Eat This, Not That: 2015 Yankees Edition

We’ve all seen the books and read the articles and tried the miracle diets and all come back with the same conclusion, if you’re reading it in a book then something isn’t working out. While this goes for the food we eat or the shows we watch on television it can also go for the players that Brian Cashman and company are putting on the field every single night while the far more superior players get over-groomed in the minor leagues. Eat this Cashman, not that!

Eat This:

Robert Refsnyder

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	AAA	81	364	45	90	17	7	37	10	44	44	.290	.387	.413	.800

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Not That:

Stephen Drew

Year	Tm	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	NYY	80	280	26	45	11	12	25	0	26	46	.181	.255	.369	.625	72

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

You don’t wait until you fall out of first place to make the move, especially in a highly contested American League East Division. With that kind of mindset the Yankees won’t add anything at the trading deadline.

Eat This:

Jose Pirela

Year	Lg	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	AAA,AA,A+	26	116	22	33	10	2	11	2	8	15	.308	.362	.458	.820
2015	AL	29	70	6	14	3	1	4	1	2	14	.212	.232	.303	.535	48

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Not That:

Brendan Ryan

Year	Tm	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	NYY	7	15	1	4	0	0	2	0	1	1	.308	.400	.462	.862	140

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Jose Pirela can play more positions then Brendan Ryan while Ryan has a better shot of being hit by the ball while he’s being struck by lightning then outhitting Pirela over the course of a season.

Eat This:

Aaron Judge

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	AA-AAA	84	375	45	93	19	14	55	2	36	88	.282	.352	.485	.837
2015	AA	63	280	36	71	16	12	44	1	24	70	.284	.350	.516	.866
2015	AAA	21	95	9	22	3	2	11	1	12	18	.275	.358	.388	.745

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Not That:

Carlos Beltran

Year	Tm	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2015	NYY	67	265	21	64	18	7	31	0	17	49	.262	.313	.430	.744	105

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

This seems unfair because Beltran has hit much better since coming off the disabled list and was hitting well before he went on the disabled list but the prospect humper inside of me forced me to put this down. The other Daniel Burch made me do it, blame him…. But still make the move.

Eat This:

Luis Severino

Year	Lev	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	HBP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	AAA-AA	7	2	2.45	17	17	88.1	65	29	24	2	25	84	4	1.019	6.6	0.2	2.5	8.6
2015	AA	2	2	3.32	8	8	38.0	32	17	14	2	10	48	2	1.105	7.6	0.5	2.4	11.4
2015	AAA	5	0	1.79	9	9	50.1	33	12	10	0	15	36	2	0.954	5.9	0.0	2.7	6.4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Not That:

Chris Capuano

Year	W	L	ERA	G	GS	GF	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9
2015	0	4	4.76	13	3	5	28.1	33	17	15	3	10	28	83	3.84	1.518	10.5	1.0	3.2	8.9

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Limit Severino’s innings while getting something useful out of a guy clearly under matched at Triple-A despite being six years younger than the average AAA player instead of wasting bullets and quality starts for your farm team. It worked for David Phelps, it worked for Adam Warren and it could work for Severino. And don’t even mention Joba Chamberlain because this is nothing like that and Joba started going downhill after the shoulder inflammation… so there! Plus it’s Chris Capuano, enough said. 

Twitter Poll: Who Gets The Ax?

Twitter Poll: if the yankees don't make the playoffs in 2015 who gets the ax? Girardi? Cashman? neither? Why? Will use answer in blog post!

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) July 21, 2015

The New York Yankees are awfully good at keeping things behind closed doors and away from the media which is why I don’t believe we will see a sequel to the Bronx is Burning as long as I am alive. I used to think that it was Derek Jeter or Joe Torre keeping everyone in line with the “Yankee Way” but this has continued since both of their retirements so it must be written into the stone used to build Yankee Stadium. Even though it hasn’t been reported in the news or yelled from the top of the lungs of one certain owner who is no longer with us, rest in peace George, I believe a discussion has gone down with at least one of Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman regarding their job securities beyond the 2015 season if the team does not make the playoffs. So which one would go first, would it be Girardi who managed the Yankees to a 2009 World Series Championship ring and has kept the team afloat in many situations where he had no business doing so or is it Cashman who bought the players that brought the 2009 ring? Sounds like the perfect question for a Twitter poll.

