The man with the glorious beard has been arguably the best bullpen arm we have seen in Detroit this year. But, has Joba Chamberlain pitched well enough to warrant a new contract in 2015?

When the Detroit Tigers signed Joba Chamberlain to a one-year deal this off-season, they were planning on a reclamation project. Once pegged by the New York Yankees as a front-end starter -- and then the successor to Mariano Rivera and then a starter and then a reliever again -- Chamberlain has struggled in recent years. You probably would too if you were yanked around like that.

What the Tigers were planning on was getting a good arm with a great breaking ball. Someone capable of being a difference maker with a few adjustments and a new place to call home. For the most part this is exactly what they have received.

Unfortunately, what the Tigers were not planning on was having Bruce Rondon tear a ligament in his elbow, causing him to miss the entire 2014 season. They were also not planning on Joe Nathan pitching to a 1.62 WHIP and a 5.36 ERA. They certainly did not plan on Justin Verlander struggling, Anibal Sanchez getting hurt on more than one occasion and the bullpen severely overtaxing themselves as a result. Chamberlain was left having to carry the weight as the most reliable man out of the bullpen.

His early-season successes were cause for celebration. He was borderline dominant at times, with talks of All-Star consideration and fans yelling for him to supplant Joe Nathan as the closer.

On July 23 Chamberlain was called upon to pitch out of a jam that Sanchez had found himself in. With two inherited runners already on, Chamberlain needed one pitch to get Paul Goldschmidt to ground into a double-play to end the inning. At the end of the night, his ERA was a minuscule 2.40.

With the rest of the bullpen struggling, Chamberlain was seen as a type of savior. If a Tigers' starters could just make it through seven innings, fans would only need to worry about Nathan in the ninth, because Joba was as close to a sure-fire bet as you could have.

But then he started to struggle.

Chamberlain's ERA since inducing that double-play on July 23 is 7.84, giving him a season ERA of 3.48. His batting average against in that time is .400, giving up 18 hits in 10.1 innings. He has also walked six batters.

Chamberlain certainly is not as bad as the last month has indicated. The wheels have fallen off for the majority of this Tigers team, and everyone including Chamberlain is trying to find a way to tighten up and move forward.

Regardless of whether this team ends up in the playoffs or not, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski will need to decide if Chamberlain is part of the Tigers' future. I, for one, believe that he is.

With uncertainty surrounding almost every piece of the bullpen, Chamberlain is the only relatively consistent pitchers Brad Ausmus has to run out there. His $2.5 million contract for this year is a steal, and while there is no chance that he will be resigned for anything near that, it's still possible he could be affordable enough for the Tigers. If he were to command somewhere in the $5-$6 million per year range, the Tiger's would be wise to lock him up. Given his late-season struggles, he may have lost a few suitors when the off-season arrives.

How the Tigers finish down the stretch, and what type of team we see on the field in 2015 might be another factor. You can only go all-in so many times.

By all accounts, Chamberlain seems to be very comfortable in Detroit. Detroit also seems to be very comfortable with him.

Personally, I would be more comfortable knowing that he will pitch the eighth for the next few years to come.

The Yankees take on the Royals in a makeup game from June 9 as Michael Pineda gets another shot at re-establishing himself on the mound.

#Yankees lineup vs Royals: Ellsbury CF, Jeter SS, McCann C, Beltran DH, Drew 2B, Prado LF, Headley 1B, Ichiro RF, Wheeler 3B, Pineda P.

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 25, 2014

Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira are still out of today's lineup, however it appears that neither should be anything to worry about, though Tex is out with a tight hamstring. Jacoby Ellsbury returns to the lineup with Derek Jeter and Brian McCann at the top of the order. Carlos Beltran is back out as the DH while Stephen Drew is at second base and Martin Prado is in left field. Chase Headley gets another shot at first base with Ichiro Suzuki in right and Zelous Wheeler at third base to round out the offense.

Two Yankees farmhands have been suspended for breaking the minor league baseball drug rules:

#Yankees farmhands Bo Thompson and Andy Beresford both suspended 50 games for positive tests for amphetamines, per press release.

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) August 25, 2014

While in the majors, a first time amphetamines offense wouldn't hurt much, but in the minors it means a 50-game suspension.

Beresford was drafted in the 19th round of last year's draft. In that time he has compiled a 2.67 ERA with an ugly 5.3 K/9, but solid 1.9 BB/9 in 91.0 innings between the bullpen and rotation. He'd reached as far as Low-A Charleston before the suspension. Thompson was just taken this year in the 13th round of the 2014 draft, starting out in Staten Island before struggling and getting pushed down to rookie ball. The first baseman was hitting .182/.369/.232 on the year before the suspension.

Yahoo! Sports | Jeff Passan: If the Yankees can make the playoffs, they'll be one of the teams disproving the idea that teams need healthy pitching.

New York Post | Joel Sherman: Hiroki Kuroda might be the most successful Japanese pitcher in the majors.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: Evaluating what Martin Prado, Stephen Drew, and Chase Headley have done for the team since coming over.

CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: Celebrate the anniversary of that time the Yankees hit three grand slams in one game.

It's About the Money | Matt Bove: Can the Yankees go one a run like the 1995 Yankees did at the point in the season?

LoHud | Vin Mercogliano: Despite all the injuries, the Yankees rotation is the reason the team is still in the playoff race.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: The Yankees have performed well since the position players had their team meeting.

We asked Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley a few questions about the upcoming series between the Tigers and Yankees.

The Tigers and Yankees will square off for the second time this month, but this time more is at stake. Both teams are currently in the hunt for the second AL Wild Card, with the Tigers also looking to catch the Kansas City Royals at the top of the AL Central. In order to get a bit of inside info for this week's pivotal series, we asked Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley a few questions. You can read my responses to his queries over here.

1. Masahiro Tanaka is beginning to throw again after partially tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow earlier this season. Do you think that the Yankees should shut him down in the interest of keeping him healthy for the future, or is this year's playoff push more important?

I don't think it's particularly harmful that the Yankees are taking baby steps with Tanaka in the oft-chance that he could contribute later in the season. They are still within a few games of a playoff spot, and having the opportunity to use a guy like Tanaka instead of Chris Capuano would be huge. They have a respected team of trainers and medical professionals keeping an eye on Tanaka's elbow, and given their seven-year, $155 million investment in him, I doubt that they would be trying to get him back later this year if it was a serious risk.

I trust their judgment. I'm sure that if he even suffers the slightest setback, he would just be shut down for the season. I would respect either decision because I know how much is it at stake with Tanaka's future.

2. The Yankees didn't make a big splash at the non-waiver trade deadline, instead opting to fill several holes with low profile moves. What was the team's best move at the trade deadline, and what grade would you give them overall?

It wasn't exactly at the trade deadline, but the Yankees' best midseason move was trading Vidal Nuno to the Diamondbacks for Brandon McCarthy. That trade has been an absolute steal, as the Yankees instantly improved their rotation from a replacement level (or worse) starter in Nuno to a much higher ceiling guy whose statistics beyond basic won/loss record and ERA screamed "bounce-back candidate." Nuno is off to a decent start in Arizona, but he's unlikely to maintain that going forward given his unimpressive repertoire. McCarthy however brought the cutter back into his pitch options after the Diamondbacks advised him against throwing it too much, and he has been brilliant for the Yankees. (The Diamondbacks also gave the Yankees $2 million just for the privilege of acquiring Nuno. I don't understand the Diamondbacks.)

