Return of the ninja.

The Yankees have begun working on a new contract for general manager Brian Cashman ahead of his current deal expiring on October 31, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Despite missing the playoffs for two seasons in a row, rumors that Cashman was in jeopardy of losing his job appear to have been unfounded. The 2014 season was Cashman's 17th as GM of the Yankees, and it was only the second time during his tenure that the team failed to make the postseason in consecutive years.

Olney cites Cashman's strong relationship with the Steinbrenners, as well as the overall success of the team over his tenure, as reasons why the lack of playoffs didn't doom Cashman to needing to find another job. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't when it comes to managers and GMs, and the Yankees could do a lot worse than Cashman in the long run. It's hard to blame the GM for all the poor deals the team has made when there have been reports on more than one occasion as of late that the Steinbrenners and/or Randy Levine went over Cashman's head to make a deal the general manager wasn't a fan of. That got them two years of Ichiro on an contract no team would want to trade for even if the Yankees ate a bulk of the money and some insane opt out clauses in a three-year deal for Rafael Soriano that ensured he would stay in New York if he had a poor season and leave if he had a good one. It's obvious that Cashman doesn't have full autonomy in the decisions that are made.

Do you think the Yankees are making the right decision to bring back Cashman, or do you think he should have taken the fall for the team not living up to expectations in 2014?

Sheldon Cooper and the gang invaded Angel Stadium for this week's episode of The Big Bang Theory. On this installment of Halos On Film, we take a look at how it went and what's Raj's favorite thing at the stadium.

Hollywood: a town that has had a long tradition of taking the stars and landmarks of our national pastime and blowing them up to silver screen proportions, albeit with large, Tinseltown-sized doses of embellishment and grandeur. Baseball and the big screen(and sometimes small screen) have undoubtedly played a large role in our love affair with the game, whether it's aim is to make us cheer, cry and/or laugh. For the most part, Hollywood's eye has been trained on those teams that us Angels fans have probably grown tired of by now: theYankees, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, etc. Sometimes overlooked, however, are the times when Hollywood got it right; when they fixed their gaze south, past Dodger Stadium, and upon the Angels players and the ballpark they call home. This series is about the times we got to see OUR team represented, the times we got to see OUR guys or OUR stadium. It is sometimes amazing. It is sometimes awful. It is sometimes bizarre. But it's also the Angels. And this is Halos On Film.

Last night, while the real life Angels were taking a day off and preparing for the upcoming post-season gauntlet, the fake Angels, who reside entirely on screen via the corporate synergized minds ofHollywood executives and producers, were busy hosting the cast of one of television’s most dubiously popular shows, The Big Bang Theory. It was not the first time our favorite team has made it on to the small screen, and it probably wont be the last, but it may easily be the worst.

The episode is setup as we learn that Howard Wolowitz, the overly-sexualized, NASA astronaut/engineer and belt buckle fetishist of the group, is asked by the Angels to come and throw out the first pitch at the stadium in celebration of their "Space Day". This immediately leads to a force fed B-story of Wolowitz trying to learn how to throw a baseball, because smart people can’t do sports, duh. The A-story of this episode had to do with Sheldon and Amy squaring off, as a couple, against Leonard and Penny and…well, who cares. It didn’t have anything to do with the Angels, unless they were trying to tell us that Sheldon/Amy represented Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar. That I can believe. But back to Howard Wolowitz, after failing at learning how to throw a baseball by playing Nintendo Wii, he is then relegated to being taught how to throw by his girlfriend in an empty gym. Still, though, smart people just can’t do sports, as evidenced by Howard’s growing anxiety, especially after learning that other astronauts passed on the opportunity as they identified early on that it’s a lose/lose situation for the first pitch thrower. How is this wacky geek going to get out of this?!

It took about 15 minutes of show, out of a 22 minute run time, to get the gang to Angel Stadium. I bring this up so you know what I go through for you guys. Anyway, once we’re in the park, things get slightly humorous. The best part of the episode comes whenRaj admires the rock waterfall in centerfield. A long debated subject of Angel aesthetic, it made total sense to me that Raj likes the rock waterfall, because his character is a champion of the banal, a resident of the middle of the road; but he’s also lovable and nice enough that it’s no use really to rag on him(similar to the waterfall itself). So it’s okay, Raj. Keep on lovin’ that rockpile.

There is then some more "silly banter" in the stands by Leonard, Penny and Sheldon, and then it’s time for Howard’s big moment. He makes his way out to the mound, gives a rousing speech on the power of the mind, geekery, ummmm…some other stuff? I wasn’t paying attention, really. Instead, I was wondering why, of all people, Mike Scioscia’s son is out there to catch the first pitch. Maybe Big Bang Theory takes place in an alternate reality, where everybody on the team is named Scioscia, or one where Matt Scioscia is able to make a big league roster. Either way, Howard ends up throwing a curveball of his own(see what I did there?!?!?!) and announces to the crowd that he will not throw the first pitch, but instead have it done by a working replica of the Mars rover. BOOM! Wolowitz drops the mic, crowd goes nuts. Wait, actually that didn’t happen. What happened was the rover, true to it’s status as a working replica, goes so slow that Sheldon suggests they go to Disneyland, take in a few attractions and then come back just in time for it to cross the plate. Meanwhile, the crowd reigns down the boos on poor Howie(not OUR Howie) as the rover inches it's way towards homeplate, and that’s it. Cut to black, episode over.

