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Are the Yankees going to release Alex Rodriguez in 2015?

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It seems absurd due to his salary, but Forbes' David Lariviere says it could happen.

It's perfectly clear the Yankees and third baseman Alex Rodriguez aren't on the best of terms right now, but could the club really go as far as to release him?

Forbes Magazine's David Lariviere thinks it's possible, writing Saturday the Yankees' recent moves may be designed to limit Rodriguez's role on the team. Lariviere believes the re-signing of Chase Headley and trading for Garrett Jones this week will take away at-bats from the 39-year-old, who was suspended for all of last season due to steroid use.

"It makes you wonder if the Yankees really expect, or want, Rodriguez, who'll turn 40 in July, to play for them at all," Lariviere argued. "It's almost as if they are giving him a good-faith gesture in allowing him an opportunity to show he can still hit after a year-long suspension for PEDS. However, if he's hitting .220 with a homer and 10 RBI in the middle of May, the real plan is to hand him his walking papers by Memorial Day."

Rodriguez definitely doesn't appear to be the Yankees' top choice for anything as spring training grows nearer, something no doubt shown by what New York general manager Brian Cashman revealed Monday. Cashman said during an appearance on NBC New York's Sports Final "expecting the least and hoping for the most" is the approach the Yankees will take with Rodriguez in 2015, adding they also plan to use him as a DH instead of a defender.

So where does the three-time MVP fit into their future?

"If A-Rod's bat is slow and he's striking out a lot against young flamethrowers, the Yanks can say to their fans 'hey, we gave him a shot but it just didn't work out," Lariviere speculated. "The leash will not be a long one and most of their fans will not be sad to see him go."

That statement's probably true, but since Rodriguez is owed a lot of money the next three years, it's certainly possible the Yankees will still keep him. They're set to hand him $21 million next season and $20 million in 2016 and 2017, so it's not absurd to consider they may just hang onto him for the sake of somewhat making that price worth paying.

Then again, if Rodriguez struggles the way Lariviere suggests, cutting him would likely be the Yankees' only option, seeing as they're currently more interested in youngsters than veterans.

Poll
How do you think A-Rod will do in 2015?

  1482 votes |Results


Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 12/22/14

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Luxury tax, second base, the disabled list and the Eovaldi trade.

USA Today | Associated Press: For the first time ever, the Yankees are not paying the highest portion into the luxury tax. This isn't really a surprise, since we've known the Dodgers were ahead of the Yankees in payroll commitments at the trade deadline, but it must be nice for the Steinbrenners to only have to pay an extra $18M for their team this time.

NYPost | Joel Sherman: The Yankees have little interest in Asdrubal Cabrera or Chase Utley.

Hardball Times | Jeff Zimmerman: Zimmerman does a really fascinating deep dive on injuries. One of his conclusions is that the Yankees "need to figure out what the other teams are doing to improve shoulder health and get on board." I highly recommend this article.

Fangraphs | Jeff Sullivan: If you're not tired of reading about the Prado-Eovaldi trade, here's another good read. I find it really hard not to be excited about the Yankees' 2015 starting rotation.

New Yankees pitcher Eovaldi excited to join team

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The fastball phenom says he's ready to help out New York.

At first glance, new Yankees pitcher Nathan Eovaldi may not look like much of a star. The 24-year-old right-hander, who was traded from the Marlins to the Yankees Friday, is coming off a pretty unimpressive 2014 season, one in which he went just 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA, despite playing most of his starts in pitcher-friendly Marlins Park.

Nonetheless, the Yankees really like him, dealing star utility man Martin Prado and developing reliever David Phelps just to get a hold of his services. Their plan for his future appears to be a job in the back of the rotation, and needless to say, Eovaldi is thankful for the opportunity.

"I've been fortunate enough that now I'll be able to say I've played for the two biggest franchises in baseball, the Dodgers and the Yankees," Eovaldi told The New York Daily News' Anthony McCarron Saturday. "I'm real excited and I'm getting ready. The offseason has been going great and I'm looking forward to helping the Yankees out."

The Yankees will likely need notable contributions from Eovaldi in order to contend in 2015, as few starters currently on their roster can be relied on to perform to their potential. Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova were injury-riddled last season, with Nova having to undergo Tommy John surgery.

But Eovaldi is confident he'll be able to do just that when he puts on pinstripes next spring, breaking down his pitch selection plan during the phone interview:

I want to throw first-pitch strikes with off-speed stuff, even use it on a 2-1 count or 1-and-2. I'm working on my changeup a lot more  this offseason, just mixing it into my repertoire. Last year, toward the end, it helped me out a lot. I want to keep locating the fastball, then use my slider and curve more and have a better mix.

He's right about finishing off the year strong, having allowed just four earned runs over 13 innings in his last two outings of 2014. However, for the most part, Eovaldi's September performance was still perceived by most fans as a struggle, as he recorded a 5.53 ERA while going 0-4. It will be interesting to see how quickly he's able to better/worsen those numbers when he's throwing in the American League next season, the first time he'll do so in his short career.

Poll
What are your expectations for Nathan Eovaldi with the Yankees?

  1807 votes |Results

Martin Prado trade: Marlins traded Domingo German to cover Garrett Jones

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The primary reason the Miami Marlins eventually had to trade starting pitching prospect Domingo German was to cover the inclusion of Garrett Jones into the deal.

The Miami Marlins made some acquisitions over the weekend, most notably the trade of Nathan Eovaldi to the New York Yankees in return for Martin Prado. The Fish included Garrett Jones and starting pitching prospect Domingo German in the deal as well, and it seems odd initially to see the two players involved. Eovaldi, while off a down season, was probably still more valuable than Prado, even though acquiring Prado guaranteed wins in 2015. Why include a prospect as well as a big-leaguer in a deal that only further netted you David Phelps?

The reasoning for the Marlins is probably clear: trading German was the only way to trade Jones and his salary as well.

Valuing prospects is always a difficult task, especially when they are far away from the majors. Prior to this season, German was not very highly heralded, having spent much of his time hanging out in Rookie Ball and playing very little. Prior to this season, he had not had full-season ball experience. But his first full year in Low-A Greensboro was a massive success, as he threw 123 1/3 innings and put up a 2.46 ERA and 3.26 FIP. He struck out 22.4 percent of batters faced while walking just 5.0 percent of them, showing that he could pound the strike zone in full-season ball.

But heading into this year, he wasn't much more than a C-grade prospect, essentially an unknown. After one good year, he may have been bounced up to a B-grade, but it is doubtful that he would have earned a top-100 prospect status over guys who are at higher minor league levels and have performed similarly well. For example, in 2012, Adam Conley was 22 years old, only a little older than German during 2014, and posted a similarly dominant 2.78 ERA and 3.07 FIP with an even more impressive 27.9 percent strikeout rate in 14 starts before being promoted to High-A Jupiter. Conley wasn't considered close to a top-100 prospect until his strong run Double-A in 2013.

German got good exposure from representing the Marlins in the Futures Game, but his status as a prospect is still a question. He has only pitched in one full-season campaign, and similar pitchers are still not highly rated nationally. This makes his situation different than a guy like Andrew Heaney, who has proven himself at multiple levels and is close to a finished product. German has great tools, but as Nathaniel Stoltz of FanGraphs points out, he also has a potential future in relief rather than as a starter given the gulf between his fastball and his other pitches.

