The former Red Sox center fielder has been just fine in his first year in pinstripes.

Last December, fans were stunned when the Yankees signed center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a hefty seven-year, $153 million contract. It seemed like a huge overpay for a guy who had injury problems and just one standout season during his seven-year career. Soon afterward though, articles came out detailing Ellsbury's history, alleviating some concerns about his "injury prone" tag and speedy outfielders aging well. One year into a long free agent deal is not enough to declare a contract a success, but over the course of his first season as a Yankee, fans have learned just how talented Ellsbury is, something they might not have noticed during his years in Beantown.

Ellsbury has defied the people who were skeptical of his health by missing just three games all year to date. His health has allowed him to demonstrate his ability to make a lot of things happen on offense. Thus far, his .284/.347/.422 triple slash has produced exactly the same wRC+ as he had last year with the Red Sox, 113. The only regular center fielders around the game to produce a higher wRC+ than him are Andrew McCutchen, Mike Trout, Carlos Gomez, Michael Brantley, Matt Kemp, and Adam Jones. Those aren't bad names to be behind. Ellsbury also does not give away at bats quickly and his 8.6% walk rate is a career-high, even better than it was in his outstanding 2011. His first multi-homer game as a Yankee yesterday gave him 13 for the season, which isn't close to the 32 he had in his career year in 2011, but is still easily the second-highest total of his career. He is on pace to finish the year with 16 or 17, which should not be considered a disappointment. His 25 doubles as of now is a steady number as well that should end up over 30 be season's end.

There's the speed on the bases--Ellsbury has been one of the best basestealers in the league, logging 35 steals in 40 attempts. That's a superb 87.5% stolen base percentage, and only the Astros' Jose Altuve has more stolen bases among American Leaguers this year. Brett Gardner has been arguably a better player than Ellsbury this year, but he could still take a page from Ellsbury's book when it comes to stealing bases. Gardner only has 19 in 23 attempts this year. Ellsbury doesn't wait long at first base like Gardner seems to--if he senses a good opportunity, then he often just goes. Beyond the basestealing, Ellsbury is also a savvy baserunner, posting a 4.2 Baserunning Value according to FanGraphs that trails only seven players in the AL. For comparison's sake, that's a figure that formerly elite baserunner Derek Jeter topped a mere four times in his 20-year career.

Then there's Ellsbury's defense. Let the GIFs tell the story:

Yeah. That's just a few examples of how crazy Ellsbury has been on defense this year. FanGraphs is somewhat nonplussed by his defense, giving him a defensive score of just +1.9, but Baseball Prospectus FRAA (which I've grown to trust more than UZR) has him at +9.0, a figure better than he had last year and one of the top marks in baseball. He covers a ton of ground out there and combined with Gardner gives the Yankees perhaps the best left field/center field defensive combinations they have ever had.

Some people are just never going to be satisfied by Ellsbury's performance given his 2011 season and the hefty contract he signed. To me, it doesn't matter how much they're paying him--as long as he's a productive player, that's all that matters. He's certainly doing more to earn his contract than most of his teammates this year (not to mention Shin-Soo Choo, the other primary outfield target in the off-season, who is now done for the season). He's been a reliable producer all year long, and if the Yankees didn't sign him, I would wince at the thought of where they would be. In part due to Ellsbury's steady play, the Yankees are still alive. Instead of grumpily demanding 2011 or bust, fans should be happy with his consistent campaign.

Some observations on several Mets prospects playing in the New York Penn League.

The Brooklyn Cyclones wrapped up their two-game road series with the Staten Island Yankees on Tuesday night with a much-needed win. These games were vital for both teams as the Cyclones and Yankees are battling for the lone Wild Card spot in the New York Penn League. The Cyclones have a two-game lead over the Connecticut Tigers and a 3½ game lead over the Lowell Spinners and Staten Island Yankees with five games left to play. I was excited to finally get a glimpse of 2014 first-round draft choice Michael Conforto, along with other notable Mets prospects Casey Meisner, Amed Rosario, and Jhoan Urena. Here’s what I saw from the press box.

Casey Meisner

Casey Meisner really impressed me. I saw him earlier in the season when he was struggling and he looked much better this time around. Meisner struck out 11 batters while giving up only four hits, one walk, and one earned run in six innings. It was clear that he had command of all of his pitches from the start. He was moving the ball all around the zone and freezing hitters with fastballs on the inside corner of the plate. The Yankees didn’t get a hit off of him until the fourth inning. Meisner, who is 6’7", clearly uses his height to his advantage. He topped out at 92 mph, but the effective velocity is faster because of his extension. Meisner’s long arms and stride to the plate allow the ball to jump on the hitters faster, so a 92 mph fastball from Meisner might actually seem like it’s coming in at 95 mph to the hitter. This should be a plus pitch for him as he gets stronger.

Regarding Meisner’s early-season struggles, Keith Law from ESPN saw Meisner pitch on July 23 against the Aberdeen Ironbirds and said that he was ”awful” that day with no command. Meisner lasted one inning in that game and allowed two earned runs. Since that game on July 23, Meisner has given up two earned runs or fewer in five straight games, lasting at least five innings in each. He has also lowered his ERA from 6.75 to 4.08 in that span.

Michael Conforto

Not surprisingly, Michael Conforto looks like a man amongst boys, impressing both offensively and defensively. He lined several base hits through the hole between the first baseman and second baseman. He also sprayed the ball to left field for a single. He added a spectacular diving catch to rob Jose Javier of a single late in the game and he threw out a baserunner at home in a crucial situation on Monday night. So far this season, Conforto is batting .311/.396/.409 with two home runs and 18 RBI. It’s clear that he is a much more advanced player than most at this level.