Overall, the meeting of The Big Bang Theory and our beloved Angels and their stadium didn’t really offer up much to get excited about. There were no sightings of favorite players or coaches, and it was over all too quickly. I would rank this somewhere below Nolan Ryan’s appearance on Ryan’s Hope, and it doesn’t even come close to the greatness that was Weezy Jefferson meeting multiple Angels in the locker room or the classic Toaster Glove George burn we got when the Halos met The Jeffersons. But on the pop culture degradation scale, the Angels popping up on Big Bang Theory is still light years ahead of Dodger billboards featuring Nickelback, Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian. It’s the little victories that count.

You can go and watch the entire episode via CBS. Or, you know, you could not.

Previously on Halos On Film:

Ryan's Hope Express

All Dogs Go To Anaheim

Sure, it was supposed to be "closed-door". But nothing is ever truly done in secret.

Much was made of the dressing down that Yankees Manager Joe Girardi gave his disappointing squad on the day of Derek Jeter's Yankee Stadium finale. Whether it was helpful or not remains to be seen, but the bottom line is such an occurrence is never a good thing. But what exactly transpired at this meeting? It didn't take long for word to leak about the meeting, and wouldn't you know it but a nameless party uploaded a transcript of the juicy affair.

Joe Girardi stands in the center of the Yankees locker room, his hand on his hips. His face weathered by the frustrations of another playoff-less season in New York

Joe Girardi: Well I hope you guys are proud of yourself. We've missed the playoffs yet again. And I can't help but wonder if it's because you guys just don't give a damn anymore. What we have here is a bunch of overpaid, self-satisfied layabouts who lack the hunger to get the job done!

Jose Pirela: Since I'm making the league minimum does that mean I can leave?

Girardi: NO! You're all staying to get a piece of my mind. If there's something I can't stand, it's a lack of effort. This team has gotten complacent and I won't stand for it.

Several players enter holding a giant painting of Derek Jeter and a Fudgie the Whale ice cream cake

All: For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for...

Girardi: MAYBE NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME FOR THIS, GUYS!

Brett Gardner: (tearing up) We just wanted to say goodbye to Derek...

Girardi: It can wait until I've said my peace. See, it's stuff like this. We just got eliminated and everyone wants to celebrate and eat cake!

Mark Teixeira: Probably shouldn't be eating that stuff anyways. I suggest a smoothie with a kale base and...

Girardi: You're part of the problem, Mark! You fancy veterans need to be setting an example for the younger players. I mean, why the hell is there a caviar fountain in the middle of the locker room!?

Carlos Beltran: We needed to put something on our melba toast, ya know.

Girardi: That's going immediately! And no more butlers and personal chefs are allowed in here or near the dugout! We're going to stop with this privileged crap and back to what it means to being New York Yankees. Hard-nosed, tough play with a side of gritty determination! With even more bunting!

Everyone groans

Schmalex Schrodriguez: I think he's right, gang! We need to get back to the things that made us champions in the past! What we need is...

Girardi: For the last time, Alex, you're not allowed to be in here yet. And take off the fake mustache, you look like an ass.

Rodriguez slowly slinks away

Girardi: You know what? Fine, have your little celebration. But hear this: things are going to change around here. Just you watch, I'm going to wring every last bit of effort that I can out of you people next season if it's the last thing I do.

Girardi stomps off

Jacoby Ellsbury: Wow, he seemed really pissed.

Brian McCann: Yeah...we don't REALLY have to get rid of the fountain, do we?

The Yankees aren't playing tonight. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. Other teams, however, are, so we'll have a game thread up for you to discuss those games if you so choose.

Which team are you rooting for tonight? Will you even be watching? Feel free to discuss non-baseball interests as well.

The Yankees and Brian Cashman are discussing an extension that would keep the longtime gm in the Bronx for the foreseeable future.

Despite their recent run of mediocrity, the New York Yankees are looking to bring back longtime general manager Brian Cashman, as ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the two sides "have begun the process of constructing a new contract." Cashman's current deal is set to expire at the end of October.

The 47-year-old Cashman has served as the Yankees' GM since 1998, and has been at the helm for the Yankees' unrivaled run of success over the past two decades. Under Cashman, New York has captured six pennants and four World Series titles (Cashman was an assistant GM during the Yankees' 1996 run). However, the Yankees have fallen on hard times of late, as their playoff misses in 2013 and 2014 represent the first consecutive playoff-less seasons since 1992-93. Prior to 2013, the Yankees had missed the playoffs just once (2008) since 1995.

The Yankees were ravaged by injuries and poor performances this season, leading to just a 84-78 record. In recent years under Cashman, the Yankees have handed out a series of bad long-term contracts, including last offseason's signings of Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran. The club has also watched a franchise cornerstone depart (Robinson Cano), and is relatively weak on the farm in terms of prospects close to helping at the big league level.

Still, Cashman doesn't appear to be leaving New York anytime soon, and a healthy year for the Yankees in 2015 could put them back into playoff contention.

Beltran's elbow, Cashman's contract, Derek Jeter's retirement tour continues

CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: The Yankees' first signing of the offseason will be their GM, who is expected to stay.

NBC Sports | Craig Calcaterra: After trying to tough it out (and producing one of the least productive seasons of his otherwise illustrious career), Carlos Beltran finally went under the knife. He's expected to resume a fairly normal offseason workout in 12 weeks and to be fully ready for spring training.

NYPost | Joel Sherman: Given the Yankees' success spinning straw from gold in their starting rotation, they need to save their free agent dollars for offensive player. Sherman suggests passing on all the big name free agent pitchers this offseason.

