Ryan Raburn vs. Chris Young for 2016

The New York Yankees Hot Stove is already heating up with Brian Cashman telling reporters that he's already gone to work. Cashman, in his words, is "open to anything" and is looking to be aggressive and get creative this offseason to improve the team in 2016. The issue with Cashman and the 2016 team is that most of the positions and roster spots on the team are already filled on paper, but not Chris Young's spot from 2015. Young basically played against left-handed pitching in 2015 while giving Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran days off but could the Yankees actually improve on that in 2016?

Enter the Cleveland Indians outfielder and infielder Ryan Raburn. Raburn, while he isn't the defensive wizard and Ben Zobrist type player that he used to be, would give the Yankees the left-handed masher they need that would be used as a late game defensive replacement and pinch runner for Beltran while also giving some infield depth. Raburn is listed as an outfielder, second baseman and third baseman according to Baseball Reference but the problem for New York may be his age. Raburn is 34-years old and will be 25-years old shortly after Opening Day 2016 but playing a bench role and a part-time role may eliminate those concerns for the Yankees.

The biggest question for New York would be this. Would Raburn be worth the contract or should the Yankees simply bring back Young for a third season? Well according to the Baseball Reference projections for 2016 Young would get more chances in New York and would put up better stats overall:

Raburn:

Year	Tm	Age	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	Proj.	35	322	36	72	18	11	43	1	28	74	.252	.325	.437	.762

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Young:

Year	Tm	Age	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	Proj.	32	415	52	86	21	14	45	7	35	89	.232	.303	.414	.717

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Both smashed lefties once again in 2015 with Young slashing .327/.397/.575/.972 with seven home runs and 24 RBI while Raburn slashed .325/.415/.589/1.004 with eight home runs and 25 RBI but Raburn gives the Yankees some versatility that Young does not provide. Young cannot back up Chase Headley giving the Yankees opportunities to keep him fresh and healthy and Young does not give the Yankees yet another option at the second base position if Dustin Ackley and Robert Refsnyder proves to not be enough in New York. I love Chris Young and I appreciate everything he has done for the team over parts of the last two seasons but if Raburn is willing to accept a one-year deal as a part-time player I think I have to give him the job. Then again I'm not Brian Cashman.

Weekly AFL Check In: Domingo Acevedo

Domingo Acevedo represented the New York Yankees all season long with an impressive breakout season and has continued to do so with the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League. Acevedo did not represent the Yankees in the AFL Stars Game, Chaz Hebert did, but Acevedo is knocking on the door to the Bronx and to everyone's Top Prospects list. Acevedo has put everyone on notice in 2016 with another great performance this week in Arizona.

Domingo Acevedo:

G: 4
GS: 0
IP: 6.1
W/L: 1-0
ERA: 4.26
K: 5
BB: 1
WHIP: 0.95

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/11: Joe DiMaggio

On this day in 1941 Joltin' Joe DiMaggio won the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in his career. The Yankee Clipper edges Ted Williams in his season in which he hit .406 when a Red Sox writer leaves Williams off the ballot. The Curse of the Bambino continues...


Speaking of Joe DiMaggio on this day in 1948 the Yankee Clipper was put into John Hopkins Hospital in New York to remove bone spurs on his right heel. DiMaggio would not make his debut for the Yankees in 1949 until June, 28 of that season and would debut by hitting a single and a two run home run in his first two at bats in a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox in Fenway.

No Yankees Win a Gold Glove Award

Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius were up for the American League Gold Glove Awards for their respective positions and none of them won the award. Here is the complete list of Gold Glove Award winners for the American and National League's.

CATCHER

AL: Salvador Perez, Royals
NL: Yadier Molina, Cardinals

FIRST BASE

AL: Eric Hosmer, Royals
NL: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks

SECOND BASE

AL: Jose Altuve, Astros
NL: Dee Gordon, Marlins

SHORTSTOP

AL: Alcides Escobar, Royals
NL: Brandon Crawford, Giants

THIRD BASE

AL: Manny Machado, Orioles
NL: Nolan Arenado, Rockies

LEFT FIELD

AL: Yoenis Cespedes, Tigers/Mets
NL: Starling Marte, Pirates

CENTER FIELD

AL: Kevin Kiermaier, Rays
NL: A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks

RIGHT FIELD

AL: Kole Calhoun, Angels
NL: Jason Heyward, Cardinals

PITCHER

AL: Dallas Keuchel, Astros
NL: Zack Greinke, Dodgers

BBWAA Finalists Announced

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Most Valuable Player
Lorenzo Cain
Josh Donaldson
Mike Trout

Cy Young
Sonny Gray
Dallas Keuchel
David Price

Rookie of the Year
Carlos Correa
Francisco Lindor
Miguel Sano

Manager of the Year
Jeff Banister
A.J. Hinch
Paul Molitor

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Most Valuable Player
Paul Goldschmidt
Bryce Harper
Joey Votto

Cy Young
Jake Arrieta
Zack Greinke
Clayton Kershaw

Rookie of the Year
Kris Bryant
Matt Duffy
Jung Ho Kang

Manager of the Year
Terry Collins
Joe Maddon
Mike Matheny

YES Network: Exit Interview with Mark Teixeira

Lou DiPietro did a slew of exit interviews with the players of the New York Yankees after their Wild Card lost to the Houston Astros and every night we've been linking to them. The links brings more views to DiPietro, a friend of the blog, and the YES Network while also bringing our readers something you may have missed. We hope you appreciate and enjoy these as we are coming close to an end. CLICK HERE to see the entire article or see below for a short sample from the YES Network's end-of-season interview with Mark Teixeira. Enjoy and thank you.

