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Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 6/9/14

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It's About the Money | Michael Eder: It's time to shake things up at second base because Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela could be better than Brian Roberts.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: A look at the minor leaguers who could be called up and improve the major league team.

Pinstriped Pundits | Derek Albin: The Yankees really need to drop Derek Jeter in the batting order because they've been one of the worst offenses in baseball.

NoMaas | SJK: Rob Refsnyder (again!) and Miguel Sulbaran are the Yankees prospects of the week.

SB Nation | Luke Zimmermann:Mariano Rivera and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hung out and wore hockey jerseys together.

Pinstriped Prospects | Josh Sabo: Yankees 21st-round draft pick Porter Clayton talks about being drafted.

NoMaas | SJK: Derek Jeter wants to own a team, but he already owns the Yankees.

An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: Evaluating the Yankees' 2014 draft, including the Jacob Lindgren, Austin DeCarr, and Jordan Montgomery picks.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran haven't lived up to their contracts, but will they ever turn it around?

Sports Illustrated | Cliff Corcoran: Andy Pettitte was one of the best late-round picks in MLB Draft history.

An A-Blog For A-Rod | Brad Vietrogoski: Evaluating the performances of the Yankees pre-season top 30 prospects.


Baby Bomber Recap 6/9/14: Dan Camarena punches out seven over six innings in Tampa loss

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Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from June 9th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W 7-4 vs. Toledo Mud Hens

LF Jose Pirela 0-3, BB
C Francisco Cervelli 0-4, pickoff
CF Adonis Garcia 2-2 - left with injury
RF Zoilo Almonte 1-4, RBI, K
SS Zelous Wheeler 2-4, 2 RBI - batting .315 this season
3B Scott Sizemore 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, K - second homer of the season
1B Russ Canzler 0-3
DH Austin Romine 1-2, HR, RBI, BB - third homer of the season
2B Corban Joseph 0-3

Shawn Kelley 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
Joel De La Cruz 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R/2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, E1 - 43 of 62 pitches for strikes
Francisco Rondon 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Danny Burawa 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Robert Coello 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Double-A Trenton Thunder: Off

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 0-3 vs. Brevard County Manatees

CF Jake Cave 2-4 - batting .300/.348/.401 this season
SS Cito Culver 2-3, BB, SB - batting .242/.350/.364 over his last 10 games
1B Greg Bird 0-4, 2 K
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-4, 2 K
DH Matt Snyder 0-4, K
LF Zach Wilson 0-3, K
RF Yeicok Calderon 0-2
C Trent Garrison 0-3, pickoff
2B Jose Rosario 1-3, CS, E4 - fielding error, second of the season

Dan Camarena 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, WP, pickoff - 2.70 ERA this season
Brett Gerritse 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB
Kyle Haynes 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 6-2 vs. Greenville Drive

LF Michael O'Neill 0-4, BB
SS Tyler Wade 1-4, BB
RF Aaron Judge 2-4, double, RBI, BB, 2 K - .928 OPS this season
3B Miguel Andujar 1-5, double, RBI
DH Jackson Valera 0-5, RBI, K
CF Dustin Fowler 2-4, HR, RBI, K - second homer of the season
C Eduardo de Oleo 1-4, 2 K
1B Reymond Nunez 2-4, HR, RBI - first homer w/ Charleston
2B Gosuke Katoh 2-4, RBI, CS

Luis Severino 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, WP, E1 - 2.92 ERA this season
Evan Rutckyj 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Angel Rincon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Poll
Who was the best Baby Bomber for June 9th?

  150 votes |Results

Yankees need Shawn Kelley to help heavily-used bullpen

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Shawn Kelley will be back soon and the Yankees will need him to pick up where he left off before getting hurt.

So far this season, the Yankees' bullpen has gone from question mark to somewhat of a strength. Even at the beginning of the year, we knew that David Robertson would fill in nicely as the closer, but it was the few innings before that that were an unknown. Since then, roles have been defined and the bullpen has taken into nice shape. Most notably, Dellin Betances and Adam Warren have shined brightly in the Yankees' 'pen so far, but they will need more if they don't want those two to run out of gas down the stretch.

Through 62 games, the Yankees' bullpen has a 4.20 ERA and 3.66 FIP, good for 24th and 17th best in all of Major League Baseball, respectively. While those numbers don't sound impressive, they are also a bit inflated from the Alfredo Aceves', Cesar Cabrals, and Chris Lerouxs, all of which are now non-factors in the current Yankees' bullpen. Instead, it is Betances and Warren, who have pitched to 1.50 and 2.38 ERA's and 0.88 and 2.75 FIP's, respectively.

The two have also pitched a lot of innings: Betances at 36 innings pitched, fourth-most in MLB; Warren at 34 innings pitched, seventh-most in MLB. Betances is on pace for 94 innings pitched, while Warren is on target for ~89 innings. As of 2013, Betances' potential 94 relief innings pitched would be the second-most in MLB, while Warren's 89 innings pitched would be third. Could these two survive high innings totals? Maybe. Both have had pasts as starters in the minor leagues, but we don't know for sure if they can both hold up through the summer. Remember, these aren't just easy innings, either; they're high-stressed innings pitched in close and late situations of ballgames.

Here's where Shawn Kelley comes in. Before his back acted up, Kelley was a solid piece in the Yankees' bullpen, pitching to a 3.52 ERA and 2.36 FIP. He had his share of hiccups, but by and large he did a good job pitching late in games, including his four-outing trial as closer when Robertson was on the DL. He has since appeared in a couple of minor league rehab games and should soon join the team on the west coast.

It remains to be seen where exactly Kelley will fit in the bullpen, but, honestly, I don't really care. Sixth inning, 7th inning, 8th inning, just as long as he's back is what matters. Jose Ramirez has since been called up and has upside, yes, but it'll probably take him a while to gain Joe Girardi's trust. Preston Claiborne has fairly decent numbers, but I'm probably not the only one who doesn't trust him in tight spots. Matt Daley should be nothing more than a mop-up man and Matt Thornton should never face a right-handed batter for the rest of this career. The Yankees need someone other than Betances and Warren to pitch in close spots before the ninth inning and hopefully Kelley will help.

Yankees announce Old Timers' Day participants; Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon debut

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Dammit, age.

