Last year, A-Rod gave everyone autographed copies of Derek Jeter's book. The autograph was A-Rod's though.

As many of us prepare to eat with our families this Christmas, it's time for this week's edition of Pinstripe Q&A. This week, I asked the PSA staff about what's going down at the Yankees' Christmas party.

Q: It's the season of giving, so who is giving who what in the Yankees' gift exchange?

Harlan

Joe Girardi is giving Nathan Eovaldi and Didi Gregorius personalized ornaments with their cool new nicknames, Valdy and Gory.

Brendan Ryan is giving A-Rod his hip. That seems to be the greatest contribution he can make to earn his $2 mil next year.

Brian McCann is giving everyone samples from his effective and economical line of cleaning products.

Hal Steinbrenner isn't giving anyone anything. He plans to save up now and give out some really awesome gifts in 2017.

Matt P.

I'm hoping that every Yankee gets the brand-new body part they're looking for this Holiday season. Masahiro Tanaka gets a new elbow, CC Sabathia gets a new knee, Carlos Beltran gets a new Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira gets a new wrist, and A-Rod gets new hips. How does that sound, Santa?

John

Brett Gardner is giving pie, Tex is giving juice, Jeter is giving STDs. Duh.

Do all the Yankees even know each other yet? I feel like with all the new faces, there's going to be someone who gets forgotten. Did somebody buy something for Garrett Jones? Anybody? Crikes. Somebody see if Jeter left a gift basket laying around.

But I bet CC Sabathia is a pretty fantastic gift giver. He seems to be the Yankee most regularly spotted at charity events with celebrities or courtside at big sports events. I bet he puts together a pretty sweet gift basket of tickets.

Hiroki Kuroda basically got the entire team hooked on Japanese candy. So presents from him are probably good.

The real question is: what is Paul O'Neill giving to his broadcast partners to make up for the fact that he sometimes checks out of the game?

Doug

Joe Girardi - Giving Rob Thomson a "Third Base Coaching for Dummies" book.

Larry Rothschild - Gave Brian Cashman a Rolex for putting an infield defense behind his pitcher with the acquisitions of Didi Gregorius and Chase Headley.

Mark Teixeira - Concerned with his teammates health gave everybody honey and gift certificates to Juice Press.

Andrew

[Insert Tex JuicePress gift certificate joke here]

McCann is sending everyone Mr. Clean to remind them of his bald head and the fact that they need to clean up their acts and respect the game.

A-Rod is sending Miller, Eovaldi, Gregorius, Jones, and Wilson welcome baskets. They contain bottles of Chianti, Dunkaroos, a mix CD that just contains 17 tracks of "Informer" by Snow, and coupons to a tanning salon that they will never dare to use. Oh and he's also sending them to Tanaka, Ellsbury, Beltran, and McCann since he doesn't realize they aren't new anymore.

Greg

"The party was festive, the room filled with cheer.
When Jeter walked over with gifts quite sincere.
He thanks all his teammates. He hugged everyone.
As he had his minions bring in Cinnabons.
Albeit confused, the Yankees did eat.
No doubt it was a delectable treat.
Then who should appear but Santa himself
And Phil Hughes, who was dressed like an elf.
But something was wrong. His mouth was taped up.
Sabathia then looked at Santa closeup.
"Nunez" he said. Yes there was no doubt.
The Yankees asked what he was doing about.
He opened his bag without any cares
And gave everyone some plush TC Bears.
They all said "Thanks" and Ed just smiled.
"I've won them over with my awesome guile!"
The party would go on all through the night.
Even Hughes would join in, despite Nuney's blight.

So at Pinstripe Alley, all the writers do say
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day!"

Caitlin

Mark Teixeira is giving everyone a bundle of kale and an awkward smile/handshake combo.

Matt F.

Chase Headley received his gift first a few days ago: a giant pile of money. Yankee fans gave Didi Gregorius a Derek Jeter Fathead to remind him of who he's replacing. (Even though the 2014 version of Jeter wasn't great. But, hey Kermit/tea "none of my business" and all that.) Thankfully, Alex Rodriguez gave Gregorios an Alex Rodriguez Fathead, so maybe Didi can like cover the Jeter one up or something so he's not unnerved. As other people have suggested, Mark Teixeira was gonna give everyone JuicePress gift certificates, but Tex couldn't help himself and used them all up before he could distribute them. The new Yankees have distributed pamphlets about themselves to the rest of the team. They contain fun facts like "Justin Wilson was a member of the 2008 Fresno State NCAA Baseball Champions" and "Didi Gregorius was knighted by the Netherlands" and "Andrew Miller is a secular wiccan."* Eduardo Nunez will gift the team his presence by returning to the Yankees someway, somehow and oh God he's just crashed a blimp into Yankee Stadium.

* - As far as I know, Andrew Miller is not wiccan.

So, those are our answers. What do you think is happening at the Yankees' gift exchange? Let us know in the comments.

Chase Headley is projected to be worth the most WAR next season; Yankees' defense in 2015 should be one of the most improved and one of the best; Which team will land Max Scherzer?

CBS Sports | Matt Snyder: What would the Yankees and the other AL teams would want for Christmas gifts if they could get one thing?

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: According to Steamers Projections, Chase Headley will be the Yankee worth the most WAR next season. How does the rest of the team stack up?

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: Max Scherzer doesn't seem close to signing a contract, and many teams have voiced their disinterest in signing him, so where will he land?

FanGraphs | Jeff Sullivan: Looking at all 30 team's projected defenses for next season; the Yankees are projected to be one of the most improved teams, and to have one of the best defensive projections.

What exactly had to go down for Yankees owner and Hall of Famer Col. Ruppert to pull off the greatest heist in sports history?

As hard it might seem to believe, the New York Yankees were once the laughingstock of the American League. Originally founded in 1903 as a team known as the Highlanders for their games in Washington Heights up at rickety Hilltop Park, the current-day site of the Columbia University Medical Center, they were competitive in just two of their first 17 years of existence.

This team paled in comparison to the legendary John McGraw's National League powerhouse New York Giants and were even regarded as less interesting than Brooklyn's beloved topsy-turvy baseball team, then known as the Robins. The one year they had come closest to the pennant, their spitballing ace Jack Chesbro blew it on a wild pitch on the penultimate day of the 1904 season. Twice they finished in last place with over 100 losses, and by 1915, they had already been sold from original shady owners Bill Devery and Frank Farrell to beer distributor Col. Jacob Ruppert and his partner, the dazzlingly-named Army captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston.