McCarthy's ERA and FIP in eight starts with the Yankees are a minuscule 1.90 and 2.33, respectively, and his overall season home run rate has returned closer to career norms after an unusually high 1.23 HR/9 in Arizona. Even if McCarthy regresses to the stats that he maintained while pitching with Oakland in 2011 and 2012, he will still be a valuable starter down the stretch for the Yankees.

Overall, I'd give the Yankees a B+ at the deadline. They made incremental improvements to this year's team while not giving up anyone crucial to their future. That's just fine with me.

3. Derek Jeter will play his last game at Comerica Park this week, and Tigers fans are already thinking of gifts to give him. How has this year's farewell tour compared to Mariano Rivera's last season? And what is your favorite Jeter memory?

I actually wrote a bit about the difference between Rivera's farewell tour and Jeter's a week or so ago. As a full-time regular position player, Jeter was more important overall to those championship teams' success, but unlike Rivera, he has actually declined in his older age. While Rivera was still a deserving All-Star in his final season with numbers that compared favorably to just about any elite closer in baseball, Jeter has struggled in his last hurrah. No one expected his defense to be good, but his power has just vanished. In his last healthy year, Jeter slugged .429. Even in 2010, his career-low over a full season, he slugged .370. This year, his slugging percentage sits at a measly .317, just three percentage points higher than his .314 OBP. His 77 wRC+ is worse than all but three regular shortstops in baseball. It's been rough to watch. (Not #Season2Watch, as YES Network says.)

As far as the actual tour goes, I don't mind it, but I can understand why some fans around the game are a bit weary with the whole farewell tour concept. It doesn't help that this is the third year of farewell tours in a row after Chipper Jones in 2012 and Mo last year. That being said, the average fan has been turning out in bulk on the road for Jeter's last stops in each city, and there's something to be said for that. The average Internet baseball fan might be exhausted by the concept, but the average baseball fan in general seems to love it.

My favorite Jeter memory is probably the "Mr. November" homer in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series. It's very close between that and the "Flip Play" (I'm also partial to his 3,000th hit since I was actually there), but man, that series was just what New York City needed at the time. That happened while I was growing up in North Jersey, and it seemed like everyone, even some Mets fans, felt partial to the Yankees that year. The fact that the World Series was one of the greatest of all-time made it better despite Luis Gonzalez and his damn blooper. That particular game was just crazy with the late two-run homer by Tino Martinez in the ninth, then the Jeter first-row short porch against the very same pitcher! To this day, I still have no idea why Bob Brenly left Byung-Hyun Kim out there for his third inning, but I'm obviously not complaining. Prime Jeter was just a tremendous thrill to watch.

4. Speaking of Rivera, David Robertson seems to have filled his shoes without missing a beat, with 34 saves in 37 chances. Obviously, Robertson hasn't earned the same trust that Mo had with the Yankees fanbase, but do you think that he deserves to be re-signed at the end of the season? Or should the Yankees go with someone else in the ninth inning in 2015?

I would re-sign Robertson as long as he isn't demanding a crazy closer contract like the one Jonathan Papelbon received a few years ago. He's been one of baseball's most reliable relievers over the past four seasons, a feat not easily achieved by the common relief arm. Such assets are difficult to come by, and I hope the Yankees are serious about trying to bring him back. I love me some Dellin Betances, but I also remember just last April when he was a mere failed pitching prospect. I also remember how many relievers have popped up for one memorable year, then faded into oblivion. I'm relatively confident that Dellin has the ability to not end up like them, but I wouldn't ditch D-Rob just yet.

It's nice to say Dellin can take Robertson's role, but then the Yankees are locking Dellin into the ninth inning and perhaps making him less valuable since in his current role, he can still sometimes come in whenever the Yankees need him most, be it the eighth or not. Additionally, it's unclear who would take Dellin's role in the bullpen. There are some intriguing relief prospects in the likes of Jacob Lindgren ("the Strikeout Factory" just drafted this year already in Double-A), Tyler Webb, and Mark Montgomery, but the Yankees have the financial flexibility to bring a guy like Robertson back. He'd be my 2015 closer.

5. As good as their bullpen has been in 2014, the Yankees rotation has been decimated by injuries. What do you think the team's plan will be for 2015 and beyond?

I think the Yankees are going to make a play for one of the big starters hitting the free agent market. They'll probably target Jon Lester in particular since he wouldn't cost a draft pick and lefties in Yankee Stadium often go well together (see Andy Pettitte, Ron Guidry, Whitey Ford, etc.) To stay in contention, they're going to need a rotation boost, as right now, the only starters under contract for next year are Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Shane Greene, and David Phelps.

All of them carry significant question marks due to either injury or inexperience, and they could definitely use the shot in the arm that one of those free agent starters could bring. McCarthy should be brought back at the very least, and he's said that he would be open to returning. Although I suspect he will either retire or go back to Japan, if Hiroki Kuroda wanted to come back to fill one of those spots, I wouldn't be opposed to it, though maybe not at the $16 million price tag he came with this year. Nonetheless, I would expect quite a different rotation on Opening Day 2015 than what was there on Opening Day 2014.

6. The Yankees spent a ton of money last offseason, but that hasn't translated into a huge improvement in the team's win-loss record in 2014. Given the relative age of the roster and the dearth of top-end talent in the farm system (we know exactly what that feels like), are you worried about the team's ability to compete over the next 3-5 years?

Concerns over the Yankees' immediate future are quite valid. There isn't much talent in Triple-A right now aside from maybe second baseman Rob Refsnyder. There is a bit more talent as you go down the levels (Double-A: righty starter Luis Severino [BP/BA Midseason Top 50], catcher Gary Sanchez [preseason Top 100 Prospect], first baseman Greg Bird, High-A: outfielder Aaron Judge [Keith Law's Midseason Top 50 prospect], third baseman Eric Jagielo, and lefty starter Ian Clarkin).

However, while I like all of these prospects, I understand how often prospects turn into nothing, and the Yankees haven't produced a quality position player since Brett Gardner. These players have a lot to prove, and the Yankees really need an infusion of young talent to contend over the next few years as declining stars like Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira play out their hefty contracts. Maybe Severino becomes the next great Yankees starter and maybe Judge becomes a dangerous power threat in the lineup--we just don't know yet. The future freaks me out, especially since I have been lucky enough to live almost my entire life without seeing the Yankees fall under .500.

-----

Once again, a big thanks to Andrew and the rest of the staff at Pinstripe Alley. You can read my responses to his questions here. Be sure to check out Pinstripe Alley all season long for more news and analysis on the Yankees.

The Tigers and Yankees kick off a three game series at Comerica Park.

New York Yankees (68-61) at Detroit Tigers (70-59)

Time/Place: 7:08 p.m., Comerica Park

SB Nation blog:Pinstripe Alley

Media: Fox Sports Detroit, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Pitching Matchup: RHP Brandon McCarthy (8-12, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Rick Porcello (14-8, 3.10 ERA)

Brandon McCarthy has been really good since joining the Yankees last month. The Tigers found this out first-hand when he held them to an unearned run in 5 2/3 innings in a 2-1 Yankees victory on August 4th. He wasn't lights out though, as the Tigers had opportunities to score. They left the bases loaded in the second inning, then squandered another opportunity with two runners on base after McCarthy was lifted from the game in the sixth.

