Hiroki Kuroda won't be returning to the Bronx, eliminating one of the best non-Scherzer options for improving the Yankees rotation. How does New York improve the rotation now?

With Hiroki Kuroda's decision to return to Japan and forgo another chance to don the pinstripes, the Yankees have one fewer option to flesh out their rotation. As it stands, they will presumably have Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, and Chris Capuano making up the Opening Day rotation, with Ivan Nova set to return sometime in the middle of the year. They've lost David Phelps, who, while never spectacular, did give them at least a bit of depth and starting experience out of the bullpen, and midseason acquisition Brandon McCarthy (who many of us hoped Brian Cashman would bring back), has been taken off the board, snatched away by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Adding Kuroda or McCarthy would've given the Yankees the depth they'll need if they hope to compete next year, but with those options no longer available, the Yankees will have to turn elsewhere to finish building their rotation.

And no, giving Chris Capuano thirty-something starts next season is not the answer.

Internal options

Bryan Mitchell: Jason's done a deep dive on Mitchell here, but quickly, Mitchell is one of the only Yankee pitching prospects that might find his way into the rotation next season. He has long been raved about by scouts, as his pure stuff is some of the best in the Yankees system, but he's never been able to put it together in the minors. He's had control issues in the past, but he did show a little improvement in Triple-A last year, posting a 3.46 BB/9 in 41.2 innings. Overall, though, he wasn't particularly impressive in the minors last season, posting a 4.09 FIP in 61.1 Double-A innings and a 4.44 FIP in Triple-A. While he'll probably get a chance at some point in 2015, and his repertoire still shows some great upside, there's nothing in his history that suggests Mitchell will be a dependable or decent part of the Yankee rotation.

Manny Banuelos: Once seen as one of the best prospects in the Yankees system, Banuelos' value has fallen quite a bit since Tommy John surgery cost him the entire 2013 season. He did finally make it back onto the field in 2014, but the results weren't pretty: he posted a 4.59 ERA and 5.03 FIP in 49 innings in Double-A before posting a 5.56 FIP in a limited appearance in Scranton. While it's not clear if some of these struggles are just ManBan working the kinks out after a year off or if he's just not the pitcher he once was, Banuelos will certainly need more time in the minors before he's even conceivable as a legitimate option in the rotation.

Free agent options

Max Scherzer: Still the best option for making this a potentially stellar rotation (and giving the Yankees the kind of pitching/defense combination that could make them a great team even if their big bats don't rebound next season), but if they avoid him - and wisely continue staying far, far away from James Shields - there are a few other lesser free agent options still out there.

Ryan Vogelsong: He has spent the last four seasons with the San Francisco Giants and was ranked as the 38th best free agent of the offseason by MLB Trade Rumors. However, he hasn't had a decent year since 2012, posting a negative fWAR in 2013 and just 1.0 fWAR in 2014, when he pitched to the tune of a 4.00 ERA and a 3.85 FIP. He wouldn't put the Yankees over the top, but he'd be cheap and probably could be counted on to pitch at least 150 innings. He's pitched at least 179 innings in three of the four past seasons (and the only season he didn't reach that threshold he missed time due to a freak injury).

Aaron Harang: Another older pitcher, Harang could also add a little more certainty to the Yankees rotation without costing much. Harang was surprisingly effective in 2014, posting a 2.5 fWAR along with a 3.57 FIP in 204.1 innings with the Braves. However, he likely wouldn't be able to duplicate that success in 2015 - his HR/FB rate of 6.4% is unsustainable, given that his career rate is 10.2%, and his success came a bit out of nowhere, as he hadn't been anywhere close to as valuable since 2009.

Neither Harang nor Vogelsong project to be that much of an improvement over Capuano, and would just give the Yankees a glut of old, low-upside starters blocking any chance any prospect might have at seeing some major league action this year. The Yankees should stay away from these two, and any of the Paul Maholm/Chad Billingsley ilk.

Trade?

Jordan Zimmermann and Cole Hamels are names that have been floated about in recent days who some feel the Yankees could target, but the Yankees seem to be more interested recently in acquiring cheap, young talent with upside rather than giving it away. While Zimmermann would be nothing more than an expensive rental (too expensive for a team that will be looking at an uphill climb in 2015), Hamels will be under contract until 2018 and could be worth dumping some of the Yankees best prospects for.

Kuroda or McCarthy would have been exactly what they needed, but if the Yankees don't sign Scherzer or trade for Hamels, there is really no need to sign one of the cheap arms left on the market. Better to just hope the rotation stays healthy and give someone like Mitchell, Banuelos, or maybe even Adam Warren a chance when injuries strike. If nothing else, the front office can figure out what it has in some of its young arms, and either decide they can be part of the Yankees future, or hopefully determine their trade value to flip them at the right time.

Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino missed a lot of games in 2014, and may not have a starting role in Boston's outfield to begin the season. But, with good health, he could be a very nice sleeper 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

2015 Sleeper Series: Blue Jays Outfielder Michael Saunders

2015 Sleeper Series: Rays starter Jake Odorizzi

Shane Victorino

The Red Sox outfield is quite crowded at the moment, especially after the signing of Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo, the offseason signing of free agent Hanley Ramirez, the trade deadline deal that netted former Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig, and the emergence of Mookie Betts in the second half of the 2014 season.

So where does this leave Shane Victorino? That's a great question, and I have to imagine he could be a good candidate to be traded during spring training, or early in the season, as an injury replacement. Right now, it appears he is the Red Sox fourth outfielder, but ESPN's depth charts still list him as the Red Sox starting right fielder. With Betts on the bench. That could happen, but I seriously doubt that. I see Betts as the Red Sox starting center fielder and lead off hitter. It is quite possible Castillo is relegated to a part time role with Victorino to start the season.

Victorino missed 132 games last season due to back and hamstring injuries, so 2014 was a lost season for him. I see Betts and Castillo getting all kinds of love leading up to draft day, and would not be surprised if The Flyin' Hawaiian isn't drafted in most 12 team mixed leagues, making him a perfect sleeper candidate.

Victorino is two years removed from a season where he hit .294-.351-.451 with 15 home runs, 82 runs scored, 61 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Sure, he is 34 years old, but he is a very good right fielder, and when healthy, he has shown he can still be very productive at the plate.

Victorino currently has an average draft position of 331.58, good for the 78th ranked outfielder according to early NFBC draft results, so he isn't being drafted in most 15 team NFBC leagues. Steamer projects him to hit .268 with 10 home runs, 56 runs scored, 48 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 436 plate appearances this season. With good health, he could easily surpass that projection hitting in the stacked lineup.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy baseball, football or basketball articles or rankings, make sure you give a look at Fantasy Rundown, where you can find links to some of the best fantasy content on the interwebs.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Here are ten New Year's resolutions for various Yankees, starting with Alex Rodriguez. The former third baseman's resolution should be to stay out of unexpected headlines in 2015.

