NFT: Yanks talk 5-4

say this about any other player or any other sport, but if you gave me a spring training, there's no doubt I'd produce more than Headley, and probably with similar play in the field. And I mean this year. My old bones could get loose enough to bat .160 and make the occasional shitty throw to 1st.

It has been bad but we are 8-16 lol

That's pretty fucking hard to do

all over again...

Then the Royals and white sox we could have 25 losses by the end of next week

and he admitted it in this morning's Daily News. A roster filled with aging players past their prime- Beltran, A Rod, CC, Teixeira. Elsbury was a huge mistake- 7 years and $150 Million. That contract looks bad now and will look even worse in two years.He is great at handing out large contracts, but terrible at building a team from within. How he keeps his job is a mystery.

Just kidding...not about them stinking, but about there being nothing to talk about. Pretty disappointing to see what we've seen from Severino. After last year's debut, I thought he was going to come out and push to be their #1 guy by summer. The pitching staff isn't doing them any favors, but the offense is as bad as I could have imagined. Teixeira, Gardner, Headley, Ellsbury, A-Rod have all been pretty much useless. Not to mention Didi. Their bench is terrible, and this powerhouse bullpen is only as good as the depth behind their big guys, the big guys who can't get in a game because they never have a lead, or who give up home runs in tie games in the later innings. Only another week without Chapman, but with all our starters' ERA's in the 5's and 6's (aside from Tanaka) and our team batting average at .234, Chapman's return is likely going to have minimal impact.

and I haven't used it since the first week of the season. Brutal.

What good is a strong bullpen if you do not have a lead? Team is structurally flawed.

after what Cashman said Monday and how he played yesterday, I'll be speechless.

is better off starting its bullpen then hoping to steal one off the other teams relievers.

He only gives Girardi the players.

eating money, whatever. if there's a market for Tex, Beltran, McCann, Gardner explore it. Headley needs to be released. The relievers should fetch some big time prospects so they should also be put up for sale. This is the year that they finally need to admit they need a rebuild and purge the franchise of as many losers as possible. Unfortunately, they'll probably be stuck with Headley.

Then I think that we have to seriously consider becoming sellers at the deadline. The prime candidates are:
Chapman
Miller
Gardner
Castro
Tanaka

I doubt Ellsbury would get interest with his huge contract.

Tanaka's contract has an opt out clause after 2017 which he will certainly use. He does have a full no trade but with this team losing badly he might waive it for the right team.

I have a feeling that Chapman will not resign with us next year and since we will sign 1 or 2 top name free agents we will lose the first round draft pick anyway so why not get value now.

There will be teams that will need top relievers like Toronto who's bullpen is terrible.

They never had any intention of keeping him long term. They just took advantage of his sudden drop in value.

I just can't watch Beltran and Arod anymore and the starters are atrocious. No power at all from 3B, LF, or CF . This team is a mess and I don't see it getting any better.

Pazos up.

teams but at least the games were fun to go to even though we stunk but hey we had Donnie baseball and you could get a ticket for the upper deck the day of the game and move down with no problem ,Now a days fuggettaboutit lol

In comment 12945094 NYerInMA said:

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and I haven't used it since the first week of the season. Brutal.

I got that too, but wasn't sure how to access it to watch any games. Can you help me out? Are Yankee games blacked out?

In comment 12945078 Sec 103 said:

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all over again...

We've called up Art Lopez?

In comment 12945110 AJ23 said:

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after what Cashman said Monday and how he played yesterday, I'll be speechless.

He will be in the lineup especially now with Arod going to the disabled list

...this train wreck ain't been a one or two year deal. This is several years in the making. And it could get worse.

the downside of contracts that were at least okay on the front end (A-Rod, CC and Teix), and starting pitching that has been erratic at best this year.

that this day would ultimately come, and most of us are okay with a rebuild. What I'm not okay with is doing enough to be mediocre to sell a few tickets and save a few jobs without maximizing our assets (Miller, Chapman, Beltran, Teix if he waives) to improve our chances in a year or two. Get a high draft pick or two, stockpile some premium talent and shed some contracts and be ready to load back up when everyone but Ellsbury has finished out their contracts.

