OFF DAY Walk-Up Music Recommendation

Off day! Much needed and well-deserved if you ask me for the boys in pinstripes. This gives the left arm of Aroldis Chapman a day to rest, the groin of Gary Sanchez a day to heal, and the bat of Gleyber Torres to cool down before it literally catches fire. The MLB schedule makers, with the help of Mother Nature, were not kind to the Yankees in June so a day to rest and prepare before the Red Sox come to town is likely just what the doctor ordered.

With the day off today let’s take a quick listen to the song that plays inside those Yankee Stadium speakers every time one of my personal favorite Yankees comes up to the plate, Greg Bird.

The name of the song is “20 Min” and the artist’s name is Lil Uzi Vert. I have to admit I have never heard of this song or this artist, so this will be a learning experience for me as well. Enjoy.

Hypothetical: Scranton RailRiders vs. New York Mets – Who Wins?

Hypothetical, but serious question. If the New York Mets were to play the Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders in a seven-game series who do you think would win the series? Let’s analyze and discuss.

RailRiders 25-Man Roster:

C: Kyle Higashioka

1B: Tyler Austin

2B: Tyler Wade

SS: Thairo Estrada

3B: Brandon Drury

LF: Billy McKinney

CF: Shane Robinson

RF: Clint Frazier

DH: Mike Ford

BN: Wilkin Castillo

BN: L.J. Mazilli

BN: Ronald Torreyes

BN: Mark Payton

SP: Justus Sheffield

SP: Chance Adams

SP: Erik Swanson

SP: Josh Rogers

SP: Brady Lail

CL: Cody Carroll

RP: David Hale

RP: Tommy Kahnle
RP: J.P. Feyereisen
RP: Giovanny Gallegos

RP: Nestor Cortes

RP: Daniel Camarena  Oliver Perez

BOLDED players are currently on the Yankees 40-man roster

Mets 25-Man Roster:

C: Devin Mesoraco

1B: Wilmer Flores

2B: Asdrubal Cabrera

SS: Amed Rosario

3B: Todd Frazier

LF: Yoenis Cespedes

CF: Michael Conforto

RF: Jay Bruce

DH: Dominic Smith

BN: Brandon Nimmo

BN: Jose Reyes

BN: Kevin Plawecki

BN: Jose Bautista

SP: Jacob deGrom

SP: Noah Syndergaard

SP: Steven Matz

SP: Jason Vargas

SP: Zack Wheeler

CL: Jeurys Familia

RP: Jerry Blevins

RP: Anthony Swarzak
RP: Robert Gsellman
RP: Chris Beck

RP: Tim Peterson

RP: Drew Smith

Game 1

Jacob deGrom vs. Justus Sheffield

If the RailRiders were going to steal a game in this series I truly think it would be in Game One behind Justus Sheffield. The Mets would undoubtedly come into the series confident and would possibly overlook the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, so just because I am going to give Scranton the victory and the early 1-0 series victory.

Scranton leads series 1-0

Game 2

Noah Syndergaard vs. Chance Adams

Chance Adams has struggled throughout much of his Triple-A career with his command and control and that will be the key reason why Scranton will fall in Game Two. Syndergaard is a tough pitcher to give a lead to, but that is exactly what Chance would do presumably under the bright lights and in front of all the eyes watching on this big stage.

Series even 1-1

Game 3

Steven Matz vs. Erik Swanson

Erik Swanson has taken many by surprise this season with his great pitching. Swanson has seemingly come out of nowhere this season and has broken out leading the RailRiders to victory after victory, a trend that will continue tonight in Game Three. Swanson was dominant and Matz made that one mistake to Clint Frazier that cost the team the victory in the middle innings.

Scranton leads the series 2-1

Game 4

Jason Vargas vs. Josh Rogers

To be completely honest I had to Google who the Mets 4^th starter was, that’s how unimpressed with that other team from New York I am. Rogers has pitched well in Triple-A, but many wonder if his stuff will translate well into the Majors as a starter. Vargas did just enough to win behind a strong night from Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes to even the series.

Series tied 2-2

Game 5

Jacob deGrom vs. Justus Sheffield

Sheffield cannot beat deGrom twice in a row, can he? Unfortunately, I have to say no. The RailRiders may have caught deGrom and the Mets by surprise in the first start, but I cannot see lightning striking twice. deGrom comes out with a victory and a bit of retribution.