Jhoan Urena

Jhoan Urena, 19, has 77 hits—the most in the NYPL—along with a .291 batting average, five home runs, and 43 RBI. He was originally in the lineup on Monday night, but in an odd turn of events he was ejected before the game started after he apparently refused to get off of the base line. The umpire warned him a few times to move off of the line so that the Yankees could warm up and he didn’t move so he was tossed. However, he did not disappoint on Tuesday night, hitting an impressive RBI triple to the opposite field and an RBI single to right field. I was impressed by his strong arm at third base as well.

Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario, 18, has a .281 batting average with one home run and 19 RBI. As with Urena, this is especially impressive considering that he’s facing many pitchers who are several years older than they him. Rosario was the designated hitter for the night and he had three hits and two RBI.

Remember when the Yankees had the future Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in Masahiro Tanaka? Or when Yangervis Solarte was the RoY after April? And then when Tanaka got hurt, Betances looked like a good contender to be named the best rookie in the American League? Remember those good times? Well, they're gone now and the Yankees are unlikely to come away with really any of the major awards this season.

While Tanaka still leads all pitchers in WAR, even if he makes it back to pitch in September, voters aren't going to pick him to win the Cy Young over someone like Felix Hernandez, who has dominated all year without losing any time to injury. Tanaka will still get his fair share of votes, because he deserves them, and he seemingly could end up in second place, but Yankees fans aren't getting the award they wanted. He's probably also the closest thing the team has to an MVP candidate, and he's not winning that one either, so you can forget it.

As for Rookie of the Year, Tanaka could still be in play for that along with Dellin Betances, however, Jose Abreu is likely going to take that honor home with the offensive season he's had. As good of a season as Dellin has had, he might not come away with anything to show for it. Even the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award, in its inaugural season, seems destined to go to Wade Davis, Jake McGee, or a closer like Sean Doolittle, Glen Perkins, or Koji Uehara. It seems that as good as your best is, there's always someone better. Or at least with more saves.

You can absolutely forget about anyone winning a Silver Slugger because this offense is atrocious. Their two best bets, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner will still fall short with Ellsbury only putting together a league-average offensive season and Gardner's impressive year being completely overshadowed by legitimate MVP candidate Alex Gordon. As for Gold Glove, maybe Gardner has finally hit enough to get one, though Gordon will probably win that one too. However, maybe, just maybe, Mark Teixeira will come away with one for the first basemen, though James Loney or Eric Hosmer could snag the award up.

It seems that as good as some of our candidates are, they're just not the best. Or they got hurt. Don't get your hopes up too high when the awards are announced this year because it's unlikely they'll be shouting out the names of any Yankees. With Tanaka and Betances it looked like the Yankees had a legitimate shot at an award of some kind, but it just wasn't meant to be and we'll have to wait until next year to try again.

The outfielder will provide depth for the Yankees down the stretch.

The Yankees have agreed to sign outfielder Chris Young to a minor league contract, a baseball source has confirmed. The deal, which was first reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, will have Young spend a few days at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being called up to the major leagues, which is likely to happen once rosters expand on September 1.

Young, who turns 31 next week, was recently released by the Mets after hitting .205/.283/.346 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 88 games on the season. The outfielder signed a one-year, $7.25 million deal with the Mets before the season and is still guaranteed that money, so the Yankees will only have to pay him the prorated portion of the major league minimum once he makes the major league roster.

Because Young can play all three outfield positions, he will provide depth behind Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Martin Prado and Ichiro Suzuki in the Yankees' outfield for the season's last month. He is a lifetime .205/.283/.346 hitter with 152 home runs and 476 RBI in nine major league seasons with the Diamondbacks (2006-2012), Athletics (2013) and Mets (2014), being named to the NL All-Star team in 2010 while hitting .257 with 27 home runs and 91 RBI in 156 games for Arizona.

The Bronx Bombers are taking a chance on the former Mets outfielder.

Chris Young didn't have to search very far to find his new home. Less than two weeks after getting dumped by the Mets, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that the New York Yankees and the outfielder agreed to a minor league deal. After signing a one-year, $7.25 million deal during the offseason, the 30-year-old hit .205/.283/.346 with a -0.6 fWAR before the Mets cut him. Neither his power nor his defense—his best traits before this season—was up to par with the Mets.

The second New York club to gamble on him, however, will do so at a significantly lower cost. Critics of Young's deal felt Sandy Alderson overpaid Young after he hit .200/.280/.379. While the Yankees are usually not so desperate for offense, they are currently tied for 19th in baseball in runs scored. Several low-key acquisitions—Chase Headley, Martin Prado, and Brandon McCarthy—have helped them remain in the hunt for the second American League Wild Card spot.

Start a new win streak tonight.

After snapping their five-game win streak last night, the Yankees will try to start another win streak tonight. Their opposition won't be easy with David Price taking the mound for Detroit, but they did manage to beat Chris Sale so I suppose anything can happen. Brett Gardner returns to the lineup after missing a couple games due to fouling a ball off his foot on Sunday. Strangely, he's batting eighth ahead of Francisco Cervelli. Jacoby Ellsbury has thrived in the leadoff spot in Gardner's absence, but it seems like putting him eighth is a bit of an overreaction. Leave Ellsbury first and bat Gardner elsewhere near the top. Or, here's an idea, move Jeter down in the lineup with his .517 OPS for the month of August.

Yeah. Right.