However, on one fateful day 95 years ago today, their fortunes forever changed for the better. On December 26, 1919, the Yankees acquired a brash 24-year-old lefty pitcher named George Ruth from the Boston Red Sox. "Babe," as he was known to his teammates, was boisterous off the field but supremely talented on it and destined for a conversion to hitting full-time after setting a new MLB record in part-time outfield duty with 29 home runs the previous season, a total almost unheard of in the pitcher-friendly "Deadball Era." He was as exciting a young star as anyone in the game and played a pivotal role on three World Series-winning teams in a mere four-year stretch from 1915-18. So why on Earth would his team want to send him away?

Harry Frazee (credit: SABR)

The story has most often been told as one depicting theatrical fanatic Boston owner Harry Frazee as a disgrace who had barely any interest in running a baseball club. Supposedly, the Broadway director wanted money to produce a new play, No, No, Nanette. He found that money by selling off his most talented star to the Yankees, and then went off on his merry way while the Yankees soared and the Red Sox plummeted to the AL cellar, where further player sales to the Yankees ensured they would stay for more than a decade. It's a nice, easy tale to recall, and that's what is etched in countless fans' memories.

As with many stories of life though, it's simply not that clean. There were far more complex plots leading up to the sale. Like Ruppert, Frazee was also a new owner of a baseball club. After failing to buy the Giants, Frazee discovered that Red Sox owner Joseph Lannin was willing to sell his team in 1916 following Boston's second consecutive championship. (The fact that Lannin was in debt certainly aided his willingness to sell.) With their stock higher than ever, Frazee purchased the Red Sox for $1 million, and soon, he got to celebrate a World Series title with them in just his second season in charge.

Ban Johnson (credit: Boston Public Library)

By Year 3 in 1919 unfortunately, it was getting dicey already for Frazee in Boston. First off, the end of the 1918 season had been somewhat bittersweet despite the Red Sox victory. The United States' entry into World War I had forced the season to end in September after just 126 games with an early World Series that ended on September 11th. Frazee was furious with AL president Ban Johnson for the way he handled the abrupt shortening of the season, which severely cut into Boston's potential revenue from their success. Johnson had disliked Frazee from his first day as Red Sox owner anyway, since the power-obsessed Johnson had played a notable role in selecting all seven other AL owners; Frazee was thus considered an outsider who sneaked into the club.

Matters also were not helped by both Ruth and Boston getting off to sluggish starts in 1919. Ruth's numbers were unimpressive at the beginning, bottoming out at an uncharacteristic .180/.315/.426 triple slash on May 26th. No one else was playing well, either, and the defending champions were 10 games behind the White Sox by only the end of May. Then, in the middle of July, controversial submariner Carl Mays decided that he had dealt with the Red Sox for quite enough and bolted from the team after an argument with manager Ed Barrow in mid-July.

Mays refused to return to the Red Sox, and eventually, Frazee worked out a trade with the Yankees to send him to New York in exchange for a couple nondescript players and $40,000. Johnson loathed that a malcontent player ended up rewarded for his insubordination, and the fact that Frazee was involved just made it worse. Johnson had five teams loyal to him in the league who he ensured would not make any further deals with Frazee. That left just the Yankees and Charles Comiskey's White Sox, the soon-to-be-infamous Black Sox of World Series-throwing notoriety.

At the end of the 1919 campaign, Frazee's finances were in awful shape. Attendance was up throughout baseball, but not much higher than the previous year for Boston due to their slump, and he wasn't generating great revenue from the fans. Frazee did what we could by selling off his major shares from his most successful previous Broadway productions like Nothing but the Truth, but it wasn't enough. The end of 1919 brought further dire news--Frazee's final payment of $262,000 to the previous owner, Lannin, was due, and Frazee had to deal with legal fees for his lawyers in his fights with Lannin and Johnson as well.

Col. Jacob Ruppert (credit: Public domain)

Due to the success of his Broadway shows, he wasn't broke, but he certainly needed some extra money. He saw an opportunity in Ruth, who despite his success on the field was already threatening a holdout in order to obtain a pay raise. And so on December 26th, Frazee agreed to the terrible deed. His only possible trade partners were the White Sox and Yankees; Chicago offered $60,000 and the not-yet-banned Shoeless Joe Jackson while the Yankees countered with $100,000 straight-up. They also said that they would loan $300,000 to Frazee to help him out of his current struggles.

Frazee took the money and ran with it, putting Fenway Park (recently obtained by Frazee in another series of legal hoops since Frazee had not actually purchased it when he initially bought the Red Sox) up for mortgage. So not only did the Yankees have Ruth, but they briefly had essential possession of Fenway Park itself, something that they used as leverage against Johnson and Giants owner Charles Stoneham when they tried to throw the Yankees out in 1921. (Yes, there is a remote possibility that the "Boston Yankees" could have happened. What a world.) After the Ruth trade, they went on to help Frazee out in a series of other moves that sent several members of his former championship teams to the Yankees, such as Hall of Fame pitchers Herb Pennock and Waite Hoyt, shortstop Everett Scott, and even the manager Barrow, who became an extraordinary Yankees GM.

The rest, as they say, is history. So while Frazee wasn't in the process of financing the infamous play No, No Nanette, he certainly needed the money to help pay off his various loans and stay afloat. The Yankees soared in the 1920s with six AL pennants and three World Series titles, while the Red Sox would return to the World Series just once in the next 46 years.

Thanks again for the wonderful present and a merry Christmas to you, Mr. Frazee.

Christmas maybe over with, but the shopping season is still going strong. Now is the time to see what's still on sale, as well as return any gifts you might not want. Wonder if the Yankees can do that. Pitchers and catchers report in 55 days.

Pinstripe Alley hopes that all our readers, commenters, and followers had a holly jolly past couple of days. A week ago, the Yankees made a big trade with the Marlins that sent Martin Prado and David Phelps to Miami in exchange for Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones, and Domingo German. Let's see if today yields anymore moves from Cashman before the year is over with.

Comments of the Day

Again, truly a parliament of fairness and excellence the MLB Hall of Fame is.

Someone's in the Christmas spirit.

Easily the X-Mas COTD winner, by far.

I don't think I could ever eat this. It's too glorious.

If you look to the top left, you'll see there's a 'Just For Fun' section...

A wonderful way to end the holiday!

GIF of the Day

Pretty much this.

Honorable Mod Mention

Definitely Santa Claus. I mean, who else would get this on X-Mas?

• Post Christmas Yankee gifts: Who are you hoping is on sale for the Yankees?
• Gift Returns: Which offseason gift would you like the Yankees to return?

