After losing last night, the Yankees look to take the finale and go for the series win. Shane Greene pitches, having been pushed back one day after Chase Whitley was pushed to the bullpen.
The #Yankees lineup v Jays: Gardner LF, Jeter SS, Ellsbury CF, Beltran DH, McCann 1B, Headley 3B, Cervelli C, Wheeler RF, Ryan 2B (Greene P)
It was believed that today would be the day the Yankees determined whether Mark Teixeira needed to be placed on the disabled list or not. Given that he was seen taking swings in the batting cage, it appears he will be able to avoid the DL.
Girardi optimistic about teixeira - sounds like no DL, shooting for a tuesday/wednesday return. "Hopefully he's a player for us soon."
Girardi also believes that Carlos Beltran isn't too far off from returning to the outfield. He estimates that it could take a few weeks of playing catch before Beltran's elbow is deemed to be in good condition again.
Then again...
Joe Girardi says Beltran has been progressing with throwing and could be a possibility in right after this week. #Yankees
Aside from pitching help, the Yankees could use another bat, and aside from spending millions of dollars in the offseason on the outfield, they could use another outfielder. With Carlos Beltran unable to play the outfield and Ichiro Suzuki disappointing in full-time play, the Yankees have shown interest in Josh Willingham.
It is believed that they prefer the 35-year-old to other options like Alex Rios and Marlon Byrd, though New York has not ruled out either, because of his contract situation. The Twins owe him $7 million this year and he would be a free agent at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Byrd is signed to a two-year deal and Rios makes $12 million along with a $14 million team option or a $2 million buyout for next year.
Willingham has hit .215/.357/.420 with 10 home runs while playing his home games in the spacious Target Field. Though the average doesn't look pretty, the power numbers, especially from the right side, would be welcome in place of Ichiro, who just hit his first homer this week.
Cuban defector Rusney Castillo worked out for the majority of MLB scouts on Saturday.
The Yankees, along with just about every other MLB team (28/30), sent scouts to watch Rusney Castillo workout yesterday. The 27-year-old outfielder defected from Cuba last year, and has finally been cleared to sign with clubs.
Castillo is a 5-foot-9 right-handed hitter, described as having quite a big of speed. During his career in Cuba, he hit .315/.380/.501 with an OPS+ of 128. Following yesterday's workout, scouts said that his arm was his weakest tool, and that he would probably be better suited to play center or left field. Castillo himself has said that he prefers center. He's drawn comparisons to his fellow Cuban defectors, Leonys Martin and Dayan Viciedo, although said to lack Viciedo's power. According to Jon Heyman, Castillo is like "Brett Gardner with power." He seemed to impress with his bat, with one scout even saying that he thought he should have stopped after his second round of batting practice because he didn't think he could improve upon his performance, but that he actually did even better in the next round. After BP, he hit live and sent several balls over the fence and back at the wall.
On a side note: during his two-hour and forty-five minute workout, Castillo reportedly changed outfits (and shoes) numerous times. He also had his handlers towel him off after every few swings, constantly offer him water, and even tie his shoes. The workout did take place at the University of Miami, so it was undoubtedly hot, but that sounds a bit high-maintenance.
Now that his showcase is over, it's believed that teams will be able to start bidding on Castillo, who happens to be represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports. Unlike with Latin American free agents, players defecting from Cuba do not have a dollar limit regarding bids. Depending on the interest, he could received a deal somewhere between Yasiel Puig and Martin's, as Puig received seven years for $42 million and Martin got a deal for 5.5 years for $15 million.
Do you think the Yankees should be in on the bidding and what do you think would be a reasonable deal?
Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a lot of home runs in the '90s.
It's difficult to ferret out the highlights in a week where the Mariners nearly got no-hit by Bartolo Colon and Kendrys Morales came slinking back to the DH spot. Barring a couple of high points -- Felix's gem, Willie Bloomquist's three-hit night -- I'd venture to say that we're all looking forward to a clean slate next week.
Before the M's try to salvage the remainder of their homestand today, let's take a look back at one of Seattle's best.
July 20, 1993: Ken Griffey, Jr. hits his first home run in a career-high eight-game streak.
It had only been done twice before. In 1956, Dale Long did it for the Pirates with 15 hits and eight home runs. In 1987, Don Mattingly did it with 17 hits and 10 home runs. On July 28, 1993, Junior joined the club with 14 hits and eight home runs in eight straight games, becoming the youngest MLB player to put together an eight-game home run streak at just 23 years old.
The streak started on July 20, in the middle of a series against the visiting New York Yankees. The Mariners amassed six runs in the seventh inning and finished with a 9-5 score, helped by Griffey's two hits but mostly by the complete disintegration of the Yankees' bullpen -- with particular regard to relievers Melido Perez and Bobby Munoz.
In his last at-bat of the game, Junior arrived at the plate with the bases empty and two outs against 33-year-old left-hander Paul Gibson. He drove a pitch over the right field wall for his 23rd home run of the year. By the end of his streak, he had racked up six solo shots, a two-run homer, and a grand slam.
Just three months and 22 home runs later, Griffey made history as the youngest Mariner to reach over 40 homers in a single season. Five years later, 22-year-old Alex Rodriguez would break that record with his own 42-home run season.
July 21, 1996: Griffey records the first of three multi-home run games in July.
From 1996 to 1998, Griffey averaged seven multi-homer games per year. Between July 21 and July 31, 1996, he had three of them under his belt.
It was the finale of a four-game series against the California Angels and the Mariners' last chance to split the set after squandering 15 runs in their first win. With 28-year-old Jim Abbott on the mound, Griffey wasted no time, putting up a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer in his first at-bat.
For the next couple of innings, the bats were silent -- at least, those that could drive a few runs home.Griffey popped out to shortstop Gary Disarcina in his second plate appearance, then, with Alex Rodriguez hovering on first base, took Abbott deep again for the unlucky left-hander's second home run of the afternoon. (By the end of 1996, Abbott would finish with the worst record in Angels' history: 2-18.)