Headley was this bad, but just about everyone knew that was a bad signing, well except some who only looked at his advanced stats in one year. That signing will never make any sense, he's not a difference maker, the Yankees were going no where to begin with, he's the exact type of guy they should never be signing

In comment 12945291 Dunedin81 said:

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What I'm not okay with is doing enough to be mediocre to sell a few tickets and save a few jobs without maximizing our assets (Miller, Chapman, Beltran, Teix if he waives) to improve our chances in a year or two.

Exactly, which is why I talked so much about trading Cano before the 2013 season. If they knew they weren't going to match a big offer to keep him, which they weren't, it made no sense to let him walk for nothing when most people realized that the 2013 Yankees weren't a contender. Whoopee, they got an extra draft pick who probably will never be more than a fringe MLB player. Wouldn't getting a legitimate young MLB player have been better?

They're trying to kill time until the big money deals expire (except Ellsbury, of course, who will be an anchor around their necks for four more seasons after this) but in the meantime trying like hell to stay mediocre. What's the point? Even if they aren't this bad, and I don't think they truly are, at best they're an 85ish win team like they've been for the past several years. What's the value in that? What does that get them other than maybe slightly better attendance? Losing sucks, no doubt about it, but losing 90 games in 1991 got them the 6th overall pick and Derek Jeter. They need some high-level talent, and if they lose for a few years then that's the price you pay.

No one contends forever. They had an incredible run for close to two decades, but that's in the history books now. There isn't any overnight cure for their current malaise. Even Bryce Harper wouldn't fix their problems by himself. Admit the reality that this team is going nowhere and do what you can to stockpile young talent. Most of them aren't going to succeed, so bring in as many of them as they can. Yes, some of the bandwagon riders will jump ship just as they did in the late '80s - so what? They're jumping ship anyway.

that fucking shit stadium is empty, the moat continues to be empty and Dumb n Dumber lose a ton of money and all of their self-respect. Daddy ain't here to bail you out, dickholes. What a shitshow. Top to bottom, what an unlikable organization and team.

In comment 12945239 Jay in Toronto said:

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In comment 12945078 Sec 103 said: Quote: all over again... We've called up Art Lopez?

Bring back Dooley Womack!

At least you were only a few years removed from the M&M boys glory days. When young teenaged me was enduring the 1989-92 Yankees, I could barely even remember the last Yankees playoff game. I was in kindergarten when the Dodgers beat them in 1981, so I'm going to be referencing Alvaro Espinoza and Bob Geren and Andy Hawkins.

In comment 12945236 Matt M. said:

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In comment 12945094 NYerInMA said: Quote: and I haven't used it since the first week of the season. Brutal. I got that too, but wasn't sure how to access it to watch any games. Can you help me out? Are Yankee games blacked out?

If you're in the Yankees' home market, you can only use MLB.tv for the radio broadcasts I believe. I live outside of the Yanks' home market so I can watch their non-national games. FAQ is here.
Blackout Information - ( New Window )

Or that StubHub is no longer an option. I tried using a promotion code I received just the other day for $5.01 tickets in honor of Levi's 501 Jeans (for some strange reason). I got the email Sunday and it is no longer valid (there was no expiration date - just while supplies last). In the same sections where the seats were available, there are still tons of seats at regular price. I'm not taking my kids to a weeknight game on a school night at 5 times that deal or more.

I'm not giving up on the team and my kids will certainly keep me interested. But, their terrible policies will keep me out of the ballpark.

In comment 12945336 Greg from LI said:

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I was in kindergarten when the Dodgers beat them in 1981

Dang, Greg, I was a senior in college during that WS. Thanks for making me feel old. Now... Get off my lawn!!