Since I only have one more X-Mas song in me till next year, this will do nicely. As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

Please feel free to use this as your open thread for the day. Tell us about your holiday. Tell us what you're looking forward to in 2015. Tell us something!

And the dough is for me!

Maybe it isn't so crazy to give a starting pitcher $200 million. Maybe.

In 1967, when the average salary for a major leaguer was first recorded, players received a minimum of $6,000 a season with an average pay of $19K, figures that, even adjusted for inflation, are exponentially lower than the ones we've grown accustomed to during the last few decades.

$19,000 equates to just over $134K in today's market, according to the Consumer Price Index's inflation calculator, or about 3.5 percent of the $3.82 million average salary for 2014 that the Major League Baseball Players Association revealed on Tuesday. For some perspective, Giancarlo Stanton will make $68,449 every day until his recently signed 13-year contract expires, or right around half of the average MLB salary in 1967 using 2014 dollars.

Why has there been such an astronomical increase in player salary not just over the years, but even in recent seasons? The average MLB player made more than $1 million for the first time in 1992, and 22 years later, that figure is on pace to quadruple within the next year or so. The average MLB salary has also doubled since the start of the 21st century, as has the minimum annual pay, and this year’s nearly half-million-dollar increase from the $3.39 million mark of 2013 represents an enormous 13 percent hike.

This trend is both unsurprising and unlikely to reverse direction any time soon. The league has found new and better ways to maximize its revenue, which is currently in the ballpark of $9 billion, including the somewhat recent (and very lucrative) television contracts signed with ESPN, FOX and CBS, along with MLB Advanced Media (the league's extremely profitable digital venture) and individual TV deals (think the Yankees with YES Network or the Dodgers with Time Warner). That, combined with a variety of other factors like strong bargaining power, reflected in the 2012 labor agreement that increased minimum salaries for major and minor leaguers, as well as brand new or renovated stadiums that draw millions from increased ticket sales and profits from other ballpark amenities, all work to account for the figures that were released this week. As a bonus, these stadium projects are often financed by public subsidies.

Specifically, MLB Advanced Media grossed $600 million in 2012 and 2013, according to a Bloomberg report, and because each of the 30 teams has an equal piece of the pie (3.33 percent ownership per team), they receive millions alone from MLBAM. Even more pertinent is the $25 million or so increase in national TV revenue that teams will receive through 2021 (beginning this past season) as a result of the aforementioned deals signed in 2012 worth more than $12 billion. The $1.5 billion going to the league's Central Fund each year represents a $750 million increase from the TV contracts that expired after 2013, according to Wendy Thurm's article on FanGraphs from November 2013, and while some teams won't devote all or even any of that additional cash to the payroll, teams like the Mariners have already taken advantage of it (i.e. giving Robinson Cano $24 million annually).

This makes life tough for people like myself who try to assess these deals. Every offseason, when players sign multi-year contracts worth millions and millions of dollars, baseball writers and analysts (attempt to) apply all sorts of calculations and values to those deals in an effort to reach some type of consensus. Typically, you'll see how much money a team is projected to pay per WAR for a recently signed free agent, or perhaps a comparison between that free agent and a similar player with a similar contract.

But with rapid and continuous salary increases across the league and with teams drawing in more money than ever before, it's very difficult (perhaps even impossible) to truly assess the quality of long-term deals because those massive contracts (i.e. Cano's $240 million deal or Stanton's record $325 million contact) were certainly signed with revenue increases in mind.

So, even if Stanton's backloaded deal looks a little bit ugly now and still might look a little bit ugly if he doesn't opt out and makes $32 million at age 35, it's reasonable to assume that $32 million will look quite a bit different in 2025 than it does now. Similarly, it makes little sense to look at Cano's contract with only the current market in mind because in, say, 2017, the $24 million Cano makes really won't have the same value as the $24 million he earned in 2014.

FOX Sports' Jon Morosi wrote a really smart column in the wake of catcher Russell Martin's five-year, $82 million deal with the Blue Jays back in November. The gist of Morosi's argument was that while it might appear a little odd to give so much money over so many years to a soon-to-be 32-year-old catcher with only one season batting above .250 since 2009, the Jays can afford it because of MLB's revenue boost, and they were right to do it because the team hasn't been to the playoffs since their back-to-back titles in '92-'93. Martin probably received similar offers from other clubs, forcing the Jays to pay a little bit extra for an important player who can create an extremely positive impact on the club in many ways. Whether or not Martin lives up to the deal, precedents like this show the direction MLB salaries are headed in.

Still, this creates a bit of a paradox, because some of the most successful teams are the ones that forego the Cano-esque deals (see: 2010-2014 San Francisco Giants), but at the same time, neglecting to sign top free agents because of the cost could mean you'll be stuck with Matt Duffy or Joaquin Arias at third base instead of Pablo Sandoval. (Luckily for the Giants, GM Brian Sabean is a crafty dude, and the team's 2014 third baseman is now Casey McGehee.)

Point being, as salaries continue to rise and players sign increasingly ridiculous deals, it will be more important than ever for front offices to calculate risk in a way that'll help them find the best points to concede to the "overpayment" that every team has to do at some points (like the Blue Jays-Martin deal), while also avoiding the Pujols-type albatross contracts. Giving out the wrong deal could suddenly have $300 million repercussions instead of $100 million ones. Paying $200 million for a frontline pitcher (see: Scherzer, Max), even with all the risk involved, might not look so ridiculous in five or 10 years when multiple starters are receiving deals like that.

This ever-changing landscape makes life that much harder for MLB front offices and that much more enjoyable for us observers. Remember, if you think of these long-term contracts in 2014 terms, you'll probably be misled.

The Yankees just need to cut ties with Brendan Ryan if they want to optimize the roster

There was a time when Brendan Ryan was the top of the line in shortstop defense. He's never been able to hit, but his glove allowed him to stay in an everyday lineup. Now Ryan is 32 and is nothing more than a bench player. As his defense declines, his value descends into nothingness. He was useful as a midseason pickup or as the late-inning replacement to an old Derek Jeter, but now, without any value to add with the bat, he essentially has no use to the Yankees anymore. It's time to cut ties with Brendan Ryan.

The Yankees brought him in to serve as the backup to Derek Jeter, a move that made a lot of sense at the time. They signed him to a questionable long-term, but ultimately harmless, deal of $5 million over three years, but the whole point of the contract was for him to serve as Jeter's caddy. The deal almost immediately became pointless when Jeter announced his retirement two months later and it meant that after 2014, Ryan would have no one to play backup to anymore and the Yankees would be stuck with him through the 2015, and likely 2016, seasons.