Griffey's next multi-homer game came on July 27, when the Mariners beat the Brewers 13-5 after two five-run innings and four home runs. On July 31, the stars aligned for Junior's final multi-home run game of the year. He went back-to-back with Jay Buhner in the first inning, then back-to-back with A-Rod in the ninth. Each player finished with two home runs apiece, leaving the less-memorable Brian Hunter out in the cold with only one home run to his name.
July 21, 1998: Junior becomes the fastest player to reach 40 home runs in a single season.
The same year that A-Rod put up his first 40+ home run season, Griffey was on his way to breaking another record. The now-28-year-old had put together four seasons with 40+ home runs and was about to do it for the fifth time. In 1997, he set a career record with 56 homers, and would match his total again by the end of 1998 for a grand total of 350 home runs in 10 years.
Griffey's 40th home run came against one of the American League's worst starting pitchers: 28-year-old southpaw Wilson Alvarez, who racked up a career-worst record of 6-14 and finished the year with 0 fWAR and a 6.19 FIP. On this day, Alvarez took his eighth loss, going 4 2/3 innings against the M's and allowing seven runs, five walks, and two home runs. Griffey's home run was the first of the night for the Mariners, a first-pitch solo shot with two outs left in the fourth inning. He came within a triple of hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-5 with a double, RBI base hit, and a pair of strikeouts.
What was most remarkable about Griffey's home run tally was the speed with which he reached -- and broke -- the record. It only took him 100 games to reach 40 home runs.
Of no particular note, except for my own amusement: The Devil Rays' leadoff hitter was one Quinton McCracken, a center fielder who ended up on the Mariners for 19 games in 2004. Quinton McCracken. Is there a better name in baseball?
During today's game between the Yankees and the Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was spotted in the stands at Yankee Stadium taking in a game.
Well that's weird, since the Rockies are playing the Pirates in Colorado today. Unfortunately, Tulo is now on the disabled list, but apparently he's spending his time away from the team, and the state, in order to attend a Yankees game all the way across the country.
Jeff Passan thinks it means something:
Put it this way: Tulo showing up at a Yankees game the day after the Rockies gave out 15,000 shirts with his name misspelled is no accident.
Why is this all a big deal? Well, Tulo has recently hinted that he'd be pretty ok if the Rockies wanted to trade him to another team. Now he's on the DL at a ballgame in another state, one day after the organization had a giveaway where they actually spelled his name wrong. Yes this really happened:
Mentioning that he didn't want to end up like Todd Helton, who spent his entire career in Colorado and didn't win squat, seems to be a good way to say you want out. With Derek Jeter retiring it's not difficult to see how the two teams could potentially come together for a trade or how fans and media alike are slowly hyping up this story.
Would it be awesome to think that Tulowitzki is mad at the Rockies and is currently being wined and dined by the Yankees until he forces his team's hand into trading him, yes of course it would be, but that doesn't mean that anything is really happening. It's not the kind of commitment you want to see from your franchise player for sure, but that doesn't mean this has anything to do with the Yankees, despite being in their stadium. Even if a trade were to come about, Tulo will command some serious prospects and is still owed $114 million through 2020 with a long injury history.
It's nice to dream that Tulowitzki being at Yankee Stadium ~means something~, but it almost certainly does not.
While Purple Row is reporting that he's in the area to see a doctor in Philadelphia, that doesn't exactly explain why he's at the game, now does it. Hmmmm...
The Yankees didn't go down easily, until they did.
Three separate times the Yankees managed to come from behind against the Blue Jays. But every time they managed to tie it, the Blue Jays came right back to retake the lead. And after Toronto took a lead for the fourth time, the Yankees couldn't come up with one last answer. The Blue Jays came away with a 5-4 win over the Yankees in the series finale.
Toronto got on the board early in the top of the first. Jose Reyes led off the game with an infield single, followed by Melky Cabrera lacing a double to right. Greene then got Jose Bautista to ground out, but that scored Reyes. Shane Greene escaped the inning with no more damage done, but the Blue Jays now had a 1-0 lead.
Greene settled down after that, but so did the Yankees' offense. Through four innings, the Yankees managed just one hit against J.A. Happ.
In the top of the fifth, the Blue Jays' offense picked up another run. Juan Francisco led off the top of the fifth inning with a home run that made it 2-0.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Yankees finally got on the board. Chase Headley hit a one-out, solo home run to cut the Blue Jays' lead in half. The next person up was Francisco Cervelli, and he too went deep. Headley and Cervelli went back-to-back and suddenly the game was tied.
In the top of the sixth, the Blue Jays took the lead right back. Dan Johnson hit a one-out single and came around to score when Colby Rasmus doubled. After the double, Greene's day would be done. He went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks. David Huff came in and got two outs to keep the deficit at one run.
But in the bottom of the sixth, the Yankees got that run back thanks to a bit of luck. With one out in the inning, Derek Jeter reached on a single. Jacoby Ellsbury came up next. After a ten-pitch at bat, Ellsbury worked a walk, putting two on with one out. Carlos Beltran came up next but he grounded into a force out at third. That left the inning up to Brian McCann. McCann grounded one to second, but Bautista couldn't handle the throw to first. That allowed McCann to reach safely and Ellsbury scored, tying the game at three.
Huff remained in the game for the top of the seventh, but after allowing two-straight singles, Dellin Betances was brought in. It got pretty nerve-wracking, but Dellin got out of the jam and kept the game tied.
After the Yankees went down in order in the bottom of the seventh, Betances came back out for the eighth. He got out of trouble the inning before, but in the eighth, he got himself right back in some. Betances walked Rasmus to start the inning and then threw away a pick-off throw to first, which allowed Rasmus to go all the way to third. Munenori Kawasaki then hit a fly out to left field that was deep enough to score Rasmus and make it 4-3. Betances came back and got a strikeout for the second out, but would be pulled after that. Adam Warren came in and got the last out in the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees rallied yet again. Brett Gardner led off the inning with a single. Jeter came up next and very predictably laid down a bunt. Ellsbury then flew out, leaving the inning up to Beltran. Beltran wound up singling, scoring Gardner and tying the game again.
