Ninja Cash strikes again!

Finding out that Brian Cashman was able to get a human with a pulse for Vidal Nuno will easily be the most stunning part of my day. Nuno had been really bad in the Yankees' rotation, and continuing to throw him out in a park that did nothing to stop him from giving up far too many homers was not going to get this team where they'd like to be. CC Sabathia isn't coming back this season, if ever, and who knows what the status of Michael Pineda is. Like a thief in the night, Brian Cashman convinced Kevin Towers to part with a pitcher with a pulse for nothing more than Nuno while throwing in cash for the contract on top of it. Genius!

A glance at Brandon McCarthy's numbers this season may cause people to recoil in fear a bit. It looks like bad pitcher for bad pitcher on paper, but there are reasons to be optimistic. McCarthy got off to a fairly horrendous start with the Diamondbacks this season, posting a 5.38 ERA and a 1-10 record. His peripherals scream that he should be better than he has been, and he's only given up three earned runs in his last two starts. Hopefully that is the first sign that regression is coming for him, just at the right time. His groundball rate of 55.3% will play better in Yankee Stadium, even with a shaky infield trying to field behind him. His home run numbers are elevated, but so were Nuno's. If you have to bet on one to be better going forward, I know which one I'm picking.

There have been injury concerns with McCarthy that have kept him from making more than 25 starts in a season. He current sits at 14 for 2014 with 109.2 innings under his belt. The Yankees' rotation has been decimated by injury so far, but with Sabathia and Nova on the shelf for the remainder of the year and Whitley rapidly accruing more innings than he has ever pitched before, something had to be done and fast. Hopefully this year proves to be the year that McCarthy is able to stay healthy enough to get over his 25-start hump.

This isn't the move that the Yankees needed to make to get themselves into the playoffs, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. They needed a pitcher and got one without giving up anything of real value. It's a steal. More moves will need to be made in the near future for this team to stay in the playoff hunt, but grabbing a pitcher whose numbers suggest they will be better in the second half for pennies on the dollar is a really good way to kickoff trade season for New York. For all the heat that Cashman gets for his trades, and I'm sure someone will find a way to quibble with this one, he did a fine job here. Hopefully he has a few more tricks up his sleeve yet to come.

McCarthy and his wife Amanda are worth the trade if only for the pleasure of reading their Twitter banter. He is @BMcCarthy32 and she is @Mrs_McCarthy32. Give them a follow and be entertained.

It got close near the end, but it's still a win.

Early on, it looked like this game wasn't going to be close. The Yankees scored a bunch of early runs and Hiroki Kuroda cruised for the first few innings. But then Kuroda started to struggle and the Twins began chipping away. Thankfully, the early runs were enough and the Twins couldn't score the amount needed to complete the comeback. In then end, the Yankees came away with a 9-7 win and a series win against the Twins.

In the first inning, the Yankees doubled their offensive output from yesterday's game. Brett Gardner led off the game with a walk. That was followed by a Derek Jeter single. Jacoby Ellsbury was robbed of an extra-base hit when Sam Fuld made a leaping catch at the wall. Gardner was able to tag up and move to third on the play. Mark Teixeira then singed, scoring Gardner. Brian McCann came up next and he too hit one toward the wall in center. Fuld couldn't make the catch on that one and it dropped in for a double. Jeter scored but Teixeira was thrown out at the plate. Despite that, it was now 2-0 Yankees.

The Yankees went on to add even more in the second inning. Brian Roberts, Ichiro Suzuki and Kelly Johnson led off the inning with three straight singles. That loaded the bases with no one out. Gardner would pop up for the first out. Jeter then a fly ball deep to center field. Fuld caught it, but Roberts tagged up and scored. Ellsbury then doubled the Yankees' lead when he hit a three-run home run. That made it 6-0 Yankees.

In the fourth inning, the Yankees scored more. Ichiro and Johnson led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Gardner then flied out, but both runners moved up. Jeter came up next and singled home Ichiro to make it 7-0. Ellsbury then grounded into a force out at second, but that scored Johnson. Teixeira added a single that moved Ellsbury to third. Twins' pitcher Anthony Swarzak then balked, scoring Ellsbury. When the inning finally ended, it was 9-0 Yankees.

In the bottom of the fourth, Kuroda (possibly in a catatonic state due to the run support) gave up a couple hits that got the Twins on the board. With one out, Josh Willingham drew a walk. Oswaldo Arcia then grounded one to Kuroda. Kuroda's throw to first was off and Willingham scored on an error. Arcia tried advancing to second but was thrown out. Kurt Suzuki and Trevor Plouffe then hit back-to-back doubles, the second of which scored a run. Chris Colabello then homered to cut into the Yankees' lead even more. Kuroda eventually got out of it, but the score was now 9-4.

After getting two outs in the sixth, Kuroda allowed a single to Plouffe, and that would be it for Hirok. He went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks. It was going pretty well early on for Kuroda, but the last couple innings were a little disappointing. Adam Warren came in and got a strikeout to end the inning.

Warren stayed in the game for the seventh inning and Twins cut into the Yankees' lead even more. With one out in the inning, Brian Dozier picked up a single. Eduardo Nunez followed that with another single. Dozier safely made it to third on the play, but Ichiro tried to throw him out from right field. The throw allowed Nunez to advance to second. Chris Parmalee then grounded out, but it scored Dozier and moved Nunez to third. Warren got out of the jam after that, but the score was now 9-5.

Jim Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. After getting one out, he allowed a solo home run to Plouffe. That made it 9-6 Yankees.

After the Yankees couldn't add to their lead in the top of the ninth, David Robertson came in to try and get the save. After Robertson got the first out, it got a little messy. Robertson allowed back-to-back singles to Nunez and Parmalee. He struck out Willingham for out number two, but Arcia followed that with a single to make it 9-7. With the winning run now at the plate, Robertson got Suzuki to ground out to finally end the game. The late innings weren't pretty, but the Yankees won 9-7 and took three out of four against the Twins. I'll take it.

The Yankees will now head off to Cleveland to take on the Indians. First pitch will be at 7:10 eastern. The expected starting pitchers are Shane Green and Justin Masterson.

Box score.

Let us know if you agree in the poll.

After a rough 2014 season, the Yankees finally decided to DFA Alfonso Soriano. He was hitting just .221/.244/.367 with a wRC+ of 61, making him worth -1.0 fWAR.

Soriano struggled all season to get anything going at the plate, and his strikeout percentage was up to 29.8. You have to wonder if he could have eventually turned things around, if he was given the chance to play every day. After yesterday's game, Soriano commented that it was very tough for him to get any kind of rhythm going when he was only playing a day here and there. That makes sense, but the team just didn't have the time to see if he could get a hot streak going. Not if they wanted to remain competitive in the AL East. Aside from the fact that there are several players on the team needing to rotate through the DH spot, it was really hard to argue for playing time for Soriano when comparing him to Ichiro Suzuki, both offensively and defensively.