With the retirement tour in full effect, Ryan only managed to get into 49 games–a career low. He was used more like a utility infielder than a shortstop while hitting to an abysmal .167/.211/.202 in 124 at-bats–another career-low. The bat was expected, but what the Yankees didn't count on was that the likely combination of age and sporadic playing time led to him having a very underwhelming year in the field as well. He was fine at second base with five defensive runs saved and a 24.8 UZR/150, however, a -2 DRS and -8.7 UZR/150 at shortstop is not what the Yankees signed up for. As we all know, defensive metrics can be unreliable at times, especially in small sample sizes, but you could actually see how uncomfortable Ryan was in his backup role. Essentially, he was useless last year.

If the Yankees simply DFA him, it will only be at the cost of $3 million and might just be worth the extra roster space it would create. Now that Jeter is gone it's not going to make Ryan any more useful. Didi Gregorius makes the idea of a late-inning caddy completely useless and Ryan's non-existent bat isn't going to offer anything off the bench. Any team is going to need a backup shortstop, but since Gregorius has yet to play a full season and his bat is already lacking as it is, having Ryan on the roster doesn't make much sense. Add the fact that if the Yankees are serious about Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, they're going to need a middle infielder who can actually bring some power when he gets into the game. They need someone other than Brendan Ryan. They could have used Martin Prado, but, well, yeah.

Ryan was an interesting solution to a long-term problem that doesn't exist anymore. Removing him from the roster would clear space for both Refsnyder, as the starting second baseman, and Pirela, as the backup middle infielder. It won't be pretty, but it could be serviceable and definitely will be more promising. Let Brendan Ryan play backup for someone else. The cost can be on us.

Whether management wants to publicly admit it or not, the youth movement is underway in the Bronx.

As the Yankees are further removed from the "Core Four" and their last World Series Championship from 2009 fades away in the rear view mirror, the team and some fans have held out hope that "Father Time" could be defeated. Unfortunately, old age has caught up to the team and as much as ownership will never admit it, they began a transformation this offseason. The final link to the dynasty teams left baseball when Derek Jeter retired at the end of the season, so let's look at the team as it’s currently constituted and where it’s headed over the next couple of seasons.

Outfield

Heading into the season the outfield appears set as Brett Gardner will be in left field, Jacoby Ellsbury will man center field, and Carlos Beltran will be in right field with Chris Young backing up all three positions, and the recently acquired Garrett Jones backing up right field. However, as we all shudder at the thought of Beltran in the outfield, it could be a short-lived venture, since injury or his physical abilities might simply not allow him to play there. When plays like the "daydream" inside-the-park homer below occur, his quality of play has to be concerning.

One big positive of re-signing Chris Young is his ability to play all three outfield positions, giving Joe Girardi some flexibility. Looking at the chart below you will see that half of the outfield is projected to change by 2016, with top prospect Aaron Judge taking over right field duties and Tyler Austin taking over fourth outfielder duties. Obviously, prospects are not a guarantee to make it, but this is one possible scenario in two years. If this were to come to fruition, not only will the farm system have contributed to half of the younger outfield, but they will be cost-controlled, allowing Brian Cashman to allocate the budget to other areas of need.

Infield

With the retirement of Derek Jeter and Martin Prado's trade to the Marlins, it appears as if the Yankees infield is going to get a lot younger in 2015. Like the outfield, the infield appears set, barring any surprising trades or free agent signings. Didi Gregorius will be taking over at shortstop after a three-way trade with Detroit and Arizona. As much as we all like and respect the Captain, he became a hindrance in the field during his past few seasons, an area where Gregorius excels. Here’s a video courtesy of MLB.com showing some of the defensive ability that he possesses out in the field.

Like shortstop, it appears that a youth movement is in the cards at second base heading into next season. Cashman seems committed to letting top-10 prospect Rob Refsnyder and farmhand Jose Pirela battle it out in spring training for the second base job. Although Refsnyder has the superior bat, Pirela is currently the better defender, though neither will be in contention for any Gold Gloves. At third base, the Yankees re-signed Chase Headley to a four-year deal to continue his exceptional defensive play and his solid offensive production.

Across the diamond, Mark Teixeira and his solid glove return to first base with hopefully fewer nagging injuries, which have hurt both his playing time and his declining offensive production. Just in case Teixeira remains hampered by injuries, Cashman has brought in an insurance policy by trading for Garrett Jones in the Nathan Eovaldi trade. Below, you can see that the projected lineups from 2015 and 2016 are similar with the middle infield being manned by players in their mid-twenties. With Greg Bird pouring it on and with injuries and declining performance plaguing Mark Teixeira, I see Bird taking over in 2016. It’s also expected that Refsnyder’s advanced bat and hopefully improving defense could show up in the Bronx as soon as 2015.

Catcher

With Brian McCann signed long-term and John Ryan Murphy under team control, this could very well be our catching tandem for the next couple of years, unless Murphy gets traded or an unexpected injury takes place.

***

The Yankees are in a tough position until 2016. Large long-term contracts on declining players have left the team in a pickle. Overachievements have kept this team in the playoff hunt, and by no means are the Bronx Bombers out of it for 2015, but better times are ahead if they can remain patient. A younger nucleus, along with financial flexibility may be the reward for the team and its fans in 2016.

So long, Hirok.

Mark another potential option for the Yankees' 2015 rotation off the list, as Hiroki Kuroda has reportedly decided to return to Japan next season. It never really seemed like talks between the Yankees and Kuroda on the subject of a return next year really got anywhere after Brian Cashman repeatedly said he had not heard from Kuroda's agent. The team went out and signed lefty Chris Capuano and traded for Nathan Eovaldi to supplement an incredibly shaking starting rotation of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and CC Sabathia, all of whom have very scary injury concerns.

Kuroda was very solid in three years for the Yankees after coming over from the Dodgers prior to the 2012 season. He fell just one inning short of 200 in 2014 for the only time since joining the Yankees and his consistency was a welcome part of the rotation over the last few seasons. He was the only member of the starting rotation out of spring training to not get injured a year ago.

Without a surprise push for Max Scherzer or James Shields, the rotation for next season may look pretty much as it does now. The picture gets a little more bleak if Sabathia's knees or Tanaka's UCL can't hold up over a full season. There aren't a lot of minor league options ready to step in like Shane Greene did in 2014 either. Going after a starting pitcher seems to make a lot of sense for the team that maintains they can be competitive in 2015, but they may choose to roll with what they have over handing out another big contract for a team that seems to have more problems than available solutions.