It's getting to be the middle of June, and the Yankees' awesome annual tradition of Old Timers' Day is almost upon us. The festivities will take place on Sunday, June 22nd around 11:30am, and YES Network just released the list of players who will be there:

There are only a few first-time Old Timers this year, but two of them are very recent players who were crucial additions to the 2009 World Series champions: Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon. Yes, believe it or not, the '09 team won it all just about five years ago now, and several of its older members have retired or left the game. The Yankees honored Matsui's career with a ceremony last year, and he has already been doing the Yankees proud in retirement, going deep in the 2014 Hall of Fame Classic:

Damon hasn't formally retired, but after struggling in 2012 with the Indians, he received no calls for the 2013 or 2014 seasons. I believe this will be his first time back at Yankee Stadium since his 18-year playing career came to a close, and even though he made a few weird comments at times after leaving the Yankees, it will be good to see him back in pinstripes. The third first-time Old Timer is former starter John "The Count" Montefusco, who spent the last three and a half years of his fine career with the Yankees from midseason '83 through '86. The Yankees will also welcome Maggie Coleman, the widow of former second baseman and broadcaster Jerry Coleman, in wake of her husband's passing during the off-season. During the pre-game cermonies, the Yankees will give Hall of Fame closer Goose Gossage a plaque in Monument Park, as previously reported.

The rest of the Old Timers shouldn't surprise anyone, though it appears Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera are all sitting this one out. I'm sure they will be around for later ceremonies this year involving Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, Joe Torre, and Derek Jeter, so they are more than entitled to a breather. That being said, I demand an explanation as to why Aaron Small is skipping this year.

Which former Yankees (other than the aforementioned group) would you have most liked to see at Old Timers' Day who isn't attending this year?

Daily Yankees Predictions 6/10/14: Staying Up Late

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After their rain out yesterday, the Yankees are back on the west coast to face the Mariners. Vidal Nuno will take the mound for the Yankees tonight. Late tonight for those of us on the East Coast. Predictions and Fun Questions await.

The Yankees are back on the west coast. Night owls and west coast Yankee fans should be happy. Our regular 9 to 5 East Coast Yankee fans are doomed though. Absolutely doomed. Speaking of doomed, start scoring runs now Yankees!

6/10/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Question

1.How many innings does the Yankees starter pitch?
2.Total number of Yankee batters hits?
3.

How many runs do the Yankees relievers give up tonight?

4.How many Home Runs does the opposing pitchers give up tonight?
5.Name one Yankee who has the most total number of bases reached tonight
6.Name one Yankee who gets driven in home the most tonight
7.Name one Yankee you think will hit a home run tonight.
8.Best overall Yankee of the night?

Current song stuck in your head?

What kind of cell phone do you own?

Favorite preparation of potatoes?

Current book you're reading?

Vidal Nuno gets the start for the Yankees tonight. He will face Hisashi Iwakuma. The rain out yesterday denied us a Tanaka/Iwakuma matchup tonight. Either way, Iwakuma is good. Really good. Nuno is...


Good luck, Yankees!

Disappointments around the American League keeping the Yankees close

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The Yankees sit at .500, but they are far from the only AL let-down.

It hasn't been the best of starts for the Yankees in 2014. With precisely 100 games to go, they sit at an even .500, 31-31, and their high-water mark is a mere five games over .500, last achieved on April 27th. Injuries to Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, and Carlos Beltran have been part of the problem, but so has general ineffectiveness from several members of the offense, most notably Brian McCann, Alfonso Soriano, and Derek Jeter. Fortunately, standout rookies Masahiro Tanaka (no surprise) and Yangervis Solarte (huge surprise) have led the way to keep the team afloat.

The Yankees can credit the youngsters, but they should also give a big hat tip to the rest of the American League. Even though the Yankees are just a .500 team right now, they are right in the thick of things. They are definitely not the only team to disappoint its fans so far. Here are the standings that Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA projections calculated at the beginning of the season:

Pc_medium

Compare those standings to what they look like now:

J10_medium

This is not a knock on PECOTA; many people around the game figured that the standings would look closer to what PECOTA estimated in the spring. Aside from a few mild bumps up, the Blue Jays are the only team that has greatly exceeded expectations thus far. The Yankees were projected to finish behind the Rays and the Red Sox, but both teams have bombed so far, especially Tampa.

Several prognosticators had the Rays either winning the division or making the playoffs via the Wild Card. Instead, they have inexplicably become the worst team in baseball. Losing southpaw Matt Moore for the season didn't help, but most of their disappointments have come from healthy players. Wil Myers is going through an ugly sophomore slump, and all of Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and Yunel Escobar are performing below their career norms. Catching has been a complete cesspool, as Rays catchers have hit a combined .170/.240/.236, a 38 wRC+ that even Chris Stewart would laugh at, a figure by far the worst among all 30 teams. Former Yankee Jose Molina has yet to notch an extra-base hit in 102 plate appearances, leading to a dismal -12 wRC+. Grant Balfour has been dreadful in his return to Tampa and the bullpen's been terrible outside of a few middle relievers. The team recently endured a 10-game losing streak and are in a free fall, having dropped 13 of their last 14 games. The Rays are now 15 games back of the Blue Jays in the division, and their season is all but over already. That's what you get for employing ginormous scumbagJosh Lueke.

The Red Sox are certainly not quite as buried as the Rays, but few times have baseball fans witnessed a World Series champion stumble so badly out of the gate. Boston was going about its business with a mediocre 20-19 record on May 14th until they promptly went through a 10-game losing streak of their own. They bounced back with a seven-game winning streak, but since that streak was snapped, they have quickly reverted to their previous form, losing six of seven games. No outfield in baseball has performed worse than the Red Sox; Jonny Gomes has been just okay with the bat, but Jackie Bradley Jr., the Grady Sizemore experiment, Daniel Nava, and the injured Shane Victorino have all been horrible. Not even the efforts of David Ortiz, Mike Napoli, and rookie standout Xander Bogaerts have been able to lift the Red Sox from the bottom half of the league in offense. Jon Lester, John Lackey, and a superb bullpen outside of Edward Mujica have prevented the pitching statistics from looking too bad, but like the Yankees' rotation, it gets ugly in a hurry after the first couple starters. Jake Peavy, Clay Buchholz, and Felix Doubront have been atrocious in their starts, and they've combined to make just over half of Boston's 63 total. Boston's not out of it, but they have an even greater deficit to overcome than the Yankees.

Although the Red Sox and Rays' struggles have been the story of the AL so far, the Rangers have been a disappointment so far too. Their middling 31-33 record belies their woes. I don't know which baseball gods the Rangers pissed off before the season, but their injury problems are already comparable and then some to the 2013 Yankees. To wit:

Prince Fielder: Gone for the season with neck surgery (while Ian Kinsler has a two-win season already in Detroit)
Matt Harrison: Gone for the season and possibly his career with spinal fusion surgery
Martin Perez: Gone for the season with Tommy John surgery
Jurickson Profar: Likely gone for the season with a torn shoulder muscle
Derek Holland: Tore knee cartilage knee while playing with dog, underwent surgery, has yet to play in 2014
Mitch Moreland: Gone for at least a month with ankle surgery, might need more surgery
Geovanny Soto: Has yet to play in 2014 after spring training knee surgery

Oh and just to add insult to injury (injuries?), Yu Darvish missed a start with neck stiffness and top prospect Rougned Odor (capably filling in for Profar) recently strained his shoulder on a pick-off play. It hasn't helped that Elvis Andrus has struggled so far, too. It's due to the fine work of Darvish, Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios, and closer Joakim Soria that the Rangers haven't plummeted from the injuries. Nonetheless, the Rangers also have their rotation problems, as after Darvish, it's a hot mess. Even with Darvish's 2.36 ERA and 2.57 FIP, the team is dead last in the AL in ERA (4.60) and third-to-last in FIP (4.19). The Rangers are hanging tight, but how much longer can they last?