A-Rod goes on the DL and they bring up a guy who did shit last year and did not have a particularly good spring. As a matter of fact he had a rotten spring. So I guess we're going to have watch more of Hicks when the guy they should have brought up, Refsnyder, is a much better option at he plate then Hicks. Refsnyder hit well in spring but his fielding didn't cut it. Now we find out that last night he was back in right field. Do the Yankees know what they are doing???

I remember hating that WS. I loved Reggie, so I was pissed they sat him to start the series. Then my Dad had a ticket to Game 7 through work, but they didn't make it that far. I never dreamed I wouldn't see another playoff game until I was out of college, especially not with Henderson, Randolph, Mattingly, and Winfield to start their lineup,

A lot of overpriced seats. F the Steinbrenner kids, Trost, and Levine.

I went to my first game in 1981, against the White Sox, and I've always remembered it because Reggie was ejected for arguing a called strike three and it made me so mad! haha

In comment 12945280 M.S. said:

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...this train wreck ain't been a one or two year deal. This is several years in the making. And it could get worse.

The Yanks knew back in 2009 that signing Tex, CC and AJ Burnett to those long mega-deals would likely bite them on the back end of those deals- but they wanted to make a run at a World Series title. They got their title, but now the bill has come due.

Ellsbury was a bad decision- but I really can't complain too much about McCann- he bought them the time they needed for Sanchez to continue to develop. Beltran was very bad- but at least he's done after the season.

Honestly, I would like to see them tear it down and hit bottom this season. They need a top 5 or top 10 pick that they have not had in over 20 years. People forget that the many of the best teams right now are there because of top 10 picks they had- the Nats (Harper, Strasburg), the Mets (Harvey), the Royals (Gordon, Hosmer) and so on.

The Yanks need to clear away the rubble that they collected to make "one more run," move forward with the younger guys- and then fill in with FA and trades.

I think that Miller, Betances, Gardner and McCann have legitimate markets for contending teams (assuming that McCann will give up his no-trade clause). I think that Ellsbury (if he waives the no-trade) might be movable if they add a prospect to the deal (see what the Braves did over the winter).

I think the Yanks keep Chapman for the whole season, unless someone blows them away with a great offer. He will net a draft pick (he isn't going to accept a one-year tender offer) when he turns down the offer- and give the Yanks an even bigger draft pool. That is VERY valuable when rebuilding.

I don't think Tex, Beltran, CC or ARod will waive their no-trades. Tex actually was looking for an extension in Spring Training- he might think he can come back as a DH. I think the Yanks might have to simply cut bait with CC and ARod in the off-season, just so they can move forward without having to deal with a clogged DH spot and running a guy out there every 5 days who isn't up to standards anymore.

There is hope. Bird and Judge should be nice parts going forward. Severino needs to go to AAA to find a "put away" pitch- that will reduce his high pitch counts and make him more effective. Mateo might only be a year and a half away. Don't sleep on Gamel either. Kap might be a front end option by mid 2017. There is hope- but it won't be this season.

August 17, 1981. Reggie had one AB, replaced by Larry Milbourne. Yanks lost 4-1. The Yankees lost the first five or six times I saw them. It wasn't until my uncle took me to a game instead of my dad that I saw them beat the Twins in ten innings on a Don Baylor walkoff in 1983.

Yanks lineup was

Randolph
Mumphrey
Piniella (Gamble PH)
Winfield
Reggie (Milbourne PH)
Watson
Nettles
Cerone
Dent

Nettles was my second favorite player. I had a Nettles model bat that I used in Little League.
Link - ( New Window )

for shittiest in the past four decades. Not even Kevin Maas could save this group.

