Digging in the TGP Archive: Didi Gregorius Due for an Offensive Breakout?

See the original post HERE. I make the case for Didi Gregorius having an offensive breakout during the 2015 season long before he did. I guess I need to make another bold prediction or two, no?

First and foremost I want to start off by saying that I was 100% in favor of basically the Shane Greene for Didi Gregorius trade. As much as I love Shane Greene and that slider he is replaceable in the organization with Bryan Mitchell, in the farm system with Manny Banuelos and on the free agency market with Brandon McCarthy, Jon Lester and/or Max Scherzer. There are no above average shortstops on the team right now and the farm system is barren at the position, although not as barren as the free agency market. Didi is better than Stephen Drew, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jed Lowrie and Brendan Ryan.

I realize that Gregorius is not without his faults, especially on the offensive side of the game, but that doesn't worry me as much when I look at the stats. First it's worth mentioning that Didi was a much better hitter in Triple-A than he has been in the majors but I have to wonder if he is due for a breakout season. In 2014 Gregorius hit just .226 in 80 games and still gathered a WAR, 1.1, that was more than five times better than Derek Jeter's 0.2 WAR.

I think Didi has simply fallen into a mixture of not playing enough while running into some bad luck when he plays. First and foremost Gregorius needs to play everyday and the team needs to ditch the "Brendan Ryan platoon" right now before it gets into his head. I mention this because Didi's BAbip was incredibly low at .257, down from his career BAbip of .280 (which granted is a little skewed by a partial season in 2012 with Cincinnati), while his line drive percentage was up to 28% and has gone up every season in the majors. These stats, along with the fact that Didi is still young and left handed inside Yankee Stadium, tell me that Gregorius is due to bounce back and possibly breakout as soon as 2015.

"ZOMG We Need To Sign Cliff Lee!" That Sounds Familiar

News broke this week that former Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee intends to pitch in 2016 after missing much of the last couple of seasons with arm injuries. Everyone is now losing their mind asking the Yankees organization to sign Cliff Lee for the 2016 season and finally right a wrong while allowing Brian Cashman to finally "get his guy." This sounds awfully familiar.

Lee missed much of the 2014 season with a strained flexor strain in his left elbow and then suffered a torn flexor in that same elbow during the 2015 season. Lee is now 37-years old and has been cleared by doctor's to continue throwing and has started a throwing program. Lee will pitch in 2016 if he can "find a good fit" and will likely sign a minor league deal. Jon Heyman is credited with the report, which sounds a lot like THIS report from myself here on TGP on November 7th.

In the article I state:

The Philadelphia Phillies, as expected, declined their team option worth $27.5 million for the 2016 season on Cliff Lee and will instead pay him $12.5 million to buyout his contract and hit free agency. Lee missed the entire 2015 regular season and the left-hander has been limited to just 13 starts over the past two seasons due to reoccurring pain in the flexor tendon in his elbow but there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal. Should that deal come from the New York Yankees?

The Yankees have plenty of names that can be listed as pitching depth as we head into the 2016 season but does New York have enough real depth in case of an injury? The problem with the Yankees rotation entering the 2015 season will be the same problem and questions that the team faces in 2016. Will CC Sabathia’s knee hold up, Michael Pineda’s shoulder, Masahiro Tanaka and Nathan Eovaldi’s elbow, Luis Severino’s innings and Ivan Nova’s Tommy John surgery and struggles with his command and efficiency. Lee would not fix any of those question marks but he would add to a list of minor league options that is looking seriously deficient at the moment with just Bryan Mitchell and Rookie Davis as suitable options for the rotation aside from Adam Warren.

The Yankees usually sign one or two reclamation projects every season and hand out one or two minor league deals to veterans, see Andrew Bailey, Jared Burton and Kyle Davies as recent examples of this, and Lee could be the latest example of that. Obviously this all hinges on Lee’s willingness to come to New York, he and his wife were weary of it once before already during his career, and Lee’s health and the health of his elbow. If Lee is willing and Mother Nature is willing to cooperate then Lee makes the most sense for a minor league deal for the team this offseason.


Come on Mother Nature…. Help the Yankees out for once.

There are more examples but I won't get any credit for anything anyway, so whatever. Ask Joel Sherman.

New Drug Added to MLB’s Approved List

All this talk of drugs around Major League Baseball makes me feel uneasy, especially when the league is actually adding drugs to the approved list like they did this week. I just feel like with the technology we have today and the lack of blood testing, although there is more than ever, that things can be masked and made to look like other drugs. The drug that was added to the approved list, although you still need an approval through Major League Baseball, is a drug that treats gynecomastia.