This is better than other teams have done against McCarthy lately. He has given up two runs or fewer in seven of his eight outings with the Yankees, including a four hit shutout of the Houston Astros in his last start. More impressive still might be his 7.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a figure that would rank fifth among qualified MLB starters if McCarthy were able to maintain it for an entire season. That said, his 5.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2014 ranks 10th. He has been able to limit the home run ball as well despite a drop in groundball rate after being traded.

Rick Porcello dominated the Yankees in their meeting earlier this month, allowing a run on nine hits in seven innings. That run was the difference against a non-existent Tigers offense, however, and Porcello took the loss. It was the first of three consecutive losses by Porcello -- one being the 19 inning game in Toronto -- until he snapped that streak in his last start with his third shutout of the season. Even with a pair of rough outings thrown into the mix, Porcello has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past two months. He has a 2.18 ERA and 3.92 strikeout-to-walk ratio since mid-June.

Hitter to fear:Jacoby Ellsbury (.615/.643/1.154 in 14 plate appearances)
Hitter to fail:Derek Jeter (.111/.111/.167 in 18 plate appearances)

Porcello's great outing against the Yankees a few weeks ago was somewhat of a surprise. His career splits against the Bronx Bombers are not very good, and even the current Yankees roster has had success against him in the past. Jacoby Ellsbury owns Porcello, with eight hits (including two home runs) in 13 at-bats. Carlos Beltran and Brendan Ryan are both 4 for 8. Ichiro Suzuki has the most plate appearances against Porcello of any current Yankee and is hitting .393. Derek Jeter and Martin Prado are the only players with a sub-.300 on-base percentage in more than three plate appearances.

Outlook

The Yankees helped out the Tigers last night, flying into Kansas City for a makeup game and leaving with an 8-1 victory. The win was New York's fifth in a row and seventh in their last nine. McCarthy has been the team's best starter during this run, a necessity given the team's lack of offense in the second half. They are scoring under four runs per game since the All-Star break, one of the lowest rates in baseball. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers can get to McCarthy this time around, though it may only take a run or two to come away with a victory.

Prediction

The Tigers offense strikes in the middle innings and win their third game in a row.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting daily $18,000 Fantasy Baseball leagues. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Click here for details.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from August 25th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 2-4 vs. Rochester Red Wings

CF Antoan Richardson 1-3, double, K
RF Ramon Flores 1-4, triple, RBI, K
2B Rob Refsnyder 0-2, 2 BB, K
1B Kyle Roller 2-3, double, RBI, K, HBP
3B Scott Sizemore 2-4
DH Corban Joseph 1-4, K

Bryan Mitchell 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, WP
Preston Claiborne 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB
Diego Moreno 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

Double-A Trenton Thunder: W 9-2 vs. Akron RubberDucks

RF Jake Cave 3-5, double, RBI, CS
C Gary Sanchez 1-5, HR, 3 RBI, K - 13th homer of the season
1B Greg Bird 2-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB, K - 7th homer w/ Trenton
CF Mason Williams 1-3, HR, 4 RBI, BB - 5th homer of the season

Daniel Camarena 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K
Nick Goody 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB

High-A Tampa Yankees: Off

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: Off

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees: W 2-1 vs. Brooklyn Cyclones

2B Jose Javier 1-4, BB, K, CS
1B Connor Spencer 1-5, K, E3 - missed catch, 5th homer of the season
LF Chris Breen 2-4, double, HR, RBI, BB, K - 7th homer of the season
C Luis Torrens 2-4

Ty Hensley 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Andrew Chin 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Rony Bautista 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Sam Agnew-Wieland 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, hit batsman

GCL Yankees 1:W 7-2 vs. GCL Phillies

2B Bryan Cuevas 4-5, double, 3 RBI, SB, CS, E4 - fielding error, 7th of the season
SS Thairo Estrada 1-4
3B Drew Bridges 2-4, BB, K
C Alvaro Noriega 2-4, double, RBI, K
LF Cesar Diaz 3-4, double

Austin DeCarr 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, E1, 2 hit batsmen
Gean Batista 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Jonny Drozd 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

GCL Yankees 2:L 2-3 vs. GCL Braves

2B Junior Valera 0-4, K
DH Chris Gittens 1-4, RBI
LF Jose Augusto Figueroa 1-4, double, K
CF Jordan Barnes 1-3

Jonathan Padilla 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, two hit batsmen
Joey Maher 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, hit batsman
Mike Noteware 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K
Felix Santiago 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

One of the biggest breakout pitchers in 2014, Dan Weigel put eyes on Severino's two most recent outings.

A prospect who was relatively unheralded entering the season, Luis Severino has exploded on to the national scene during his breakout 2014 campaign. I attended his two most recent outings, Sunday at Harrisburg and last Tuesday against New Hampshire, and will offer my thoughts on his performance, tools, and potential below. It should be noted that Severino was on a pitch count during both of these outings and threw a combined 5.2 innings, so I was not able to evaluate things like the ability to hold velocity deep into the game and the quality of his arsenal as he tires.

Severino is listed at 6’0", 195 pounds but appears taller and stronger than that. He has a solid present build with long limbs and some room to fill out. Any further concerns about his relatively small listed height are diminished by his delivery, as Severino stands very tall throughout the motion and features a high 3/4 arm slot. For this reason, he is able to generate good plane when he works down in the zone; much more than the average pitcher of his listed height.

The delivery itself has a bit of Yordano Ventura in it, in the sense that he stands very tall, has a limited follow through, and a short stride. Severino generates momentum through a quirky leg kick and explosive hips and then transfers it well to his loose arm which features plus armspeed. Out of the stretch, he keeps his leg kick very small, likely losing a bit of momentum but his times to home are quite good in the 1.1 to 1.2 range. He didn’t show a pickoff move, but with those times to home any decent defensive catcher should be able to throw out a high rate of basestealers.

Severino’s fastball hit as high as 98, but he sat comfortably in the 93 to 95 range. The offering featured good life at the higher velocities and good arm side run at the lower velocities, but was effective throughout. He was very aggressive with the pitch, attacking hitters in all quadrants of the zone and challenging them to hit his best heat, which they often could not. His command of the pitch was solid, especially for a young pitcher with plus velocity. This is already a plus pitch, but if he can tighten his command a bit more this offering could become even better. Grade: 60/70

His best offspeed offering was an 83-85 MPH changeup, which featured good arm side run and was sold extremely well. Opposing hitters had a very difficult time distinguishing it from the fastball and he was able to generate frequent swings and misses and weak contact with the pitch. One minor concern is a bit of inconsistency, as he slowed his arm down and tried to place the pitch a few times, but this is not unusual for a young pitcher and not frequent enough to cause significant concern. This is an out pitch that will be very effective at the Major League level. Grade: 60/65

The third offering is the 83-85 MPH slider, which shows flashes of being an above average pitch but is far too inconsistent at present. When thrown well, it has sharp two-plane break and generates swings and misses, but Severino threw far too many flat sliders over the plate in my looks. Apart from one fastball down the middle that Dalton Pompey crushed, the slider was the only pitch opposing hitters were able to square up. Consisteny of this pitch will go a long way in determining his future role, and so even though presently plays below average, it could be a third effective weapon in due time. There is a large gap between present and future grades with this offering, and I believe it will ultimately grade at or near its potential as a plus pitch. Grade: 40/60

Severino possess solid-average command and decent pitchability. He certainly enjoys blowing fastballs by hitters but also shows some ability to work a hitter and engage in the 95 MPH chess match. He was a bit more erratic in the second look, throwing 57 pitches in 2.2 innings, but was able to hit a spots often as well. I was also pleased with his ability to establish in fastball inside to right handed hitters, sometimes even off the plate. He repeatedly threw to that spot and was able to hit it with regularity.