All of this is to say that we cannot overestimate German's value. In Kevin Creagh of Pirates Prospects' update on prospect valuation methods from 2012, he pointed out that pitching prospects in the peripheries of the top-100 of lists like Baseball America were worth around $7 million to $8 million in terms of trade or surplus value. Knowing that German would not be a top-100 prospect this season, we can be reasonably sure that he would be worth less than that in the trade market. It is not unreasonable to think he would be worth around $5 million in trade value.

Photo by Mitchell Layton, Getty Sports Images

That happens to be the value of Garrett Jones's overpaid second half of his contract. Jones is being paid $5 million in 2015 as part of a misguided two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Fish. After a year of replacement-level play, the Marlins decided they wanted an upgrade at first and found one in Michael Morse. But to get rid of Jones's contract, the team had to pay up trade value, because Jones himself has none. At this point, he is a platoon lefty, and not a good one at that, making him a near-replacement level player. The Marlins had to give up German and his value to make up for Jones's salary relative to his pay.

This is the cost Miami incurred to dump Jones's salary. The Fish are balancing a precarious budget in trying to stay around $70 million while taking on a good number of salary pieces. Part of that is buoyed by salary assistance that the Dodgers and Yankees sent over in trades, but part of it is the Fish being able to get rid of Jones's salary for assets. A less cash-strapped (whether truthfully or at least by owner mandate) team may have kept German and eaten Jones's sunk-cost salary in 2015, but the Marlins are not that team yet (or ever). That $5 million means something to Jeffrey Loria and company, hence why they had to deal a young, far-from-the-majors prospect just to be rid of it.

Do the Yankees need Max Scherzer?

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There are indications the Yankees won't be chasing Scherzer. Is that the right move?

In this article here, Pinstripe Alley author Caitlin Rogers noted that Yankees' president Randy Levine said the Yankees would not be pursuing Max Scherzer. The current Yankees payroll estimate of around $200M (Cot's contracts pre-Prado trade) would seem to act as a deterrent to adding another $25-$30M AAV to the payroll for the next 6-8 years. However, if there is one team who can spend freely, and there isn't, it's the Yankees. Or the Dodgers. Or the Red Sox. Or the Giants....The point is that if the Yankees really wanted him, they could afford Scherzer.

The starting point is the projections; I'll look at the FanGraphs depth charts. The Yankees are projected to be the #10 team in fWAR from the starting rotation. There are quite a few moving parts to this projection, though. I'll go through them one-by-one.

First, C.C. Sabathia is projected for both a relatively healthy and effective season by garnering 2.3 fWAR in 188 innings. Sabathia's xFIP before he went down last year was a very good 3.11, so it's clear that he still had something in the tank. His walk and strikeout rates were excellent, but for some reason he handed out free dingers like street pamphlets. His .350 BABIP was also way above norms. Sabathia is surely a rebound candidate in performance, but his knee is the question. A Yankees team with a healthy Sabathia doesn't need Scherzer so much.

Second, another health question mark, is Masahiro Tanaka. He's also projected for 188 innings of solid performance. Heck, the projected 3.42 ERA/3.54 FIP might be too high. However, his elbow is the question. Tanaka was shut down in July and returned in September, but he had a partially torn ligament. It's possible that Tanaka could return and pitch with that issue, but there's no telling when his elbow will pop. Luke Hochevar pitched a long and mostly ineffective time with a partially torn UCL. Tanaka is another question mark. A Yankees team with a healthy Tanaka doesn't need Scherzer so much.

Third is Michael Pineda. Surprise, another health question mark! Pineda skipped May, June, and July due to a combination of a suspension for that odd pine tar incident as well as a back injury. For a guy who didn't throw any innings in 2012 and 2013 and missed significant time with injury in 2014, 169 projected innings in 2015 seems a bit high.

Fourth is Nathan Eovaldi. The new guy. He threw 199.2 innings and accumulated 3.0 fWAR in 2014. However, he's a righty with a platoon split. The Yankees' home park treats lefty hitters nicely. 175 projected innings in 2015 is probably a solid estimate, but the projections don't see a repeat of his performance. The Yankees' pitching coach could help Eovaldi harness his stuff better, but Eovaldi also won't have the benefit of throwing to pitchers holding bats anymore.

Fifth is Ivan Nova. Nova made only 4 starts in 2014 before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. He won't be back until mid-season-ish at the earliest, but he is projected for 113 innings.

Chris Capuano, who has quite an injury history himself, is projected for 65 innings, which is what he gave the Yankees last year after joining the team mid-season. He might step out of the rotation when Nova returns depending on his performance. Bryan Mitchell and Chase Whitley finish off the depth chart. The Yankees traded away Shane Greene as well, gaining a shortstop but further reducing their SP depth. The Yankees were unable to re-sign Brandon McCarthy.

After all this, 4 of the top 5 Yankee starters are health question marks, and the 5th is a performance question mark. Should the health question marks have a healthy answer, the Yankees' rotation will be in fine shape. Should the answer be dire and unhealthy, the Yankees will be trolling their minor league system and other teams for pitchers. Unless, of course, they sign Max Scherzer. Scherzer is projected for 208 innings and 4.1 fWAR. He's been healthy and dominant. If the Yankees have any desire to return to the postseason, they'll need another pitcher. There are too many question marks.

It doesn't have to be Scherzer. James Shields is still available. If he wanted to return to the MLB, Hiroki Kuroda probably wouldn't go anywhere else but the Yankees (speculation on my part). The talent level drops off after those guys, though. Now then, to answer my titular question, no, I don't think the Yankees need Scherzer. The Yankees are talented enough, and it's unlikely that all 4 of those pitchers remain unhealthy and ineffective. But they need someone.

. . .

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

Kevin Ruprecht is an Editor of Beyond the Box Score. He also writes at Royals Review. You can follow him on Twitter at @KevinRuprecht.

Yankees Rumors: New York re-inquired on Troy Tulowitzki

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Much of this offseason has been devoted to the idea of the Yankees finding their shortstop of the future to replace Derek Jeter. One option they explored, albeit not very extensively, was the idea of trading with the Colorado Rockies for Troy Tulowitzki. The talks didn't go very far and the Yankees went on to trade for Didi Gregorius instead. In the days since the move, the Mets, if anyone, became the favorite to acquire Tulowitzki, but now it looks like the Yankees could be getting back into it.

Jon Heyman is reporting that since talks between the Rockies and Mets have gone nowhere, the Yankees "re-checked late last week on Tulo's availability." The thought is that any kind of trade is still incredibly unlikely, especially since the Yankees can't really match the expected high asking price when compared to the Mets' plethora of young arms in Rafael Montero, Steven Matz, Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia. Heyman believes that new Yankee Nathan Eovaldi could improve their potential package, along with top pitching prospect Luis Severino and best young pitcher in Dellin Betances, but Brian Cashman might not want to take apart the team to the extent that Tulo would require, especially when the 30-year-old shortstop has injury questions of his own.

While the Yankees spoke of Gregorius as their shortstop of the future now that they have him under team control over the next four years, it doesn't mean they won't try to upgrade the team going forward. There are a lot of question marks surrounding Didi's future, especially when it comes to his bat against lefties, so if they can get a more complete player at at the right price they'll do it and figure out the roster later. At that point they could play Gregorius at second base now that Martin Prado has been shipped off to Miami, have Tulo as their everyday shortstop, and finally be done with their starting infield for the 2015 season.

Nothing is close to imminent and, as far as has been reported, no names have been exchanged, but if Colorado decides to move Tulowitzki this offseason, it will have to be for a franchise-changing return. Even if the Mets don't make Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom available, they'll have an easier time meeting those demands than the Yankees.

UPDATE: Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York is reporting that "a source said the Yankees are not in pursuit of Tulowitzki."