The New York Yankees will lose one of their most consistent starting pitchers with reports from overseas that Hiroki Kuroda will return to his native Japan. After seven successful years in the United States, Kuroda is one of the best Japanese imports Major League Baseball has ever known.

Chugoku Shimbun & Sports Nippon report Hiroki Kuroda is returning to NBP, Hiroshima via @proyakyuantennapic.twitter.com/bVtMWgwcsH#yankees

— daisuke sugiura　杉浦大介 (@daisukesugiura) December 26, 2014

What makes Kuroda's success extra noteworthy is that he didn't throw a pitch in the majors until he was 33 years old. Kuroda, who turns 40 in February, was 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA for New York in 2014 at age 39, leading the Yankees in starts (32), innings (199) and strikeouts (146).

In seven years with the Dodgers and Yankees, Kuroda was 79-79 with a 3.45 ERA and 115 ERA+, and averaged 30 starts, 188 innings and 141 strikeouts per year.

Among pitchers born in Japan, Kuroda's 211 starts in the majors rank second only to Hideo Nomo (318), like Kuroda a native of Osaka. Kuroda also ranks second to Nomo in wins and strikeouts (986).

Kuroda has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers during his time in the United States, tied for 16th with his 116 ERA+ (minimum 1,000 innings) from 2008-14. Kuroda never had an ERA+ below 104, and in the last seven years had five seasons with an ERA+ of at least 110; only Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez had more such seasons during that span.

Kuroda ranked 19th among major league pitchers with 1,319 innings during the past seven years, and was one of 19 pitchers with at least six seasons of 30 or more starts in the last seven years. His 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio is 14th best among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings from 2008-14.

His strikeout rate has been between 17.8 percent and 19.2 percent for the last six seasons, and his walk rate was between 4.3 percent and 5.9 percent throughout his seven years in the majors.

Known for his fierce work ethic learned playing baseball as a youth in Japan, Kuroda told the New York Times in 2012, "It was all so ingrained in me that I still have a fear of giving up hits and runs."

The right-hander pitched 11 seasons for the lowly Hiroshima Carp in the Japanese Central League, going 103-89 with a 3.69 ERA despite playing on losing teams for 10 of his 11 years. The only winning season Kuroda experienced in Japan was in 2002, when the Carp were 68-65.

Kuroda made the playoffs in his first two seasons (2008-09) with the Dodgers, and in 2012 with the Yankees. He was 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA in five playoff starts, with 22 strikeouts and just four walks.

In 18 seasons combined in the majors and in Japan, Kuroda is 182-168, just 18 wins shy of 200.

CC Sabathia's knee feels good; Hiroki Kuroda will return to Japan; Yankees & Mets have the same betting odds at winning the World Series.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: After missing a significant portion of the 2014 season with knee problems, CC Sabathia says that his knee feels good and that he's been working out since the season ended.

NorthJersey | Pete Caldera: Hiroki Kuroda has agreed to return to Japan in 2015 to pitch for the Hiroshima Carp.

The New York Times | David Waldstein: According to bookmakers, the Yankees and the Mets currently have the same odds of winning the World Series next year.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman will be back as WFAN's radio broadcast crew next season.

Can Michael Pineda stay healthy in 2015? If he does, he could prove to be a valuable late round sleeper on draft day.

Today, I continue the series where I will profile some fantasy baseball sleepers that could help you win your leagues in 2015. Every year, fantasy owners are looking for that late round hitter/pitcher who could help them deal with underperformance from an early round pick, or with an unexpected injury. Some will be busts, some will help you along the way.

I like to define a sleeper as a player who is one of the lower ranked players in standard leagues who could come out of nowhere to outperform their preseason ranking/value. Last season, we saw plenty of players come out of nowhere to help fantasy teams including Charlie Blackmon, Dee Gordon, Steve Pearce, Carlos Carrasco, among many others.

I will begin with the American League East division teams, in order of the 2014 standings, and proceed with the AL Central, AL West and so on.

Yesterday, I started the 2015 Sleeper Series with Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop, and you can find that in the link below:

2015 Sleeper Series: Jonathan Schoop

Michael Pineda

Like many of his rotation mates in the Yankees rotation, Michael Pineda missed some time due to injury last season. Pineda missed about 3.5 months due to an upper back injury, joining teammates Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, and Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list in 2014. The soon to be 26 year old is now three years removed from his breakout rookie season, where he went 9-10 in 28 starts, with a 3.74 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 3.52 xFIP, striking out more than a batter per inning. Since then, he has been traded straight up for former Yankees catching prospect, and current ice cream sandwich throwing Jesus Montero. Oh, and he had shoulder surgery soon after the trade, repairing a torn anterior labral tear in his right shoulder, missing the 2012 and most of the 2013 season.

Many felt that he would never return to be the starter he was way back in his 2011 rookie season. But, he turned heads in spring training last season, and was named the Yankees fifth starter out of spring training. As stated in the opening. Pineda once again dealt with an injury last season, causing him to miss more than half the season. When healthy, Pineda was solid, pitching to a 5-5 record in his 13 starts, with a 1.89 ERA, 2.71 FIP, 3.37 xFIP and an elite 0.83 WHIP.

He was dominant in his 13 starts, limiting opponents to two runs or less in 11 of his 13 starts, and one run or less in 10 of those 13 starts. He struck out just under seven batters per nine innings, but exhibited excellent control, as he walked less than a batter per nine innings. He kept the ball on the ground at a 39% clip, and limited the long ball as well. We can't expect him to maintain the 0.59 HR/FB rate, especially since he calls Yankee Stadium home for about half of his starts and is a fly ball pitcher.

Of concern to fantasy owners is the 2 mph drop in his fastball velocity last season. Pineda only threw his fastball 31% of the time last season, but according to FanGraphs, provided a 7.5 positive pitch value . He relied on his slider, using it 34% of the time, and his cut fastball, which he threw 28% of the time, but combined they weren't as effective as his fastball. He relied on his cut fastball more than ever in 2014, increasing its usage by over 20% when compared against his 2011 season, his last healthy season.

Steamer project Pineda to make 29 starts in 2015, going 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA and a strikeouts per nine just above 7.00. I think he pitches better than the Steamer projections, and could put up an ERA in the low - mid 3.00 range, and we could see his K/9 bump up as well.

The 34-year-old expressed confidence that he will be good to go next season.

It's been a rough couple of years for Yankees ace CC Sabathia, but while talking with the YES Network earlier this month, he said that he has made progress with his injured knee.