It's sad to see him go, especially when his return last year was one of the bright spots of the latter half of the season. Still, I think the Yankees made the right decision since he wasn't making any positive contributions at this point.

Do you agree with the decision to DFA? Vote in the poll below.

We need to talk about Ricky.

It's really hard to win when you're down 2-0 before you even get a chance to bat. It's even harder when you're down 6-0 before you get a chance to hit twice. And when you're down 9-0 before you get to bat four times, it's almost impossible to win. In fact, when the Twins came up to hit in the bottom of the fourth, they had a mere 1.1% chance of winning the game. And you'd have been forgiven for turning off the television or the radio and going off and doing better things.

But the Twins did make it interesting. A walk, single, throwing error, a couple of doubles and a two-run shot from Chris Colabello put four runs on the board for Minnesota in the fourth. A fielder's choice brought in one more in the seventh. Trevor Plouffe launched a solo homer in the eighth. Oswaldo Arcia singled home a run in the ninth. The guys made it a game.

Yet there was still so much left on the table. Colabello's leadoff double in the third was wasted. Minnesota wasted a pair of base runners in the sixth. Having already scored in the seventh to make it 9-5, Arcia struck out with runners on the corners and two away. Colabello walked with one out in the eighth with Minnesota trailing 9-6, bringing pinch hitter Kendrys Morales to the plate. If he could reach, Brian Dozier and his team-leading 15 home runs would come to the plate, representing the tying run. Morales grounded into a double play. And in the ninth, after Arcia came through with a single to make it 9-7, Kurt Suzuki grounded out with the tying run at first base.

All-in-all the Twins were 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position today. It could have ended much differently, in spite of the fact that Ricky Nolasco couldn't avoid getting knocked around if the opponent's bats were toothpicks.

That first inning couldn't have gone any better for Nolasco, and every single ball in play looked like it was shot out of a cannon. Sam Fuld made a fantastic leaping catch against the wall with two men on for out number one, and then, after a runner later scored, the second out was made when Fuld couldn't make a similar catch in a similar location but the Yankees got greedy and sent a second runner home. Arcia relayed in to Dozier who threw home and Suzuki made a nice swipe tag for out number two to keep it, at the time, 2-0.

With two on and two out in the top of the second and up 3-0, Nolasco's hanging breaking ball was launched deep into right field by Jacoby Ellsbury for a three-run homer. Nolasco was done after just two innings. His ERA has ballooned again, now back up to 5.90. Even if you wanted to give him a pass for his first two starts, to chalk it up to the cold or something I don't know, his ERA since then is still 5.57.

Nolasco isn't THIS bad of a pitcher. He is right now, but it's not his true talent level, and that somehow makes it worse. He's impossible to watch, or at the very least impossible to watch with any sense of confidence in his ability to keep his club in the ballgame. If you're not frustrated as his performance, you've given up.

Anthony Swarzak gave the Twins three innings of relief, but imploded in the fourth inning. Three of the first four batters of the inning reached on a single, and then Ellsbury was too fast for a double play. By that point Swarzak had given up two runs, so he thought "what the hell I'll just balk in a third run" and so he did. I would assume that Gardy's thoughts about the umpires being aware of the balk didn't involve his own players.

Caleb Thielbar and Matt Guerrier each gave the Twins two innings of scoreless baseball, which is what allowed Minnesota to get back into the game. But the two guys who took the hill in front of them gave performances equivalent to 17-year olds playing professional baseball players, and it was too much to overcome without perfection from the offense.

That series sucked the big one. Let's move on and get ready for the Mariners.

Notes

• Derek Jeter's final game in Minnesota saw him come away with three hits, giving him 3,400 in his career. He's also now fourth on the all-time singles list.
• Twins fans did give Jeter a nice ovation for his final plate appearance in the ninth inning.
• Colabello and Plouffe each recorded a double and a home run today.
• Nunez and Arcia also came through with multi-hit days.
• Arcia, Plouffe, and Colabello all reached base three times.
• Guerrier's ERA is down to 2.63. Can't predict ball.

Win Expectancy Graph

Source: FanGraphs

Studs

Duds

Stupid.

If you're looking for someone to blame for whatever the hell happened in Chicago today, start with those of us who were ecstatic to watch Hector Noesi implode against his former team today. Including myself.

Look, I know it doesn't work that way. This game would have gone the way it did without any of us watching it or even existing in the first place. It would be peak narcissism to imagine we possess any impact on the goings-on of major league baseball games, but tell me, and tell me honestly, that you didn't feel the slightest bit responsible for this whole shit-storm the second after Brad Miller's fly ball was caught by Alejandro De Aza to end the game. Like you deserved this just a little for getting excited about watching Hector fucking Noesi blow up wearing a different uniform for once. Like you should have just treated this like any other game. Like I probably shouldn't have been referencing this game all week in my recaps and game threads. Like I, oh to hell with it, let's just get this over with.

If you watched today's game, you were treated to a few terrifying innings from Taijuan Walker early in the game. Taijuan was making his second start, and like his first against the Astros last week, wasn't the sharpest in his first few frames. And this time, he didn't have Mike Zunino's pitch framing to help him out:

Still, though, blaming this on John Buck would be both irresponsible and wrong. You may notice in some of those screengrabs that there are three other green balls in addition to the borderline ones that whoah, yikes.

No, what happened today was as simple as Taijuan having trouble hitting his spots--whether from nerves, mechanical issues, pitches not working, or whatever it was. Dominic Leone was up and warming in the first inning, and this game seemed tailor-made for a 12-2 blowout. But look at that final score: 1-0 White Sox. The only run scored on a wild pitch from Taijuan in the first inning that even Zunino wouldn't have had. He only gave up two hits in his four innings, and while his five walks were both unfortunate and why the Mariners found themselves behind, they were far from worrying.

Taijuan was pulled in the fifth inning with a one-run deficit and 83 pitches. His stuff was fine, with the exception of a few offspeed pitches that got away from him here and there, and that statement is less indicative of a capital-I Issue and more just hey, sometimes you have shitty days at work. Hell, I totaled my car by driving into some potted plants a few months ago on my way to work, and that's a true story. I think I'm an alright driver, but that sentence may damn me from here on out.

The good news is that despite having a bit of an increased K/9 to BB/9 ratio in Tacoma last year, Taijuan has never had a glaring walk problem beyond being 21 and trying to figure out what he's doing. Today, Taijuan was an inexperienced 16 year old kid driver in a hundred-thousand dollar sports car, stalling it at every red light. Or a grown-ass man running into a ceramic pot at a gas station. The fact that he escaped all this with only a run of damage speaks volume about both him and the Mariners offense on the day.

Which...ah, yes! Our favorite topic. After the damage was done in the first inning, the game picked right up where yesterday's 14-inning snoozer left off, sans any heroics by anyone worthy of a word in a recap. Noesi was pitching...well, and while the Mariners were probably being too aggressive with him, he was simply showing off part of the reason why he remained in Seattle for as long as he did. Still, I'll let LLoyd take this one:

McClendon on Noesi: "If you're looking for accolades from me, you probably better go over there and talk to them."