Brian McCann serves as the DH tonight with Cervelli behind the plate. That puts Carlos Beltran in right field, so hopefully his elbow can remain intact. Martin Prado bats in Ellsbury's old #3 spot after carrying the team offensively over the weekend. No real complaints with that.

#Yankees lineup: Ellsbury 8, Jeter 6, Prado 4, Teixeira 3, Beltran 9, McCann DH, a Headley 5, Gardner 7, Cervelli 2

— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) August 27, 2014

The Yankees were pretty busy this afternoon. Former Mets outfielder Chris Young was inked to a minor league deal by New York, likely meaning that we will see him when rosters expand on September 1st. Young hit .205/.283/.346 with eight home runs before his departure from the Mets this season. His 80 wRC+ and -0.6 fWAR sounds like exactly what this team needs.

yanks sign chris young to minor-league deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 27, 2014

Some minor league moves were also made as the MiLB season draws to a close. Alfredo Aceves was finally cut loose after spending time on the restricted list for testing positive for a banned substance. Corban Joseph was also released from the organization. His playing time in Triple-A this season was cut pretty short and he's really struggled to stay healthy. Not really a surprise that the Yankees don't see him in their future plans.

Three Triple-A moves: Alfredo Aceves reinstated and immediately released. Corban Joseph released. Adonis Garcia activated from DL. #yankees

— Lohud Yankees Blog (@LoHudYankees) August 27, 2014

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ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews:Masahiro Tanaka is on the path to returning and could make it back by September 12.

New York Times | David Waldstein: Derek Jeter speaks about his connection to Michigan and the time he almost played in Detroit back in 1995.

MiLB.com | Jake Seiner: Yankees pitching prospect Jaron Long struck out Jason Giambi, someone he met back when he was a bat boy.

Mgoblue.com | Steve Kornachi: The University of Michigan presented Derek Jeter with a Wolverines uniform.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: The Yankees selected some interesting talent to the AZL this year, including Aaron Judge, Eric Jagielo, and Greg Bird.

NYCgo.com | Jonathan Zeller: Dellin Betances talks about the Yankees and New York City.

ESPN New York | Danny Knobler: Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez felt Martin Prado played better when they moved him around the field.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: The Yankees don't have to choose between free agents and prospects when building the 2015 rotation; they can do both.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: The Yankees are combining the tactics of the Athletics while also relying on their budget in order to put together a winning team.

Recapping the Yankees' minor league affiliates' results from August 27th.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Game 1:L 5-6 (7) vs. Buffalo Bisons

CF Jose Pirela 0-4, K
DH Ramon Flores 0-4, 2 K
2B Rob Refsnyder 2-4, 2B, R, K --  fielding error, 3rd in Triple-A (12th overall)
1B Kyle Roller 1-3, R
3B Scott Sizemore 1-2, 2B, BB, R, RBI, -- fielding error, 10th of the season
LF Zoilo Almonte 0-2, IBB, R, K
C John Ryan Murphy 0-2, SF, RBI -- .196/.269/.391 over the past month...
RF Adonis Garcia 2-3, R
SS Carmen Angelini 0-3

Matt Tracy 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/0 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
Tyler Webb 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR -- not a great day for the possible September call-up...
Edgmer Escalona 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR

Game 2:W 8-3 (7) vs. Buffalo Bisons

2B Jose Pirela 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
RF Ramon Flores 0-3, BB
DH Zoilo Almonte 0-2, BB, SF, R, RBI, K
1B Kyle Roller 3-3, 2B, HR, HBP, R, 3 RBI -- 16th homer in Triple-A (24th overall)
3B Scott Sizemore 0-4
LF Taylor Dugas 1-3, R, SB
C Austin Romine 0-3, R, 2 K
CF Antoan Richardson 1-2, HBP, R
SS Carmen Angelini 2-3, R, 2 RBI

Nik Turley 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HBP, WP - 55 of 89 pitches for strikes
Nick Rumbelow 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K -- 4.05 ERA, but now 17 strikeouts in 13.1 innings

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 8-2 vs. Akron RubberDucks

CF Jake Cave 2-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 K -- slugging .477 in 37 games in Double-A
LF Ben Gamel 2-5, R
C Gary Sanchez 2-4, BB, R
1B Greg Bird 1-2, 2 BB, SF, RBI -- 14.9% walk rate in Double-A, 14.1% overall
3B Rob Segedin 1-4, BB, R
DH Mason Williams 1-4, BB, R, K
RF Casey Stevenson 1-5, R, K
SS Ali Castillo 1-4, R, K

Jeremy Bleich 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Francisco Rondon 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Danny Burawa 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K -- working way back to Triple-A with 1.59 ERA & 4.5 K/BB ratio

High-A Tampa Yankees:L 7-9 (11) vs. Clearwater Threshers

CF Mark Payton 1-5, BB, R, K
SS Cito Culver 4-6, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI -- Offense! But also 21st fielding error of the season
3B Eric Jagielo 2-6, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K
RF Aaron Judge 2-4, 2 BB/1 IBB, R, K
1B MIke Ford 1-6, K
2B Jose Rosario, 1-4, BB, RBI, K, CS
C Trent Garrison 1-5, RBI, K -- two throwing errors, up to eight errors on the season
LF Ericson Leonora 0-5, 2 K -- Only starter among Trenton, Tampa, and Charleston to not get a hit. Oops.
DH Reymond Nunez 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, R, K

Brett Gerritse 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R/1 ER, 3 K, 2 HBP, WP
Kyle Haynes 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, WP
Caleb Cotham 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Alex Smith 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Cesar Vargas 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Philip Walby 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: W 8-0 vs. Greenville Drive

