the making. And like I said, it is definitely one of the most talented squads that the Angels have put around Trout. But, I still don't think it will be enough to make a serious playoff push.
3. Seattle Mariners
As mentioned in the opener, GM Jerry DiPoto had himself another busy off-season in Seattle. He began the winter by trading for Drew Smyly from the Tampa Bay Rays for a package of prospects. Next, Dipoto shipped Nathan Karnes. whom he just acquired last off-season from Tampa, to Kansas City for speedy centerfielder Jarrod Dyson. The GM followed that up by moving left fielder Seth Smith to Baltimore for right-handed starting pitcher Yovanni Gallardo. The biggest surprise move came when Dipoto shipped the highly coveted Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte to Arizona for a package of players, highlighted by shortstop Jean Segura. And no Mariners off-season would be complete without the addition of a catcher, which is just what they did by adding seasoned veteran backstop Carlos Ruise. We know that the offense will be fine, especially when you consider adding Segura to a lineup that already includes Robinson Canó, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. But, it's the starting pitching that is the primary concern for this ball club. You know what you're going to get out of team ace King Felix Hernandez, and even out of number two starter Hisashi Iwakuma; quality stuff. And you'd figure that Smyly should command one of the top three rotation spots, but he appears to be starting the season on the DL. Which leaves James Paxton, Chris Heston and Gallardo to carry the weight of the rotation until Smyly returns. The M's even have some talent at the back end of the bullpen in Daniel Vogelbach and Steve Cishek, but not much else. Looks like they'll be scheduling October tee-times yet again in Seattle.
2. Texas Rangers
In order to take the division two years in a row, a team must have a solid core of players to build around. And that's exactly what they have going on in Arlington in 2017. The top of the Rangers rotation is the class of the division, with the three-headed monster of Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Martin Perez. And with Colby Lewis and A.J. Griffin to round out the staff, Texas went out this off-season and acquired the services of two former Padres, right-handers Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross to strengthen the back end of the rotation. Similarly, the back end of the bullpen has some quality pieces to work with, such as Matt Bush, Sam Dyson and Jeremy Jeffress, but are one really dominant reliever away from having a lights out pen. On the offensive side, the Rangers brought back fan favorite Mike Napoli, a guy that's been to the playoffs every season but two years in his big league career, to help bolster an already packed lineup. And when the weather heats up, and you have guys like Rougned Odor, Adrian Beltre, Jonathan Lucroy and Shin-Soo Choo, we should be in store for some seriously crooked numbers at the Ballpark in Arlington this summer and possibly even farther.
1. Houston Astros
After researching and evaluating every team in the AL, I believe that the Houston Astros may have the deepest roster in the entire league. The Astros have two power-hitting catchers, Evan Gattis and Brian McCann, when most teams don't even have one. They have two young quality first baseman in Tyler White and A.J. Reed to possibly platoon with the clutch-hitting infield utility man Marwin Gonzales. Rising star third baseman Alex Bregman was on Team USA as they took home the WBC championship in only his second year in the show. And the Astros middle infield just might be the best in all of baseball, featuring a top five shortstop in Carlos Correa and arguably the best second baseman in the game, Jose Altuve. In the outfield to go along with their sensational centerfielder George Springer, Houston added the services of three solid players on both sides of the ball; Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick and Norichika Aoki. On the mound, ace Dallas Kuechel looks poised to put a tough 2016 campaign behind him and regain his 2015 Cy Young Award winning form. The rest of the staff with Collin McHue, Lance McCullers, Mike Fiers and Charlie Morton all have the same goal in mind; pitch six quality innings and get the ball to the outstanding bullpen. If the Astros follow the model laid out by Terry Francona in the playoffs, we could see the nealy unhittable Ken Giles used as the relief ace and WBC Team USA closer Luke Gregerson as the guy who shuts the door in the ninth. It would not surprise me at all to see these Astros in the Fall Classic when it's all said and done.
Thoughts?
