Depleted bullpen rescuer: Chris Leroux?

Last night's game was certainly an adventure. It had a glorious ending, but the path to get there was not pretty. The Yankees used everyone in their bullpen yesterday, leaving today's starter, David Phelps, with no fresh arms behind him in relief. The Yankees also ran into trouble when infielder Kelly Johnson suffered a strained left groin hustling in right field to make a catch. He has to go on the DL, so the Yankees took advantage of the roster spot opening to offer some relief for their... relief:

Yankees place Kelly Johnson on the DL with a strained left groin. Chris Leroux called up to help out the bullpen, Bruce Billings DFA.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 23, 2014

Triple-A pitcher Chris Leroux, who has made a couple cameo appearances with the team this year, is on his way back up. He's been starting in Scranton and hasn't been very good with a 5.08 ERA, though he does have a 3.96 FIP and a fine 3.2 BB/9. The main reason he's up is that he hasn't pitched since July 18th. He's up just in case the Rangers batter Phelps and Phelps needs an early hook. I'm certain that if the Yankees can avoid using him, they will. To make room for Leroux on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated reliever Bruce Billings for assignment; you probably forgot was even still on the 40, I know I did.

The Yankees will eventually need to get a position player up to the Bronx to take Johnson's spot since right now they are playing with an extremely limited bench being that Carlos Beltran can't play the field and Mark Teixeira has to rest a few days to nurse his mild lat strain. Leroux is just a Band-Aid to hold the Yankees bullpen over until it can freshen up today or tomorrow--it's not a problem to me at all that a fresh reliever is coming up, even though he's not a good one. Once they are, I'm sure the team will swap one of those relievers for a position player. Hopefully it's Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela, but chances are it will be Scott Sizemore or Zoilo Almonte since both are already on the 40-man roster.(Update: Sizemore is on the Triple-A DL too, so never mind then. Hope yet for Pirela since Zoilo hasn't played first? Maybe?)

Since Johnson was playing first base with Teixeira on the mend, I have no idea who will cover first tonight, though my guess would be either Brian McCann or Francisco Cervelli. Brendan Ryan has also seen a little time there as well, so he's an option too, I suppose. Ah, the Yankees. The walking wounded.

Opinions are mixed about what the Yankees' latest trade means for the division, or if it means anything at all.

Yankees: Chase Headley

Padres: Yangervis Solarte and Rafael De Paula

I count five reactions among Yankee fans over the recent move to acquire the faded Padres star for a struggling third baseman and a minor league pitcher.

1) Great move

Soundbite:
"Ninja Cashman strikes again! We got a good-to-great third baseman for a bag of balls! He's the second coming of Scott Brosius!"

2) Logical move

Soundbite:
"An upgrade from an offensive black hole to a mildly weaker black hole is still an upgrade. Maybe the ripple effect of giving less playing time to Roberts and Johnson will improve the team. The AL East is really weak."

3) Non-move

Soundbite:
"It doesn't really matter because this team was never built to win the AL East, despite giving a billion dollars to a bunch of aging outfielders in the offseason."

4) Poor move

Soundbite:
"Giving up De Paula was probably too much for Headley at this point, but something has to be done to fix the mess Cashman put together this offseason. The Yankees couldn't keep Youkilis on the field, so let's try another 3B with a bad back."

5) Wasted opportunity

Soundbite:
"The Yankees have a chance to rebuild the farm by trading away some useful but duplicate pieces like David Robertson, Brett Gardner or Matt Thornton. Instead, they're swimming against the tide to squeeze one more run out of a broken down core."

I hear notes of truth in all these opinions, and I can't quite decide where I stand. I'm happier with Headley than with Solarte, but I recognize that this is what Brian Cashman calls an "incremental improvement." The guys who could make the Yankees favorites (Price, Stanton, even Cliff Lee) are out of their price range.

So help me make up my mind. What do you think?

Tiny bits of Blue Jays news this afternoon:

• Gibby has said that Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind will, likely, not be sent out on rehab assignments. The will, most likely, go straight into the line ups, when deemed to have recovered enough. I'm all for that, guys out for short periods of time shouldn't need rehab time. Rehab is mostly so that players can get their timing back, I'd expect that Adam and Edwin could get their timing back quicker with the major league team. I'm going to show my Zaun side, but, when I was young, players didn't need to go on rehab assignments. I really don't see the point in sending them out.
• Brett Lawrie, on the other hand, will be going out on rehab. He's been out longer and he hasn't been able to swing at bat. He'll need 3 or 4 games. Of course, timing is always an issue with Brett's swing. And, Gibby says, that when he comes back, he's the full time third baseman. We'll see. I don't trust the Jays to make a decision and stick to it.
• In news that won't surprise anyone, Sergio Santos cleared waivers and he's headed to Buffalo, to find his delivery. I'm sure it is in Buffalo.
• Have I mentioned I'd like the Jays to make up their frigging minds:

#BlueJays again focused on pitching - starting or relief. Believe Lind, Encarnacion, Reimold could be back next week, Lawrie in two weeks.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 23, 2014

They have a few good starts and it's "we don't need pitching, we need hitting", then a terrible start from Drew Hutchison and "we don't need hitting, we need pitching". If we make an error tonight, we'll be looking for glove men.