Gynecomastia is the swelling of male breast tissue and is often referred to as “man boobs.” Please be nice in the comments section. This disease is treated with the same drugs that Manny Ramirez failed a steroid test for back in 2009 and the same drug that many major league players have been linked to since drug testing was implemented and the Mitchell Report.

These estrogen suppressors are used as an alternative to surgery to treat a disease that surprisingly about half of all men suffer from. Steroids users have long used drugs that suppress or stop the flow of estrogen and they are used as the end of a steroid cycle to help the body regain its ability to produce testosterone naturally.

The player who received the exemption for this drug was not named in the report. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 12/8: The Grandy Man Can

On this day in 2009 the Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and Arizona Diamondbacks completed a three team trade that was considered to be one of the fairest three team trades in history. Long story short the Yankees got Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, The Diamondbacks got Edwin Jackson from the Tigers and Ian Kennedy from the Yankees, and the Tigers got Phil Coke and Austin Jackson from the Yankees and Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from the Diamondbacks.

Also on this day in 2008 Yankees second basemen Joe Gordon received 10 of the possible 12 votes to be elected into the Hall of Fame. The Veteran's Committee inducted the 1942 Most Valuable Player, nine time All Star, and five time World Series champion.

Finally on this day in 1966 the New York Yankees traded two time MVP and single season home run king Roger Maris to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees got third basemen Charley Smith in return for Maris. Maris would win a World Series with the Cardinals the next season and a pennant the season after that enjoying immediate success with his new team. Smith will only hit .224 in his two year tenure as a Yankee.

Yankees Said to be Interested in Asdrubal Cabrera a Year Too Late

This would be just the kind of dumb shit move that Brian Cashman would make, wouldn’t it? Excuse my language and excuse my bluntness but this rumor has me heated. The New York Yankees are reportedly interested in shortstop/second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera. Of course the team reiterated that their budget is stretched about as thin as it’s going to get so a deal could be unlikely but the interest is there nonetheless.

So let me get this straight. You want to take an older, more expensive switch-hitting version of Robert Refsnyder and sign him to say a one or two year deal on the cheap and once again block and demoralize Refsnyder himself? And for what? Average offense, average defense and a switch hitter to balance out a lineup that will continue to either strikeout or hit a home run, nothing more.

I don’t get it. I don’t. These better be just rumors and we better not be bracing ourselves for another Stephen Drew at second base next season. I can’t even right now. I’ll flip. I’ll lose it. Cashman, don’t do it. I mean it, don’t!

Yankees Reach Out to Miami About Jose Fernandez

The New York Yankees are one of many teams, and when I say many I likely mean somewhere around the 29 other teams mark, that reached out recently to the Miami Marlins regarding ace starting pitcher Jose Fernandez. According to Jon Morosi the asking price is said to be sky high, and it should be, and it seems unclear whether the Yankees will meet it.

I am one of the biggest prospect humpers around and easily the biggest on this website but if the Marlins asked for Aaron Judge and one of Ian Clarkin or James Kaprielian (plus more obviously) I wouldn’t blink an eye when I accepted. If you start adding Gary Sanchez and others that actually create holes on the team rather than fill holes, Robert Refsnyder also comes to mind but he could be replaced rather easily via free agency, that’s where I become a little more skeptical.

No words on what Miami is asking for, whether these GM’s are just doing their due diligence or if Fernandez is truly available, or whether New York would be willing to meet it. I guess you’re going to have to stay tuned.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It was this day in 1941 that the Japanese bombed the port in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. With that act of war the United States was forced into a war they didn’t really want to be a part of, World War II. We all know the stories, the movies and the history behind Pearl Harbor and the war and I don’t know about you but I’d like to not remember the day. Let’s remember the people, the people that died, the people that lived and shot those Japanese planes into the Pacific Ocean and the people who were survived by the decease.

I can’t say it enough, thank you. Remember the people, remember the day just don’t remember the event.

Most Popular Article of the Week: Yankees Could Release CC Sabathia This Offseason?

The New York Yankees are doing something that a lot of other teams do, they aren’t letting contracts dictate playing time and their space on the 40 man roster. This is a sight for sore eyes if you ask me, especially when you consider the youth infusion that we see currently on the squad. It would truly irk me as a fan to see someone like Adam Warren or Luis Severino not getting their fair shake in the Bronx while someone like CC Sabathia, who I respect the hell out of but the back of his baseball card doesn’t show him as being one of the best five or six starting rotation options right now, struggles and keeps the team down. With that said I’m not sure how reliable the Latin Post is but they have an article, SEEN HERE, which made me turn my head. The article showcases a scenario where the New York Yankees actually cut or designate CC for assignment this winter and get him off the roster all together.