Cashman ##CanCashmanCampaign https://t.co/lWwrmihqdp

— TheBronxBomber (@TheBronxBoxer) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Neither, because George isn't running the team anymore.

— JT (@JabooNJ) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Both should get the ax but my guess is Girardi will be the only one fired.

— Jill Poock (@ejpoock) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Big G gets to stay but Cashman needs a change of scenery. He's the last connection to the old days and that sometimes shows

— Shaugn Watson (@TheWat1734) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes both. Neither should survive three straight seasons of no playoffs. Which at this point, hopefully does not happen.

— Michael Rokicki (@Michael_Rokicki) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Neither, the yanks have been competitive, Girardi is seen with good eyes, and Cashman has created a farm out of thin air.

— Alvaro Molina (@a_molinam) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes it should be cashman, but it will be Girardi. Cashman may as well own the team is job is that safe.

— TheTriplePlay (@TheTriplePlay) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes hopefully neither

— Section 36 (@Section_36) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes if Cashman goes, Girardi won't be safe since the new GM wants to hire his own manager

— Kalind Patel (@NYCKNP) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Neither of them. Cashman has lifetime immunity, and the organization will somehow make it seem like Girardi "overachieved."

— Steven Eareckson (@SEareckson) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes neither will, but if that happens Girardi should

— Robie Baker (@baker_fake) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Girardi, bc Cashman is dedicated to the franchise. It's time for a playoff run. We have the talent, now we need a new manager

— New York Sports (@allsportsnewsny) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Neither. Only ways they lose ALE are injury to key hitters/SPs or using CC's 6 IP vs 2nd worst MLB lineup to avoid upgrade.

— nyyankeefanforever (@nyyankeefanfore) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes Cashman I hope

— Yankees (50-41) (@Chris_Giraldo22) July 21, 2015

@GreedyStripes no one get fired. When the season started there were so many questions know one thought they were a playoff team.

— stumpy300 (@nyyankeefan300) July 21, 2015

Whenever we see situations like this it always seems to be the manager that goes first, doesn’t it? Girardi manages every game where he has a lead, no matter how big of a lead, like he will be fired after the game is over if the team doesn’t hold on. We’ve seen Andrew Miller pitch with four and five run leads, Dellin Betances enter into games earlier and earlier and we’ve seen CC Sabathia and Nathan Eovaldi specifically being taken out of games after just 80-85 pitches. Girardi is on the hot seat and I think he knows it.

To be involved in our next Twitter Poll head over to the app and give @GreedyStripes a follow, then be on lookout for our next Twitter Poll tweet. We will not use your responses without informing you first. 

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles 7/22

The New York Yankees and the Fighting Showalters, more commonly known as the Baltimore Orioles, face off again tonight inside the Bronx and Yankee Stadium for the second time in their three game set this week. Last night Wei-Yin Chen, possibly the best starter for Baltimore, took the mound and tonight the Orioles send Kevin Gausman to the mound to face off with the Yankees starter Ivan Nova. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET and can be seen on WPIX Channel 11, ESPN and MLB TV.

• Nova is fresh off a long All-Star break and heading into his fifth start of the 2015 season with a 1-3 record and a 3.42 ERA. Nova has had some success in his career against Baltimore as he sports a career 5-3 record against Buck Showalter’s club.

• Gausman will not benefit, or suffer from depending on the pitcher, the extra rest that most pitchers get from the All-Star break. The Orioles optioned Gausman to Triple-A before the break to keep him on a five-man rotation schedule and will recall him before Wednesday night’s start against the Yankees. I am interested to see how that decision works out for him and the Orioles tonight.

The Yankees and Orioles finish off their three game set tomorrow afternoon in the Bronx in a getaway game for New York. The Yankees will travel from there to take on teams from the American League West Division including the Texas Rangers so it is imperative that they take care of business in their head-to-head battles inside the American League East. That all starts tonight with another victory over Baltimore and another game lead in the division. Go Yankees!

