BBWAA Elects Four Into Hall of Fame

The Baseball Writers Association of America has elected four members to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Chipper Jones, Trevor Hoffman, Jim Thome and Vladimir Guerrero.

Jones had 97.2% of the vote needed while Guerrero (92.9%), Thome (89.8%) and Hoffman (79.9%) all eclipsed the 75% mark needed for Hall induction.

Mike Mussina missed the mark falling just 49 votes shy with 63.5% of the vote while Edgar Martinez fell just 20 votes shy with 70.4% of the vote.

The Inaugural Cold Stove League...

Just think, final month without Baseball…

Outside of the big December splash which brought the second iteration of "Mike" Stanton to Pinstripes and a plethora of reliever signings in MLB, it is has been an extremely quiet off-season. Sadly, it does not give us much to write about except for speculation and thoughts of wild-ass trade propositions.  

Soon, Baseball Training Camps will be buzzing with activity. In many cases, players are already on-site in Florida and Arizona, ready for the arrival of pitchers and catchers in a few weeks. Gone are the days when players ate pizza and drank beer all winter long (now reserved for us, the fans), arriving at training camp to get in shape. We’re ready (for baseball, in addition to beer and pizza) and I am sure the Yankees players are too (the baseball part). But is GM Brian Cashman ready? That’s the million dollar question.

Photo Credit: New York Daily News (Andrew Savulich)

I keep saying that I find it hard to believe the Yankees will go into camp with rookies at both second and third bases. Then again, we rip another daily page off the calendar and there have been no changes to the current 40-man roster. I want a solid Plan B in place for third base. I feel that we are covered at second. The odds-on favorite is obviously Gleyber Torres (GLAY-burr, for those of you scoring at home) even if he has to spend the first couple of weeks at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to delay MLB service time. Backup support is in the form of Tyler Wade and Ronald Torreyes, with improved play expected of the former. The wild card is non-roster invitee Jace Ryan Peterson.  Someone from that group, most likely Torres, is going to step up and provide a major contribution at second base. Third base is my concern. I like Miguel Andujar. His bat appears to be Major League ready even if his defensive skills haven’t quite caught up. I am not opposed to starting Andujar at third, but what’s Plan B? What if Andujar is not ready for the challenge? Trades are rarely made in April or May with limited seller motivation. I wouldn’t want to see Torreyes as the long-term alternative (he is better served in the utility role). Torres could probably be looked at as a fallback plan but I prefer the converted shortstop at second over third. The perfect scenario for me is the return of Todd Frazier. But short of that, I want a decent veteran for backup support or someone who could platoon with Andujar, assuming the Yankees do not bring back a starting option like Frazier.  

At this point, I’ve given up the idea of adding another top starter for the rotation. Yu Darvish would look outstanding in Pinstripes. But at $20 million plus per year, he’s simply not affordable in Hal Steinbrenner’s budget. Even if the Yankees made room, I am not sure that $20+ million annually is the route to go for a thirty-something pitcher on an extended multi-year contract. The Free Agent Class after the upcoming season is the most fruitful in years and the Yankees are expected to be players. But before jumping in the free agent pool in a big way, the Yankees need take care of their own. The one player that they should re-sign to a contract extension next off-season is Didi Gregorius. If he delivers a season comparable to last year, he’ll have the right to make very high demands during contract negotiations. Hopefully, the Yankees do not wait until Didi becomes a free agent after the 2019 season to try and lock him up.

It is a certainty that Hal Steinbrenner will not go hog wild with payroll next year even if he is successful in resetting the luxury tax penalties in 2018.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. I would trade Brett Gardner. Look, I love the player and what he has meant to the Pinstripes. Unless Brian Cashman proves that he is indeed the Miracle Worker (i.e., trade of Jacoby Ellsbury), the most marketable redundant player is Gardy. I get it, you can’t replace his intangibles in the clubhouse but others have to step up. Moving Gardy’s contract would give the Yankees budget room to bring back Todd Frazier and possibly a lesser starting pitcher to add to the training camp mix. They’d still have plenty of room for July acquisitions without fear of breaking the $197 million luxury tax threshold. You’d have Aaron Hicks and Jacoby Ellsbury to cover center, and Clint Frazier for left field on the days that either Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton are at DH. I’d prefer Gardy over Ellsbury, but face it, Ellsbury is not going anywhere. That’s a very solid outfield without Gardner’s presence. The Yankees are not going to re-sign Gardner next off-season when he becomes a free agent. There is too much outfield depth and talent in the Yankees farm system to devote eight figures to a guy in his mid-thirties. So knowing that this is most likely his last year in the Bronx, I’d make a move now to free up some dollars to help the positions of need.

I’ll be preaching for the return of Todd Frazier until he signs somewhere. Pinstripes, Please!