The big lefty told Yankees Magazine that the ailment no longer limits him in his baseball-related activities. It became clear Sabathia was suffering from the degenerative condition after a May game in Milwaukee, eventually causing him to miss the rest of the season. During the short time he was on the field, it wasn't pretty: a 5.28 ERA and 4.78 FIP in eight starts, with 10 homers against him in just 46 innings. After several months of rest and rehab though, he's on the upswing.

"It feels good," Sabathia said. "For me, I have no complaints. I'm able to do all of my workouts, play catch and do everything. So I'm excited about how it feels."

It's a safe bet the Yankees are hopeful too after hearing that, as Sabathia is one of the biggest question marks on the team going into 2015. Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova also missed good amounts of time last year, but Nova is coming off the much more common Tommy John surgery and Tanaka and Pineda were both able to return to the mound in September.

Indeed, Sabathia's issue is a unique one. It's difficult to predict how he'll come back from it, but he is doing his part to rebound.

"I've been doing everything I can to stay active," he said. "I've been working out, playing catch, I'll just continue to do that all this offseason and be ready to go."

When next season begins, it's probable that Sabathia will be penciled in as the Yankees' third starter, behind Tanaka and Pineda and in front of Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Capuano. Eovaldi is a youngster whom the Yankees just want to develop into a more complete pitcher, so it's unlikely he'll be expected to dominate much. Capuano is really just a fill-in until Nova returns the rotation as tentatively schedule in May or June, so the Yankees presumably aren't keeping expectations high for him, either.

That being said, it can be fairly assumed the Yankees will need Sabathia to perform well if they want to start the year off on the right foot, hard as that might be for him.

As reported yesterday, Hiroki Kuroda will be heading back to Japan to pitch for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He will be missed. Pitchers and catchers report in 54 days.

The Yankees found out yesterday that they have one less option available to them for their 2015 rotation. Hiroki Kuroda has decided to return to Japan to pitch for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, ending a seven year run in the MLB. He pitched four years with the Dodgers and the remaining three years in the Bronx. He shall be missed.

Comments of the Day

Yep. Pretty much this.

Yeah, baseball isn't really losing money right now.

While some fans admired Kuroda's tenure with the Yankees, others did not.

This is what some PSAers thought about that.

Darth Mahbles has already found Kuroda's replacement. Let's just hope ? can give us some good outing in 2015.

GIF of the Day

This is how I felt when I heard the news.

Andrew pours one out for HIROK.

Honorable Mod Mention

Andrew and I win for our GIFs above.

• Do you have a favorite Hiroki Kuroda memory? If so, please share.
• What are your plans for New Years Eve?

Because I say "Bye Kuroda" like "My Sharona." As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

Now that Kuroda is out of the picture, as well as the country, it will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with the 2015 rotation. Relying on Chris Capuano and Bryan Mitchell is not the most comforting of thoughts.

Best of luck, HIROK

Good morning Rockies fans. Hopefully you all had a Merry Christmas and are preparing for the New Year and a hopeful 2015 for the Colorado Rockies.  I am adding as much as I can to the introduction since there is not much news to write about, and I have to make sure and get to the requisite word count for this Saturday article.

10 things to watch in MLB heading into 2015 - mlb.com

I put this article first because I always have appreciated Tracy Ringolsby's articles, and he always seems to throw something in about the Rockies now that he is not writing about them exclusively.  Jhoulys Chacin's health and preparation for the season will determine a lot about this team and the direction it needs to go during the offseason, as Mr. Ringolsby states.  He does a great job at boiling down a big issue like this into a succinct paragraph.  Oh yeah, he also talks about nine other teams.

Bernadina set to join Rockies on minor league deal - mlb.com

Not sure if this was put in a previous Rockpile, but Roger Bernadina, he of the .167 average in 56 games last year, is reportedly joining the Rockies on a minor league deal.

MLB average salary exceeds $3.8 million - denverpost.com

This is a standard once-a-year look at MLB salaries.  Hard to feel real sorry for players that make it to the show if this is the average.  Compare that to what players like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays made and it would probably shock you (even after adjusting for inflation).

Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to return to Japan - denverpost.com

After seven years in MLB, mostly with the Dodgers but the last couple with the Yankees, Hiroki Kuroda is returning to his Japanese major league team as a free agent.  At the age of 40, Kuroda can make comparable money and be closer to home and family with this move.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday break Rockies fans, the new year will hopefully bring new news and players for your favorite purple team.

#HIROK wasn't the flashiest star, but he was amazingly reliable enough to pitch like few other players have in their thirties.

Hundreds of major league players' careers come and go every few years. Occasionally, they are phenomenal and sure-fire Hall of Fame journeys, like Derek Jeter's; others aren't as successful and end up going the way of Andy Phillips. There are some players, however, who are quite good, but unfortunately not well-known enough to be remembered by most fans. The seven-year MLB career of Hiroki Kuroda undoubtedly falls into that category.

On Friday, it was revealed that the soon-to-be 40-year-old decided that seven seasons of baseball away from his native Japan were enough, and he agreed to return to Japan for the 2015 season. Kuroda will be signing with his original NPB team, the Hiroshima Carp, the club with which he first rose to prominence over 11 seasons from 1997-2007. Since coming stateside in 2008 with the Dodgers, Kuroda has been a model of consistency and excellent pitching, yet one who was constantly overlooked, even among his Japanese peers:

In 2008, the Dodgers signed veteran starter Hiroki Kuroda from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He wasn't as flashy a signing as Hideo Nomo and he didn't come with the rumor of a gyroball like Daisuke Matsuzaka. He didn't throw the roughly 1,000 pitches that Yu Darvish came bearing and he wasn't as young and full of promise as the 25-year-old Masahiro Tanaka... But at the age of 33 and after posting a 3.69 ERA in 11 seasons in the NPB, the Dodgers could expect a steady contributor.

Kuroda was who he was: a healthy mid-rotation starter who the Dodgers and Yankees could trust to keep them in the game almost every time he took the rubber. He was a manager's dream, not wasting much time on the mound and rarely walking people (2.0 BB/9). He wasn't a big strikeout pitcher, but his splitter could miss bats when it needed to do so.

Perhaps best of all for his skippers, Kuroda was able to just take the ball and pitch several quality innings. After missing about 15 starts over his first two seasons due to a shoulder impingement, an oblique strain, and a concussion following a scary line drive to the head, Kuroda almost never missed any time again. From 2010-14, just ten other pitchers in baseball threw more innings than Kuroda's 1,018 1/3, and only eight made more starts than Kuroda's 161. Even going back to 2008 and including that brief time missed in '08 and '09, he's still in the top 20 for both categories. If only he was more popular, State Farm could really have used him in their lame "Like a good neighbor" commercials.