The Yankees should consider themselves fortunate to be where they are given how much some of their early projected competitors have struggled. Hell, they're tied with Texas in the win column despite all of the Rangers' injuries. If the Yankees can find a way to go on a surge now while these teams are stumbling, then it will slightly decrease the pressure to win later while their competitors inevitably go on good streaks of their own. Alternatively, trade Austin Romine to Texas for Darvish. Get it done, Cash.

Poll
Which struggling team will play the best from now until the end of the season?

  99 votes |Results

1990 Cy Young Award-winner Bob Welch, 57, has died

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The Dodgers and A's great conquered both Reggie Jackson and alcoholism.

The Oakland A's have announced that 1990 Cy Young award-winner Bob Welch has passed away at the age of 57. The cause of death was not immediately available.

Best known for going 27-6 for the A's in that Cy Young campaign, Welch owned a career 211-146 record with a 3.47 ERA in a 17-year career split between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Athletics. The 20th-overall pick in the first round of the 1977 Draft, Welch made his debut with the Dodgers the following June at the age of 21. He pitched on four postseason teams with his initial club, including the 1981 World Series winners, and four more with the A's, the 1989 champions among them. He was a three-time All-Star and also received down-ballot votes for the Cy Young in both 1983 and 1987.

As with several ballplayers of Welch's generation, he became almost as well known for struggles with substance abuse as for his generally strong pitching, which included 28 career shutouts. In his case, the substance of choice was alcohol. He sought treatment after his second season in the majors and was able to overcome his addiction. He published a book about his experiences, "Five O'Clock Comes Early: A Young Man's Battle with Alcoholism"in 1982.

Prior to his Cy Young campaign with the A's, Welch's biggest on-field moment came during Game 2 of  the 1978 World Series. The rookie had his youthful stuff -- his later success would be fueled by a combination of a forkball and Tony La Russa's dexterous deployment of Dennis Eckersley to protect his wins -- coming off a tremendous major league debut, going 7-4 with a 2.02 ERA as a swingman, earning three saves and three shutouts. Manager Tommy Lasorda didn't hesitate to deploy him in a key spot against the defending-champion New York Yankees and Reggie Jackson, who had personally demolished the Dodgers the previous October.

The game, at Dodger Stadium, went to the top of the ninth with the home team holding a 4-3 lead. Lefty reliever Terry Forster was working his third inning for the Dodgers. Shortstop Bucky Dent opened the frame with a single, and a comebacker by left fielder Roy White moved him into scoring position. Forster than walked center fielder Paul Blair, finally forcing Lasorda to go to the pen. Welch entered and retired catcher Thurman Munson on a flyout to right field. That brought postseason hero Jackson to the plate. The confrontation took eight pitches and a full count to resolve:

"The kid beat me," Jackson acknowledged after.

Given our modern understanding of wins, Welch's 1990 campaign now seems like less than it did at the time. Still, Welch made 35 starts, received a decision in all but two of them, and made a quality start nearly 70 percent of the time. That's an unremarkable percentage, but it was also all that team needed. Run support and a Hall of Fame closer or not, it's something, and it's reflected in the fact that except for Denny McClain in 1968, no other pitcher of the last 61 years has won more.

Those two moments are more than enough to call Welch's career great, even without his other accomplishments. Add in that he defeated his off-field demons and you have a rare pitcher, indeed. Our condolences to his family, friends and teammates.

Yankees lineup vs. Mariners - Kelly Johnson available in a trade; Refsnyder promoted; Kelley injury update

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The Yankees start out on their west coast road trip tonight as they take on the Seattle Mariners.

Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter stay at the top of the order. Jacoby Ellsbury returns to the lineup after he was supposed to sit last night with a sore hip, so it must be feeling better. Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, and Brian McCann make up the heart of the lineup, while Yangervis Solarte, Ichiro Suzuki, Brian Roberts make up the bottom. I'd personally much rather see Solarte bat higher, but oh well.

According to "major-league officials" Kelly Johnson has been made available in a potential trade. Obviously, this could all be a lot of noise, since the article he was mentioned in was about trade options for the Rangers. I'm not too sure how interested the Rangers would be in Johnson as a replacement first baseman after he's already shown to be incapable of playing the position at a level that would make him a worth the effort. So far this season Kelly Johnson has hit .216/.279/.392 on a $3 million contract, so while he's certainly movable, would anyone really want that?

Shawn Kelley will rejoin the Yankees now that his rehab assignment has ended. He should be back on the roster by tomorrow, and if I were to guess, I'd say either Jose Ramirez or Matt Daley will be sent down to Triple-A.

In case you haven't heard by now, Yankees second base prospect Rob Refsnyder has been promoted to Triple-A after thoroughly destroying Double-A pitching to the tune of a .342/.385/.548 batting line. This move has been long overdue, but a promotion was not entirely surprising once Brian Cashman hinted that something could be in the works. With this move, and Brian Roberts' continued ineptitude, it's looking more and more likely that we could see Refsnyder in New York at some point this season.

Yankees third-round pick Austin DeCarr will report to Tampa and officially sign with the Yankees tomorrow. His contract will reportedly be for twice slot value, which was about $575K in 2013, so he will be getting over $1 million to avoid going to college. Their 19th round pick Joe Harvey has also signed with the team for a $60,000 bonus.


Yankees 3, Mariners 2: The outfield saved Nuno

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Jacoby Ellsbury and Ichiro Suzuki made great plays in the outfield to help the Yankees win this game.

The box score will tell you that Vidal Nuno had a pretty good outing, as he only allowed one run over 5.2 innings, but he was really mediocre at best. The outfield saved a handful of runs from scoring, which ultimately made the difference in the outcome of the game. Nuno should be buying Ichiro Suzuki and Jacoby Ellsbury dinner (for the next week).