‘Deja Vu, All Over Again’ as the great Yogi Berra would say…

The ‘Alex Rodriguez will replace Aaron Boone as Yankees manager’ jokes were running rampant yesterday when it was announced that A-Rod has signed on as part of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball team replacing Boone. A-Rod obviously has a history of replacing Boone considering that he took Boone’s place in 2004 when Boonie injured his knee during a pickup basketball game and was subsequently released. My thought was that Boone should never leave his Playmate wife. Otherwise, A-Rod, after he moves on from J-Lo (c’mon, you know it’s inevitable), might be there to replace Boone once again. Seriously, I think A-Rod is a good addition to the ESPN team. Matt Vasgersian will replace Dan Shulman as the play-by-play announcer, joining A-Rod, in for Boone, Buster Olney and holdover Jessica Mendoza. A-Rod will continue working for FOX Sports during the post-season and World Series as well under the unique talent-sharing arrangement. Give A-Rod credit for rebuilding his image. Time will tell if it helps his case for induction into the Hall of Fame, but all things considered, it can’t hurt.

Off-Season Winners…

With the majority of the top free agents still available as we bear down on the end of January, the biggest off-season winners for their decisions have to be Giancarlo Stanton, for using his no-trade clause to navigate a trade to the Bronx, and Masahiro Tanaka, for his decision not to opt-out.  I’d also have to say that the Justin Upton’s choice to sign a five-year deal for $106 million with the Los Angeles Angels (including a full no-trade clause) to waive his opt-out was not far behind. Otherwise, it’s hard to believe that the best free agent contract signed so far has been the three-year, $60 million deal that Carlos Santana took from the Philadelphia Phillies to be their new starting first baseman. When players like Yu Darvish and J.D. Martinez eventually sign, I am sure that they’ll break the $100 million barrier but I don’t recall a time when the majority of the top ten free agents were unsigned at this point in the off-season.  

With suppressed prices, I hope this does not lead to the Yankees signing third base types like Yunel Escobar, Cliff Pennington, or Darwin Barney. I may want veteran help at third but I guess my sights remain aimed a little higher.  Todd Frazier, come home.

Photo Credit: Associated Press (Seth Wenig)

Go Yankees!

Who Needs Hot Stove Talk When It's Officially Prospect Season?

Okay, so admittedly I am being extremely sarcastic here with the blog post title. Of course we all need and want that big hot stove story to break, even if it is JD Martinez heading to the Boston Red Sox for an exuberant amount of money for probably far too long, but there are still a lot of us that are more inclined to read about the prospects as the calendar inches closer to February. I know we used to run Prospects Month here on the blog during the month of February, something I worked on off-and-on for like two months prior to February and all month long during February, so you know I am excited about a couple key sources of prospects information releasing their respective Top Prospects lists for the 2018 season. Baseball America released all 100 of their top prospects today while Keith Law released half his list and we will take a look at both lists here in this blog post. For the complete lists head over to Baseball America and Keith Law respectively.

Let's start with Baseball America since they released all 100 of their prospects all at once this morning. The Yankees had a total of six prospects in the Top 100 this season including Gleyber Torres (6th overall), Estevan Florial (38th overall), Justus Sheffield (41st overall), Miguel Andujar (59th overall), Albert Abreu (77th overall) and Chance Adams (81st overall).

I hate that Shohei Otani is considered a rookie and a prospect on this list, and by the way he is ranked 2nd overall, but I get it I guess. Meanwhile the Atlanta Braves outfield prospect Ronald Acuna is the top prospect in all of baseball according to BA while there are a few familiar and notable names to mention on the list including Vlad Guerrero Jr. (3rd ranked overall with the Toronto Blue Jays), Bo Bichette (8th overall and son of former MLB star Dante Bichette with the Toronto Blue Jays), Fernando Tatis Jr. (9th overall with the San Diego Padres), Jorge Mateo (64th overall and former Yankees farm hand traded for Sonny Gray to the Oakland Athletics), Jorge Guzman (87th overall and former Yankees farm hand traded to the Miami Marlins for Giancarlo Stanton), and Dustin Fowler (88th overall and former Yankees farm hand traded to the Oakland Athletics for Sonny Gray).

Meanwhile Keith Law released his 51-100 top prospects for the 2018 season and the Yankees that made the list were Miguel Andujar (54th overall), Freicer Perez (73rd) and Albert Abreu (99th overall). Law expects to release the rest of his Top 100 list tomorrow so check back for that! Even after trading away all the prospects the Yankees did in the Giancarlo Stanton and Sonny Gray deals the team is still stacked, and that is scary for the rest of the league in my opinion.

Let's Get This Party Started...

Photo Credit:  Getty Images (Al Bello and Christian Petersen), via CBS New York

Trading January for February…

It was another quiet week in the Yankees Universe, but fortunately, it puts us one week closer to Spring Training.  

Many feel that the Yankees are good with the present makeup of the 40-man roster as the gates of Steinbrenner Field prepare to open but I remain convinced that the Yankees will add either a strong starting pitcher or a veteran to solidify third base. It would be great to add both but I don’t see how that’s economically feasible for a team trying so hard to stay under the $197 million luxury tax threshold.  