Mets lead series 3-2

Game 6

Noah Syndergaard vs. Chance Adams

Chance Adams had a much better game in Game Six while Syndergaard matched him zero for zero late into the contest. Partly because we haven’t mentioned him yet, and partly because I want to see a seventh game in this hypothetical series, Brandon Drury comes up with the big home run late to send the series to a deciding and final game. RailRiders win.

Series tied 3-3

Game 7

Steven Matz vs. Erik Swanson

You didn’t really think I was going to let the New York Mets win, did you? Hell no. 13 runs later and another dominating performance by Erik Swanson later and the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders have just beaten the New York Mets in a seven-game series. How embarrassing.

Rosters are all assuming health and is all hypothetical. This post was written in fun, take it that way and enjoy.

Predicting the 2018 Trade Deadline: Manny Machado

The Baltimore Orioles are not going anywhere here in 2018 and the team will undoubtedly be sellers before the July 31^st trade deadline. The team will move veteran and expensive pieces as well as expiring contracts like the contracts of Zach Britton and Manny Machado. While we will undoubtedly talk about Britton before the end of the trade deadline, today is not his day. Today we will take advantage of the Yankees off-day and talk about the destination that Manny Machado is destined to visit before the deadline. Here’s a hint, the Yankees just beat up on them inside Citizens Bank Park this week.

The Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton has been very aggressive over the last calendar year and has vowed to continue being aggressive if the team is ready to compete here in 2018. The Phillies have plenty of money to spend, a young core to build around, and a good farm system to go out and get the players they feel they need to in order to bridge the gap. Middleton has been very open about the possibility of acquiring Machado for the pennant chase not only here this season but has also shown a huge willingness to keep Machado beyond the 2018 campaign as well. This seems like the perfect fit for the Orioles and the Phillies to make a deal.

It is the perfect storm for both sides as Baltimore kickstarts their rebuild while adding some top notch prospects to the farm system while the Phillies add one of the best shortstops in the game to a young team in the middle of a pennant chase. Machado will undoubtedly test the free agent market after the season, but you would have to think that the Phillies would have the leg up on other teams after Machado got to know the stadium, the fans, the players in Philadelphia, and the atmosphere surrounding it all.

The Phillies owner is dedicated to this rebuild and to building the team back up to the glory where it was back in the mid-to-late 2000’s. Machado is a huge piece to that puzzle potentially and I truly think at the end of the day the current Orioles shortstop will be manning the position in Philadelphia by season’s end.

July 2nd International Free Agent Signing Period Coming Soon…

Good morning Yankees family and welcome back to the blog, and welcome to an off day. If it feels like the Yankees have been playing almost every single day during the month of June there is probably a good reason for it, because they have. Mother Nature has not been kind to the Bombers, but hopefully the trouble with the weather is behind the team and it will be nothing but sunny, and Sonny, skies from here on out.  

With the off day today, I wanted to take a look at the upcoming class of international free agents that are set to hit the market when the new signing period begins on July 2^nd. The Yankees have an allocated IFA budget of $4,983,500 which was passed down from the league and are expected to be involved with many of the top international free agents on the market. Remember, a team can trade for up to 75% of their total allotment in trades in $250,000 increments meaning the Yankees could position themselves to have as much as $8,721,125 to spend on the international market this season.  

The Yankees already have verbal commitments with and are expected to sign Dominican outfielder Kevin Alcantara (10^th best prospect) and Cuban right-handed starter Denny Larrondo (29^th best prospect) while the team has also been linked to Dominican catchers Antonio Gomez (11^th best prospect) and Agustin Ramirez (unranked by Baseball America and MLB.com).  

Here are MLB.com’s scouting reports on Alcantara and Larrondo:  

Alcantara has above-average speed — he’s been clocked consistently in the 6.4-6.6 second range in the 60-yard timed run — and it shows up on both sides of the ball. Alcantara is also a gamer. He performs well at the plate in a live setting and projects to hit for more power in the future. Scouts also rave about his good bat speed and high contact ratio. He hits the ball hard and often tops the 100-mph mark in exit velocity. 

Overall, Larrondo is an elite athlete with a projectable body and a quick arm. He has tight spin on his emerging curveball, his second-best pitch. The teenager is an aggressive strike-thrower with a working changeup that is expected to improve once he signs with a team and receives daily instruction in a club’s academy … The right-hander has touched 94 mph with his fastball and usually sits in the 91-to-92 mph range. 