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 6, 2014

The thing is that Hector Noesi isn't a bad pitcher. Hector Noesi can regularly throw 95 and has six pitches. That's a scout's wet dream. I won't pretend I know the first thing about scouting pitchers, but everyone has always said that Hector Noesi's problem isn't talent. I don't know what his problem is, and it's clear he has one, but the White Sox think they can fix it--and the Mariners helped them quite a bit today. Noesi only walked two M's hitters, struck out five, and let five hits wilt into dust on the basepaths.

In fact, the M's only real chance to do anything came late in the game, once Noesi's pitch count began to rise, giving up two of his five hits on the day. The inning started with a groundout from John Buck followed by a single from Dustin Ackley. Brad Miller joined Ack on the basepaths a second later, and then Endy sent Dustin to third with a fly ball. Robin Ventura came to replace Noesi with Eric Surkamp, who proceeded to walk Michael Saunders with this smart at bat:

Up walked Robinson Cano, number five hitter in the American League, bases juiced, two outs. Surkamp wound up and threw a curveball that didn't curve, instead picking up trajectory and heading straight for Cano's head. I know you thought it, we all thought it. The game would have been tied, but what the hell do you do when you look and see a baseball headed straight for your face? Telling Cano to take it would be just as foolish as hoping he did, and while it absolutely blows day-old leftover curry chunks that the Mariners lost a baseball game to Hector Noesi and the dreaded White Sox today, the team is eight games above .500 in July for the first time since 2007, have four potential All-Stars on their roster, currently own 50% odds to make the playoffs, and don't force you to listen to Hawk Harrelson every time you want to catch a minute of baseball on your television. You have very little to complain about.

Still, yes, it was painful. I get that. The M's couldn't convert anything despite two more good innings from soon to be Yankees' closer Brandon Maurer, and they leave Chicago with a series loss for the umpteenth time since whenever. All those nice things in the above paragraph don't make losses like this any easier to stomach, but if you didn't realize that baseball is the most confusing and heartbreaking cultural tradition we invented for some stupid reason on that field in New York one hundred and eighty years ago, then you only have yourself to blame.

Embrace the chaos, folks. Besides, it's exactly what got the M's to meaningful July baseball this year, and I'll take that over anything else. But let's leave Hector Noesi at home next time, thankyouverymuch.

The Yankees will target starting pitchers at this year's trade deadline, but they probably shouldn't.

With the MLB trade deadline looming, Brian Cashman has made it clear that he's ready to make some noise this year. That might be music to most fans' ears considering his only activity at last year's deadline was snagging Alfonso Soriano. However, Cashman's number one priority seems to be getting some help for the starting rotation. Based on how the Yankees have performed this year, he might have his priorities a little out of whack. Data courtesy of Fangraphs, through Thursday night's games.

The Yankees pitching staff has actually been above-average while their bats and gloves have continued to falter. If anything, Cashman should be scrambling to find offensive reinforcements to help a lineup that struggles to support it's solid pitching night in and night out. It wouldn't hurt if they were a good fielder too. Earlier this week, our very own John Beck was on the right track.

What if that ERA+ value is misleading, though? David Robertson has been his usual dominant self, Adam Warren has found his comfort zone in the bullpen, and Dellin Betances is proving to be otherworldly as a setup man. They could be skewing that number downward, making the rotation look better.

As good as those relievers have been, the table above indicates that the starting rotation has gotten the job done and held its own. Even if it hasn't been perfect, it might be the least of the Yankees' worries heading into the second half of the season. Added run support might even boost their confidence a bit if they can get it.

What kind of help do you think the Yankees should target at the deadline? Let us know in the poll below.

Two newcomers and a veteran will head to the Twin Cities to suit up for the American League at the All-Star Game.

The rosters for Major League Baseball's 85th All-Star Game were revealed on Sunday night, and the Yankees have three representatives on the American League squad. Masahiro Tanaka was unsurprisingly selected to the AL roster after posting one of the best first halves among all American League starters. Since he's currently in line to start next Sunday's night game against the Orioles in Baltimore, it's unlikely that he will actually appear in the game, so he should receive the All-Star Break rest regardless. For Yankees fans most concerned about that, it's a win/win. Hopefully this will be the first of several All-Star Games for Tanaka.

Relief ace Dellin Betances was also named to the All-Star team. It's well-deserved for arguably the best "fireman" in baseball thus far in 2014, who has made quite the leap from Triple-A starting dud in April 2013 to MLB All-Star reliever in 2014. Dellin has been truly phenomenal in relief, striking out damn near everyone and walking very few batters, a tribute to the masterful work he's done to improve his control. It's a bit of a shame that closer David Robertson won't be joining him, as D-Rob has also posted a meritorious first half, but c'est la vie. Maybe he'll be named as a replacement for someone.

In the last possible year he could be elected, the fans decided to vote Derek Jeter the AL's starting shortstop, even though he's had an up-and-down final season. It will be his 14th All-Star Game, the ninth time he was voted onto the team by the fans. Yes, it's kind of silly that Jeter is the starter even though the likes of Erick Aybar and Alcides Escobar are having better years and the fact that the All-Star Game is relevant to home field advantage in the World Series for whatever reason makes it even more suspect. In the end though, the All-Star Game and Major League Baseball are done primarily for entertainment, and if fans want Derek Jeter as the starter, then that's the final word. He isn't even the worst starter, as the fans for some reason decided to make Matt Wieters the starting catcher, even though he's out for the season with Tommy John Surgery and hasn't played in months (the Royals' Salvador Perez will start in his place). All-Star voting will always be weird.

The AL starters are rounded out by Miguel Cabrera (1B), Robinson Cano (2B, as the prodigal double play partner returns to Jeter), Josh Donaldson (3B), Jose Bautista (OF, MLB's leading vote-getter at almost 6 million votes), Mike Trout (OF), Adam Jones (OF), and Nelson Cruz (DH). The NL's starters are Yadier Molina (C), Paul Goldschmidt (1B), Chase Utley (2B), Troy Tulowitzki (SS), Aramis Ramirez (3B), Andrew McCutchen (OF), Carlos Gomez (OF), and Yasiel Puig (OF).

The other AL position players are Perez, Jose Abreu, Victor Martinez, Yoenis Cespedes, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Altuve, Derek Norris, Kurt Suzuki, Adrian Beltre, Alexei Ramirez, Michael Brantley, Alex Gordon, and Brandon Moss. (Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury probably had decent cases, but the outfield mix will always be crowded. Alas.) The AL pitchers aside from Tanaka and Betances will be Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez, Jon Lester, David Price, Scott Kazmir, Mark Buehrle, Sean Doolittle, and Greg Holland. It is pure lunacy that Chris Sale is somehow not an All-Star, but I'll bet that's remedied when Tanaka and the AL's other Sunday starters are replaced. Otherwise lol.