Sports Illustrated | Cliff Corcoran: Two of the biggest free agents on the market, Max Scherzer and James Shields, are heading into the new year without knowing where they will pitch next season. The Yankees are one of the few obvious teams that can afford Scherzer.

FOX Sports | Jon Morosi: The Yankees maintain that they are not interested in signing Scherzer, but they said the same thing about Mark Teixeira six years ago. Morosi refuses to believe that the team isn't pursuing the right-hander with the AL East up for grabs.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty:Didi Gregorius already showed off his art skills with his drawing of Derek Jeter. Now he's showing off his talents in a different medium: spray paint

The 2015 Yankees rotation seems to be taking shape, but it's the Triple-A pitching that could bring about the most questions. Last year the organization brought in veteran castoffs like Brian Gordon and Chris Leroux to fill the rotation in Scranton, and though they'll likely do the same thing again this year, it's important to inventory what they have and what they have lost first.

Shane Greene is gone, though even if he wasn't traded away he likely would have been given a shot on the major league team. Jose Ramirez is no longer a starter, so despite his likelihood of ending up back in Scranton to begin the year, it won't be as a member of the starting rotation. Chase Whitley is probably the favorite for the longman role in the major league bullpen, though there remains an outside shot he could end up in the Scranton rotation. With these three out of the way, the RailRiders only have so many options to provide them with quality starters before the organization has to reach out for outside help.

Bryan Mitchell made his major league debut in 2014, but he probably won't be staying with the big league club just yet. This year he'll have an opportunity to pitch regularly out of the rotation and prove his worth before he finally moves up to stay. The 23-year-old right-hander needs to work on his command, which he's kept under 4.0 BB/9 over the last two seasons. He also needs to figure out a way to minimize damage because he's been approaching 10 H/9 over the last two years and hasn't managed an ERA under 4.00 since 2010. As we keep hearing about him, Mitchell possesses the stuff to be successful, but he has yet to harness it in-game. At the very least, it would be nice if he could turn into a league-average innings eater, but if his 2014 season is any indication, averaging less than five innings a start is not going to cut it. He's still young, so hopefully the Yankees can give him the time he needs to figure things out.

The hope is that Manny Banuelos is finally healthy after battling into and out of elbow surgery over the last three seasons. This will be his third attempt at the Triple-A level since first reaching Scranton in 2012 and again in a short stint just last year. Despite all the setbacks, ManBan is still a prospect at just 23 and won't be used as minor league depth. That means the Yankees are going to monitor his innings and could limit his playing time if they think he is being overworked. Depending on how his season goes, the lefty could find his way to the majors, but it's probably safer to bet on him remaining in Triple-A for most of the year, at least until there's a reason to make a move.

Those two seem to be the only definite options in Triple-A, however, there are several other pitchers who could end up making the team as well. Zach Nuding spent the 2014 season being shuffled between Scranton and Trenton. In his first five starts he impressed enough to earn a promotion, however, once there, he struggled immensely with a 6.25 ERA in eight appearances. He figured things out again when he was sent back down, pitching to a 2.81 ERA in 53.1 innings and got a call up back to the RailRiders in August where he pitched well to end the season. At the age of 25, it's probably time to see if he can sink or swim in Triple-A because even though he's unlikely to ever become a major league option, the Yankees youth movement could make him a surprise injury replacement at some point.

That leaves minor league fodder like Caleb Cotham and Joel De La Cruz to fill out the rest of the rotation. The 27-year-old Cotham had a pretty miserable, injury-plagued 2015, but if he's healthy it's probably time to just let him pitch where they need him, even if he's fated to struggle. His first chance at Triple-A proved to be disappointing when he pitched to a 5.48 ERA in 95.1 innings in 2013. The righty is one year away from minor league free agency, so the Yankees might as well give him a chance to see if he's worth re-signing. On the flip side, the 25-year-old De La Cruz was just re-signed to a new minor league deal after he became a free agent this offseason. He was a nondescript reliever before the right-hander was turned into a starter these last two seasons and somehow his control greatly improved, creating a pitcher that is actually of some use to the RailRiders. After throwing 121.2 innings, he might be considered one of the team's best innings eater.

These five options do not, of course, count Double-A prospects that are likely to make it to Scranton at some point during the year. That means that on top of those options, the RailRiders could also expect reinforcements from Dan Camarena and Jaron Long. While neither are exactly top prospects, both have made solid reputations for themselves inside the organization. Just 22, Camarena performed well in High-A Tampa, pitching to a 2.35 ERA in 88 innings before being promoted to Double-A Trenton where a 5.07 ERA in 55 innings ended his 2014 on a low note. His peripherals suggest that he may have been unlucky, so hopefully another go in Trenton will help him. Long, 23, has seen none of the struggles in his young professional career that Camarena has seen. The 2014 season was really his first full year and he succeeded at every level he visited. He finished with a 2.18 ERA and good peripherals in 144.1 innings as a promising ground ball pitcher. It could be too soon to consider Long for the Scranton rotation, but the organization seemed to trust him enough to move him up three levels in one year, so if he shows the results they'll reward him before long.

If those internal options don't all come together like we want them to, the Yankees will have to go hunting for some free agent pitchers to store in Triple-A. They could target players returning from injuries, like Chad Billingsley, Scott Baker, and Brandon Beachy, to fill in while they rehab or useful innings eaters like Kevin Correia, Paul Maholm, and Bruce Chen. Considering the current MLB rotation, it might be worthwhile for them to spend a little more on some actual brand names, though they will probably end up just finding a few randoms to fill out the roster and invite to spring training instead.

Here we are. The last day of the year. Is it going to be "So long and thanks for all the memories, 2014" or "There's the door, 2014" for you? Pitchers and catchers report in 50 days.

My friends, we have come to it at last. The last day of the year 2014. What a year it has been. The Yankees did not win the World Series, so that was a bummer. Or in other words "SUCH A DISMAL YEAR. FIRE CASHMAN!" and other such common phrases. Joking aside, this definitely was not one of the better years of Yankee baseball. Here's hoping 2015 will be better. Well unless you're hoping for a tank and rebuild that is.

Comments of the Day

No seriously, WAY TO GO PAST IGYAR AND WAFFLES. WAY. TO. GO. Also, Prof. Mahbles schools us all on some of the best moments of the year in the PSA Comments section. As an addendum to his post, he's certainly up there in the "Best New Commenter of 2014" category.

Meanwhile, our long time commenters still make this place a joyous and puntastic place to talk about Yankee baseball.

You know, perhaps his stay here will be short.

Cold cuts are definitely dance worthy!