Do you care where your favorite Phillies are traded?

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With the Phillies in fire sale mode, do you care where your favorite Phillies end up?

This is a simple question - given that the Phillies are rebuilding and some of our all-time favorite Phillies are on the trading block (or have already been traded), do you root for these players to go to any particular team?  Or, conversely, do you root for them not to be traded to particular teams?

The way I see it, there are at least five options here:

1.Happy for them to go anywhere. Those who fall into this camp simply don't care where their favorite Phillies go.  The thinking here is that the Phillies need to trade these players to improve in the future, so any team that takes our players and gives us quality in return is a good place for our favorite players to land.

2.Don't want them going anywhere. This is the complete opposite.  It doesn't matter if the Phillies will get better with the trade in the long run, all that matters is that your favorite Phillies are no longer going to be Phillies, so you are furious wherever they go.

3.Anywhere but the Mets/Braves/[fill in your hated franchise here]. You have your hated teams, and no matter who plays for those teams, those players are evil.  If he were traded to one of those teams at the end of his career, you'd even hate Mike Schmidt.  If Ruben Amaro Jr. traded Chase Utley to the Mets, your baseball fan life would end.

4.Anywhere that's a contender. This is the most magnanimous of the bunch.  You love your favorite players and want what's best for them.  Running out their career in the cesspool of Philadelphia baseball circa 2015 through 2017 is not going to be fun for them, so you want them playing for a contender.  Jimmy Rollins will always be a champion Philadelphia Phillie, but if he gets another ring with the Dodgers, well then good for Jimmy.  He deserves it more than he deserves playing for consecutive sub-70 loss teams here.

5.Anywhere that's not a contender. This is the most evil of the bunch, but one that is based in complete and utter loyalty to the team, which isn't a terrible thing.  People who fall into this camp don't want to see ex-Phillies succeed because they are now traitors.  It's harder to justify with a trade, since that is out of the player's control, but I can see some people still holding this position.  You just don't want to see a true Phillie beating you in the future, so better to go to a lousy team.

I'm sure there are other positions to hold, but these are the main ones.  Where do you stand?  Let us know in the comments.

As for me, I have a mix of 3 and 4.  I would be utterly horrified to see Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, or Carlos Ruiz playing for the Yankees, Mets, or Braves.  It would truly ruin my baseball experience to see that.

But, beyond those three franchises, I want them to go to a contender.  I have loved watching these guys play and am grateful for everything they have done for my favorite team and my baseball fan experience.  For that, I want the best for them, which is playing for a contender.

As long as that contender isn't the Yankees, Mets, or Braves...

Poll
Where do you want your favorite Phillies to end up in this fire sale?

  208 votes |Results

Marlins traded Casey McGehee for better infield control

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The 32-year old infielder was dealt because he was only under control for one more season.

Trading third baseman Casey McGehee was not on the Marlins' list of offseason priorities. However, after the club acquired Martin Prado in a trade with the Yankees, Miami did not feel it was necessary to keep McGehee on the roster. Ultimately, McGehee was flipped to the Giants for a pair of minor league arms.

Although the Marlins felt keeping McGehee as a utility infielder would be excessive, President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill told the Associated Press the deal was necessary because of what Prado could bring to the lineup both offensively and defensively. Hill also mentioned contract status, which most likely justifies the move.

"Prado brings athleticism to both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively," Hill said. "And the control — we know we have him for two years. Casey was on the brink of free agency. Given the opportunity, we felt it would be a good fit to bring Martin over."

After McGehee's fast offensive start in 2014, the Marlins were reportedly considering giving him an extension. However, he batted just .243 after the All-Star break, and only posted four home runs. With McGehee hitting behind Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins were rightfully concerned about the lack of second half production. For most of July and the start of August, the club was still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot before injuries and offensive inconsistencies led to notable late losses.

With the moves that they have made this offseason, the Marlins have changed their entire infield with the exception of shortstop. The Marlins were looking to move Nathan Eovaldi, as he was not in their long term plans, and as a result, received Prado in return. Prado posted a .282/.321/.412 batting line to complement a 2.6 WAR in 2014, which is an upgrade over McGehee's 2.0 WAR. McGehee was solid defensively last season, but Prado's versatility should also help the infield late in games.

While Prado is an upgrade, the Marlins likely did pay attention to control. Miami will have Prado under contract for two more seasons, while McGehee will likely test the market after 2015. Upon returning from Japan, McGehee was looking to prove he can be a consistent infield option, and if he has a solid season with the Giants, will be seeking a notable contract.

The Marlins improved their infield upon adding Prado, and despite the fact that McGehee was a fan favorite, he may not have wanted to remain in Miami long term. Miami's infield pieces, pending any trades, will be together for the next two seasons, which should contribute to the consistency the young team is looking for.


PSA Comments of the Day 12/22/14: Everybody's Free to feel good!

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Winter is upon us. The Yankees have yet to make any significant moves since Friday. If another move is on the horizon, we probably won't know about it until right before it goes down. It'll most likely be Friday. Pitchers and catchers report in 59 days.

After the busy day that was Friday, nothing much happened over the weekend in the Yankees Universe. Speculation about the new roster is in full swing. If you like gambling on young players, then the 2015 Yankees might very well be for you. A young pitching staff, a young second base/shortstop double play combination, and a young bullpen. Perhaps I should have made the headline title "What is a yout?"

Comments of the Day

I think all we need to do is draw Garrett Jones as Erin Esurance, and we're all set. Hmmmmm, perhaps not...

Winter has come at last!

Oh Jets...

I suppose it's possible. I mean, stranger things have happened. Travis Ishikawa and Jayson Nix were both in the World Series last year after all.

Perhaps the Yankees are going with pure spite?

GIF of the Day

There were no outstanding GIFs yesterday. Perhaps there will be some today, in this very thread even.

Honorable Mod Mention

No mod acted with honor yesterday. It was just pure debauchery all around. For shame!

Fun Questions
  • Top three favorite science fiction/fantasy races? (alien, elven, etc)
  • Given a choice, which would you rather do: go to a dance club or go to a karaoke bar?
Song of the Day

Everybody's Free (to feel good) by Aquagen ft. Rozalla

As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

Later on tonight, there is football on. Please feel free to use this as your open thread for the day.

Make it so.

Did the Yankees unload Martin Prado at just the right time?

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Martin Prado was excellent in 37 games with the Bombers last year, but his performance looked an awful lot like a fluke. There's reason to believe that Prado will be significantly worse in 2015.

Martin Prado was everything the Yankees could have hoped for after they acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacks at last year's trade deadline. The highly versatile Prado played solid defense at second base, third base, and the corner outfield spots, but most of his value came from his bat. In 37 games, he hit for an impressive .316/.336/.541 clip, which was good enough for a 146 wRC+. Yet despite his triumphs with the Yankees down the stretch, Brian Cashman and company decided not to include him in their 2015 plans, and instead packaged him with David Phelps in return for Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones, and minor-league pitcher Domingo German.

As good as Prado was for the Yankees in the season's final weeks, his performance actually looks a little concerning when analyzed with a finer-tooth comb. Lets take a look at his underlying numbers over three periods of time: His career up until 2014, the first four months of the year with the D-Backs, and his six weeks in pinstripes.