LF Claudio Custodio 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K, SB -- first homer of the season
SS Tyler Wade 2-5, 2 2B, R, K, SB
RF Michael O'Neill 1-3, 2B, HBP, R, RBI, K, SB -- system-leading 41st steal
3B Miguel Andujar 2-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI, K
DH Yeicok Calderon 1-4, 2B, R, RBI, K
CF Brandon Thomas 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, K
2B Gosuke Katoh 1-3, BB, R, 2 K, SB
C Eduardo de Oleo 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K
1B Bubba Jones 1-4, 2B, K

Gabriel Encinas 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Chaz Hebert 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Chad Taylor 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Eric Ruth 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:L 2-3 (11) vs. Brooklyn Cyclones

CF Devyn Bolasky 2-4, BB, R
C Luis Torrens 0-5, 3 K
1B Connor Spencer 1-2, SF, 2 HBP, R, RBI, K -- throwing error, 5th of the season
LF Chris Breen 0-5, 3 K
3B Ty McFarland 1-3, BB -- throwing error, 17th of the season
DH Isaias Tejada 0-4, K
2B Billy Fleming 1-4, K
RF Austin Aune 0-4, K
SS Vicente Conde 0-4, 2 K -- promising shortstop 2014 draft pick down to .217/.312/.233, woof

Dillon McNamara 2.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, WP
Matt Borens 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Andury Acevedo 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 IBB, 4 K
Matt Wotherspoon 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 IBB, 0 K

GCL Yankees 1

Game 1: W 7-4 (7) vs. GCL Blue Jays

DH Jorge Mateo 0-4, 2 K
2B Bryan Cuevas 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 3 R
RF Alexander Palma 2-3, HR, R, 4 RBI
1B Dalton Smith 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, K
CF Leonardo Molina 0-3

Manolo Reyes 5 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Travis Hissong 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Game 2: W 5-3 (7) vs. GCL Blue Jays

2B Ryan Lindemuth 0-2, BB, 2 R
DH Alexander Palma 0-2, SF, RBI
3B Drew Bridges 2-3, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI
CF Dominic Jose 0-3, 2 K
SS Allison Reyes 1-3, K -- fielding error

Hayden Sharp 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Christopher Cabrera 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Francis Joseph 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP

GCL Yankees 2:W 7-0 vs. GCL Astros

SS Angel Aguilar 3-3, R, RBI
1B Jake Hernandez 2-3, BB, R, CS
DH Chris Gittens 1-3, BB, R, RBI, 2 K
RF Kevin Alexander 2-4, RBI
CF Jordan Barnes 1-3, BB, R, RBI, K

Domingo Acevedo 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Jhon Morban 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Hector Martinez 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, WP

These aren't the New York Yankees of five years ago, but Kyle Lobstein will still face a daunting lineup in his first career start this afternoon.

New York Yankees (69-62) at Detroit Tigers (71-60)

Time/Place: 1:08 p.m., Comerica Park

SB Nation blog:Pinstripe Alley

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

Pitching Matchup: RHP Hiroki Kuroda (9-8, 3.94 ERA) vs. LHP Kyle Lobstein (0-0, 4.76 ERA)

The Tigers were unable to solve Hiroki Kuroda in their previous meeting this season, scoring three runs in seven innings despite having a few opportunities. They plated a run in the first inning and looked to be making solid contact, but then Kuroda was able to retire 15 of the 16 batters he faced in innings two through six. The lone hit? A home run into the Yankee Stadium jet stream off the bat of Andrew Romine. The Tigers were once again able to threaten in the seventh, but Kuroda wiggled out of trouble having allowed just one run. Had the Tigers been able to capitalize on another chance or two, this could have been a very different outing for Kuroda.

That seems to be how Kuroda's 2014 season has gone, though not always in his favor. His strikeout rate is down slightly, but WHIP, FIP, and BABIP are nearly identical to the numbers he has put up over the past couple seasons. The big change? A 68.3 percent strand rate, down from the 75+ percent he has posted in each of the past three years. Here's the thing, though. Opposing batters have a lower batting average, slugging average, and OPS with runners in scoring position than they do with nobody on base. Yet, Kuroda's ERA is over a half run higher this year than in any of his past four seasons. He isn't getting hosed by his bullpen either. Kuroda has bequeathed 19 runners to the Yankees pen in 2014 and four have scored (must be nice). Last year? Eighteen and five. I'm officially stumped on this one.

Kyle Lobstein was drafted out of high school by the Tampa Bay Rays in the second round of the 2008 draft. He put up some middling numbers in the low minors in the Rays' system, leading them to leave him unprotected in the 2012 Rule 5 draft. The Tigers picked him up (via the New York Mets' slot) and he has spent the past two years in the Detroit system. This playing time has primarily occurred at Triple-A Toledo, where Lobstein has 38 starts and 218 1/3 innings under his belt. He is sporting a 3.87 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP, with a 2.87 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He won't light up the radar gun -- his fastball topped out at 92 miles per hour in his outing last weekend -- but he has a four pitch arsenal that can be effective on a good day.

Tigers hitter to fear:Miguel Cabrera (.400/.400/.867 in 15 plate appearances)
Tigers hitter to fail:Torii Hunter (.000/.091/.000 in 11 plate appearances)

Outlook

The Tigers' parade of new fifth starters has to end at some point, right? Lobstein was less horrible than his peers in his relief appearance over the weekend, but still walked four batters in 5 2/3 innings. He will need to locate his change-up better against the Yankees' right-handers. He was able to generate a few swings and misses with the pitch on Saturday, but only threw 10 of 22 change-ups for strikes. Another solid outing of five or six innings in length would make for a nice first start, but a win -- no matter how ugly -- would be even sweeter.