Alcantara will turn 16 on July 12^th, so he won’t be eligible to sign until then, while Larrondo and Gomez have already turned 16 making them eligible to sign when international signings open up on July 2^nd.  

Hello… Poop In Your Pants?

Good morning Yankees family. What is a better way to start off a Thursday morning and a Yankees off day than to talk about some poop. No, I am serious. This is an interesting article and read that I heard about first while visiting Yahoo Sports and it involves Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley and the time that he pooped his pants before entering a MLB game.

He can tell the story better than I can so here is the story from Bradley to Yahoo Sports:

“I’ll just tell it. It was actually this year. I was warming up to go in a game. I knew I had the next hitter. I knew he was on deck. The at-bat was kinda taking a little bit, and as a bullpen guy in these big situations, I call ’em nervous pees. I don’t have to pee a lot, but I know I have to pee before I go in the game. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.

It’s a 2-2 count, and I’m like, ‘Man, I have to pee. I have to go pee.’ So, I run in our bathroom real quick, I’m ready to go. I’m trying to pee and I actually (expletive) my pants. Like, right before I’m about to go in the game, I pooped my pants. I’m like ‘Oh my gosh,’ like I know I’m a pitch away from going in the game, so I’m scrambling to clean myself up. I get it cleaned up the best I can, button my pants up, and our bullpen coach Mike Fetters says, ‘Hey, you’re in the game.’

“So, I’m jogging into the game to pitch with poop in my pants essentially… I did check the mirror. White pants, we’re at home. I actually told my teammates. I stepped out of the bathroom, ‘Hey, am I OK? I just (expletive) myself. I’m about to go in this game.’ They didn’t believe me until they, unfortunately, saw the mess in the bathroom because I didn’t have time. I had to go in the game.

“It was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been on the mound. And I actually had a good inning. I had a clean inning, and I walked in the dugout and I was like, ‘Guys, I just (expletive) myself.’ They didn’t believe me, and then the bullpen came in and they’re like ‘Oh my god, you have to see this.’ … I just felt awkward, uncomfortable and just gross.”

Baby, that is totally our kid in the future. I love you!!

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/28: Mariano Rivera's 500th Save

On this day in 2009 the great Mariano Rivera joined Trevor Hoffman in the 500 career saves club. The Yankees would beat the New York Mets 4-2 in Citi Field while Rivera got the save and his first and only RBI of his career with a bases loaded walk.

Also on this day in 1949 Joe DiMaggio finally came off the disabled list for the Yankees after missing the first 69 games of the season with a heel injury. Joe D would hit four home runs in a three game sweep of the Boston Red Sox fresh out of the box.

Also on this day in 1939 the New York Yankees established the major league record for most home runs hit in a game in a doubleheader with a total of 13. The Yankees would sweep the Philadelphia Athletics on this day by beating the A's 23-2 in game one with eight home runs and 10-0 off five home runs in game two.

Finally on this day in 1907 the Yankees had a catcher that gave up 13 stolen bases in one game, none other than Branch Rickey. While he was not a great catcher he was the man that brought Jackie Robinson to the game so he gets a pass in my book.

Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies 6/27

And just like that it is game time here inside Citizens Bank Park as the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies finish off their three-game set. In the finale of their interleague series this week the Yankees will send Luis Cessa to the mound to face off with Zach Eflin for the Phillies. The game will be played at 7:05 pm ET inside Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and can be seen on the YES Network. You can also follow along with the game on MLB TV, with the MLB At-Bat app and by tuning into the Yankees radio broadcast on WFAN with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

Follow us on Twitter, @GreedyStripes, and “Like” us on Facebook, The Greedy Pinstripes, to keep up with us and the team all season long. Enjoy the game, adios city of brotherly love and hello Boston, and go Yankees!!

Yankees Top Prospects List Post 2018 MLB Draft

The New York Yankees added a ton of depth and pitching to an already budding farm system through the draft and the future is bright once again here in the Bronx. Even with the graduation from prospect’s status of both Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres the Yankees farm system is still loaded with young talent on the cusp of making an impact, many of which are listed here on my post-2018 MLB Draft top Yankees prospects list. Enjoy!