NBC News | Chris Serico: With his stadium retirement tour finished, Derek Jeter's next stop is daytime TV.

NYTimes | John Brach: A look at just how dominant pitchers have become the last two seasons.

Carlos Beltran's bat was supposed to play a big role in the Yankees' fortunes this year. It did, but not in a good way.

Grade: D

2014 Statistics: .233/.301/.402, 97 wRC+, .310 wOBA, 15 HR, -0.5 fWAR

2015 Contract Status: Signed for $15 million. Two years and $30 million remaining.

It's been about ten months since the Yankees' pursuit of free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran. At first the team was wary of offering the 36-year-old a third year guaranteed with a flush of thirty-somethings with multiple years left already populating their roster. But hey - Yankees gonna Yankee. When Arizona and Kansas City reportedly upped their offers to Beltran, the Yankees, desperate for a middle-of-the-order bat with Robinson Cano already out the door, followed suit. On December 19th, they got their man. Beltran would don the pinstripes for three years and $45 million.

Things started off pretty well for Beltran. He was named the American League player of the week for April 7th-13th and drove in thirteen runs on five homers in the season's opening month. Then it all went south quickly. Mired in a 5-for-43 slump in early May, Beltran was diagnosed with a bone spur in his right elbow. He opted for rehab over a surgery that would have cost him twelve weeks and managed to return in June, but in a seriously diminished state. Relegated to DH duty for most of the summer, Beltran's elbow kept his production - and his playing time - at substandard levels. He appeared in just 109 games this year and managed an OPS over .730 in only one month between May and September. On the season, his ISO (.169), BB:K rate (0.46) and line drive rate (16.5 percent) all slunk well beneath his career norms. His wRC+ of 97 and his OPS of .703 were profoundly ordinary.

Given the strife inside his elbow it was something of an achievement for Beltran to give the Yankees even what he did, but a league average hitter who adds virtually nothing defensively or on the base paths doesn't carry much value. Beltran served as DH in around 70 percent of his starts this year and when he did give it a go in right, he was predictably uninspiring, posting a UZR/150 of -26.9 in 259.2 innings. It all amounted to the first negative WAR of Beltran's seventeen-year career. Looking back, it's fair to argue that Beltran should have had his surgery - which he finally underwent on Tuesday - right away, to return at something closer to full strength after the All-Star break.

Did the Yankees get what they deserved for inking a player who would be 37 on opening day to a hefty three-year deal? Paying Beltran $15 million per through his age 39 season seemed like a reach, but they couldn't have predicted the extent to which he'd flop in year one. During his two-year stint in St. Louis, Beltran hit .283/.343/.493 with 56 homers while avoiding any chronic health issues, playing in 296 of a possible 324 games. But Beltran did break and now we're staring down two more years and a lot of uncertainty. Bone spur repair is a surgery that many players have returned from successfully, but at Beltran's age rehabbing from anything is more difficult. Even if he is firing on all cylinders by spring training, there's no way to know to what extent his poor play this year was directly attributable to his injury. It wouldn't be a shock to see a healthy Beltran return to his Cardinals form, but a plateau or even a further decline from 2014 is possible, too. Despite their financial commitment the Yankees need to look at anything they get from Beltran over the next two years as a gift - if they're smart, he won't factor heavily into their plans.

Probably the most glaring reason why the Yankees failed to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive year in 2014 is that the players they hoped would anchor the middle of their lineup simply didn't. Though health problems were at least partially to blame, Beltran was a major culprit in that. His drive to play through injury was impressive, but in the end his choice to do so probably hurt the team more than it helped.

In case you missed it last night, the Royals defeated the Athletics. It was exciting. The Royals will move on to face the Angels. Meanwhile, the Pirates and Giants face off tonight.

Comments of the Day

This wins Elcruzter a COTD award not only for its blueness, but because it also shows how many comments we had in a non-Yankees game thread. That's what exciting baseball does for threads, so the Yankees need to fix that next year.

LTL earns a COTD award with this embed tweet.

What a win for waw with this comment referencing certain issues brought up recently on PSA.

Harlan wins himself a COTD award responding to this idea that Cashman somehow rode off the coattails of Stick Michaels.

Finally, MSP Giant takes the last COTD award with his thoughts on what the Yankees need to do regarding Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran

GIF of the Day

It seemed like appropriate winner after yesterday's Royals victory. Avert your eyes, children.

Honorable Mod Mention

Waffles can eat solid food again. Send her all your best healing wishes for a speedy recovery!

• Did last night's Royals/Athletics game change your mind about the second wild card system?
• Replace a song title/lyric using the word "bunt"

Because Royals by Lorde would have been too obvious a choice, I went with Weird Al's parody of it. As always, link us your song of the day!

After last night's incredible match between the Royals and the Athletics, there's only two things to say. 1. Congrats Royals. 2. Your move, Pirates&Giants

ROUND 2. FIGHT!

Is Miguel Andujar the Yankees future third baseman?

Grade:  C

2014 Statistics: 127 games, .267/.318/.397, 25 2B, 10 HR, .327 wOBA, 99 WRC+

2015 Contract Status: Single-A/Non-40

With a suspended and injured Alex Rodriguez missing close to two seasons, third base was a black hole in the Bronx until Chase Headley was acquired at the trade deadline this summer. While Eric Jagielo gets most of the press as the Yankees' third baseman of the future, Miguel Andujar could be the better bet to end up at third base in the Bronx.