• Gibby told MLB Radio that the Jays were 'in on" Chase Headley. I don't know, if they were in on him, it wouldn't have been hard to beat the Yankees' offer.

Well, that's a switch.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Michael Kay Wednesday afternoon that the team's season-long offensive woes have him in a place where he wants to trade for a hitter more than a pitcher. Despite the fact that Hiroki Kuroda is the lone member of the rotation out of spring training still standing, Cashman believes that the team would be better suited for a playoff push if he was able to acquire some offense before next week's trade deadline.

So far this year Cashman has made a trade on both sides of the ball. He flipped Vidal Nuno for Brandon McCarthy in the hopes that some regression for the better was headed his way, and traded Rafael De Paula and Yangervis Solarte for Padres third baseman Chase Headley. Headley was the walk-off hero in his first game as a Yankee, but also provides some much-needed infield defense. Brian Roberts and Ichiro Suzuki are two every day players who are currently just not getting the job done with their bats. Roberts enters the game today with an 86 wRC+, which looks quite impressive when matched up with Ichiro's dismal 78 wRC+. That mark is only higher than Brendan Ryan's 44 wRC+ among Yankees with at least 50 plate appearances. Carlos Beltran's inability to play the field has forced Ichiro into an every day role. If the Yankees feel like his elbow problems will keep him from regularly manning right field, an outfield upgrade seems like a logical move. Maybe for a player like Alex Rios, as it has been rumored that the Texas Rangers are shopping him around.

Second baseman Rob Refsnyder has been tearing up the minors all season, but it seems as though Cashman and company are reluctant to turn the position over to the rookie, despite all of Roberts' shortcomings. It doesn't make a lot of sense to trade for a second baseman when you have one waiting in the wings at Triple-A with a red hot season under his belt to this point. That's assuming that the Yankees even feel that Roberts is one of their main problems. Hopefully all the talk of keeping Refsnyder down for the rest of the year is just a smoke screen until August 1st.

Or maybe not...

Brian Cashman told @RealMichaelKay that Rob Refsnyder would not be a significant upgrade over Brian Roberts. Said he's in AAA for a reason.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) July 23, 2014

Sigh.

Aside from the outfield or second base, considering the fact that Derek Jeter's struggles at shortstop are not going anywhere, where would you like to see the Yankees make an upgrade if they are going for hitting over pitching? Do you think it's a mistake on Cashman's part to pursue hitting when the rotation is still held together with the likes of Chase Whitley pitching meaningful innings until the hopeful return of Michael Pineda?

Yankees grounds crew now official honorary members of Tank 2014

Sure, the Rangers lost a game that had just barely become an official game after the Yankees' grounds crew couldn't get the tarp on the field for 15 minutes during a downpour. If the Rangers were in contention, I'd be furious. However, this season is dumb and watching Tarpgate was the most entertained I've been while watching a baseball game in months.

Player(s) of the Game: The New York Yankee groundskeepers.

While it took far too long to call the game, a win's a win.

After a 14-inning marathon that saw brand new Yankee Chase Headley hit a walk-off single, the baseball gods apparently decided they'd give the Yankees and Rangers a bit of tonight off.  In the bottom of the fifth inning, a monstrous deluge quickly cut the game short, scattering the players and wreaking havoc on the field, as the wind and rain combined to make the tarp a dangerous monster that might've eaten a member of the grounds crew.  We were then treated to an hour and a half of everyone not making decisions, so a game that should've been called around 9:00 PM didn't officially end until 10:30.

Before this, though, we actually witnessed a pretty good baseball game.  David Phelps matched Rangers ace Yu Darvish pitch for pitch, continuing his stretch of excellent starts over the past month.  After giving up six earned runs against Toronto on June 24^th, Phelps has not allowed more than two earned runs in his subsequent five starts, giving the Yankees a serious boost as they continue to try to overcome the injuries that have decimated their rotation.  Darvish certainly pitched well himself, but he and catcher Chris Gimenez seemed to be struggling to stay on the same page for much of the night, and some of this miscommunication perhaps resulted in the Yankees scratching out a couple of runs.

The scoring didn't begin until the third inning, and the Rangers got on the board first.  Rangers centerfielder Leonys Martin singled to lead off the top of the frame, and with the hit and run on, moved to third on a single by Gimenez.  The next batter, second baseman Rougned Odor, grounded into a double play, allowing Martin to score and giving the Rangers a slim lead.

The Yankees immediately responded - Francisco Cervelli doubled to left (extending his hitting streak to five games) and then moved to third on a Brendan Ryan groundout.  Then, the Yankees got a great break: with Brett Gardner at the plate, Darvish balked, allowing Cervelli to score from third and tying the game.  Gardner then made it even worse for Darvish, rocking a 3-1 fastball and taking it out to right.  The Yankees had the lead, and it would prove to be all they would need on this night.