Prado
Prado's strong finish to 2014 was largely driven by two factors: Above-average power and a .340 BABIP. Both of these things were uncharacteristic for the 30-year-old, and both ISO and BABIP can be deceptively fluky over just a few weeks of games. As a result, it's probably safe to assume Prado's true talent level is closer to his career numbers: .138 ISO and .311 BABIP. Meanwhile, Prado's strikeout and walk numbers -- which are much more reliable in small samples -- continued to trend in the wrong direction. Digging a little deeper, we can trace this back to Prado's plate discipline, which took a dive after he was traded to the Yankees. For whatever reason, he started swinging at way more pitches out of the zone with the Yankees. His O-Swing% jumped from 27% with the D-Backs to 34% with the Yankees.

Regardless of his impressive surface numbers, this doesn't look like a player who took a step forward with a new team. Pair Prado's 2014 strikeout and walk numbers with his career power numbers, and you have a pretty mediocre player. We all know Prado's 2015 numbers will fall well short of the 146 wRC+ he put up with the Yankees. That much is obvious, but a look under the hood suggests the guy who hit .270/.317/.370 (89 wRC+) in 436 plate appearances with the D-Backs may be the real Prado.

It's debatable whether or not the Yankees' return for Prado -- an upgrade to their rotation, a bench bat, and a low-level pitching prospect -- was worth coughing up a player with his versatility. However, it's pretty clear they managed to part ways when his value was at its highest. Prado's offensive numbers have been on the decline for a couple of years now, and his six-week stint with the Yankees looks like a flash in the pan rather than a return to 2012 or 2013 form.

Should the Yankees make a run at Nori Aoki for the outfield?

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He was great last season with the Royals, but should the Yankees consider bringing him to the Bronx?

With Carlos Beltran seemingly back from injury, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner locks for starting jobs and Chris Young having stayed on a one-year deal, it appears the Yankees outfield is set for 2014. But should they still add another piece before spring training?

I think so, and a candidate for that piece should definitely be formal Royals outfielder Norichika Aoki. Fans might remember him as a constant presence in the Royals' lineup during the recent playoff run, but he's been good for several years now, going back to his first two seasons with the Brewers.

So why should the Yankees go after him? A lot of reasons, but mostly because he would...

1. Make Them Elite When it Comes to Stealing Bases: Granted, Aoki was only successful on 17/25 stolen base attempts last season, but considering the Yankees' weak offense, it's likely he'd get a lot more chances if he played for New York. So, assuming he'll improve if that happens, the Yankees have the opportunity to create a dominant running game if they choose to sign him. Ellsbury was successful on 39/44 chances and Gardner on 21/26 in 2014, so they're already proven at the art. Add on Didi Gregorius, who also looks like he could run if asked to, and the Yankees have a nice quartet of productive legs.

2. Give the Yankees a reliable right fielder: It was nice and all when Young was homering in every at-bat last September, but is that really what the Yankees should expect from him now? He hit just .205/.283/.346 with the Mets before that sudden success, and since Beltran's not one to stay healthy all year, shouldn't the Yankees make a Plan B? Aoki's a good defender and, judging by his recent .285/.349/.360 line, a better hitter than the other two right-field options, so he seems like a logical choice if that's indeed the path they choose.

3. Not be an Oriole: Rant Sports' Vinny Lanni wrote Sunday why the Orioles should pursue Aoki, arguing he would help take some of the load off after Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis' departures. Though some will disagree, the Yankees are still very much alive when it comes to next season's AL East, so why take the chance of letting a somewhat fallen opponent build back up? Aoki is projected to only cost about $7-8 million a year for two to three years, so inking him couldn't hurt anything that much if it failed. Doing so would still better the Yankees, but nonetheless, it would more importantly worsen the Orioles.

To put it simply, Aoki would be a quick fix to many of the Yankees problems. Seriously, isn't it nice to imagine a lineup in which Alex Rodriguez isn't starting and Beltran's a DH? I know that may be a waste of money, but I think we can agree the Yankees have already done plenty of that (see Mark Teixeira's contract and injuries and CC Sabathia's contract and injuries for examples) in the past. No need to punish themselves for it when they can still win something.

PSA Comments of the Day 12/23/14: For the rest of us

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Happy Festivus to you all. This thread has it all. The Airing of Grievances and the Feats of Strength. Feel free to apply them to the Yankees this year. Pitchers and catchers report in 58 days.

It's a Festivus miracle...errr thread. The year is coming to a close and the Yankees have made 2014 much longer than it needed to be. If you had a lot of problems with the Yankees and you want people to hear about them, here is your chance to air those grievances. If you felt that they performed some feats of strength, tell us. Happy Festivus!

Comments of the Day

Captain EO was meant to spread joy and harmony throughout the universe. He should hopefully do so here.

I get the sense that LTL does not sing or dance that often.

...waw as well...

Meanwhile, Waffles just gets the best E-Mails. The. BEST.

Ah yes, the wacky antics of TC Bear and Eduardo Nunez have made this season that much better.

See what I mean?

El Cruz met CC Sabathia yesterday. LTL thought he should have went with some puns, to cement his full immersion into the PSA lifestyle.

Always

Pfft. My mom says I'm cool.

More opinions on Nathan Eovaldi and his fastball and his upside and his compositions.

Nerds are awesome.

GIF of the Day

Some people do not want Troy Tulowitzki.

Others enjoy good puns. Or bad ones.

Honorable Mod Mention

Tanya gets the HMM for getting E-Mails from crazy people. Way to go, Waffles.

Fun Questions
  • Airing of Grievances: What were your problems with the Yankees this year?
  • Feats of Strength: What were some good things about the Yankees this year?
Song of the Day

Downtown by Petula Clark

As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

Gather around the pole and just let it all out. You've earned it, PSA!

Don't hang around and let your troubles surround you. There are movie shows...

For the holiday season: The Yankees' Top 10 free agent signings of all-time

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Counting down the best presents under the tree Yankees fans have ever received.

It's the holiday season, with Hanukkah in full swing, Christmas just around the corner, and the Festivus Airing of Grievances toward malfunctioning technology as pointed as ever. The off-season is a time when many Yankees fans turn to Yankee Stadium in hopes of finding wonderful presents under their metaphorical trees. (Perhaps Monument Park serves as a stand-in, though it would be difficult to actually locate anything hidden under the monolith to Steinbrenner Face's bulging jowels.) Sometimes, the gifts are Masahiro Tanaka-like gems, though other times, we are forced to settle for a factory-used Freddy Garcia that leaks some unsettling substances.

No one should want to think about the negatives this time of year though, so let's count down the Yankees' top ten ever free agent signings in the hope that Hal Claus and his Pop Tart-infused elf assistant Hank can conjure up some surprises on Christmas morning. Get the eggnog flowing, and keep in mind that this list is, of course, subjective, and this just includes new acquisitions, not re-signings.

10. Johnny Damon, 4/$52M, 1/3/2006

Damon has always been kind of annoying off the field for his outspokenness, to put it politely, but there's no denying that he was one of the best outfielders of the past two decades. When he signed a four-year deal with the Yankees and bolted from the Red Sox, it set off the creation of hundreds of "TRADERRRR" posters from Boston fans, incensed that Damon signed in the Bronx after vowing he'd never play there. For Yankees fans though, it was pretty awesome, as GM Brian Cashman had played his cards close to the vest all off-season, famously insisting that he was just fine using role player Bubba Crosby as his center fielder.

Cashman won the waiting game without having to resort to Hungry Hungry Hippos, and the Yankees certainly reaped the benefits. Even though Damon was already 32, he defied his critics who said his speed-based game wouldn't age well. Over his four years in pinstripes, he hit .285/.363/.458 with 125 doubles, 93 stolen bases, and 14.4 WAR. The lefty-swinging Damon also took great advantage of the short porch at both the old and new Yankee Stadium, smacking 77 homers. The Yankees made the playoffs three out of his four seasons, culminating in the 2009 World Series title, a Fall Classic in which Damon hit .364/.440/.445 and brought his baserunning exploits center stage in a pivotal Game 4 rally against the Phillies. Now that's a sound investment.