Signed as an international free agent for $700,000 in 2011, he was the headliner of the team’s signing class. Jim Callis of MLB.comsays thathe "fits the third-base profile with plus power potential and a rocket arm. Andujar controls the strike zone reasonably well and has good agility too." Coming into the season John Sickels of Minor League Ball ranked him #19 in his New York Yankees Top 20 2014 pre-season prospects rankings.

Miguel Andujar struggled during the first three months of the season as a 19-year-old, in Low-A Charleston. His slash line was just .231/.298/.359, with 53 strikeouts in 281 at-bats. He turned it up between July and the end of the season, hitting to a line of .314/.345/.444 with 30 strikeouts in 220 at-bats. As he continues to mature, hopefully his good bat speed and batting eye will begin to translate into a higher batting average. His adjustment to pitching is a good sign, as he was young for this level of play and is known for his slow starts.  Although scouts believe he has plus-power potential, it has yet to materialize on the field.  With 10 home runs and a .130 ISO, his power regressed 38 points in comparison to his 2013 campaign. There’s still work to be done against lefties as well, as his numbers against them were .188/.211/.250 in 128 at-bats. Overall he had a good year offensively, putting up league-average production at a young age.

Compared to 2013, he raised his fielding percentage 50 points to .919 this season. Defensively, he has work to do, as Andujar committed 26 errors in 320 chances. With good agility and a plus-throwing arm, his defense should continue to improve as he matures. Unlike Jagielo, who has questions surrounding his ability to stay at third base, Andujar is expected to at least be serviceable at the position.

The Yankees have a very good prospect in Miguel Andujar. He offers a nice package of tools to put himself into the conversation of future third baseman. Youth and development time are on his side, but he has work to do. With further development offensively and defensively, he will be a big name to watch in 2015. Much like Rob Refsnyder this season, Andujar could move begin moving up prospect lists quickly next season. I expect him to be assigned to High-A Tampa, once Eric Jagielo is promoted to Double-A Trenton. With the signing of international free agent Nelson Gomez and Eric Jagieloahead on the depth chart, he'll have to continue showing progress.

What was worse: re-signing A-Rod or not signing Beltran?

As I watched Carlos Beltran play this year, I was constantly reminded of what a great player he used to be. He could hit for average and power, he could run the bases, he could cover ground in the outfield, and sweet lord, he could throw.

It is a near consensus among Yankee fans that signing Alex Rodriguez to a new 10-year albatross of a deal was their worst move between 2000 and 2009. And it was a bad move, a terrible decision, and one for which they will continue to pay for into the foreseeable future. I'm not going to argue if you think it was a mistake, because I think it was a mistake. If the Yankee front office had played Alex Rodriguez in 2007 half as hard as they played Derek Jeter when his last contract came due, the Yankees might not be saying ridiculous things like "We expect Alex to be our starting third baseman."

But I would argue that the move that cost the Yankees the most rings was their failure to sign Carlos Beltran when he was a free agent before the 2005 season. From age 28-32, he hit .281/.368/.505, won three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and averaged 135 games played. Yankees center fielders in that span hit .265/.330/.392, and neither the desiccated remains of Bernie Williams nor Johnny Damon were in the running for a Gold Glove.

What did the Yankees do instead of signing Carlos Beltran? They traded a 27-year-old Javier Vazquez, who had put up an uneven but serviceable 198.0 innings pitched, for the opportunity to give an extension to the 41-year-old Randy Johnson, who promptly wilted in the spotlight.

I think this bad decision all stems from the grand slam Vazquez gave up in Game 7 of 2004 (a bases loaded situation He wouldn't have been in if Kevin Brown wasn't such a pig-headed embarrassment and had admitted that his back hurt too much to pitch. Like Nook Laloosh, Kevin Brown was only just smart enough to punch with his non-pitching hand).

In retrospect, Joe Torre should have been fired after 2004; not because his team collapsed around him, but because by that point it was obvious that his treatment of his pitchers was damaging them. Javier Vazquez, Jeff Weaver, Ted Lilly– Torre was trusted with a solid roster of mid-rotation starters in those years and he managed to get the least out of all of them with his short hooks and veteran praise.

Vazquez was shown the door and the Yankees invested their money in a veteran ace. They lost the 2005 ALDS to the Angels and the 2006 ALDS to the Tigers and the 2007 ALDS to the Indians. Randy Johnson pitched poorly, giving up five runs in 2005 and in 2006.

I don't believe Beltran and Sheffield would have collided in the outfield in 2005. Sheffield wouldn't have spent all season trying to cover for Bernie and be surprised to run into Bubba Crosby. With Beltran, maybe the Yankees' hitters wouldn't have looked so overmatched in 2006 and 2007. Meanwhile, Beltran wasted his talents in Queens.

I think if the Yankees were granted one do-over from the aughts, they should bring Beltran onboard nearly a decade sooner. What do you think?

Cashman's reputation, possible offseason moves, Russell Martin, and The Player's Tribune.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: As ownership is poised to extend Brian Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner states that Cashman is a good general manager who is able to handle the New York media, fans, and has good relationships with the staff; he also credits Cashman with keeping the Yankees in the postseason race with his mid-season acquisitions.

New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand: Feinsand offers possible offseason moves that the Yankees should make, namely signing Yasmani Tomas, re-signing David Robertson, Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, and signing an inexpensive shortstop.

New York Post | Joel Sherman: Hal Steinbrenner says that, like the fans, he is very disappointed that the Yankees missed the postseason for a second straight season. He ensures fans that the organization will try to put together a Championship-caliber ball club and that the team will benefit from younger players and hopefully bounce-back years from veterans.