#2 Wayne Tolleson
#6 Steve Sax
#11 Rick Cerone
#12 Jim Leyritz
#17 Claudell Washington
#18 Randy Velarde
#19 Dave Righetti
#20 Alvaro Espinoza
#21 Mike Blowers
#21 Deion Sanders
#22 Luis Polonia
#22 Mike Witt
#23 Don Mattingly
#24 Mike Blowers
#24 Kevin Maas
#25 Greg Cadaret
#26 Jimmy Jones
#27 Mel Hall
#28 Brian Dorsett
#28 Alan Mills
#29 Jesse Barfield
#31 Hensley Meulens
#31 Dave Winfield
#33 Eric Plunk
#34 Pascual Perez
#35 Lee Guetterman
#38 Matt Nokes
#38 Clay Parker
#39 Roberto Kelly
#40 Andy Hawkins
#41 Lance McCullers
#42 Dave LaPoint
#43 Jeff Robinson
#45 Steve Balboni
#50 Oscar Azocar
#51 Chuck Cary
#53 Bob Geren
#54 Tim Leary
#55 Rich Monteleone
#56 Mark Leiter
#58 Dave Eiland
#59 Steve Adkins
#61 John Habyan
#63 Jim Walewander
#69 Alan Mills

In comment 12945322 Del Shofner said:

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In comment 12945239 Jay in Toronto said: Quote: In comment 12945078 Sec 103 said: Quote: all over again... We've called up Art Lopez? Bring back Dooley Womack!

The name is tempting - but he had a good first year

even Donnie was pretty bad in 1990

autographed by Alvaro Espinoza. I think my uncle won them at an auction (I'm sure he spent thousands) and gave them to me. Ahh, the glory days of the early 90s Yankees.

In comment 12945406 Jay in Toronto said:

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Bring back Dooley Womack! The name is tempting - but he had a good first year

Yes, his first full year - 1967 - on a Yankee team that lost 90 games, he was the closer and a decent one:

5-6, 2.41, 18 saves

I think he was my favorite Yankee that year ...

he was the only player worth watching. And maybe Mel Hall's jerry curl.

Pure howitzer, as good as any I've ever seen.

with that fuck ass pitching and defense.

In comment 12945411 Greg from LI said:

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even Donnie was pretty bad in 1990

Thats not he way I remember it. The trade of Al Lieter for Barfield was as bad a trade as the Yankees ever made. Barfield had one great season in Toronto in which he hit 40 home runs. When he came here he was nothing but a selfish mistake hitter. He hit his 20 or so home runs, but he struck out a lot, never could go the other way and couldn't hit worth a damn with men on base. Sound familiar ?

As for Maas he could hit right handed pitching and do nothing else. He was worse against left handed pitching than any left handed hitter they have now and he couldn't play the field at all. Mattingly was hurt much of the year and was pressing at the plate. With no protection in the lineup there was little reason for opposing pitchers to ever throw him a strike.

That was nowhere near one of the worst trades the Yankees ever made.

.246/.359/.456, 25 homers, 127 OPS+. You might not have liked him, but Barfield was pretty productive in 1990.

It wasn't the mythical "lack of protection" that killed Donnie in 1990, it was that hit back robbed him on almost all of his power.

In comment 12945516 Greg from LI said:

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That was nowhere near one of the worst trades the Yankees ever made. .246/.359/.456, 25 homers, 127 OPS+. You might not have liked him, but Barfield was pretty productive in 1990. It wasn't the mythical "lack of protection" that killed Donnie in 1990, it was that hit back robbed him on almost all of his power.

Lieter was a raw pitcher with a lot of potential, playing on a bad team. The Yankees, just as they always do shipped him out for an aging power hitter. His numbers as you quoted were decent, but when I watched him play day to day I wanted to shoot him. He was the type of guy that hit 500 ft home runs against mediocre pitching, but when he came up with the tying run on second he'd strike out or pop up. I guess these memories or so clear because we see history repeating itself.