9. Jimmy Key, 4/$17M, 12/10/1992

The Yankees were terrible on the field and in turmoil in the early '90s, and it was up to GM Gene "Stick" Michael to keep them afloat in relevant in what was becoming a Mets town. Owner George Steinbrenner was suspended from the game, and Michael had near-full control over who we wanted on his team. Spurned by Greg Maddux and David Cone during the 1992-93 off-season, Michael was happy to settle for the lefty Key, a longtime division rival with the Blue Jays. It was a big off-season for Michael, as trade acquisition Paul O'Neill and Key's fellow free agent signing Wade Boggs (a very near-miss for this list) propelled the Yankees to an over-.500 record in '93. They have incredibly not fallen below that mark in 22 seasons now.

Key instantly brought stability to the Yankees rotation, and they had an ace who young manager Buck Showalter knew he could trust. Key was an All-Star in his first two seasons as a Yankee, pitching to a 3.11 ERA (139 ERA+), a 3.60 FIP, and pitching 404 2/3 innings. That total could have been even higher, too, if the players' strike did not cancel the remainder of the '94 season in the middle of August. (Thx, Selig.) Rotator cuff surgery sidelined him for almost all of the Yankees long-awaited playoff run in '95, but he returned to the team under new manager Joe Torre in '96 ready to help lead the rotation again, this time with Cone as well. Key pitched to a reliable 107 ERA+ over 30 starts as the Yankees won both the division title and World Series, with Key pitching 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Braves in the Game 6 clincher, his last start as a Yankee. Plenty had to go right for the Yankees to return to relevancy, and Key was... key to their ascent.

I'll show myself out now.

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8. Orlando Hernandez, 4/$6.6M, 3/23/1998

Including "El Duque" on this list is a bit of a reach since he wasn't signed until late in spring training, but whatever. On a pure value basis, few contracts have been better than the comparatively measly $6.6 million invested in El Duque back in 1998. A Cuban phenom, El Duque escaped the country in an emotionally trying manner, desperate to join his half-brother Livan Hernandez in the major leagues on the heels of Livan's World Series MVP-winning performance in '97 with the upstart Marlins. Minor leaguers could do nothing with the (possibly) 32-year-old rookie's repertoire, and when David Cone had to miss a start due to a bite on the finger from his mother's Jack Russell terrier, he got his shot. He pitched so effectively that the Yankees couldn't remove him from the rotation, and he recorded a 3.13 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and 131 strikeouts in 21 starts during his first season.

Although the '98 Yankees romped to 114 victories, they trailed the ALCS two games to one against the Indians, and they were forced to ask El Duque to come up big for them in Game 4. He did just that, twirling seven innings of shutout ball, the first of eight straight victories the Yankees notched against the Indians and Padres, never losing another game en route to the World Series title. El Duque remained a rotation presence over tthe next four seasons, winning the 1999 ALCS MVP with 15 brilliant innings against the Red Sox, and helping the Yankees win two more championships in addition to the 2001 AL pennant. Dealt in a three-way trade to the Expos after the '02 season, El Duque returned from a season of injury to sign with the Yankees in '04 for an encore on another team that went to the playoffs. Over 136 starts with the Yankees, he pitched to a 116 ERA+ and put up 10.6 WAR. Not bad at all.

Still waiting on that dance, Coney.

7. Jason Giambi, 7/$120M, 12/18/2001

This one's going to be fun to hear about. While most Yankees fans unfairly view the "Giambino" as a bust who brought nothing but trouble with no championships and multiple PED whispers, others view his contract as one of the most surprisingly effective long-term deals of all-time. The son of a devout Mickey Mantle fan, Giambi rose to superstardom with the Oakland Athletics, with whom he won the 2000 AL MVP, finished runner-up in '01 to Ichiro Suzuki, and hit a ludicrous .338/.476/.653 with 81 homers and a 193 OPS+ over those two seasons. He had priced himself out of Oakland by the time he hit free agency after the '01 season, and the Yankees just so happened to have an opening at first base with fan favorite Tino Martinez hitting free agency.

So the Yankees decided to make Giambi their first baseman of the future over both Tino and rookie Nick Johnson. It was controversial, but dammit, his offensive production was worth it. He continued his high production in 2002, hitting .314/.435/.598 with 41 homers for a now-underrated Yankees team that had both terrific offense and pitching, winning 103 games. A shocking first-round exit at the hands of the Angels spelled the end for them, but they rebounded in '03 by winning the AL pennant as Giambi hit 41 dingers again and led the league in walks with 129. Some Yankees fans already viewed him as a disappointment though, as his batting average fell to .250, possibly due in part to the temptation of the short porch, but he was still quite good with a .412 OBP and a 148 OPS+. The '04 season was a nightmare riddled by his kinda-PED admission in spring training and a benign tumor that limited him to 80 games.

Giambi shook it off though, and over his last four seasons in pinstripes, he was fantastic with the bat, even as his already-shaky defense (I still have nightmares about his throws to second base) eventually shifted him to near-full time DH duty. Giambi won the AL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005 thanks to 32 homers and a league-high .440 on-base percentage. From 2006-08, he was still a threat, batting .247/.386/.509 with 83 homers and a 131 OPS+. The Yankees never won the World Series with Giambi, but they missed the playoffs just once in his seven seasons. He was rarely the problem in the post-season, either, as he hit .279/.409/.510 in 32 playoff games. It was wise to move on from a soon-to-be 38-year-old Giambi in '09 (even though he somehow was still playing as a bench player on the Indians in 2014), but that doesn't mean Giambi was a Bronx bummer. He was superb, and I'll apologize for nothing including him in this top ten. Come back as hitting coach.

6. Goose Gossage, 6/$3.6M, 11/22/1977

You can tell it's a pretty awesome list when signing a Hall of Famer in his prime only makes seventh place. Goose's placement on this list can be debated, but his achievements certainly cannot. Signed to replace Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle as the team's closer in a controversial decision, Gossage got off to a slow start in '78, just as the rest of his team did. He rebounded in a big way though, ultimatley posting a 2.01 ERA and 3.00 FIP in 63 games and a remarkable 134 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He led the league with 27 saves as well, and the Yankees ultimately roared back from a 14 1/2 game deficit to force a one-game playoff with their rival Red Sox, a tight affair at Fenway Park that ended when Carl Yastrzemski popped up a Gossage pitch. Gossage won the only World Series ring of his career that season, and he pitched six scoreless innings over three Fall Classic games to help the Yankees repeat as champions.

The Yankees didn't win another title with Gossage, though they did return to the playoffs twice. The only blemish on his record over the next five years was getting in a locker room fight with Cliff Johnson in '79 that ended up with him on the disabled list. Otherwise, he was outstanding, setting the standard for Yanekes closers that would not be equaled until a soft-spoken Panamanian named Mariano Rivera came along. "Bad to the Bone" blaring over the Yankee Stadium loudspeaker were the sounds of doom for opposing hitters, and Goose was an All-Star four times as a Yankee, ptiching to an all-time franchise-best 2.14 ERA in pinstripes and fanning 512 batters in 533 innings with his blazing fastball. It can be difficult for free agent contracts for relievers to pay off, but Gossage was undoubtedly the exception to the rule and a best-case scenario.