I thought the Washington Nationals have done a tremendous job with their infield bench.  First, they signed first baseman Matt Adams, the long-time Cardinal who spent most of last year in Atlanta, to back up first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Then, they re-signed 2B/3B Howie Kendrick who can plug into a corner outfield position as well. Either one of these players would have been useful for the Yankees. I like the idea of pairing a veteran with the youthful Miguel Andujar at third. Granted, I would love to see the return of Todd Frazier or even the signing of Mike Moustakas, but the Yankees can afford to lower their sights for another guy that could help Andujar with his transition to the MLB level. Eduardo Nunez is probably not the answer, due to his questionable defense and injury history, but there are other guys that could fit the bill without blowing the budget. Josh Harrison, carrying a cap hit of $10.25 million, is probably the guy that comes to mind but his acquisition would probably prevent the addition of a starting pitcher who is better than any of the current starting five.  

Photo Credit:  Getty Images North America (Joe Sargent)

The Toronto Blue Jays have been fairly active in trying to rebuild their post-Jose Bautista outfield. Earlier this week, they signed former Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson to fill a platoon role. Then, yesterday, they traded for St Louis Cardinals outfielder Randall Grichuk who became expendable when the Cardinals acquired former Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, particularly given the breakthrough of outfielder Tommy Pham for the Cards last year. Grichuk has some thump in his bat, even if he hasn’t been consistent. He is expected to be the starter in right field, replacing Bautista. I don’t know much about the younger pitching prospect that the Blue Jays sent to St Louis (Connor Greene), but I am glad to see reliever Dominic Leone depart the AL East. In a setup role for the Blue Jays last year, Leone stranded 42 of 54 base runners which ranked fourth among AL relievers. He held righties to .211 batting average and was even stingier with lefties at .183. The Grandy Man may not be the player he once was, but he is still one of the game’s best gentlemen. I’m sure that he’ll be a positive influence on the young Jays. He didn’t do much for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year after the late season acquisition (.161 batting average with 7 home runs in 112 at-bats), but he can still provide occasional pop. I can still remember his grand slam against the Yankees last August in what would prove to be his last at-bat for the New York Mets.

Photo Credit:  USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

It’s inevitable that the Boston Red Sox and free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez come together at some point this off-season. I find it highly unlikely that the Arizona Diamondbacks bring back Martinez due to monetary constraints and there doesn’t seem to be much competition with Boston for the outfielder’s services. The latest reports indicate the Red Sox have offered 5 years at $125 million but agent Scott Boras is on record seeking a 6 or 7 year deal for his client. Teams have wised up and understand how detrimental the latter years can be for extended length contracts given to thirty-something players. If the Red Sox are truly offering $25 million per year, I think Martinez would be smart to consider it. At a winter function for the Red Sox yesterday, former Red Sox great Pedro Martinez explained, “The main reason why Mookie (Betts) and those guys miss (David Ortiz) more is because they were getting better pitches to hit on an earlier count because of his presence. Everybody knew they wanted to attack Mookie and those guys to get them out early before they get to David because David was one of those guys who was really special.” Martinez could be that guy for the Red Sox, which is why I feel that Boston will eventually get the deal done even if it gives them a $200+ million payroll.

Photo Credit:  Getty Images (Christian Petersen)

The most talked about situation for the Yankees is Jacoby Ellsbury and his contract. By all indications, Ellsbury has no desire to waive his no-trade clause and is focused on competing with Aaron Hicks for the starting center field role. Many Yankees fans, including myself, feel that it would be best for Ellsbury to drop the NTC and allow a trade. The pro-Ellsbury fans attack us, saying that Ellsbury is a better player than we are giving him credit for. I don’t think anyone disputes that Ellsbury is still a good player. He just doesn’t fit the 2018 Yankees. At this point, it is clear that Aaron Hicks has the upper hand and it would take an injury to Hicks (always a possibility) to clear a path to consistent playing time for Ellsbury. But even then, he’d have to fight Brett Gardner for time and Gardy probably has the edge. It does not make sense to pay a fourth or fifth outfielder $22 million per year. If the Yankees were successful in getting another team to take on half of what’s left of Ellsbury’s deal, that’s still significant money that could go toward a starting pitcher and/or veteran third baseman. That’s why I think it is best to move Ellsbury if you can. He can be a very useful player for another team. Seattle was mentioned as the primary trade target until they acquired second baseman Dee Gordon from the Miami Marlins with the intent to convert him to center field. Then, the San Francisco Giants were heavily mentioned by Yankees fans. But they acquired Andrew McCutchen from the Pittsburgh PIrates and are bumping up against the luxury tax threshold themselves. Some have mentioned the Colorado Rockies in a trade of bad contracts for IF/OF Ian Desmond, but I don’t think the Rockies are as down on Desmond as Yankees fans would like to think. A trade to a Cactus League team seems to make the most sense given that Ellsbury makes his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Personally, I think the Yankees will be stuck with Ellsbury until the dollars left on his contract reach a point that Hal Steinbrenner is comfortable cutting bait. That means at least another season or two. It stinks because it will most likely keep Clint Frazier at Triple A if he is not traded for a starting pitcher. I am a fan of Red Thunder and I’d like to see him in the Bronx, not Moosic, PA. He’s ready, even if it means that team leader Brett Gardner is the odd man out.  