New York Times | Tim Rohan: Since leaving New York, former Yankees catcher Russell Martin has blossomed into one of the best catchers in baseball and is now making his second straight postseason appearance with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: In one of his first acts since retirement, Derek Jeter has started The Player's Tribune, a blog that hopes to connect fans directly to their favorite athletes--with no filters.

Dellin Betances surprised everyone with what was one of the best seasons for a relief pitcher

Grade: A+

2014 Statistics: 90 IP, 1.40 ERA, 1.64 FIP, 13.50 K/9, 2.40 BB/9, 3.2 WAR

2015 Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration

Boy, were we ever wrong about Dellin Betances. The six-foot-eight reliever came into camp this season just looking to make the team. It wasn't even guaranteed that he'd get a chance in the majors this season, and after seeing his value fade as far as it did, this seemed like his last chance to make it. He showed some promise in spring training and the team decided to take a chance on his arm, and thankfully, everything worked out perfectly.

Betances got his chance and rose well above the occasion. Not only was he the team's best reliever, but he was possibly the top relief pitcher in baseball, ranking first in WAR, first in Win Probability Added, and ranking within the top 10 in ERA, FIP, and innings pitched as well. There really wasn't a time where he struggled for very long and no one expected that, not even a program designed to project player statistics. Dan Szymborski, creator of the ZiPS projection system, ranked Betances as one of the biggest misses of the season. ZiPS projected a 6.24 ERA for the right-hander, and it couldn't have been more wrong.

Given how quickly Betances demonstrated his improvement, I was already telling people to ignore the projection by May, which is not something I typically do.

Szymborski went on to say that his initial projection might be the single worst projection over the 11-year history of ZiPS. The system uses minor league statistics and injury history to develop an accurate idea of how a player might perform over a season. ZiPS has proven to be very accurate over the years and only the astonishing have been seen to miss greatly. This should indicate just how off the radar Betances really was and how far he's come in the span of a year.

What the system did not anticipate was Betances' ability to both stay healthy and keep his control issues in check. The pitcher has credited his exercise program as the reason he was able to avoid injury this year and his control issues seem to have been solved by the everyday repetition that comes as a relief pitcher. By throwing more than once a week, like he did as a starter, he was able to repeat his mechanics and become more consistent on the mound.

Dellin established himself early on, striking out 51 batters in 30.2 innings over the first two months of the season. He was such an effective force as the fireman of the bullpen, coming into the fifth, sixth, or seventh inning to take care of trouble, that Joe Girardi eventually made him the primary setup man for David Robertson. Basically, he was so good that it actually ended up hurting his overall value because he was no longer allowed to come in when he was most needed. Regardless of where he was used, Betances was near-unstoppable for much of the season and even got his name up there with the great Mariano Rivera when he broke the former closer's single-season strikeout record for a Yankees reliever, finishing with 135 Ks in 17.2 less innings. Mo's 1996 season is often considered to be one of the greatest seasons by a relief pitcher in baseball history and to put his name next to something like that shows just how truly elite his year was.

While it's clear that Betances could make for a great closer in 2015, the Yankees would be smart to bring Robertson back and allow their best reliever to do more for the team than just collect saves. In a season filled with disappointment after disappointment, Dellin Betances was one of the few bright spots for not only the 2014 squad, but looking to the future as well. If anyone on this team deserves the highest marks, it's him.

As Baseball America continues to make their way around every league in the minors, Yankees prospects continue to rank among the best in baseball. The organization now has the no. 4 prospect of the New York-Penn League in Luis Torrens as well as the No. 4, 8, and 15 prospects of the South Atlantic League in Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, and Ian Clarkin. BA had plenty of good things to say about all of them.

Luis Torrens started out the season poorly when he struggled in the Sally League and suffered a shoulder injury, but after moving over to Staten Island, he impressed with a .270/.327/.405 batting line. Aaron Fitt of BA praised his abilities behind the plate, paying close attention to his throwing arm as it "rates as plus, but his ability to use it makes it play up." He notes that Torrens could be a very good defensive catcher as he gains experience and that he can hit to all fields and could add power as he matures.

Aside from Torrens, Fitt also had lots to say about first baseman and 2014 draft pick Connor Spencer, who he pegged as one of the league's top sleepers in a separate piece. He notes that, while spencer did win the New York-Penn League batting title, "his inside-out approach is not conducive to power," meaning he's going to have to refine his swing if he wants to hit more home runs and profile better as a corner infielder.

As far as the South Atlantic League goes, all three of the prospects that ranked here were promoted to the next level during the year. J.J. Cooper gave us a scouting report on all three, stating that Severino can throw a 95-97 mph fastball to both sides of the plate, but his secondary stuff is still a work in a progress. According to him, the changeup can be inconsistent at times and the quality of his slider varied from start-to-start. As an added bonus, Cooper notes that Severino is so quick to the plate that he's impossible to run on.

Cooper felt that Judge's domination of Sally League pitching was to be expected, but he also was impressed by the fact that he isn't just a guy swinging for the fences as he takes plenty of walks and has shown an excellent hit-tool so far. He had a bit more to say about Ian Clarkin, regarding the lefty as a safe bet due to his ability to throw a solid-average three-pitch mix. He comments that Clarkin has no above-average pitch and has low velocity, but his clean delivery and solid control have warranted praise from scouts. Cooper warns that "he'll always have to hit his spots and mix his pitches, but he already shows a feel for keeping hitters off-balance."