But in the top of the ninth, the Blue Jays once again took the lead. Cabrera reached when he hit a one-out single off David Robertson. Bautista came up next. While he wound up grounding into a fielder's choice at second, he would steal second during the next at bat, putting the go ahead run in scoring position. Dioner Navarro then dropped a single into right-center field. That scored Bautista and made it 5-4 Toronto.
In the bottom of the ninth, there would not be a fourth comeback. The Blue Jays sealed a 5-4 win and a series win over the Yankees.
The Yankees will now head to Texas for a series against the Rangers. Tomorrow's starters will be David Phelps and Yu Darvish and first pitch will be at 8:05 eastern.
After a 5-4 victory this afternoon capped a series victory against New York, it seems unlikely that the Yankee Stadium losing streak will have to be talked about ever again this season. A back and forth affair came down to the ninth inning where Dioner Navarro drove in Jose Bautista against Yankees closer David Robertson, while Casey Janssen closed out the game in the bottom half.
The scoring got started early in the afternoon in the first inning with Bautista displaying some nice situational hitting by chopping it to the right side of the infield to score Jose Reyes from third. The Blue Jays almost added another run in the fourth inning when third baseman Munenori Kawasaki singled to right field, but Dan Johnson was gunned out at home by right fielder Zelous "is jealous I'm not Zack" Wheeler.
Toronto took the lead once again in the next inning as Colby Rasmus doubled home Dan Johnson, which chased Yankee starter Shane Greene from the game. The bottom half saw the lead relinquished once again as Brett Cecil allowed an inherited runner in Jacoby Ellsbury to come home on a Brian McCann single hit into the shift. Munenori Kawasaki, playing shallow right field, got the throw off in time but Jose Bautista was unable to collect it on the short hop at first base.
A big opportunity presented itself in the seventh inning as the Blue Jays loaded the bases with Dioner Navarro stepping up to the plate. Unfortunately Brian McCann was much more decisive today than yesterday and properly fielded a grounder at first base and got the ball home for a force out. With the bases still loaded Dan Johnson then had a chance to repeat his heroics from Saturday afternoon, but didn't.
The Sanchize came on to pitch the home half of the seventh and got three straight groundouts, mixing in 98 mph fastballs with knee-buckling curveballs. The Blue Jays ONCE AGAIN took the lead in the eighth as a brutal pickoff attempt at first base by Dellin Betances advanced Colby Rasmus all the way to third. A Kawasaki sac fly made it 4-3 Blue Jays with Aaron Sanchez once again coming out for the bottom of the eighth.
Unfortunately it is possible to get a hit off the highly-touted right-hander, as Brett Gardner singled off a 97 mph heater. A sac bunt that just oozed class by the GOAT Derek Jeter advanced Gardner to second where he was eventually driven home by Carlos Beltran. Sanchez was kind of up in the zone all day, but it was still a fairly impressive outing:
The series victory was on the line as the teams went to the ninth inning locked at 4-4. Joe Girardi decided to not be a slave to the save and tossed out David Robertson to face the meat of the Blue Jays lineup. A Melky Cabrera single quickly led to a force out at second base on a Jose Bautsita grounder thanks to a great play by Chase Headley. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise though, as Bautista timed Robertson's high leg kick to perfection and stole second base without a throw. Dioner Navarro then came through in the clutch and looped a Robertson cutter to right field that easily scored Bautista.
Thankfully the bottom of the ninth was free of excessive sweating as Casey Janssen sat down three straight Yankees to collect his 16th save of the season. The victory locked up the third straight series win for the Blue Jays and pushed the team to 7-3 in their last 10 games. Aaron Sanchez also picked up his first major league win, which is exciting if you're into those types of things.
Players of note today include:
J.A. Happ went 5.1 innings allowing three earned runs on four hits.
Melky Cabrera and Jose Reyes both went 2-5 igniting the top of the lineup.
Colby Rasmus was 1-2 with another two walks in a monster game for the centre fielder.
Dan Johnson had a rough game going 1-4 with a walk, but leaving five men on base.
Jays of the Day are Casey Janssen (.195 WPA), Melky Cabrera (.133), Dioner Navarro (.128), and Colby Rasmus (.401). Suckage Jays are Dan Johnson (-.121) and Aaron Sanchez (-.116), but I am rescinding Aaron's because he is exciting and tall and good at baseball.
This graph really shows how many times the Blue Jays tried to hand this game back to the Yankees (extra touch thanks to Minor Leaguer):
The Blue Jays will now fly to Boston for a three-game midweek set with the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The probables for tomorrow are R.A. Dickey and Clay Buchholz, while Marcus Stroman is set to take on Rubby De La Rosa on Tuesday evening. SERIES WINS! YANKEE STADIUM STREAK SNAPPED! SECOND PLACE! BASEBALL!
Joe Torre is being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday so let's take a look back at his career and impact on the Yankees.
Joe Torre will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today after spending 46 years of his life as either a player or manager in Major League Baseball. As a player, Torre has probably been underrated by most people. During his 18 year career he was among the best hitters in the majors with 252 home runs, 1,185 RBIs and a .297/.365/.452 slash line. He compiled those numbers mainly as a catcher for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and then as a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals after a 1969 trade. As a Cardinal he even won the NL MVP award in 1971. Despite all of his accomplishments, Torre was given very little consideration by Hall of Fame voters. He stayed on the ballot for the full 15 years, but received more than 15% of the vote only once and that was in his final appearance. That seems a bit unfair, but his career in baseball hadn't even reached it's midpoint yet.
