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Weekend Dump: Choo rejects Yankees; Freel revealed to have CTE; Balfour to file grievance?

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Welcome to the Dump.

Shin-Soo Choo rejects seven-year, $140 million deal from Yankees - SI.com

Holding out for a bigger payday? Sounds like a Boras client.

Rockies trade for OF Stubbs and RP Morales - MLBTR

Colorado sends reliever Josh Outman to Cleveland in exchange for Stubbs and infielder Jonathan Herrera to Boston for Morales, who returns to the team for which he made his debut in 2007. Morales gives the Rockies another lefty in their bullpen in addition to Boone Logan whom they signed last week.

Yankees sign Brian Roberts - NY Daily News

Roberts has played a total of 192 games over the last four years due to a plethora of injuries. During his healthy years, he was a two-time All-Star and a doubles machine, averaging 46 doubles between 2004 and 2009 and leading the league twice during that span, eclipsing 50 three times.

D-backs acquire RP Addison Reed from White Sox - ESPN

J.J. Putz will be pushed back to setup duty in Arizona. The trade opens a vacancy for the ninth-inning role in Chicago; MLBTR surmisesNate Jones, who has struck out 154 batters in 149.2 innings, as the most likely among internal candidates. Reed is the latest White Sox pitcher to leave in addition to Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain, but the team has also just signed lefty Scott Downs this week.

Average MLB salary jumps to $3.39 million - ESPN

The 5.4% increase is the highest since 2006, and the salary sets a new record high.

Ryan Freel found to have suffered from CTE - CBS

Freel, who committed suicide last December, suffered from Stage 2 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease caused by concussions and other forms of head trauma with symptoms of headaches, depression and memory loss. He was known to have had up to 10 concussions during his playing days. Freel is the first MLB player known to have had CTE.

Starlin Castro has funds seized in legal dispute - Chicago Tribune

Apparently, Castro's father signed a contract with a baseball school in the D.R., and Castro's coach at the school is suing him for 3% of his contract with the school.

Grant Balfour may file grievance against Orioles - Yahoo

Balfour agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with Baltimore, only for the team to nix the deal because it wasn't satisfied with Balfour's physical, even though he insists he's perfectly healthy.


Saturday Rockpile: Revamping the bullpen

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One of the biggest changes the Rockies have made this season is to the bullpen, which will likely feature three new (even if some of them are familiar) faces in 2014.

While the 2014 Rockies will still feature Rex Brothers prominently at or near the end of games (whether or not you buy the whole "flexibility with Brothers" story the team is selling is another Rockpile for another day) and fans will still see plenty of Matt Belisle, Wilton Lopez and Adam Ottavino, the bullpen will have something of a new look. The team has spent $21 million and traded Jonathan Herrera to bring LaTroy Hawkins, Boone Logan and Franklin Morales into the fold for next season.

What sort of impact will the three new additions have on the club? Of the seven relievers that pitched the most innings for the 2013 Rockies, Brothers, Belisle, Lopez and Ottvino are still with the team while Manny Corpas, Edgmer Escalona and Josh Outman have moved on.

In 2013, Corpas, Escalona and Outman combined to pitch 141 2/3 innings for the Rockies, posting a 4.83 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while walking 3.4 batters per nine innings and striking out 7.4 per nine innings.

Meanwhile, Hawkins, Logan and Morales combined to pitch 135 innings for the Mets, Yankees and Red Sox, respectively, compiling a 3.33 ERA and 1.23 WHIP while walking 2.5 and striking out 8.4 per nine innings.

Also, adding Hawkins (and likely Logan) into the mix at the end of games can push guys like Lopez and Belisle, who both had ERAs over 4 last season, into lower-leverage situations. That means a significant improvement to the front end of the bullpen, making the starter lasting just five or six innings, which happens fairly often in Colorado, a much less scary proposition.

The other wrinkle to the bullpen overhaul is the addition of a third lefty into the mix. This will give Walt Weiss much more flexibility with his matchups, especially against big lefty bats in the NL West like Brandon Belt, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley (a switch hitter who is better from the left side) and Gerardo Parra. With Brothers, Logan and Morales in the mix, it's possible opponents' big left-handed bats would only see left-on-left matchups after the starter leaves the game.

The bullpen was something of an Achilles' heel for the Rockies in 2013, but with the new signings could be a strength in the upcoming season.

Should the Yankees swoop in on Grant Balfour with a bargain deal?

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The Orioles backed out of Balfour's two-year, $15 million deal due to concerns about his shoulder, but Balfour's doctors say his shoulder is healthy.

Just a few days ago, it appeared all but certain that former Athletics closer Grant Balfour would join the Orioles on a two-year, $15 million contract to replace Jim Johnson at the back end of the bullpen. Then suddenly on Thursday night, news began traveling around the Twittersphere that Balfour's deal was in jeopardy due to concerns about Balfour's physical. The Orioles were concerned about Balfour's right shoulder, the one he had surgery on eight years ago. Now, the deal is off; Balfour will not be an Oriole. Baltimore's decision is a torpedo to Balfour's free agent aspirations, and he cannot happy.

More importantly, Balfour contests that his shoulder is completely fine. While at first, this gripe could seem like a natural angry reaction without much support beyond Balfour's toughness or whatever, it becomes more legitimate when not one, but two other teams' physicians say that Balfour's shoulder is fine. Both Rays physician Koco Eaton and Reds physician Timothy Kremchek inspected MRIs of Balfour's shoulder and saw no reason for the Orioles to back out of the deal:

Eaton:
"The MRI that I did on him today looked exactly the same as the MRI I did three years ago. It did not look normal compared to a person who does not play baseball for a living. But for someone who plays baseball for a living, it looked normal. There are abnormalities on the MRI as there are on every single baseball player’s. But three years ago, there was no issue, and he had pretty good performance when he was with Oakland. I would say with a reasonable degree of medical certainty that his shoulder would not be a problem going forward any more than it was a problem over the past three years, and there was no problem over the past three years."

Kremchek:
"For a guy in his 30s who has pitched six or seven years since his rotator-cuff repair, his MRI on his shoulder looks remarkably good. I have not seen the (actual) MRI. But when I saw the report, I was like, ‘Whoa, it looks pretty good.’ And with his elbow, the same thing."

Balfour is considering filing a grievance against the Orioles, though due to HIPAA regulations, they will not be permitted to reveal what they saw without Balfour's consent. Time will tell what will happen with that, but if the words of Eaton and Kremchek are inspiration for Balfour's health, perhaps the Yankees should move in on the free agent closer.

I was against forking over money to sign Balfour since I think he's a little overrated and also not as good as Yankees setup man David Robertson, who should get the closer's role regardless. (Robertson has made strides with his control in the past two years while Balfour's walk rate rose to 3.9 BB/9 last year.) However, as mentioned in my article recommending the Yankees' pursuit of Joaquin Benoit, the Yankees need reliable relievers in their bullpen. As of now, it's just Robertson, Shawn Kelley, LOOGY Matt Thornton, and sophomore Preston Claiborne. Kelley's probably the most complete reliever aside from Robertson in the 'pen right now, and although he's a strikeout magician, his WHIP was an unpleasant 1.313 last year. Since they play in the least number of innings and relievers tend to be fungible, bullpens are not the highest priority, but the Yankees could certainly stand to make improvements before pitchers and catchers report in 55 days (not that I'm counting).

Balfour has been one of the game's top relievers over the past four seasons with the Rays and A's, pitching to a 2.47 ERA (63 ERA-), 3.25 FIP (82 FIP-), 1.052 WHIP, and 9.2 K/9 in 259 games and 254 2/3 innings. He'll soon be 36, but been remarkably healthy and durable, a fact that made the Orioles' hesitance all the more surprising. I actually thought that the two-year, $15 million deal for Balfour was actually quite fine. It wasn't a long commitment, and he'd only have been getting a couple million more per year than Robertson is estimated to make in arbitration this year.

Balfour is unlikely to cost that same price now, so to get him at an even better deal makes a helluva lot of sense for the Yankees. He would not cost another draft pick, he's an elite reliever who can strike out anyone, and he's not immediately solved by opposite-handed hitters. Balfour still shouldn't be closing over Robertson, but if he did, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Hell, it would potentially give Robertson more flexibility to work in a "fireman" type role rather than being restricted to one inning. (He'd probably be working mostly the eighth given Joe Girardi's management style, but the possibility still exists.) Regardless of who gets what role, Balfour in the Yankees' bullpen would give it a big boost. I'm sure Balfour also would not hate the idea of sticking it to the Orioles with a division rival, either.