Additionally, I was able to see Severino react after running into a bit of trouble in each outing. In the first look, he was displeased after surrendering a two run home run to Dalton Pompey and was angry in the second look after leaving a hittable slider over the plate then falling behind in the count to the next hitter. Both times, however, he was able to turn his anger into positive energy and retire the next batter and often with a spike in velocity. That’s a good sign for his competitiveness and makeup, neither of which I see no reason to question.

Severino is a very good prospect with three potentially above average pitches who should occupy a spot in the Yankees’ rotation soon. I would like to see him develop more consistency with the slider before moving him up, but he is getting close to a finished product. I think the slider will improve and be a weapon at the Major League level, but even if it is stagnant Severino could be a very good late innings reliever without it. That’s a good high-floor, high ceiling combination that should excite the Yankees and their fans. His breakout is real and I believe Severino is here to stay.

There are a few different future outcomes for this player, so instead of just doing a present and future grade I will offer a floor, a ceiling, and a most likely outcome.

Floor: Set Up Man

Ceiling: Number Two Starter

Most likely: Number Three Starter

. . .

Dan Weigel, whose hobbies include driving long distances to watch Double-A games, is a contributing writer at Minor League Ball and Beyond the Box Score. You can follow him on Twitter at @DanWiggles38.

Being a utility guy isn't easy by any stretch, but can the burden impact a player's hitting? It just doesn't seem terribly likely.

During the course of Monday's YES broadcast, the discussion of Martin Prado's "comfortability" at certain positions came up, not in regards to his defense, but how he performs offensively while starting at various positions. According to Michael Kay, the Arizona Diamondbacks believed Prado to be at his best while playing third base, to which Ken Singleton said that Prado seemed to be most in his element at second base. There was a bit of irony that no one thought Prado was most comfortable in the outfield on a night he went 2-for-4 with a homer while patrolling left field. A lot of theories were flying around early on after Prado's acquisition as to why he wasn't hitting well, and evidently some people questioned the plan to bounce him around the field as a super-utility type. He was struggling in Arizona, so perhaps he had been used improperly. Is there really any weight behind it?

Prado said early on in his time in New York that he wouldn't mind being used around the field, so the Yankees have obliged. For his career, Prado's three primary positions have been second base (1,059 PA), third base (1,526 PA) and left field (1,057 PA). His results at those positions?

3B: 90 wRC+

2B: 128 wRC+

LF: 113 wRC+

So the Diamondbacks' thoughts on the matter don't appear accurate, but Singleton's seem to have more merit behind them. Is then the proper way to play Prado to keep him at second base on a day-to-day basis? To not shift him all over the field?

I think this may just be another reminder that correlation does not equal causation. While the stats are there and of a decent sample size, it's important that there be evidence to support the legitimacy of the statistics. Why would playing third base have made Prado sport a walk percentage below five this year? Is the preparation for playing a different position from night to night so difficult that it would impact his contact and line drive rates? This is one of those situations I think it's just best to leave to the manager's discretion. If Girardi thinks he can handle it and Prado says he has no issues playing multiple positions, it's better to just chalk the numbers up to coincidence rather than cripple a player's versatility.

When a player goes from being stuck in a total rut to hitting a line drive every other at bat, there's an inclination for announcers, writers, and the like to want to prescribe a theory as to why it is occurring. Sometimes it's abstract stuff like team chemistry or being comfortable at a certain position, other times it's tangible things like batting stance or a return to health. I'm of the belief that usually (but not always) it's just a player regressing to the mean or a string of good fortune. Prado is a quality hitter that was most likely to hit as his career numbers would suggest given enough time. Whether he's playing second, third, or a corner outfield spot just isn't very likely to be a determining factor.

The Yankees are pitching well. The Yankees are also doing that other thing called "scoring runs" as well. This is the kind of winning combination that could help the Yankees vault over the Tigers on their quest for the playoffs

Comment of the Game

LTL was not too fond of the lineup today.

Then he felt bad for questioning the genius of Girardi and the binder (also commonly and correctly known as "Girinder")

Best GIF of the Recap

According to NoMahbles, Victor's feeling a tad more bad-ass lately. Probably has to do with the recent surge of offense.

Honorable Mod Mention

I don't believe there's a more honorable cause than a free t-shirt giveaway. Especially if you consider the price. Nevertheless, Matt F tried to win, but was a tad off in his prediction. Better luck next time!

Best Comments of the Day

It's rare that we take a COTD from the Game Thread, but this one was most worthy of the COTD accolade. This description of how aliasalias became a Yankees fan is nothing short of awesome. A great reminder that location isn't the only way you become a fan of a team.

Fun Questions

• How many strikeouts for Brandon McCarthy tonight?
• Do you have a favorite Simpsons episode? If so, which one?

Who are these Tigers and what have they done with the group that has romped to three division titles in a row? Rob Rogacki explains.

Earlier this week, Rob Rogacki at the SB Nation Tigers blog Bless You Boys e-mailed us and asked if we would be interested in doing an e-mail interview for the site, and I obliged--you can read my answers to his questions here. In response, I also sent him some questions to answer about the Tigers, as they have had a very odd season. They're obviously still an elite team, and they are ahead of the Yankees in the playoff race, though half a game behind the Mariners for a playoff spot at the moment.

Still, it's weird that this team that seemed so stacked with elite talent is not currently running away with the division. The Royals have shocked baseball and they currently lead the Tigers by a game and a half in the AL Central despite the Tigers acquiring David Price at the trade deadline. So what does Rob think about these Tigers?

AM: What on Earth has happened to the Tigers over the past couple months? I understand that the Royals are red hot, but I never expected them to be in front of Detroit. The Tigers have been basically a .500 team since the beginning of June. What have been the biggest problems?

RR: This has to be one of the streakiest Tigers teams I have ever watched. They started off the season with a scalding 27-12 record, then fell back to earth with a brutal 9-20 stretch. Just as the Royals passed them (the first time), they bounced back with a 17-6 stretch to close out the first half. The second half has been another prolonged slump, though they seem to be treading water with a 7-5 record in their last 12 games.

There are several reasons why the team has been this up and down, but in my eyes, the offense is the main culprit. You saw this first-hand during the last series between these two teams when the Tigers scored a total of six runs in four games. They have scored 4.38 runs per game in the second half, down from the 4.8 they averaged during the first half. At one point, only five players had a wRC+ above 100 in the second half, and one of them plays for the Mariners now. Ian Kinsler had a .515 OPS at the top of the lineup before bouncing back during last week's road trip, and the new center field platoon of Rajai Davis and Ezequiel Carrera hasn't been much better.