The NL's position player All-Stars are Giancarlo Stanton, Jonathan Lucroy, Dee Gordon, Freddie Freeman, Starlin Castro, Todd Frazier, Charlie Blackmon, Hunter Pence, Devin Mesoraco, Daniel Murphy, Josh Harrison, and Matt Carpenter. The NL pitchers will be Johnny Cueto, Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner, Adam Wainwright, Tyson Ross, Jordan Zimmermann, Julio Teheran, Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, Francisco Rodriguez, Tony Watson, and Pat Neshek. Jeff Samardzija was also named to the NL All-Stars, but he will of course be ineligible since he pitches for the Oakland Athletics now.

The All-Star Game will be played in the evening on Tuesday, July 15th on FOX. The Final Vote features no Yankees and for some reason makes fans choose between Sale and Corey Kluber (among others). Yeesh.

Vidal Nuno/Brandon McCarthy Trade

The Yankees traded Vidal Nuno for Brandon McCarthy and the internet had plenty to say.

Really pumped to see the Yankees add that final missing piece: a 30 year old pitcher with a 5+ ERA. @YankeesWFAN

— Eleutharias Frome (@WallingfordDude) July 6, 2014

Don't worry, he's not the missing piece, he's just a piece. That's what I find great about this trade; by getting McCarthy for just Vidal Nuno, the Yankees didn't use any of their prospects and still have the pieces to make other moves. He instantly improves the team and that's all that matters.

I'm not entirely sure why the #Yankees would trade Nuno for a 31-year old, 3-10 5.01 ERA pitcher from the Diamondbacks.

— Paul (@_mochabear) July 6, 2014

Probably because Nuno was even worse. He has a 5.42 ERA and 5.15 FIP, which is not a real starting pitcher, while McCarthy at least has a 3.79 FIP.

the old yankees i knew would've copped d price at this time of year somehow. nowadays, we get guys like brandon mccarthy. are you kidding

— ryanfields (@rfd327) July 6, 2014

lol yeah no. Even with a package of Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, Rob Refsnyder, and whoever else, the Rays could get a better deal elsewhere. If the Yankees didn't have the pieces to land Jeff Samardzija, they don't have the pieces to get Price and that's all there is to it.

#yankees rebuilding the wrong way. The old get older.

— Robb Pozarycki (@robbpoz) July 6, 2014

This is not a rebuild move, not even close. The Yankees aren't even out of contention, so why would they be rebuilding? Young does not always mean better, and this trade proves as the Yankees acquired a 31-year-old for a 26-year-old.

Who the hell is Vidal Nuno? #Scouting

— Jason Parks (@ProfessorParks) July 6, 2014

This is exactly why this trade is so great. Brandon McCarthy might not be having the best year right now, but he's still an improvement and there's still still hope:

NL scout: "[McCarthy]still has good stuff but it's not playing..but between him &Nuno it's not even close. McCarthy is a legitimate starter"

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) July 6, 2014

I mean, not many people understood the deal from the Diamondbacks' position:

Unless Vidal Nuno means "grit and hustle" in another language, I don't love this trade for Arizona.

— Chris Crawford (@CrawfordChrisV) July 6, 2014

Brandon McCarthy for Vidal Nuno! Lmao Tony LaRussa isn't baby sitting Kevin Towers apparently

— Stan Croussett (@Crewsett) July 6, 2014

Yankees easily win this trade.

Brian Cashman speaks out about his acquisition:

Cashman: "(David) Huff was better than we had and McCarthy was better than what we had, so we improve when we can."

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 6, 2014

Cashman on what #Yankees like about McCarthy: "Quality stuff. Pounds the strike zone. Lots of ground balls, which helps at our Stadium."

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 6, 2014

While McCarthy might give up his fair share of home runs, he's much more of a ground ball pitcher (55.3%) than Nuno has been (37.9%). Sure, the Yankees infield is terrible, but a ground ball single is better than the batting practice Nuno has been dishing out.

Alfonso Soriano DFA

In other Yankees news, Alfonso Soriano was designated for assignment only hours after the trade was announced. While it definitely needed to happen, I can't help but feel bad for Sori because this could really be it for him.

Soriano said to @ESPNDeportes he hasn't decided what he will do, will take a week to think about it with his family; retirement is an option

— Marly~ESPN Deportes (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 6, 2014

Soriano: "Now I will have the opportunity to decide what I want to do next, and the team can find someone to do the job I was unable to do"

— Marly~ESPN Deportes (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 6, 2014

Soriano:"This was to be expected. I talked to my lawyer about what I was going through, how I was being used, and I didn't feel comfortable"

— Marly~ESPN Deportes (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 6, 2014

I mean, sure, it did sound like he was unhappy with some things, but if he hit better we wouldn't be here now. He's likely seeing the end and maybe he speaks his mind a little more. I can't be annoyed by him or mad at him anymore, mostly because of this:

Alfonso Soriano: "This was to be expected and it is a decision that favors both me and the team" pic.twitter.com/3JddjhXCHe

— Marly~ESPN Deportes (@MarlyRiveraESPN) July 6, 2014

Cashman on the other hand, is cold and heartless. HEARTLESS.

Cashman on Soriano: "He was struggling on offense, even against lefties recently, and struggling on defense. It had been a half season."

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 6, 2014

Cashman said understood Soriano probably needed full-time ABs if he was going to get better, but #Yankees couldn't afford to give to him

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 6, 2014

Even though everything he says is true.

At the end of the day, no matter how you feel about Brandon McCarthy or Alfonso Soriano or even Vidal Nuno, all that matters is that the Yankees are better.

Nuno is gone, Soriano is gone, Yankees are winning and chased a pitcher after two innings. Sun is a little brighter today.

— Pinstripe Alley (@pinstripealley) July 6, 2014

With the Diamondbacks seemingly out of contention from the beginning, now comes the uneasy process of admitting defeat and unloading aging players and bloated contracts. Kevin Towers wasn't lying when he said there'd be more trades on the horizon, and hopefully it doesn't stop here.

Quotables

It's still really no excuse to let the one guy in their lineup that you knew and had a good plan for beat you. It's baseball. It comes down to not letting their guy beat you. We let the one guy we had pointed out, Goldschmidt, beat [us]. He's a heck of a ballplayer, and Wade Miley pitched a heck of a ballgame. He's a great pitcher.

- Alex Wood on giving up the home run to Paul Goldschmidt

You'd think it'd be weird emotionally to leave [Arizona], but it never felt like we were out of it, which was the weirdest thing here," said McCarthy of his time with the D-backs. "With the group of guys here, everybody kept being professional and working as hard as they could, so it doesn't feel like you're going from the depths of something to a pennant race. I feel like I'll probably go somewhere that feels like this. It's still guys being professional and working hard every day, but to know that there's a chance of playoffs and something even more is very cool.

