Warming Up to a Jose Peraza Trade

As much as I hate to admit it I think I may have been wrong when I absolutely went off on Brian Cashman yesterday morning in a rant. If Cashman was able to pull off a trade for Jose Peraza for simply Gary Sanchez and another prospect I think I would have to eat crow and admit that it would be a pretty good trade for the Yankees, begrudgingly. I absolutely love Robert Refsnyder and what I believe he will bring to the table in the Bronx and I have been one of the bigger Didi Gregorius supporters there has been but Peraza makes too much sense for the Yankees to not pick him up and I am prepared to tell you why.

First and foremost shortstops that can hit are at an absolute premium these days, even more so than catchers who can hit, so there aren’t many Peraza type players inside the Yankees system or sitting around in free agency. A trade for a Yankees weakness, middle infielders, from a Yankees strong point, catching depth, makes a ton of sense for New York and it really improves the farm system overall. You have to remember that Peraza was basically hand in hand with another Yankees prospect Aaron Judge on almost every Top 100 Prospects list this offseason where Sanchez was left off those lists so New York would be getting a stronger prospect for a lesser prospect or two in a deal that also potentially fills a need in the long term.

I really like Gregorius and I have a ton of faith in Jorge Mateo, Abi Avelino and the rest of the Yankees shortstop prospects but Peraza is just too good to pass up. Mateo may be great but he is so far away he may not be as well. Trading for Peraza is like trading for the best case scenario and the ceiling of Mateo without the growing pains and the three or four year waiting period. Peraza is ready now for the major leagues in my opinion and if he’s not he will truly be ready by June. And while we’re talking projections you have to admit that neither Gregorius nor Peraza are finished products at this point in their careers but projection wise Peraza has to rank just a step or two ahead of Gregorius if all goes according to plan.

Peraza is a better fit for this team as he is a right handed hitter that balances out the bottom of the order. Peraza has the speed to hit 9^th and basically give the Yankees three leadoff hitters along with Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner along with potentially 60 stolen base per season speed and base running skills. Peraza along with Refsnyder at second gives the Yankees exactly what they need as they go into basically a rebuilding phase over the next three or four seasons and that’s a strong defense up the middle and a young core of players to build around. Someone will jump on Didi in a trade if the Yankees acquire Peraza and if not then you designate Brendan Ryan and you rotate Didi in off the bench whenever you can. When you have a slew of talent you don’t turn them away you simply find ways to get them into the lineup. That’s Joe Girardi’s job, not mine. It’s also Cashman’s job to put the best team on the field as possible and honestly, as much as I hate to admit it after my little rant yesterday, that team likely includes Peraza at shortstop. 

TGP Daily Poll: Tanaka Looks Like 2014 Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka makes the start for the New York Yankees on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rays and will look like the Tanaka that was unhittable in his first 18 starts in 2014. Tanaka dominates the Rays!

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Budweiser Clydesdales & Brewmaster Tour to Visit RiverDogs

King of Beers showcase will be on April 23 as RiverDogs host Savannah Sand Gnats 

CHARLESTON, SC – Here is another reason to get excited about a Charleston RiverDogs’ Thirsty Thursday.

On Thursday, April 23, the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales, along with the King of Beers’ Brewmaster Tour will visit Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park prior to the Charleston RiverDogs hosting rival Savannah Sand Gnats. First pitch is slated for 7:05 pm.

“Fans of all ages will enjoy seeing the iconic Clydesdales, who represent Budweiser, one of our premier and longtime sponsors,” said RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols. “Having them parade around Riley Park will be a most-impressive sight.”

The impressive and world-renown Clydesdale horses are an enduring symbol of Budweiser’s rich heritage, tradition and commitment to quality. The hitch team’s visit to Riley Park is one of hundreds of appearances it will make in 2015 and it never fails to draw a crowd. This year marks the 82ndanniversary of the Budweiser Clydesdales, which made their first appearance on behalf of Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933, when they delivered a case of Budweiser to the White House in celebration of the repeal of prohibition of beer.

The Clydesdales will set up in adjacent Brittlebank Park at 5 pm, and their visit will be free to the public. At 6:30, the team will enter Riley Park and parade around the field for fans to get a close-up look at these stunning horses.

In addition to the Clydesdales’ appearance, Budweiser will also bring their Brewmaster Tour to Riley Park. This is a one-of-a-kind mobile experience providing guests 21 and over a glimpse of Budweiser’s brewing process. Fashioned after Budweiser’s Brewery Tours, the 48-foot trailer evolves into a model that offers consumers a step-by-step view of the 30-day brewing process of Budweiser.