Photo Credit:  SI.com

Maybe next week is finally the week we get some actual news in the Yankees Universe. Yeah, right…probably not. Oh well, Spring Training will soon be here. I am ready and anxious to see 1 Steinbrenner Drive thriving with Yankees fans in the stands watching Yankees greats on the field.

Go Yankees!

Why Would Jacoby Ellsbury Want To Stay A Yankee?

On the surface it's a silly question...

Why would Jacoby Ellsbury want to stay a Yankee?

I'm sure there are plenty of players in the Majors that would never, and have never, wanted to be a Yankee. But I'd bet those players are few and far between. The Yankees are the most storied franchise in Major League Baseball, and quite possibly the most storied franchise in all of sports. From Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, from Murderer's Row to The Core Five (yes "FIVE"), from the Bleacher Creatures to The Judge's Chambers, being able to say "I'm a New York Yankee" comes with immense pride.

But the question remains... Why would Jacoby Ellsbury want to stay a Yankee?

It's not greed, because no matter where he plays he's going to get all of the money owed him. Contracts in Major League Baseball are guaranteed. Ellsbury will receive every penny of the $153 million deal he signed back on December 13th of 2013.

So what's the deal?

Well, my guess is that he just really likes being a Yankee, and that's something that should be cheered... not booed. But that's exactly what I expect to happen this season, because not waiving his no-trade clause is likely going to keep the Yankees from adding Yu Darvish.

Yu Darvish would turn the Yankees from a good bet to contend for the World Series to arguably the favorite. Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery, and CC Sabathia make for a very good starting rotation. Place Darvish in there and "holy cow!" A great batting lineup, a great bullpen, and a great starting rotation. Even the biggest Yankee Hater would have to admit the Yankees would be nearly impossible to stop.

I suppose if Cashman and Company decide to stick with the kids at second and third base, and trade away a less expensive piece like Adam Warren, they could afford to sign Yu Darvish and still have around $5 million for mid-season trades and/or pick-ups. But I find that highly unlikely. It's just not enough of a cushion, because the team is clearly going for it all this season, and there's a good chance a mid-season pick-up will be needed, and the last thing management will want to worry about at that point is the cost.

Plus, past experience, and I understand that going by past experience is difficult because the Yankees of today are not at all like the Yankees of a few years ago, tells us that at least one of those infield spots will be filled by a veteran. I think it's very possible that Todd Frazier returns to the Yankees on a team-friendly deal. However, said deal won't be so "team-friendly" that Darvish could still be squeezed in.

To put things bluntly, Jacoby Ellsbury could keep the Yankees from being a better team in 2017 and beyond. And in doing so he's very likely tohear it from the boo-birds at Yankee Stadium.

Should he be booed? I don't think so, but the fact is he will be. And it kind of surprises me that he'd be willing to put up with that instead of going somewhere that he's actually wanted. Should such a place exist.

Why I Am Not Afraid of the Houston Astros in 2018

The Houston Astros are the defending World Series Champions from the 2017 season and the team has the reigning American League MVP on their roster heading into the 2018 season. The Astros have a full season of Justin Verlander heading into this next season, the team got younger and more versatile with the retirement of Carlos Beltran and the team also acquired Gerrit Cole from the Pittsburgh Pirates just a week or so back. Many Yankees fans are shaking in their boots right now and are actually scared of the defending World Series Champions, but me… I’m not… and here’s why.

Justin Verlander. I really cannot believe everyone suddenly fears Justin Verlander. First of all, let’s remember that before Verlander joined the Astros and went on that impressive 5-0 run with a 1.06 ERA, neither of which are sustainable even if he did magically figure something out or the change of scenery in Houston from Detroit mattered that much, Verlander was just 10-8 with a 3.82 ERA with Detroit. Now while those numbers, especially given the state of the Tigers offense at the time, are respectable they did not show the absolute dominant force that was Verlander in September and beyond in 2017. Verlander could be and likely will be good once again in 2018 with the Astros but there is no way he can replicate those numbers from the 2017 season like many are thinking or worried that he will. Science, history and not being able to predict baseball say that the soon-to-be 35-year old righty will regress, not get better.