While the Rangers would threaten again in the fifth (Martin hit a triple, but Phelps dominated the bottom of the order to get out of the jam), that would be the last chance they got as the skies opened up in the bottom of the inning.  We were then treated to incredible indecision, as someone decided they should try to resume the game at 10:05 (even going so far as to have Davish warm up) even after the infield had been flooded.  While the grounds crew did a great job, it appeared pretty treacherous, and everyone just stood around while the umpires deliberated (hey, at least the Rangers looked like they had fun).   Eventually it started raining again, making everyone's decision easier, and that was all she wrote: the Yankees won 2-1.

The Yankees will take it, I'm sure.  Tomorrow the Yankees and Rangers will wrap up their series with a day game, as Brandon McCarthy will take on Colby Lewis at 1:05 in the Bronx.

It's About the Money | Matt Bove: It could make sense for the Yankees to target Marlon Byrd to play right field.

SB Nation | Marc Normandin: Chase Headley might be the one to benefit the most out of the trade, if it means he can get out of Petco Park.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: A look at the Yankees' best and worst pickups at the trade deadline in recent years.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: It's sad to see Yangervis Solarte go, but it was the right, and smart, move to make.

SB Nation | Seth Rosenthal: Watch as the Yankee Stadium grounds crew tries to put the tarp on the field last night.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Chase Whitley is learning how to relax and not take each start too seriously.

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: After being traded to the Padres, Yangervis Solarte thanked the Yankees and their fans for giving him a shot.

The Wall Street Journal | Daniel Barbarisi: Chase Headley improves the Yankees now and they will hope he improves to offer even more value.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: If the Yankees need help at first base, maybe they should consider giving Kyle Roller a shot.

Pinstripe Pundits | Derek Albin: Brian Cashman made the right move in trading for Chase Headley, even if it meant trading away Rafael De Paula.

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: After acquiring Chase Headley, Brian Cashman says he still has work to do to improve the team.

The Yankees aren't getting any better news on their rookie ace.

Star rookie Masahiro Tanaka is still dealing with elbow discomfort more than two weeks after landing on the disabled list, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews on Tuesday.

Tanaka received a platelet-rich plasma injection 10 days ago, but the elbow hasn't reacted as well as the team hopes, according to Cashman.

"He's improved, but he still feels it, although on a daily basis it decreases. So that's good but it's not good that he's still feeling it at this stage. So it's just day-by-day, week-by-week and we'll adjust accordingly. It's too early to call."

The 25-year-old right-hander was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow shortly after being placed on the DL. Tanaka and the Yankees opted against Tommy John surgery, instead choosing the PRP injection and throwing program methods.

Cashman initially said Tanaka would miss at least six weeks, and things don't appear to be any different for now.

Tanaka still leads the American League in victories with 12 despite making only 18 starts. The Japanese sensation posted a 2.51 ERA with 135 strikeouts and only 19 walks in 129⅓ innings prior to the injury.

Pittsburgh places Marte on 7-day DL

The Pirates placed outfielder Starling Marte on the seven-day concussion disabled list Wednesday, according to a team announcement.

Marte was hit in the head by a pitch from Rockies reliever Adam Ottavino on Friday. He remained in the game, but was held out of the lineup on Saturday.

The Pirates used Marte as a pinch hitter in their series finale against the Rockies on Sunday and reinserted him into the lineup the next day. Marte went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the Pirates' loss to the Dodgers and was back on the bench on Tuesday after his concussion reportedly got worse.

Marte is hitting .255/.328/.385 with 26 extra-base hits in 348 plate appearances.

Reddick changes walk-up music, A's return to winning ways

The first-place Athletics entered Wednesday 4-5 since reeling off a five-game winning streak earlier this month, but all the team needed to get back on track was a change of tune from their right fielder:

No more "Careless Whisper" for Josh Reddick. Now it's "Wild Thing." #Athletics

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 23, 2014

That's highly unfortunate, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do to get your team back on track. Reddick and the A's did just that, easily dispatching of the Astros in Oakland.

The Yankees' groundskeepers are bummed

The Yankees and Rangers went into a rain delay in the bottom of the fifth inning when torrential downpour hit Yankee Stadium. The stadium groundskeepers struggled to get the tarp on the field and wound up drawing the help of the Rangers' bat boy.

Wednesday scores

Twins 3, Indians 1
Brewers 5, Reds 1
Royals 2, White Sox 1
Rockies 6, Nationals 4
Tigers 11, Diamondbacks 5
Mets 3, Mariners 2
Pirates 6, Dodgers 1
Giants 3, Phillies 1
Yankees 2, Rangers 1 (five innings)
Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 4
Braves 6, Marlins 1
Rays 3, Cardinals 0
Padres 8, Cubs 3
Angels 3, Orioles 2
Athletics 9, Astros 7

We should probably hope this possibility never gets out of the preliminary stages.

On Tuesday Jason noted a report from Jon Heyman that the Yankees had contacted the White Sox about veteran left-hander John Danks. My initial reaction was "Hey, I remember that guy was pretty good at one point!" and had my interest piqued as to the possibility of Cashman swiping another quality arm from a team out of contention. That isn't really in play here, however, as Danks hasn't been particularly good in quite a while. Consider my enthusiasm greatly tempered.