Thursday, March 30, 2017
The Tumultuous Final Days to Roster Cut-down…
As expected, this is proving to be a very active week. As teams prepare for their final cut-downs, many players are temporarily (or in some cases, permanently) losing their Major League dreams. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have spent your entire life in Baseball and at age 29 or 30, you can’t break out of the minor leagues. At some point, you have to make the decision to move on with life. Meanwhile, the kids they grew up who chose non-baseball related paths are deep into their lives and careers.
This is clearly a game of sacrifice...
With so much talk about the possibility that Aaron Hicks unseats Aaron Judge for the right field job, why can’t the Yankees create room in left? I know that GM Brian Cashman has put Brett Gardner on the table before but seemingly the return is never enough to justify the consummation of a deal. I’ve not heard any of the names offered for Gardner, but as a 33-year-old outfielder whose primary attribute is speed (a declining resource with age), he will not be in the picture when the Yankees return to full prominence in the next couple of years. Gardner has been a good Yankee and we know he’s not the worst starting outfielder on the team, but he’ll be 34 in August. Get what you can and move on. Open left field for Aaron Hicks and let Judge develop in right. When Judge “gets it”, he’ll be a monster, strikeouts and all. If Hicks fails, then it is time to see what we have with Mason Williams and later in the season perhaps even Clint Frazier.
I can think of 90 million reasons why Jacoby Ellsbury should not be the starting centerfielder for the New York Yankees but unfortunately, the Yankees have 89,571,428 reasons for why he should…
The composition of the Opening Day bullpen remains very much in doubt. There’s no question the seventh inning on is set with Tyler Clippard, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman. But it’s the other guys that remain questionable. I really like the work that Ben Heller has done, and have been hopeful that he wins a job. He’s faced competition from major league veterans like Jon Niese and Ernesto Frieri but seems to be winning the battle. Another reliever that I really like is Jonathan Holder. Holder is starting to get some love and there’s talk that he could break camp with the team. Holder has pitched 12 innings this Spring, with a 3.00 ERA. He has given up 7 hits and 4 runs, but he has struck out 9 and walked none. To me, Holder is representative of the new era Yankees. He’s a hard worker that is continually trying to get better. He is one of the pieces that will bring a World Championship back to New York.
You have to figure that a bullpen spot will go to either Bryan Mitchell or Chad Green, depending upon who wins the final rotation spots. With no need for a fifth starter until April 16th, they both could find themselves in the pen if Luis Severino takes the fourth spot in the rotation. Chasen Shreve is another that should be considered for the bullpen if Frieri gets re-directed to minor league camp (as I suspect he will).
Earlier this week, Bryan Van Dusen was insistent that Ronald Torreyes will be the replacement shortstop. While I admit that it appears Bryan is right, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around it. I’ve never been that excited about Torreyes, despite the decent job that he did last year. If he was ‘all that and a bag of chips’, he wouldn’t have bounced among five clubs before settling in the Bronx at age 24. I am one of the many that feel Rob Refsnyder deserves stronger consideration than he’s been afforded, but I also recognize, begrudgingly, that Torreyes is the better defender. The Yankees have not played Starlin Castro at short this Spring so I don’t think they’ll slide him over although the transition would not be that difficult for him. So if it must be Torreyes, so be it. But it does not mean that I have to like it. I just hope that Didi Gregorius gets back soon.
And the winner of the fifth spot in the starting rotation is...to be continued. Manager Joe Girardi has indicated the rotation's 5th starter won't be named until later. The starter won't be needed until the April 16th game at home against Matt Holliday's old buddies, the St Louis Cardinals. The winner in my mind? Jordan Montgomery, hands down. In yesterday's Grapefruit League action, Montgomery, in his final Spring appearance, went 5 innings, allowing only one run while scattering six hats. He walked one, and struck out four. He finishes the exhibition season with a 3.20 ERA. He's accomplished everything that he needs to. He belongs. He is ready. I am sure that he'll be sent down to minor league camp for now, but when it's time for the April 16th starter, make room because he deserves a first class ticket to New York. The Yankees won the game, 3-1 over the Detroit Tigers, and improved their Spring record to 23-8-1.