Gerrit Cole. As much as I wouldn’t have minded Cole in Pinstripes I didn’t ever see Cole as a need for New York. A luxury, sure. Someone who made the team better, more than likely. The dominant force that many Astros fans are making him out to be? I’m not so sure about that actually. Cole’s numbers are trending in the wrong direction for a player that is leaving the spacious National League park in Pittsburgh to an American League Park in Houston. Cole has seen his numbers rise every year from his best season in 2015 and has struggled with nagging little injuries that as you age you find harder and harder to deal with and play through. Cole gave up 1.4 home runs per nine innings last season to go along with a 4.08 FIP, 31 home runs allowed, 1.251 WHIP and a career-high 55 walks allowed. The scariest part for Houston is this, these numbers are generally better, but not by much, than his worst season which occurred in an injury-riddles 2016 season. Maybe Cole is getting unlucky and will return to the dominant force that the righty once was in 2018? Sabermetrics courtesy of Fangraphs paint a different picture. Cole’s BABIP from 2017 (.298) was actually lower than his BABIP in 2016 and 2015, his career best season in the Major Leagues where Cole won 19 games, while every other stat (line drive percentage, contact % etc.) all relatively remained the same. Cole is throwing less fastballs and more changeup’s and curveball’s than ever according to Fangraphs which leaves you to wonder if his shoulder and/or arm are bothering him. It’s hard to say but the trends over the past three seasons wouldn’t give me the warm and fuzzy feeling if I were an Astros fan and gave me those similar feelings when I thought he was going to be a Yankee.

Jose Altuve is Jose Altuve, and the scariest part is that Altuve is just now entering his prime, not leaving it. The Yankees plan going forward? Limit the pitches that Altuve sees and take your chances with the rest of the lineup. It really is all you can do at this point and it is the ultimate respect. The same can be said for Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel is awesome and a Yankee-killer, everyone knows it. The Yankees just have to get what they can off of him and move on to a new day, a new game and a new series after they see him. Again, the ultimate respect. These two players are great ball players, gamers and they love to step up when the spot light is on. When are these two free agents again?

The Astros bullpen is good, but I wouldn’t call it dominant. I’d say the Yankees have a much better bullpen than the Astros with former closers everywhere. We all know how fragile relief pitching can be from year-to-year, with the obvious exception of closers, and I just don’t trust the Astros bullpen to be as good as they were in 2017 again here in 2018. It helps that the Astros play in a weak division where they get to beat up on other teams 20 times each a season, and don’t get me wrong I think the Astros are a hell of a team and can hold their own against the best teams in the Major Leagues again in 2018, but this team just doesn’t strike the fear in me that it does others. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t. Call it being a homer, call it being optimistic or call it just flat out being stupid but I am just not worried. I’m not.

This is all before I mention how Masahiro Tanaka had a down season in 2017, the Yankees have a full season of Sonny Gray in 2018, before Jordan Montgomery has a full season of experience and innings under his belt for the 2018 season and some dude named Giancarlo Stanton takes his turn at the plate four times a game against this Astros pitching staff. It isn’t going to be easy, it is going to be frustrating at times and the Yankees aren’t going to exactly run away with anything, but it doesn’t mean I am scared either. In fact, I look forward to it.

No Need To Worry About Second Or Third Base

"To infinity 2017 and beyond!"

If the Yankees were to trade for or acquire a second or third baseman, then that person has to be for 2017 and beyond. 

With the firepower the Yankees batting lineup possesses, there's absolutely no need for a move to be made. We could have 2015 Stephen Drew at second, and 2013 Jayson Nix at third, and the team would still average over five runs a game. 

I'm not saying that if we had players that contributed as little as Drew in 2015 or Nix in 2013 in the lineup regularly I'd be ok with that. However, I don't expect to have another All Star, let alone another MVP candidate, playing those positions this season. 

Therefore, unless the Yankees acquired somebody that's clearly above average, and under team control for at least a couple more years, then there's no point.

Here's a list of such players....

Second Base

Jose Ramirez

Jonathan Schoop

Robinson Cano

Third Base

Justin Turner

Jose Ramirez

Kris Bryant

Anthony Rendon

Nolan Arenado

Joey Gallo

Alex Bregman

Travis Shaw

Nicholas Castellanos

The Yankees are not trading for any of those three second basemen. Ramirez plays for the Indians, who would be looking to add to their team... not subtract. I suppose something might be able to get done to bring back Cano, but the $24 million AAV of his contract would be a huge obstacle. Jonathan Schoop is another outside possibility, but seeing that he's in Baltimore I doubt a deal would get done. 

Although Turner, Ramirez, Bryant, Rendon, Bregman, and Shaw look to be off-limits, third base does present some possibilities. 

Joey Gallo is a bit intriguing thanks to him coming off a 41 homer campaign last season, but his batting average is pretty bad (.209). So even though he's on that list, unless the Rangers asking price for him was pretty low, I'd pass.

One name that's quite intriguing is Nolan Arenado. Arenado is right there with Manny Machado in that they're both very good players, at the same position, but the one big difference is that Nolan is not eligible for free agency until after the 2019 season. But would Colorado want to move him? While the Dodgers seem to have a firm grip on the National League West division, the Rockies certainly have their eyes on one of the Wild Card spots. Taking things a step further, the Rox also have a nice crop of starters that the Yankees could go after. But I just don't see such a big trade happening with a team that has serious postseason hopes.

There's been plenty of talk about trading for Michael Fulmer of the Detroit Tigers, but third baseman Nicholas Castellanos (he can also play right field) would be a nice target. He brings a good batting average and can hit 20+ home runs. His defense leaves some to be desired, although it's not awful by any means. Miguel Andujar and a non-Adams/Sheffield pitching prospect could probably get a deal done. But what about a trade that would bring over Castellanos and Fulmer? While that would be perfect, I'm not sure about the cost. Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar, Chance Adams, and another lower-level pitcher? Is that too much? Probably, but I would think hard about this trade.