5. CC Sabathia, 7/$161M, 12/20/2008

Yes, the big lefty's contract does not look great now, but that is often the byproduct of such long-term deals. That doesn't change the fact that CC's original seven-year, $161 million contract turned out to be one of the best investments in team history. Sabathia was going to cost a pretty penny after winning the 2007 AL Cy Young Award with the Indians and just about single-handedly pushing the Brewers into the playoffs with complete game after complete game following his mid-season trade there in '08. The Yankees even had to include an opt-out clause that eventually led to an extension on the original year that hurts the Yankees at this point. Was it worth it though? Absolutely.

The Yankees were in dire need of a boost to the rotation following Mike Mussina's retirement, and CC clearly provided it. From 2009 through 2012, he was excellent for the Yankees, exactly the kind of ace they hoped they were getting. CC pitched to a 3.22 ERA (135 ERA+) and 3.28 FIP, averaging 226 innings and 32 starts per year. He was the workhorse they needed, and they made the playoffs for four straight years, winning the 2009 World Series title in great part due to CC's efforts. He shook off previous playoff struggles to win the ALCS MVP with 16 brilliant innings of two-run ball against the Angels, and though he lost the Fall Classic opener in a pitcher's duel with Cliff Lee, he rebounded on three days' rest in Game 4 to keep the Yankees in the game until Damon and Alex Rodriguez's late heroics. The Yankees don't get the 2009 World Series title without CC, and while he's hit hard times in recent years, his first four seasons should not be forgotten.

4. Hideki Matsui, 3/$21M, 12/19/2002

I don't think it's possible to meet a Yankees fan who disliked Hideki Matsui, and if one such person exists, I definitely do not want to meet him. After getting burned by Hideki Irabu, some fans were hesistant to accept the Yankees dipping into the Japanese market once again for a star, but the man they called "Godzilla" was absolutely up to the challenge. Although he rose to fame with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan for his prodigious home run totals, Matsui proved to be an extremely capable all-around hitter. In his age 29 rookie season of 2003, he hit .287/.353/.435 with 42 doubles and a 109 OPS+, helping the Yankees win the AL pennant. Matsui became the first Japanese-born player to homer in a World Series, even though the Yankees lost.

Matsui followed his impressive debut with a career year in '04, smashing 31 homers, posting a 137 OPS+ and 5.0 WAR, earning an appearance in his second straight All-Star Game. The Yankees didn't reach the Fall Classic that year or any of the next four, but that didn't stop Matsui, who literally played every game for them from Opening Day 2003 until mid-May 2006. After another terrific year in '05, he signed an extension that kept him in pinstripes through the '09 season. While injuries limited him to under 100 games in '06 and '08, he became a DH only in '09 and responded with a fantastic finale. He hit 28 homers with a 128 OPS+ in 143 games as the Yankees returned to the World Series, where Matsui secured his place in Yankees fans' hearts by demolishing the Phillies with three homers and a six-RBI performance in the Game 6 clincher.

Go go Godzilla.

3. Dave Winfield, 10/$15M, 12/15/1980

There must be a stigma against free agent Yankees on long-term contracts, because like Giambi and CC, Winfield has his detractors as well for some reason. But holy wow, was Winfield an outstanding player, and a Hall of Famer to boot. Signed to a then-record deal following the 1980 campaign, the former Padres star seized the spotlight in New York and posted eight straight awesome seasons in the Bronx. Winfield was always healthy, always an All-Star, and always productive, though he did so in such an understated manner that it could sometimes be overlooked by both fans and even the owner. The "Big Stein" never seemed to forgive Winfield for a sluggish World Series in '81, the only one he appeared in as a Yankee. That's a damn shame because just take a look at those aforementioned eight years:

YearAgeTmGPAH2BHRBAOBPSLGOPSOPS+TB
198129NYY10544011425130.2940.3600.4640.824139180
198230NYY14059715124370.2800.3310.5600.891142302
198331NYY15266416926320.2830.3450.5130.858138307
198432NYY14162619334190.3400.3930.5150.908154292
198533NYY15568917434260.2750.3280.4710.799118298
198634NYY15465214831240.2620.3490.4620.811120261
198735NYY15665515822270.2750.3580.4570.815116263
198836NYY14963118037250.3220.3980.5300.927159296

I mean... yikes. That's the kind of bat that reaches 3,000 hits, and 1,300 of them came as a Yankee, more than Winfield had for any other team. He crushed 235 doubles, 205 homers, hit .290/.356/.495 with a 134 OPS+, and notched 26.9 WAR. Alas, an injury robbed Winfield of his '89 campaign, and Steinbrenner's shady dealings with gambler Howard Spira in trying to dig up dirt on Winfield hung like a shadow over his final days in the Bronx. With Steinbrenner's suspension looming, Winfield was dealt to the Angels, and he finished his Hall of Fame career away from Yankee Stadium. Winfield absolutely deserved better treatment than he received, and it's just too bad Steinbrenner's disagreements with him led to Winfield choosing to wear a Padres cap in Cooperstown. Whatever. He was terrific.

2. Reggie Jackson, 5/$2.96M, 11/29/1976

In a way, Reggie might actually deserve the top spot on this list. Put aside all the controversy he caused off the field, and it's hard to imagine Reggie's five years in pinstripes going much better than they did. The Yankees were a team on the rise in '76, as they won their first AL pennant in 12 years, but they needed someone to push their offense over the top. Manager Billy Martin wanted Joe Rudi, which is just so silly in hindsight. Steinbrenner pushed GM Gabe Paul to bring in Jackson, who gained the national eye as one of the primary players on the A's teams of the early '70s who won three championships in a row. Paul went with Jackson, and the rest is history.

Obviously, the '77 season was just a mess in the clubhouse, as Jackson feuded with both Martin and beloved captain Thurman Munson for most of the year. Fortunately, the Yankees happened to have just a damn impressive team on the field that somehow won 100 games anyway, and Jackson powered the offense with 32 homers and a 150 OPS+. Like Matsui, he cemented his legacy in a World Series Game 6 performance for the ages, demolishing three straight homers to lead the Yankees to their first title since 1962. "Mr. October" was born. Another tumultuous year behind the scenes in '78 that even led to Martin's firing midsesason somehow ended with 100 victories again and another World Series title. Reggie wasn't the World Series MVP this time, but he more than did his part with two homers and an 1.196 OPS.

Jackson's final three years in the Bronx tend to be overshadowed by the championships seasons, but they were just fine as well. In 1980, he led the league with 41 homers and notched a 172 OPS+ finishing runner-up for the AL MVP to George Brett. Jackson departed for the Angels after another pennant in '81, but what a legacy he left: a .281/.371/.526 triple slash, 144 homers in just five years, 17.1 WAR, and a plethora of memories.

1. Mike Mussina, 6/$88.5M, 12/7/2000

Longtime readers should not be surprised that "Moose" sits atop this list. It would have been quite the challenge for anyone to come to a new city and accomplish what he did somewhere else, but that's exactly what Mussina did. After 10 awesome years in Baltimore, the Orioles did just about the equivalent of letting Hall of Famer Jim Palmer walk away in his prime when they failed to give Mussina much of an offer. Mussina took the hint and signed a long-term contract with the Yankees and wasted no time in pitching brilliant baseball in pinstripes. He struck out 214 batters in 228 2/3 innings and led the AL in both FIP and pitching WAR in 2001 with 2.92 and 7.1, respectively, but voters were captivated by teammate Roger Clemens's 20-3 season, so the Cy Young Award went to him. Silly.