The other main problem has been the team's health. While the Tigers' injury problems are nowhere near to the extent of many other clubs (your Yankees included), they have started to pile up recently. Both Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander have missed time in August, resulting in guys like Robbie Ray and Buck Farmer seeing big league innings that they are not ready for. Case in point: the Tigers gave up 32 runs in the two games that those two started last weekend. Once the team gets healthy -- Verlander is back already, though probably won't start again until Friday -- the "super rotation" should start to shine again.

AM: Rick Porcello has been terrific this year after a couple up-and-down seasons even though he's posted a lower strikeout rate than in years past. What's the difference? What has helped him turn the corner?

RR: Like Max Scherzer last season, Porcello has finally found a way to get left-handed hitters out. Porcello has allowed a .796 OPS and .348 wOBA to lefties in his career while holding righties in check. This year, lefties have a .673 OPS and .298 wOBA despite the lower strikeout rate. It's tough to say exactly why Porcello has been so successful because his batted ball profile this year is nearly identical to his career numbers, save for one area: home runs. Porcello has only given up five home runs to left-handed hitters this year, down from 11 last season.

The team's slightly improved infield defense has also helped out, as Porcello's overall BABIP has dipped from .315 last season to .276 this season. His .215 BABIP on ground balls is well below the league average of .250, and I imagine that a good number of those outs have gone to the right side of the infield. Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez have not provided any measurable improvement on the left side, but Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera have been far more effective (combined 15.0 UZR) than Omar Infante and Prince Fielder were in 2013 (-3.2).

AM: Miggy is still an elite hitter, but his .308/.375/.501 triple slash with a 139 wRC+ pales in comparison to his otherworldly numbers from the previous four campaigns. Obviously he remains a very dangerous threat in the lineup, but are you concerned at all about Miggy declining? Has he been going through some injury problems this year, or is it just age and no player being unable to sustain that pace forever? Are we just spoiled as baseball fans to have witnessed Miggy do what he did with the bat from 2010-13?

RR: Injury problems and age-related decline are not mutually exclusive theories on why Cabrera's numbers are down, but I would wager that a great deal of his drop in production is due to the core muscle repair surgery he had last offseason. His HR/FB rate is just 11.4% this year, down from 25.4% last season. It has not been below 18% in any season since he arrived in Detroit either. That's a long way to drop off in one year based on age alone, and Cabrera himself has admitted to not being 100% since having the surgery last October. Other than the power, Cabrera has basically been the same hitter he usually is, and his league-leading 40 doubles (on pace for a career high) have partially offset the drop-off in home runs. I don't know if we're ever going to see another 191 wRC+ season from him, but I would be very surprised if he doesn't bounce back with another season in the 150-160 range in 2015.

AM: Building on the question about Miggy, how concerned are you with the Tigers' future? Owner Mike Ilitch is more focused on winning now while they have a strong core, and I don't fault him for that. However, those hefty contracts to Miggy and Justin Verlander could look very ugly within a couple years. (Verlander's already looks particularly awful.) How long do you think Detroit's window will be open? Are there any young bright spots aside from Nick Castellanos? And why oh why did they trade Doug Fister?

RR: Let's work backwards here. The decision to trade Doug Fister was part of Dave Dombrowski's plan to provide sustainable success for the franchise. They wanted to get Drew Smyly into the starting rotation -- and for good reason, based on his numbers this year -- and Fister was their most tradeable asset at the time. The return was horrid, especially if Ian Krol continues with his new-found love of never getting anyone out. Castellanos is another bright spot who has been better than the numbers indicate, and Eugenio Suarez was a nice little surprise as well.

That said, this team is still highly invested in winning now. Dombrowski coughed up Smyly and center fielder Austin Jackson for David Price at the trade deadline, and gave up a couple of the team's best prospects for Joakim Soria just about two weeks earlier. Plus, Mike Ilitch has built this team based off of the Steinbrenner "fans pay to see stars" business model. It's anyone's guess as to how long the team will sustain this level of payroll, especially if they do get that championship Ilitch so desperately wants.

Basically, all hope rests on Dave Dombrowski's shoulders if the team is to avoid becoming the next incarnation of the Philadelphia Phillies. He was able to wiggle out from under Prince Fielder's contract, but I'm not sure whether he will be able to pull that Houdini act a second time if the team needs to clear more salary.

AM: Rookie manager Brad Ausmus had big shoes to fill in Jim Leyland, who was a potential Hall of Fame manager. It can be hard to determine for fans, but what do you think have been Ausmus's strengths in his first year? How does he compare to Leyland? Is anything he does particularly better or worse, or is it too soon to tell? Most importantly, why do people think Mike Matheny is more attractive than him?

RR: I still think it is too early to determine Ausmus' strengths and weaknesses as a manager, particularly because of how differently he handles the media. We had Chris Iott, a Tigers beat writer, on our podcast last week, and he described how Leyland could be much more comfortable and open with the media while Ausmus has been more reserved during his press conferences.

On the field, the two have been much more similar than many fans were anticipating. Despite his age, Ausmus has not been the saber-friendly savant that many of us were hoping for. However, he has shown the ability to adjust on the fly, particularly with the team's running game. Early in the season, the Tigers were very aggressive on the basepaths. Through the first three months of the season, the Tigers attempted 83 steals in 79 games. Their success rate, a paltry 67 percent, prompted Ausmus to slow things down. Since July 1st, they have attempted 40 steals in 50 games and have been successful 30 times. Sure, some of this is entirely based on opportunity -- their speedsters haven't been getting on base very often lately -- but part of it is Ausmus realizing his teams strengths and weaknesses, and putting them to good use.

While I won't be one to begrudge those who prefer the ruggedness of Mike Matheny, I'm sure our fans are happy with the clean-cut Ivy Leaguer in our dugout. After all, there is only one MLB manager with his own shirtless photoshoot circulating around the internet right now.

AM: Given the Tigers' recent AL Central success has there been an influx of bandwagon fans among the fanbase? How do you feel about them--are you supportive? Indifferent? Annoyed? Do you begrudge them for not staying loyal fans throughout the lean years in Detroit from 1994-2005?

RR: I tend to have a love-hate relationship with the team's bandwagon fans. It comes with the territory when you root for a successful team -- something you know all about, as Yankees fans -- but it can get to be somewhat infuriating at times. This season has been particularly trying, as Tigers fans have been trying to write this team off ever since they went through a 9-20 stretch during the first half. This team has sky-high expectations after making it to the ALCS in three consecutive seasons, and every loss seems to pull more and more Chicken Littles out of the woodwork. While it would be fun to have a full year without bandwagon fans, I'm not ready to return to the 90+ loss seasons yet.

We are absolutely behind the new-look Yankees.

Horse head on a player alert! pic.twitter.com/FvmwJYwlP3

— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2014

When you're on a win streak you don't upset the apple cart. Some players might wear the same shoes every game, or fail to wash an undershirt. The New York Yankees have stumbled across their good luck charm, and it just so happens to be a creepy horse mask.