As has been the case in most of the recent games, the Yankees scored early. Their first two runs came in the top of the first inning after Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira both singled to get on base. Carlos Beltran was able to drive in Jeter on a double down the left field line. This was followed by Brian McCann hitting an RBI single up the middle. The offense took a nap for the next seven innings. One of the most promising things was that Beltran finally showed signs of life following his return from his elbow injury, as he ended the night with two hits. Brett Gardnerjust missed a home run that ended up going foul in the eighth inning. The Yankees were able to take the lead back thanks to a ground-rule double by Jeter, followed by an RBI single for Ellsbury.

The Mariners took one of those runs back in the first inning, after Robinson Cano doubled and Cole Gillespie hit a line drive to center. In the bottom of the second inning, Kyle Seager hit a ball to deep right field that Ichiro saved by making an amazing, jumping catch. Mike Zunino followed that up with a double to deep right center. The inning ended without any runs scoring, but only because Ichiro was able to make that catch.

(H/T Andrew)

Nuno just missed getting in to trouble again in the fourth inning. After a walk to Gillespie and a single by Kyle Seager, Michael Saunders smacked a ball to deep centerfield that Ellsbury caught on a jump back at the wall to end the inning. After 5.2 innings, Joe Girardi opted to go to the bullpen and have Dellin Betances finish the sixth inning. His command in the seventh inning was somewhat shaky, as he hit Mike Zunino and was charged with a wild pitch that allowed Zunino to take second base. Seattle tied up the game on an RBI single off the bat of Dustin Ackley before Betances was able to get out of the inning. Adam Warren came in to pitch a clean eighth inning, giving up just one hit to Cano. David Robertson closed out the game with two strikeouts, followed by a walk to Ackley, and a strikeout to pinch-hitter John Buck to end the game.

Tomorrow's game features Masahiro Tanaka versus Chris Young and will start at 10:10 EST, so if you're trying to figure out which game you should stay up late to watch this week, this might be your best bet.

Box score.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 6/10/14

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NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Finally, an explanation as to why Yangervis Solarte runs to first base after he walks.

It's About the Money | Katie Sharp: A breakdown of splitters, between Masahiro Tanaka and Hisashi Iwakuma.

The Trentonian | Nick Peruffo: The Yankees have promoted second base prospect Rob Refsnyder to Triple-A.

Pinstriped Prospects | Josh Sabo: Yankees 16th round draft pick Derek Callahan talks about being drafted.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: A look at how Derek Jeter has fared against the Mariners throughout his career.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: What do the Yankees do with Francisco Cervelli once his rehab is over?

Sports on Earth | Matthew Kory: Here's a round of potential John Sterling calls for a few future Yankees.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Joe Girardi doesn't believe in drastically changing the lineup when the offense is struggling.

Baseball Prospectus | Ron Shah: In a redraft of the 2013 MLB Draft, the Yankees would likely take Aaron Judge over Eric Jagielo.

It's About the Money | Michael Eder: Could the Rangers be interested in Kelly Johnson and should the Yankees trade him?

Baby Bomber Recap 6/10/14: Rob Refsnyder picks up two hits in Triple-A debut

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Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from June 10th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 3-6 vs. Toledo Mud Hens

LF Jose Pirela 2-4, BB, SB, CS, OF assist - batting .455/.490/.659 over his last 10 games
DH Francisco Cervelli 1-4
RF Zoilo Almonte 1-3, BB, K
SS Zelous Wheeler 0-3, BB, 2 K
1B Kyle Roller 1-4, HR, 3 RBI - sixth homer w/ SWB
3B Scott Sizemore 0-3, BB
2B Rob Refsnyder 2-4 - Triple-A debut, eighth straight multi-hit game
C Austin Romine 1-3
CF Antoan Richardson 0-4, K, SB

Shane Greene 4 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, WP - 6.17 ERA w/ SWB
Mark Montgomery 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, K, 2 hit batsmen
Preston Claiborne 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K - 0.82 ERA w/ SWB
Jim Miller 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Double-A Trenton Thunder:L 4-7 vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels

CF Mason Williams 2-4, 2 RBI, SB - batting .222 this season
LF Ben Gamel 1-4, double, BB, K, SB
3B Rob Segedin 0-3, BB, 2 K
C Gary Sanchez 1-4, RBI - batting .251 this season
1B Peter O'Brien 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 K - 12th homer w/ Trenton & 22nd this season
RF Tyler Austin 0-4, 2 K
DH Taylor Dugas 1-3, BB
SS Ali Castillo 3-4, triple - first triple of the season
2B Casey Stevenson 1-4, 2 K

Bryan Mitchell 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 3 WP - 56 of 89 pitches for strikes
James Pazos 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, K
Manny Barreda 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP
Fred Lewis 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, E1
Aaron Dott 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

High-A Tampa Yankees:W 5-4 vs. Clearwater Threshers

CF Jake Cave 0-4, BB, 2 K
SS Cito Culver 1-3, BB, K, SB, E6 - throwing error, 11th of the season
1B Greg Bird 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Dante Bichette Jr. 1-4, RBI, K - batting .276 this season
DH Matt Snyder 3-4, RBI
LF Jose Toussen 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SB
C Trent Garrison 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, PB - first homer of the season
2B Jose Rosario 0-4, E4 - fielding error, third of the season
RF Cody Grice 0-4, K

Miguel Sulbaran 4 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K - 5 GO/3 AO
Stefan Lopez 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WP
Nick Goody 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K - 2.51 ERA this season
Cesar Vargas 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB
Alex Smith 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 8-5 vs. Greenville Drive

LF Michael O'Neill 1-4, HBP
SS Tyler Wade 1-5, triple, 3 RBI, K - batting .261/.328/.335 this season
RF Aaron Judge 2-4, double, RBI, BB,  K, E9(4th) - batting .400/.533/.857 over his last 10 games
3B Miguel Andujar 1-4, HR, RBI, BB, 2 K - fifth homer of the season
DH Jackson Valera 2-5, K
CF Dustin Fowler 1-4, triple, RBI, BB, 2 K
C Eduardo de Oleo 1-4, BB, 2 K, pickoff
1B Reymond Nunez 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, BB
2B Gosuke Katoh 0-4, BB, 2 K - batting .189/.231/.324 over his last 10 games

Ian Clarkin 4 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, hit batsman - 43 of 74 pitches for strikes
Eric Ruth 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R/1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, WP
Philip Walby 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

Poll
Who was the best Baby Bomber for June 10th?

  227 votes |Results

Dellin Betances: An Ace in Reliever's Clothing?

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Dellin Betances has been a top 20 pitcher overall this year, yet his ownership rates remain low. Is he an ace in reliever's clothing, and are we finally seeing him deliver on the promise that made him a top prospect?