Luis Torrens, Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, and Ian Clarkin have bright futures ahead of them. When people say that the Yankees had a good year on the farm, these are the guys that should be praised for their consistency and solid production throughout the year. The great thing is that you can expect them all to continue moving up next year. Torrens could start next year in Low-A Charleston, Judge and Clarkin could make their way to Double-A, and for all we know, Severino could continue to be pushed hard and make the jump to Triple-A by the end of 2015. Things are looking up around here.

Kansas City's wild card win on Tuesday night against Oakland gave young(er) fans a taste of winning for the first time in 29 seasons, and it might just be the turning point for the organization.

Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up. -Bob Lemon

Winning has a way of bringing people together.

During the Royals - A's stupendous wild card game Tuesday night, which Kansas City won 9-8 in twelve innings, former Royals pitcher Brian Bannister tweeted, "Ned Yost 1, Sabermetrics 0." I responded by saying, "There are no dividing lines tonight." Later, he tweeted, "Tonight, the narrative was better than all of the details."

In my opinion, the narrative is always better than the details. But, I'm 48 years old, so I have a different perspective than younger fans do.

I remember the glory years. I remember sneaking away from family gatherings to gather around a transistor radio on my grandparents' front porch with my uncle from Kansas City so we could listen to meaningful Royals games. I remember my single mom finding a way to take my sister and me to Royals Stadium during their heyday. And I remember the framed Sports Illustrated cover from the 1985 World Series that hung on my bedroom wall for many years.

But for those who were born during the 29-year misery gap, or who were simply too young to appreciate the Royals of the late 1970s and early-to-mid ‘80s, losing was the norm. Some chose to follow winning teams. Others embraced the Royals, but as the losing continued, the younger fan base seemed to segment. Some became cynics, others embraced sabermetrics - hoping Moneyball was the answer, and still others were optimistic no matter the circumstances.

Often those fragmented segments have been at odds. Their methodology for how to produce winning baseball, or even how a baseball game should be viewed, often wasn't compatible. But deep down, they all wanted the same thing. They wanted the Royals to win. And they wanted the Royals to be relevant again.

Well, they are winning now, and they are indeed relevant again. Grown men wept after the Royals advanced to the ALDS. Kids are talking about their favorite Royals players again. People took to Twitter to call the Royals a team of destiny. And in the spirit of Sung Woo Lee, the narrative is all that matters.

That doesn't mean the fan base won't challenge Ned Yost's decisions as the ALDS gets underway on Thursday night, but it does mean they have a taste of how winning feels and how it turns otherwise composed adults into little boys and girls again.

That childlike feeling might just be the turning point.

I watched the wild card game in a friend's basement in Omaha. My friend, his wife, their two sons, one of their teenage friends and I gathered around the tube. The kids cheered for the Royals, asking questions, making observations - even making predictions about which Royal would come up with the big walk-off hit. And while they know the franchise has been down for a long time, they haven't had to endure it. Winning could become their normal.

When Salvador Perez drove in the winning run in the bottom of the twelfth inning, my friend's sons erupted. It reminded me of a conversation I had with Royals general manager Dayton Moore four years ago, sitting in the dugout at Rosenblatt Stadium. He was in town to evaluate Alex Gordon, who was trying out leftfield for the first time. And Moore was on the verge of making a big league managerial change, so he had a lot on his mind.

I asked him how he viewed the growing skepticism among the fan base and he gave me an answer I'll never forget.

"I'm very passionate about the Kansas City Royals," Moore said. "They were my boyhood team. I'm very passionate about baseball. I care deeply about the people who work with us. I care deeply about the players who commit to be a part of this organization because it's all about the players at the end of the day.

"I'm concerned about the impression that people have about the Kansas City Royals. I want every young boy and every young girl to grow up loving the Kansas City Royals. There is a generation of people who saw nothing but winning and now there's a generation of people who have seen nothing but losing.

"For the baseball family - or that dad or that grandfather who grew up loving the Royals and seeing them perform in all their glory days to now have a grandchild or a son or a great grandson, in some cases, who have never seen the Royals win and they root for the Phillies and they root for the Red Sox and they root for the Yankees because those are the teams that win, or they root for the Braves because those are the teams that have won, it's got to be in a way - it's probably not heartbreaking - I probably take it a little more serious than it actually is, but there's some disappointment."

Say what you will about Moore's eight-year process and his oftentimes ultra-defensive attitude any time somebody questioned it, but when it comes right down to it, he wants to see every young boy and every young girl in the region grow up loving the Royals. There is a certain naiveté about that desire, and I mean that in the best way possible. I was one of those young boys, many moons ago.

Tyler Austin didn't have a great season, but at least he finished strong

Grade: C+

2014 Statistics: .275/.336/.419, 9 HR, 8.2 BB%, 18.3 K%

2014 Level/Roster Status: Double-A/Non-40

Remember when Tyler Austin was relevant? Yeah, that was actually a long time ago at this point. Tyler Austin was never praised for his amazing tools, so what he did in 2012, when he rocketed through the system by hitting .322/.400/.559 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases, essentially turned him into a legitimate prospect. The problem is that when you can't follow up on a breakout season like that with another impressive year, people are going to assume it was a fluke and your value will plummet. The 2013 season turned out to be as close to a nightmare as you can get after he suffered a wrist injury that sapped him of both his power and ability to just be consistently productive. The 2014 season gave him his chance to figure things out and it was quite a...journey?