The Yankees went down under and found success before with Graeme Lloyd after similarly weird injury concerns in 1996. Time to do it again 17 years later.

Poll
Should the Yankees sign Grant Balfour?

  239 votes |Results

Yankees rumors: Team could fill back of rotation internally

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The Yankees may not sign another starting pitcher if they are unable to acquire Masahiro Tanaka, leaving two holes in the rotation to be filled by pitchers already on the team.

If the New York Yankees are unable to land Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka, they may choose to fill the remaining two rotation spots internally, reports Jorge Castillo of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Tanaka, 25, has been a top Yankees target since rumors first popped up that the Rakuten Golden Eagles could post him. However, the expiration of the previous posting system delayed his possible MLB signing, and the advent of the new system may cause Rakuten to keep Tanaka rather than posting him. Even if Tanaka is posted, the Yankees can no longer win exclusive negotiating rights by posting the highest bid. Instead, all 30 MLB teams can talk to Tanaka, including the Cubs, Rangers, Red Sox and Dodgers, all of whom have shown immense interest in the 25-year-old star.

Thus, New York might not be able to bring Tanaka aboard for the 2014 season, leaving them with a rotation of 39-year-old Hiroki Kuroda, recently struggling CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, and two question marks. The team has a number of options to fill the back of the rotation, but the quality of those options can be called into question.

Yankee's general manager Brian Cashman said that he would "have to be" comfortable with utilizing two pitchers on the current roster to fill out the starting staff.

"We’re focusing solely on what’s available in the marketplace," Cashman told the Star-Ledger. "And also recognizing and restating that we might not get everything answered with an exclamation point or the comfort level that we’d prefer."

Top options on the roster to fill a starting role include Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Manny Banuelos, David Huff, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno.

Pineda may be the best candidate to take a spot in the rotation. He was acquired from the Mariners in exchange for top prospect Jesus Montero following the 2011 season. Pineda was an All Star that year for seattle, posting a 3.74 ERA and 1.10 WHIP as a rookie. However, he has yet to pitch for the Yankees after shoulder surgery cost him a year and a half. He spent the second-half of 2013 in the minors regaining his form but could be on the verge of a major league return.

Phelps made 12 starts and 10 relief appearances for the Yankees last year, pitching to a 4.98 ERA. Huff has received starting chances in the past and not done well. Warren also made two starts, but spent most of the year in the bullpen. He did well at preventing runs, but a 1.43 WHIP indicates he could run into trouble with more innings. Nuno made five starts in Triple-A and five appearances in the MLB before an injury cost him the second-half of the 2013 season. He had pitched very well up to that point, though. Banuelos is a former top prospect who is coming off of Tommy John surgery.

The Yankees' internal options may not be the most attractive options, but there is certainly talent among them. For a New York team hoping to return to the playoffs, the question is whether that will be enough to supplement the rest of the rotation.

More from SB Nation MLB:

2013-14 MLB free agent tracker | D-backs extend Ziegler | Balfour deal with O’s falls apart

Indians shift C Santana to 3B

The best free agents remaining by position

Masahiro Tanaka posting decision in "3-5 days"

Predicting the next time the Yankees will be awful

Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison

Rangers to sign Shin-Soo Choo, likely out of Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes

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The top outfield target got his seven-year deal from the Rangers, and Jon Heyman says that it will prevent Texas from being a major contender for Tanaka. Hooray.

The Texas Rangers have signed free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to a seven-year, $130 million contract according to Jon Heyman. Jeff Passan reported more precise terms of the contract, namely that he has a limited no-trade clause and no opt-outs or options. At first glance, it seems like Choo's agent Scott Boras blew a chance at a better contract since before offering Carlos Beltran his three-year, $45 million deal, the Yankeesoffered Choo seven years and $140 million before Boras's request for an extra $3 million reportedly ended negotiations between the two sides.

However, since Texas is a less expensive place to live than New York, Choo will still come out with more money than he would have had he signed with the Yankees. Boras has done it again. (Choo apparently preferred Texas to the Yankees regardless, which is one of the reasons their negotiations moved so slowly.) Nonetheless, I am quite happy the Yankees did not sign Choo to that deal since even $130 million is way too much for a horrible defensive outfielder who can't hit lefties. He destroys righthanded pitching, but it doesn't seem like he will be worth his $18.5 million AAV given his limitations.

The most important part to this story for the Yankees is that Heyman's sources say that the Rangers are now "a real long shot" on top-flight Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka. It's still unclear whether or not Tanaka will be posted, but one less high-spending contender can only be a good thing if the Yankees' aspirations to sign Tanaka are still alive (as they damn well should be). The Diamondbacks, Mariners, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Dodgers are all other teams that have expressed interest in Tanaka, so the Yankees will have their work cut out for them if he is posted. Given his potential and their lack of starting pitching depth though, the Yankees should be all in on him.

CC Sabathia and the great arm slot drop

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The velocity is only a symptom of the real problem

We all know that CC Sabathia had a terrible season in 2013, but what was the cause? Weight loss? Injury? A combination of the two? We obviously can't be sure, but whatever the reason, it doesn't look good. CC lost an incredible amount of weight before the 2014 season, but he's also dealt with a few injuries too.

It's clear that his velocity has dropped considerably over the last two seasons:

404_p_fa_20130920_medium

But is that the problem or simply a symptom of something much worse? Reading Mike Petriello's piece on Rotographs got me thinking about the issue being more mechanical than anything else.

Sabathia_velocity_2011-13_medium

It's not just that his release velocity was lower in 2013, but the velocity between his pitches wasn't even proportionate. In all his other seasons, his pitches more or less follow the same velocity paths. This is important because many pitchers rely on their breaking pitches in relation to their fastball velocity. CC Sabathia is not a pitcher that relies solely on his overbearing fastball. He uses his changeup (17.8 K%) and slider (48.5 K%) to get strikeouts, but if the velocity of those pitches are not proportionate, he could be messing up his pitch sequencing and throwing meatballs that are going to get hit.

For the first time in the last four seasons, a gap existed between his sinker and fastball velocities. As a result, his 2013 slider was the least valuable of his career (-1.81 wSI/C). While his changeup was relatively in sync with his high-velocity stuff, but did not match well with his slider as much as it usually does. It just so happened that it was also the first time his changeup was worth negative value (-1.55 wCH/C). As a result, he had career-high line drive and fly ball rates off his valuable slider, though it was still a positive value pitch overall. A contact rate consistent with his career shows that it's not that his slider was getting pounded, but when he threw it, and hitters did make contact, they were hitting it better than usual because his other pitches that were supposed to set up the slider were not doing their job.

But why is this happening to him? It could all come down to his arm slot.

Sabathia_release-point_medium

Since 2010, his arm slot has consistently dropped more and more and it's not looking good. Pitchers generate velocity, control the ball's location and even implement deception based on their arm slot. An arm slot can change for any number of reasons and it usually results in a pitcher going through a rough patch until they can the proper corrections. It's possible that it's the weight loss, as one scout said (also from the Petriello article):

"The weight loss has created a balance problem for him," said one talent evaluator. "He's all over the place. He's learning how to pitch in that body, a body he's really never had. I don't think there's anything wrong with him other than that. Sometimes you pitch at a certain weight all your life and then someone has the brilliant idea that you should lose weight because it's putting stress on your knees, you do it, and then you're dealing with something else."

A sudden loss of weight can definitely contribute to his inability to maintain the right arm slot. His arm is thinner, so it's hard to determine his comfort zone. It's also possible it's due to a few small injuries that have left him trying to support his large frame. In 2010, his release point dropped as he dealt with a meniscus tear all season that eventually required surgery. In 2012, his release point was drastically lower all year long. He dealt with a groin strain in June and July as well as elbow inflammation in August. Coincidentally, this is the first time where it appears that his arm slot for his different pitches intermingled with each other, so it was clear that something was out of whack, at least mechanically. Then he underwent elbow surgery and his arm slot sank even further in 2013.

The trouble with arm slots is that if a pitcher's mechanics fall apart there's a good chance he can injure himself. That's usually when a devastating shoulder injury occurs; when something suddenly changes. It's possible he could make a correction, but it looks like he's been trending downward for a long time.

Jeff Zimmerman's MASH Report tries to anticipate pitching injuries by using age, injury history and experience and coming up with a DL percentage chance. He gives CC Sabathia a 47% chance of seeing time on the disabled list, which ranks as the 16th likeliest among MLB starters.