The Yankees missed the playoffs just once during Mussina's eight seasons as a Yankee, and he quite often reached 30 starts and 200 innings. In 1,553 innings and 248 starts, he pitched to a 3.88 ERA (114 ERA+), a 3.50 FIP, struck out 1,278 batters, and walked just 1.8 men per nine innings. Mussina was among the most consistent starters in the league, reaching at least 3.0 WAR six times in eight years and hitting the 5.0 mark four times, finishing with 35.1 total as a Yankee.

Like Giambi, he was rarely to blame for the first-round exits, as he recorded a fine 3.80 ERA in the playoffs, striking out 92 batters in 97 innings. Derek Jeter's flip play overshadowed his seven shutout innings against the A's with the season on the line in 2001, and Aaron Boone's walk-off homer overshadowed his three brilliant innings of relief in another do-or-die showdown, Game 7 of the ALCS. Such was the nature with Mussina, who continues to be overlooked on the Hall of Fame ballot. Moose went out on top with a personal achievement, reaching the 20-win mark for the first time in his career, and he chose not to linger on while his performance faded. Don't listen to the doubters--Mussina was an all-time great Yankee and probably the best free agent signing they ever made.

Moose for Hall.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 12/24/14

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New York Post | Joel Sherman: The cold-blooded approach to Alex Rodriguez's return is very different than how the Yankees treated a diminished Derek Jeter coming back from his ankle injury.

Hardball Talk | Aaron Gleeman: The Yankees have lost reliever Preston Claiborne to the Miami Marlins after he was claimed off waivers on Tuesday.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty:Cito Culver wasn't protected from selection in the Rule 5 draft by the Yankees, but the shortstop prospect is staying positive despite his well-documented offensive struggles.

New York Post | George King III: Brian Cashman says he won't be filling the Yankees' open hitting coach or first base coach jobs until after the holidays are over.

2015 Hall of Fame Ballot: Barry Bonds

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Looking back on an extraordinary career and how it intersected with the New York Yankees.

Career Statistics: 12606 PA, .298/.444/.607, 762 HR, .309 ISO, .435 wOBA, 173 wRC+, 164.0 fWAR (second among position players all-time)

Years Active: 1986 - 2007

Position: Left fielder

Time on the Ballot: Third (34.7% of the vote in 2014)

As we continue looking back at members of the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot and their connections to the New York Yankees, we reach the fifth entry in the series and the first position player; Barry Bonds.

Bonds played for two teams in his career, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants. It was the Giants who drafted him first, in the second round of the 1982 draft out of high school. Bonds chose instead to attend Arizona State University, re-entering the draft in 1985 where he was selected in the first round - sixth overall - by the Pirates. Bonds was playing for the big-league club in Pittsburgh by May 1986 as the leadoff hitter and center fielder; hitting 16 home runs and stealing 36 bases. Bonds also struck out 102 times in 1986, his only triple-digit strikeout season, against 65 walks. His weighted runs created (wRC+) figure of 108 - already he was an above average hitter as a rookie- was the lowest of his career. By 1989 now left fielder Barry Bonds had evened his walks and strikeouts at 93 apiece, for the rest of his career he would never again strikeout as many times as he walked.

Bonds won the first of his record seven Most Valuable Player awards in 1990. With 33 home runs, 52 stolen bases - top five in both - and the first .300 batting average season of his career, he had all the traditional stats an MVP needed; his 165 wRC+ and 9.9 fWAR  would have brought a modern sabermetric community on-board as well. After another great season in 1991, Bonds won his second MVP in 1992 with an incredible 198 wRC+ (.313 ISO, 34 HR, 39 SB, .311/.456/.624). Barry Bonds had a legitimate case for being the best player in baseball, already, at this point. However his Pirates were not having quite the same level of dominance, as they came up short in the National League Championship Series three straight years.

"This one is headed for New Jersey!"

John Miller - Giants broadcaster, June 8th 2002

Barry Bonds became a free agent after the 1992 season, and chose to sign with the Giants, the franchise where his father Bobby had played for seven years and his godfather Willie Mays spent 21 seasons. The New York Yankees, however, were very much in the running. New York's top offer was for 5 years and $36 million, which would have been a record financial commitment, however Bonds held out for a 6th year and a total of $43 million. Gene Michael and the Yankees broke off negotiations and San Francisco matched Bonds desired terms.

Barry Bonds became a Giant, not a Yankee, and certainly lived up to his end of the bargain during this contract. 1993 was another MVP season, one that statistically looks an awful lot like his 1992 with the Pirates. He had an extra 19 games and 62 plate appearences, but the rate stats were very similar, a little more power (ISO up to .341), little less by way of stolen bases (down to 29), slightly lower weighted runs created  though one can't really quibble with  193 wRC+. The extra games at this insane rate of production got him to a career high 10.5 fWAR. Bonds wouldn't have a season quite this statistically dominant through the rest of the 90's but that's only if he was judged by this ridiculous standard. He was almost certainly better than anyone else was for the rest of the 1990's. By 1999 Bill James was projecting him to potentially end his career as one of the five greatest players ever.

Then, of course, we get to the 2000's. The power surge is what draws headlines - record 73 HR's in 2001, record 762 total by the end of 2007 -  but really, what was quite literally off the charts were the walks.

From 2002 to 2004 National League managers decided they were quite happy to not face Bonds, and so he was intentionally walked, a lot. 120 times in 2004. For a modern day reference, not a single batter in 2014 walked 120 times in total (!), only three others did it in 2004 and nobody else walked more than 127 times. Bonds added nearly the same again in uninentional (well, ish, he would have been pitched around a bit) walks to take his tally to 232 walks - he reached base in over 60% of his plate appearances in 2004. Couple that with his ability to avoid strikeouts to a simply fantastic degree for a power hitter, and we get the graphs above, courtesy of Fangraphs.

Barry Bonds won four consecutive MVP awards from 2001 to 2004. In this stretch he posted three of the four greatest offensive seasons ever by weighted runs created, including a record 244 wRC+ in 2002. The other three seasons that make up the top six single seasons in this category belong to Babe Ruth, the only position player in history to have racked up more wins above replacement than Bonds. 2003 was the slump year in this stretch, where Bonds could only post 212 wRC+ for the 14th best season of all time, allowing a few career years from folks like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Rogers Hornsby to jump ahead.

As Barry Bonds approached his final season in 2007, the rumours of his links to performance enhancing drugs had long since seeped into public consciousness. His involvement in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) scandals and subsequent conviction for perjury before a grand jury ultimately saw him serve a month in house arrest in 2011. Certainly by then his reputation had long since been tainted; his pursuit of Hank Aaron's home run record was treated with sentiments ranging from apathy to outright loathing. Bonds didn't willingly retire in 2008, rather every major league team simply chose not to sign him, perhaps deciding the distraction simply wasn't worth any production he could bring.

In any case, heading back in time to 1992/93, it might be fun and perhaps crazy to image Barry Bonds signing with the New York Yankees. The Yankees certainly tried to acquire a player who was by most accounts 'clean' at that point, though probably not very popular but certainly was dominant. We cannot know if the Yankees could have had Bonds for the extra year and $7 million, but if they could have, and if they did sign potentially the best player in baseball at the time the franchise might have taken a different path. Certainly it would have been difficult to exceed the success of the latest Yankee dynasty that followed so different may not necessarily mean better here. I'm not complaining about how things turned out for the Yankees in the late 90's.

By the way, in case you were wondering, the John Miller quote was about a Barry Bonds home run hit into the upper deck in right field of the old Yankee Stadium. I don't know if this was the furthest a ball was ever hit in the old stadium, but it certainly would be in the conversation.

Congratulations on an incredible career Barry Bonds.