The way I see things when it comes to trading for a second or third baseman, it's Detroit or bust. I don't think any other player would be available without the Yankees having to blow a team away with an offer. And let's be honest, the Yankees absolutely do not need to offer a package that would blow anybody away. 

I'm going to definitely be thinking more about that Fulmer and Castellanos trade I mentioned above.

Does Anyone Know the Name Travis Shaw and Is He Available?

Photo Credit: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 

So, it seems, there I go again with that, the idea that the San Francisco Giants just give up their proven second baseman Joe Panik for the Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury and Clint Frazier wasn’t exactly the most popular of posts I’ve done here on the blog. Whoops. It was so unpopular in fact that the Giants went out and threw dirt on the grave of the post immediately by acquiring Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Whoops again. I still stand behind the idea as I searched the Giants roster looking for scenarios that could send Ellsbury packing I have always been one to have a Plan B when it comes to getting greedy, even if it is less likely now that McCutchen is in San Francisco.  That quest has taken me to the National League Central Division and to a team that is on the cusp of competing, hello Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Brewers made things interesting for the Chicago Cubs all the way down to the final month of the 2017 regular season and while that made many fans and people within the organization happy most have to be ready to take the next step. While Milwaukee has been quiet on the free agent and trade market to date, and to be fair… who hasn’t been, that doesn’t mean that the team cannot swing a trade with a certain team from the Bronx to make both sides not only happy, but better as well.

As I stated in my Joe Panik article and as it has been stated all over Twitter and the Yankees blogosphere for a month now, the Yankees either need a second baseman or a third baseman according to many before the season starts. Personally, I would be okay with having Tyler Wade and Ronald Torreyes hold down second base for Gleyber Torres for 20 games while Miguel Andujar mans third base, but it seems like I am in the minority. With that in mind I have been scouring the potential trade market when I ran across a name that not a lot of people are talking about, Travis Shaw.

Travis Shaw is likely the least “greedy” move the Yankees can make as the Brewers third baseman is not a household name and doesn’t strike fear in every Boston Red Sox household (by the way, Shaw is a former Red Sox farmhand that was traded to Milwaukee in the Tyler Thornburg trade) across the land but that doesn’t mean Shaw wouldn’t be an incredible pickup for the Yankees on the cheap. In 2017 Shaw posted a 4.0 WAR while slashing .273/.349/.513/.862 with an OPS+ of 121. Shaw hit 31 home runs in 2017, the Bronx Bombers would officially be back adding that kind of pop to an already dangerous lineup, while also driving in 101 RBI with a much-needed for the Yankees left-handed swing.

Shaw would be under team control through the 2021 season with New York if acquired and just for the league minimum here in 2018 as Shaw is pre-arbitration eligible. So, what are the Brewers needs heading into the 2018 season? While I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Brewers it isn’t hard to tell that the team could use obviously a third base replacement (Miguel Andujar), second base (Tyler Wade) and starting pitching (not Jordan Montgomery, not Chance Adams and not Justus Sheffield).

The problem with this trade is that the Yankees would seemingly have to blow away the Brewers as Milwaukee has no reason to NEED to trade Shaw. The Brewers are ready to compete, and Shaw is a huge part of that meaning the Yankees may have to include Domingo Acevedo or even Chance Adams along with Andujar and Wade/comparable player in order to acquire Shaw. As much as I love Adams, that has been well-documented for years now here on the blog, I think I pull that trigger on that deal without hesitation. I know many are high on Andujar, and frankly I am too, but this isn’t trading away potential for a season or two of a player’s prime. This is youth for youth and the unknown for more of a “sure thing.” The problem for New York, in terms of prospects anyway, is that you have to pay for that. Paying for that makes the Yankees not only better in 2017, but it makes them better in the future as well with a long-term option at third base.

Convincing Milwaukee to make a move for Shaw is going to be a tough one but if the Yankees can fill two or three needs for the Brewers including their replacement for Shaw then Milwaukee may be interested. If not, it doesn’t hurt to do your due diligence anyway and ask. The worst that they can tell you is no, right?

Get greedy, get Shaw. That makes a monster lineup all the scarier for the foreseeable future. 

The Yankees Are One Trade Away From Calling It An Offseason

The New York Yankees are one of the best teams in the American League on paper right now, so I stand behind my thought process that the team doesn’t necessarily “need” to do anything else this offseason. Much of the team that was one win away from the World Series in 2017 is back and while the Astros probably got better with the acquisition of Gerrit Cole, it is debatable whether the team is better suited for a World Series run than the Yankees are currently. That’s another topic for another blog post though, instead I’d rather focus my efforts on one trade that, albeit an unpopular trade I am sure amongst most Yankees fans, could basically end the heavy lifting for the Yankees this offseason, at least on the trade front. The San Francisco Giants presumably need two outfielders and the Yankees have two to spare while San Francisco has a middle infielder that may strike the Yankees fancy for a season or two. Is it time for “Let’s make a deal?”