There's the chance he could regress back to his 2012 version, but unless he fixes his mechanics (does he need to regain weight?) he could end up with a serious, career-threatening injury. He's been healthy in that regard for years, but can his luck continue? It's a good thing his contract has such specific language about the health of his pitching shoulder, because before long it could come into play. He has another three guaranteed years, but at least 2017, when he'll be 36, has language built in to prevent the Yankees from being stuck with an injured former ace:

2017 salary guaranteed if he 1) does not end 2016 on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, 2) does not spend more than 45 days in 2016 on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury or 3) does not make more than six relief appearances in 2016 because of a left shoulder injury

In 2014, it won't be about learning how to pitch with diminished velocity, it should be about how to make corrections. All we can do is hope that he's healthy and can at least improve over 2013, but after that it will start to become more about if he can survive. He's owed $96 million over the next four years, because if his shoulder holds out and he can't improve, then the Yankees are stuck.

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  • Yankees Hot Stove: Should they sign a big name pitcher?

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    The Yankees have said they have no interest in Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana, but are they relying too much on their in-house arms to truly capitalize on the improvements they've made this offseason?

    With reports coming out that Masahiro Tanaka may not be posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles, the Yankees could be left with a gaping hole in their rotation.  Hiroki Kuroda, CC Sabathia, and Ivan Nova (in perhaps that order) are clearly the top three starters, while Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Adam Warren, and Videl Nuno were intended to compete for the fifth spot in Spring Training.  This leaves the Yankees one starter short, and they'll have to make a decision on who is to fill the void that will be left if Tanaka is not made available.

    The Yankees recently said that they are not interested in Matt Garza or Ubaldo Jimenez, and previously stated they have no interest in Ervin Santana, either.  Well, that about takes care of all the big pitching names on the market this offseason.  Instead of signing someone, the Yankees supposedly plan on filling these two rotation spots from within, and there has also been some speculation about them bringing in old veterans (Johan Santana, anyone?) at spring training to see if they can make the roster, a la Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia a couple seasons ago.

    But after a season spent writing big checks and signing big names (even though they passed on writing the biggest check of all), the Yankees seem committed to winning now.  After all, it's not like their lineup will be any younger in a year or two.  So are they making the wisest choice by trusting unproven young arms at the back of their rotation, especially as they try to make up for one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory?

    There's a lot of doubt surrounding the Yankee rotation this year:  Can Sabathia regain his old form?  Was the end of last season just an exhausted fluke or the signal that Kuroda has nothing left in the tank?  Which Nova will we see - the one from the first month of 2013 (6.48 ERA), or the one who became the Yankees most reliable pitcher down the stretch last year (2.78 ERA after the All-Star Break)?

    Those are only a few of the issues looming over the Yankee staff this season without getting into whether Pineda will become what Cashman and the Yankee brass thought he would.  To provide at least a little more certainty to the rotation, the Yankees could choose to change their minds and pursue one of the (sure to be overpriced) free agent pitchers.

    Except none of them are that enticing.

    Free Agent Options

    Matt Garza is probably seen as the best pitcher on the market, but he's still not all that great.  Garza's stats have been inflated by pitching in the NL Central instead of the AL East for the past couple years, and when he returned to the American League in a mid-season trade to Texas last year, he posted a 4.38 ERA in 13 starts.  He's seen his HR/9 rise as high as 1.30/9 in 2012, with only a slightly lower mark than that last season.  Ervin Santana presents the same problem - he gives up a lot of home runs (1.22/9 over his career, which would have been tied for 13th worst in the majors last season) and doesn't do enough well to offset that.  While he had a 3.24 ERA last year (his best ever), the year before he posted a 5.16 ERA and 5.63 FIP, and has had three seasons since 2007 with ERAs over 5.00.  Surely the Yankees don't want to shell out the cash for an inconsistent pitcher on the wrong side of the thirty.

    Ubaldo Jimenez has also been quite inconsistent throughout his career, and while he strikes out a lot of hitters (9.56 K/9 last year, top-10 in the league, and 8.27 K/9 over his career), he also walks a lot (4.04 BB/9 in his career).  Outside of three good years in Colorado, and a sparkling finish (albeit against bad teams like the Astros) to last season, Jimenez has been tough to rely upon, and he's done little to make him stand out from Garza or Santana.  Certainly, none of them are as exciting as Tanaka, and all of them would probably get more money than they're worth (especially now that Tanaka isn't coming).  But is overpaying for one of these still the best option left to a Yankees team looking to contend next season?

    Trading for a starer isn't really an option for New York - the Yankees just don't have a lot to offer, besides a year-long rental of Brett Gardner.  And so, rather than overspending for a good, but not great, pitcher, they've decided to the let the youngsters have their shot, a decision that might be better in the long run, but could cost the Yankees dearly in the short term.

    In-House Possibilities 

    Pineda's one season in the majors in Seattle showed a lot of promise (9.11 K/9, 0.95 HR/9, 3.74 ERA and 3.42 FIP, albeit in Safeco Field) and if he can regain this form, he can certainly be a solid member of the rotation.  Still, this is a big if, as he's been hurt since he arrived from the Mariners, and only pitched 40 innings in the minors in 2013.  Phelps posted a 3.34 ERA and a 4.32 FIP over 33 games, 11 starts, and 99.2 innings in 2012, and he improved on that important FIP number this year, posting 3.81 FIP in 86.2 innings over 22 games (12 starts).  However, his WHIP did rise from 1.19 in 2012 to 1.42 in 2013, and batters hit .262 against him last season.

    Warren only just got significant time in the majors last year, posting a 4.32 FIP in what was mostly middle relief appearances.  While he was serviceable, he wasn't too impressive, and he never was lights out in two years of Triple-A ball (6-8 with 4.05 FIP in 2011, and 7-8 with a 3.72 FIP in 2012) and doesn't appear to have the sky-high upside of Michael Pineda, and doesn't have the experience or demonstrable decency of David Phelps.  What Vidal Nuno may bring to the rotation is almost completely unknown, although he was quite good in Double-A back in 2012 and, in a very small sample size, posted a 2.25 ERA (albeit with a 4.50 FIP) in 20 innings in the majors last year.

    What It All Means

    While it could be rough in the early going (or rough all season, if Phelps and Pineda disappoint), letting them get experience could make the Yankees better in the long run, both by getting them experience and by letting the Yankees see if these two can be a meaningful part of their future rotation.  Still, putting both in the rotation now will be a big leap of faith and constitutes a major risk to the Yankees' chances this year.  Having one of Phelps/Pineda at no. 5 will be fine - having both as regular starters, and relying on Warren and Nuno as backup plans in case of injury or ineffectiveness, will be extremely dicey.  The Yankees offense will be better this year, but it won't be that much better.  For this team to have any chance of making the playoffs, pitching must remain a strength.

    And if Tanaka does not become available, the best way to ensure that that happens is by signing Jimenez.

    Jimenez presents the lowest risk option – he’s a proven pitcher who should be at least a serviceable and solid starter for a few more years.  Jimenez will give the Yankees the ability to have some setbacks, some injuries, and some people not perform up to expectations.  Jimenez more than likely won't be great - but he won't be bad, either.  Instead, he would be the consistently solid arm the Yankees need as their No. 4 starter.  He also will probably be the cheapest of the three main free agent pitchers, and his contract will still enable the Yankees to spend next offseason - signing him to a three year deal (MLB Rumors has his estimated contract at 3 years, $39 million) wouldn't make it impossible for the Yankees to chase top-flight free agents after the 2014 season, as Ichiro, Kuroda, and Jeter's contracts will come off the books after this year.  He probably won’t have an fWAR of over 5 or 6 like he did in Colorado, but if Jimenez posts the 3.2 he posted last year, he’d be worth the investment to stabilize the rotation and not make the Yankees so dependent on a decent but unremarkable Phelps, an enigmatic Pineda, and two untested young arms.

    If the Yankees were a team on the rise, but still a few years away from really contending, letting two of the young starters into the rotation wouldn't be a bad idea.  But after the offseason spending spree, the Yankees are committed to contending now.  At the end of next season, this lineup will just be one year older.  Nothing will be any easier.  If the Yankees want to get back to the playoffs, relying on two unproven pitchers with limited experience in the majors is not the best way to get there.

    How do you think the Yankees should fill out the back end of their rotation?

    Poll
    How should the Yankees fill out the back of their rotation?