In another parallel to today, Jim Leyritz was the Refsynder of his time. He was about the only exciting live bat on the team, but management didn't like him. He had a big mouth and he wasn't a great fielder. As a result he didn;t get much playing time and was up and down. Fortuneatly in the long run things worked out for him

In comment 12945381 Greg from LI said:

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I went to my first game in 1981, against the White Sox, and I've always remembered it because Reggie was ejected for arguing a called strike three and it made me so mad! haha

I don't know why, but I think that game rings a bell with me.

Reggie is the reason I'm a Yankees fan. I had gone 2 a game at Shea through the beach club we went to. I also met some of the Mets. That had no impact on me. In 1977 I went to my first Yankees game. Compared to Shea, Yankee Stadium was majestic and magical on its own. Then, Reggie strode to the plate and the Reg-gie chant got going. That was a huge thrill. I was hooked right then and there.

I instantly took a liking to Thurman, not knowing as a 5 year old all the crap in the locker rrom between them or between Reggie and anyone else. I just loved those 2 guys. Then there was Guidry, because I'm a lefty, and Nettles and Randolph. Those were my 5 favorites.

For many years, Reggie was passed only by Mattingly for me. Then later, Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams rose pretty close to the top. Jorge Posada and Jeter weren't far off. But, Mattingly remains my all time favorite and at that this point I don't see that changing. Reggie would probably be my second.

In comment 12945225 BIG FRED 1973 said:

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teams but at least the games were fun to go to even though we stunk but hey we had Donnie baseball and you could get a ticket for the upper deck the day of the game and move down with no problem ,Now a days fuggettaboutit lol

No doubt-- I loved the old stadium so much -- man I miss that place. Even when the yanks were great in the late 90s early 2000s getting a cheap ticket and sneaking down to the hot seats was a breeze. Those days are over.

that makes this team uninspiring to follow. After Jeter left we have a collection of free-agents brought over to plug holes. We got screwed out of Bird this year and Severino hasn't yet delivered. The influx of homegrown talent will be essential, for me, going forward.

Not Cashman. No excuses though. My Yankees suck. Buy the old farts out of their contracts and move on. Until they are competitive again I'm not coming back to the stadium. Not that they give a crap.

has to make. And of course Headley fucks it up. It's laughable at this point. I mean, all you can do is laugh right?

Yankees being 1 hit into the 6th inning by a rookie pitcher

because there are maybe 3 people who start them and at least one of those has marginal interest in baseball right now.

Headley...dear lord.

and so he doesn't score on Gardy's hit up the middle.

Hope that doesn't bite us in the butt.

In comment 12945597 Giant John said:

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Not Cashman. No excuses though. My Yankees suck. Buy the old farts out of their contracts and move on. Until they are competitive again I'm not coming back to the stadium. Not that they give a crap.

Were you complaining when they won their last WS? No.

And the "big contract" stuff is nonsense and excuse. MLB is not the NBA. The Yankees can spend whatever they like. It is their choice to keep the payroll at 2005 levels.

a HR by 5 feet. Damn.

Finally getting to the rook though.

2-0

CC looking very AP tonight.

.

in a loooooong time. Great job big fella.

by CC tonight. Mixed it up well. Great 7 innings.

Now let's hope the Rothschild has straightened Betances out ( or rather made him less straight.)

has been promoted to AAA. I coached baseball on the varsity level at the high school he went too when he was at junior high. Great kid.

.

4th row

He can't buy a hit, and on top of that he gets fucked by the third bad ump. Horrendous call. The guy obviously just wants to get back to the hotel bar.

Didi with his first big hit in forever.

I like this no game-thread thing. It seems to be working...

The way things are going, he'll probably be out two months from this. Trainer's out looking at his elbow.

In comment 12945712 Greg from LI said:

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The way things are going, he'll probably be out two months from this. Trainer's out looking at his elbow.

Was thinking something similar.

Up by 7 runs and you walk two batters. I'd send him down, but I don't think they can.

it sucked to have to go to Betances but it's also nice to give him a chance to get in a lopsided game and get a bit of his confidence back.