In 1977, his final season as a player, Torre was a reserve for a bad Mets team and in May of that year became a player-manager. For the next four years he remained in the dugout as their manager but the team never showed any improvement and he was fired following the 1981 season. He returned to the Braves organization the following year to manage the team, which put an end to Bobby Cox's first and less successful stint as Braves' skipper. Torre led the team to a division title that first year but they were swept by the Cardinals in the NLCS. He stuck around for two more years while the team hovered around .500 and was let go following the 1984 season. Six years later, Torre was given the unenviable task of replacing Whitey Herzog as Cardinals manager after he stepped down during the 1990 season. Like the Braves did under his control, his Cardinals teams hovered around .500 until June of 1995 when he was fired as part of a team-wide facelift. That set the stage for a potentially disastrous marriage between Joe Torre and the New York Yankees.
In 1995 the Yankees rebuilding project finally paid off. After a 14 year drought they returned to the playoffs but were ousted in dramatic fashion by the Seattle Mariners. In a classic George Steinbrenner move, the Yankees then fired manager Buck Showalter at least in part because of the playoff collapse. With the team seemingly on the right track, it was a curious move made only more curious by their subsequent hiring of Joe Torre. Showalter had spent four years building a contender from the ground up and now they were handing the reigns over to a guy who in 14 years as a manager had lost more games than he won. Newspapers had a field day and predicted that his tenure would be brief and not end well. Luckily for Torre and the Yankees, they couldn't have been more wrong.
Over the next 12 years, Torre oversaw one of the most successful runs in franchise history. In his first five seasons the Yankees won the World Series four times including the 1998 squad which might just be the greatest team in baseball history. They were a playoff team in each of his 12 seasons, winning more than 100 games four times, and only failed to win at least 90 games once. He was so successful that even the trigger happy Steinbrenner was forced to keep him around. However, Torre was ultimately let go because Steinbrenner got sick of his annual first round playoff exits. That's a problem most owners would love to have.
Before Torre arrived in the Bronx, there was a holy trinity of Yankees managers comprised of Miller Huggins, who managed in Babe Ruth's heyday of the 1920's, Joe McCarthy, who spearheaded the Gehrig/DiMaggio years, and Casey Stengel, the Old Perfessor of the Mantle/Berra era. Those three now have company as Torre's Yankee resume is clearly on par with theirs. Here's a look at the top ten managers in Yankee history ranked by wins. (Data courtesy of baseball reference)
Manager
Seasons Managed
First
Last
Wins
Losses
Winning %
AL Pennants
World Series Titles
Joe McCarthy
16
1931
1946
1,460
867
0.627
8
7
Joe Torre
12
1996
2007
1,173
767
0.605
6
4
Casey Stengel
12
1949
1960
1,149
696
0.623
10
7
Miller Huggins
12
1918
1929
1,067
719
0.597
6
3
Ralph Houk
11
1961
1973
944
806
0.539
3
2
Joe Girardi
7
2008
2014
617
456
0.575
1
1
Billy Martin
8
1975
1988
556
385
0.591
2
1
Clark Griffith
6
1903
1908
419
370
0.531
0
0
Buck Showalter
4
1992
1995
313
268
0.539
0
0
Lou Piniella
3
1986
1988
224
193
0.537
0
0
It's remarkable that Torre was able to turn his career around with the Yankees and become the legend that we know him as today, but in hindsight what seemed like a recipe for disaster was really a Goldilocks situation for him. The 1996 Yankees were a perfect mix of aging veterans that could still produce (Paul O'Neill, Wade Boggs and Tim Raines), all-star players entering their prime years (Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez), and fresh faces well on their way to becoming franchise cornerstones (Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera). Most managers would jump at the chance to take over a team with that core and an owner with deep pockets willing to spend what it took to keep talented players coming in. So maybe Joe wasn't so clueless after all.
While he may have been given a stacked deck, Torre's ability to keep his team cool under pressure shouldn't be overlooked here. Plenty of managers throughout baseball history have been handed a team full of stars but most of them didn't have nearly as much success as Torre did with the Yankees. Teams stocked with talent can come with a lot of baggage, big paychecks, even bigger egos, more media coverage, unreasonable expectations, etc. In that situation it's the managers responsibility to keep those distractions from affecting the team's play, which is even harder to do in distraction-filled New York. Some might take those distractions head on like Billy Martin. His kicking and screaming certainly made an impact, but at best that's a short term solution. Nobody can keep that up. Joe Torre adopted a different philosophy. For his entire Yankee tenure he did his best to deflect the constant barrage of heat from media members, rival teams and even his own front office by keeping calm and never losing his cool. He recognized the futility in engaging in any battles off the field and simply let his players take care of business on it.
Would the Yankees have won all those World Series with a different manager in the late 90's? Of course they could have, but it's hard to imagine anybody handling that success as well as Joe Torre did. His low-key demeanor instilled confidence in Yankee players and fans alike, and for that we'll always be grateful.
The shortstop is on the disabled list which gave him enough free time to take in the Yankees game from the stands at Yankee Stadium.
Troy Tulowitzki is so good, he can create a stir even when he's not on the field.
The Rockies superstar shortstop is currently on the disabled list due to a strained hip. Being on the disabled list, he has some unexpected free time on his hands and on Sunday, he used some of it to watch the Yankees take on the Blue Jays in the stands at Yankee Stadium.
Troy Tulowitzki at the Yankees game today in an Arrested Development shirt (original was deleted) pic.twitter.com/lBwZNrCseb
A baseball player watching a baseball game isn't exactly news. But, when it's one of the best players in baseball and one who has been a common feature of trade rumors, it becomes a thing, at least on the Internet. Before speculation runs too rampant, Tulowitzki didn't fly to New York just to catch a Yankees game. He was in the Northeast already, visiting a sports hernia surgeon in Philadelphia on Saturday. Just because he attended a Yankees game doesn't mean he wants to be traded to New York. Maybe he's just a professional baseball player who really just enjoys watching baseball.