Getting their pink slips (re-assignment to minor league camp) on Wednesday were shortstop Tyler Wade and catcher Kyle Higashioka. The moves solidify Ronald Torreyes as an interim replacement for Didi Gregorius (ugh) and Austin Romine as backup for Gary Sanchez.
Have a great Thursday!
This Day In New York Yankees History 3/30: Dwight Gooden's Final Walk
On this day in 1991 the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition game at Joe Robbie Stadium which drew 67,654 fans, a new spring training attendance record. The two day series between the two teams was a part pf South Florida's efforts to get a National League expansion team, soon to be named the Florida Marlins.
On this day in 1984 the San Diego Padres obtained Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles for pitcher Dennis Rasmussen and prospect Darin Cloniger.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Quick Hit: What About Joe Nathan?
The New York Yankees are in search of bullpen help this
season and there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal so it begs the
question…. Should the New York Yankees offer one of these minor league deals to
42-year old Joe Nathan? I mean, maybe.
I have said it a million times and I’ll say it another
million and one times if I have to, there is no such thing as a bad minor
league deal. There’s no team crazy enough or desperate enough to hand Nathan a
job right now attached to a guaranteed contract so if he is going to accept a
minor league deal regardless why not make that deal come from the Yankees? If
he doesn’t recover or never makes it back to the Major Leagues the Yankees are
out pennies in the grand scheme of things and a month or two of a roster spot
that could have went elsewhere but if he comes back and is even a shell of his
former self the Yankees could have an absolutely deep back-end of their
bullpen.
The Washington Nationals recently released the 42-year old
Nathan after just 6.1 innings pitched last season with the Chicago Cubs and the
San Francisco Giants. Nathan is recovering from a second Tommy John surgery in
his right elbow and posted a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA in those innings last
season.
Nathan ranks eighth all-time in career saves and is the
leader among active players in the category with 377 career saves. Extend the
offer and see if he bites. Worst thing he can say is no, right?
Goodnight Yankees family.
Quick Hit: The 2017 WPIX Channel 11 TV Schedule
The New York Yankees will return to WPIX Channel 11 once
again this season when they aren’t on the YES Network for another 21 games in
2017. Here is the 21 game schedule for the Yankees on WPIX as they return to
the channel for the third season. It’s worth mentioning that PIX11 will also
produce pre-game specials for each primetime Yankees game this season which
should be fun.
The YES Network’s Michael Kay, David Cone, John Flaherty, Al
Leiter, Meredith Marakovits, Paul O’Neill, Ken Singleton and Ryan Ruocco will
cover the games for PIX11 this season.
And the 2017 “Stephen Drew Sucks” Award Goes To….
Every single season there seems to be this one player that
Yankees manager Joe Girardi loves no matter how terrible he does. To name a few
from years past, in no particular order, we have suffered through Andruw Jones
every day in center field, Sergio Mitre far too often in the rotation and in
the bullpen, Stephen Drew stinking up the joint for multiple seasons at second
base and most recently Chase Headley at third base in 2017. So who will win the
now aptly named “Stephen Drew Sucks” Award from us here at The Greedy
Pinstripes?
I have a feeling that we will be saying “Jacoby Ellsbury
Sucks” a whole lot this season. Now I have to admit that this is all contingent
on the health of Ellsbury, which is never a guarantee, and I also have to admit
that I have been one of Ellsbury’s biggest fans since his signing but enough is
enough. The guy is a speed demon that refuses to steal bases. The guy is a
leadoff type hitter that seems more worried about getting a catcher’s
interference call than roping a single over the infielder’s heads and getting
on base. Ellsbury just seems to be on cruise control after signing that mega
seven-year deal worth $153 million and it makes me sick to even think about it.