There was something else admirable about Kuroda's performance during his seven-year career--he was wonderful, and he was doing it all in his mid-to-late thirties, a time when most starters would be winding down their careers. Kuroda pitched in 1,700 1/3 innings in Japan, a total that is higher than the current career innings pitched by over-30 veterans like Adam Wainwright, Jered Weaver, and Jeremy Guthrie. And yet look at how his age 33 through 39 seasons compare to other righthanded starters in the Expansion Era:

That is the entire list of righty starters who managed to record at least a 110 ERA+ and 20 rWAR during their age 33 through 39 seasons, and Kuroda's right up there with both Hall of Fame names and others who are regarded among the best pitchers of their respective eras. That's some excellent work by #HIROK.

Kuroda averaged just under 6 1/3 innings per start, and he pitched at least seven innings 80 times out of his 211 starts. Basically, Joe Torre, Don Mattingly, and Joe Girardi could count on him to pitch at least seven innings at least once out of every three starts; hell, the actual frequency of 37.9% was even somewhat more than one out of three. He could sometimes go even deeper, pitching at least into the eighth 33 times and on five occasions, twirling a shutout. Kuroda was probably never better than in his rookie season, when he took a perfect game into the eighth inning and spun a one-hit shutout with just the one baserunner allowed. (Hopefully, when they became teammates, Mark Teixeira bought him something nice and not-kale related for ruining that.) With the Yankees, his best start came in the AL East-winning 2012 season, when he threw a two-hit shutout against the offensive powerhouse Texas Rangers on August 14th:

How was Kuroda in pressure situations? Generally superb, of course. One bad playoff outing in his comparatively shaky '09 campaign pollutes the rest of his numbers, but in the four other outings in 2008 & 2012, he was reliable as ever. He finished off the Dodgers' three-game NLDS sweep of the Cubs in his playoff debut with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, then shook off growing hostility between the Dodgers and Phillies to win his start in Game 3 of the NLCS.

Back in the postseason picture in 2012 with the Yankees, he was excellent. Raul Ibanez was the star of ALDS Game 3 against the Orioles, but it was Kuroda who was the unsung hero. He threw 8 1/3 innings of two-run ball against a potent lineup to even keep the Yankees in a position to potentially win it. In desperate need of a starter in Game 2 of the ALCS, the Yankees asked him to pitch on three days' rest for the first time in his career, and he responded by pitching perfectly into the sixth and tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts. Unfortunately, the offense did nothing against the Tigers' Anibal Sanchez, and Kuroda defense betrayed him in the seventh, leading to the decisive three runs.

Games like his last playoff start became common over Kuroda's last two years in pinstripes. In both 2013 and 2014, he seemed to be the only healthy and capable starter available most of the time, and the meager offense rarely did much to support him. Such problems likely led to an All-Star snub in 2013, when Kuroda was absolutely deserving for his first-half performance. He pitched to a 2.65 ERA and 1.053 WHIP in 19 starts, but due to horrible run support, he had only an 8-6 record. Thus, AL manager Jim Leyland elected to take the Orioles' Chris Tillman, who had 11 wins but a much higher 3.95 ERA. Whatever, bro. #HIROK deserved to be an All-Star that year and I will hear nothing to the contrary.

Thank you for being the ever-consistent starter the Yankees needed over the past three seasons, Kuroda. Good luck in Japan and come back to an Old Timers' Day someday when you retire. You'll certainly get the ovation you deserved after your excellent final start but respectfully declined. You be you, #HIROK.

The signing likely means that the right-hander's major-league career is over.

Free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda is returning to Japan and has signed with the Hiroshima Carp, according to a report from Jim Allen of Kyodo News and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The signing likely ends Kuroda's major-league career, as it was thought that he would either sign with the Yankees or Dodgers, sign with a team in Japan, or retire.

Kuroda, who turns 40 in February, pitched for Hiroshima from 1997 to 2007, establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in Japan before signing a three-year deal with the Dodgers before the 2008 season. He spent seven years in the majors with the Dodgers (2008-2011) and Yankees (2012-2014), posting a career 79-79 record and 3.45 ERA while being regarded as one of the most consistent and durable pitchers in all of baseball.

With Kuroda out of the picture, the Yankees' rotation will look a bit different next season. In addition to veterans CC Sabathia and Chris Capuano, the Bombers will welcome Nathan Eovaldi to a group that includes young arms like Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and Adam Warren while Ivan Nova rehabs from Tommy John surgery.

The offseason is roughly halfway over. How do the Yankees moves look so far and what else do they need to do?

As December comes to an end, we've reached the halfway point in the offseason. Although things got off to a fairly quiet start, the Yankees have signed a couple players and made a handful of trades. How do things stand now and what else does the team need to do?

More than anything, it sure wouldn't hurt to add another starting pitcher. Max Scherzer and James Shields are both still on the market, though the Yankees have said countless times that they are not going to pursue any of the expensive options. Now that Hiroki Kuroda has decided to return to Japan and pitch for the Hiroshima Carp, the starting rotation is: CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, Chris Capuano and Nathan Eovaldi. CC's knee may feel great, and Tanaka's elbow might be fine, but you can never have enough pitchers, right? Ivan Nova will return in May or June and take one of those spots, but the rotation would be much stronger with another reliable pitcher in the mix.

As Jason pointed out, Brendan Ryan is an absolute waste of a roster spot now that Derek Jeter is gone, so it would make sense to cut him. What they need now is someone like Martin Prado who can play all over the field and hit for power. They acquired Garrett Jones who can play first base and outfield, but they lost someone who can shift over to the left side of the infield. Prior to that trade, it seemed like Prado was primed to be the starting second baseman, but now Brian Cashman plans to have Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirelacompete for the job during spring training. Even though this is the current plan, the Yankees always jump at the gun to sign an aging veteran, so it will be surprising if they really don't sign someone else to back up second base and shortstop. Also on the subject of dead weight, the Yankees are carrying four catchers on the 40-man roster. This number is down one since they traded Francisco Cervelli, but it might be one too many.

There also appears to be an empty spot in the bullpen that will need to be filled, though likely through internal options since Jason Grilli is off the market. Assuming that they go with a seven-man bullpen, then Adam Warren, Shawn Kelley, Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, Esmil Rogers and Justin Wilson seem to have six spots locked up. Maybe they'll have a spring training competition between Jacob Lindgren and some of the other prospects for seventh spot. Then there's the open coaching positions that need to be filled. The Yankees still need to hire a hitting coach and a first base coach, which they've said they'll resume looking for after the holidays come to an end, though they've been looking for well over two months now.