What a year.

GIF of the Day

Hopefully we will see more of Victor next year.

Honorable Mod Mention

Definite shout out to all the mods on a full year of keeping PSA the best Yankees blog in the universe!

• 2014: "Thanks for the good memories" or "There's the door, now piss off!"
• Best personal moment of 2014? (Does not have to be Yankees related)

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

Nothing more to say here. See you next year, Pinstripe Alley.

Farewell to 2014

Two aces are available, one via free agency and one via trade. Which route would be best for the Yankees?

The Yankees would have you believe that they're perfectly content entering 2015 with a starting rotation made up of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Capuano. Maybe they believe it themselves. It's not a group without potential. Tanaka and Pineda have been elite when healthy, Eovaldi has great stuff, too and CC could always rebound. But it's a collection that could tumble into disaster with the twist of a knee or the tear of a ligament. No matter how often it's repeated, it's still difficult to believe the Yankees are uninterested in either of the two unequivocal, no doubt about it, surefire number ones still on the market. The guys who could instantly flip the staff from "could go either way" to "one of the best in baseball."

Max Scherzer's free agent market has been slow to develop - not uncommon for Scott Boras clients - thanks to an asking price that's still sitting somewhere north of $200 million. Cole Hamels isn't a free agent, and won't be for several years, but has been made available by Philadelphia and would waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yankees. Like Scherzer, he's controlled by a man who is famous for making unreasonable demands. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. reportedly asked New York for Luis Severino or Aaron Judge for the middling Marlon Byrd and the prehistoric Jimmy Rollins. Adding either ace seems unlikely at the moment, given the Steinbrenners' recent purse string tightening and Brian Cashman's prospect-hugging ways of the past few years. But whether Scherzer or Hamels would be a better get for the Yankees is interesting. Let's pretend for a moment that the team does hope to snag a top flight starter this winter and that they are willing to pay the requisite price.

Which pitcher would cost the Yankees more really depends on your definition of cost. From a pure dollars and cents perspective, the answer is easily Scherzer. While he might not break that $200 million plane, the 30-year-old Cy Young winner will top Jon Lester's six-year $155 million guarantee. In the end he'll likely "settle" for the second richest pitcher contract in history, which would usher him past seven years and $180 mil. Hamels, meanwhile, is signed through 2018 for $96 million, or $23.5 mil per season. He has a vesting option for 2019 that kicks in if he throws 400 innings the prior two years, including 200 in 2018, and doesn't finish that season on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury. Using Lester's contract as a template, Hamels is a relative bargain. He'll cost around $3 million less than Scherzer per year between 2015 and 2019, and more importantly, he doesn't come with a $50 million plus commitment in 2020 and 2021, the age 36 and 37 seasons for both players.

The price tag attached to Hamels involves more than just money, though. To sign Scherzer, the Yankees would surrender the 17th pick in the 2015 amateur draft and nothing else. (They've moved up two spots in draft order since the beginning of the off-season thanks to the Mets and Blue Jays losing picks.) For Hamels, they'd be parting with several of their best prospects, including at least one of Severino and Judge, and probably someone from the Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, Ian Clarkin tier as well. Using FanGraphs' $7 million-per-win valuation (not my favorite metric of theirs but useful for this exercise) and a fairly conservative $185 million-ish estimate for Scherzer's contract, the talent the Yankees give up would need to be worth less than 10 or so fWAR over the next seven years to make trading for Hamels the better investment. This is obviously an over-simplified way of looking at it as there are other factors at play. We don't know if the Yankees will bring their prospects to the majors if they don't deal for Hamels, or if they'll use them in another trade somewhere down the road. We also don't know how or if they'd spend what they'd save in 2020 and 2021 by not paying Hamels instead of paying Scherzer. Still, 10 wins over seven years doesn't seem like that much to ask for.

Aside from cost, there's the question of who suits the Yankees better on the field. You really can't go wrong either way. Over the past three seasons, both have been outstanding, but Scherzer's numbers are slightly more prolific.

Scherzer is exactly six months younger than Hamels and has thrown nearly 600 fewer MLB innings. His lower innings count is reportedly why the Yankees preferred him to Lester earlier in the off-season. Hamels is left-handed, which is generally helpful when pitching at Yankee Stadium and does a better job keeping batted balls on the ground. His ground ball to fly ball rate since 2012 is 1.28 as opposed to Scherzer's 0.86, and that's also a useful trait in the Bronx, especially in front of the Yankees' newly improved infield defense. The fly ball pitcher equals bad fit narrative on Scherzer is a bit overblown, though. Not very many of those flies he allows are well hit - his 0.85 HR/9 average the last three seasons is nearly identical to Hamels' 0.83 - and his outstanding strikeout rate ensures fewer balls put in play to begin with. Sure, grounders can't end up in the seats, but neither can pitches that are swung at and missed.

If Hamels were the only great pitcher available I'd have no issue with the Yankees going all in and giving up the necessary young talent to get him. But he isn't. One of the great advantages the so-called rich teams have - if they choose to use it - is that they don't need to slice up their farm to make the big trade when there's a comparable player available for just cash.

Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera should be eligible to sign soon. Should the Yankees go after him?

Last week the Yankees traded Martin Prado to the Marlins, but up until that point, it had looked like Prado would be the team's starting second baseman. Now Brian Cashman has said that he's fine with Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela competing for the position during spring training. If the Yankees still wanted to go the free agent route for a second baseman, there aren't really a lot of options left on the market at this point, especially after Asdrubal Cabrera agreed to a deal with the Rays yesterday. There is still time for a reunion with Stephen Drew, but if they want to look elsewhere, then Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera should be available soon. Would Olivera be a good fit for the Yankees?

Olivera is a 6-foot-2, 220 pound right-handed hitter who is described as having a "loose, quick swing and a good hitting approach." He has decent power for a middle infielder, and was considered to have plus speed in his prime. Throughout his career in Serie Nacional in Cuba, Olivera was a very consistent hitter, averaging .336/.437/.572 during five seasons from 2008-2012. Unfortunately, Olivera missed the entire 2012-2013 season in Cuba due to a blood condition (thrombosis in his left bicep, according to the Cuban press). He did return for the following season, and he was able to hit .316/.412/.474 with 7 HR. Scouts haven't gotten a chance to see him play live recently, so it is expected that he will hold a showcase at some point.

The 29-year-old defected from Cuba earlier this year, but he is not yet eligible to sign because he still needs to obtain residency papers and a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control and there's no telling how long that will take. On the plus side, after he is eventually signed Olivera will be ready to go straight to the major leagues. Ben Badler of Baseball America considers him to be an upgrade over both Refsnyder and Pirela at second base, and also thinks that the Yankees are one of the top three teams expected to sign him (the other two being the Padres and Athletics). It's estimated that he will end up with a contract somewhere around what fellow countryman Yasmany Tomas received, which was six-years and $68.5 million. The Yankees offseason moves so far have revolved around the idea of saving money, so that could mean that they're saving it up to hand out to someone like Olivera or that they're just saving for the sake of saving.

