Did I miss the thread or has it gone unmentioned here so far that the Yankees have named Tanaka the Opening Day starter? ESPN tried to make it about him being chosen over Sabathia, as if it was controversial. Is there really any other choice?
Even though opening day starter isn't a big deal to me. it works really well though bc they have an off day after that so he'll get a built in 6 day rotation which they want to build in for him.
Plus he'll be lined up to pitch the Sun night game vs Boston for his 2nd start which I'm going to, so that'll be cool.
But as for ranking the yankees starters it's tanaka, pineda, eovaldi, cc, and if nova were healthy and further removed from TJS, I'd rank him ahead too. Clearly not the ace or #2 in the rotation anymore, but he's been a stud for so long and a great guy, big fan of his.
I'm less interested whether Tanaka pitches game 1 than if he is still
available for game 81. The Yankees season will be very different if Tanaka is healthy or not. He's a real difference maker and probably the least replaceable guy on the team.
Agreed. I wasn't interested so much in him getting the nod as I was the angle of him over CC. If anything, it was between him and Pineda. I'm sure CC's name was never mentioned.
It would be great for the Yanks to have a couple of young power pitching studs. For Pineda, it's all about health. With Eovaldi, it's all about taking that next step. Both look great in ST.
I wonder if Lindgren is getting the Kris Bryant/George Springer treatment? Leave him in the minors and then bring him up after he loses the chance at a full year of service time?
Has looked more like the pitcher scouts thought he could be than the pitcher he has been. If his season goes like his Spring, he was a steal and one of the better deals Cashman has ever made.
folks on Twitter are convinced, but bullpen arms are different. A stud position player, even a stud starter, you can project relatively consistent performance over time. They might bust, but performance tends not to be THAT volatile. Bullpen arms are exceedingly volatile. They get injured, their performance varies from year to year, they don't have time in games to settle down, for whatever reason the guys who start out as stud relievers almost never make it five or six years at the same level. Mo and DRob are the exceptions. With bullpen arms the priority should be to get the most out of them while they're throwing the ball well.
hopefully before long Lindgren and Bailey are helping in the late innings. I'm very concerned with Betances. He's pitching like Pineda did his first spring with the Yankees. No command and 5 mph off his fastball. Could be nothing more than dead arm in the spring. Let's hope so.
about Gregorius - who has been way better than I expected - Slade Heathcott - who looks like he actually improved after all his injuries - and James Pazos - a lefty I had never seen pitch and he seems like he has great stuff.
I look forward to seeing Heathcott and Pazos play for SWB this summer.
folks on Twitter are convinced, but bullpen arms are different. A stud position player, even a stud starter, you can project relatively consistent performance over time. They might bust, but performance tends not to be THAT volatile. Bullpen arms are exceedingly volatile. They get injured, their performance varies from year to year, they don't have time in games to settle down, for whatever reason the guys who start out as stud relievers almost never make it five or six years at the same level. Mo and DRob are the exceptions. With bullpen arms the priority should be to get the most out of them while they're throwing the ball well.
was responding to the comment about Lindgren but someone else posted in between, I should have quoted it. I just don't think that motivates them. He may not start the season in pinstripes because they have an illogical aversion to rookies but I doubt they will do so because of service time.
Heathcott played in all of 9 games last season at AA
I'd be shocked if he plays in the Bronx this year no matter who gets injured.
I don't think it's impossible. He has to stay healthy and perform and I think you're right that he probably wouldn't get the call to fill in for Beltran unless it's around the ASB, but they're likely to be aggressive with him if he is performing because he's not on the 40-man, he's a minor league FA after this season anyway.
It would be great for the fans and for the Yankees
if Heathcott made it to the 25 man roster. He looks like a ballplayer. Very athletic given his injuries. I gave up on him but I see that was premature.
left todays game with cramping in his right triceps muscle. He wasn't very good last year and this spring he's been horrible. 5 more years and 140 million dollars left on his contract. Why are baseball owners so dumb?
I think he's going to be the back up since he has no options and Murphy can play everyday in AAA. Once they sent Sanchez back to AA it seem to reveal the plan.
for an extended period Young won't play everyday for long. He's terrible. The Yankees are paying Young, Drew & Ryan 15 million this year. Hopefully all of them are gone sooner rather than later.
for an extended period Young won't play everyday for long. He's terrible. The Yankees are paying Young, Drew & Ryan 15 million this year. Hopefully all of them are gone sooner rather than later.
Hilarious. And they couldn't go any further for Moncada. Lighting 15 million (plus luxury tax on them) would be more entertaining than watching those 3 schmucks.
- Word around Yankee camp is that George Steinbrenners son-in-law, Felix (The Gardner) Lopez, who is listed in their press guide as Executive Vice President/Chief International Officer (whatever that is), has been placed on irrevocable waivers. According to sources, Lopez, who is married to the late Boss younger daughter, Jessica, was told to clean out his desk and leave the complex a couple of weeks ago. Its a family issue was all a source would say. Other than having hit the lottery by marrying the Boss daughter, Lopezs primary duties were the overseeing of construction projects (and cost over-runs?) at Steinbrenner Field and the Himes Field minor league complex, and dabbling (often times without the knowledge or approval of GM Brian Cashman) in the Yankees Latin America scouting operations most recently, Im told, with an unauthorized heavy hand in Yoan Moncata negotiations that effectively ended any chances of the Yankees signing the Cuban free agent. Whether its coincidental or not, Tino Martinez, is apparently back in the Yankees employ as a roving minor league instructor. Again, according to sources, Martinez had told friends he would never work in the Yankees Tampa operations as long as Lopez was there in the role of a superior. The timing of bringing Tino back in the fold couldnt be better, assuming the Yankees use him to work extensively with Greg Bird, their blue chip first-base prospect. Bird, who will be at Triple-A Scranton, has been acclaimed (by Cashman among others) as the best pure hitter in the minor league system, but everyone agrees hes not major league ready around first, needing to work at on his footwork, throws, relays, fielding bunts etc. In that respect, there could be no better teacher than Tino, a perennial Gold Glover at first.