Relief pitcher Shawn Kelley and the club is 5-0 since Kelley started donning the mask as part of his pre-game regimen. The 26-year-old right- hander has been wearing the latex horse head to entertain his team since he bought it on Amazon.com, now it's become a critical staple of the team's daily routine.

Personally, we hope the rest of the Yankees take up the same method. A whole stampede of dead-eyed horses running onto the field in glory. It will be perfect.

h/t Yahoo Sports

As the legendary shortstop's career comes to a close, we can speculate about who will fill his shoes next season.

When Derek Jeter hangs up his cleats and moves on to whatever awaits him after 20 years of hitting singles and winning championships, the Yankees will need to find someone to fill the six hole.

The replacement won't come from the farm system, at least not for a few seasons, with Dominican shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo expected to hit the majors around 2017. But the Yankees will likely have several legitimate options to draw from this offseason, when shortstops like Hanley Ramirez and J.J. Hardy are set to hit the market with expiring contracts.

Jeter's legacy will be difficult for the Yankees to replace, if not impossible, but his performance on the field this season won't be. In his final year, the Yankees shortstop has posted a UZR/150 clip of -12.7—understandable in an age 40 season but still a detriment to the team's infield. Jeter has also registered only 17 extra-base hits with a .314 OBP that falls a hair under the MLB average of .315, which means that whoever replaces him will likely be a significant upgrade over his glove and perhaps even his bat.

Here, we'll take a look at the most likely candidates to play shortstop for the Yankees next season, though it's important to keep in mind that the team's thin farm system and collection of bloated veteran contracts severely limits some of the options.

J.J. Hardy

Hardy, 32, is in the final year of his contract with the Orioles, and he has passed the official age threshold that makes him eligible to sign with the Yankees.

In May, an agent unaffiliated with Hardy told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the O's shortstop would be a good fit to replace Jeter, calling Hardy "steady and unassuming" with a "low-maintenance personality" that "would make him well-suited to replace the legend."

Hardy could also be just affordable enough for the Yankees, but not quite so for the Orioles. He makes $7 million this season, a figure that will rise next season but also shouldn't reach a Jeter-esque total. Hardy's main draw is his consistent fielding—he's never produced a negative zone rating—but he can also hit for power. His offensive numbers aren't off the charts (career 96 OPS+) but there's certainly something to be said for a shortstop who can always reliably field his position.

Jed Lowrie

Lowrie's impending free agency might be a non-issue because the Athletics' loss of Addison Russell in the Jeff Samardzija deal could force Billy Beane to pursue an extension.

But Lowrie, who hit .290 with a .791 OPS in 154 games last year, could come cheaper than some of the other shortstops on the market (if the A's fail to sign him) because of the injury risk he presents. He'd never played 100 games before 2013 (he debuted in 2008), and this year could mark another non-full season if he doesn't recover soon from his fractured right index finger. The Yankees might deem him worth the risk if they can work out a short-term contract.

Asdrubal Cabrera

Cabrera isn't necessarily a glamorous choice to replace Jeter because of his down performances in recent seasons, both offensively and defensively, but the idea here is that the Yankees could be buying low on Cabrera in the hopes that he'd replicate his 2011 performance (25 homers, 92 RBI, .792 OPS) while playing in a hitter-friendly environment.

Recent struggles could make Cabrera more affordable, but he still comes with a few red flags. His fielding has been steadily below average (negative zone ratings in all but his first season) and he's in the midst of a second straight down year offensively. But he's showing signs of returning to his previous levels of success since being traded to the Nationals, where he has an .809 OPS in 85 plate appearances with unusually good plate discipline (12 walks vs. 10 strikeouts). That could prompt the Yankees to make a move for Cabrera if his production continues through the end of the season.

Troy Tulowitzki

Right off the bat, this deal seems almost impossible because the Yankees don't have the top prospect the Rockies will understandably want in exchange for their shortstop.

But Tulowitzki has proven time and time again that he's unable to stay healthy, which could lower the Rockies' asking price—or rather, how much they can reasonably expect for Tulo.

There are a few other factors that the Yankees could use to their advantage in negotiations, like Tulowitzki's less impressive (but still phenomenal) road statistics and the fact that he's getting tired of losing on the perennially below-.500 Rockies.

Still, this one's a big stretch. The Yankees could start with right-hander Dellin Betances (who has a 1.42 ERA with a 13.4 K/9 rate in 76 innings this season) and top prospect Aaron Judge, then throw in another prospect and maybe an estbalished hitter.  Also worth considering: The Rockies have to get their pitching from somewhere, and the free agent market hasn't proven to be a viable option. (Then again, a team like the Mets might be a better option for acquiring young pitching talent.)

And yet, stranger things have happened.

Hanley Ramirez

Like Hardy, Lowrie and Cabrera, Ramirez is set to enter free agency this offseason, though he'll likely command a significantly higher salary than any of them.

Ramirez, who's reaching the end of a three-year, $46 million contract, is hitting .274/.363/.450 this season—excellent production at a position lacking solid everyday players. The Dodgers will likely make an effort to re-sign Hanley, with the team's seemingly endless supply of cash reserves and the lack of replacement options at the position, but if he enters the market, expect the Yankees to pursue him.

The Yankees will soon have something of a log-jam at catcher behind Brian McCann. Francisco Cervelli might be the one to go.

Francisco Cervelli's been with the Yankees for quite some time now. Originally signed out of Venezuela way back in 2003, Cervelli broke in with the Yanks in 2008, making him one of just five current Yankees to have played for the team in the old stadium. Along the way, he's caught hundreds of Yankee pitchers -- from Carl Pavano to Masahiro Tanaka, served a 50-game PED suspension, and evencelebrated a World Series victory with A-Rod and Jay-Z.

Cervelli's never been the main guy behind the plate, but has been a part of the Yankees' catching situation for six years now. And although he was a glove-first player for most of his career, he's shown signs of life with the bat the past couple of years, hitting .275/.352/.456 -- way more than adequate for a catcher. Couple that with his much-improved defense, and Cervelli's developed into a pretty decent player. However, beyond this year, the 28-year-old's future with the Yankees looks a little uncertain.

Brian McCann will be entrenched as the team's starting catcher for at least the next two or three years, and there's certainly no shortage of able-bodied receivers behind him. With McCann, Cervelli, John Ryan Murphy, Austin Romine, and Gary Sanchez, the Yankees will have a glut of MLB-ready catchers to juggle next season, and Cervelli could wind up being without a seat when the music stops. Cervelli's entering into his second year of arbitration, which means he'll likely make a bit more than Murphy and Romine next year. It wouldn't be at all surprising if the Yankees dealt Cervelli this winter, opting to roll with one of their lower-cost options as McCann's caddy.

One thing that could be Cervelli's saving grace is his ability to frame pitches. Between this year and last, he's saved an impressive 14 runs more than the average catcher, according to Baseball Prospectus. The Yankees are one of only a few teams who seem to fully buy into the value of pitch framing, meaning they probably value Cervelli more than many of their potential trade partners. But the same can also be said about Murphy and Romine, who are good framers in their own right. Sanchez, on the other hand, is a shaky defender by all accounts, who has "no feel for pitch framing" according to a recent scouting report from Baseball Prospectus. Given how highly the Yankees value catcher defense, they might try to deal him now while some teams still think he can be a serviceable catcher. Basically the Jesus Montero drill all over again.