Prediction

The Tigers offense gets in gear behind Lobstein to deliever the lefty his first career win.

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The Tigers and fans offered the Yankees shortstop a fitting pre-game ceremony on his way to retiring from 20 years of playing the game of baseball.

DETROIT — One last time, one last series for fans in Michigan to bid farewell to the Michigan-native who was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1992. The Yankees generally don't receive a warm reception when they come to Detroit. Any series between the Yankees and the Tigers carries a playoff-like feel with it, and Derek Jeter isn't one who typically receives a glowing welcome when he steps to the plate.

For one series though, that has been different. Even though the feel between the two teams remains the same —playoff race or not — Tigers fans have set aside the team they cheered for, for one moment, and applauded the man who's set an example for others in the game for so many years.

Born in New Jersey but raised in Michigan, Jeter's ties run deeper than just the state he grew up in. Tiger Stadium was still standing when Jeter would go to games with his family. Memories were built and a friendly competition over who cheers for what team between Jeter and his father took off. A young Jeter grew up telling people he'd play for the Yankees one day, but he never forgot where his roots were.

"I grew up in Michigan," Jeter said. "I've always told people I'm from Michigan."

It seems fitting then, even sentimental, that the Tigers gifted Jeter with a pair of seats to Tiger Stadium. The same stadium that Jeter grew up attending games would eventually become one of many that he would play in briefly, even if it was against the Tigers. In addition to the seats, the Tigers presented Jeter with a framed set of three paintings and a check for $5,000 to Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.

"I thought it was very nice that they involved my family and our leadership program from Kalamazoo," Jeter said after Wednesday's game. "So we appreciate it a lot. It's a class act from a class organization to include them. Our foundation means a lot to us and for them to include them, it means a lot to us."

Jeter has had a good career against the Tigers, but then that is standard against most teams he's faced. Jeter has become the standard for Major League Baseball on the conduct and performance of a major league player both on and off the field. It garners both respect and an overabundance of fanfair. The latter is also somewhat of a distraction in the middle a season.

Midst the numerous ceremonies and final farewells, there is still baseball going on and the Yankees aren't down and out of the race to October. The term "farewell tour" doesn't offer any endearment for Jeter, and even though his season has been dubbed as such, he'd prefer it if it wasn't that way.

"You say ‘tour' and it's just like you're just going around shaking hands and kissing babies, but we're still trying to win so I've just taken the approach that this is my last season," Jeter said.

As Jeter's final season comes to a close, like many teams, so do the Yankees' chances to make the playoffs. Saying goodbye is difficult for the shortstop, but doing it in the midst of a pennant race does offer some form of a useful distraction.

Still, as the end of September nears and the weather begins to cool, it becomes harder for Jeter to ignore the fact that whether the Yankees make the playoffs or not, his days of playing baseball are coming to an end.

"I've tried to take it day-to-day and I'll continue to do that, which I'm sure it'll become more and more difficult as the regular season winds down," Jeter said.

The Yankees will leave town and the Tigers will continue to fight for a spot in the playoffs. Jeter will finish his season and retire from the game of baseball, leaving his mark on more than a game. Torii Hunter may not be significantly younger than Jeter, but after the laughter about who's older, Hunter is quick to acknowledge he has always respected Jeter's character on and off the field.

"It's pretty cool," Hunter said. "Just to watch him play for all these years, he's definitely a true professional in baseball. I always say, if you want your kid to be like anybody in baseball, on and off the field, Derek Jeter's that guy."

Thursday the Tigers will play the Yankees for the last time in 2014, and Jeter will step to the plate to take his last at-bats in Comerica Park. Fans will stand and applaud in recognition once more, not only for the game he's played, but the way in which he's played it.

Last night featured one of the greatest innings of Yankee baseball this year. Today will hopefully feature a series win against the Tigers. Hiroki Kuroda will pitch against rookie Kyle Lobstein.

Before we begin, I suggest watching the Yankees' nine consecutive hits off of David Price. I've already bookmarked it. It is not boring to see again at all.

Comment of the Game

Yesterday's COTG goes to jt91thefuture, who appropriately posted a glimpse into whatever sorcery is causing the Yankees to play well these past seven games.

Best GIF of the Recap

Perhaps appealing to the NY Giants fans on PSA, River Ave U wins the BGOTR award with Victor Cruz dancing. Little do they know that this year is the Bills' year to shine. Hahaha....siiiiigh...

Honorable Mod Mention

Arun says it best at the bottom. Caitlin honorably put the Yankees needs above her own during this win streak. When they lost, she came back. Now they're winning again, so she can't leave. Sorry Pancakes!

The next HMM comes from yours truly. The Yankees had nine consecutive hits off of Price, so this GIF was needed as it might never get a chance to be posted again. Bravo Greg. /pats self on the back

Andrew then followed up with the always appropriate GIF for scoring a ton of runs at once. In fact, we mods did such an honorable job today that there's no need for the Best Comments of the Day section. (Plus there weren't really many Rec'd comments yesterday.)

Fun Questions

• The Yankees scored a ton of runs yesterday. Do you ever feel like they tend to not score any the next day? (Even when we had somewhat consistent offense)
• What personal habit can you simply not break out of doing?

With its original staff returning from injury, will the Yankees change things up to prevent future problems?

The standard five-man rotation has been a staple of MLB teams for decades. In response to the mounting number of injuries affecting starting staffs in recent years, a few teams such as the Pirates and Braves have temporarily included an extra man on their staffs in order accommodate returning players from injuries.