1.       Estevan Florial

2.       Justus Sheffield

3.       Albert Abreu

4.       Chance Adams

5.       Luis Medina

6.       Jonathan Loaisiga

7.       Domingo German

8.       Anthony Seigler

9.       Dillon Tate

10.   Freicer Perez

11.   Thairo Estrada

12.   Domingo Acevedo

13.   Billy McKinney

14.   Matt Sauer

15.   Trevor Stephan

This was genuinely hard to do, and that is the best problem to have. Having a top arm like Domingo Acevedo ranked 12^th, only because of how far away he is from the majors and having an MLB-ready outfielder like Billy McKinney 13^th is just a gluttony of talent. The team is still loaded, even after losing Gleyber and Andujar on their prospects list, and will be, if Yankees GM Brian Cashman can navigate the coming trade seasons and offseason well, for the foreseeable future.

Predicting the 2018 Trade Deadline: Jacob deGrom

Warning: This is the post that no fan of the New York Yankees wants to read. This will scare you. You have been warned. 

The New York Mets will listen to offers regarding three of their top starting pitchers this summer including Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and the right-hander that every team wants, Jacob deGrom. The Mets will certainly listen to offers for any of their veterans, but the team can truly jumpstart a rebuild by trading one or all of these starters, especially deGrom. Ultimately, I believe deGrom will be traded before the end of the July 31^st trading deadline, and I believe the team that will acquire his services will scare a lot of teams in the American League. Can you imagine how good the Houston Astros will be once they acquire deGrom this summer? 

I know, it sounds crazy that a team so rich in pitching would be in the market for a pitcher at the trade deadline but hear me out. This move is a multi-headed monster for the Astros, hypothetically. First and foremost, the Astros know that they will at least have a tough time bringing Dallas Keuchel back via the free agent market after the 2018 season. Keuchel is set to hit free agency before his age-31 season while deGrom’s earliest free agent year is the year 2021. Acquiring deGrom now allows the team to let Keuchel walk via free agency after the season while still keeping a cost-controlled and strong starting pitching staff for 2019 and beyond.  

The deal could also open up an avenue where the Astros could at least consider trading Keuchel, but another reason the team “needs” deGrom is because Keuchel has not been the dominant force that he has been in the past. Keuchel is pitching to a 4-8 record with a 3.90 ERA at the time of this writing with 97 innings pitched and just 77 strikeouts. That’s great for some teams to be completely honest, but Houston may look to upgrade to hold off the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.  

Speaking of the two mammoth giants in the American League East, that alone could be worth the Astros acquiring deGrom just to keep him away from either of those two teams. Obviously, the Astros wouldn’t acquire deGrom for that sole reason, but the fact that he checks so many other boxes while keeping him away from their biggest competitors in the postseason is just too convenient and obvious to ignore. 

The Astros have a strong farm system and a young team meaning they have the pieces to make such a deal work with the Mets. The Astros also have, for lack of a better term, a need for deGrom as well, so watch out for Houston if and when the Mets truly make their right-handed ace available this summer.

The AL Starter in the MLB All-Star Game Should Be...

Photo Credit: Getty Images (Hunter Martin)

An Easy Decision for Astros Manager A.J. Hinch...

I am starting to think that Luis Severino simply plays at a higher level than anyone else. If there was a league higher than Major League Baseball, he would have already graduated. I remember being so frustrated in 2016 when Sevy couldn't buy a win as a starter. I was among many who felt that his future might be better served in the bullpen. Thank God I am not a baseball scout. Severino plays with confidence but that does not begin to equate to the level of confidence he gives us as fans when he takes the mound.  

I remember the Summer of '78 when Ron Guidry dominated the opposition (25-3, 1.74 ERA) and represented almost a guaranteed win every time he pitched. There have been some good pitching seasons by other pitchers since then but I don't think I've had the confidence in any pitchers like I did Gator that summer until now. The fact that Severino is homegrown and not a product of free agency or trade makes it even better. I am very proud of the pitcher Severino has become and look forward to his exciting years ahead. 

A day after Jonathan Loaisiga took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Severino completely shut down the Phillies offense. Sevy (12-2) owned the strike zone and toyed with the Phillies hitters. He may have started to tire late but he gave the Yankees seven strong scoreless innings, scattering six hits and did not walk a batter. He had nine strikeouts to increase his season total to 132 (seventh best in MLB). If Severino is not chosen as the AL Starter for the All-Star Game, it will be a travesty.  He has clearly outpitched the two usual suspects (Chris Sale and Corey Kluber) and has three more wins than A.J. Hinch's own stud, Justin Verlander.   