While pitching has a tendency to be plentiful in many leagues, finding a true anchor for your staff can be very hard if you didn't leave your draft with one. The cost to acquire can be prohibitive in terms of talent, and odds are that you're not going to see a top prospect get called up and have a Jose Fernandez-type season initially. Yet it is possible that in a number of your leagues, an ace level performer is available for you to pick up, and reap the rewards.

We've been reading and hearing about Dellin Betances for years, as he made his first top 100 list after being drafted by the Yankees in the 8th round of the 2006 draft. After a number of attempts to keep him in the rotation, the team moved him to the bullpen, and we saw a glimpse of what he'd do this year in 2013, striking out 10 batters over 5 innings pitched. (The 6 earned runs and 9 hits weren't ideal, but hey, small sample.)

So far this year, the numbers have been amazing:

37% ownership in ESPN
39% ownership in Yahoo
45% ownership in CBS

Oh wait.... those numbers aren't amazing. It's these ones that make them amazing:

4 wins
37.1 innings pitched
19 hits allowed, 10 walks (0.77 WHIP)
1.69 ERA
63 strikeouts

Yes, he has more strikeouts than Justin Verlander (61) and Yovani Gallardo (60). He is currently the leader among all relievers by 17 over Wade Davis, and nearly 20 ahead of both Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel. So how's he doing this, and can it continue?

ERA of 1.69

So far this year, Betances has a HR/FB% of 6.7%, which sits well within an average range. When looking at relievers, each home run can potentially swing that number, so even if it were to jump quickly it may not be a cause for concern. He is limiting his fly balls to just 25% so far this year, and is getting ground balls at an excellent 53% rate. In addition, his strand rate is at 82%, which is a little bit high, but definitely not out of the realm of possibility for a pitcher with his repertoire.

Can this continue? YES

WHIP of 0.77

Betances has been inducing a ton of grounders, and while the infield defense of the Yankees hasn't always been the greatest, it does seem to be keeping him in things as he has a .262 BABIP on the season. Given the number of strikeouts he is getting, coupled with that high groundball rate, and this one looks real also.

Can this continue? YES

63 Strikeouts

Betances relies on a two pitch mix, throwing an excellent fastball and combining it with a devastating slider. He has excellent numbers in terms of swinging strike percentage (13.7%), as well as contact rate on pitches outside the zone (38%), and should those continue near that pace, he should be able to post the most ridiculous total of strikeouts for a reliever in history. At the current pace, he would strike out 161 batters over 92 innings pitched. For reference, 44 pitchers last season struck out at least that many batters. While I would expect somewhat of a slow down, I don't think that 130-140 from him is unlikely.

Can this continue? YES

So what do we have in Betances? We have a reliever who is used to pitch multiple innings at times, records a ridiculously high amount of strikeouts in those innings, and who appears able to control both his ERA and WHIP to elite levels. The only reason he isn't owned in the 95% range in all those leagues is because of one thing and one thing alone:

0 Saves

The closer for the Yankees is David Robertson. This was completely expected, and should be expected to continue for the remainder of the season. Betances provides enough value without notching a single save that he should still be a top 10 reliever the rest of the way, and should absolutely be targeted in dynasty formats as the closer of the future in New York.

Can this continue? Unfortunately, yes

If Betances is still sitting out there on your waiver wire, you should be running to get him. He has been a top 20 pitcher in 5x5 formats this year, even without recording a single save. He may not continue at this rate all season long, but he should still be more valuable than quite a few starting pitchers, and nearly all relievers.

Streamer Report: Streaming Options for Thursday

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Ray offers some starting pitcher options that you should consider streaming on Thursday, including Kevin Gausman and Roenis Elias.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Thursday's Streamers

Kevin Gausman, Orioles vs Blue Jays

Roenis Elias, Mariners vs Yankees

Weekly Streamer Performance

I will be providing a status of how my picks have performed over the course of the season, and below you can find how my picks fared this week.

Pitcher

IP

H

ER

BB

K

W/L

ERA

WHIP

Henderson Alvarez

5.33

7

1

0

5

1.69

1.31

Drew Hutchison

3

6

5

1

1

L

15.00

2.33

Collin McHugh

4.33

3

3

5

6

6.24

1.85

Ryan Vogelsong

6

9

6

2

6

L

9.00

1.83

Hector Noesi

5.67

7

4

1

5

W

6.35

1.41

Totals

24.33

32

19

9

23

7.03

1.69


Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy advice, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown for all your fantasy baseball and football needs.

Daily Yankees Predictions 6/11/14: Splitters In Seattle

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The Yankees face the Mariners in game two of this three game series in Seattle. Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound for the Yankees. That's right, it's Tanaka Time. Get excited. Also, PSA DP is here. Get double excited.

Despite the Mariners downright bludgeoning the ball off of Vidal Nuno, the deepness of the park and the outfield defense of Ichiro Suzuki and Jacoby Ellsbury contributed to the Yankees victory last night. Nuno, for all intents and purposes, still pitched well enough. That kind of outing from a "backup, replacement, seriously we have no one in the minors to replace him currently" starter is all you can ask for.

6/10/14 Daily Prediction Answers

1.How many innings does the Yankees starter pitch?5.2
2.Total number of Yankee batters hits?8
3.How many runs do the Yankees relievers give up tonight?1
4.How many Home Runs does the opposing pitchers give up tonight?0
5.Name one Yankee who has the most total number of bases reached tonightJeter/Beltran
6.Name one Yankee who gets driven in home the most tonightJeter
7.Name one Yankee you think will hit a home run tonight.No One
8.Best overall Yankee of the night?Jeter/Ellsbury/Beltran

The Aardvarks, currently at the Space Needle while sightseeing in Seattle, are sad to report that no one won yesterday. ASR and selftitled85 tied with 3,000 points a piece. This is what happens when you don't trust you captain, people. For shame!

6/11/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Question

1.How many innings does the Yankees starter pitch?
2.Total number of Yankee batters hits?
3.

How many runs do the Yankees relievers give up tonight?

4.How many Home Runs does the opposing pitchers give up tonight?
5.Name one Yankee who has the most total number of bases reached tonight
6.Name one Yankee who gets driven in home the most tonight
7.Name one Yankee you think will hit a home run tonight.
8.Best overall Yankee of the night?

Name some good songs that you work out while listening to

Favorite type of steak? (Filet, Rib-Eye, Strip, etc.)

What internet browser do you use?

Favorite Yankees pitcher since 1990?

Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound against the Mariners tonight, hence the clever headline of this thread. Do you see it? Anyway, the Yankees offense might want to try scoring more than three or four, or hey even six runs against the M's tonight. Just a friendly suggestion.

Go Yankees Go Baseball Go TanakaTime

Dreaming on Japanese teenage pitching sensation Shohei Otani

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Otani won't be able to join the majors for several years, but hey, we can dream, right?