The New York Yankees' 2015 season ended at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night, thanks to a 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card Game.

Following the game, many Yankees players, coaches, and officials were in a reflective mood, beginning both the look back on this year and the look ahead to 2016 - so much so that the YESNetwork.com team was able to conduct a series of "exit interviews" on the subjects.

Here now is the brief exit interview with a Yankees slugger who was unable to play in the Wild Card Game, first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Q. Can you give us an update on how your fractured leg is healing?

TEIXEIRA: It's going well, and I'll be 100 percent in about a month. Unfortunately, that's the bad timing of it. It's not a terrible injury, but it's a break, so you have to let it heal; it's not one of those things you can play through. I tried to, and I couldn't. I'll be fine in a month or so, but it's tough.

Q. How much might extra rest help in the future?

TEIXEIRA: Rest helps. It's a part of recovery, and it's a part of performance.

Q. How tough was it to not be able to be on the field (in the Wild Card Game)?

TEIXEIRA: It's pretty miserable, but there's nothing you can do, it's just really bad timing. If you're going to have a freak injury, you'd like it to be at the beginning of the season so you can be with your guys at the end, but that's life. Unfortunately, this happened in the wrong time of the year.

16 Yankees Minor Leaguers Hit Free Agency

16 members of the New York Yankees have officially hit the minor league free agent market. Here is the list:



Andury Acevedo (AAA)

Scottie Allen (AA)

Joel de la Cruz (AAA)

Diego Moreno (AAA)

Wilking Rodriguez (AAA)

Cesar Vargas (AAA)
Jose De Paula (AAA)

Aaron Dott (AA)
Francisco Arcia (AA)

Juan Graterol (AAA)

Kyle Higashioka (AAA)
Cole Figueroa (AAA)

Ali Castillo (AAA)

Jose Rosario (AA)
Ericson Leonora (Hi A)

Rico Noel (AAA)

Imagining a Lineup w/ Heyward & Zobrist

Zobrist's reaction when he learned the New York Yankees signed him. 

Earlier today and also earlier this week we announced here on the blog that MLB Trade Rumors predicted three free agents coming to the New York Yankees this offseason, Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and Chris Young. Young would fill his old role from the second half of the 2014 season and the entire 2015 season while Zobrist would presumably be the team's starting second baseman. You have to think with Young in the fold and a couple of no-trade clauses attached to the contracts of Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury that Heyward would be playing left field on Opening Day 2016 for the Yankees. What would that Opening Day lineup look like for New York is the team was to sign these two men this winter?

Hopefully a little something like this:

Ellsbury
Heyward
Rodriguez
Teixeira
McCann
Beltran
Zobrist
Headley
Gregorius

2016 Hall of Fame Ballot as Impressive as 2015

The 2015 Hall of Fame ballot for Major League Baseball was one of the most impressive ballots you will see in all of sports. When all was said and done and the ink was dry four members stepped into the Hall including Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smiltz and Craig Biggio. As impressive as the 2015 ballot was the 2016 ballot is shaping up to be just as exciting Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman highlight the new 2016 class.

Joining the already stacked class of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Jeff Bagwell, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa is Griffey Jr., Hoffman, David Eckstein, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Mike Lowell and Billy Wagner. Hall of Fame voters have been cut from 600 to 450 after the Hall’s board enacted a rule that eliminated writers who had not been active in the game for more than 10 years.

Griffey is a 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner who also hit 630 home runs and won the AL MVP unanimously in 1997. Hoffman was the career leader in saves before Mariano Rivera passed him at 601 saves. Hoffman is also a seven-time All Star for the San Diego Padres.

Just as a reminder a player must receive 75% of the vote to achieve Hall of Fame status. Final tallies will be revealed on January, 6 2016.

MLBTR: Top 50 Free Agent Rankings & Predictions

MLB Trade Rumors has released their top 50 free agent rankings with a short prediction of which team the crew over there thinks the Top 50 players will sign with. According to MLB Trade Rumors the Yankees are signing three free agents this offseason in the Top 50 in Jayson Heyward, Ben Zobrist and Chris Young.

To be honest these may be two of the best all around players in the league and two or three of the best fits for THIS team. MLB Trade Rumors don't get these correct as often as you'd think so if you're not a fan of Heyward or a 10-year deal don't jump off the edge just yet.

2. Jason Heyward – Yankees. Ten years, $200MM. 

Since his 2010 rookie season, Heyward has quietly been one of the game’s best outfielders. He’s an excellent defender and baserunner with a solid on-base percentage and some pop. Heyward hit a career-high 27 home runs in 2012, but only 38 in the three seasons since. He doesn’t have the typical power output of a $200MM player, but his all-around game makes him a sabermetric darling with six wins above replacement this year. A very long term and an opt-out clause are on the table for Heyward because he broke into the Majors at age 20, and is now just 26. The Cardinals will try to convince Heyward to stay, but teams like the Angels, Yankees, White Sox, and Astros could make a play. For more on Heyward, click here.

21. Ben Zobrist – Yankees. Three years, $51MM. 

 Baseball’s Swiss Army knife would fit with more than a dozen teams, as he can handle second base and the outfield corners and even back up at shortstop. Offensively, Zobrist contributes a strong OBP and good pop, plus he’s ineligible for a qualifying offer because he was traded to the Royals. He’ll be vying for a fourth year, and Victor Martinez did get that, but with Zobrist turning 35 in May it’s still a tough sell. He remains a good fit for the Royals, while the Yankees, Orioles, Padres, Astros, and White Sox could also make sense.

46. Chris B. Young – Yankees. Two years, $12MM. 

Young is a lefty-masher who can play all three outfield positions. If the Yankees don’t bring him back, the Rangers could be a fit.