From 2008-2011 Danks averaged over 3.0 fWAR a season with a FIP under four. On the strength of that stretch, the White Sox were confident enough to ink the then 25 year-old lefty to five year, 65 million dollar extension. Of course being young and effective is no guarantee when it comes to pitchers as a shoulder injury cost Danks most of his 2012 season and he hasn't been the same pitcher since returning. Before the injury Danks' fastball velocity sat consistently in the low nineties, but this season has been at an average of 88.1 miles per hour. He was worth only 0.3 fWAR in 2013 with a 4.7 ERA and FIP over five and has only been marginally better thus far in 2014, generating 0.8 fWAR with a 4.35 ERA and 4.7 FIP. He has 6.3 K/9 and 3.34 B/9 rates, so we're not looking at a guy with great stuff or impeccable control. And his 40.1 groundball percentage is not exactly suited to Yankee Stadium, either.

Perhaps the Yankees brass is banking on Danks slowly rounding into form as he moves further away from his shoulder issues. He had posted a 2.69 ERA over his last ten starts prior to his getting shellacked his last time out against the Houston Astros. Even then, he is still owed 14.25 million dollars in each of the next two seasons in addition to about 5 million for the remainder of 2014, which is an awful lot to pin to the hopes he return to his past successes. Any conversation about Danks surely revolves around how much of the contract the White Sox are willing to eat, since in spite of the Yankees overflowing coffers they still made Arizona and San Diego fit part of the bill in their recent dealings. They clearly like not paying money as much as the rest of the world.

If Chicago were to take on the majority of the responsibility for Danks' contract, it would be hard to get too annoyed at the acquisition. Then again, that might make the asset the White Sox want back of a higher quality than the Yankees should be willing to give up. Chase Whitley's promising start on Tuesday may have Cashman rethinking the team's need for a mediocre fourth/fifth starter, so perhaps this flirtation with the White Sox and Danks will amount to nothing more than that. I've been a fan of the team's moves thus far because I think they've been upgrades, have not cost much in prospects and kept the books clean for next year. I'm not sure if acquiring Danks will fit that criteria in any way.

One of the best rookie relievers this year is Tommy Kahnle of the Colorado Rockies. A Rule 5 pick during the winter meetings last December, he's established himself as a key part of the Rockies staff, transitioning from relatively unheralded prospect to a firm middle relief spot. Can Kahnle take on a larger role going forward?

Kahnle was used as a starter in college, pitching for Lynn University in Florida, a strong Division II program. Although he went 2-7, 5.06 in 75 innings in 2010 (71/47 K/BB), he was still drafted in the fourth round due to his arm strength. The Yankees moved him to the bullpen and he took well to the switch, posting a 25/5 K/BB in 16 innings for Staten Island in the New York-Penn League that summer.

For Low-A Charleston in 2011, he posted a 4.22 ERA in 81 innings but with a 112/49 K/BB and 69 hits allowed. He needed better control, but the K/IP ratio and the low hit rates pointed to upside. He ran up a 2.45 ERA in 55 innings for High-A Tampa in 2012 with an improved 72/24 K/BB.

Kahnle was with Double-A Trenton last year and posted a 2.85 ERA in 60 innings, collecting 15 saves with a 74/45 K/BB and 38 hits allowed. His K/IP and H/IP marks remained excellent, but the walk rate was still quite high. The Yankees did not protect him on the 40-man roster and the Rockies snagged him in Rule 5.

As you know, he stuck on the roster and has performed well so far: 2.80 ERA in 55 innings with a 44/24 K/BB and 35 hits allowed. This is very much in line with his minor league performance. He's tough to hit, although the walk rate is still high enough that his components aren't as good as the ERA, with a 3.80 FIP. That's been the pattern for most of his career.

Kahnle's fastball averages 95 MPH and has been clocked as high as 98. He'll mix in a slider, a changeup, and occasional slower curves. Stuff has never been the problem: it has always been a matter of command, but he's made substantial progress in that department, cutting his walk rate almost in half this year.

If Kahnle can sharpen up his command just a bit more and get his components more in line with the ERA, he could be the heir apparent to 41-year-old LaTroy Hawkins as the closer. All in all, he was quite a find in Rule 5.

This could end up being a thing

The Yankees need pretty much more of everything, pitching, hitting, even defense, but it's hard to figure out what they're actually targeting anymore. Brian Cashman came out and said that the Yankees needed pitching, he grabbed Brandon McCarthy and said they still needed more. Then, as we reported yesterday, he stated that they actually need more offense. today, Jon Morosi is saying that they're still focusing on pitching.

Yankees are trying to trade for a starting pitcher. They scouted Ian Kennedy in Chicago last night, source says.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 24, 2014

While a reunion with Ian Kennedy sounds unlikely, given the alternatives the Yankees have to choose from, IPK doesn't sound all that bad. With the Padres currently leaderless, it seems that they're content with selling off their pieces for very little in return, and if Cashman can get Kennedy with a favorable deal then it makes perfect sense. This year the 29-year-old right-hander is pitching to a 3.66 ERA and 3.10 FIP with a good peripherals at 9.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9, something the Yankees would happily take.