He missed almost three weeks in late-April/Early May and it was looking like injuries were going to sink his second season in a row. Through the first three months of the year, Austin hit an uninspiring .254/.324/.371 with three home runs, however he seemingly caught fire for the final two months and hit .302/.353/.483 with six home runs to close out 2014. As a whole, his season wasn't very spectacular, especially since he's been stuck in Trenton since 2012, but it was really nice to see him pick it up in the second half. Hopefully that two-month burst is the real Tyler Austin returning and he's finally over that pesky wrist injury, but once again, it's going to be another wait-and-see situation.

On the defensive end of the spectrum, Austin doesn't really provide a whole lot. He's typically considered to be caught in the middle as an outfield prospect; not enough glove for center field, not enough bat for the corners. This has led the Yankees to experiment with him at third and first. In 2014, he primarily played in right field, but he also saw the most playing time of his career at first base, making it possible that he could become a 1B-RF type player if his bat can support him enough. Going into 2015, Austin finally has his health issues behind him (maybe) and could get his ticket punched to Triple-A Scranton at some point after his late-season barrage. Given how injury-prone Mark Teixeira has become, it won't be a big surprise if Austin is added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.

If he's the hitter he was in July and August going forward, Tyler Austin could be a legitimate option for the Yankees at some point. Out of him, Mason Williams, and Slade Heathcott, he seems to be the only one of the old trio of outfield prospects that has a chance to make it at this point. He might not have the exciting tools, but he can hit when healthy, though the thing to keep an eye on is his strikeout-walk ratio and whether or not he can add any power going into his age-23 season. It's a lot of "ifs" but given the team's needs at first and right field, it's not crazy to keep Tyler Austin on your radar for the 2015 season. He's playing in the Arizona Fall League, so maybe we'll get a preview of what to expect from here on out.

Contracts here! Get your contracts here! Trade for long term with lots of cash attached to them contracts!

As much as we would like to see the Yankees bring up all their young players, have them play well, and win with that group of young guys for years to come, the fact of the matter is that this is extremely rare to do. Most of us are still attached to the fantastic teams of the '90s, before the Yankees really started to hand out some big time contracts to players. You can probably say that after the 2001 season is when the Yankees started to become really enamored with spending a lot of cash. Because of that, this team is tied to millions upon millions of dollars in various contracts, but is there a chance that any of these big contracts are moved in the near future?

Let's start with some of the new guys. Jacoby Ellsbury just finished up year one of his seven-year contract worth $153 million with a $5 million buyout in 2021. You won't see Ellsbury moved anytime soon, and while his speed may diminish a bit, he will still bring great defense and he will still have the ability to get on base. It will also be tough to move a contract like Ellsbury unless it is in a Carl Crawford type deal. On the other hand, Carlos Beltran will begin 2015 with two years and $30 million left on his deal, and if the Yankees are looking to move him, they may have to eat a big chunk of his salary. Beltran will enter 2015 healthy, so maybe he is in line for a big year, but if not, I will not be surprised if the Yankees look to move him especially with Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin looking to make their big push towards the majors.

One guy that was called to be traded by everyone it seems at least at some point in this tough season is Brian McCann. McCann struggled most of the year before coming on strong offensively towards the end of the season. He did a fantastic job with the pitching staff and offered very good defense, so look for McCann to have a strong rebound season in 2015. McCann won't be traded anytime soon as it is more likely he will be moved to first base when Mark Teixeira's contract ends or when Teixeira finally disintegrates. The Yankees have some catching talent in the minors, so they have some room to be flexible with McCann, but unfortunately his contract isn't very flexible, and again, will be tough to move.

Speaking of Mark Teixeira, with two years and $45 million remaining on his contract, and about 50 million more injuries waiting to occur, the Yankees would love to move his contract but it might have to be one salary dump for another. Any takers? Teixeira still offers very good (although not as great as he used to be) defense, and he will run into one occasionally, but his constant injuries and rally killing have proved to be too much for the fanbase, and quite possibly the front office. In any possible deal the Yankees will have to eat most of the cash, but it wouldn't hurt the Yankees to at least shop Teixeira in the offseason.

Another contract I am sure this team would love to move but which might be almost impossible to do is CC Sabathia's contract. Sabathia still has two years and $48 million coming his way, with a $25 million vesting option. And with Sabathia's injuries and his awful 2014 season, the only thing the Yankees can hope for is that he is at least a productive fourth or fifth starter in 2015, because you can pretty much guarantee if he is healthy he will be in the rotation. If not, the Yankees might just have a very expensive left-handed reliever.

Which players, if any, do you think will be traded before their contract is up with the Yankees?

Possible Derek Jeter replacements, Robertson chooses Saban, The scout that signed Cano leaves, Bichette replaces Jagielo in the AFL

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: With Derek Jeter now retired, Hal Steinbrenner has stated that adding a shortstop will be a top concern this offseason.

New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand:David Robertson chooses Nick Saban over Joe Girardi as a better coach and leader.

LoHud Yankees Blog | Chad Jennings: With Eric Jagielo out 4-6 weeks after surgery, Dante Bichette Jr has been sent as his replacement.

New York Post | George A. King III: Longtime Yankee veteran scout Gordon Blakeley has taken a job with the Braves.

ESPN.com | Wallace Matthews: Do the Yankees commit to David Robertson or roll the dice with Dellin Betances?

Today's links look at Billy Beane's thoughts on the Cespedes trade, David Ortiz thoughts on the roster and the one thing that Ben Affleck refuses to do on camera.