The Yankees need either a second baseman or a third baseman this offseason with Gleyber Torres waiting in the wings to take on either position full time later on in the year. The Giants second baseman currently is Joe Panik while their third baseman is a familiar foe in Evan Longoria. Now I don’t know about you, but I personally want absolutely nothing to do with Longoria in pinstripes leaving me with just one option, Panik. Who is Joe Panik? Panik is a proven second baseman with postseason and World Series experience at just 27-years old. Panik is a left-handed bat that would benefit from the short porch in Yankee Stadium, a solid defender in the middle infield that would fit in well with Didi Gregorius defensively, and a cost-effective piece for a Yankees team still looking to get under the $197 million luxury tax threshold.

Panik just agreed to a deal with the Giants worth $3.45 million through arbitration giving the Yankees a nice chunk of money to spend elsewhere on the free agent or trade market. How so? Because one of those two outfielders the Giants need that the Yankees will be giving them is Jacoby Ellsbury. The Yankees already reportedly have $22 million to play with this offseason while still remaining under the luxury tax “cap” and trading away at least half of Ellsbury’s salary would give New York a lot of wiggle room to make moves, maybe even enough wiggle room to land a Yu Darvish or another top-tiered free agent.

The other outfielder the Yankees would send to San Francisco, I know you’re dying to know and I know you probably already have a sneaking suspicion. It is Clint Frazier. As much as I would like it to be Brett Gardner I just can’t see the Giants taking on that much salary for two aging and identical players. The Yankees are going to have to sweeten the pot to get anyone to take Ellsbury and Frazier is that sweetener, in my opinion. The Giants already have Miguel Gomez, who made his MLB debut last season and is the team’s 22^nd best prospect according to MLB.com, ready to take over at the position in place of Panik as well as vastly improving their outfield situation with the trade.

Is giving up basically Clint Frazier for Joe Panik and cash considerations a “loss” for the Yankees? Some may think so, yes, but one must also remember that the money saved will or could lead the Yankees in another direction. Is Jacoby Ellsbury and Clint Frazier worth Yu Darvish, Alex Cobb or Jake Arrieta and Joe Panik? 100 times out of 100, yes. At least in my opinion. It is all about giving something to get something and that’s what the Yankees are doing here with this trade. You trade from a position of strength or depth to fill a gap, that’s how the 1995 – 2000’s Dynasty Yankees did it and that is how this team can do it as well.

And before you jump all over me let’s take a look at the stat line for Joe Panik while remembering that Panik plays half his games in the very pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. Just because Panik is left-handed and just because Barry Bonds made it look easy to hit home runs out of that stadium it doesn’t mean that it is. Panik will benefit from the dimensions at Yankee Stadium and the Yankees team as a whole would benefit from having another left-handed bat in the lineup day in and day out. Anyway, I’m rambling so here are his stats with the Giants

Year	Age	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2014	23	73	287	31	82	10	2	1	18	0	33	.305	.343	.368	.711	104
2015	24	100	432	59	119	27	2	8	37	3	42	.312	.378	.455	.833	129
2016	25	127	526	67	111	21	7	10	62	5	47	.239	.315	.379	.695	88
2017	26	138	573	60	147	28	5	10	53	4	54	.288	.347	.421	.768	104
4 Yr	4 Yr	438	1818	217	459	86	16	29	170	12	176	.282	.345	.408	.753	105
162	162	162	672	80	170	32	6	11	63	4	65	.282	.345	.408	.753	105

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

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As you can see, thanks to Baseball Reference, Panik is a very solid second baseman. Oh, and did I mention that Panik was born in Yonkers, New York? That has to count for something, right? Panik would be under contract through the 2020 season through arbitration and could give the Yankees comparable production to Starlin Castro for a fraction of the cost, while again also potentially bringing in a Yu Darvish type player as well.

I know, my trade proposal sucks so what’s yours? And do you think the Giants would go for it? Leave it all below in the comments section. Thanks in advance. 

Pinstriped Trade Rumors Will Never Die...

Photo Credit:  Kevin C Cox, Getty Images

Red Thunder Gets No Rest…

Now that we don’t have Gerrit Cole rumors to fuel our days, it looks like we’ll be hearing more and more about Yu Darvish until he finally signs somewhere.  

John Harper of The New York Daily News floated a trade possibility this morning. In his scenario, the Yankees would send Jacoby Ellsbury and Clint Frazier to the San Francisco Giants for second baseman Joe Panik. By including Frazier, Harper figures the Yankees could get the Giants to pay $12-$13 million annually of what’s left on Ellsbury’s contract.  In his line of thinking, the trade would open the pathway for the Yankees to sign Darvish so he basically views it as an Ellsbury/Frazier swap for Darvish/Panik.  

Photo Credit: Lance Iversen, USA TODAY Sports

I am not sure that I’m crazy about the trade idea but if the Yankees were willing to send Frazier to Pittsburgh for Cole, they’d be willing to move him to bring in Yu Darvish.  