Or maybe he wanted to attend a game as a fan for a cool giveaway item, like the Tulowitzki shirts the Rockies gave away on Saturday with his name misspelled.
Luis Severino and Gary Sanchez both ranked in the 70s on MLB's midseason Top 100 list.
Now that we're over the halfway point in the season, MLB has released their midseason Top 100 list, which features two Yankee prospects. Luis Severino and Gary Sanchez both made the list, and are ranked 70 and 76, respectively.
Severino started the season in Single-A Charleston where he posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.13 WHIP before being promoted to High-A Tampa. He pitched so well in Tampa (1.31 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 12.2 K/9) that he received another promotion after just 20 IP. The young right-hander is now pitching in Trenton with 13 strikeouts through 9 IP, 1.11 WHIP and 1.16 FIP.
Sanchez has spent the year in Double-A, where he's hitting .277/.341/.419 with 111 wRC+. He also has hit 10 home runs, which could put him on track to pass last year's 15.
In his first year in the minor leagues, Aaron Judge was reportedly close to making the list too:
Lot of Aaron Judge questions, too. Like him but not quite enough to put him on @MLBPipeline Top 100 yet. Not too far off. @Yankees
The Yankees may actually prefer Willingham to Marlon Byrd or Alex Rios, perhaps partly because of Willingham's reasonable $7 million salary and status as a free agent after the season...
At a surprising 54-50, the Yankees are just four games behind the catchable Orioles and are currently one game behind the Blue Jays for the second Wild Card spot. The team obviously needs starting pitching, but if there is a smart upgrade to make on the position player side there's no doubt they'd like to generate more offense, too.
With Jacoby Ellsbury in center, the Yankees are mostly fielding Brett Gardner (.272/.349/.419) in left and Ichiro Suzuki (.273/.324/.320) in right. Carlos Beltran (.228/.287/.427) is getting the starts at designated hitter, but - per Heyman - New York is concerned about whether or not he can stay healthy. By all accounts, Willingham is healthy and, looking at the lines of those three players, there's no doubt that he could provide New York with some extra punch.
To be honest, with the way their roster is constructed, adding yet another mid-30s veteran might be the only way that the Yankees can make one last run at a post-season. Derek Jeter is retiring after this season, and with not a lot of help on the horizon in 2015 it makes sense for Cashman and the Steinbrenners to give themselves one last shot. This organization is in serious trouble.
Why it doesn't make sense
Even with Willingham, the odds of the Yankee rotation and a batting order of has-beens making any real headway in October is close to zero. Teams lower than them in the standings would stand a better chance of winning a playoff series. And for an organization playing on borrowed time, is flipping even a marginal prospect the smart thing to do for a franchise that (regardless of its nearly inexhaustible resources) has a long and painful road to travel in terms of spending themselves out of their hole? It's an overused analogy, but the Yankees trading for Willingham is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It's still going down.
Batlimore has been using Nick Hundley and Caleb Joseph after losing Matt Wieters for the year with elbow concern. They like the pair defensively, but Suzuki would be an offensive upgrade.
Suzuki has to seem an attractive target for a number of teams in contention, not just Baltimore, but now that the Cardinals are out of the picture nobody else has yet to be publicly linked to the Minnesota backstop. Armed with a .309/.367/.392 triple slash, he would constitute and upgrade almost everywhere.
Why it makes sense
In the AL East, the Orioles know that the Yankees will do anything they can to keep their heads above water for one last chance in October. There's also a talented team in the Blue Jays, who have spent plenty of time in first place this season. If Baltimore was in the Wild Card race, they'd own the second spot and are just as catchable. Baltimore made the post-season as the Wild Card in 2012, but otherwise hasn't been there since 1997. This club needs to do whatever it can to secure a post-season appearance.
Caleb Joseph (.586 OPS) and Nick Hundley (.549 OPS) are eminently replaceable, regardless of how much Baltimore management might like their defensive games. A catcher that can actually provide value on the offensive side of the ball would give a lineup featuring a few good producers but also a couple that aren't very reliable, another option. Depth is king in a pennant chase, and Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Manny Machado need all the help they can get.
Why it doesn't make sense
The Twins won't let Suzuki walk for less than an overpay, and for as much as Baltimore needs the help I don't think ownership or the front office is desperate enough to give Minnesota what they'd ask for. Instead, the Twins will continue to try to re-sign their catcher, and because both sides want to get something done it will eventually happen.
Final thoughts
If I had to put a number on either of these guys, I'd say that there's a 70% chance that Willingham goes by the deadline and just a 30% chance that the Twins move Suzuki. Minnesota will be content to take what they can get for the expiring contract of their aging left fielder, but because they see future value in a catcher on a career year it will be difficult to convince them it's in their best interest to part with him.
What do you think? Do you think either of these guys get flipped?
In a new series, we'll look back at the week in Yankee baseball, highlight some notable performances (both good and bad), and name the players of the week!
Record: 4-3 (3-1 against the Rangers, 1-2 against the Blue Jays)
The Yankees' week got off to a good start against Texas, and while they may have lost a totally winnable game in Game 1 (young righty Miles Mikolas was sporting a 10.05 ERA coming into New York) they still managed to take the series against the Rangers, winning the last three games. Those wins included a thrilling 14 inning victory, as well as a rare triumph over Yu Darvish (2.80 FIP in 2014) in a game shortened to just five innings due to a horrendous deluge. While they carried some of this momentum into the series against Toronto, taking the opener 6-4, some poor defense and mediocre relief pitching cost the Yankees the next two games, giving the Jays their first series win in the New York since 2012.
Quick hits:
Cervelli's huge week - Francisco Cervelli had a monster week, hitting .391 over the past six games with four doubles and a home run. He now has a seven-game hitting streak, and this hot streak could be coming at the perfect time for the Yankees, as Cervelli appears to be garnering some interest on the trade market. While Cervelli has never been that good at the plate, he's never been a terrible hitter either - a lot of teams would gladly take a catcher with a lifetime 97 wRC+. With his decent track record and recent hot hitting, now could be the perfect time to trade Cervelli.