We discussed this the other day about Refsnyder playing right field. When I was in my car listening to the pregame a couple of minutes before the first pitch Suzyn Waldmen made mention of the Yankees bringing up Pazos but that it was a temporary move because they play twenty straight days and depending on how CC went last night they may need and extra arm.

Well, they didn't need him because CC terrific. Suzyn then went on to say it was only temporary and that they would be bringing up a hitter from AAA. She immediately followed with, and with that in mind as we speak in Scranton Rob Refsnyder was playing right field once again, so, then she left it at that.

I don't know who or when but I feel if Hicks doesn't start to do something with the bat and soon, they'd be crazy not to give Refsnyder a shot. I know Hicks has a great arm but how long can you keep sticking with him in the lineup. He gives them nothing. Yeah once in a while he uncorks a great throw. but he's as automatic an out as Headley is.

In comment 12945728 section125 said:

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Up by 7 runs and you walk two batters. I'd send him down, but I don't think they can.

Then release him and call up Ref

that Refsnyder asked to take some reps in RF. The org had to acquiesce of course, but it's interesting that he's trying to find his own way to the majors.

In the Outfield. That's why he was converted to second base.
He can hit though he more a DH.

In comment 12945945 Shadow said:

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In the Outfield. That's why he was converted to second base. He can hit though he more a DH.

Refsnyder was converted to an infielder because they didn't think the bat would play as a corner OF. He doesn't have a huge arm (though it's not in the Ells or even Gardy class of weak) but his range and his first step are fine.

is spot on. It's not that he can't play the outfield it's exactly what Dunedin pointed out. What I find intersting is that Gardner is not your everyday, pardon the pun, garden variety corner outfielder either although he does have some pop in his bat. I think Refsnyder is comparable to Gardner in that sense.

He has hit at every level. They say if you can hit in the majors they will find a spot for you. Funny how the Yankees can't find a spot for this guy although I guess you can say they have tried. I think a lot of it has to do with the big money contracts a lot of these aging vets have that are clogging up the process.

His natural position was CF - he only played corners because at the time they still had Damon. He also stole bases.

In comment 12946092 Greg from LI said:

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His natural position was CF - he only played corners because at the time they still had Damon. He also stole bases.

Refsnyder's minor league high for SBs was a respectable 23, but it's more technique/savvy than speed. Gardner stole 58 his first full season in the minors. Gardner's bat "played" in the corner (even though he's more of a natural CF as Greg says) because he stole bases, and now it's still more or less respectable because he is a double digit HR guy.

If Gardner couldn't play center, and was merely an average outfielder (which is what I've read Refsnyder is), he would have been a fringe MLB player.

Hes killing it like Refs right now.

Doesn't anyone think Refsnyder can hit at least ten homeruns? Remember the days when middle infielders weren't thought of as powers hitters as well as shortstops. Why is it necessary for him to be a 30 homerun type of guy to play corner outfield. I think those days are long gone for the most part. Hicks hasn't been able to hit with a runner in scoring postion. He can't even get a hit when there's no one on base. Sometimes you don't need the homerun. Just a single once in awhile. I think Refsnyder is more the capable.

If they wait until sometime in June (I think) to call him up, his free agency is delayed by a year. It's the same thing the Cubs did with Kris Bryant.

Hicks hasn't done anything, but it's been 30 scattered ABs.

In comment 12946131 Greg from LI said:

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If they wait until sometime in June (I think) to call him up, his free agency is delayed by a year. It's the same thing the Cubs did with Kris Bryant. Hicks hasn't done anything, but it's been 30 scattered ABs.

The problem is there isn't a specific deadline, it's a guesstimate as to what will constitute that delay, so you'll see a lot of teams wait until sometime in June to start calling folks up.