CC is a fiery clubhouse leader and veteran but his 9-14 record and 4.85 ERA over the past two seasons may not be enough to justify keeping him on the roster, especially with all his injuries that keep on piling up. Sabathia is owed $25 million for each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, assuming he does not spend too much time or end the season on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, before finally coming off the books before the 2018 season. With the likelihood of putting Sabathia into the bullpen about as likely as the Yankees signing a David Price or Johnny Cueto this winter Sabathia may be stuck between a rock, a hard place and unemployment.


The Yankees youth movement is well underway with Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino and Adam Warren all under 28-years old with Severino entering just his age 21 season. Sabathia does not fit into this movement. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be cut, designated for assignment or even traded. That’s all up to Hal Steinbrenner I guess.

FYI: Complete List of Arbitration Eligible Players

The non-tender deadline has come and gone and the next major milestone, aside from the General Manager Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft, is the arbitration process. All told there are 162 players eligible for salary arbitration eligible this season including seven for the New York Yankees. Some players will sign new deals before they are eligible to officially file for arbitration on January 12 and many will avoid the entire arbitration court process altogether. Here is the complete list with the most important players, the Yankees players, listed first for your information.

NEW YORK (7) — Dustin Ackley, 2b-of; Nathan Eovaldi, rhp; Didi Gregorius, ss; Ivan Nova, rhp; Michael Pineda, rhp; Adam Warren, rhp; Justin Wilson, lhp.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BALTIMORE (8) — Brad Brach, rhp; Zach Britton, lhp; Ryan Flaherty, 2b; Miguel Gonzalez, rhp; Manny Machado, 3b; Brian Matusz, lhp; Chris Tillman, rhp; Mark Trumbo, of-1b.

BOSTON (3) — Joe Kelly, rhp; Robbie Ross, lhp;Junichi Tazawa, rhp.

CHICAGO (4) — Avisail Garcia, of; Dan Jennings, lhp; Nate Jones, rhp; Zach Putnam, rhp.

CLEVELAND (6) — Cody Allen, rhp; Lonnie Chisenhall, 3b-rf; Jeff Manship, rhp; Zach McAllister, rhp; Bryan Shaw, rhp; Josh Tomlin, rhp.

DETROIT (3) — Jose Iglesias, ss; J.D. Martinez, of; Andrew Romine, inf.

HOUSTON (6) — Jason Castro, c; Josh Fields, rhp; Evan Gattis, dh; Marwin Gonzalez, inf; Dallas Keuchel, lhp; Luis Valbuena, 3b.

KANSAS CITY (7) — Drew Butera, c; Lorenzo Cain, of; Louis Coleman, rhp; Tony Cruz, c; Danny Duffy, lhp; Jarrod Dyson, of; Mike Moustakas, 3b.

LOS ANGELES (4) — Kole Calhoun, of; Garrett Richards, rhp; Fernando Salas, rhp; Hector Santiago, lhp.

MINNESOTA (6) — Eduardo Escobar, ss; Casey Fien, rhp; Kevin Jepsen, rhp; Tommy Milone, lhp; Eduardo Nunez, inf; Trevor Plouffe, 3b.

OAKLAND (7) — Yonder Alonso, 1b; Brett Lawrie, 3b; Jarrod Parker, rhp; Josh Reddick, of; Fernando Rodriguez, rhp; Evan Scribner, rhp; Danny Valencia, 3b.

SEATTLE (3) — Anthony Bass, rhp; Charlie Furbush, lhp; Leonys Martin, of.

TAMPA BAY (10) — Alex Cobb, rhp; Hank Conger, c;Logan Forsythe, 2b; Brandon Guyer, of; Desmond Jennings, of; Jake McGee, lhp; Logan Morrison, 1b; Erasmo Ramirez, rhp; Rene Rivera, c; Drew Smyly, lhp.

TEXAS (7) — Robinson Chirinos, c; Jake Diekman, lhp; Mitch Moreland, 1b; Jurickson Profar, 2b-ss; Tanner Scheppers, rhp; Shawn Tolleson, rhp; Tom Wilhelmsen, rhp.