What's even better for the Yankees is that it helps them now and in the future. Kennedy has one more year of arbitration for the 2015 season and he should be able to help them, given the question marks surrounding next year's rotation. Right now nothing is set in stone for them next season with Ivan Nova coming off Tommy John surgery, Masahiro Tanaka possibly needing it, CC Sabathia coming off knee surgery and another terrible season, and Hiroki Kuroda possibly retiring. Right now they have nothing to really hang their hat on, unless you like a rotation of David Phelps, Shane Greene, Chase Whitley, and...yeah. The Yankees could use Kennedy now and later.

That all being said, the Padres apparently want to be "overwhelmed" by an offer to move him now. Who exactly knows what that means, but if they're looking for some legit big-time prospects I don't think they're going to get them, and if they are, the Yankees should probably back away.

So that's six straight series losses for the Rangers

I don't really know what you'd expect when you have Ryan Feierabend on your team but you shouldn't expect a win. This was a pretty flavorless baseball game. The Rangers lost. These are starting to bleed together. I guess at least the Rangers were beaten by a baseball team instead of the grounds crew this time.

Player of the Game: J.P. Arencibia hit a home run and has hit three in a week after hitting only one in the entire first half. If he's not careful, he's going to make people in the org think he's good.

Yankees pull into a tie with Seattle for the second Wild Card with win over Rangers.

Brian Cashman's newest additions keep paying off as Brandon McCarthy shined in another start as a Yankee, pitching six innings of one-run ball in the Yankees' victory over the Rangers. McCarthy struck out five and allowed four hits and two walks to Texas batters with the only real blemish coming when Elvis Andrus drove in Rougned Odor in the third inning to put the Rangers up 1-0. The newest Yankee, Chase Headley, drove in Brett Gardner in the fourth inning to tie the score. New York's offense managed to be a little better for the rest of the game and the Yankees picked up their third straight victory and the series win.

Adam Warren was responsible for the only other Rangers run of the game when J.P. Arencibia drove a ball deep to left field for a solo shot that pulled Texas within one run. Matt Thornton retired the only batter he faced. Dellin Betances came in and continued his domination of the eighth inning with yet another strikeout. David Robertson struck out two and walked one when he came in to close the door in the ninth. Bullpen formula working to perfection really helps when you have two guys like Betances and Robertson waiting at the end.

Gardner got the offense started after three hitless innings with a fourth inning double before coming around to score on Headley's single. Francisco Cervelli continued his hot hitting with an RBI double in the fifth inning that scored Ichiro Suzuki from first base. Gardner drove in the Yankees' third run of the game with a sac fly in the fifth inning, and Brian McCann gave the team a nice insurance run to work with in the eighth inning when his RBI double plated Carlos Beltran.

The Yankees have now won their first two series after the All-Star break and sit 2.5 games behind the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, pending the Orioles' results tonight on the west coast. They also move into a three-way tie for the second Wild Card spot with the Mariners and Blue Jays, seven and a half games back of the first Wild Card. Tomorrow begins a series against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, which is a good time to create some distance between the team they are currently tied with in the division. Time to keep it rolling. Hiroki Kuroda will get the start opposite Mark Buehrle tomorrow at 7:05 pm.

Chase Headley, after years of rumors, is finally a Yankee. But, how much do we really know about him?

Chase Headley was born on May 8, 1984 in Fountain, Colorado. Headley was definitely not your typical jock in his youth, as he graduated as the valedictorian of his high school, Fountain-Fort Carson High School. He graduated in 2002 as an Academic All-American, a member of the Colorado Rockies Select Scout Team, and a played in the National Baseball Congress World Series. He went to the University of the Pacific for just one season in 2003 as their shortstop and then transferred to the University of Tennessee. That was when he made the transition to third base, but that's also when his injury problems began. He dealt with hamstring issues and had meniscus surgery in his sophomore year, but still managed to set a few school records during his tenure at the school. He was then drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2005 Amateur Draft.

As a professional, it didn't take long for Headley to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. By the following year he was already considered a top prospect in the Padres' organization and was considered the long-term option for their hole at third base. But, it wasn't all roses. Baseball Prospectus said the following in 2007, around the time he made his debut:

"He`s not a toolsy player at third, but he`s considered competent, and the organization loves his intelligent yet instinctual approach to the game. He`ll have to show considerably more power to pan out... he`s a top prospect in an organization without top prospects."

He wasn't flashy, but he was poised to become the face of a franchise for nearly seven years. Headley made his Major League debut on June 15, 2007 to replace Kevin Kouzmanoff and he never looked back. He did not get much playing time that year (only eight games), but he would slowly turn into their starting option. He played 91 games with the club in 2008 and put up a slash line of .269/.337/.420. Not bad at all. It's not superstar level, but certainly competent. And that's why 2012 tears into his narrative. In that year, he put up insane numbers. He hit .286/.376/.498 with 30 home runs and excellent defense. He was voted fifth for the NL MVP and was, at that time, considered one of the best third basemen in baseball.

But, is he? He then proceeded to have a year and a half of disappointing play while also tearing his meniscus in his left knee; he had arthroscopic surgery for that in the offseason. He's had back problems this year, up until recently when his recovery convinced Brian Cashman that his stroke was back. The Padres had literally a million chances (not really) to either sign Headley to a long-term extension or trade him and they did neither. His value is at its lowest point in his career, yet I do have confidence in his abilities. The Yankees finally got who they have been seeking for nearly three years, but will it work out?