      510 votes |Results

    Yankees rumors: Stephen Drew waiting on "clarity" from New York

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    The market for Stephen Drew could be set to heat up now that Shin-Soo Choo has agreed to terms on a seven-year deal with the Texas Rangers. Drew, also represented by agent Scott Boras, is likely the next position player for teams to turn to for infield help. The Yankees have their shortstop position filled with a hopefully healthy Derek Jeter, but giant questions remain at second and third base in New York. Is it possible that they might be interested in bringing Drew in for one of those openings?

    Peter Gammons tweeted earlier today that Drew was awaiting further clarity on the part of the Yankees, perhaps concerning how much playing time he could actually get. If Alex Rodriguez's 211-game suspension is upheld or reduced to a season's worth of games, Drew could potentially sign on as the everyday third baseman. With only Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts in the fold for second base, it's possible that Drew could also be useful there instead.

    It seems unlikely that Drew would be willing to agree to a deal with the Yankees before being sure of what kind of playing time they can offer him. If Rodriguez's suspension was somehow overturned, it's possible that the Yankees might not want to pay Drew to fill out second base when still dealing with Rodriguez's salary on the books for next season. If Masahiro Tanaka does in fact come to the United States this offseason, the Yankees are almost guaranteed to blow past their $189 million goal. Without that ceiling in place, they could afford to pay Drew to play out of position to hopefully improve their infield offense.

    Drew batted .253/.333/.443 with 13 home runs in 124 games for the Red Sox last season. Where it gets concerning is that he managed only a 53 wRC+ against left-handers and only an 88 wRC+ away from Fenway Park. If a player is going to be weak against one side, it's obviously helpful to have a 153 wRC+ against the most common handedness of pitcher, but it also means that a player can be virtually erased from effectiveness when presented with a LOOGY from the bullpen in a crucial late game situation. Career-wise, Drew owns a 74 wRC+ against lefties which is an improvement, but just so. Adding another left-handed bat to a very lefty-heavy lineup can't be ideal for the Yankees.

    It's pretty undeniable that Drew is the best infielder left on the open market and that the Yankees pretty desperately need one, but is it worth trying to jam a square peg into a round hole if Drew isn't the best fit? With uncertainty at second and third and Jeter's questionable health, the Yankees may have no choice but to try.


    Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 12/22/13

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    Last Time on Pinstripe Alley


  • Yankees rumors: Stephen Drew waiting on "clarity" from New York
  • Yankees Hot Stove: Should they sign a big name pitcher?
  • CC Sabathia and the great arm slot drop
  • Rangers to sign Shin-Soo Choo, likely out of Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes
  • Should the Yankees swoop in on Grant Balfour with a bargain deal?
  • Yankees News

    Masahiro Tanaka narrows search for an agent

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    There have been mixed reports about the Rakuten Golden Eagles' plan for Masahiro Tanaka. It was believed that they decided they would keep him another year, but then the team came out and said they have yet to make a decision. The Golden Eagles are planning to offer Tanaka a one-year deal of up to three times more than his $4 million 2013 salary to make him the highest paid Japanese player over a single season in NPB history. Now it is believed the team will make a final decision within the next three to five days on whether or not they will allow Tanaka to post. Just in time for Christmas.

    In the meantime, it looks like the 25-year-old right-hander is narrowing down his choice of an agent. According to Yahoo! Japan, Tanaka is deciding between Casey Close, Arn Tellem and Mark Pieper. If you're looking for some kind of sign based on the agent he chooses, Close is the agent of Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira, Tellem worked with Yu Darvish when he came to America, and Pieper represents Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara.

    Clearly, none of them are necessarily bad choices. The agent a player chooses doesn't necessarily make it easier or harder for any one team to sign him, though it's clear that some have more experience dealing with certain types of players than others. If the Yankees really want Tanaka, it won't matter who he chooses to represent him. Maybe Close would be better for them, but Tellem and Pieper might make it easier for him. Even if Tanaka doesn't end up posting in 2013, he'll certainly be coming over in 2014 and he'll still need an agent then.

    Sunday Rockipile: Are the Rockies geniuses? Part two

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    Are the Rockies really geniuses? Are they at least moving in the right direction?

    Last week I suggested that the Rockies might be "geniuses."

    I have never wanted to be a sensationalist but of course I understood that such terminology would fall unkindly on the ears of many a Rox fan. Since I knew what I said would be, if not controversial, at least highly debatable, I owe it to anyone who reads what I write to at least give this notion one more full-throated defense.

    The "genius" concept sounded in my head more like a Guinness commercial; "trade for another team's Opening Day starter?"

    "Brilliant!"

    But I also do believe that the Rockies brain trust is operating with a little more "brain" and a little less "trust." Why do I believe this? Because I see a sensible three pronged approach to growing the franchise, and each transaction made this winter has a plan A B and C.

    As can happen, a community member captured this all better in one sentence than perhaps I have in many paragraphs so I offer this thesis:

    "The genius is optimizing exposure to good luck, while minimizing exposure to bad luck." -Yokel (Purple Row community member) 12/15/2013

    How? Three prongs and three plans.

    1. Capitalizing on market inefficiencies unique to the Colorado Rockies

    One of the reasons I have been hesitant to hop aboard the hate-Dan O'Dowd-express (or whichever Rockies decision maker you prefer) is because I think the current futility is distinct and unrelated to the futility of 90s and early 2000's. Invariably, when I defend the Rockies front office I hear (read) something like

    "The burden of proof is on the Rockies brass to show their genius is making any sort of a difference. This is the same "genius braintrust" in place that has produced 10 losing teams in the past 13 seasons. Yes, the Anderson trade and Logan signing represent nice little deals, the former a worthwhile gamble and the latter a good attempt at reconstructing bullpen depth. The Morneau signing might even be an upgrade over Helton's aged bat. But please, let's not get carried away." -RockedUp (Purple Row community member) 12/15/2013

    Colorado professional baseball is in infancy compared to cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago.

    There really was no blueprint in place -- no manual -- that would teach the Rockies how to deal with their constricted budget or unique environment. They would have to learn by doing. Hence, the implementation of a humidor after ten year of exciting yet erratic baseball. If the lesson of the 90's was learning ways to mitigate the negative effects of altitude on the home team, (still in progress) the lesson of the early aughts was learning to be frugal.

    Some bad contracts (Hamtpon, Neagle) sidelined the team for the better (or worse) part of a decade but taught the team a valuable lesson. As Billy Beane -- or Brad Pitt movie-version of Billy Beane -- once said, "if we try to play like the Yankees in here, we will lose to the Yankees out there."

    As I put it last week specifically about the Rockies:

    Some teams (YankeesRed SoxDodgersAngels) can make big huge splashes in the offseason with megastar signings and blockbuster trades because if they don't work out they can absorb it and it will cost them maybe a season or two. For the Rockies, one or two bad contracts (too much centralizing of the resources) could mean derailing the organizations for a decade (hello MIke Hampton and Denny Neagle!) so I think the current strategy is at least the right one.

    When it comes to pursing big-name talent, it's not that the Rockies can't afford it, it's that they can't afford to try and be wrong.

    The 2007 season was a turning point for the Rockies. Setting aside the arrival or Troy Tulowitzki and the historic run to the World Series, the '07 season bore the fruits of a new kind of labor. The Rockies moved away from the Philosophies of the past --focusing on homegrown talent and pitching -- and would make the playoffs in two of three seasons.

    So what went wrong and why do the Rockies feel like a bottom-rung team even with superstar talent?

    2. Improving depth in order to compete now

    We will get into more detail with this in a moment, with regards to this off-season's moves, but as a wider philosophy, I think the Rockies have realized that their propensity to have strong starts and promising streaks followed by lengthy bouts of futility may have something to do with being unprepared for injuries to their core.

    The Rockies depth the last few years has been made up mostly of young players who end up getting rushed to MLB because of unforeseen circumstances (usually injury) and this hasn't been working. The Rockies have turned to more veteran depth. Having some above replacement level depth -- as opposed to just AAAA quality depth -- should go a long way toward lessening the burden of Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki.

    If you have the strongest man in the world pull an airplane down the runway, then ask him to pull a large truck, he might not even feel the latter. The Rockies are still asking Cargo and Tulo to carry a big load, but have shed a considerable amount of weight.

    In the words of All-star commenter, Muzia:

    "I think Drew views these transactions as pieces of a larger puzzle meant to address the glaring weaknesses of the past couple of years. While I don't agree with his sentiment that they combine to demonstrate a stroke of genius, I can certainly see being optimistic, especially in December.