Likely Cap if Elected: San Francisco Giants

Poll
If you had a BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, would you vote to induct Barry Bonds?

  135 votes |Results


PSA Comments of the Day 12/24/14: Bringing good cheer

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Today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow will be Christmas Day. If the Yankees want to get us gifts, we here at Pinstripe Alley have no problem waiting till Friday. Or 2015. Pitchers and catchers report in 57 days.

Hark! How the fans, sweet silly fans.
All seem to say, "Throw Cash away" 
Christmas is here. This was a year.
To young and old, injuries untold.
Ding dong ding dong. Hurt for so long.
Quest for a ring. See you in spring.
One seems to hear words of good cheer.
From everywhere, posters will share
Oh!, how they pound, raising their sound.
Tex likes his kale, we tell the tale!

Comments of the Day

Yeah, I miss baseball as well.

I wonder how many Yankee fans thought of Boggs riding the horse in 1996 after reading Harlan's post.

This was also a thing.

GIF of the Day

It just works on so many levels.

Honorable Mod Mention

I think Tanya, Andrew, Jason, and myself deserve the HMM award for all the hard work we put into re-recording the Festivus podcast last night.

Fun Questions
  • X-Mas lights: A mix of colors, white/one color only, or no lights at all?
  • If you were leaving cookies out for Santa, what cookies would you give him?
Song of the Day

Carol of the Bells by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

I think I made the right choice. As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

This will be your open thread for both today and tomorrow, as we plan to pretty much take the majority of the holiday off. To all our loyal followers, we wish you the happiest of holidays. Thank you for continuing to read and support the best Yankee blog in the universe.

Gaily they ring, while people sing songs of good cheer. Christmas is here.

It is easy to overlook the impact of a player playing while injured

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It's easy for fans to forget how much playing hurt hurts.

In the fall of 2010, I fell off a bouldering wall; unable to kick my legs out in time, I landed with all my weight on my right ankle. My ankle, unsurprisingly, didn't appreciate the strain and broke. Three screws and a titanium plate later, I set off on the rehab.

This has been less than fun. I think it's fair to say that, aside from my wedding, this injury was the defining moment of my twenties.

I was never fast to begin with, and my goal is now to run a ten-minute mile. There are a host of exercises that I sporadically restart: one legged squats, ankle rotations to break up scar tissue and strengthen those little stabilizing muscles, stretches to force my knee to pass in front of my toes when I walk or climb stairs. I'm conscious there are days when I swing my leg around my hip rather than stepping straight forward and rolling over my ankle. There are times when a normal day of walking around New York City or a few hours in a shopping mall leave me reaching for an ice pack.

Then there are the days when the weather changes. It sucks, but every season or so I find myself noticing how much better I am. At this point, more than four years later, I can do close enough to everything I did before to think that this is as good as it'll get. But I thought that of six months ago, too. So maybe I'll continue to notice little improvements.

All of which is to say how worried I get when Mark Teixeira goes for a third cortisone shot in his ailing wrist, or when Brett Gardner needs surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. I find myself cheering harder for Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia, because I know how hard it is to stick to that mind numbing routine of exercise and ice, the little pains stacked together with the goal of doing what used to feel so effortless. Then there's A-Rod's surgically repaired hips, and the money he's trying to collect by playing the next several seasons.

I've cracked the (bad) joke about the Yankees running him out there until he breaks down so they can collect the insurance money. It's not really a moment in my life I'm proud of, because in truth, if they did that, that would likely be the straw that makes me walk away from the team. I don't watch football because I find the injuries too hard to watch, and because I know how little those athletes are making compared to the damage they are doing to themselves. I used to work with a guy who had played a handful of games with the Lions in the '70s; he had to basically pivot side to side to lower himself down a flight of stairs.

The television is a dehumanizing machine. They can cut away from the little injuries, and while we can see the pain on a player's face in slow-mo as the foul ball ricochets off the inside of his foot. But we're spared the sound of it, which is a part of the visceral reaction. If any injury is too severe, the player disappears down the tunnel and we return our focus to the field.

Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 70: The Festivus podcast rides again!

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It's a Festivus for the rest of us again, and boy, do we have some grievances to air about 2014.

Technology tried to stop us and break our spirits by not recording the first edition of our Festivus podcast, but we came back with a vengeance. Following the fun last year, Tanya, Jason, and Greg returned to join me for Pinstripe Alley's second ever Festivus podcast. We started, of course, by airing grievances, then discussed feats of strength at 53:05, and also laughed about the two-hole for far too long at the 38 minute mark.

This is probably the longest podcast we've ever done, but dammit, it's worth it. Enjoy.

Podcast link (Length: 1:35:48)

iTunes link

RSS feed

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 12/25/14

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NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Even though Yankees ownership might want to be done with him, David Phelps believes that all of his former teammates will welcome Alex Rodriguez back with open arms.

Hardball Talk | Drew Silva: Cuban infield prospect Yoan Moncada is expected to begin private workouts in the next two weeks. The Yankees are said to be among the teams most interested in inking the 19-year-old to a deal once he becomes eligible to sign.

New York Post | George King III: Potential hitting coach candidate Jeff Pentland received a glowing endorsement from former Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield.

The Good Phight | Eric Chesterton: The Phillies have an aspiring majority owner that Jimmy Rollins believes would be much like George Steinbrenner, but is that actually a good thing?

My dad's hot take on the 2015 Yankees

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We all have moms and dads and uncles who like to give their opinions about sports. I decided to give you all a treat and give my dad a voice about the 2015 Yankees. Like a lot of you, he's not happy with the direction the team is going in. While we were getting ready for Christmas, I asked him about each player and he gave me his opinion in return. What follows are my dad's hot takes:

Carlos Beltran - "I think he's done. He's gonna play 40 games."

Dellin Betances - "He had a great year, you can't say anything about it. Is he going to be the closer?" /shrug

Jacoby Ellsbury - "I think he's a good center fielder."

Nathan Eovaldi - "His numbers suck. You might as well throw me out there."

Brett Gardner - "He had a great year. I hope he can pull it off again."

Didi Gregorius - /shakes head "short-term thing at best. He doesn't seem like a good player for the longterm. He can't hit at all."

Brian McCann - "I like him; he's a hard-nosed guy. He's not afraid of contact down there."

Andrew Miller - "Do you think they're better off with Miller than Robertson at $3 million less? I don't think so."

Michael Pineda - "Is he the guy with the pine tar?"

CC Sabathia - /shakes head "I hope he gains 50 pounds. He's obviously not a no. 1 anymore."

Alex Rodriguez - "I think he got a raw deal because I'm certain that there are other guys that took these drugs just as much as he did, but he got all the attention because people don't like him and he makes the most money. You can't tell me David Ortiz, for one, didn't take as many PEDs as he did. What he means for the Yankees this year? It's truly impossible to tell. I think he's going to have a tough year. Plus, being 40 isn't going to help. What I would love to happen is that he comes back and smacks the ball all over the place."

Masahiro Tanaka - "He's obviously a good pitcher. Overpriced, like everyone else, and you gotta hope the tear heals itself, which can happen. If he needs surgery, the Yankees might as well start trading everyone off."

Mark Teixeira - /Comes up the stairs huffing "I think he's a shadow of his former self. He's a great first baseman, but I think the Yankees fucked him up by making him into a home run hitter instead of allowing him to hit the ball all over like he did when he first got here. I would like to see him hit less home runs and hit .300 again."

Chris Young - "Why did we sign him?"

These are his original hot takes and can't be disseminated without his consent. Feel free to share your mom's/dad's/grandpa's hot takes below.

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