Do you think the Yankees have done enough at this point in the offseason? What else do they need to do?

Kuroda's contract details; the state of the rotation; 25 years since Billy Martin's death.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Unless Max Scherzer significantly reduces his price, it appears that the current rotation will have to do. The team will have to work on developing Nathan Eovaldi, and hopefully rely on Chris Capuano for the fifth spot until Ivan Nova returns.

New York Daily News | Bill Madden: After 25 years, the Daily News revisits their coverage of the fatal car crash that took the life of longtime Yankees player and manager, Billy Martin.

Japan Times | Kyodo:Hiroki Kuroda has indeed signed with his former team the Hiroshima Carp, and the contract is reportedly listed as 400 million Yen ($3.3 million USD) plus performance-based bonuses. Given the team's financial commitment to both Kuroda and ace Kenta Maeda, the Carp are determined to win the pennant in 2015.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: The loss of Hiroki Kuroda doesn't mean that much; the Yankees were already preparing for him to depart or retire, and they already acquired who they felt to be decent alternatives in Eovaldi and Capuano.

The Blue Jays traded lefty J.A. Happ to the Mariners for outfielder Michael Saunders earlier this offseason. Saunders fantasy value increased as a result, and he could outperform his draft day value in 2015.

Today, I continue the series where I profile some fantasy baseball sleepers that could help you win your leagues in 2015. Every year, fantasy owners are looking for that late round hitter/pitcher who could help them deal with underperformance from an early round pick, or with an unexpected injury. Some will be busts, some will help you along the way.

I like to define a sleeper as a player who is one of the lower ranked players in standard leagues who could come out of nowhere to outperform their preseason ranking/value. Last season, we saw plenty of players come out of nowhere to help fantasy teams including Charlie Blackmon, Dee Gordon, Steve Pearce, Carlos Carrasco, among many others.

I will begin with the American League East division teams, in order of the 2014 standings, and proceed with the AL Central, AL West and so on.

You can find links to my other sleepers below:

2015 Sleeper Series: Jonathan Schoop

2015 Sleeper Series: Yankees Starter Michael Pineda

Michael Saunders

Earlier this offseason. the Blue Jays traded starter J.A. Happ to the Mariners for outfielder Michael Saunders, in what appears to be a win for GM Alex Anthopolous. Saunders takes over left field for Melky Cabrera, who signed with the White Sox this offseason. Last season, Saunders was limited to just 78 games due to a shoulder injury, an oblique injury and a viral infection. But when he was healthy, he was pretty productive at the plate, hitting .273-.341-.450 with 8 home runs, 11 doubles, 38 runs scored, 34 RBI and 4 stolen bases in just 263 plate appearances. Though it was just half a season, Saunders had his best season at the plate, setting career highs in batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage.

Now he gets to move out of Safeco Park, a dream park for pitchers, to the Rogers Centre, a hitters park. According to ESPN's park factors data, Safeco Park ranked last in run scoring last season, depressing runs scored by 17.5%, and ranked 12th in home runs, increasing home runs by just over 5%. The Rogers Centre increased home runs by 31%, ranking third in baseball, and increased run scoring by just over 4%, ranking 9th in baseball.

According to the park factors over at StatCorner, Safeco Park had a home run park factor of 102 for left handed hitters, while the Rogers Centre had a home run park factor of 125 for lefties, so we could see a few more home runs from Saunders in 2015.

Saunders will probably hit in the lower half of the Blue Jays lineup in 2015, hitting behind power hitters Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson, who hit for power and get on base, so his RBI total should see a nice boost as well. Should he bat second in the Blue Jays lineup, we can expect a solid runs scored total, with around 15 hone runs, double digit stolen bases and a batting average in the .265-.275 range. There is a chance he could exceed these numbers if he can stay healthy.

Steamer projects him to hit .247-.328-.420 with 14 home runs, 59 runs scored, 54 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 2015. Like I said, I think he can exceed his Steamer projection as I think this projection was calculated before the deal to Toronto. I am not sure if it was adjusted to factor in his new ball park.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy baseball rankings, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown, your one stop on the internet for all things fantasy.

While Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder will be the main competitors for the second base spot at Spring Training, the Yankees have also recently signed Cole Figueroa and Nick Noonan to compete for a spot in the infield.

The Yankees appear to be heading to spring training with Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela set to duke it out for the starting spot at second base.  They seem to have no interest in Stephen Drew or Asdrubal Cabrera, and, of course, already traded away Martin Prado to Miami.  However, they have signed a couple other infielders to minor league deals that should take part in this infield competition: Cole Figueroa and Nick Noonan.

Figueroa is a 27-year-old second baseman who has spent time in both the Padres and the Rays systems.  He has seen quite a bit of action in Triple-A over the past three seasons, and he finally broke through in 2014 and found his way to The Show.  However, in 23 games for Tampa Bay, he wasn't particularly impressive, hitting just .233/.286/.326 with a 74 wRC+ in 49 plate appearances.  In Triple-A last season, Figueroa did flash the best bat of his career to that point, hitting .282/.371/.389 for a 114 wRC+.  He's never been a big power hitter, but he's managed to be a slightly above average bat at a middle infield position for most of his minor league career.

The most notable aspect of Figueroa's offensive game is his plate discipline.  Simply put, Figueroa draws a lot of walks and doesn't strike out much.  He's managed more walks than strikeouts in each season dating back to 2010.  While he probably won't set MLB on fire with his bat, he might give Pirela and Refsnyder a run for their money in spring training, and could turn into a useful bench cog for the Yankees.

The Yankees also signed former Giant Nick Noonan to a minor league deal this offseason.  Noonan has been pretty consistently terrible at the plate over his minor league career, hitting just .237/.282/.302 with a 51 wRC+ but he does bring some good glove work to the middle of the field.  Still, the Yankees already have a glove-first backup in Brendan Ryan, so there's little upside to Noonan.  He seems like nothing more than Triple-A depth for now.

If either of these players exit spring training as the starting second baseman, that will be a major red flag for both Pirela and Refsnyder.  Neither Figueroa nor Noonan profile to be average major leaguers, and while the Yankees may be signaling that these two will be involved in the second base competition this spring, that's probably more for competition's sake than for anyone actually hoping these two become key pieces on the major league squad.  Everything is shaping up for Refsnyder or Pirela, or perhaps both, to get a real shot in 2015, and with a little luck, maybe one will become the dependable Yankee second baseman of the future.