I know some don’t like these awards and they don’t like the
constant “Stephen Drew Sucks” tweets after every out he made at the plate or
every error he made in the field but that’s just me being a fan. Just because
I’m a fan with a blog doesn’t mean I am not a fan first and cannot express my
fandom in a way that I deem fit. Stephen Drew did suck and Jacoby Ellsbury does
too so why should I be made to feel bad for saying so just because I am on a
platform or held to a higher standard or whatever. I don’t put myself on that
platform and I don’t hold myself to a higher standard. I’ll get down and talk
baseball with anyone, anytime, anywhere. I’ve always been big on putting the
social aspect back in social media and I try to acknowledge and respond to
every tweet and comment we get in some way, shape or form unlike those other publications.
So yeah, before I get too far off topic here as I like to
ramble from time to time, it’s going to be a long season for Jacoby here at
TGP. Fair warning and there’s only one way (well two or three ways I guess as
he could get injured or traded) to reverse the Stephen Drew Sucks curse…. By
performing! Good luck Jacoby, I’m truly rooting for you.
Key Dates to Look Forward to in 2017
Opening Day 2017 happens on Sunday, April 2nd
when the New York Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays inside Tropicana Field in
Tampa St. Pete. The 2017 season has a lot of key dates and games this season so
I wanted to go over a few and hit the high spots as we prepare for the 2017
regular season to begin. This post is worth keeping bookmarked just in case.
On the same day the Yankees and Rays kick off the 2017
season the Chicago Cubs begin their World Series title defense against the St.
Louis Cardinals. Manning center field for those Cardinals? None other than the
center fielder who was on the field when the Cubs won their World Series and
reversed the curse of the billy goat, Dexter Fowler. That should be fun.
Sunday, May 14th is Derek Jeter Day in the Bronx
as the New York Yankees play host to the Houston Astros inside Yankee Stadium.
Before the game the Yankees will unveil a plaque in Monument Park for Jeter
while also retiring his #2 jersey on Mother’s Day. That’s a game you definitely
do not want to miss.
The All-Star Game is played on Tuesday, July 11 inside
Marlins Park in Miami. This will be the first time that the Marlins host the
All-Star Game in their 25 season existence so that should be fun as should the
Home Run Derby that happens the night before. Giancarlo Stanton sighting
anyone?
On Sunday, July 30 we will watch as Hall of Fame inductees
Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez get inducted officially
into the Hall along with former Commissioner Bud Selig and former Royals and
Braves executive John Schuerholz.
The non-waiver trading deadline returns to July 31st
this season after last year the deadline occurred on August 1st. The
revocable trade waiver deadline is still August 31st, as always.
The final game of the season happens, barring any need for
tiebreaker games and such, on October 1st.
Patience, Young Grasshopper…
Credit: AP
I admit that I am the old guy on this site. I grew up in the era when George Steinbrenner was King. If you wanted the best baseball player, you went and bought him. The impulsive side of me loved those days. Who didn’t want an All-Star at every position? But there was a price to be paid.
I loved Billy Martin as Yankees manager. I was excited with every hiring and devastated with every firing. Managers, General Managers, and Pitching Coaches seemed to change more often than Lady Gaga’s outfits and hairstyles. Maybe I’ve always been able to adapt well to change because that was my childhood. There were no constants in New York other than The Boss ruled supreme.
I became a Yankees fan on December 31, 1974. It’s a day that I’ll never forget. I had grown up rooting for the Oakland A’s and their collection of characters. My favorite pitcher was Jim “Catfish” Hunter. The earliest books I remember reading were about baseball. I think the very first biography I read was about Ty Cobb, but it was a subsequent biography I encountered about the legendary Lou Gehrig that laid the foundation for a lifetime of Pinstripe Passion. So, it seemed meant to be when Catfish Hunter became a free agent and signed with the Yankees on New Year’s Eve, 1974. That day, I went with him to New York and I’ve never looked back.