Do you think the Yankees should pursue Olivera when he is cleared to be signed, or are you content to see Refsnyder and Pirela battle for the position during spring training?

Fingers crossed for a better 2015, everyone.

Well everyone, we've reached the final Pinstripe Alley post for 2014, and what better way to end than counting down to the new year with numbers arbitrarily associated with the Yankees? The 2014 season was a rough one for the Bronx Bombers, as they missed the playoffs for the second year in a row and now face the unknown without their Captain for the first time in 20 years, but there's plenty to like about the Yankees' future. Let us not forget the good times of the 2014 season though; while they tended to be few and far between, here are 10 things I will remember about these Yankees.

10

Five 10-strikeout games from Masahiro Tanaka's

One of the great crimes of the 2014 campaign was that we were robbed of seeing the great Tanaka pitch a full season of starts. #TANAK was absolutely phenomenal in his rookie season, notching at least 10 strikeouts in a game on five different occasions. Even though he made just 20 starts, he was just the 11th Yankee to have five 10-strikeout games in one season, and only the second to do it in under 25 starts. Please stay healthy in 2015, Tanaka. The Yankees badly need more pitchers like you.

9

Number of times Michael Pineda allowed 1 ER or less in his 13 starts

Hey, speaking of guys who need to stay healthy in 2015, a 30-start Pineda would go a long, long way to making the 2015 rotation less of a concern. On the occasions that "Big Mike" was heatlhy in 2014 and did, in fact, take the mound, he was sensational. In 13 starts, he allowed one earned run or less an amazing nine times. Unsurprisingly, his ERA for the season was quite low: 1.89 in 76 1/3 innings. There have been plenty of starters in major league history to have nine starts of such minimal offensive production against, but I seriously doubt many of them have occurred when the pitcher in question didn't even make 15 starts. Pineda's stuff is so nasty; here's hoping we see much more of him in 2015.

8

Number of times Dellin Betances struck out the side

This guy did stay healthy in 2014, and boy, was it spectacular. Like Mariano Rivera in 1996, Dealin' Dellin quickly ascended from middle relief to the setup man role, and he put together one of the greatest relief seasons you'll ever see. He pitcher 70 games, 90 inning, yielded a mere 1.40 ERA and 1.64 FIP while notching an unworldly WHIP of 0.778 (a mark bested by Mo just once), and struck out a Yankees bullpen record of 135 men, a 13.5 K/9 rate. Betances struck out the side eight times in 2014; four times he did so while not even allowing a baserunner. When they actually made contact against his slurve, opposing batters hit a pitiful .075/.122/.124t. Whether he's setting up again or closing in 2015, opposing batters are not going to feel comfortable against him next year. It will be delightful.

7

Awesome seasons of David Robertson

Sigh. Gonna miss this guy. Best of luck on the South Side, D-Rob. Don't be too nasty against the Yankees, please. Even if some fans were unfairly rough on you, we were always huge fans.

6

Alfonso Soriano homers in 2014

Yes, Sori was unfortunately dreadful this year, a disappointing follow-up to his superb second-half surge for the Yankees after his trade from the Cubs last year. But when he was hot, Soriano was one of the most entertaining players in baseball to watch, from his quick wrists and home run power to his speed on the bases which almost made him the first 40/40 Yankee. I wrote a retrospective on him shortly after he was finally released, but LTL nicely summed it up:

requiem for Sori
Let’s not have this year cloud our memory of him. He was one of the most exciting players the Yankees had during his first run. He easily could have been the MVP of the 2001 World Series. And he gave the offense a boost last year and kept a mediocre (at best) team in contention a lot longer than it should have been. Via con Dios, Sori.

@ltl27
by long time listener on Jul 6, 2014 | 12:26 PM

5

Number of times Jacoby Ellsbury was caught stealing... in 44 attempts

Upon first hearing that the Yankees had signed former Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a huge seven-year, $153 million contract, I was as shocked as anyone else. However, as I slowly began to read more about him, I realized just how valuable he could be to the Yankees. Sure enough, he turned out to be arguably the best position player on the Yankees this year. Ellsbury posted a 111 OPS+, hit the second-most homers of his career, and stole 39 bases, second-best in the American League. Remarkably, he was only caught five times, an 88.6% success rate... and the umpires blew one of those out calls, too. I would sign up in a heartbeat for more of this in 2015.

4

Yankees walk-off homers in 2014

The dingers were regrettably uncommon in 2014 for the Yankees as they only hit 147 dingers, a total almost as low as the 144 they recorded last year. They did make a few of them count though, as their four walk-off homers were the most they had in a season since the walk-off-happy 2009 campaign. Although the Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, and Chase Headley walk-offs were fun, my favorite was the absolutely shocking Chris Young walk-off against the Rays, below. Just listen to the announcers' reaction and look at the game thread from that moment on; it was just about the funniest thing imaginable.

3

Brett Gardner homers against Yu Darvish

There's no denying that Rangers righty Yu Darvish is one of the most talented pitchers in baseball. Brett Gardner is a fine player, but prior to 2014, he had never been considered much of a power threat. Indeed, even with his 17-homer 2014 included, he only has 40 career homers in seven seasons. He has only homered more than once against three pitchers; two of them are Brandon Morrow and Drew Hutcherson, who he has each taken deep twice. Inexplicably however, he owns Yu Darvish. After taking Darvish deep three times in 2014, he has four career homers against the Japanese ace, hitting an astounding .455/.500/1.545 against him in 12 plate appearances. I don't know what it is that Gardner has figured out about him that basically no one else in the league has, but I want it to continue. It was just one small part of his awesome 2014, and it is hilarious.

2

Derek Jeter and his unforgettable finale

The Captain's last game at Yankee Stadium will be one to remember for years to come. In fact, there's a strong chance that this is the only memory some fans will have of the 2014 season. If that's all that will be remembered, then dammit, it's a fantastic memory. For all his struggles and tribulations of the Farewell Tour, this was almost a perfect way for him to end his career at Yankee Stadium.

/sniff

1

Man I am most excited to see in spring training

We close 2014 with one more look to the promise of 2015. It's 50 days until pitchers and catchers, but we all have at least one person we'll be paying close attention to in spring training. Even though they're meaningless games, it will be damn exciting to see Rob Refsnyder seemingly finally get his shot to be the Yankees' second baseman. After the dark days of Brian Roberts and Stephen Drew constantly polluting the position once made outstanding by my favorite player, it would be a breath of fresh air to see Refsnyder grab that position by the horns and at least have a season similar to Robbie's rookie year of 2005. Fingers crossed, Ref.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve and an equally awesome 2015, Yankees fans.