If You’re Not Going to Give the 2B Job to Robert Refsnyder…

Let’s just assume the obvious for the sake of this blog post and point out that the New York Yankees, barring injury of course, are not going to hand the reigns over to Robert Refsnyder at second base despite being younger, far superior, better offensively, much improved defensively, right-handed which balances out a very left heavy lineup, a contact hitter at the bottom of the order with speed that could give the Yankees potentially three or four leadoff type hitters with Didi Gregorius, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Refsnyder and despite that nobody is wanting to lower the Mendoza Line the rename it after him. Let’s assume for the sake of this blog post, and for the sake of this is probably what’s really going to happen as long as Brian Cashman is in charge, that New York is going to go out onto the trade market to upgrade at second base, will we see a Martin Prado reunion?

In a typical Brian Cashman type trade I can see the Yankees once again acquiring Prado for middle infield prospect Jose Pirela. Pirela was not used often in his call up to the major leagues and his bat and defense seemingly suffered for it. Not every player can handle being on the bench and only getting two or three reps a week in the field or two of three at bats a week off the bench, Pirela may be that guy. In Miami, a team that is looking to unload expiring contracts but not totally rebuild, could use Pirela in a bench role or at second base until Dee Gordon comes back off the disabled list while Prado could be the everyday second baseman for the Yankees. Stephen Drew would be once again delegated to a bench role, for real this time, while the Yankees offense, defense, versatility and flexibility all improve for a minimal loss to the ball club.

If you’re not going to give Pirela a shot, or Refsnyder or any of the other top-end prospects in the farm system then do us all a favor and trade them. Pirela deserves a shot to play every day and so does Refsnyder, even if it’s not for the team in the Bronx. Getting Prado, assuming he and his shoulder are healthy, would vastly improve the team for this season leaving Cashman to once again dumpster dive for the position in 2016. That’s the new Yankees way though, isn’t it?

TGP Daily Poll: Yankees Acquire Two Players To Be Named Later

The July 31^st trading deadline is next Friday and the Yankees head into the final countdown with a comfortable lead in the American League East Division. That doesn’t mean the Yankees will stand pat, they will acquire at least two players before the deadline.

Vote in our prediction poll on Knoda.com

Weekly Check In: Greg Bird

Greg Bird has acclimated well thus far to Triple-A pitching and baseball since his promotion from the Double-A Trenton Thunder. This week alone Bird tied a career high in hits in a single game with four and has slowly and quietly been increasing all his major stats as a member of the Scranton RailRiders. Bird is definitely the word down in Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

Bird, barring a catastrophic injury to either Mark Teixeira or Garrett Jones, will spend the rest of the season in Triple-A but could be primed to make his jump to the major leagues as soon as 2016. With the expiring contract of Jones coming off the books for New York after the 2015 season Bird could possibly step in and backup for Teixeira on the bench in 2016. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though as a lot can change between then and now but the good news for Bird and for the Yankees alike is that he’s playing well and continuing to crush the ball after the promotion.

Baby steps, that’s the word. 

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	AA-AAA	63	273	33	63	18	8	37	1	30	43	.266	.359	.443	.802
2015	AA	49	212	29	47	16	6	29	1	24	30	.258	.358	.445	.804
2015	AAA	14	61	4	16	2	2	8	0	6	13	.291	.361	.436	.797

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

This Day in New York Yankees History 7/22: The Mick Mans Shortstop

As you probably know we like to bring you this day in New York Yankees history every single day for better or worse. Well today it's the worse as on this day in 2012 the Yankees set a franchise record and not one they want to remember. The Oakland Athletics would tie the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning and would later complete the sweep with a 5-4 walk off victory of the Yankees in the 12th inning. This marks the first time in Yankees history that New York was swept in a four game series while losing all four games by only one run. Ouch.

Also on this day in 2007 the Yankees knocked around Devil Rays pitcher Shawn Camp to the tune of three home runs and nine hits in 1.1 innings of relief. The Yankees would rout the Rays 21-4 and send the Yankee Stadium crowd home happy.

Finally on this day in 1954 Casey Stengel, probably the best manager of all time in my opinion, moved Mickey Mantle to shortstop from center field in the top of the 9th inning to add another bat to the lineup. Mantle would respond by hitting a walk off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the White Sox 4-3.