- Brandon McCarthy on being traded to the Yankees

He came and he worked hard. The results didn't match our expectations, and this happens when you get in situations like this. You wish him well. He wishes us well. He's had a tough year, yet he's got a new opportunity. He's been dedicated to what he's trying to do.

- Kirk Gibson reflects on Brandon McCarthy's time in the desert

Daily D-backs

Goldschmidt leads Miley to victory | MLB.com
Goldschmidt reached base safely for a 27th straight game and muscled a two-run homer over the left-field wall against Braves starter Alex Wood in the third, providing the necessary support for Wade Miley's second consecutive gem in a 3-1 win that snapped Atlanta's nine-game winning streak on a sunny afternoon at Turner Field.

Montero gets rare day off in finale vs. Braves | dbacks.com
D-backs catcher Miguel Montero got the day off against Braves left-hander Alex Wood on Sunday afternoon at Turner Field, a rare break for the backstop. He has played in all but two of Arizona's 33 games since May 30.

D-backs get Vidal Nuno from Yankees for Brandon McCarthy | dbacks.com
The D-backs traded right-handed starter Brandon McCarthy to the Yankees on Sunday morning for southpaw Vidal Nuno.

Anderson looks for 1st win in past 5 starts | MLB.com
It's been a month since Anderson pitched deep into a game. On June 8 against the Braves, he tossed 100 pitches in seven innings and allowed two runs on five hits. That start was the last in which he received a victory. Since recording wins in each of his first five big league starts, the rookie starter entered Monday with a four-game losing streak.

Paul Goldschmidt named NL All-Star starter at first base | dbacks.com
Paul Goldschmidt has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise gloomy season for the D-backs, and the first baseman was rewarded for his efforts by being named the National League's starting first baseman for the 2014 All-Star Game.

Around the MLB

A's fan struggles with sign | MLB.com
An Athletics fan has difficulty spelling new acquisition Jeff Samardzija's last name, and eventually settles on his nickname 'Shark'

Not even video replay could catch this.
You make the call.

Despite flooding, River Bandits play on at Modern Woodmen Park | qctimes.com
Mississippi River floodwaters approaching a crest nearly seven feet above flood stage may be lapping at portable flood panels and an earthen berm which protect Modern Woodmen Park.

Jeter wins player vote - The LoHud Yankees Blog
We all know that Jeter was elected to the All-Star Game by fans, but it’s worth noting that he was also the American League’s leading shortstop on the players’ ballot. Jeter had 344 player votes while Alexi Ramirez had 313. It’s not only Yankees fans who want to see Jeter in one last All-Star Game. His peers do as well.

Bird Hit By Pitch in Fort Wayne | YouTube

Kennedy on team's pitching | MLB.com
While being peppered with sunflower seeds and bubble gum, Ian Kennedy talks about the Padres' great pitching staff.

Should the Yankees start selling off everything that's not tied down or shoot for a playoff spot?

It's deja vu all over again, as the Yankees are fielding a middling team that is having trouble scoring runs as the trade deadline approaches.And just like in 2013, there are questions as to whether the Yankees should be buyers at the trade deadline or sellers. Sitting at 3.5 games out of first place with a ghastly run differential, I'm sure there are lots of folks who think the team should just trade off anything of value, but unless the team is sitting at ten games out of a playoff spot come July 31st, they're not going to. Personally, I think that's the right move. Baseball Prospectus has their playoff odds at 27.5% and Fangraphs has them sitting at 22.2%, odds not in their favor but certainly good enough that scrapping the season would be a very drastic decision.

There's really no reason to think the Yankees will change their direction when approaching this year's squad, which seems to be just as flawed as last year's with a decent (if outside) shot of making the playoffs. Teams that sell off their valuable pieces before the deadline usually fall into two categories: they're well out the race and/or storing assets via trades are their primary avenue for improving in the future. A team like the Yankees that can easily rebuild via free agency in a sport with no real salary cap just doesn't feel the same impetus to get back cheap, young players as smaller market teams do. I know it annoys many that the Yankees can and will do things that way, but it's not likely to soon change. Also, most of their tradable assets are either locked into long deals and would be part of the rebuilding process or are just not that good. None of the Yankees' players with soon expiring deals are getting a finished product like the Cubs got in Addison Russell. Their biggest expiring chip would probably be David Robertson, and they stand to have an opportunity to get a compensatory pick from him even if they choose only to hang on to him for the rest of the season.

A lot of the reason for why the Yankees won't and shouldn't sell doesn't actually come from the Yankees. The teams ahead of them, the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, are two flawed teams that have had their own fair share of inconsistencies and streaky play. While I wouldn't pick the Yankees to leapfrog the other two, with a couple more tweaks to the roster I would give the Yankees odds that are good enough that make quitting on the season seems very illogical. I'm sure the fans of those teams are plenty confident themselves, as nothing thus far this season has altered the perception that the AL East would be a messy, hotly-contested division this year. Of course, there's also always the final Wild Card spot, of which the Yankees also sit 3.5 games out of.

I do think the Brandon McCarthy deal is a sign that the Yankees are going to be very careful with their younger assets come the trading deadline. Brian Cashman and the Yankees braintrust sees the same team we see: a middling team with a chance to make the playoffs, but not the sort of squad you push all your chips to the center for like the Oakland A's just did. You just try to punch your ticket into the postseason and let the randomness of a short series of games propel you to a positive playoff run. In the end, since for the exercise they're being classified as one of the other, the Yankees should and will be buyers instead of sellers. Just don't be surprised if they make moves more akin to patching up the holes in the boat rather than buying a brand new engine.

Now if they're ten games out in three weeks, get back to me on these thoughts.

The Yankees' rotation will receive a boost from a former Diamondback who is likely on the rebound after an up-and-down first half.

After missing out on Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics, the Yankees have made their deal to acquire a new pitcher for their depleted rotation. Brian Cashman has pulled a fast one and has acquire Brandon McCarthy from the Diamondbacks for Vidal Nuno.

Sources: #Yankees were working last night to acquire Brandon McCarthy from #DBacks for Vidal Nuno. Deal appears close.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 6, 2014

On the surface this probably doesn't sound very exciting. He has a 5.01 ERA, 1.23 HR/9 and McCarthy is no Samardzija, but he is a solid veteran option that is an upgrade over the likes of Vidal Nuno and Chase Whitley. Given his very solid peripherals with a 3.79 FIP, 7.63 K/9 and 1.64 BB/9, there is reason to believe, and even expect, McCarthy to be worlds better than Nuno, even if he will give up some home runs. As RailRiders beat writer Donnie Collins says, the right-hander has a 55.3% ground ball rate compared to Nuno's 37.9%, which will make things less painful, even with the Yankees' ugly infield.