    I have brought this up before and may do one final statistical breakdown (wanted to do that today but travel and internet issues...) but viewing this RIRF video and keeping in mind what the Rockies have done this offseason to address their biggest weakness -- drag -- and you can see where I'm going.

    3. Minimizing financial risk to maintain flexibility in the future

    We've gone over this, but now let's get into the recent acquisitions...

    Justin Morneau

    (Unique to Rox) Morneau helps the Rockies unique situation by being a line drive hitter who prefers to spray the ball all over the outfield. While his other numbers have dropped in the last few seasons due to injury and the recovery that followed, Justin Morneau has maintained a line drive rate right around 21 percent.

    He also has two signature skills that other Rockies have historically lacked (like Dexter Fowler for example) -- he has a very low strike out percentage and he can hit on the road.

    2010: .914 home, 1.205 away
    2011: .657 home, .587 away
    2012: .728 home, .820 away
    2013: .797 home, .676 away

    He is an upgrade over what the Rockies had playing at first base and he comes with a contract that doesn't kill the team (still allowed them to make other signings) and doesn't lock them into anything long-term.

    Plan A: Morneau renaissance. He regains complete form, doesn't need to be platooned and gives the Rockies All-star level of play.

    Plan B: He needs to be platooned to be effective but remains so. He amounts to a slightly above replacement level player but the platoon still makes the 1B position and advantage.

    Plan C: He gets hurt or turns into a pumpkin. Rox have Wilin Rosario and Michael Cuddyer who can play first and keep their big bats in the lineup. Charlie Blackmon, Corey Dickerson, and Drew Stubbs make replacing Cuddyer easy and let's all not forget that the Rockies still have prospect Kyle Parker waiting in the wings.

    Brett Anderson

    Anderson's exceptional career ground ball and strikeout rates make him the perfect kind of pitcher to take the mound for the Rockies. His arrival (and that of Jordan Lyles) give the Rockies an extreme amount of flexibility at the end of the rotation pushing Juan Nicasio to the 5th spot -- a place where his numbers are perfectly acceptable -- and giving the Rockies a slew of young pitchers with MLB experience to battle for the spot that will likely open up when someone gets hurt; Lyles, Cristian Friedriach, and Chad Bettis.

    Plan A: Anderson returns to the ace form that made him Oakland's Opening Day starter and stays healthy.

    Plan B: Gives the Rockies some production but struggles with old or new injuries. He remains a better option than what the Rockies had last year but doesn't regain dominance.

    Plan C: He gets hurt or turns into a pumpkin. Rox have Lyles, Friedrich, and Bettis, along with Jon Gray and Eddie Butler who can step in if needed and have even acquired Franklin Morales as super-deep left-handed starter insurance.

    Boone Logan

    One thing I wanted to mention about Boone Logan that I haven't seen anyone talk about anywhere else is that I think moving from facing the lineups of the AL East to facing the lineups of the NL West will probably help him out a bit. Yes, the Rockies overpaid him and yes they had to. Left-handed relievers are a premium and he also got the proverbial Coors Field Pitcher Tax.

    Still, Logan's contract is very fair when compared to what others (Howell, Lopez) have gotten for similar services this off season.

    Plan A: He pitches well against both lefties and righties and proves to be a late inning guy who ca pitch whenever needed.

    Plan B: He is just a LOOGY

    Plan C: He gets hurt or turns into a pumpkin. Bettis, Frankie Mo, Rob Scahill and others can step in.

    In conclusion

    Stockpiling all these low cost/low floor/high ceiling players could pay immediate dividends for the Rockies. Of course this whole thing boils down to believing the Rockies can execute the strategy they have laid out. I think the fact that these moves all point in the same direction and because the Rockies have confirmed these plans to some degree in a letter released to season ticket holders.

    Still there will always be this:

    The sticking point, for me, is assuming (or maybe at least lending credence to) the idea that there's a workable plan in place. That's always been the problem with O'D. His deals make sense in a vacuum, but never cohere to create a workable whole.

    With the exception of a few magical runs, this team under his guidance has never been more than the sum of their parts. In fact, they're usually somewhat less. That's how they can have the best 1-2-3 starters in their history AND 1/3 of the NL All-Star Game starting lineup and still finish in last place. -evers44

    There was a recent episode of HBO's The Newsroom in which executive Charlie Skinner (played by Sam Waterston) is giving a full-throated defense of a story they have run. Half-way through his anchor, Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) cuts him off and asks, "how much of what you are saying right now do you really believe?" Without missing a beat Skinner replies, "about 60 percent."

    I guess that's about where I'm at.

    But for me, the Rockies Plan A's which I liked to begin with, have become Plan B's and C's. I think the extreme decrease in drag and the strategy in place of platooning and having MLB available depth as insurance could very well lead the Rockies to a playoff berth that would surprise many. Just not me.

    NFL/Sunday afternoon open thread

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    The next to last week of regular season football is upon us. Teams are still vying for playoff spots as we approach the Christmas holiday. Feel free to discuss football or whatever else you feel like talking about on a Sunday afternoon. We'll be here throughout the day if anything happens on the Yankees front.

    Try your hand at some predictions while you're here. Here are today's games:

    Dolphins vs. Bills

    Vikings vs. Bengals

    Colts vs. Chiefs

    Buccaneers vs. Rams

    Browns vs. Jets

    Cowboys vs. Redskins

    Saints vs. Panthers

    Titans vs. Jaguars

    Broncos vs. Texans

    Giants vs. Lions

    Cardinals vs. Seahawks

    Steelers vs. Packers

    Raiders vs. Chargers

    Patriots vs. Ravens

    Bears vs. Eagles

    Falcons vs. 49ers (Monday)

    Enjoy your Sunday afternoon!

    Yankees GIFs: Wade Boggs, knuckleballing legend

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    In a gift that truly captures the holiday spirit, MLBAM uploaded a video of Wade Boggs knuckling through an inning for the Yankees in 1997. Relive the majesty.

    On an ugly August evening in Anaheim 16 years ago, third baseman Wade Boggs provided the Yankees with one highlight in 12-4 rout at the hands of Terry Collins's Angels. The majority of the bullpen was already toast after a taxing few days, and manager Joe Torre didn't want to use more relievers since there was a doubleheader the next day. So after reliever Graeme Lloyd's fourth inning of one-run ball, Torre called on a position player to pitch. Originally, he considered Charlie Hayes, but his players convinced him that Boggs had an excellent knuckleball that he fooled around with in practice that he could use any time. He wasn't sure how Boggs would feel if he asked the future Hall of Famer to tackle this odd assignment, but Boggs was more than ready.

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    Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre were a little uneasy as the ninth inning began.

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    However, Boggs's father Win was a well-regarded softball pitcher, and he taught his son the knuckler when he was young. At Plant High School in Tampa, Boggs utilized this knuckler as a pitcher before his obvious hitting talents took him away from the mound. More than 21 years after throwing his last knuckler in a game that mattered, Boggs was back on the pitching rubbert, and to say it was a delight was an understatement. Boggs later said, "It's something I've always wanted to do in my career and I never really had the opportunity. Then I started feeling like Phil Niekro. I was Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough all rolled into one. It was great. I was glad it worked out." He threw 16 knuckleballs and one 74 mph "fastball." How did the Angels fare?

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    Luis Alicea was the first to face Boggs, and he was immediately fooled by Boggs's knuckleball, which the Angels probably didn't think existed. With his bullpen mates watching in anticipation, Boggs forced Alicea to 0-2 when the second baseman fouled off another knuckler:

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    Unfortunately, Boggs's knuckler was a little rusty. Five pitches and a few bad knucklers later, Boggs lost Alicea on a walk. To quote Harry Doyle, they were "juuuuuust a little bit outside." C'mon, glove that, Jorge!

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    Angels hitting coach and 3,000 Hit Club member Rod Carew was mystified by Boggs's knuckler. Seriously, how could a hitting coach possibly make any valid recommendation on how to approach a knuckleball thrown by Wade Boggs?

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    Boggs then faced all-time Angels home run king Tim Salmon, who had belted a two-run homer and a RBI single earlier in the game against an ineffective David Wells. After two quick (slow?) strikes though, Salmon bounced a knuckler to shortstop Rey Sanchez who flipped to Homer Bush for a forceout.

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    Bush double clutched and missed a chance for a double play, but Boggs shook it off. The Angels' career hits leader Garret Anderson was up next. Boggs missed with a pitch, then got Anderson to roll one over toward the left side. Even with Salmon on first, it was hit too slowly to turn two, so Bush got the easy out at first.