The world of possibly available international baseball players is fascinating. These days, fans know about the most talented players abroad far earlier than they used to. I was not all that familiar with Hideki Matsui before he signed with the Yankees during the 2002-03 off-season. I had heard some rumors about a great slugger in Japan who might be interested in playing for the Yankees after his contract expired, and by November, many Yankees fans knew him. Contrast that to Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka, who countless baseball fans knew about at least a season before each was posted by their NPB teams. The conclusions of the hunts for international talent are as exciting as what comes almost immediately after the players sign MLB contracts: the search for "the next one."

The most immediate "next one" might be Hiroshima Toya Carp ace Kenta Maeda, who will be eligible to be posted after the 2014 season. However, perhaps the most exciting young player in the NPB is a 19-year-old kid who was born three days before Alex Rodriguez made his major league debut. His name is Shohei Otani, and he nearly made the decision to come stateside already back in 2012.

After finishing up at Hanamaki Higashi High School, the 6'4" righthander who dominated opponents and appeared in the 18U World Championships announced that he would bypass the NPB and go straight to MLB by signing as an international player. The Yankees and several other teams were interested in Otani's dynamic arm, which features a mix of pitches highlighted by a blazing fastball that hovers in the mid-90s and has reached 98 mph. Otani requested that no NPB teams draft him, but the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters decided to chance it and select him first overall in the 2013 draft anyway. Due to a recent NPB rule that was enacted when Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa bolted from his Japanese high school to Boston on a three-year contract without playing any NPB ball, Otani would thus be banned from playing in the NPB for three years if he went stateside. He could have gone anyway, but he ultimately was convinced by Nippon Ham to sign with them instead for the equivalent of a $1.2 million bonus and the maximum rookie salary of $150,000.

Another factor in Otani's decision was that Nippon Ham would let Otani both pitch and play the outfield on most days he doesn't pitch, a la Babe Ruth in his last couple years with the Red Sox. It's unlikely that American teams would have let him do this, and since he was just 18, he probably would have been stuck grinding it out in the low minors for a couple years, as noted by Yakyu Night Owl. He'd likely be making more than he is receiving in Japan, but perhaps Otani is setting him up for an even bigger pay day a little ways down the road.

Otani's first season in Japan was modest. He played 54 games in the outfield and and in 13 on the mound, making 11 starts. He hit a quiet .238/.284/.376 with 15 doubles and three homers in 204 plate appearances, and he pitched to a 4.23 ERA with a 4.8 BB/9, though he did reach the league average of 6.7 K/9 as a mere 18-year old. Now a sophomore in 2014, Otani has gotten off to a superb start. He's a much improved hitter at the plate, batting .283/.343/.457 with 11 extra-base hits in 102 plate appearances (compared to the league average of .256/.323/.379), and he's been even better on the mound.

In nine starts, Otani has pitched to a 3.13 ERA, 2.8 BB/9, and a 9.7 K/9. He hurled his first career shutout on May 13th, striking out nine Seibu Lions and allowing only six hits on 126 pitches. Otani also caught Baseball America writer Ben Badler's eye with a scintillating face-off against the aforementioned Maeda on June 4th. Although it was abbreviated since Otani had to leave with a sprained ankle while sliding into home plate, Otani was sensational. In just five innings and 71 pitches, he struck out 10 Hiroshima Toya Carp, didn't walk anyone, and allowed just one run on three hits. Here's a little of what Badler had to say:

Otani’s fastball was overpowering, sitting at 94-98 mph and hitting the upper end of that range consistently. His lone run allowed came on a hanging slider to Brad Eldred, who crushed Otani’s mistake for a home run. Otani, who’s 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, overmatched hitters with his fastball, though his 84-88 mph splitter was a solid pitch at times. He also throws a 78-81 mph slider and a curveball that he manipulates speeds on, ranging anywhere from the mid-60s to the mid-70s.

Badler also included a video of Otani striking out a better while reaching 99 mph:

Otani recovered from his ankle sprain in time to make his start today against the the Yomiuri Giants. Thoughts, Badler?

Crazy. It will obviously be some time before Otani can actually be posted, as both Tanaka and Darvish pitched seven seasons in Japan before reaching eligibility for posting. Based on the new posting system, Nippon Ham might even want to wait longer before posting him. Using the initial seven-year guideline though, he can't possibly pitch in the majors until 2020, which is so far away that among Yankees, only Tanaka and Jacoby Ellsbury are under contract for then at this point. (Irrelevant, but Miguel Cabrera will still be owed at least $124 million for four more years by the Tigers. Lol.)

So much can happen between now and then that could render Otani irrelevant. He could blow his arm out while young like David Clyde or Mark Prior and basically never be heard from again, though I suppose like Rick Ankiel, he could try to convert to a career as an outfielder given his decent hitting talents. Nonetheless, it's fun to look down the road to a prodigy who could dominate the majors several years from now. Here's hoping Otani stays healthy and the Yankees can pick him up so that I can celebrate my 30th birthday by watching an Otani shutout.

Poll
Who is managing Otani on the Yankees in 2020?

  82 votes |Results


Are the Yankees asking for too much too soon from Tanaka?

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Masahiro Tanaka's on pace for a huge jump in starts and innings this year all while being thrust into the role of Yankee ace.

When Masahiro Tanaka first arrived in camp this spring, Brian Cashman told reporters he expected the Yankees' new $155 million import to emerge as "a really solid, consistent number three starter."

Yeah. Okay, Brian. That claim was dubious back then. Even in the whacked out world of modern baseball economics, solid number threes don't make that kind of money, and Tanaka's otherworldly numbers for the Rakuten Golden Eagles didn't exactly foretell that sort of future for the 25-year-old, anyway. Once the season started and we learned what Tanaka can do in the Major Leagues - and what the rest of the 2014 Yankee rotation can't - the notion of him as mid-rotation fodder grew even more outlandish. By the time he threw eight scoreless and fanned ten in his third regular season start, it was already abundantly clear who was the new ace of the Yankees' staff.

As the season's progressed, Tanaka's only seemed to get better. Entering tonight's start in Seattle, he's allowed all of two earned runs in his last 20.2 innings. He's in the top five in the American league in just about every meaningful stat, leading in ERA (2.02) and WHIP (0.96), while running a close second to a Mr. Felix Hernandez in xFIP (2.47) and SIERA (2.55) and placing third in K:BB rate (7.08). You don't need me to tell you how good this guy is. He's been an absolute savior for a rotation addled by injury and ineffectiveness and for an offense that can't seem to score enough to support mere mortal starting pitchers.