I think so. Even though I do not think he will put up the production he did in 2012, I think underlying that is a decent true talent level. It's clear that injuries have also dealt a blow. But if he is even half the player that we all saw in 2012, then he would be the best third baseman the Yankees have had since Alex Rodriguez in 2011. Most projection systems have him hitting at around a .750 OPS, which would instantly make him one of the better hitters on the team. Brian Cashman is betting on positive regression, and I think he found his man. Chase Headley is a proven, Major League third baseman with a successful track record, but unfortunately he's had recent struggles. Those struggles may have come at an opportune time, a perfect opportunity for him to be snatched at the right price. If he performs, it'd be one of the better trades that Cashman has made. If you're going to bet on someone, the decently young and proven Headley is a good bet to make.

Feel the excitement!

The Yankees made another move today, though this seems to be a very minor one, at least for now. The Yankees acquired left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano from the Colorado Rockies for cash considerations. There doesn't seem to be any corresponding 40-man roster moves being made, so he could be heading straight to the minors, though that could change. One possibility is that he could replace Chris Leroux on the roster, though having him, David Huff, and Jeff Francis in the same bullpen seems like complete overkill.

After signing with the Red Sox in the offseason, a move that was praised by many people in the internet baseball world, the 35-year-old proceeded to pitch to a 4.55 ERA and 4.06 FIP while walking 4.26 batters per nine innings. He was also ineffective against lefties, with a 4.68 FIP, which was over a run worse than what he did against righties. The Red Sox finally cut ties with him last month before he ended up in the Rockies system.

While he was exclusively used out of the bullpen in Boston, Capuano has been a starter his entire career, only recently showing he could be a reliever. It's unknown how the Yankees plan to use him at this point, but it's safe to say they have their options available to them. It's possible he might be a plan b in case they can't find another starting pitcher and Chase Whitley finally collapses.

Yesterday's shortened game had the most entertaining rain delay in recent memory.

On Wednesday evening, the Yankees and Rangers played a rain-shortened game that ended up being called after just four and a half innings. It was an official game, just like the rain-shortened loss to the Orioles right before the All-Star Break, and the Yankees will absolutely take the cheapo wins over Texas ace Yu Darvish wherein their exhausted bullpen didn't have to be used at all.

The story of the game wasn't really the game itself though. The umpires did not make the decision to end the game in a quick manner at all. Before they got to that point, everyone on the baseball field seemed to lose their minds, from the grounds crew to the players, and I'll be damned it was wasn't one of the funniest scenes I've seen on a baseball field in quite some time. Venture with me into the utterly outlandish world of rain delay theater.

Tarp trouble

The problems began when the rain absolutely throttled Yankee Stadium. With knowledge of the ominous forecast, the grounds crew was ready to roll the tarp on the field, but no one seemed to expect the rain to come as hard as it did. The rain got to be too heavy on the tarp, and the grounds crew was stuck with the tarp only covering half the field while the batters box and first base line turned into the Swamp Palace. (No signs of whatever this thing is attacking Jacoby Ellsbury though.)

Tarp trap

Things really got bad when they tried to cover the field again and one grounds crew member slipped and fell under the tarp, symbolizing the plight of the Yankees' injury-ravaged starting rotation, no doubt. Your symbolic genius has not been lost on us, good sir.

The struggle is real

I saw nothing... nothing but rain, grey blobs and my fellow men falling victim to the tarp monster.

I thought to myself, "Dammit, Harvey, you've seen some shit... but the ballplayers need ya. Girardi needs ya. The Captain needs ya. The wife and kids need ya. Just grab the tarp with both hands and run for your damn life."

Then I thought to myself, "This is not my beautiful house! This is not my beautiful wife! How did I get here?!"

Harvey's co-tarpmasters didn't really like or understand him that much.

Tarp vet

These damn kids know nothing about the true art of tarp-pulling. I'm gonna show these whippersnappers what's what.

Here we go...

.... well shit.

FLEE

Too old for this

What?

...no, I can't get out of my seat to talk to you.

Come over here, I'll tell you about my next "Yeah Jeets" excursion.

Thorough evaluation of Larry Rothschild

Well, that's rude.

Peer revyu

"J.P., you do this a lot. Stop."

"Haha, YU SO FUNNY!"

"I hate you."

Binder processing

This is what happens when rain delays stop games--the Binder goes into defrag mode. If only we could imagine what bizarre matchups it comes up with while the files rearrange.

***

The delay did not cause only contempt though.

What, me worry?

"Hey B-Rob, I'm thinking of making a change. There's a second baseman in Triple-A who's mashing right now and could do a better job than you."
"Really?"
"Nah, I'm just screwin' with you hahaha you know I would never leave you."
"Haha, you had me goin' for a second there, Joe."

/AL East standings graphic sighs in annoyance, gives up lingering to try to get their attention./

Telesmiley

Paul O'Neill got tired of watching this grounds crew member look grumpy, so he fixed the problem! How kind.

"Screw it. Race ya."

The grounds crew decided that putting the tarp on the field was the worst and they wanted no part of it anymore. Instead, they decided to have a race around the warning track. Can't blame 'em.