Happy New Year from all of us at Pinstripe Alley! Let's hope that 2015 brings a World Series title back to the Bronx.

YES Network | Brian DiMenna: Despite missing the postseason, 2014 was a memorable one in the Bronx. In the article are the 10 most memorable moments of 2014.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: The Yankees had a difficult 2014. Brendan Kuty looks at the teams' five worst moves of 2014.

Just A Bit Outside | Drew Fairservice: By their own standards, the Yankees' offseason has been strangely quiet. Has the team's offseason to date flown under the radar?

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: How does the Rays' Asdrubal Cabrera signing affect the Yankees?

Scherzer certainly wouldn't hurt anything, but how good would he really make them?

Max Scherzer might not be the cheapest option left on the market, but in nobody's mind is he not the most desirable. Because let's be honest with ourselves: signing Scherzer would make the Yankees' rotation elite.

Scherzer would bring a second ace to New York along with Masahiro Tanaka, and turn the high-quality Michael Pineda into a no.3. He'd take some weight off the recovering Ivan Nova, and help cancel out some of CC Sabathia's possible struggles.

So really, why are the Yankees not doing everything they can to acquire him? Sure, he'd cost a lot, but isn't that tolerable when a playoff spot's part of the package? It should be, and signing or not signing Scherzer will decide whether the Yankees are playing in October next season no matter how much the club's front office says otherwise. Here's why:

1. Each starter's recent performance: For this exercise, we'll use previous season WAR to compare the rotation options. Scherzer had one of 6.0 last year, Tanaka 3.3, Pineda 2.7, and Nathan Eovaldi 0.2. As for Nova, Sabathia and Chris Capuano, theirs respectively read 3.6, 0.3, and -0.6 in 2013, since none of them started much last season. That being said, assume the best-case scenario of all starters remaining healthy includes Capuano getting sent to the bullpen if Scherzer's signed and for the sake of the exercise, Eovaldi going to the 'pen as well when Nova comes back from Tommy John surgery.

That leaves the rotation with Scherzer, Tanaka, Pineda, Sabathia and Nova. Now let's again assume something, that each of those five have the same WARs next year. Nova's is 3.4 wins better than Eovaldi's, and Scherzer's is 6.6 wins better than Capuano's. That's 10 wins more, nicely giving the Yankees approximately 94 (they went 84-78 in 2014) in 2015. And keep in mind, that number being a little lower still wouldn't hurt anything.

2. The offense will likely be worse next season: I know Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and others might do better next year, but they also might do worse. None of them are getting any younger and basically, the Yankees can't expect them to improve, convenient as them doing so would be.

So where am I getting the title to this point? Well, Didi Gregorius didn't exactly hit much better than Derek Jeter did last year, Rob Refsnyder/Jose Pirela probably won't match Martin Prado's .282/.321/.412, and Alex Rodriguez is no Ichiro. I guess there could be some surprises here, but you obviously can't count on that to carry the team.

What are your thoughts? Is Scherzer the answer, or just a big check?

If the season started tomorrow, how would the Yankees approach it?

If the season started tomorrow...

It's kind of a stupid phrase, I admit that. If the season started tomorrow, teams would have been more aggressive in their deals.

Max Scherzer and James Shields will not be free agents at the start of the season, though I do wonder if one of them won't get Stephen Drew'd; might one of those two not get an offer he likes in time for spring training? There seem to be so few evolving rumors, and Scott Boras has done that with both Drew and starter Kyle Lohse, who went until nearly April before a team met their demands in years and dollars. But that's a whole different point.

At least publicly, the Yankees' top five are set: Tanaka, Pineda, Sabathia, Eovaldi and Capuano. Let's leave Adam Warren in the bullpen for now; by some measure, he was one of the 20 most valuable relievers in all of baseball. Even though the projection systems think he'll regress a little in 2015, that's mainly because they think he'll give up more than four home runs in 78 innings of work.

There are five more starting pitchers on the 40-man roster. To avoid any kind of ranking, let's look at them alphabetically.

Manny Banuelos

There's always a concern that a player won't come back from Tommy John surgery. It's happened. But ManBan's stats across three levels and 76 innings are almost exactly in line with his minor league career. It's easy to get excited by a lefty with a slight build who can hit 97 on a radar gun. But Banuelos hasn't posted a season WHIP below 1.5 since 2010. Of the five starters on the 40-man roster, I think Banuelos is the least likely to start a game in the Bronx in 2015. But maybe the full offseason will work a little magic on that elbow.

Jose De Paula

De Paula is definitely the least heralded of the prospects on this list. Signed as a minor league free agent from the Giants, he's pitched only a few innings at the Triple-A level in 2014 before being sidelined by an oblique injury. He's got an option left, and he was on the restricted list in 2012 when baseball found out he's actually older than previously reported (he turns 27 in March). The lefty has a low 90s fastball that he can dial up to 95; the reports I've read describe "sinking action" without calling it a sinker. His curve is the stronger of his secondary pitches, and his changeup is a work in progress.

Domingo German

The scouting reports say fringe starter/bullpen candidate with a low nineties sinking fastball and an average slurve, and a below average changeup that doesn't work against left-handed batters. The ceiling is there, the clearest scouting report I read said that he short arms the ball, so with some mechanical adjustments he could add mph to his fastball and improve both the speed separation and deception of his changeup.

Bryan Mitchell

The 2009 draftee got a cup of coffee in 2014, pitching well in an August relief appearance, pitching five innings, two earned runs in a double header spot start against the Orioles, and then eating four innings in relief on the second to last day of the season. He's got the high nineties fastball and the big curve, and his changeup is coming along. His control is the big issue, with 3.6 BB/9 being the lowest mark he's posted in a full season. Still, his command is improving with each stop and he's continued to climb the ladder.

Chase Whitley

The most familiar name on the list, Whitley was great his first time through the league and then he couldn't adjust. I think the #6 spot on the depth chart belongs to Mitchell at this point, but if he doesn't seem ready to take the step forward out of spring training, I could see Whitley in that spot.

Obviously, I've said all along I'd like the Yankee to sign Max Scherzer to push the entire depth chart one spot further down. But if that doesn't happen, I'm not really worried. Yes, someone is going to get hurt this year because nearly every team in baseball needs 7 or 8 starters to get through a season. The Yankees have got that kind of depth, and the resources to go find a Brandon McCarthy if that depth is sorely challenged.

Not all Yankee careers contain parades and plaques. Some receive less fanfare.