When the Yankees took the field on April 8, 1975, they were my team. Looking back at the Opening Day lineup, it seems so long ago:
2B-Sandy Alomar
LF-Lou Piniella
CF-Bobby Bonds
RF-Ron Blomberg
3B-Graig Nettles
DH-Ed Herrmann
1B-Chris Chambliss
C-Thurman Munson
SS-Jim Mason
SP-Doc Medich
The Yankees lost that day, 5-3 to the Cleveland Indians. They finished third for the year with a record of 83-77, 12 games behind the Boston Red Sox. By the end of the season, Billy Martin had taken over as the Yankees manager (for his first time). It was a great time to be a Yankees fan and you could sense that something bigger was developing after a decade of apathy under CBS ownership. By this time, Steinbrenner had owned the Yankees for a couple of years but his influence was starting to grow. I’ve always loved the quote by then Yankees minority owner (and later Houston Astros owner) John McMullen when he said “There is nothing in life quite so limited as being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner”.
However, the Yankees desire to field the best collection of players came at a heavy cost. It was hard to watch a talented young pitcher named Doug Drabek get traded to the Pittsburgh in 1986 (for Rick Rhoden) and later win the NL Cy Young Award for the Pirates. It was hard to watch young slugger Jay Buhner crush minor league pitching, only to get traded to the Seattle Mariners for a long and productive career (for the forgettable Ken Phelps). It was hard to watch Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff get traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a marginal reliever named Dale Murray. I loved when Al Leiter first came up. There were growing pains associated with a young starter, but you could tell that he was going to be a good one. Yet, he ended up getting sent away to Toronto for Jesse Barfield. Leiter would go on to win three World Series championships with other clubs.
This list goes on and on, but it is very difficult to get excited about young prospects, only to watch them flourish in other organizations.
I’ve read the blog comments that the Yankees need to get creative. I couldn’t agree more. A few years ago, the Boston Red Sox looked like they were saddled with age and bad contracts. Then, in one trade late in the 2012 season, they eliminated the contracts of Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford. It doesn’t really matter what they got in return. The trade freed valuable dollars and put the Red Sox on the path they are on today with one of the better teams in baseball. When they needed a frontline ace (Chris Sale), they traded their best hitting prospect, Yoan Moncada, perhaps the best prospect in all of baseball, and their best pitching prospect, Michael Kopech, who looks to be a future ace. Time will tell if this move backfires, but they are doing something.
I want to win now. But the realist in me recognizes that it is not yet our time. The moves today must set up the team for success in 2018 and 2019. There can be no short-sighted moves. Many teams load up for the chance at single championships. If the Yankees play their cards right, it could set the team up for another multiple run. We may never see a run like the 90’s (or 50’s) again, but try telling the New England Patriots that parity has been achieved in the NFL.
I am in favor of making the necessary (and creative) moves necessary to build sustained success. But for the quick fix? Those days are behind me.
The Tampa Bay Rays & Rob Refsnyder
The New York Yankees floated around the idea of trading
infielder and utility player Robert Refsnyder this offseason but then Didi
Gregorius got hurt leaving many to speculate that those trade talks would all
but take a back seat for now. Well apparently that speculation and about $15
will get you a beer at Yankee Stadium because reportedly the organization is
still looking to trade Refsnyder and they may have found an interested party in
the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to the Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Tompkin the
Tampa Bay Rays are looking to add a cheap, young and controllable right-handed
bat and the team has their eye on Refsnyder as that possible bat going forward.
The Yankees still may want to move Refsnyder as he may or may not even have a
spot on the team right now. With Gregorius out the Yankees could easily find
at-bats and playing time for him but they could also give that playing time to
one of Pete Kozma, Ronald Torreyes, Tyler Wade, Ji-Man Choi, Donovan Solano or
others not named Gleyber Torres. To move Refsnyder still makes sense on paper
and it would also create a 40 man roster spot for someone like Jordan Montgomery
if he ends up winning the 4th or 5th starting rotation
spots this spring.
In the report Tompkin states that the Rays are looking for
not only a right-handed bat but specifically a shortstop or an outfielder.
While Refsnyder has not played shortstop in his minor league or major league
career he does have some experience in both right field and left field and he
also brings that versatility that Tampa just absolutely loves on defense.