Shane Greene's shame - Shane Greene had an absolutely dreadful defensive game on Monday. Greene made three errors in the same game, helping the Texas Rangers to their 4-2 win, and making one miscue in particular that will no doubt be on everyone's list of the worst plays of the 2014 season. Instead of discussing any of them, let's just bask in their terribleness:
This could easily go to Cervelli, but since Headley got a walk-off single in his first game as a Yankee, he gets the nod. Headley has been on fire since he got traded to the Yankees from San Diego, getting a hit in each of his first six games. After hitting for a 122 wRC+ in the first three weeks of July with San Diego, he's hit .348/.565/.913 since arriving in the Bronx, and has added some stellar glove work at third to his hot bat. He'll be an improvement in the field and at the plate, and looks like another terrific Ninja Cash move.
The other new Yankee recently acquired by Ninja Cash, McCarthy has looked quite good in his first three starts in pinstripes. In those three games, he's given up just three earned runs in almost 19 innings, amassing 17 strikeouts as well. In the series finale against the Rangers, McCarthy threw six innings of one-run, four-hit ball, keeping the Yankees close until the offense finally got going in the fourth and fifth innings. We all knew McCarthy wasn't as bad as his stats in Arizona, but he's looked like a steal so far, and is without a doubt an upgrade over Vidal Nuno.
In their search for more pitching help, the Yankees have looked both high and low for any available arm that could improve their rotation. It turns out that Brian Cashman even asked the Cubs about Jake Arrieta, someone Chicago is very unlikely to trade any time soon, and if they did it would cost way more than the Yankees could likely afford.
Sources: Yankees have discussed Jake Arrieta. Told it would take an offer the Cubs could not refuse.
You see, Yankees fans might remember the Jake Arrieta that ended up being a huge disappointment for the Baltimore Orioles with a 5.23 ERA and 4.75 FIP between 2010 and 2013, but in Chicago he appears to be a changed man this year. In 2014, the 28-year-old right-hander has a 2.18 ERA and 2.10 FIP along with a career-best 9.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. It would appear that at least one of the pitchers expected to nail down the Oriole rotation for years has finally figured it all out in Chicago.
With Arrieta under team control through the 2017 season, Cashman likely wanted to gauge how much the Cubs valued him going forward. If they assumed he's simply having a career-year they'd want to get something for him before he turns back into a pumpkin, but if they believe he's going to keep this up over the years then they'd most likely want to hold onto him or at least get a huge return back. The Yankees likely don't have the package to pry Arrieta away from the Cubs, though it would likely start with both Luis Severino and Gary Sanchez. A deal is highly unlikely to happen, but this is just an example of Cashman trying everything possible. Eventually someone will be a match. Maybe.
The Yankees have struggled to score runs this year, and they're reportedly looking to acquire another bat for the stretch run.
Four games separate the Yankees from the AL East-leading Orioles, and Yanks GM Brian Cashman is looking at Twins outfielder Josh Willingham, among other bats, to bolster an offense that ranks 20th in the majors in runs scored.
The rumor, as reported by CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, would give the Yankees a much-needed additional outfield bat. The trio of Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ichiro Suzuki has proved to be serviceable, with OPS totals of .770, .748 and .647, respectively, but the team's lack of outfield depth and Ichiro's age (he's 40) have made acquiring another outfielder one of Cashman's top priorities.
A Willingham-to-the-Yankees deal would make plenty of sense. For one, his contract is reasonable; he makes $7 million this season before becoming a free agent this offseason. The Twins are also likely eager to get rid of him given the team's last-place standing in the AL Central and the risk of failing to re-sign him in the offseason.
Willingham is also putting up stats that make him a valuable trade commodity. His .777 OPS would rank first among Yankees outfielders, and that's while hitting at Target Field, a favorable hitter's park (according to ESPN's Park Factor data) but one that doesn't quite match up to Yankee Stadium when it comes to home run rates.
Perhaps Willingham's best asset is his ability to reach base. His .357 OBP this season (despite a .215 batting average) is right in line with his career .359 total, and he's consistent: Only twice has he failed to post an OBP above .350 in his career, which spans about a decade.
The potential for power is also there. Willingham hit 35 homers in 2012 and 29 the season before, and he's reached the 20-homer mark on five total occasions. He also owns a lifetime .827 OPS and an OPS+ of 121. He presents a bit of an injury risk, with a fractured wrist earlier in the season and just three seasons overall with more than 140 games, but a healthy Willingham could make an impact on the crowded AL East.
Other outfield names floating around this year's trade rumors are Alex Rios and Marlon Byrd, but Heyman makes the case that Willingham is a better fit for the Yankees than either of those two, thanks in large part to his more reasonable contract. Either way, the Yankees will likely need an additional outfield bat in order to contend this year, and they appear to be in the mix on Willingham.
Jim Callis of MLB.com released his updated Top 20Yankees prospects list Sunday night and right-handed pitcher Luis Severino came out on top, as his stock has risen as quickly as his ascent through the system so far in 2014. The 20-year-old has moved up from Low-A Charleston to Double-A Trenton through the course of the year and has performed admirably at each level. Severino was ranked 10th coming into the season, but his 98 mph fastball and three quality pitches have him on many more radars at this point.
Gary Sanchez, Eric Jagielo, Ian Clarkin, and Aaron Judge round out the top five in that order. Sanchez has been considered the Yankees' top prospect for a few seasons running, but attitude issues and defensive questions have kept some expectations relatively tempered. Callis notes Sanchez's improvement behind the plate and doesn't rule out a position change in the future, pointing out that Sanchez's receiving and blocking skills could use some work in particular. Unlike some other scouts, Callis believes that Jagielo has improved his defense enough to stick at third base with his arm strength. Callis also notes that Jagielo's left-handed swing is perfectly suited for the short porch at Yankee Stadium, which is always a positive.