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    Backup catcher Todd Greene was now the only thing standing in the way between Boggs and a scoreless inning. Greene slugged a two-run homer off Wells earlier, but Boggs jumped ahead of him 1-2 before uncorking his 17th and final pitch of the evening, the most satisying one of all:

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    Boggs fanned Greene for his first career strikeout, earning both his manager and pitching coach's amusement while also leading to a standing ovation from the entertained Anaheim crowd. Boggs never pitched again for the Yankees, and no Yankee would pitch for another 12 years until Nick Swisher took the mound in Tampa.

    Boggs is 55 now, but I wonder if he can still throw the knuckler at all. The Yankees need bullpen help, after all! Just kidding. Maybe.

    Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 12/23/13

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    Last Time on Pinstripe Alley


  • Yankees GIFs: Wade Boggs, knuckleballing legend
  • NFL/Sunday afternoon open thread
  • Masahiro Tanaka narrows search for an agent
  • Yankees News

    Indians Monday News & Links: Boras loses out; Tribe hates good Xmas music

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    Scott Boras messes up Shin-Soo Choo's chance to become a True Yankee™. Grant Balfour is angry with the Orioles. A "major award" travels to space.

    Only two more days till Christmas, folks. Everything wrapped and ready to go? Here's a handful of links to accompany that jug of egg nog as you feverishly search for the last roll of red ribbon.

    Indians news

    Tribe players have awful taste in Christmas music | Tribe Vibe (Courtney Shilling) - A handful of Indians players list their favorite holiday songs. Not one mention of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from this shameful lot.

    Francona pushed for a veteran closer | Cleveland.com (Terry Pluto) - Pluto presents a handful of facts about new Tribe closer John Axford and LGFT Drew Stubbs.

    Chris Perez won't return; Indians won't change outfield dimensions to accommodate speedy team | Cleveland.com (Paul Hoynes) - Hoynes addresses these astounding suggestions and several others of similar caliber in his occasional "Hey Hoynsie" column.

    Around the league

    Yankees' and Boras' loss is Texas' gain in Choo deal | Sports on Earth (Jonathan Bernhardt) - A deal between Shin-Soo Choo and the Yankees fell apart over a reported $3 million, ultimately losing him and Scott Boras around $10 million. Choo is a obviously a big addition to the Texas lineup, even if that contract doesn't age well.

    Jeremy Guthrie visits China | MLB.com (Dick Kaegel) - Cool piece about LGFT Guthrie's role as an "MLB Ambassador" to areas around the globe with developing interests in baseball.

    Breaking down Jack Morris' case for the HoF | CBS Sport (Mike Axisa) - Many of Morris' proponents point to him being the "winningest pitcher of the '80's." Is that enough to get him in the Hall, or an arbitrary stat? Just for fun, Axisa also provides a list of the winningest pitchers of specific 10-year timeframes alongside those with the highest WAR. I know we like to hate on wins - and for good reason - but this list shows it is a pretty reasonable way to gage the performance of pitchers over a long period of time.

    Balfour situation getting ugly | Fox Sports (Ken Rosenthal) - Grant Balfour may seek to file a grievance against the Orioles for nullifying his contract. Meanwhile, Balfour claims he has four other teams interested in him, and the Orioles are pursuing Fernando Rodney in lieu of Balfour.

    Leonys Martin held ransom after leaving Cuba | AP Wire - Scary stuff here, and a reminder that baseball is so much more than a game to so many of its young stars who come to MLB looking for a better life.

    Andrew McCutchen induces labour | Cut 4 (Dan Wohl) - On a lighter note, here's one of those strange stories that makes baseball so great.

    Fun

    That's about all for today's lazy Sunday. I was going to end with a clip from "A Christmas Story," but decided to go with this less cliched video of a leg lamp's trip to space. If you can get past the annoying subtitles and obnoxious music, this is kind of an awesome video:



    Yankees Top Moments Tournament: (#2) David Wells' perfect game vs. (#3) Jim Leyritz's '96 game-tying homer

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    Which moment holds a bigger place in Yankees' lore: a perfect game or a game-tying home run in the World Series?

    The Pinstripe Alley Top Moments Tournament enters the second round of the 1980-1999 bracket. Vote for the moment that deserves to move on in the poll below.


    #2: David Wells' Perfect Game

    The Yankees sparked some controversy after the 1996 World Series when they let the popular Jimmy Key walk in favor of fellow lefty David Wells, who'd been on four different teams in the previous five seasons. The hefty, tattooed, biker-bred Wells seemed an odd fit for the clean-cut Yankees of the late 90's, but his Yankee-killing reputation and his success at the Stadium convinced Bob Watson and George Steinbrenner otherwise.

    After a solid '97 campaign that included a big win in the ill-fated ALDS vs. Cleveland, Wells stumbled out of the gate in '98, posting a 5.23 ERA over his first eight starts and drawing criticism from Joe Torre over his questionable conditioning. As if to prove his manager right, he took the hill vs. Minnesota on May 17th, three days before his thirty-fifth birthday in a state he later described as "half in the bag." We'll never know for sure if Wells was really drunk or hung over that Sunday afternoon, but the end result can't be disputed. After striking out eleven Twins through an untouched 8.2, Wells got shortstop Pat Mears to loft his 120th pitch to Paul O'Neill in right for the final out of the fifteenth perfect game in MLB history and the first for the Yankees since Don Larsen's in the 1956 World Series.

    Wells' perfecto sealed for him a permanent place in Yankee lore and won him the coveted "true Yankee" title that he still holds to this day, even though he pitched just four total seasons in pinstripes. He cemented his status with a third-place Cy Young finish in '98 and a 4-0 playoff record that year en route to the club's historic 125-win run of dominance. His trade to the Blue Jays after the season drew the ire of many of the Yankee faithful even though the team got Roger Clemens in return.

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    Entry written by Harlan Spence on December 4, 2013.

    #3: Jim Leyritz's '96 World Series game-tying home run

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    The Yankees got off to a very sluggish start to the 1996 World Series; they got outscored at home 16-1 through the first two games against the defending champion Atlanta Braves. They got back on track in Game 3, however, as David Cone gave them a very gritty six innings while yielding just one run, and the offense was able to outlast Tom Glavine and the Braves' bullpen in Atlanta. With the series now 2-1 in favor of the Braves, the Yankees, like the first two games, struggled mightily, this time through the first five innings of Game 4. Kenny Rogers started for the Bombers, and, like his first two playoff starts that October, got shelled. "The Gambler" allowed five runs and seven base runners through just two innings. The offense, meanwhile, had a hard time picking up their starter, as the Braves' Denny Neagle held New York in check. At least through the first five innings, anyway.

    Neagle retired the first eight Yankees he faced before allowing a single to the opposing starter Rogers with two down in the third. The Yankees were able to scratch together a handful of walks (three, to be exact) in the fourth, but a poorly timed Bernie Williams double play hurt the rally. In the sixth, however, things changed, as the Yankees, down 6-0 to begin the frame, strung together four straight base runners together (Derek Jeter single, Bernie Williams walk, Cecil Fielder single, and a Charlie Hayes single) to knock Neagle out of the game and make the score 6-3. The Braves' bullpen was able to stop the damage and escape further trouble.

    Although Jeff Nelson pieced together two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, the Yankees were running out of time to complete the comeback. The Braves attempted to put the nail in the Yankees' coffin by summoning their closer, Mark Wohlers, to record the final six outs. However, Hayes reached on an infield single that slowly rolled to third base and died in fair territory while Darryl Strawberry singled to left set the stage for Jim Leyritz to tie the game. Leyritz, who didn't even start the game, worked one hell of an at-bat against one of the best closers in baseball that year in Wohlers. With the count at 2-2, Wohlers hung a slider to Leyritz and the latter crushed it over the left field fence for a three-run home run to knot the game at six.

    Though the Yankees were able to tie the game, the business wasn't finished quite yet. Thanks to more help from the Yankees' bullpen (namely Mariano Rivera and Graeme Lloyd), which was a very underrated part of this game, the team was able to take the lead in the 10th, courtesy of a bases loaded, pinch-hit walk by Wade Boggs. For insurance, Charlie Hayes reached on a Ryan Klesko error. With the score 8-6, Yankees, John Wetteland was able to wiggle out of trouble, though Paul O'Neill helped him out as the latter made a nice running catch to rob Terry Pendleton of a game-tying extra base hit to end the game.

    If you believe in "momentum," Leyritz's game-tying three-run home run was surely a momentum-grabber that the Yankees would hold onto for good. After winning Game 4, the Yankees were able to win Game 5 in Atlanta (thanks to Andy Pettitte's masterful pitching performance) and Game 6 back in the Bronx to seal the franchise's 23rd World Series championship.