Brendan the cat

Brendan the nose picker

Gross. Jeter can't look at you like that. Please don't encourage him, Jacoby.

HELLO YES, THIS IS BRETT

Exhausted from waiting over an hour and a half to determine whether or not there would be more baseball, Brett Gardner decided to order a pizza. No, Bryan Hoch, not Papa John's.

***

Shortly thereafter, the great rain delay of 2014 ended. Perhaps today people will regain their sanity. In the meantime, follow @PSA_GIFs for more bizarre Yankees GIF content.

Hardball Talk | Craig Calcaterra: It's been 10 years since the Alex Rodriguez/Jason Varitek fight that signified a change in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry at the time.

Fangraphs | Tony Blengino: What happened to Chase Headley since breaking out in 2012, and what can the Yankees expect to see from him?

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: So far the Brett Gardner extension has been a steal for the Yankees.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: Brian Cashman has done a great job acquiring Brandon McCarthy and Chase Headley for nearly nothing.

Rotographs | Mike Podhorzer: Chase Headley should get a boost from playing in the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: With Mark Teixeira and Kelly Johnson out with an injury, the Yankees lack any certainty at first base.

ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews:Masahiro Tanaka might be feeling better, but he still feels pain in his elbow and that's not good.

Deadspin | Barry Petchesky: Ex-Yankee Chuck Knoblauch was arrested for assaulting his ex-wife and the Twins have cancelled his Hall of Fame induction.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from July 24th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: vs. Gwinnett Braves

Game 1: W 12-4

LF Taylor Dugas 2-5, BB
2B Rob Refsnyder 2-5, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, K
RF Zoilo Almonte 4-6, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 K - hitting .354 over last 10 games
CF Adonis Garcia 1-5
1B Kyle Roller 2-5, 2 K
C Austin Romine 3-5 - hitting .333 over last 10 games
DH Corban Joseph 1-3, 2B, 2 BB
3B Rob Segedin 0-4, RBI, BB
SS Carmen Angelini 3-5, 2 RBI, K

Joel De La Cruz 2.0 IP, 2 K - 13 of 18 pitches for strikes 3 GO/1 AO
Nik Turley 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, HR - 49 of 88 pitches for strikes, 4 GO/1 AO
Matt Daley 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K, HR - 26 of 31 pitches for strikes, 1 GO/3 AO

Game 2: W 3-1

RF Jose Pirela 0-2, 2 BB
DH Rob Refsnyder 0-3, BB, K
C John Ryan Murphy 2-4, RBI, K - hitting .324 over last 10 games
1B Kyle Roller 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K
3B Rob Segedin 2-4, 2B
2B Corban Joseph 2-4, 2B, K - hitting .367 over last 10 games
SS Carmen Angelini 0-2
LF Taylor Dugas 1-2, 2 RBI
CF Antoan Richardson 0-3, 2 K

Pat Venditte 4.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER 2 K - 44 of 56 pitches for strikes, 7 GO/1 AO (!)
Jim Miller 2.0 IP, K - 13 of 16 pitches for strikes, 2 GO/2 AO
Edgmer Escalona 1.0 IP, H, 1 ER - 8 of 10 pitches for strikes, 3 GO/1 AO

Double-A Trenton Thunder: W 6-5 vs. Binghamton Mets

DH Ben Gamel 1-4, 2 RBI
LF Jake Cave 1-3, 2B, BB, K
C Gary Sanchez 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 K, pickoff, PB, 2 errors (13)
1B Peter O`Brien 0-4, 3 K
RF Tyler Austin 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 K - hitting .400 over last 10 games
CF Mason Williams 1-4
3B Dan Fiorito 0-3, BB, 2 K
2B Casey Stevenson 0-2, BB, throwing error (4)
SS Ali Castillo 1-2, K

Luis Severino 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K - 49 of 79 pitches for strikes, 4 GO/0 AO
Cesar Cabral 1.0 IP, H, 2 R/1 ER, BB, K - 15 of 24 pitches for strikes, 1 GO/1 FO
Mark Montgomery 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/0 ER - 18 of 37 pitches for strikes, 0 GO/1 FO
Francisco Rondon 2.2 IP, H, 2 K - 22 of 35 pitches for strikes, 2 GO/2 FO

High-A Tampa Yankees:W 6-1 vs. Fort Myers Miracle

CF Danny Oh 1-5, 2B, RBI, K
LF Jose Rosario 3-4, RBI - hitting .488 over last 10 games
1B Greg Bird 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K - hitting .353 over last 10 games
DH Dante Bichette 0-4, K
3B Eric Jagielo 1-3, 2B, K, HBP
2B Angelo Gumbs 0-4, 3 K
SS Cito Culver 2-4
C Trent Garrison 1-4
RF Anderson Feliz 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

Caleb Smith 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K, throwing error, balk - 4 GO/5 AO
Ramon Benjamin 2.0 IP, H, BB, 3 K - 2 GO/0 AO
Alex Smith 1.0 IP, K - 1 GO/1 AO

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:W 10-3vs. Lexington Legends