I have to say I'm personally still pretty bummed out about Hiroki Kuroda's decision to return to his native Japan rather than take the mound again for the New York Yankees.  Apart from the obvious impact that his absence will on the team and the enjoyment you got out of watching his herky-jerky motion and devastating splitter, the lack of appreciation of his time here left me melancholy. When you have some throwing out his winning percentage here as a measure of his worth it's kind of bothersome. Throw in that he never won a ring and his teams were mostly mediocre and you have a pitcher that was very good for the Yankees that will likely be quickly forgotten. Not by the very astute readers of PSA I'm sure, but in general. That got me wondering about who the most underappreciated Yankees are.

Having any players that manage to go relatively unappreciated by a fanbase so vast seems like an accomplishment in of itself. Even the guys on the bench get scrutinized to death. But with a huge emphasis put on memorable moments (Bucky Dent) and not living up to contracts or expectations (Jason Giambi), you do get a very interesting mix of guys beloved while not being very good and remembered poorly while being valuable. Since this is an entirely subjective question I've been pondering, I came up with what I believe are the primary factors in being underappreciated by Yankees fans:

• No rings (loser status)
• Performed very well
• High salary (not "worth" it)

I was initially thinking of factoring in not coming up to the majors as a Yankee, but I think that one wears off pretty quickly as time goes on. Still, most of these guys will be free agents and veterans by the nature of their high salaries.

The first two hitters that come to mind are Dave Winfield and Jason Giambi. They aren't that high up on the team's all-time list because Winfield gets dinged defensively while Giambi was a 1B/DH. But they're 12th and 13th team history in home runs. Giambi had a 145 wRC+ over 897 games for the franchise while Winfield's was 133 over 1172. That's a lot of production that's not thought of that highly around these parts. Another interesting case I found was Mike Stanley, who had a 134 wRC+ for the Yankees over four seasons. If it weren't for the strike of 1994 he might have up there with the Scott Brosius's of the world in Yankee lore.

Kuroda's time in New York was probably too short to be a leader in this group, but it is worth noting that he amassed more fWAR in fewer innings than Catfish Hunter. The obvious one here is Mike Mussina, who was the 7th best pitcher in team history by fWAR. He might not even be appreciated enough by the sport to make it to the Hall of Fame. Another case is Mel Stottlemyre, who had the displease of toiling for the Yankees during the dark ages of 1964-1974. He got the chance to later win from the bench during the 90's dynasty years, but is likely remembered less for being a top ten pitcher in team history these days.

As I noted above all this stuff is extremely subjective. Perhaps some of these players were beloved in Yankee circles that you ran in. Or maybe more appreciation will come to them as time goes on. Such things are hard to say.

Who do you think are the most underappreciated Yankees?

For all the Jeters, Posadas and Robertsons of the world, there are more Brien Taylors, Eric Duncans and Drew Hensons.

For the first time in years the Yankees have injected some much needed youth to overhaul their aging roster. After suffering through a season full of injuries and underperformance, Hal Steinbrenner in his State of the Yankees interview had this to say in an interview with Joel Sherman of the New York Post:

"We need to be optimistic about our young players and believe that our veterans will be healthy and better next year."

Fans, bloggers and writers are well aware of the team’s reluctance to play youth over experience, but this season is looking to be a departure from the course. Gone are the Brian Roberts and Stephen Drews of the world and it’s likely that the team will let Jose Pirela and rising prospect Robert Refsnyder battle for the second base job in spring training. Instead of trading for or signing an aging star or stop gap solution, the Yankees obtained the soon to be 25-year old Didi Gregorius, in a trade with Arizona to take over the reins from Derek Jeter. Likewise the bullpen is going to have a couple of openings up for grabs as well, with young talent such as Jacob Lindgren, Nick Rumbelow, Jose Ramirez and Dan Burawa, among others hoping to contribute in the big leagues.

Unfortunately, as Brian Cashman has always said, "Prospects are suspects" and the truth is there are no sure things that prospects will make it in the big leagues. A variety of factors can contribute to prospect failure, such as injury or an inability to make adjustments. The youth movement is a move in which a team is betting on upside and potential, but carries significant risk with it as those players could ultimately flop at the highest level of competition.  With the youth movement well underway and more players on their way, here’s a look at an example of a player that made the transition and one that ultimately never made it.

Brien Taylor

Brien Taylor might very well be the biggest prospect heartbreaker in Yankees history. Drafted as the #1 overall pick in the 1991 draft out of East Cartaret High School in North Carolina, he signed for a record $1.55 million amateur signing bonus. Heading into the 1992 season, Baseball America had named the left-handed power pitcher the #1 prospect in the game. To put into perspective just how highly Taylor was thought of, here’s a quote from agent Scott Boras taken from a 2006 story by Yahoo.com’s Jeff Passan:

"I've been through 28 drafts," Scott Boras says, "and Brien Taylor, still to this day, is the best high school pitcher I've seen in my life."

A bar fight ultimately would be his undoing, resulting in a dislocation and torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. One could only imagine what could have been, if that night would’ve never happened. This one will forever haunt and sting the Yankees.

Jorge Posada

As easy as it would’ve been to choose Derek Jeter as an example of a player that fulfilled their promise, I chose Jorge Posada instead. The Captain was a first round draft choice and with that comes the expectation of success, while Posada was a 24^th round choice in which just making it to the majors would’ve been a major victory. He was chosen by the Yankees as the #646 pick out of Calhoun Community College in Alabama for the 1990 amateur draft. While his bat was never a question, his defensive skills were a work in progress throughout the minor leagues. Possessing a strong arm and a strong work ethic he became serviceable behind the dish and earned himself the backup catching position in 1997. From there he was a leader and a driving force behind the team during his tenure. Posada overcame the odds in a big way, not only becoming a mainstay during the Yankees dynasty, but as one of the best offensive catchers of his era.

***

While we all are excited that the Yankees farm system is hopefully going to contribute in a big way in 2015, it’s important to keep it all in perspective. For all the Jeters, Posadas and Robertsons in the world, there’s many more that have failed such as Brien Taylor, Drew Henson and Eric Duncan. Either way you look at it the next two years are huge and exciting around the farm teams and in the Bronx. The risk is a bunch of busts and a return to free agency, the reward is a young, cost-controlled core in which to build around. Enjoy the ride and we’ll see how it all plays out.

So long, ManBan.

The Yankees have traded left-handed pitching prospect Manny Banuelos to the Braves for reliever David Carpenter and left-handed minor league relief prospect Chasen Shreve, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network. Banuelos was in the process of working his way back from Tommy John surgery last season and might have been able to see his first taste of the big leagues at some point in 2015.

Carpenter is 29 years old and pitched to a 3.54 ERA in 61 innings last season in Atlanta. In 65.2 innings the season before he was quite a bit better, to the tune of a 1.78 ERA. After shipping Shawn Kelley off to San Diego last week, it's possible that Carpenter will fill the vacancy left in New York's bullpen instead of going to one of the rookie relievers in the system.