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    Entry written by Jesse Schindler on December 5, 2013.

    Poll
    Which moment deserves to move on in the Top Moments Tournament?

      56 votes |Results

    Grant Balfour rumors: Yankees in the mix

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    Balfour's deal with Baltimore appears to have fizzled out. Now, he's getting looks from the O's division rivals.

    The New York Yankees have shown interest in free agent closer Grant Balfour, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.

    Balfour appeared to be in line to succeed Jim Johnson as Baltimore's closer, but after team doctors examined the 35-year-old's pitching shoulder, his 2-year, $15 million deal with the team quickly disintegrated. Balfour has expressed his frustration with the club in the media, saying he was "disappointed" by the situation.

    A good way to channel that disappointment could be signing with one of the O's biggest rivals. David Robertson appears to be the successor for the closer's job in New York as it stands now, but Balfour would certainly be an option if he ends up in pinstripes. The Yankees haven't had to worry much about the ninth inning since Mariano Rivera started closing out games in 1996, so they could decide to bring in a veteran.

    Balfour was excellent in his first extended look as a closer with the Athletics. Over the past two seasons, the 10-year veteran has posted a 2.56 ERA, converting 62 of 67 save opportunities.

    New York has expressed a desire to avoid the luxury tax threshold of $189 million, so payroll limitations could be a concern in a potential deal for Balfour. However, the Yankees haven't allowed those looming penalties slow them down so far this offseason, and Balfour would give them an experienced hand at the back-end of a bullpen in transition.

    More from SB Nation MLB:

    Choo, Rangers agree on 7-year deal | What this means to Texas’ lineup

    2013-14 MLB free agent tracker | Balfour deal with O’s falls apart

    The best free agents remaining by position

    Masahiro Tanaka posting decision in "3-5 days"

    Predicting the next time the Yankees will be awful

    Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison

    Yankees Rumors: White Sox could target J.R. Murphy

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    The White Sox have been making some good moves to add solid young players to their roster. They signed 26-year-old Cuban star Jose Abreu, acquired Adam Eaton, 25, in a three-way trade with the Diamondbacks and Angels, and then nabbed 22-year-old third baseman Matt Davidson in return for Addison Reed. Just like that, Chicago has a talented young core to work with and now they have turned their attention to acquiring a catcher.

    Right now the White Sox have a collection of replacement-level catchers in Josh Phegley, Tyler Flowers, and Adrian Nieto, so it makes sense that they want to add someone else. If they continue their strategy of acquiring young talent, the Yankees could be a perfect match. Whether it's Murphy, Austin Romine, or Francisco Cervelli, they have plenty of young catchers to trade.

    The Yankees are always competing, so they could use major league players right now. There isn't much on their roster, but there is second baseman Gordon Beckham, shortstop Alexei Ramirez, third baseman Jeff Keppinger, and right-hander John Danks.

    After losing Robinson Cano, the Yankees have added Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts to play second. Beckham is a below-average bat after five full seasons in the majors. As a 27-year-old, he still has two more seasons of arbitration before he becomes a free agent.

    The Yankees already have Derek Jeter and Brendan Ryan, but if they want a more permanent shortstop, the White Sox would probably be more than happy to get rid of Ramirez. He has $19.5 million in guaranteed money between 2014 and 2015, and then a $10 million team option for 2016, which the Yankees can easily turn down.

    Jeff Keppinger can play third base and second base, and while he had an awful season in 2013, it might have been due to a shoulder injury. The Yankees previously tried to sign him last offseason, but he ended up getting a three-year deal with Chicago instead and has $8.5 million due to him over the next two seasons.

    To fill out the rotation, the Yankees could look into John Danks, who is due $42 million through 2016. He has been a below-average pitcher over the last two seasons, but he could beat the free agent demands out there right now.

    None of these options are very interesting, but the Yankees need infielders and pitchers and it's highly unlikely that they start the season with five catchers on the 40-man roster, so it could happen.

    Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 31: A Festivus for the rest of us!

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    A special Festivus episode of the Pinstripe Alley podcast! Greg, Tanya, Jason, and Andrew air some grievances about the 2013 Yankees and remember the fleeting feats of strength.

    It's a Festivus for the rest of us! We've got a lot of problems with the 2013 season, and you're going to hear about them.

    [0:59] The Airing of Grievances
    [36:30] The Feats of Strength

    Podcast link (Length: 1:06:37)

    iTunes link

    RSS feed

    2014 Dynasty League 1st Round Results

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    Brian Creagh recaps the first rounds of two early-season dynasty league drafts.

    I'm currently in the throes of two dynasty-style, 20-team, roto league drafts. Both leagues are 6x6 categories, with slightly different, but no value-altering settings. I wanted to post how both 1st rounds went to give you all an early idea of where players are falling. These are not mock drafts, so managers are forced to appropriately balance the risk/reward of certain players. I provided some light commentary after each pick, but my main goal is just to give the public a sense of how things are shaking out early on. One of the leagues is our FakeTeams Dynasty League and the other is a league run by a good friend. I did not disclose any of the owners (except Ray!) but I suspect a few might expose themselves in the comments.

    Both leagues have a major and minor league draft, and I will be doing a similar post for the minor league drafts once both 1st Rounds are completed.

    Pick 1.1

    FakeTeams DL: Mike Trout

    Fantasy Elite: Mike Trout

    No brainers here. Trout is the best fantasy player in any possible format and in all likelihood will hold that honor for the next 10 years. Nothing else to see here.

    Pick 1.2

    FakeTeams DL: Chris Davis

    Fantasy Elite: Bryce Harper

    Chris Davis was a shocker. Only 27 years old, he's actually a very real keeper option but his 2013 campaign and 29.6% HR/FB% screams regression. Even if he hits 13 less HRs, a line of 40 HRs, .280 AVG, 90 Rs, and 100 RBIs isn't far away from the #2 player. There's still just too much risk in that projection for me to take this sort of gamble.

    I have no problem with the Harper pick here. 30 HR production, a .275 AVG, 10 SBs, 90 R and RBI could soon become the norm for Harper. There's more upside in Harper's power, and if Trout's speed regresses in a few years, Harper could make a case for top overall fantasy player.

    Pick 1.3

    FakeTeams DL: Bryce Harper

    Fantasy Elite: Miguel Cabrera

    The Harper pick was my own selection at 1.3. I snubbed Miggy here in favor of Harper due to a draft strategy leaning towards youth. In my opinion, besides Trout, Harper has the best chance to be worth a new contract before the 2018 season. Cabrera, the pick here in the other league, is still an excellent keeper play especially in a format like these where 4-year contracts are the max. It might be a tough decision to re-sign him, but no one is considering their 5th and 6th year windows at this point. He was easily the best player on the board.

    Pick 1.4

    FakeTeams DL: Miguel Cabrera

    Fantasy Elite: Clayton Kershaw

    Weird to see Cabrera fall all the way to #4 and this owner is in an excellent position. The Kershaw pick is a bit of a head-scratcher. I can't recommend building around an SP in keeper leagues given the injury risk that comes with them, but if there is an exception to the rule it's Kershaw. With a lot of high-caliber, young bats still available like Goldschmidt, McCutchen, and Stanton the Kershaw pick might have been a bit of a reach. If the manager's strategy is go heavy on pitching, this pick makes a lot more sense because the remaining elite arms like Darvish, Wainwright, and Felix won't be around for his second pick.

    Pick 1.5

    FakeTeams DL: Paul Goldschmidt

    Fantasy Elite: Paul Goldschmidt

    With Miggy's return to 1B, Goldy is no longer the best option at the position in re-draft leagues, but he is still my favorite in keeper/dynasty formats. Only 26 years old, Paul Goldschmidt is heading into his prime after already establishing himself as one of the game's best multi-faceted power threats. The 36 HRs is elite, but combine it with a .300/.400/.500 triple slash and 15ish SBs and Goldschmidt becomes a fantasy asset that no one at 1B can duplicate.

    Pick 1.6

    FakeTeams DL: Andrew McCutchen

    Fantasy Elite: Andrew McCutchen

    Another safe, smart pick here. McCutchen is an across-the-board fantasy producer and at 27 years old still has plenty of prime years ahead of him. The power fell quite dramatically in 2013 thanks to a more patient approach to the plate and a normalized HR/FB%. 20-25 HRs should be his range for the next few years and mixed with the 20-25 SB and .300/.400/.500 triple slash, McCutchen should be a Top 10 play all through his prime.