The Yankees have a bit of a log jam behind the plate. Sanchez will be ready to start next season in Triple-A, which would leave the Bombers with five serviceable catchers between the organization's two highest levels. Something's gotta give. Plus, the Yankees will have quite a few holes to fill this winter, and catcher is the only position where they really have any sort of surplus to trade from.

Yankees fans spent much of 2009-2012 lamenting Cervelli's impotent bat and inability to throw out runners, but he's since turned himself into a pretty solid player. Between his league average-ish bat and superior defensive abilities, a healthy Cervelli could be a be a three-win player over a full season of games -- easily good enough to start on more than a few MLB teams. Staying healthy has been something of an issue for Cervelli the last couple of years, but even so, there would be no shortage of suitors should the Yankees decide to dangle him this offseason.

The Yankees have a small army of catchers on their roster, making it pretty likely that one of them will be dealt this winter, and Cervelli seems like one of the more likely candidates. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of Cervelli -- and the rest of the Yankees catchers -- as the Yankees figure out their catching situation in the coming months.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus.

The Yankees go for their sixth win in a row against the Tigers in a battle for a wild card spot. If Brandon McCarthy can keep the Tigers off the board the team might have a chance at pushing Detroit further out of the playoff picture.

Tonight's lineup: Ellsbury 8 Jeter DH McCann 2 Teixeira 3 Beltran 9 Prado 4 Drew 6 Headley 5 Ichiro 7 McCarthy 1

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) August 26, 2014

Brett Gardner is still out of the lineup after taking a foul ball off his ankle a few days ago. He hopes to be available in tonight's game, but we'll see what happens. In the meantime Jacoby Ellsbury leads off while Derek Jeter is the designated hitter. Brian McCann and Mark Teixeira follow with Carlos Beltran in right field and Martin Prado at second base. Stephen Drew gets a shot at shortstop again, which makes it look like the Yankees have kind of pulled the plug on that whole second baseman idea. Chase Headley is back at third base and Ichiro Suzuki actually gets a chance in left field tonight.

The Yankees announced the prospects they will be sending to the Arizona Fall League in a few months. Pitchers Caleb Cotham, Branden Pinder and Alex Smith, along with position players Greg Bird, Eric Jagielo, Aaron Judge, and Tyler Austin will all be on the Scottsdale Scorpions team. Josh Norris of Baseball America also says that the organization will also send a catcher over to the AZL, meaning anyone from Gary Sanchez to Luis Torrens to Francisco Arcia could be on the team come October.

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.

After an hour-long rain delay, the game got underway as the Yankees tried to make it 6–0 for the first time this season and the Tigers attempted to stay within the playoff race. Unfortunately for Yankees fans, things didn't go so well and the night ended up going to Detroit.

It was painfully clear that Brandon McCarthy just didn't have his best stuff in the early goings of the night. In the bottom of the second inning, the righty surrendered a single, walked a batter and hit a batter to load the bases. He then lost the plate again against J.D. Martinez to walk in the first run of the night. While he was able to get out of trouble, the Tigers got another run off of him in the next inning. McCarthy surrendered a double to Miguel Cabrera and Martinez came up again and promptly drove him in to make it a 2–0 game in favor of the Tigers.

McCarthy got taken for a ride in the sixth when Victor Martinez singled and, J.D. Martinez, going 3-3 off the Yankees hurler, doubled. A single and a groundout later and the Tigers had another two runs off McCarthy. He was knocked out of the game in the seventh after he surrendered a hustle double to Rajai Davis and Torii Hunter plated him for the Tigers' fifth run of the night.

When it was all said and done, McCarthy gave up five earned runs on nine hits and two walks, while striking out five in 6.1 innings. Sure, he gave the team some innings, but the Yankees, especially this offense, wasn't going to do anything with that kind of pitching. Esmil Rogers came in and offered 1.2 innings of relief, striking out three batters, and at least keeping the Yankees within striking distance of a late-innings comeback that never happened.

After a true offensive breakout against the Royals on Monday, the Yankee offense fell back into its anemic ways, managing only two runs tonight. There was some offensive activity from the order in the first few innings, but the Yankees didn't get on the board until the fifth when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a solo home run. The team didn't get anything going again until the eighth when Ellsbury hit another dinger to score New York's second, and only other run.

Aside from Ellsbury's 3-4 night, Derek Jeter and Carlos Beltran both collected two hits, while Brian McCann and Ichiro Suzuki each had hits of their own. The offense didn't seem completely inept, like they have in the past, they just couldn't get anything going against Rick Porcello, who allowed a total of nine hits, while only striking out two batters, but still managed to limit the Yankees to just two runs over 8.0 innings. Not even the incredibly awful Joe Nathan had trouble putting away the Yankees lineup in the ninth.

Maybe the Yankees will recover from here and take the next two games, but this is the series that they absolutely need to start performing for. They have a chance to knock Detroit down a peg this series, but they need to find a way to score runs again if they actually want to be a legitimate contender for the wild card. I know, I know; same old problem, different day. But it needs to happen.

Yahoo! Sports | Jeff Passan: The Yankees are undefeated since Shawn Kelley started wearing a horse head.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: Take a closer look at Michael Pineda's filthy slider from the Monday night.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty:Derek Jeter has been playing a lot less shortstop recently.

MLB Daily Dish | Jasper Scherer: Candidates to replace Derek Jeter include J.J. Hardy, Jed Lowrie, Asdrubal Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez, and Troy Tulowitzki.

Baseball Prospectus | Jeff Moore: Greg Bird's power and patience makes him a threat at the plate, especially on Monday night.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: With trade deadline additions, the return of Michael Pineda, and a hot streak, the Yankees are suddenly in contention.

Just A Bit Outside | Jon Paul Morosi: Derek Jeter deserves a warm homecoming in Detroit this year.

The Tigers will look to solve Yankees starter Shane Greene in their second meeting against the rookie right-hander this season. David Price will take the mound for the Tigers.

New York Yankees at Detroit Tigers

Time/Place: 7:08 p.m., Comerica Park

SB Nation blog:Pinstripe Alley

Media: Fox Sports Detroit, ESPN, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Pitching Matchup: RHP Shane Greene (3-1, 3.17 ERA) vs. LHP David Price (12-9, 3.00 ERA)

Shane Greene turned in arguably the best start of his young career against the Tigers earlier this month, tossing eight shutout innings in a 1-0 Yankees victory. He scattered five hits and three walks, allowing at least one baserunner in five of his eight innings. It wasn't quite as dominant of a performance as he had against the Baltimore Orioles in July -- he struck out nine in that game -- but it's really hard to hit when a pitcher does this.

via www.brooksbaseball.net

This type of location is nothing new for Greene, as he has pounded the lower half of the strike zone in his eight starts this season. Like Rick Porcello yesterday, Greene has benefitted from some solid infield defense (and a bit of luck). His .227 BABIP on ground balls is well below the league average of .250, and he's generating grounders at a 54.3 percent rate. He generated 14 ground balls in his start against the Tigers, including a pair of double plays.