Brewmasters lead this fully immersive experience by interacting with the ingredients, smelling aromas off the brewkettle, experiencing the cool aging cellars and tasting the finished product. After the tour is completed, visitors are encouraged to hang out in the area as fans will be able to talk with the brewmasters and purchase Budweiser gear through their online store. Admission will be free.

This Day in New York Yankees History 4/18: Jackson Tricks Tippy

On this day in 1978 Reggie Jackson deceived Indians pitcher Tippy Martinez when Reggie pretended to get angered by getting a sign from third base coach Dick Howser. It was well known that Reggie had the green light in 3-0 counts but pretended to be forced to take a pitch. Martinez threw a fastball right down the middle and Reggie slugged the ball into the bleachers and gave the Yankees a 4-3 walk off victory. 

Also on this day in 1972 for the first time in the Yankees storied franchise they played a night game on Opening Day in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees beat the Brewers 3-0 behind a gem by Steve Kline.

Also on this day in 1929 the Yankees became the second team to wear numbers on their uniforms when their Opening Day game was postponed due to rain. The Indians became the first team to wear numbers on their jerseys thanks to Mother Nature. New York assigned their numbers by where you hit in the lineup. Earle Combs wore #1, Mark Koenig #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Bob Meusel #5, Tony Lazzeri #6, Leo Durocher #7, Johnny Grabowski #8, Benny Bengough #9, and Bill Dickey #10.

Finally on this day in 1923 the Yankees new $2.5 million ballpark was opened in style as Babe Ruth hit the first home run of the parks history. This is where the term "The House That Ruth Built" first started when referring to the original Yankees Stadium. This was the first ballpark to have three decks which sold over 72,000 Yankees tickets on this day. The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 beating the Sox hurler Howard Ehmke.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 4/17

It’s Friday night and it’s game time as the New York Yankees face off with their AL East rivals in the Tampa Bay Rays inside of Tropicana Field. The Yankees will send Adam Warren to the mound to make his second start of the season and he will be opposed by the Rays starter Nathan Karns. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

Get your Yankees tickets for this series if you’re in the Tampa St. Petersburg area this weekend or get your tickets in hand before the team returns home to the Bronx. Through our partnership with Ticket Monster we can offer you a small discount on top of already reduced prices just for being a Greedy Pinstripes reader. Check out our Yankees Tickets link at the top of the page if you’re interested and if you’re not, that’s okay too. We try and live tweet on Twitter (@GreedyStripes) and comment in our comments section every single game so feel free to join us there.

With all that said it’s time for the first pitch so enough babbling from me, Go Yankees!!!

Dave Dombrowski May Have Done it Again to Brian Cashman

The Detroit Tigers seem to be making a habit of plucking players away from Yankees GM Brian Cashman and getting the better end of seemingly every single deal. It all started when Dave Dombrowski, then the Florida Marlins GM, stole Mike Lowell away from the Yankees for three busts in their pitching staff and it may end with Dombrowski, now the Tigers GM, getting Shane Greene in a three team trade for Didi Gregorius.

I know this article may be written a bit prematurely on both the Greene front and the Didi front but if history is any indicator of the future then New York may be in trouble. Greene has started two games and pitched 16 innings without allowing a run, something the Yankees would likely give up a ton more for right about now, while Gregorius has struggled not only with the bat but with the glove and on the base paths as well. Whether this is what Gregorius is when he is exposed as an everyday player or if the Derek Jeter chants are really starting to get to him I’m not sure we’ll ever know. One thing we do know is that Dombrowski has consistently gotten the better of Cashman over the years.

Remember when the Yankees traded for Jeff Weaver while Ted Lilly went to the Oakland Athletics and Jeremy Bonderman went to Detroit? Weaver was bombed in Detroit, Bonderman was more than solid in Detroit and Dombrowski won again. The same can be said for when the team traded Gary Sheffield to the Tigers for three more arms that turned out to be busts while Sheffield continued to hit the cover off the ball as a member of Detroit, another victory for Dombrowski. Even when the Yankees do well in these deals, like the deal that brought 40 home run and 200 strikeout power in Curtis Granderson to the Bronx, Dombrowski still finds a way to pull an Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer out of the deal and win the trade.

So the latest trade that sent the Yankees Greene to Detroit, Arizona’s Gregorius to New York and Detroit’s Robbie Ray and prospect to Arizona may be too premature to call but so far it’s not looking good for the Yankees and for Brian Cashman. 