Clarkin draws praise for his 90-94 mph fastball, 12-6 curveball, and deceptive changeup. Callis believes that, despite being drafted out of high school, Clarkin could move quickly through the Yankees' system and believes that he has the upside of a #2 or #3 starter. Judge gets dinged a bit here for the fact that his long swing can sometimes lead to a high strikeout total, but the power potential is real and Callis thinks his speed and arm make him a good fit for playing right field.
The rest of the top ten is comprised of Rob Refsnyder, who still may make his major league debut later on this season, Jake Cave, Manny Banuelos, Peter O'Brien, and 2014 draftee Jacob Lindgren. As a left-handed reliever, Lindgren has lived up to his billing as The Strikeout Factory with 23 strikeouts in 11.1 innings between the Gulf Coast League, Low-A Charleston, and High-A Tampa. Lindgren has the ability to be the first of his draft class to make the majors, possibly as soon as the end of this season.
Luis Torrens, Shane Greene, Greg Bird, Gosuke Katoh, and Jose Ramirez round out the top 15, while Ramon Flores, Tyler Austin, Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, and Jorge Mateo complete the list. It's a little disappointing to see the three big outfield prospects in Austin, Heathcott, and Williams so far down the list, but it's hard to argue with their placement here. Their stocks have fallen due to injury and ineffectiveness, and they can really no longer be counted on to be part of the Yankees' future in any meaningful way. Torrens has been tearing up the New York-Penn league after struggling a bit in his first taste of Low-A Charleston before an injury put him on the shelf for a bit. Bird returned from a back injury that cost him the beginning of the season to put up an .822 OPS so far this year at High-A Tampa.
Do you agree with Callis' rankings of the top 20 prospects in the system? Who do you think deserves a spot that didn't get one?
It's time for Major League Baseball to broaden its penalties to target abusers because current penalties are non-existent.
If talking about Ray Rice's two-game suspension from the NFL for knocking his fiancée unconscious wore you out on Thursday, you might not have noticed that former Twins and Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch also was arrested for domestic violence. According to a Houston television station, Knoblauch hit his ex-wife last week, the second time he's done this to one of his former spouses. He's currently out on bond.
The Minnesota Twins, who had been planning to induct the former AL Rookie of the Year and four-time world champion into their team hall of fame in August, immediately canceled the ceremony and the induction. They apparently understand how inappropriate it is to heap praise and honor on a piece of garbage so low that he would abuse his (former) spouse, or any woman. It's rare to see a team take bold action in response to allegations like these, as well as a reminder that Major League Baseball has a long history of completely and totally ignoring this problem at the commissioner level, and very often at the team level as well.
Major League Baseball has a long history of completely and totally ignoring this problem at the commissioner level.
While the NFL is content to believe that knocking a much smaller person unconscious is less serious than smoking a substance that is legally medicine in 23 states and the District of Columbia, the Tampa Bay Rays were happy to let a convicted sex offender pitch for them until his lack of effectiveness — as opposed to his lack of humanity — earned him his way to the minors, and even the Baseball Hall of Fame gets set to induct Bobby Cox, a man who allegedly berated and punched his wife, "continuing a pattern of domestic violence" according to police. Even the Twins continue to worship at the altar of Kirby Puckett, who allegedly strangled his wife with a phone cord and was charged with sexually assaulting a waitress in a restaurant bathroom (he was acquitted). Let' s not pretend that baseball is so much better than the NFL when it comes to policing its players. After all, Cox wasn't suspended for his actions and Josh Lueke wasn't disciplined after his arrest while with the Rangers organization for his 2008 crime. Nor was Brett Myers disciplined when he beat his wife in front of witnesses. In fact, Myers started the very next day. Aside from drug abuse and gambling (and barnstorming back in the day), Major League Baseball has never concerned itself with what its players have been doing off the field.
At no time in the last quarter of a century has there been a commissioner-level sanctioning of any player for domestic violence, and most teams haven't bothered either. A review of that period shows allegations and sometimes convictions (and/or charges dismissed via pretrial intervention, as with Rice) against stars as big as Darryl Strawberry, Jose Canseco and Albert Belle without any action being taken. In 2005, Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley was visited by police three times on domestic violence calls. No charges were filed, no team discipline initiated. The Dodgers nominated Bradley for the Roberto Clemente Award that year. In January 2000, Rockies pitcher Pedro Astacio pleaded guilty in January 2000 to a misdemeanor charge of punching his pregnant wife. He started on Opening Day that year.
Milton Bradley being restrained by Eric Wedge. (Getty Images)
The two most prominent cases of team-level action after a charge of domestic violence were by the Red Sox against Wilfredo Cordero in 1997 and the Astros against Julio Lugo in 2003. Cordero was arrested in 1997 during a domestic dispute with his wife and threatened to kill her in the presence of the police. Initially the Red Sox did nothing, but following a news report that there were accusations of domestic violence during a previous divorce (including hitting his then-pregnant wife), Cordero was suspended by the team for about eight games. He pleaded guilty to assault and battery, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, making threats, and violating a restraining order. He received a 90-day suspended sentence and four months of counseling. He continued to play in the majors without further sanction until 2005.
In 2003, shortstop Lugo was arrested for hitting his wife in the face and slamming her head into the hood of a car. Lugo was charged with misdemeanor assault. The Astros released him shortly thereafter. He was signed within a week by the Rays and played in the majors through 2011. His wife reversed her testimony at trial and he was acquitted. Neither Lugo nor Cordero were star-level players, and it is likely that had they been they would been treated as the other players mentioned here were — with less of a penalty than Ray Rice got, which is to say none at all.
At no time did Commissioner Bud Selig intervene in any of these cases. Perhaps there was a behind-the-scenes phone call somewhere along the lines, but no suspensions were issued.