Last week, Joel Sherman revealed that the Yankees are strongly considering implementing the same idea by switching to a six-man rotation once Masahiro Tanaka returns. It is also possible that this potential change in the rotation will carry over into the following season and beyond. With Michael Pineda having missed nearly three months with a muscle injury in his back, Tanaka’s rehab from his partially torn UCL, and pitchers CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova recovering from knee and elbow surgeries, respectively, the Yankees' rotation will be filled with question marks in regards to health. By switching to a schedule that would see each pitcher receive an extra day of rest, the hope is that the staff would be able to avoid significant time on the disabled list. Yu Darvishvoiced his opinion about pitching with a longer rotation (I strongly recommend to those interested to read his view on it).

Despite rotations traditionally only containing five slots, very rarely do teams actually make it through an entire season with only five starters. So far this year, 210 pitchers have made at least five starts for their respective teams. Last season saw 234 pitchers make at least five starts, and 232 pitchers started at least five games for an MLB team in 2012.

During a 162-game season, adding a sixth starting pitcher would mean that each player should average twenty-seven starts. Depending on the overall situation, this could be considered both a positive and a negative. The positive is that fewer starts mean that a player should be fresher during the post-season. A season of fewer total starts also affects those still in the minors, such as Luis Severino. As a prospect that has seen a limited amount of innings despite the meteoric rise through the system, a twenty-seven start season could mean earning a spot on the Yankees' starting staff sooner than he otherwise could have. In the event of a prospect forcing themselves onto the team, there would be very little need to monitor innings workload, with the exception being if the prospect managed to come out the gate averaging seven plus innings per game.

The downside to the six-man staff would be that the Yankees would have one less roster spot available for either the bench or the bullpen. Joe Girardi may need to be more creative with how he utilizes the roster, but even this should not matter too much with players like Brendan Ryan or Esmil Rogers that rarely make an appearance in games. A six-man rotation would not be a cure-all in injury prevention, nor should it be considered one. By implementing the change, pitchers are being given more time to recover. In the long run that gives them a better chance at avoiding the major injuries that have been plaguing Major League Baseball.

The Yankees go for the series win against the Tigers today and hopefully they can continue the offensive barrage they started last night.

#Yankees lineup vs. Tigers: Ellsbury CF, Jeter SS, Prado 2B, Teixeira 1B, Beltran DH, McCann C, Headley 3B, Gardner LF, Wheeler RF, Kuroda P

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 28, 2014

Jacoby Ellsbury leads off while Girardi continues to let Derek Jeter do whatever he wants as he remains at the top of the lineup, despite being one of the worst hitters in the league. Meanwhile, Brett Gardner is moved down to the bottom of the order because he's been struggling and Kyle Lobstein happens to be a lefty. Martin Prado's recent hot streak has moved him up in the order with Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran hitting behind him. With a lefty on the mound, Brian McCann is dropped in the order and Chase Headley, Gardner, and Zelous Wheeler close things out.

Masahiro Tanaka pitched another simulated game today, throwing 49 pitches and using everything he had in his arsenal. He reported no pain and said he wasn't afraid to go to the splitter as often as he normally would, though he still feels his command is a bit off. Joe Girardi seems to believe that there's no reason that Tanaka can't make it back in September. And further good news:

Ryan, who faced Tanaka all 49 pitches, said the pitcher seemed "close" to being MLB ready. Said "he could get outs now on stuff alone."

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) August 28, 2014

Although...

In speaking with Japanese members, they agreed with our impression that Tanaka feels he's far from being Major League ready

— Marly~ESPN Deportes (@MarlyRiveraESPN) August 28, 2014

I'm really not a fan of giving retiring players, from other teams, presents. I don't knew when this practice started. I don't remember Carl Yastrzemski getting presents from all the teams he played against. Or George Brett. Or Tony Fernandez or, well, anyone before Mariano Rivera. I think the team the player played for can give him something, a gold watch or whatever, but expecting other teams to give him stuff is strange. Are the Yankees intending to give stuff to Jose Bautista when he retires?

As much as I don't understand, there seems to be some wort of rule that each team gives him a present, so I ask if it were up to you, what would you give the guy? I think the umpires are giving him a enough of a prize with the tiny strike zone they use when he's at bat against us. Maybe a bronzed catcher's shin guard?

Anyway, what would you give him?

The September 14 game between the Orioles and the Yankees at Camden Yards has been moved to ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.

Here's the good news: The Orioles, who have not been good at home on Sundays, have just had one of their remaining Sunday afternoon games moved to Sunday night. That means that they'll be on ESPN on September 14 at 8 o'clock, giving everyone out of market the chance to watch on an actual TV.

Here's the bad news: This will be the final game that Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will play in Baltimore. So you're probably better off watching on mute, and only tuning in well after the inevitable pre-game presentation of whatever gift the Orioles end up giving him. Unless for some reason they take up Buck Showalter's idea of presenting Jeter with a signed photo of the Jeffrey Maier catch.

The September 14 game will be the last game of what's become a four-game series against the Yankees, with a make-up game to be played on the afternoon of September 12 as part of a day-night doubleheader. They'll still have four games at Yankee Stadium to be played against the current second place team in the division.

In their previous two Sunday Night Baseball games this season, the Orioles have gone 1-1, losing a barf-worthy walk-off in Boston on April 20 and winning a rain-shortened five inning game on July 13 against the Yankees. Can we get on ESPN on a Sunday night without either the Yankees or the Red Sox being involved? Apparently not.

Disappointing, in a word.