Everyone was focused on the big splash that needed to be made, but the Yankees really only needed an upgrade to league-average to improve the team. Perhaps the best part about this deal is that it doesn't stop them from upgrading again. Instead of using actual prospects that would prevent them from improving the offense or the rotation even further, Brian Cashman turned an ex-indy ball, junk-balling lefty into an actual pitcher. What's even more is that Arizona is even eating much of the money McCarthy is owed:

Brandon McCarthy owed about $4.8 million for the rest of the season,plus gets a $1 million assignment bonus. AZ eating more than $1m of that

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 6, 2014

Sure, he didn't get the big prize, but Cashman got the steal. Whether it ends up working out or not, right here, right now, Brian Cashman made a great move. We'll actually get to see competent pitching one more day a week.

After taking three out of four games in Minnesota, the Yankees are in Cleveland for a four game series against the Indians. Shane Greene will get the start tonight.

It is a great thing to see David Phelps pitching well. It is a depressing thing to see the offense unable to score more than one run. It wouldn't be so depressing if this type of low scoring game was a rare occurrence. Hopefully the offense is more hitting offensive and less "offensive" offensive today.

7/6/14 Daily Prediction Answers

The Yankees won yesterday, scoring many points. No one won Daily Predictions yesterday, and no one scored any points. I'm sure many fans will accept this outcome. Unless, of course, your own personal glory matters more to you than the Yankees.

7/7/14 Daily Predictions & Fun Questions

Think of the craziest Ninja Cash trade that he could pull off

Squirrels or Chipmunks?

Bar-Food Chicken: Bone or Boneless?

Choose a Lantern Ring that suits you best

Red - Rage

Orange - Avarice

Yellow - Fear

Green - Willpower

Blue - Hope

Indigo - Compassion

Violet - Love

Shane Greene will get the start for the Yankees tonight against the Indians. I, for one, am excited to see what he can do. Meanwhile, hopefully the offense continues this whole scoring runs thing.

Let's Go Yankees

The Yankees have already traded for Brandon McCarthy, but with a rotation that still includes Shane Greene/Chase Whitley and David Phelps, it makes sense that they are interested in acquiring another pitcher. According to the New York Post's George King, the Yankees, perhaps thankfully, have no interest in a reunion with A.J. Burnett of the Phillies.

We all know Burnett from his troubling time with the Yankees where he pitched to a 4.79 ERA with a 4.63 FIP over three seasons. This year he has been just under league-average with a 3.92 ERA and 3.88 FIP for Philadelphia, and while that would still be an upgrade over Vidal Nuno and maybe even a regressing Whitley, a reunion was not likely in the cards anyway. The team paid $20 million for him to not pitch for the Yankees in 2012 and 2013, so they weren't going to pay any portion of the $15 million he is owed this season for him to pitch for them again. He also has a $15 million mutual option for 2015 that if declined by the team, becomes a player option for $7.5 million.

While Philly looks to be ready to sell, Burnett is probably the least appealing piece they have. Cliff Lee, second baseman Chase Utley, even shortstop Jimmy Rollins could be more useful than what Burnett could offer at whatever price they would have to pay. They're much better off waiting for another McCarthy-like trade to come around than making something happen with someone like Burnett.

With the addition of McCarthy and the dismissal of Soriano, the Yankees are going with 13 pitchers right now. That won't last.

The Yankees shook up the roster over the weekend series while they took three out of four from the Twins. Gone are the struggling Vidal Nuno and clubhouse favorite Alfonso Soriano. In are veteran righty Brandon McCarthy and long reliever Bruce Billings. Soon, rookie Shane Greene will be up to start tonight's game against the Indians while another bullpen arm goes down. The Yankees' roster is going to be in flux over the next few days as they adjust to the changes, so how does that affect their minor leaguers?

First off, the Yankees will make a roster move later today to get Greene onto the team, though he is already on the 40-man roster. Either of Jim Miller or Billings could go back to Scranton, as neither is a crucial part of the bullpen at all and Chase Whitley will be available in long relief the next few days since McCarthy is taking Whitley's previously scheduled Wednesday start. If I had to guess among the two, I'd say Miller goes simply because Billings was literally just added to the 40-man roster yesterday and Miller also pitched in Sunday's game. (Miller also gave up a long homer to Trevor Plouffe because of course he did.)

The Yankees' next course of action won't occur until after Greene makes his start tonight. If he pitches well against the Indians, they could be tempted to keep Greene in the rotation so that he could start on Saturday against the Orioles in Baltimore. However, if Greene gets knocked around or the Yankees are simply planning on swapping him out immediately after the start, then Whitley could take the hill Saturday instead.

At some point soon, they will also have to add another outfielder to their bench to take Soriano's place. Right now, their only reserve outfielders with Carlos Beltran restricted to DH duty are Kelly Johnson and Zelous Wheeler, who has played just 16 career minor league games in the outfield. Both are, of course, primarily infielders, so that's not really going to cut it. The most obvious outfield candidate for a call-up is switch-hitter Zoilo Almonte, who has been with the Yankees as a fifth outfielder at various points over the past couple seasons. He's on the 40-man roster already, he's been to the majors before, and despite inexplicable struggles from the right side (.179/.247/.254 in 73 plate appearances against lefties in Scranton this year), he's mostly been fine in Triple-A: .272/.320/.467 with 13 homers and a 116 wRC+ in 64 games.

However, there's another player in Scranton who some Yankees fans have been calling for all season. This guy:

In case you were wondering what I made yesterday. (Thanks again, @darenw) pic.twitter.com/UTvXE5aWr4

— Randi Nicole (@get_randi) July 4, 2014

Jose Pirela has been playing quite well this year for the RailRiders, batting .318/.359/.445 with 25 extra-base hits, a 123 wRC+, and though he's exclusively a righty, he does not have nearly as harsh platoon splits as Almonte. He was mostly an infielder until Rob Refsnyder's arrival at second base in Triple-A. (Refsnyder's status is another matter entirely since it pretty much exclusively depends upon Brian Roberts' performance, and Roberts has been doing well lately, so deserving or not, it would seem unlikely that the Yankees promote him. No, Refsnyder should not be considered for right field since he hasn't played there since college and they've worked very hard at making him a second baseman.) Unfortunately, there's a reason Pirela was moved to the outfield beyond Refsnyder--evaluators do not like Pirela's defense. Pirela has started the past week or so in right field, and that cannot be a coincidence given the Yankees' ultimate decision to cut Soriano. The Yankees might want to see a little bit more of him out there. A combination of these factors plus the fact that he is not on the 40-man roster would seem like Almonte is the favorite to receive the recall.

It's a little frustrating since it would be nice to see Pirela get a chance especially after such a hot month, but I can't be too upset about since unlike Zoilo, he doesn't have much experience in the outfield. Teams generally don't like their bench outfielders to be wild cards on defense. Frankly, their overall offensive performances in Scranton aren't too much different anyway.

Regardless, expect to see some intriguing roster decisions over the next week as the Yankees prepare to conclude the first half and go into the All-Star Break on a high note.

The Yankees head to Cleveland and hope to win a few more games as we near the end of the first half of the season.