The other player in the deal, Chasen Shreve, saw time in Double-A, Triple-A, and MLB in 2014. Between the two minor league affiliates he pitched to a 2.67 ERA in 64 innings before giving up one run in 12.1 big league innings. He might be slated to start the season in Triple-A, but it wouldn't be that much of a shock for him to make the big league bullpen after seeing time in the majors last season.

It's kind of sad to see Banuelos go after how highly-regarded he was before he ran into issues and ultimately required surgery. His loss makes the Triple-A starting rotation for the Yankees look even worse than it did before, and it was already pretty bad. It seems like the team is really focusing on moving parts around in the bullpen this offseason, and this is just another form of that. Shawn Kelley mentioned that his departure was part of a bigger plan on the part of Brian Cashman. Maybe this move is more of that, as well.

Good luck in Atlanta, ManBan.

FWIW, I had Shreve projected for a 2.73 ERA in the Braves pen. My now obsolete draft guide writeup: pic.twitter.com/XGz870ZSbx

— Matthew Pouliot (@matthewpouliot) January 1, 2015

The Yankees sent a former top prospect to Atlanta in exchange for bullpen depth.

We have the first trade of 2015. According to a report from Jack Curry of YES Network, the Yankees have acquired relievers David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve from the Braves in exchange for left-hander Manny Banuelos.

The move further shakes up a new-look Braves bullpen, as Carpenter and Shreve join Jordan Walden and Anthony Varvaro on their way out of Atlanta. The Braves have added Jason Grilli, Michael Kohn and Jim Johnson to replace Carpenter, Walden and Varvaro in front of closer Craig Kimbrel, with Shae Simmons, James Russell and Luis Avilan also in the team's relief mix.

Carpenter, 29, had his second straight strong season for Atlanta last season, posting a 6-4 record and 3.54 ERA in 65 appearances after pitching to a 1.78 ERA in 56 games in 2013. He is a veteran of four major league seasons and will join a Yankees bullpen that will look much different due to the additions of Carpenter, Justin Wilson and Andrew Miller and the departures of David Robertson, Shawn Kelley, and Preston Claiborne.

Shreve, a 24-year old southpaw, was excellent in fifteen major-league games last season, allowing only one earned run in 12.1 innings of work. He posted a 2.67 ERA in 46 appearances at Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, and will likely join Miller and Wilson as left-handed options in the Yankees' bullpen.

Banuelos, 23, was once a top prospect whose stock has fallen significantly since he was ranked as the 29th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America prior to the 2012 season. He was ranked among the top eight prospects in the Yankees' system for four straight seasons from 2009 to 2012, but missed the entire 2013 season due to Tommy John surgery before struggling to a 4.11 ERA in 26 appearances (25 starts) across three minor-league levels last season. He is praised by MLB.com for pure stuff despite some control issues, and still profiles as a mid-rotation major-league starter while currently being ranked as the Yankees' ninth-best prospect.

The Atlanta Braves have traded a pair of relievers to the New York Yankees in exchange for prospect Manny Banuelos.

The Atlanta Braves continue to shuffle their roster dealing David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve to the New York Yankees for left handed pitcher Manny Banuelos.

Yankees have traded Manny Banuelos to the Braves for RH reliever David Carpenter and LHR Chasen Shreve.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) January 1, 2015

Banuelos is a former top prospect for the Yankees before having Tommy John surgery late in 2012. He sat out all of the 2013 season before returning to the mound in 2014. He struggled a bit with his command last season but is a low risk, high reward candidate for the Braves.

Braves get a high ceiling, former top 30 overall LHP for movable relievers. No risk, potential for a 3 if Banuelos regains form.

— David Lee (@David11Lee) January 1, 2015

Carpenter appeared in 61 games last season for the Braves and finished with a 3.54 ERA. He was a key piece in the bullpen for each of the last two seasons. Shreve saw limited action in the majors but put up a 2.67 ERA in 64 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

We're going to miss you, ManBan.

The Yankees have traded left-handed pitching prospect Manny Banuelos to the Braves for reliever David Carpenter and left-handed minor league relief prospect Chasen Shreve, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network. Banuelos was in the process of working his way back from Tommy John surgery last season and might have been able to see his first taste of the big leagues at some point in 2015.

Carpenter is 29 years old and pitched to a 3.54 ERA in 61 innings last season in Atlanta. In 65.2 innings the season before he was quite a bit better, to the tune of a 1.78 ERA. After shipping Shawn Kelley off to San Diego last week, it's possible that Carpenter will fill the vacancy left in New York's bullpen instead of going to one of the rookie relievers in the system.

The other player in the deal, Chasen Shreve, saw time in Double-A, Triple-A, and MLB in 2014. Between the two minor league affiliates he pitched to a 2.67 ERA in 64 innings before giving up one run in 12.1 big league innings. He might be slated to start the season in Triple-A, but it wouldn't be that much of a shock for him to make the big league bullpen after seeing time in the majors last season.

It's kind of sad to see Banuelos go after how highly-regarded he was before he ran into issues and ultimately required surgery. His loss makes the Triple-A starting rotation for the Yankees look even worse than it did before, and it was already pretty bad. It seems like the team is really focusing on moving parts around in the bullpen this offseason, and this is just another form of that. Shawn Kelley mentioned that his departure was part of a bigger plan on the part of Brian Cashman. Maybe this move is more of that, as well.

Good luck in Atlanta, ManBan.

FWIW, I had Shreve projected for a 2.73 ERA in the Braves pen. My now obsolete draft guide writeup: pic.twitter.com/XGz870ZSbx

— Matthew Pouliot (@matthewpouliot) January 1, 2015

How did the media react to the Yankees dealing their former top prospect?

Welcome to the new year, Yankees fans--Brian Cashman isn't wasting any time in 2015, as on the very first day, he has pulled off quite the surprising deal. Lefty starter Manny Banuelos was once considered the crown jewel of the Yankees' farm system, but since undergoing Tommy John surgery after the 2012 season, he just hasn't been the same. The 2014 campaign was his first fully healthy year since the procedure, and he has never truly mastered his control above A-ball anyway.

In return, the Yankees will get righty reliever David Carpenter and young lefty Chasen Shreve, who believe it or not, is not the newest brand of designer clothing hitting the shelves. Since a lot of us at Pinstripe Alley have been following ManBan for quite awhile, we might suffer from familiarity bias, so sometimes, the best reactions are found throughout the Twittersphere, where other well-regarded names in the media chimed in their thoughts on the trade. How did they react?

Yeah, I think this is an adequate trade for Atlanta and New York. An interesting reliever isn't super exciting on a rebuilding team.

— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) January 1, 2015

The deal does seem to benefit both teams. The Braves get to take a chance on a pitcher who still has the potential to be high-impact, and all it cost them was a couple relievers. Meanwhile, the Yankees, who have had their eyes on ManBan more than anyone else in baseball, still get a decent return before Banuelos potentially flames out for good. It's certainly a gamble for both.

Manny Banuelos timeline: pic.twitter.com/Wh2pu6Ck33

— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 1, 2015

Surviving the minors and Tommy John, man. It's not easy.

A few springs ago, Banuelos was as hyped as any P in camp.But he got hurt, couldn't throw consistent strikes so NY moved him for 2 relievers

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) January 1, 2015

Sigh.

Banuelos lost the velocity but still had quality outings without it. Is still polished for 23-year old. Plus, he's a lefty...

— Matt Kardos ⚾ (@mattkardos) January 1, 2015

At the same time, giving up Banuelos definitely carries some risk. We're certainly hoping he finds his promise in Atlanta.

The Killer B's era for the Yankees: Andrea Brackman: retired Manny Banuelos: traded for crap Dellin Betances: bullpen god

— Joseph Flynn (@ChinaJoeFlynn) January 1, 2015

Well, Carpenter and Shreve are a little better than that, but yeah, a three-reliever return out of the combination of the Killer B's is not exactly what the Yankees hoped for a few years ago. That's why they say prospects will break your heart.

#Yankees have bit of secret weapon: Heard McCann gave strong endorsement to Carpenter, who he caught a lot with #Braves

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 1, 2015

Carpenter hits 99mph, pitches at 95-96, strong cutter/slider. Was 8th-innning rlvr for ’13 #Braves 96W, McCann main catcher. #yankees

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 1, 2015

Interesting... very interesting. Few catchers in baseball likely know Carpenter as well as Brian McCann, and Carpenter had an excellent season with McCann behind the dish for the Braves in 2013 (1.78 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 10.1 K/9 in about 66 innings). Criticize McCann's bat all you want, but few deny his prowess as a catcher.

Banuelos is the big name in the Yanks-Braves trade, but his stock has faded since 2012. Like Yanks getting Carpenter and Shreve back.

— D.J. Short (@djshort) January 1, 2015

I'm surprised #Braves would give up Shreve, who impressed in limited duty as rookie, and Carpenter, who's only 1st-time arb guy not big sal

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) January 1, 2015

Here's a take from one of the Braves' beat writers, who undoubtedly knows Carpenter and Shreve much better than anyone around here. If O'Brien liked what he saw from them, then that certainly bodes well for the Yankees' bullpen. Furthermore, Short is a national writer for Rotoworld and NBC's Hardball Talk; another neutral take with a positive review of the trade for the Yankees.

After Kelley to SD, Kelley told @DanBarbarisi Cashman said he had other moves in the works. Must have been referring to this deal w/ Braves.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) January 1, 2015

Good point by Curry, who is about as close to the Yankees as any writer, so he would know.

Come on, you can't trade Banuelos during the Rose Bowl!

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) January 1, 2015

The Yankees are rude like that, Josh. Alas.

#Yankees think have deepest stockpile of LH rlvrs long time: Miller/Wilson/Shreve plus high minors: Lindgren/Pazos/Webb

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 1, 2015

Chasen Shreve went from 6.2/4.3 K/BB per 9 in 2013 to 12.2/1.7 K/BB per 9 in 2014 (in the minors). That's quite the improvement.

— Adam J. Morris (@lonestarball) January 1, 2015

I think the #Braves accidentally used a four-year-old scouting report on Banuelos. Don't get the move... Shreve alone almost has more value

— Marc Hulet (@marchulet) January 2, 2015

More on the lefty Shreve. Me likey.

there is no way Chasen Shreve didn't play lacrosse at some point

— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 1, 2015

Chasen Shreve probably knows all the best places to party in Vegas.

— Long Time Listener (@ltl27) January 1, 2015

Also valid. There's no way that Shreve wasn't a pledgemaster.

Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos was one of the best hitting prospects in the game a few years ago, but struggled in his first big league season. Can he break out 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

2015 Sleeper Series: Blue Jays Outfielder Michael Saunders

2015 Sleeper Series: Rays starter Jake Odorizzi

2015 Sleeper Series: Red Sox Outfielder Shane Victorino

Nick Castellanos

Tigers young third baseman Nick Castellanos was once one of the top hitting prospects in teh game, ranking as high as #21 overall prior to the 2013 season and #25 overall prior to the 2014 season. He was rushed through the minors, making it to the big leagues at the age of 21, and spending his first full season with the Tigers at the age of 22.

Castellanos is still learning and maturing as a hitter, and he struggled at the plate in 2014, hiting .259-.306-.394 with 31 doubles, 11 home runs, 50 runs scored and 66 RBI in 579 plate appearances. Taking a look at his batted ball data over at FanGraphs, you see that he hit a ton of line drives last season (29%), and only 37% of his batted balls were hit in the air. Even worse was his 7.5% home run per fly ball percentage, so there is reason to believe he will turn some of those line drives into fly balls, and more of those fly balls will turn into home runs, as I expect his line drive rate to drop and his HR/FB% to rise to around the 10% range, which is the league average.

Castellanos is a big guy, standing 6'4" and weighing over 200 pounds, so he has the build to grow into more power at the plate. He is also surrounded by two of THE best hitters in the game in Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Watching two of the best hitters in the game should help him down the road, but he still has to execute at the plate.

He will have to work on make more contact, cutting his strike out rate and swinging at less pitches out of the zone in 2015. Should he do that, we could see Castellanos rise in our third base rankings. According to the early NFBC average draft position rankings, Castellanos' ADP sits at 240.54, and is the 21st third baseman off of draft boards in the early NFBC drafts.

Steamer projects him to basically repeat his 2014 season, and i think they are underestimating the type of hitter he can be. He is a perfect candidate for a post-hype prospect break out season in 2015.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy baseball, football or basketball articles or rankings, make sure you give a look at Fantasy Rundown, where you can find links to some of the best fantasy content on the interwebs.

New York Post | Kevin Kernan: With Manny Banuelos being traded to Atlanta on New Year's Day the once-promising Killer B's for the Yankees are down to just one in Dellin Betances.

New York Daily News | Christian Red:Alex Rodriguez is being sued by his ex-wife's brother for a breach of contract in a real estate venture. Sigh.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Looking back at each month of the 2014 season for the Yankees. What will the new year bring?

USA Today | Paul White: It might be a new year, but some things haven't changed at all. For the Yankees, that revolves around the ever-present A-Rod problem. Can he hit well enough to be their DH this year?

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: This is how the Yankees' 25-man roster stood before they traded for David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve yesterday.