So what's the problem? Hopefully there is none, but Yankees have come to rely on Tanaka a lot. Tonight will be his thirteenth start, and so far he's thrown 84.2 innings, putting him on pace for 34 and 240 respectively. Both of those numbers would demolish career highs set in Japan - 28 starts all the way back in 2007 at age 18 and 226.1 innings pitched in 2011. The 240 innings, should Tanaka get there, would be the most thrown by a Yankee pitcher since Andy Pettitte...in 1997. While Japanese starters are bred to throw on six days rest across a 144-game season, Tanaka's been given that long a break just once this season. He's pitched on five days rest six times, including tonight and four days rest five times. In ten of his twelve starts so far, Tanaka's offered more than 100 pitches.

Typically, star pitchers brought over from Japan have been allowed to ease in to the rigors of the 162-game American season during their first year. The Texas Rangers made a concerted effort to hold Yu Darvish back, limiting him to 29 starts averaging 6.6 innings each in 2012 before unleashing his full fury a year later and the Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma made 14 of his 30 appearances out of the pen in his debut season. Hiroki Kuroda took the ball for 31 starts in 2008, but he was allowed to pass 100 pitches in just four of them. Going back to 1995, Hideo Nomo was held to 28 starts by the tail end of the players' strike. The only notable Japanese rookie pitcher who threw without limitation, intended or artificial, was Daisuke Matsuzaka, who managed 204.2 innings over 32 starts in 2007. By 2009 he'd lost some velocity on his fastball and was dealing with chronic arm problems.

All of this may amount to nothing. The pitchers mentioned above have very little in common with one another besides their country of birth and the fact that they're stepping up from a league that plays fewer games and rests its pitchers more. Tanaka's young, but not so young that his arm hasn't fully developed. He's in excellent shape and he's got a sturdy build and a fluid nonviolent delivery. He's a tactician on the mound and has a keen understanding of when to conserve energy and when to rear back for a little something extra. He may be perfectly designed to sit among the league's leaders in starts and innings and never feel any ill effects from it.

The Yankees are in an unenviable position when it comes to protecting their investment in Tanaka. On the one hand they're into him for a minimum of four years and $88 million - a lot more than that if he falls apart physically and doesn't opt out of his contract after 2017. On the other, he's one of the few positives keeping the team competitive these days. They need to win his games and they need him to go deep in them to help rest relievers who've been seriously taxed by the remainder of the starting staff.

When the Yankees are faced with a choice between the long-term and the right now, we know which option they'll usually pick, but they have been trying to walk a tightrope with Tanaka. While he's routinely eclipsed the 100-pitch plateau, he's gone over 110 just three times, maxing out at 118. We haven't seen any starts reminiscent of his 160-pitch endeavor in game six of last year's Japan Series. Thanks to Monday's rainout in Kansas City, Vidal Nuno could have been skipped and Tanaka kept on four days rest this week, but Joe Girardi didn't go in that direction. It's those kinds of subtle moves that will be crucial in preserving Tanaka as much as possible while still maxing out his incredible value.

Yankees lineup vs. Mariners - Shawn Kelley reactivated, Matt Daley to Triple-A; David Huff returns

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The Yankees will try to make it two in a row against Seattle as Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound.

Tonight's lineup is composed of the usual cast of characters: Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, and Jacoby Ellsbury are at the top of the lineup, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, and Brian McCann make up the middle of the order, and Yangervis Solarte, Ichiro Suzuki, and Brian Roberts round out the lineup.

The Yankees have officially reactivated Shawn Kelley from the disabled list and have optioned Matt Daley to Triple-A. In a completely unrelated move, the Yankees have designated Wade LeBlanc for assignment and are replacing him on the 40-man roster with David Huff. Yes, that David Huff. He was just DFA'd by the Giants, so now he's available and this will save the season.

Aaron Judge is in deep need of a promotion after hitting .321/.424/.511 in Low-A Charleston this season. That promotion is finally coming as word is he will be promoted to High-A Tampa immediately following the South Atlantic League All-Star Game next week.

Yankees expected to spend nearly $10 million on international amateur players

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The Yankees have long been rumored to be spending over this international spending period that begins on July 2 in an effort to improve their farm system. They have been connected to several players for some time now, but Any Martino of the New York Daily News has found out which players the Yankees have a verbal agreement with and for how much money.

A major league source told the Daily News that the Yankees have in fact already reached verbal agreements with three highly-regarded infielders from the Dominican Republic: Dermis Garcia for approximately $3.6 million; Nelson Gomez for approximately $2.8 million; and Christopher Torres for approximately $2.6 million. Other estimates for Torres' market have been closer to $1 million.

While things could change and other players could be signed, this source is claiming that the Yankees are going to be paying $9 million in amateur free agent salaries. Such a spending spree will obviously incur the maximum amount of penalties because it eclipses their allotted bonus pool of $2 million and goes well over the 15% overture allowed. As punishment, the Yankees will have to pay a 100% tax on every dollar they spend, effectively doubling the amount of money they are spending. They would also only be allowed to spend up to $300,000 on any player for the next two signing periods, meaning 2015 and 2016.

Such penalties sound awfully damning for the Yankees, but they must like the 2014 crop enough to deal with the repercussions. They have also been connected to outfielder Antonio Ariascatcher Miguel FlamesJuan DeLeonJonathan Amundaray and Diego Castillo.

My one problem with this is that it seems that the Yankees are giving Torres more money than many scouts think he should or will get. I'd hate to hear that the Yankees are simply throwing money around on players that don't necessarily deserve that kind of money just to make a big splash. Then again, it's only money and I'm happy to see the Yankees try something new in order to get some good young talent into the system.

Yankees 4, Mariners 2: Masahiro Tanaka surpasses 100-strikeout mark by ringing up 11 in complete game

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Tanaka is the best.

Masahiro Tanaka is the story of practically every game he pitches and tonight's 11-strikeout complete game was no exception. The Yankees' ace finished the game on 109 pitches with the only blemishes on his night coming in the final frame when he allowed a two-run home run to Robinson Cano. The Japanese right-hander allowed six hits and one walk in the game, but he was dominant all night, surpassing the 100-strikeout mark on the season and keeping his ERA at an American League-low of 2.02. Tanaka didn't allow a Mariner to reach base until James Jones singled to right in the fourth inning.

The big hit for the Yankees came off the bat of Mark Teixeira in the form of a three-run home run in the fifth inning that put them up 4-0. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury singled and came around to score on the dinger. Gardner reached base three times via two singles and a walk while Ellsbury extended his hit streak to 15 games with an RBI single that plated the first run of the game. Ellsbury singled and walked to finish his night, but he should have had an additional hit that the first base umpire incorrectly ruled foul. Replay does not allow challenges on fair/foul rulings, so the call had to stand as it was originally called.