CF Mark Payton 1-4, 2B, BB, K
SS Abiatal Avelino 1-4, BB, K - hitting .350 over last 10 games
DH Tyler Wade 4-5, 2B, 2 RB, K - hitting .429 over last 10 games
3B Miguel Andujar 2-5, 3 RBI
LF Michael O`Neill 0-5, 3 K
C Eduardo de Oleo 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
1B Reymond Nunez 0-4, K
2B Gosuke Katoh 0-4, 3 K
RF Brandon Thomas 1-3, BB, 2 K

Andy Beresford 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K - 10 GO/1 FO (!)
Angel Rincon 3.1 IP, H, 4 K - 3 GO/2 AO
Philip Walby 1.0 IP, BB, 2 K - 0 GO/1 AO

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 0-14 vs. Tri-City Valley Cats

CF Collin Slaybaugh 1-4, 2B
C Luis Torrens 1-4, K - hitting .366 over last 10 games
2B Ty McFarland 1-3, BB, K
1B Bubba Jones 0-3, BB, K
RF Austin Aune 0-4, 4 K
3B Renzo Martini 1-4, 2B, 2 K
LF Daniel Lopez 0-4, 2 K
DH Nathan Mikolas 0-3, BB, K
SS Jose Javier 1-3, throwing error (5)

Jordan Montgomery 2.0 IP, 3 K - 1 GO/0 AO
Joe Harvey 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB - 1 GO/1 AO
Rony Bautista 2.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R/5 ER, BB, 3 K, HR, HBP, throwing error - 1 GO/1 AO
Tim Giel 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R/0 ER, K, HR - 2 GO/1 AO
Ethan Carnes 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 K - 1 GO/2 AO

Gulf Coast Yankees 1: Postponed for rain

Gulf Coast Yankees 2: W 2-0 vs. GCL Tigers

2B Junior Valera 1-3 - hitting .314 over last 10 games
CF Jose Figueroa 1-3 - hitting .343 over last 10 games
SS Angel Aguilar 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, K - hitting .371 over last 10 games
1B Jake Hernandez 0-1, BB, HBP
LF Frank Frias 0-3
3B Tyler Palmer 0-2
DH Jesus Aparicio 0-2, 2 K
RF Wilmer Romero 0-2, K, outfield assist
C Kevin Alexander 0-2, K

Elvin Perez 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, pickoff - 5 GO/4 AO
Abel Mora 0.2 IP, 2 BB - 1 GO/0 AO

The Yankees do have some interest in the right-hander.

Though they do have some interest, the Yankees are not being aggressive in their pursuit of Padres' starter Ian Kennedy, according to a baseball source close to the situation. Though reports surfaced late Thursday night about discussions about a deal that would send Kennedy to the Bronx for prospects Eric Jagielo and Ian Clarkin, it seems as though that package is unlikely and that the sides are not close to any deal at this time.

As Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported on Tuesday, the Padres would have to be overwhelmed to move Kennedy, who is under team control for next season. The right-hander has been solid this season, posting a 3.66 ERA in 22 starts for San Diego. A package of Jagielo and Clarkin (the Yankees' fifth and seventh best prospects heading into the season, per Baseball America) could get a deal done, but it is unlikely that the Yankees would consider that scenario.

Kennedy was linked to the Angels before they acquired his ex-teammate Huston Street and has also been a name that has come up in Orioles' trade rumors over the last few days. At this point, the chances of Kennedy joining Street and new Yankee Chase Headley as ex-Padres traded this month seem to be relatively low, but things could change drastically as we approach Thursday's trade deadline.

Everyone has players that other teams like, apparently.

Mark Teixeira's injury has allowed backup catcher Francisco Cervelli to get some extra playing time over the last few days with Brian McCann shifting over to cover first base, which may have had the added effect of showcasing Cervelli for a potential trade. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the White Sox and Rockies are both on the hunt for catching help and have both expressed interest in Cervelli before. The White Sox have John Danks, who the Yankees have shown a bit of interest in as of late, and the Rockies could part with Brett Anderson, Jorge De La Rosa, or Wilin Rosario. Rosario could catch and play some first base if Teixeira needs to hit the DL, according to Sherman.

Rumor has it that the Rockies asked the Orioles for Kevin Gausman in their talks about De La Rosa, so the asking price is starting out pretty high. That price is likely higher than the Yankees would or should want to go. The Rockies are also said to like Luis Severino, but it is hard to feel like he's worth trading for anyone in Colorado not named Troy Tulowitzki, if anyone. Sherman also mentions that the White Sox like John Ryan Murphy, who the Yankees are only likely to give up in a package for a bigger upgrade than Danks could provide.

With five catchers currently on the 40-man roster, it seems logical that that might be the first place the Yankees choose to deal from if someone is willing to give up an appropriate return. Brian Cashman seems willing to go with offensive or pitching upgrades, depending on which players are available in the market. None of the pitching names seem like slam-dunks, but the Yankees know that Chase Whitley is rapidly approaching critical mass in innings and there's no guarantee that Masahiro Tanaka returns this season. If an insurance policy only costs them Cervelli, they have to pull that trigger.

Which players from the Rockies and/or White Sox would you be interested in acquiring? Is there any player that would make you feel good about parting with Severino?

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $18,000 Fantasy Baseball league for tonight's MLB games. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Jump in now. Here's the FanDuel link.