In comment 12946122 blueblood'11 said:

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Doesn't anyone think Refsnyder can hit at least ten homeruns? Remember the days when middle infielders weren't thought of as powers hitters as well as shortstops. Why is it necessary for him to be a 30 homerun type of guy to play corner outfield. I think those days are long gone for the most part. Hicks hasn't been able to hit with a runner in scoring postion. He can't even get a hit when there's no one on base. Sometimes you don't need the homerun. Just a single once in awhile. I think Refsnyder is more the capable.

I've been beating that drum for awhile. You'll get professional ABs, patience, a little bit of pop and a little bit of speed. He's a "blender" in the MLB Network parlance, on a team that lacks them.

Boy oh boy from your lips to God's ear. So true so true.

It seems to me that Ref's fielding ineptitude is overdone. Sure he made a couple of throwing errors at third in spring training, but he had quick reflexes and got to a lot of balls. He needs more experience, but its not as if he's a butcher and god knows, we've tolerated a few of those. Last year when the Yankees favored Drew over Ref , I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Drew was an outstanding defensive second baseman and despite his low average he hit the occassional clutch home run. This year they're favoring Headley who might still be a better fielder than Ref, he's far from Graig Nettles. If they use Ref at third they can get some offense out of that position and they can always bring Headley in as a defensive replacement if they get a lead.

Lohud Yankees Blog Verified account
‏@LoHudYankees

Source says Ben Gamel is coming up to join the Yankees tonight.

Responding to a reader question about Shrek's HOF chances, Law said something like "I don't think he's a Hall of Fame player, and that's ever before we talked about the failed PED test"

That'll leave a mark.

In comment 12946743 rut17 said:

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Lohud Yankees Blog Verified account ‏@LoHudYankees Source says Ben Gamel is coming up to join the Yankees tonight.

Let's see if Girardi uses him. I suppose it is possible that Gardner is a non-go after getting hit on the elbow last night- but I strongly believe that the Yanks MUST find out what they have in their "other" prospects in 2016.

In other words, they generally know what they have in Judge, Bird and Sanchez. However, guys like Gamel can be immensely important if they demonstrate that they can be nice platoon/4th OF guys.

People forget how important it was to have a good 4th OF like Gerald Williams back in the dynasty years. If you do not have to give million dollar deals for guys who are washed up, or give up valuable backups for bench players because you have internal choices, it makes it easier to build a deep team.

I think Gamel is just the first guy they need to give an extended chance (and by extended, I mean a month or two, not 50 ABs) to. I hope Mason Williams gets some game action soon so that they can give him an extended look too- he showed so much potential before getting hurt- and could at least be a legitimate backup CF- and maybe more if last year's hitting display was for real.

The next couple would be Refsynder and Jyle Higashioka (AA C who is a top-end defensive C who while he has drawn plaudits for his hitting approach, could not get it done- until now)- if he can hit ML stuff, he could make an impressive pairing with Sanchez going forward- and allow the Yanks to leave C alone and focus resources elsewhere.

I also want them to give legitimate innings and appearances to some of the AAA guys who are currently not on the 40- but have the stuff. First on my list is Connor Mullee (facinating backstory, but now that he is healthy, putting up GREAT numbers). Others- Tyler Webb, Jonathan Holder, Matt Wotherspoon.

I really believe that the Yanks have some potential shut down relievers- but they need to get to NY, work out the initial jitters that young P have, and then show their stuff, so that the Yanks feel comfortable trading Betances and Miller, and letting Chapman walk in FA this winter.

The Yanks have the guys who can form the nucleus of a strong bench and a strong pen, and several legitimate ML hitters- but they need to get a chance. Trades of high end guys could also buttress the rebuild- especially if they can ID a legit ML 3B

Ice was gone by the dynasty years, traded with Bob Wickman to Milwaukee for Pat Listach and Graeme Lloyd. He returned for a brief stint in the early 2000s.

The dynasty teams had Bernie and O'Neill with a rotating group of OFs in LF and spelling Bernie when he was dinged up as he frequently was. Raines, Curtis, Strawberry, Ledee, Bellinger, etc.