While the grounders have been Greene's bread and butter during his rookie campaign, he has also shown the ability to put up some high strikeout totals. I already mentioned his nine strikeouts against the Orioles in July, but Greene hit double digits against the Tampa Bay Rays in his start immediately following his outing against the Tigers, fanning 10 in six innings. He also struck out seven against the Chicago White Sox in his last start, but left after throwing 92 pitches in five innings.

David Price has also racked up some gaudy strikeout numbers during his brief tenure in Detroit. He struck out nine Rays in his last start, the infamous one-hit loss that set the Tigers fanbase on edge. While the offense was nonexistent -- more on that later -- Price was brilliant, with no walks in his eight innings of work. It was his third outing of at least eight innings since arriving in Detroit and his second consecutive start without allowing a home run.

Hitter to fear:Brian McCann (.417/.462/1.167 in 13 plate appearances)
Hitter to fail:Stephen Drew (.077/.143/.231 in 14 plate appearances)

Brian McCann doesn't have the sustained success against Price that some of his teammates do -- Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury are both hitting above .300 in 50+ plate appearances -- but the Yankees' backstop has done some serious damage this season. He is 4 for 10 with three home runs and five RBI in three games, including a solo shot off Price on August 5th. Stephen Drew has not faced Price yet this year, but was 0 for 10 with five strikeouts against Price in the 2013 regular season. He is 2 for 22 against Tigers pitching this season.

Outlook

Don't look now, but the Tigers offense might be starting to perk up. The hard-luck loss in Price's last start was frustrating, but it marked the only game last week where they failed to score at least four runs. They scored 45 runs during last week's road trip, and are now averaging 4.6 runs per game in the month of August. Victor Martinez's big month (.992 OPS) has carried the team, but Alex Avila's .804 OPS has also been helpful. J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos both have an OPS above .700 this month, while Castellanos' 13 RBI are tied for second on the team. If the team can continue their recent hot streak, they could do some serious damage against the rest of the AL Central in September.

Prediction

The Tigers keep rolling with another well-played game on both sides of the ball.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting daily $18,000 Fantasy Baseball leagues. It's $2 to join and first prize is $2,000. Click here for details.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from August 26th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Off

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 5-0 vs. Akron RubberDucks

CF Jake Cave 2-4, double, RBI
C Gary Sanchez 0-3, BB, K, pickoff
3B Rob Segedin 2-4, double, 2 K
RF Mason Williams 2-4, double, K
SS Ali Castillo 1-4, RBI

Jaron Long 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K - 2.30 ERA w/ Trenton
Jacob Lindgren 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K - 48 strikeouts in 24.2 IP this season
Mark Montgomery 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K

High-A Tampa Yankees:W 4-1 vs. Clearwater Threshers

CF Mark Payton 3-4, double, RBI, K - batting .300 w/ Tampa
3B Eric Jagielo 2-4, double, K
RF Aaron Judge 0-3, BB
1B Mike Ford 2-3, double, BB

Caleb Smith 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Ramon Benjamin 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB
Chris Smith 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, K
Cesar Vargas 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 1-2 vs. Greenville Drive

SS Abiatal Avelino 0-3, K
2B Gosuke Katoh 0-2, 2 BB
LF Michael O'Neill 1-3, double, BB, 2 K, SB, OF assist
CF Claudio Custodio 1-4, double

Justin Kamplain 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Angel Rincon 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Stefan Lopez 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R/0 ER, 1 BB, K

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 2-8 vs. Brooklyn Cyclones

1B Connor Spencer 3-4, double - batting .358 this season
LF Chris Breen 1-3, RBI, BB, K
2B Ty McFarland 1-4, double, RBI
DH Luis Torrens 1-4, 2 K
SS Jose Javier 1-3, K, 2 E6 - two fielding errors, 10th and 11th this season

Jordan Cote 3 IP, 7 H, 5 R/4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Sean Carley 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R/1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Ethan Carnes 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Tim Giel 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

GCL Yankees 1:L 1-3 vs. GCL Phillies

SS Jorge Mateo 0-2, K
2B Bryan Cuevas 1-3, HR, RBI, BB, 2 K - 2nd homer of the season
DH Thairo Estrada 1-4, K
RF Alexander Palma 1-4, K
CF Leonardo Molina 1-4, K

Luis Cedeno 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K - 1.13 ERA this season
Reynaldo Polanco 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Matt Marsh 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Jonny Drozd 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R/1 ER, 0 BB, K

GCL Yankees 2:W 2-1 vs. GCL Braves

2B Junior Valera 1-4, triple
SS Angel Aguilar 1-2, BB, E6 - throwing error, 8th of the season
1B Jake Hernandez 2-5, 2 doubles, K
DH Chris Gittens 0-2, RBI, 2 BB
RF Kevin Alexander 2-3, 2 BB
3B Tyler Palmer 1-4, 2 K

Cale Coshow 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
Derek Callahan 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Jose Pena 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, hit batsman

First baseman Yozzen Cuesta and left-handed pitcher Misael Siverio will host a showcase on Friday.

The Yankees decided to pass on Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo, but they could still sign one of the other Cuban prospects out there. Yozzen Cuesta and Misael Siverio will host a showcase in Florida this coming Friday. Considering that nearly every team sent scouts to Castillo's showcase, it's likely that someone from the Yankees will be in attendance.

Cuesta is a  6'2", 220-pound first baseman. There's very little information about him available, other than that he recently became eligible to sign with clubs. The 25-year-old is described as having "some power" and other team's interest could have something to do with the fact that's he's one of the younger first base options on the free agent market for 2015. The Yankees do already have Mark Teixeira locked up through 2016, so they don't necessarily need a first baseman, but it wouldn't hurt to check him out at the showcase. It'll be interesting to hear how he does and to hear some scouting reports.

There is a lot more information available about Siverio, a left-handed pitcher said to be 5'9". His best pitch is reportedly his curveball, which he'll throw on any count. His fastball is said to sit around 86-87 mph and run in on righties. He has been bounced around between the rotation and the bullpen quite a bit, though he's been in the rotation most recently. During his career in Cuba, he had a 3.24 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 through 518 IP. Over the winter, Siverio pitched in Mexico with a 2.45 ERA. The Cuban manager said that Siverio wasn't that good of a pitcher and that he was only on the team cause he was a lefty, but he drew interest from teams back in May during a showcase that the Yankees attended.

Which Cuban free agent are you most interested in the Yankees pursuing and why?

After losing the first game of the series to the Tigers, the Yankees will rely on Shane Greene to start another winning streak tonight. His opponent on the mound will be David Price.

Comment of the Game

It was a light thread yesterday, so not that many comments got the rec. However, River Ave U's response to one of Blob's classic posts did, and thus wins. Blanky came in a strong second though.

Best GIF of the Recap

Cory Braiterman did not approve of this loss.

Honorable Mod Mention

When a member of her site is not having the best of days, our Khaleesi comes through with a great response to try and cheer said member up.

Best Comments of the Day

Finally, our COTD goes to selftitled85, because it's a photo of Shawn Kelley in a horse mask. Since the Yankees lost last night, we may never know how long the horse mask good luck charm continues. Seriously though, this has been one of the silliest years in recent Yankees history. From this to Foul Territory with Mark Teixeira, it's a bit refreshing.

Fun Questions

• Favorite nickname or pun-name for Shane Greene?
• Best food around where you live?