If the Yankees carried a fifth outfielder on the roster to start the year (assuming Ellsbury and Frazier are dealt), it would most likely be Tyler Austin, who could back up first and the corner outfield spots, or Billy McKinney, an outfielder who did work at first base during the Arizona Fall League.

Panik’s presence would allow the Yankees to take their time with Gleyber Torres or move him to third base as once planned. A native New Yorker, Panik, 27, hit .288 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs for the Giants in 2017. He was eligible for arbitration for the first time this year and settled with the Giants last week for $3.45 million. He can be a free agent in 2021. His lefty bat would play well in Yankee Stadium.

No one is going to take Ellsbury in a straight one-for-one swap, even with boatloads of cash included. So as much as I’d hate to lose Frazier, this is probably a trade that I’d make so long as I knew that I could sign either Darvish or Alex Cobb for the starting rotation.

In an unrelated rumor, Jim Bowden is saying that the Milwaukee Brewers are interested in signing third baseman Mike Moustakas if they could trade Travis Shaw to the Braves, Mets or Yankees. I’m never too excited about adding an ex-Red Sock, but Shaw had a breakout year for the Brewers in 2017 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs. He batted .273/.349/.513.  He is a left-handed bat and will turn 28 in mid-April. Not sure what level of interest the Yankees might have, but it bears watching. It would certainly cause much angst in the Red Sox Nation.

Photo Credit: Jim Davis, Globe Staff

Congrats Hideki Matsui…

According to The Japan Times, former Yankee (and Yomiuri Giant) Hideki Matsui has been elected to the Japanese Hall of Fame. At 43 years and 7 months, Matsui is the youngest entrant to the Japanese HOF, eclipsing former Dodgers/Mets pitcher Hideo Nomo, who was 45 years and 4 months at the time of his election.

Before heading to the United States to join the Yankees, Matsui won three Central League home run titles (1998, 2000, and 2002) and he was MVP of the CL in 1996, 2000, and 2002. 

This was Matsui’s first year on the Japanese ballot and he garnered 91.3% of the vote. He was joined by former Hanshin Tigers star Tomoaki Kanemoto and former Yomiuri Giants manager Tatsunori Hara.

In his prepared statement, Matsui thanked his mentor, former Yomiuri Giants skipper Shigeo Nagashima. “Day in and day out, (Nagashima) checked my swing, and those days formed the cornerstone for me as a baseball player.”  

Photo Credit: Kyodo

Hideki’s father, Masao, attended the announcement ceremony on his behalf.  Hideki is in New York and was unable to attend.

Congratulations to the great #55 for the well-deserved honor!

Stanton and Judge who?…

Aaron Hicks caused quite a stir on Instagram this weekend when he posted a workout pic that shows he is more than capable of holding his own in the Yankees outfield. I was a little shocked when I first saw the pic and there were plenty of people who questioned whether or not it really was A-A-Ron (it is). Justin Diamond (@justindiamond) had the best tweet:  “Sweet baby Jesus. @AaronHicks31 you on the juice this off-season?”…

Wow, what a football game!…

As a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, I’ve endured my share of disappointment over the years. The Vikings have found more unique ways to lose big games than any NFL team that I can think of. Well, outside of the Buffalo Bills. Yesterday’s NFC Playoff game against the New Orleans Saints was a game of atonement for me.

The Vikings jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half and I was getting congratulations from a number of friends. As a Vikings fan, I knew it was way too early to start getting excited.  Plus, Drew Brees is still one of the game’s great quarterbacks.  Sure enough, a couple of plays in the second half shifted the momentum to the Saints. The Vikings lost the lead and then re-captured it with less than 2 minutes to go. I was fearful that the Vikings had left too much time on the clock for Brees and Company and unfortunately I was right. Brees led the Saints to a field goal to re-capture the lead at 24-23 with 25 seconds left. Starting on their own 25 after a touchback on the kickoff, the Vikings moved to their 39 and faced a third down with 10 seconds left and no time outs. I was resigned to the agony of defeat when Vikings QB Case Keenum hit WR Stefon Diggs for a 61-yard touchdown to win the game. The Vikings won the game, 29-24. It was such an incredible feeling…something like Aaron Judge hitting a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th.  

Photo Credit: Pioneer Press

I am not sure what will happen next week in Philadelphia as the Vikings take on the Eagles for the NFC Championship but I am enjoying the ride. The Eagles are the only thing that stands between the Vikings and playing this year’s Super Bowl at US Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. So regardless of whether they win or lose, the Vikings are going home. I just hope it is with a game still be played.

Lastly, We Remember…

Today, we remember the late great Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Actually, he is thought of every day, but today is officially his day. He had so many great words over the course of his life, but I’ll leave this post with one: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Thank you, Dr King, for making a difference. We are a better country because of you and would have been even greater if you hadn’t been taken from us prematurely. We are forever grateful for you and your efforts to make this a better World for all of us.

Never forget MLK Jr...

Go Yankees!