Billy Beane has no regrets from the Cespedes trade. (Alex Speier; WEEI)

David Ortiz has some regrets from this season, including how bad everyone else was on offense. (Peter Abraham; Boston Globe)

One of the many problems Ben Cherington will have to fix this offseason, which most notably includes an overcrowded outfield. (Scott Lauber; Boston Herald)

He'll also have to figure who will start at third base. (Brian MacPherson; Providence Journal)

They might have to do it all without Torey Lovullo, their beloved bench coach. (Jason Mastrodonato; MassLive)

But they may have David Ross. (Gordon Edes; ESPN Boston)

And they will definitely have the support of Ben Affleck, who has no problem doing a nude scene but draws the line at wearing a Yankees hat. (Bill Speros; Boston.com)

If this is Capuano's lone season in pinstripes, we'll always remember his tongue. Makin' it weird.

Grade: C

2014 Statistics: 97 1/3 IP, 4.35 ERA (110 ERA-), 3.91 FIP (100 FIP-), 7.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.0 WAR

2015 Contract Status: Free agent

Are you lefthanded?

Are you good at baseball?

If you answered yes to both, then you'll live forever in this game.

Back in the mid-2000s, Chris Capuano was a pretty fair southpaw for the Brewers as they rebuilt toward the team that eventually snapped their 26-year playoff drought. He was even an All-Star in 2006. Baseball's a cruel game for pitchers though, and after an injury-shortened 25-start season of subpar ball in '07, Capuano underwent Tommy John Surgery. He did not pitch in the big leagues from September 28, 2007 until finally making his comeback on June 3, 2010. He was still only 31 at the time, but man, that's a long time away from major league hitters.

Since his impressive comeback, Capuano has managed to hang around the big leagues for five seasons with five different teams, occasionally tossing in a good start here and there but ultimately maintaining a middling 91 ERA+ since 2010. Unsigned for most of the off-season, the Red Sox picked up the left near the start of spring training, and he was one of the last guys to make the team. Capuano got off to a good start by twirling 15 scoreless innings in 12 games out of the bullpen. Afterward though, he was a mess, posting an eye-popping 8.31 ERA and 1.031 OPS after the beginning of May. Following a five-run beatdown in Seattle mopping up for John Lackey, the Red Sox severed ties with the veteran.

Capuano was signed to a minor league deal by the Rockies, and he made four starts between their Triple-A and Double-A affiliates in July, rebuilding his stock somewhat with a solid 2.79 ERA and 1.086 WHIP. The Yankees were encouraged by what they saw, so needing an infusion of major league-caliber starting pitching with Chase Whitley badly fading due to fatigue, they purchased Capuano from Colorado on July 24th.

The soon-to-be 36-year-old immediately moved into the rotation and made 12 starts for them from July 26th through the end of the season. Capuano was there to fill a void, and he did so to about the peak of his abilities at this stage of his career. With the Yankees, he had a 4.25 ERA (108 ERA-), a 4.05 FIP (99 FIP-), a 7.5 K/9, and a 2.6 BB/9. He did have a couple nice starts near the end, including six innings of two-hit scoreless ball against the Rays that (surprise) went unrewarded by the Yankees and his season finale, a 6 2/3 inning stint without allowing an earned run in Boston. Most of his starts (save for one absolutely atrocious game when he recorded just one out) fit the same theme: throw a lot of pitches, give up a lot of hits (9.2 H/9), limit the damage to no more than four runs, then depart sometime around the end of the sixth inning. Rinse, recycle, repeat.

Capuano was simply the definition of average rotation filler. His ERA & FIP numbers hovered around league average. The Yankees went 6-6 in his starts. He surrendered a .261/.314/.412 triple slash while the league hit a fairly similar .253/.316/.390 on the year. For a team like the Yankees trying desperately to stay in the pennant race, Capuano certainly wasn't the worst guy to be throwing every fifth day. However, by the time the Yankees were just about eliminated, it would have been nice to see his now-fruitless mediocrity replaced in the rotation by the young righthander Bryan Mitchell, who might actually have a future with this team. Alas, that did not happen, and Capuano remained a starter.

It's possible that since he did a decent job filling in this year that the Yankees could extend him a spring training invitation or perhaps even an inexpensive deal if they think he could be a useful spare part next year. If he moves on though, it's not a big deal. Even if the Yankees don't sign a single starter (unlikely), there are more intriguing backup options for the rotation in the minors like Mitchell, Manny Banuelos, and others.

Nonetheless, I'll miss the lovely pictures in the editor of Capuano and his weird pitching tic, like the one used in this article.

Fare-thee-well, 2014 Yankees. You will not really be missed.

In the final podcast of the season, we talked about the 2014 Yankees season in review and a little bit about what next year might look like. The highlights were rare (Dellin Betances, pre-injury Masahiro Tanaka, and a few others), but we talked about them as well as the injuries and disappointments. Matt F. also did a word-association game with the many players on the 2014 roster that did a nice job summing up our feelings on the odd characters who suited up for the team this year. Then, we answered some tweetbag questions and wrapped it up with our Yankees and Mitres of the Season.(Congrats to Ichiro I suppose for not being named Mitre of the Season for the second straight year.)

We'll be taking some time off from the podcast after this one since there probably won't be major Yankees news of note until after the playoffs end, though we will of course return if something huge comes up. Once the off-season really gets going, we'll most likely do the bi-weekly podcast schedule maintained last year. Regardless, thank you very much for listening throughout the season! We hope you've enjoyed it.

Podcast link (Length: 1:09:51)

iTunes link

RSS feed