    Pick 1.7

    FakeTeams DL: Robinson Cano

    Fantasy Elite: Robinson Cano

    I find it strange that neither league let Cano fall below 7th overall. Cano's value in keeper/dynasty formats is definitely less than it is in re-drafts, but more importantly the move to Seattle raises a few question marks about his future productivity. He's leaving some of the most favorable run environments for some of the least favorable and while it wasn't the case for 2013, in the future I would expect the Yankees to field a much more formidable lineup to help boost Cano's counting stats. I don't hate the pick here, I was just expecting Cano to fall somewhere just outside the Top 10 in this type of format. He should still lead the 2B position in fantasy production for the next few years and in a position that shallow, it's hard to argue selecting the best this early.

    Pick 1.8

    FakeTeams DL: Carlos Gonzalez

    Fantasy Elite: Carlos Gonzalez

    It's been said every year, but can you imagine what CarGo's numbers would look like if he played a full 150+ games? The upside is something like 100/30/100/30/.300. That is Trout-esque level of production. Definitely a stat line worth gambling on, especially when the floor is 20/20/.300 in only 110 games. The best part of Gonzalez's injury-riddled 2013 is that he dispelled the notion that his value is tied directly to Coors. CarGo hit 2 more HRs away from the humidor in 2 fewer games. There is certainly some risk in this pick, but the upside is tough to let slide any further.

    Pick 1.9

    FakeTeams DL: Hanley Ramirez

    Fantasy Elite: Hanley Ramirez

    In what equated to roughly half a season, Hanley Ramirez was the best SS in the fantasy game when he was on the field. He's on the wrong side of 30 now and there's a chance he slides over to 3B in the not so far future, so it's tough to go all ga-ga over his dynasty value. To his credit, he's raked ever since he moved to LA, and I love the idea of pairing HanRam with one of the stud SS in the minors (Correa, Russell, Baez, etc.) so that he can slide over to 3B without skipping a beat.

    Pick 1.10

    FakeTeams DL: Adam Jones

    Fantasy Elite: Ryan Braun

    The Braun pick comes down to your position on how much of the 30/30 player will return post suspension and PED use. I'm on the glass half-full side and optimistic that Braun will return to his previous form and be a Top 5 pick by season's end. So obviously I like the pick at 10. I'm very down on Jones and think his production could be headed for a cliff.  A sub-4.0% walk rate and an 8th worst swinging strike rate among qualified hitters is a combination that doesn't mix at all. To his credit, he still doesn't strike out very often but I'm not sure how sustainable that is, and his K% and BB% took big jumps in the wrong direction last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 22 HR/10 SB/ .270 AVG from Jones. But I also have no idea how he's produced as well as he has to this point, so maybe he continues to defy the odds.

    Pick 1.11

    FakeTeams DL: Troy Tulowitzki

    Fantasy Elite: Giancarlo Stanton

    Two vanilla picks here. Tulo is still the best SS in my opinion and that's counting HanRam in the discussion. It's all a matter of health and staying on the field. A solid backup option is a necessity for those drafting Tulowitzki. Stanton didn't deliver on the hype letting a lot of fantasy owners down in the HR category where we penciled him in 30+. I'm willing to give him a pass due to injury, but he's moved to a fringe second or third round pick in re-draft leagues. In this format however, he still retains a lot of value and I like him at this spot.

    Pick 1.12

    FakeTeams DL: Wil Myers

    Fantasy Elite: Adam Jones

    I covered Jones earlier and am not wild about him anywhere in the 1st Round, especially in keeper leagues. I love Wil Myers and think he'll be a perennial first round pick, but I'm not crazy about taking him this early. You've picked all the meat off the bone and just hoping to break-even. Mid-second round is a bit more appropriate in my opinion so that you have another top bat to help carry the load.

    Pick 1.13

    FakeTeams DL: Evan Longoria

    Fantasy Elite: Yasiel Puig

    Can't knock the Longoria pick - he's in the middle of his prime, one of the best at his position, and just played 160 games in 2013. His AVG fell to .270, but even at that level he's still a solid play here. Puig faded a bit in the final month of the season, but he's still a safe 20/20 guy with the power having a higher ceiling than the speed. Not sure what to make of the crazy .383 BABIP. He sustained the high level across 100 games and he has the speed, low-fly ball rate makeup of the players who can sustain inflated BABIPs. Ultimately, he may be more of a .290 AVG guy but that's still first round worthy and in the middle of the LA lineup he'll put up top notch counting stats.

    Pick 1.14

    FakeTeams DL: Clayton Kershaw

    Fantasy Elite: Joey Votto

    A much more appropriate spot for Kershaw. There should be another top bat available in Round 2 if the manager chooses to pursue that route and he won't be sacrificing as much offense as the owner who took him #4. The league does use OPS so Votto does get a boost there and more importantly, Joey Votto has the skillset that should age slowly. Power lingers well past a player's prime, and his exquisite patience doesn't demand much physical ability so while the power leaves a bit to be desired, it is safe to project his current stat line for quite a few years.

    Pick 1.15

    FakeTeams DL: Yasiel Puig

    Fantasy Elite: Yu Darvish

    Again, nothing wrong with Puig here. Injury risk due to the way he plays the game is my only concern here. For Darvish, the pick works for me at #15. The walk rate scares me into thinking he could be a WHIP balloon especially in roto leagues, but since 2005 no other qualified pitcher has had a walk rate above 9% and managed a WHIP below 1.10. And others who have exceeded the walk rate and came close on the WHIP are Gio Gonzalez (2012), Tim Lincecum (2008), Clayton Kershaw (2010), David Price (2010), and Jon Lester (2010) so he's in good company. He's a strikeout machine who just made this owner the favorite to win the K's category.

    Pick 1.16

    FakeTeams DL: Ryan Braun

    Fantasy Elite: Manny Machado

    Absolutely love the Braun pick here. I gave him serious consideration at #2 and he didn't pop until #16. Big ups to Ray for this pick (sorry for disclosing that Ray). Personally, I'm not sold on Machado's long-term power so I don't love this pick here given the injury he's recovering from. Machado is still one of the best up-and-coming 3B/SS but his glove and his makeup might make him more valuable in real life than in fantasy leagues. He's a pull-heavy HR hitter who rarely takes a walk. There's better hitters to be had in the first and second rounds even considering his age.

    Pick 1.17

    FakeTeams DL: Giancarlo Stanton

    Fantasy Elite: Felix Hernandez

    Didn't mind Giancarlo at #11 and the same applies here at 17. Solid pick. Felix a solid selection with Kershaw and Darvish off the board. I would probably have gone Sale over Felix in this format, but King Felix has the track record and despite the mileage already on his arm, has shown no signs of slowing down.

    Pick 1.18

    FakeTeams DL: Justin Upton

    Fantasy Elite: Troy Tulowitzki

    For all the ups and downs, Upton's final fantasy line turned out quite alright. He still has his prime years ahead of him and should see a bump in the RBI totals with a better Atlanta lineup around him. I kinda like the pick here when compared to what else is around. I was okay with Tulo at #11 so I like him at #18 here as well. Strange to see him fall this far, but can accredit that to Kershaw popping at #4 and the reactionary picks of Darvish and Felix.

    Pick 1.19

    FakeTeams DL: Jason Kipnis

    Fantasy Elite: Edwin Encarnacion

    I'm coming around on Kipnis who I was skeptical about heading into 2013 due to his 1st half/2nd half splits in 2012. He didn't do much to calm my fears with another lackluster 2nd half, but I'm a bit more comfortable categorizing him as a streaky hitter. These types are less damaging in roto leagues. I won't be taking him in the first 3 rounds of standard leagues, but I can see the attraction of a 15/30 guy at 2B. Encarnacion was my pick in this league. I was hoping to get E5 and Longoria with this pick and my next. I should've grabbed Longoria figuring he had the lesser chance of falling, but I felt Encarnacion's power was important to secure. I ended up grabbing Wil Myers in Round 2 to hedge the age of Encarnacion.

    Pick 1.20

    FakeTeams DL: Joey Votto

    Fantasy Elite: Evan Longoria

    Excellent value here on both these guys. I've covered them both above, but getting them here at the turn presents a great opportunity for a manager to load up on another bat or spread the wealth and get a top SP to anchor the staff. Nice picks here for a 20-teamer.

    For more coverage of the draft or to ask me any fantasy quesitons, follow me on Twitter @BrianCreagh

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