It's just so Yankees that last night the team tallied nine straight hits and eight runs of Cy Young winner David Price and failed to do a whole lot of anything against rookie Kyle Lobstein. If the team fails to make the playoffs, games like this will be extra painful to look back on. New York managed only four hits against Lobstein over six innings. Both of their runs came against him in the 3rd and 4th innings when Jacoby Ellsbury plated Zelous Wheeler with an RBI single and Brian McCann brought home Martin Prado with an RBI ground out. McCann's RBI put the Yankees ahead, but they failed to hold the lead.

Hiroki Kuroda allowed two runs in his seven innings of work before giving way to Dellin Betances out of the bullpen. Betances worked a scoreless inning but Shawn Kelley failed to do the same in the ninth. He gave up a lead off double to Victor Martinez before walking J.D. Martinez. Kelley nearly worked out of his jam with back to back strikeouts of Nick Castellanos and Torii Hunter, but Alex Avila roped a ball off the wall to score the runner from second to end the game.

Both teams did fairly poorly with runners in scoring position, but the Tigers managed one more hit (the big one by Avila) than the Yankees in that department and that was the difference in the game. Carlos Beltran was responsible for two of the Yankees' hits in the game. Prado, Ellsbury, and Wheeler chipped in the remaining three. Ellsbury continues to thrive out of the lead off spot, whether or not you put any stock in that mattering. Beltran's bat has also seemingly come around a bit as of late. It wasn't enough today, but this team is going to have to hit if they have any hopes of making it to October.

The next test comes this weekend in the form of the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Toronto has fallen out of the playoff race a bit recently, so it's time for the Yankees to take advantage and try to make up some ground. Dropping two of three in Detroit was not the start they needed, but a sweep (or a series win, at the very least) could do wonders. Chris Capuano gets the start for the Yankees opposite Mark Buehrle for the Blue Jays at 7:07 pm tomorrow.

With what was supposed to be the best year of contract nearly over, what should the team do with Beltran in 2015 and beyond?

I think all Yankee fans cringed a bit when they heard that the Yankees had offered Carlos Beltran a third year in his $45 million contract. It had been rumored that the Yankees wouldn't go above two years, but they inevitably bit the bullet and handed out the third year. The underlying assumption in all of this was that the Yankees thought that the first year or two would certainly outweigh the clunker that would be the third year. Well, that didn't work out. At a disappointing 100 wRC+ in 94 games, Beltran has given the Yankees nearly 20 points lower than what they expected. That and the defensive metrics put Beltran at about replacement level, but I'm more concerned with his offense.

This poor performance comes with a caveat, but one that can't be ignored in the future. The first half of the season was dreadful; Beltran hit only 81 wRC+ before the All-Star break and hit only nine home runs in 255 PA. His first half was riddled with injuries after a bone spur was discovered in his elbow and he had to receive (to this date) three cortisone shots and had to undergo extended rehab. This is partially a caveat because Beltran has been much, much better since then. Since the All-Star break he has hit 134 wRC+ with six home runs and has had a .187 ISO in 137 PA. That's pretty darn good, and very much in line with his preseason Oliver projection of 120 wRC+.

So while Beltran certainly dealt with injuries, it's clear that he still has the ability to bounce back from them. But even though it is possible for him to bounce back doesn't mean that he will continue to do so. This injury is just another in a long line of injuries throughout his career: bone spurs and inflammation in his right knee, bilateral knee surgery due to Patellar Tendon debridement, and now a bone spur in his elbow which will lead to offseason surgery. The likelihood of injury is incredibly high in 2015, especially considering his age (it'll be his age 39 season), which would affect his offensive output and his games played.

With all of this in mind, we have an idea of the type of player that Beltran will be in 2015. I do believe that he will be a decent hitter, possibly as high as 120 wRC+, though probably closer to about a 115 wRC+ considering the projections and further injury concerns. If we were to rate that along with other right fielders in the MLB, that would peg him at around ninth of 22 regular right fielders in wRC+. That isn't too bad, but that's with bad defense. If he were to play as the primary DH, then he would be seventh of nine regular designated hitters in wRC+. I doubt that would happen either, because there is the issue of dealing with Mark Teixeira and possibly Alex Rodriguez. Even with poor defense, he could be forced to play in right field.

Beltran certainly will not be good in right field, but he won't be bad either. He could be a one or two win player, which would not be horrible. But with his age, the possibility of an Alfonso Soriano-esque collapse is possible as well. If worst came to worst and his hitting became just dreadful, then there is always the possibility of cutting him. It's already a sunk cost, and then at least the team could look for alternatives. The projections don't hint at that for 2015, but they could for 2016. Next year Beltran looks to be barely starter level, and well below that in the following year.

This contract is probably already a poor one, but there is certainly room for it to be partially redeemed. The value that the Yankees hoped to get from Beltran in the first year is now gone, so they are forced with a future of a possibly decent player for two years. That won't be the worst thing in the world and the money won't destroy their financial flexibility, but it's certainly something the team has to deal with in the future. All of the value Beltran now possesses is in his bat, and if that fails, we may find him going the way of the dodo bird. But if he remains relatively healthy and hits decently, there's no question that he remains partially in right field and at DH. It's not like the alternatives are much better.

The roster expands to 40 next week. Should the Yankees remove anyone to make room for players such as Jacob Lindgren?

The Yankees roster expands to 40 on Monday, which means September call-ups are coming. Thanks to the five-game winning streak, last night's win, and some help from the other teams, the Yankees' playoff hopes haven't been crushed yet, which means that some prospects will have the opportunity to contribute. At the very least, they can get some experience under their belts. So, who should/could they cut to make room for players not already on the 40-man roster?