The day started right when Aaron Hicks led off Tuesday's game with a homer over the center field wall against Phillies starter Jake Arrieta. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Yankees extended their lead to 4-0 in the third inning, thanks to a two-run single by Gleyber Torres which was immediately followed by Greg Bird's RBI single. 

Austin Romine, promoted to full-time starter for the next three or four weeks, opened the fourth inning with a double to deep left center. Sevy was the next batter and although it was anticipated that he'd be the first out, he did take a couple of good hacks before striking out. Rather than being an easy out, he battled and it paid off when Arrieta thew a wild pitch to advance Romine to third. Even though Sevy struck out, I felt his at-bat was productive. Aaron Hicks took advantage of Romine's presence on third with a deep fly to right to score the runner. 5-0, Yankees.

The Yankees closed out their scoring in the top of the fifth inning when Didi Gregorius led off with a solo homer to right center, his 15th of the year. From there, it was Sevy and the bullpen to the finish. Adam Warren pitched a clean eighth inning, but I have to admit I got sick to my stomach when Aaron Boone brought Chasen Shreve in for the ninth despite the six-run lead. It got worse when Shreve walked Carlos Santana after the first out and was down 3-1 on the next hitter (Nick Williams). A two or three-run homer and the Phillies were back in this game. Fortunately, Williams grounded out and Scott Kingery hit a liner right at Gleyber Torres to end the game. Shreve did his job, but I am sorry, he still sucks.  

Regardless of what happens today, the Yankees have won their series with the Phillies which helps overcome the weekend sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays. After the game, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said that Severino was "as dirty as you possibly could be". Agreed and it's quite alright by me. I am really hopeful Sevy is throwing like this when he makes his next start against the Boston Red Sox.  

The Yankees (52-25) maintained their half-game lead on the Red Sox (53-27). The Sox had an easy time with Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels, winning 9-1 at Fenway Park behind David Price. Don't look now but the Rays are hot. Fresh off their sweep of the Yankees, they've taken the first two games of their series with the Washington Nationals. Yesterday, Nathan Eovaldi and the Rays beat Max Scherzer and the Nats, 1-0. Nasty Nate is looking good. The Rays have won five in a row and have closed the gap with the Yankees to fourteen games. Ha! They're not going anywhere but if the Rays win today, they'll be back to .500. Not bad for a team that looked like a mess in the preseason.

Brandon Drury has cooled off at Triple A with only two hits in his last seven games but I remain hopeful that he'll be back in the Bronx soon. He played first base again yesterday for the second time in five days. Aaron Boone was quoted yesterday as saying Drury at first was not on the front burner, but from my perspective, the versatility certainly helps. I remain a fan of Drury and I'd prefer to see him play for the Yankees as opposed to being part of a July trade for pitching.  

Why do so many non-Yankees fans try to sell the idea of a Gleyber Torres-for-Jacob deGrom trade? Look, I'd love to have deGrom on the Yankees, but there's no way that I would trade Torres for him. With Torres, we have second base locked up for the next decade (or more) with a player that should make a few All-Star teams. Pitchers are too fragile. deGrom is great but not at the cost of Torres. Down the road in about five years when deGrom is trying to reinvent himself as an older pitcher, Torres will still be a superstar in his mid-20's.  

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Another former Yankee was thrown on the scrap heap this week when the San Diego Padres designated reliever Tyler Webb for assignment. He's one of those guys I always wanted to succeed but for whatever reason it has never happened for him. Hopefully he'll find better luck with his next organization. If not, maybe he can play cards with Chase Headley, Rob Refsnyder and Jesus Montero.

Although I was very confident yesterday thanks to Luis Severino, today is "not-so-much". The Phillies stand a very good chance of taking the series finale since the Yankees will be throwing out Luis Cessa to make the spot start in order to push CC Sabathia to the Red Sox series. The Phillies will start Zach Eflin (5-2, 3.44 ERA). Advantage Phillies. I really wish that I could bring myself to like Cessa as a starter but I just can't do it. Oh well, with the Yankees offense, it's always possible that Cessa could win despite himself.

Go Yankees!