I'd trade that zero for Tino. Then again, I'd trade that zero for Kevin Youkilis. Link - ( New Window )
Not earth moving like if Levine was tossed but still a very good development. Makes sense to have Tino tutor Bird. You know what would make more sense. Have Willie tutor Refsnyder. Cano was worth buying a ticket to see him around the bag and turn the DP. But Willie was as good and even more fundamentally sound. Willie is criminally underrated by Yankee fans. There are only 10 Yankees in history with a higher WAR. 8 are in the hall of fame the other two are Jeter and Mariano. So all 10 are hall of famers.
along with Mattingly one of my first baseball idols. He just doesn't look like an inner circle guy because he was not a Gold Glove guy (even though he could have won it a couple times), he was not a homerun hitter and after age 26 never more than a mid-teens SB guy, a patient contact hitter but not a consistent .300 guy. It's easy to miss the forest for the trees, but on the balance he was a very good ballplayer.
RHP Jared Burton, RHP Jordan Cote, RHP Brett Gerritse, RHP Tim Giel, RHP Stefan Lopez, RHP Mike Noteware, 1B Dalton Smith, SS Graham Ramos, OF Yeicok Calderon, OF Robert Hernandez
Plus he'll be lined up to pitch the Sun night game vs Boston for his 2nd start which I'm going to, so that'll be cool.
Link - ( New Window )
I wonder if Lindgren is getting the Kris Bryant/George Springer treatment? Leave him in the minors and then bring him up after he loses the chance at a full year of service time?
I look forward to seeing Heathcott and Pazos play for SWB this summer.
Are you talking about Lindgren?
Exactly. Besides, if Beltran is injured it's going to be Young playing everyday.
I don't think it's impossible. He has to stay healthy and perform and I think you're right that he probably wouldn't get the call to fill in for Beltran unless it's around the ASB, but they're likely to be aggressive with him if he is performing because he's not on the 40-man, he's a minor league FA after this season anyway.
Hilarious. And they couldn't go any further for Moncada. Lighting 15 million (plus luxury tax on them) would be more entertaining than watching those 3 schmucks.
I'd guess Lindgren gets the spot if they do. Alternatively they could ink another starter to be a backup plan at AAA.
Injury update: Didi Gregorius has a left wrist sprain and a precautionary X-ray will be taken
So we may go into the season with Ryan and Drew as your DP combination.
Injury update: Didi Gregorius has a left wrist sprain and a precautionary X-ray will be taken
So we may go into the season with Ryan and Drew as your DP combination.
Ryan and Drew will help win alot of games this year. Not for us of course.
Anyone know how Betances looked today?
Girardi said that if Gregorius' injury was serious, his plan would be to use B. Ryan at SS. Stephen Drew has been strictly 2B this spring.
Didi Gregorius is the only reason you would see the Yankees this season? Wow.
Drew has shown a little pop in his bat. He's not a problem - not much of a solution of course - but not a problem.
Ryan at SS is a problem. Betances 2015 is a problem.
- Word around Yankee camp is that George Steinbrenners son-in-law, Felix (The Gardner) Lopez, who is listed in their press guide as Executive Vice President/Chief International Officer (whatever that is), has been placed on irrevocable waivers. According to sources, Lopez, who is married to the late Boss younger daughter, Jessica, was told to clean out his desk and leave the complex a couple of weeks ago. Its a family issue was all a source would say. Other than having hit the lottery by marrying the Boss daughter, Lopezs primary duties were the overseeing of construction projects (and cost over-runs?) at Steinbrenner Field and the Himes Field minor league complex, and dabbling (often times without the knowledge or approval of GM Brian Cashman) in the Yankees Latin America scouting operations most recently, Im told, with an unauthorized heavy hand in Yoan Moncata negotiations that effectively ended any chances of the Yankees signing the Cuban free agent. Whether its coincidental or not, Tino Martinez, is apparently back in the Yankees employ as a roving minor league instructor. Again, according to sources, Martinez had told friends he would never work in the Yankees Tampa operations as long as Lopez was there in the role of a superior. The timing of bringing Tino back in the fold couldnt be better, assuming the Yankees use him to work extensively with Greg Bird, their blue chip first-base prospect. Bird, who will be at Triple-A Scranton, has been acclaimed (by Cashman among others) as the best pure hitter in the minor league system, but everyone agrees hes not major league ready around first, needing to work at on his footwork, throws, relays, fielding bunts etc. In that respect, there could be no better teacher than Tino, a perennial Gold Glover at first.
I'd trade that zero for Tino. Then again, I'd trade that zero for Kevin Youkilis.
Link - ( New Window )
To be clear, when I said there was embarrassing, unreported stuff for NYY regarding Moncada, the Felix Lopez aspect was just one part of it.