First of all, there are quite a few injured players on the 40 who are just taking up space. Among those are Jose Campos who had Tommy John surgery, Slade Heathcott who had season-ending surgery, and Jose Ramirez who is perpetually injured and hasn't played in over a month. Preston Claiborne has been on the DL in the minors for an extended amount of time, though he has been rehabbing and could be close to returning. There's also Matt Daley, who has bounced around between the majors and Triple-A multiple times this season, and was recently placed on the 7-day DL for some unknown reason. It wouldn't be terrible to see him get cut, considering the 5.02 ERA and 5.56 xFIP he put up through 14.1 innings with the Yankees this season.

Of the non-injured players, Rich Hill is pretty expendable. Hill has only pitched in eight games total this season, including two with the Angels, and from that incredibly small sample size of 2.1 IP, he has a 3.86 ERA, 7.85 FIP, and 3.00 WHIP. Comparatively, Jacob Lindgren has a 0.73 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 17.5 K/9 and opponents are hitting just .126 against him through 24.2 IP. Hill is a lefty reliever, and Lindgren (aka Strikeout Factory) is also a lefty reliever, so the Yankees could just swap them out.

There is also the chance that no one gets cut because the Yankees hate taking players off of the 40. However, if they do decide to go that route, then Tyler Webb, Nick Rumbelow, and Jose Pirela could be viable options. Like Lindgren, Webb is also a left-handed reliever, so it would likely be one or the other. Webb has had a good season, boasting a 1.20 WHIP, 3.92 ERA and notching 12.3 K/9. Rumbelow's been somewhat better with a 2.57 ERA, 12.7 K/9 and 1.09 WHIP. As for the position players, Pirela has been superb, batting .307/.354/.447 with an .800 OPS, 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases. The lineup could really use his bat.

Who would you like to see called up or removed from the 40-man roster?

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Masahiro Tanaka's latest simulated game had both good and worrisome takeaways.

Fangraphs | Jeff Sullivan: A look into what exactly went wrong for David Price when the Yankees collected nine straight hits against him.

Pinstriped Prospects | Jed Weisberger: Yankees minor league pitcher Jaron Long has forced his way into the prospect picture.

Hardball times | Bruce Markusen: A look back at the Ken Phelps for Jay Buhner trade, why it made sense at the time, and how it ended up on Seinfeld.

Rotographs | Marc Hulet: Luis Severino might be a top-15 impact right-handed pitcher in all of baseball.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: Joe Girardi seems to be ignoring Derek Jeter's struggles and it's hurting the team overall.

CBS Sports | Dayn Perry: Joe Girardi might be the best manager at making successful replay challenges.

Pinstriped Prospects | Geoff Magliocchetti: Isaias Tejeda, Ty McFarland, Connor Spencer, and Luis Torrens are NY-Penn League All-Stars.

What's smoother than Smooth? Victoria's Secret perfume.

We did it, LGT! We're four games over .500 again! That's three games down, only 27 more in 27 days to go. Just to help stave off the boredom, here's a handful of juicy tidbits about baseball:

Yesterday's game: Indians 3, White Sox 2

Carlos Carrasco Redux continue to prove his chops as a starter, and the Indians won despite another pretty weak offensive performance against another pretty weak starter.

• LGT recap (USSChoo)
• Cleveland.com recap (Paul Hoynes)
• Indians.com recap (Jordan Bastian)

Indians news & notes

Dr. Smooth: stealth MVP candidate | FanGraphs - When Miguel Cabrera isn't Miguel Cabrera, and Mike Trout isn't Mike Trout, the MVP race isn't as clear-cut as it has been lately. Michael Brantley has, in his usual style, played himself into the race with a "quietly" outstanding season at the plate.

On Brantley's surprisingly bad defensive metrics | Waiting for Next Year - Despite his breakout offensive season, Brantley is also having one of the worst defensive seasons of his career, at least according to advanced metrics. The stats show that despite his ability to occasionally flash the leather, he kinda sucks at the routine plays. Is he the Derek Jeter of the outfield, or do the metrics fail to tell the whole story?

Smooth runs in the family | Did The Tribe Win Last Night? - No matter how Michael Brantley is playing defense, his cousin Justin Brantley is having a great year with the Captains. Justin is perhaps a never-will-be, but he's got the all the swagger that comes with the family name.

Perez doesn't care about rule 7.13 | Cleveland.com - I mean it's not that he doesn't care, it's just that he, like all of us, was pretty surprised about Robin Ventura's ridiculous challenge on the play at the plate on Wednesday.

Indians to ramp up Salazar's spring regimen | Indians.com - Danny Salazar, the artist formerly known as Puddin' Pop, was on a light regimen this past spring, and he struggled earlier in the season perhaps because of it. Mickey Callaway wants to get him on a training program that has him firing on all cylinders by Opening Day next year.

Outman traded to Yankees | Cleveland.com - The Yankees add to their stable of former Tribe relievers by trading a PTBNL or cash for Josh Outman. I had honestly completely forgotten about Josh Outman.

Tidbits from around MLB

• FanGraphs puts David Price's eight run inning disaster in perspective. Price called it "the worst game I've ever had in my life."

• Also over at Fangraphs, a discussion on why *some* team should want Bartolo Colon

• LGFTBW (beat writer) Anthony Castrovince betrays us all by discussing the Yankees as underdogs over at Sports On Earth

• Dayn Perry at CBS Sports discusses who are the best and worst managers at replay challenges

• Lastly, Royals catcher Salvador Perez like to wear Victoria's Secret perfume behind the plate