#Yankees lineup vs. CLE: Gardner LF, Jeter SS, Ellsbury CF, Teixeira 1B, McCann DH, Roberts 2B, Ichiro RF, Johnson 3B, Cervelli C, Greene P

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 7, 2014

The lineup is led by Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter, and Jacoby Ellsbury, as usual. Mark Teixeira bats cleanup while Brian McCann is the designated hitter today and Brian Roberts bats sixth. Ichiro Suzuki, Kelly Johnson, and Francisco Cervelli round out the order. Shane Greene will make the first start of his major league career today as he replaces Chase Whitley in the rotation. You probably don't remember Greene from his April 24th three-walk, three-unearned runs appearance where he could only record one out before he got yanked, he probably wants to forget that one too. While he's been wildly inconsistent in Triple-A this year, he's maintained a 1.88 ERA while keeping hitters to a .161/.247/.253 batting line over his last four starts. Hopefully he can take that momentum with him when he takes the mound today.

The Trenton Thunder will send a total of four players to the Eastern League All-Star Game this year. Gary Sanchez, Peter O`Brien, Ben Gamel, and Matt Tracy have all been named to the Eastern Division team along with their manager Tony Franklin after the team won the league championship last year. Sanchez, the organization's top catching prospect, has hit .275/.346/.439 with nine home runs this year, while O`Brien, now a first baseman, has launched 15 home runs after joining the team back in May. Outfielder Ben Gamel is somewhat under the radar while hitting .284/.326/.382 with 23 doubles and 102 hits, just shy of the league lead. Matt Tracy has spend time in Triple-A as a 25-year-old left-handed starter and has pitched to a 3.28 ERA in 82.1 innings.

The Yankees have signed international prospect Raymundo Moreno out of Venezuela. The 16-year-old six-foot, 170-pound outfielder signed for a $600,000 bonus and was described by Baseball America as having "above-average speed, an average arm and gets good reads off the bat in the outfield. He has good bat speed and gap power from the right side."

Ex-Yankees prospect Ravel Santana has been released by the Astros after appearing in only 13 games this year. He was taken in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft by Houston this winter, but it never worked out. Once a promising young hitter in the organization, Santana's career was derailed by a devastating broken ankle in 2011 and he never really recovered. Now at 22, he has never spent time above Short Season and maybe he never will.

Padres interview a San Diego native from a big market team for the open GM position.

The Padres are up to 4 total interviewees for the General Manager position with the fourth being New York Yankees Assistant GM Billy Eppler. Eppler may have some extra incentive to go after the position. He is from San Diego and attended the same high school as fellow San Diego native Carlos Quentin. He also worked as a scout with the Padres back in the early 2000s before moving on to the Yankees organization as the Assistant Director of Player Development. In 2005 he was promoted to Director of Professional Scouting and then ascended to Assistant GM after the 2011 season.

It is difficult to pin down exactly what Eppler brings to the table, but for a broad idea you can go to the Yankees media guide description of assistant GM Brian Cashman "in all areas of Major League Operations including player acquisitions, roster composition and management, staffing and personnel decisions, and player contract negotiations. In addition, he oversees all phases and personnel in the Yankees’ Major League and professional scouting departments both domestically and internationally." Based on that description one can assume that Eppler has acquired experience of the last 3 years that would make him a candidate for promotion to General Manager, but it does not help him stand out versus some other candidates. However, that mystery should not necessarily be a strike against him.

Going back to a 2009 New York Times article there is a quote "As important as he has become, Eppler tries to work in the background. He gives interviews only with Cashman’s approval. The batting practice pitcher, Japanese interpreter and chiropractor have biographies in the Yankees’ media guide. Eppler does not." It would seem the Yankees have kept their star assistant as a secret weapon of sorts. The rest of the article has glowing recommendations from Cashman and former Yankees GM Gene Michael. It also mentions that in Joe Torre's book Eppler is referred to as the "stats guru" and a caricature on par with the Moneyball movie's Peter Brand. It goes on to talk about how Eppler is not really that guy. The Yankees actually have had stats guys, but Eppler himself is just well-versed in stats and well rounded according to another executive.

Another interesting part of the story in the article is how Eppler came to be a Yankee. Apparently there was a fracturing in the organization where many of the operations were run from Tampa (like scouting) and many from New York (like running the major league team) and the accountability was non-existent. Cashman hired Eppler to run the Pro Scouting department and fix this fractured. Bring in accountability. While the Yankees are best known for making big money signings like C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann in the years Eppler has been with them, you get the impression that he may take more pride in being able to find the diamonds in the rough mentioned at the end of this piece. The Alfredo Aceves', Brian Bruney's, Dan Giese's, Edwar Ramirez' and Jose Veras' that fill out the team. That sort of dumpster diving could come in handy in San Diego, or at least the processes that help find them would.

The 15-year veteran reportedly made six starts this season with a torn UCL.

Diamondbacks starter Bronson Arroyo will have season-ending Tommy John surgery, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.

Arroyo has been on the DL since the middle of June with a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, so the news doesn't come as a big surprise. The DL stint was the first of Arroyo's 15-year career, and now the right-hander will miss the rest of the season and possibly part of 2015 after he undergoes Tommy John surgery.

Per Gilbert, Arroyo said an MRI last month revealed his UCL had completely come off the bone, and the veteran hurler made six starts this season with the UCL tear in his right elbow.

Arroyo signed a two-year, $23.5 million contract with Arizona this past offseason. The D-backs also own a club option for 2016.

"I wanted to see if I could pitch on it without the ligament, because a few guys have done it," Arroyo told Maria Torres of MLB.com. "I fired it up the last three days, and I could throw 120 feet and I could probably go out there and pitch, but it just won't come back fast enough."

In 14 starts this season, Arroyo had compiled a 4.08 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 19 walks in 86 innings pitched. Even in the month of June, when he was reportedly throwing with the tear in his UCL, Arroyo allowed just six earned runs in three starts. In his last outing prior to landing on the DL on June 15, the righty gave up five hits and a run over five innings against the Dodgers.

Arroyo has been a model of durability throughout his career, throwing at least 199 innings in every season dating back to 2004, when he threw 178 innings for the Red Sox in his first full year as a starter in the majors. The 37-year-old was coming off two strong seasons for the Reds, in which he posted a 3.74 ERA in 2012 and a 3.79 ERA in 2013. Last season Arroyo struck out 124 batters while walking just 34 in 202 innings pitched.

Despite his age and the tough rehab process ahead, Arroyo did indicate to the media that he wants to return and pitch a couple more seasons.

Arroyo's season-ending injury continues a tough season for Arizona. The D-Backs' staff has posted the fifth-worst ERA in baseball through Sunday at 4.35 and their starters are fourth-worst at 4.71, as the likes of Brandon McCarthy, Trevor Cahill and Mike Bolsinger have struggled in 2014. The Diamondbacks designated Cahill for assignment in June and traded McCarthy to the Yankees on Sunday.