Meet a Prospect: Branden Pinder

Branden Pinder was added to the 40 man roster for the New York Yankees this winter in order to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft and despite a strong spring did not make the ball club out of camp. It only took ten days into the 2015 season for the Yankees to change their minds on Pinder as the team called him up before their game in Baltimore against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Pinder may have worn the #42 on that day and may wear the #76 Yankees uniform this weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays but he wasn't officially a Yankee until this post went live. Branden, welcome to the family.

Branden H Pinder was born on January 26, 1989 and spent his college years playing baseball at Santa Ana College and Long Beach State University both in the state of California. He turned enough heads in his college career to get drafted by the New York Yankees in the 16th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft and made his professional debut that same season with the Staten Island Yankees. Pinder advanced to A-Ball with the Tampa Yankees in 2012 and even pitched in one game with the Double-A Trenton Thunder affiliate before seasons end. In 2013 he once again split time between Tampa and Trenton but struggled a bit posting a 2-3 record with a 4.42 ERA with 72 K's in 73.1 IP. Pinder rebounded nicely though in 2014 posting a 0.56 ERA with the Thunder in his first 16 innings before being advanced to Triple-A with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders where he finished his season.

Pinder is now 26 years old and while he is not highly regarded inside the Yankees system he could be a solid reliever for New York this season. Whether Pinder is a place holder for the likes of Tyler Webb, Nick Rumbelow, Nick Goody, Jacob Lindgren and others remains to be seen but there is no quit in this young man and that counts for something in my book. He's probably not going to be a future closer but I could see him having a more than serviceable career if he can stay healthy and simply puts his mind to it.

Good luck Branden!

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 4/17

The New York Yankees travel down to Tampa St. Pete this evening to face off against another one of their American League East rivals in the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees have yet to win a series this season and they enter a stadium that has not been friendly to them in the past in Tropicana Field to face a red hot team that started the 2015 season well. That usually sounds like a recipe for disaster but the Yankees haven’t shown any quit this season so it should be another fun and entertaining series all weekend long. To start the series off the Yankees will send Adam Warren to the mound to face off with the Rays starter Nathan Karns. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Warren is making his second start of the young season tonight and fifth of his career after taking the loss in his season debut against the Boston Red Sox. Warren allowed just two runs, one earned, in 5.1 IP but the Yankees offense was completely shut down in the contest by Joe Kelly. Warren holds a career 0-1 record with a 3.06 ERA against the Rays with all 10 appearances coming out of the Yankees bullpen.

• Karns is also making his second start of the season after recording a quality start in his season debut against the Miami Marlins. Karns earned his first victory by holding the powerful Marlins lineup to just one earned run on two hits and two walks. Karns did go seven innings in the contest and struck out six batters for Tampa Bay in the victory. 

Let’s hope the bats come alive and the pitching can keep Evan Longoria and company down long enough to get two or three wins and get the heck out of here. I’ve never liked watching games inside Tropicana Field or watching the Yankees play there on TV, which might have a lot to do with the Rays dominance here, so the sooner the exit the better for New York. Go Yankees!!!

Yankees All Decade Team From The 1970's

The Greedy Pinstripes are always looking to bring new, exciting, and fresh content to you guys, the readers, and more importantly not the same recycled crap over and over again. Today, and all throughout the end of this week hopefully, we will look at the All Decade Yankees teams basically. Today we will look at the 1970's Yankees squad where New York won two World Series in the decade in 1977 and 1978. Who makes the cut? Here's a hint, one of them is called Mr. October. 

C- Thurman Munson

1B- Chris Chambliss

2B- Willie Randolph

SS- Bucky Dent

3B- Graig Nettles

LF- Roy White

CF- Bobby Murcer

RF- Reggie Jackson

DH- Mickey Rivers

BN- Lou Piniella

BN- Dave Kingman

BN- Ron Blomberg

SP- Ron Guidry

SP- Ed Figueroa

SP- Mel Stottlemyre

SP- Catfish Hunter

RP- Lindy McDaniel

RP- Rich Goose Gossage

RP- Sparky Lyle

CP- James Augustus Catfish Hunter



Agree? Disagree? Tell me why in the comments section. 

TGP Daily Poll: Braves Won’t Trade Peraza

The Yankees are interested in the Braves 2B/SS prospect Jose Peraza. The Braves are in rebuild mode but you rebuild AROUND players like Peraza, you don’t trade them. The Yankees will not acquire Peraza because the Braves won’t trade him.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com