Derek Jeter came up with two hits and, more impressively, two stolen bases. The Yankee Captain hasn't swiped two bags in a game since 2009. Ichiro Suzuki, Brian McCann, and Brian Roberts also got in on the hitting with each notching a single in the game. Carlos Beltran had another uninspiring game at the plate, going 0-4 and leaving six men on base. Yangervis Solarte was the only other Yankee without a hit.

Even though Roberts was able to pick up a hit tonight, he also cost the Yankees and Tanaka a run when he booted a routine groundball in the ninth inning before the Cano homer. With Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder tearing the cover off the ball in the minors, the Yankees' tolerance for how bad Roberts has been should be quite low. Better alternatives exist and botching routine plays in the field, of which this is far from the first occasion, should draw Roberts a little closer to the unemployment line. Veteran presence aside, it seems like there is very little that Roberts can do that couldn't be duplicated or exceeded by Pirela or Refsnyder in the very near future. His mistake didn't cost the Yankees the game tonight, but they may not be so fortunate in the future. He isn't hitting well enough to justify keeping him at this point. Hopefully the Yankees realize that and make a move sooner or later. The middle infield could really use some improvement.

Tomorrow night wraps up the Yankees' series in Seattle when Chase Whitley squares off with Roenis Elias at 10:10 pm EDT. The team could use a series victory before heading into Oakland to take on the Athletics this weekend.

Mariners meet Tanaka, crawl back into bed

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The Yankees beat the Mariners on Wednesday, 4-2.

The worst thing that happened today was this:

Come to think of it, I'm 100% sure there were a whole bunch of things much worse than this that happened across the world today, so a more accurate statement would be that this is the worst thing that happened to the Mariners today.

I say this knowing full well that they just lost a baseball game to the New York Yankees of all teams, in a stadium filled with people cheering Derek Jeter while watching a starting pitcher many thought the Mariners could sign last winter throw a complete game against them, one in which said team got a total of six hits and struck out 11 times and had to go to the bullpen by the sixth inning, further compounding the problems surrounding a dicey starting rotation that could begin to fester with okay I'm going to finally end this sentence because you get my point.

The point is that Tanaka is really good, and while many in the media tried to warn fans that the 25-year old Japanese rookie wasn't the sure ace that Darvish was, they were wrong in that holy shit, Masahiro Tanaka is an ace. Today, Tanaka notched his 100th career MLB strikeout. He has played in thirteen games. Five people have done that since 1900. Holy shit, Masahiro Tanaka.

Now, sure. You could make the argument that hitters have yet to really adjust to Tanaka, and that this, compounded with spending his true "rookie years" over in Japan without MLB hitters being able to build a profile of him, helps him out. Well even if that's true, it's still fucking really hard to throw the one pitch that everyone knows you have at major league hitters and get them to swing and miss it almost 40% of the time. I'm talking about his splitter, but you know that, and so do the Mariners. Or at least they know that now that the game is over, but I'm not sure that's going to matter for the next time they face him anyway.

Tanaka didn't allow his first baserunner until the fourth inning, when he gave up a sharp dropping single to James Jones. He almost had Jones too, as he resorted to bunting on the first pitch in quiet desperation, almost running into the ball as he made his way down to first. Had Jones bumped the ball, it would have given the Mariners two outs in the fourth inning against Tanaka on only thirty pitches. Chris Young had 31 pitches in the first inning alone. I just...what?

Ah yes, Chris Young. Today wasn't the arrival of feared BABIP meltdown we all are waiting for, but it wasn't exactly pretty either. He needed a lot of pitches to get early outs, like usual, and I seem to recall him having trouble locating but classic gameday isn't loading and the new one apparently doesn't let you re-load PITCHf/x visualizations so, thanks a lot for that. But let's be honest, it's Chris Young and you know what it looks like. Still, despite early trouble Young did his best to minimize damage and strand runners when all seemed lost. The Yankees got their first run on the board in the third, and despite leaving men on third and first, Young escaped with his hat still on his head. Then, the fifth.

Young put Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury on base with singles sandwiching a Derek Jeter lineout (embrace the schadenfreude), and they were then plated with a dinger by Mark Teixeira. It was kind of exactly what you expected to happen with every fly out and warning track magnet thrown by Young all year, except it metastasized this time and put three runs on the board. Tom Wilhelmsen came in for the sixth and looked surprisingly fine, and the Mariners continued to spiral downward to the ninth.

The Mariners had their only real chance to jump on Tanaka in the fourth, during the aforementioned James Jones bunt fiasco. After Jones reached, he was thrown out at second on a Robinson Cano force, and then Cano was sent to second on a Kyle Seager single. Then...a strikeout to end the inning and threat from resident Not-Justin-Smoaker Logan Morrison. Despite a walk to Kyle Seager in the seventh and a double by Mike Zunino in the eighth, Tanaka made it through the rest of the game clean. Well, almost.

James Jones singled again in the bottom of the ninth, and up walked Robinson Cano. You know, two-homer, quarter-of-a-billion-dollar .093 ISO-haver Robinson Cano. The game was seemingly out of reach, and this man was standing at the plate wearing a Seattle Mariners uniform and staring into the eyes of New York's newest shining beacon of hope. Right then and there he probably thought about his old limo driver's name, and that kind of roasted asparagus he could get at Eleven Madison Park where Joey always remembered to bring him an extra glass for his wine. Maybe he thought about the particular smell of Yankee Stadium's laundry room or the color of the blue paint that lined the wall in the corridor between Joe Girardi's office and the weight room.

To be honest, I have no idea what Cano thought in this moment. I'm making all this shit up as I go along. But you know what? Whatever he did at that moment worked, because RobbIE Cano came back for a day and he deposited the first pitch he saw past the right field wall. Just like the old days, except these are not the old days and the Mariners are still three games above .500 and Robinson Cano is on their team and the Yankees cannot say either of those things. They are two games above, though, and today didn't help but oh shut up, Matt, and just show the video:

One mistake to one of the best hitters in baseball can't overshadow Tanaka's night. While the Mariners continue to have nights like this against seemingly everybody in baseball all the time, you can't really blame them for it tonight. We could talk about strategy, and whether being aggressive early helped or hindered their cause. But sometimes you just have to face someone who will be better than you despite everything you can possibly muster up against him, and there isn't really anything more you can say about it. So yes, in a way, the worst thing that happened today was getting news that Saunders is going to the DL. Losing a game against this pitcher isn't as much of a bad thing as it is just a thing, a thing that happens to somebody every five days or so.

Sometimes I peruse the blogs of other teams during Felix games. They usually consist of strange-looking comment sections without subject lines and the random bad egg, but for the most part it's a bunch of fans watching an incredible pitcher destroy their team, grudgingly accepting it. Today, I feel like I understand what that feels like a little better. Not completely, though, because Felix is still the best and he's ours and you can't have him.

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