After his impressive rookie campaign last year, the club also lost left-hander Patrick Corbin to Tommy John surgery in March.

Little else has gone right for the Diamondbacks this season, with the team currently sitting in last place in the NL West with a 37-53 record. After acquiring Mark Trumbo, the slugger has missed time due to injury as well. Considering how poorly their year has gone, the Diamondbacks are much more in need of a healthy Arroyo in 2015 than in 2014.

The Orioles third baseman says he will remain close with Rodriguez despite the 38-year-old's 162-game suspension for PEDs.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machadotold Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports that he still considers Alex Rodriguez a "great friend" even as the Yankees slugger serves a 162-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Rodriguez tweeted a photo of himself and Machado together at a Jay Z concert in Florida this past January, and the two also hail from Miami-area high schools.

That fact, along with both players displaying impressive talent at a young age, has led to frequent comparisons between Machado and Rodriguez ever since the Orioles selected Machado with the third overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.

"You can hang out with who you want," Machado told Rosenthal. "He's my friend. He's done nothing wrong to me. He has been nothing but a great friend to me."

Machado added that Rodriguez has given him fielding and hitting tips over the years, as well as providing advice off the field.

The 22-year-old did make clear that he does not agree with A-Rod's use of PEDs, telling Rosenthal, "What he has done, it is what it is. He did what he did. Do I put him on a pedestal for that? No. But he's still my friend. That's not going to change."

The slick-fielding Machado is having a down season after a strong 2013 campaign. Through 56 games in 2014, Machado is batting .246/.295/.375 with seven home runs and eight doubles. He did miss the first month of the season after recovering from knee surgery he underwent last September.

In 2013, Machado batted .283/.314/.432 with 14 home runs and an AL-leading 51 doubles at the age of 21.

Machado did stoke controversy earlier this season when he threw a bat towards third base in the direction of Josh Donaldson in a game against the A's in May. Donaldson and Machado had feuded earlier in the series after Donaldson took exception to a hard tag from Baltimore's third baseman.

Machado has since apologized for the incident and hasn't displayed any bad behavior since.

Despite this and Rodriguez's controversial season-long suspension from MLB, Machado remains close with A-Rod and doesn't plan on that changing anytime soon.

The Yankees held onto another win tonight as the team got away with a 5–3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Tonight Shane Greene got his first major league win, Dellin Betances got his first career save, and Brett Gardner, Brian McCann, and Ichiro Suzuki all had three hits.

The game went the Yankees' way quickly when McCann and Brian Roberts hit back-to-back doubles in the second inning to get their team on the board. Justin Masterson never really seemed to get things under control for the Indians as he allowed a hit to Ichiro, walked Kelly Johnson, and then hit Francisco Cervelli with a pitch before Gardner knocked in another run.

In the third, Mark Teixeira walked and McCann singled, bringing Masterson's night came to an abrupt end, going only two innings on the night. Luckily, the Yankee offense didn't stop there and another Ichiro hit made it 4–0. Johnson was hit by a pitch and Cervelli hit a ground ball to score another run, and while the Yankees made some noise here and there, they were kind of done for the rest of the game.

Luckily for the offense, Greene proved to be very effective. In his first start of his major league start, he pitched 4.2 no-hit innings tonight before allowing a solo home run to Nick Swisher. In the sixth inning he allowed three singles and the Yankee lead was cut to 5–2. He finished with two runs on four hits, no walks, and two strikeouts in 6.0 innings, likely more than enough to earn a second start over Chase Whitley.

After Greene, David Huff came in and pitched a clean inning with a strikeout before giving up a solo home run to Yan Gomes in the eighth inning. He was immediately pulled for Dellin Betances and the big righty pitched two innings, allowing only one hit, but also only getting one strikeout (sad face).

In the end, Derek Jeter collected a hit and a walk, Roberts had another two, Tex had a hit and a walk. Despite shutting down pretty early into the game, it turned out to be a decent night for the offense. Hopefully they can keep this up through the rest of the series.

This 5-3 loss is an insult to most 5-3 losses.

Game 88: Yankees 5, Indians 3

Box Score

Indians fall to 43-45

This game fell out of the ugly tree, hitting almost branch as it splattered to the ground. The Indians only ended up losing by two runs, but that score doesn't begin to describe how hideous the contest was.

I guess you have to start with Justin Masterson. Mickey Callaway has been working with Masterson for the past several starts trying to iron out a very wrinkly delivery, but tonight it seemed as though no work had been done at all. Masterson had a decent first, pitching a round a leadoff single. At that point you thought that perhaps all that work was going to pay off in the form of a good start.

Nope.

In the second inning the wheels were in the process of falling off, but a brilliant defensive play by Carlos Santana prolonged the agony for another inning. The first three Yankees of the inning reached, but thanks to Brian Roberts falling down while on his way to score the second run of the inning (and Santana's play), the Yankees were only limited to three runs. Masterson would allow four hits, walk two and hit a batter, but got to remain in the game when Santana made a incredible diving stop, turning what would be a bases-clearing double into an inning-ending double play.

Masterson had received a reprieve, but as it turned out no amount of defensive gems was going to keep him in the game. He walked Mark Teixeira to open the inning, then gave up single to Brian McCann. It was at this point that Terry Francona had seen enough, pulling Masterson right then and there. He brought in Kyle Crockett to try to keep the score 3-0, but Crockett would allow one more run to score on an Ichiro single, then later in the inning Jason Kipnis air-mailed an easy relay to first to botch a sure double play, allowing a fifth run to score.

The Indians would not allow another run to score, but unfortunately the offense wasn't up to the task. Shane Greene, who was making his first major-league start, retired the first fourteen batters he faced, and would end the night allowing just two runs on four hits. Greene only struck out two, but made use a power sinker (regularly clocked in the mid-90s) to induce weak contact. Nick Swisher broke up the perfect game (and shutout) with a solo homer in the fifth inning, and the following inning Asdrubal Cabrera would single home another run. But with two on and two outs in the sixth, Carlos Santana would fly out to end the threat.

The Tribe bullpen once again pitched well to keep the Indians within striking distance. Carlos Carrasco once again excelled in relief, tossing three shutout innings, and three other relievers (Scrabble, Pestano, and Axford) would throw scoreless innings. But the damage had been done. Yan Gomes took LGFT David Huff deep in the eighth, but that would be as close as they got. Dellin Betances (subbing for Dave Robertson) earned a two-inning save, allowing just one hit in the final two innings of the game.

The question that will asked over the next several days is "what the heck do you do with Justin Masterson?" We know that he's been battling a sore knee, and given how he's pitched lately, he's not helping the club by trying to pitch through it. Even if the knee isn't affecting his pitching, at least it affords the club an excuse to get him out of the rotation for a 2-3 weeks, make some rehab starts, and perhaps return to the rotation in late July ready to help the team make a late-season run.

Win Expectancy Chart

Source: FanGraphs

Roll Call

Game Thread

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