It's time for that to change. Baseball is not a game played by saints, nor should it be. Many of us still are in awe of what a chemically enhanced Barry Bonds did to the baseballs (in 1993, Bonds too was the subject of a domestic violence complaint, although no charges were filed after his then-wife refused to cooperate). We don't insist ballplayers be good people or role models. However, at a bare minimum, in the name of basic decency, we should insist that players, coaches, executives and owners not abuse those that they supposedly love. As consumers, we have this right. There should be clear penalties that exist for anyone who would use their wife or child as a punching bag, and it should be a hell of a lot longer than the two games (which would extrapolate to 20 in baseball) Rice is being forced to miss.
Again, Baseball's culture isn't any better or more sensitive to these issues than is Football's. In 1992, Rockies outfielder Dante Bichette struck his pregnant 19-year-old girlfriend. The story was not public at the time and there was no discipline. "Although it was very wrong, we joke about it now," he said in 1999. One wonders exactly how often they laugh about it, and why.
At no time did Commissioner Bud Selig intervene in any of these cases.
Never mind the image of the league or its players; it hurts us all when businesses such as Baseball stand by and do nothing about domestic violence. It makes our society a little more violent and a little more dangerous for those who don't have the ability to fight back when those organizations that have the benefit of a vast public following market abusers instead of punishing them. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four American women will be the victim of domestic violence in her life, and a large proportion of those men who abuse women also abuse their children. It's time for Major League Baseball to stand up, in the name of their fans, to the bullies and psychopaths who terrorize their wives and kids.
Baseball is a sport that prides itself on being part of the fabric of who we are. It's the national pastime. It "stands up to cancer." It swings pink bats on Mothers Day. It's not enough. One of the stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves is that we are better than our rivals. Smarter, stronger, morally superior. Part of being morally superior is actually being moral. Baseball doesn't currently have a responsibility to police its players off the field, but they absolutely should take on that responsibility, because of how egregiously wrong domestic abuse is and how it runs counter to what a sport predicated on fair play is about.
Chances of a trade involving the shortstop are slim at this point.
Though Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki seems to want out of Colorado after causing a stir by showing up at a Yankees' game over the weekend, the chances of a deal getting done before Thursday's trade deadline appear very slim. A league source with knowledge of the situation "very, very, very highly doubts" that Tulowitzki will be traded this week, saying that it would take "the offer of the century" to get a deal done.
Tulowitzki is having a career year, hitting .340/.432/.603 with 21 home runs and 52 RBI in 91 games for Colorado. He has been linked to the Cardinals, Yankees and Mets in trade rumors in recent weeks, but the Rockies have publicly stated that they are not willing to deal him and view him as a long-term cornerstone in Colorado.
Tulowitzki is owed roughly $124 million through 2020 with a $15 million team option for 2021. He is likely to be of interest to any team looking for a long-term answer at shortstop, but it appears that he will probably have to wait until the winter for a chance of being dealt by the Rockies.
The impending free agent could be an interesting buy-low candidate for a number of contending clubs.
The Cleveland Indians are reportedly shopping right-hander Justin Masterson, as Yahoo!'s Jeff Passan tweets that the club is "very willing" to move the impending free agent. The Indians are seeking "young, controllable" starting pitchers in return.
Masterson is scheduled to return from the disabled list Friday, meaning he won't have another opportunity to showcase his value before Thursday's trade deadline. He has been on the DL since July 8th, dealing with inflammation in his right knee that led him to exit his July 7th start against the Yankees in the third inning.
The 29-year-old Masterson is in the midst of the worst season of his career, with a 5.51 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.66 K/BB, and 0.9 WAR in 98 innings pitched. Coming into the season, he was viewed as Cleveland's ace, as he was tremendous in 2013, posting a 3.45 ERA, 110 ERA+, 3.35 FIP, 2.57 K/BB, and 3.5 WAR. Some of his struggles may be due to the knee injury, which has supposedly been "nagging" him since his second start of the season. His poor performance this year could make him an intriguing acquisition for a contender looking to upgrade the back of their rotation, as he provides a good deal of upside and is unlikely to cost too much due to his contract status.
Masterson has roughly $4 million remaining on his 2014 salary, and is eligible to become a free agent this offseason, making him a rental for any acquiring team. The Indians were reportedly discussing an extension with Masterson over the winter, but talks fell through in March as Cleveland began to worry about his recent drop in velocity. There is still time for the two sides to get something done, and Cleveland could still keep Masterson regardless, potentially offering him a qualifying offer following the season in hopes that he accepts it and looks to rebuild his stock for the 2015/16 offseason.
The Yankees are one of the teams reportedly interested in Alex Rios.
The trade deadline is looming, and the Yankees still haven't found a fourth outfielder. Carlos Beltran is reportedly close to being able to return to the field, but with the bone spur still in his elbow, it's possible that his arm could be easily aggravated. He's not an ideal backup plan. Neither is Ichiro Suzuki, who has been scuffling at the plate for the latter half of the month, with just three hits over his last 37 plate appearances, including his first home run of the season. Since Ichiro played better during the first half of the season when he got more rest, and there are questions marks about Beltran's ability to play the field, it makes sense to add an outfielder to the team. Taking into account the fact the offense has struggled mightily, there's no question as to why the Yankees are one of the teams interested in Alex Rios.
Just past the halfway point, Rios is hitting .299/.328/.428 with 101 wRC+. He's only hit four home runs this season, which is down quite a bit from his career average, but he's still having a decent season. He also has 16 SB and has been worth 0.8 fWAR. In terms of his contract, he's owed $12.5 million in 2014, then he has a $13.5 million option for next season, with a $1 million buyout.
Though he recently missed time with a sprained ankle, he has returned to the lineup, so there shouldn't be any injury concerns. The Yankees start a three-game series in Texas today, which could make it the perfect time for him to join the team before the trade deadline on Thursday. The Yankees are on Rios' no-trade list, but that doesn't mean he absolutely cannot be traded to the team. It just means that he would have to agree to it. Stranger things have happened.
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