TORONTO (8) — Brett Cecil, lhp; Jesse Chavez, rhp; Steve Delabar, rhp; Josh Donaldson, 3b; Drew Hutchison, rhp; Aaron Loup, lhp; Ben Revere, of; Michael Saunders, of.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

ARIZONA (6) — Welington Castillo, c; Patrick Corbin, lhp; Rubby De La Rosa, rhp;Randall Delgado, rhp; Daniel Hudson, rhp; A.J. Pollock, of.

ATLANTA (3) — Shelby Miller, rhp; Arodys Vizcaino, rhp; Chris Withrow, rhp.

CHICAGO (6) — Jake Arrieta, rhp; Chris Coghlan, of; Justin Grimm, rhp; Hector Rondon, rhp; Pedro Strop, rhp; Travis Wood, lhp.

CINCINNATI (3) — Aroldis Chapman, lhp; Zack Cozart, ss; J.J. Hoover, rhp.

COLORADO (4) — Nolan Arenado, 3b; Charlie Blackmon, of; DJ LeMahieu, 2b; Adam Ottavino, rhp.

LOS ANGELES (6) — Luis Avilan, lhp; Yasmani Grandal, c; Chris Hatcher, rhp; Kenley Jansen, rhp; Justin Turner, inf; Scott Van Slyke, of.

MIAMI (8) — Carter Capps, rhp; Jose Fernandez, rhp; Dee Gordon, 2b; Adeiny Hechavarria, ss; Tom Koehler, rhp; Bryan Morris, rhp; David Phelps, rhp; A.J. Ramos, rhp.

MILWAUKEE (3) — Wily Peralta, rhp; Jean Segura, ss; Will Smith, lhp.

NEW YORK (8) — Lucas Duda, 1b; Josh Edgin, lhp; Jeurys Familia, rhp; Matt Harvey, rhp; Jenrry Mejia, rhp; Addison Reed, rhp; Ruben Tejada, ss; Carlos Torres, rhp.

PHILADELPHIA (3) — Freddy Galvis, ss; Jeanmar Gomez, rhp; Jeremy Hellickson, rhp.

PITTSBURGH (8) — Francisco Cervelli, c; Jared Hughes, rhp; Jeff Locke, lhp; Mark Melancon, rhp; Jordy Mercer, ss; Chris Stewart, c; Tony Watson, lhp; Neil Walker, 2b.

ST. LOUIS (4) — Matt Adams, 1b; Seth Maness, rhp; Brandon Moss, of-1b; Trevor Rosenthal, rhp.

SAN DIEGO (4) — Andrew Cashner, rhp; Derek Norris, c; Drew Pomeranz, lhp; Tyson Ross, rhp.

SAN FRANCISCO (2) — Brandon Belt, 1b; George Kontos, rhp.

WASHINGTON (5) — Danny Espinosa, 2b; Wilson Ramos, c; Anthony Rendon, 2b-3b; Drew Storen, rhp; Stephen Strasburg, rhp.

Bryce Harper and the First $400 Million Contract

So if David Price is supposedly worth $31 million a year for 31 starts, for simplicity sake, and $217 million over seven seasons at age 30 then when Bryce Harper hits free agency after the 2017 season he’ll be worth what? A billion over 15 seasons? $500 million over 13 seasons? More realistically though, would Harper be the first $400 million man in Major League Baseball? In a word, yes.

I say yes, a lot can happen in two seasons of baseball, but what I really mean is that he could be. Price is making basically a million bucks a start, $31 million annually for roughly 31 starts not including the postseason, at 30-years old so how valuable does that make Bryce Harper? Let’s just throw out a number and say that Harper plays in 155 games per season and plays for all nine innings, does that not make him five times more valuable than a starting pitcher that starts every fifth day? Price is 30, Harper will be just 26-years old when he hits free agency.

According to traditional stats and metrics Jason Heyward isn’t all that great, it’s the sabermetrics and his defensive WAR that make him valuable, and he’s still projected to get a 10-year deal worth $20 million plus annually. Harper is already an MVP, a middle-of-the-order hitter and a leader in the outfield. If Harper doesn’t get at least $400 million the system is severely broken.

In 2015 Harper, according to Fangraphs “value” calculation, was worth $76 million according to his production, that makes $40 million almost look like a bargain at this point, no?

The stars are aligning. The Yankees have a ton of money coming off the books the same offseason as Bryce Harper is a free agent and are losing an absolute ton of money the two offseason prior as well. New York loves their big names and recognizable stars about as much as they have shown to love young players in recent years, this is the best of both worlds for the Yankees. Am I okay with the Yankees giving Bryce 10-12 years and $400 million? If you ask me today, yes. Although a lot can change in two seasons of Major League Baseball…. So stay tuned.