Refsnyder’s line-drive hitting and professional approach at the plate would fit
in well with any team but would especially fit in with a team like Tampa Bay
who needs any and all protection around Evan Longoria if they want to compete
whatsoever this season.
It is worth mentioning I think that both the Rays and the
Yankees are said to be interested in the Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick
Ahmed so maybe a three-team trade could be worked out? Who knows… I guess you
will just have to stay tuned to find out.
Random Thoughts...
A few quick thoughts on Hump Day…
Joe Girardi wants
Gary Sanchez to bat second in the lineup.
Say what? Maybe it’s
just me but I think the Yankees are better served by placing Sanchez in the
third or fourth spot in the lineup. I
could even buy into fifth, but second? Girardi must have a lot of faith in the bottom
of the order. Otherwise, it sounds like
Sanchez is going to have to count on his own feet for runs batted in. Seems like a waste for a multi-base hitter
like Sanchez.
And Jacoby Ellsbury might bat fifth? What, was Siberia out of the question?...
Adam Warren, sit
down.
Adam Warren has been told by the Yankees that he is slated
for bullpen duty, thereby, knocking him out of the competition for the
rotation. So, that means we are down to
Luis Severino, Bryan Mitchell, Chad Green and Jordan Montgomery. No surprise, but glad to see Girardi is
reducing the competition. I've felt all along that Warren's greatest value is as the designated swingman.
Jon “Arnold
Schwarzenegger” Niese.
"I’ll be back…"
As expected, Niese has re-signed a minor league deal to
remain in the Yankees organization. This
will allow Niese more time to regain fastball velocity and eventually snag a
role in the crowded Yankees bullpen if he is successful. Or he could represent rotation
insurance. If not, it was a low risk
signing.
He’s just a Rookie.
Congratulations to former Yankee Rookie Davis. Traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the Aroldis
Chapman deal, the tall young right-hander has made the Reds starting rotation. Davis spent most of last year in AA, with
some time logged at the AAA level. I
wish him much success in the Show! He
has a chance to be the Rookie of the Year although I am sure his mom has been
giving him that award every year since birth.
Dustin time...well, maybe
not.
Former Yankee Dustin Ackley failed to make the Opening Day
roster for the Los Angeles Angels and will head to AAA. Baseball has been a tough sport for the
one-time second overall draft pick.
Another Rule 5
Returnee.
While I am still waiting to see if C Luis Torrens (Padres)
or Tyler Webb (Pirates) come back, the Chicago Cubs returned another left-hander
to the Yankees. Caleb Smith, 25, saw
limited action this Spring (6 1/3 innings, 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and
7 strikeouts). Presumably, he’ll head
for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. I guess
you can never have too many lefties…
Future Yankees
Captain?
As the new face of the Yankees, could Gary Sanchez be named
as Captain at some point in the future?
Although he uses an interpreter with the media, he has learned English
and is able to converse with his pitchers.
He the leader of the new Core and should continue to expand his
influence on the team as he moves forward.
If no Captain is named over the next couple of years, I could see
Gleyber Torres eventually in consideration.
But at this point, there’s no question this is Gary’s team.
All Good Things Must
End…
Masahiro Tanaka’s Spring scoreless streak ended with
yesterday’s 6-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
Tanaka allowed two runs (one earned) in the first inning before settling
down to allow no more runs through five innings of work. He gave up three hits and two walks, while
striking out six. He finishes the Spring
with a 0.38 ERA. I think he’s ready (in
a statement of the obvious).
Aaron Judge hit a long solo homer in the 7th
inning.
Ernesto Frieri gave up two runs and now has a 9.00 ERA
through four innings of Spring work. I
doubt he makes the Opening Day roster and will most likely take the Jon Niese
route to the minor leagues for extended spring training.
Jordan Montgomery takes the mound for the Yankees (22-8-1)
today in his final Spring performance and long-shot bid for the starting
rotation. The Yankees will be at Florida
Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, FL to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Here’s hoping that Montgomery gives Joe
Girardi an offer he can’t refuse.
Have a great day!
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