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Spring training gamethread 3/8: Astros SS at Phillies, Astros SS vs. Yankees, 12:05 p.m.

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Astros play a split-squad game against the phillies and Yankees today.

Astros Lineup

Phillies Lineup

Astros Lineup

Yankees Lineup



Yankees 9, Astros 6: Offense looks solid in win

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An all-around, solid offensive effort from the Yankees gave them a 9-6 win over the Astros.

Ivan Nova got off to a rocky start in his second appearance of the spring. So did prospect Manny Banuelos in his first. But the offense was able to make up for all of that (thanks to help from the Astros), coming back from three separate deficits in a 9-6 win over Houston.

After a scoreless top of the first, Nova took the mound in the bottom half. He did not get off to the best of starts. Dexter Fowler and Jose Altuve led off the game with back-to-back singles. They then both came around to score when Jason Castro ripped a double that Zoilo Almonte couldn't handle. Despite allowing another hit to Marc Krauss, Nova got out of the inning thanks to a nice diving catch from Almonte and a stike him out/throw him out double play. After one inning, the Astros led 2-0.

The Yankees' offense would go on to get both of those runs back in the second inning. Dean Anna led off the inning with a single. Scott Sizemore came up next and he reached after Altuve threw a grounder over the first baseman's head. Anna scored on the play to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Mason Williams ripped a double into right field. Sizemore scored to tie the game at two.

The Astros retook the lead in the bottom of the second. L.J. Hoes led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jonathan Villar. (The play was reviewed after it looked like Nunez, who was covering first, might have been off the base. He wasn't, the call was upheld and the whole process didn't take very long.) Cesar Izturis then singled to drive home Hoes, making it 3-2.

Once again, the Yankees would get those runs right back and erase a deficit. Mark Teixiera led off with a double and scored when Kelly Johnson crushed a home run to right. That put the Yankees in front, 4-3.

Nova's day finished after he pitched a scoreless fourth inning. It wasn't a particularly good outing for Nova, who went four innings allowing three runs on eight hits, while striking out five.

Manny Banuelos made his first appearance of the spring (and first in almost two years), and like Nova before him, struggled to get his first out. Altuve led off against Banuelos with a double. After walking Castro, Banuelos allowed a home run to Chris Carter, putting the Astros up 6-4. Banuelos came back to strike out George Springer and get Jesus Guzman to fly out, but that would be all for him. ManBan went just 0.2 innings. Chase Whitley came in for him.

After falling behind for a third time, the Yankees came back for a third time. Anna led off with a single, which was followed by a walk to Sizemore. Almonte then singled, loading the bases with no one one. Williams flied out to left, but it was deep enough to score Anna. Gardner came up next and he dropped a single into center. Sizemore and Almonte were both able to score on the play, thanks to a throwing error by Fowler.

The Yankees added even more runs in the seventh inning. Austin Romine and Yangervis Solarte hit back-to-back one out singles. Zelous Wheeler then hit a ball that dropped in the infield for a single. That single scored Romine and brought Ramon Flores up. Flores grounded to first basemen Telvin Nash, who instead of going to second for a force out and a possible double play, opted to throw home to try and get Solarte at the plate. The Astros' catcher was off the plate and had no play on Solarte, who scored easily. That extened the Yankees' lead to 9-6.

Whitley, Cesar Cabral, David Herndon, Fred Lewis and Chris Leroux combined to get through the last 4.1 innings without much trouble to seal the 9-6 win.

The Yankees will take on the Rays tomorrow at 1:05 eastern. The game can be seen on YES.

Box score.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/9/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

New York Post | George A. King III: The Yankees will try to keep Michael Pineda's successful start in perspective.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Despite his struggles, Manny Banuelos was just happy to get back into a game.

New York Daily News | Mark Feinsand: We now know the Yankees who will be playing two exhibition games in Panama this spring.

The Wall Street Journal | Daniel Barbarisi: Shawn Kelley is assisting in research to improve Tommy John surgery.

The Record | Bob Klapisch:David Robertson knows he can never replace Mariano Rivera, so he will create his own identity in the ninth inning.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Ivan Nova talks about his start and Mark Teixeira discusses his new swinging regimen.

Yankees spring training: Who has the early edge as the final backup infielder?

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Which of these five infielders have the best chance of making the team come April?

With the way the roster is currently constructed, the Yankees only have one more need for a position player. To be more specific, the Yankees only need one more infielder, given the team is set to head north with five outfielders. As of right now, there are five players currently in camp that the team and/or fans think has a chance of making the roster: Eduardo Nunez, Scott Sizemore, Dean Anna, Russ Canzler, and Yangervis Solarte.

Yangervis Solarte: Let's start with PSA favorite Yangervis Solarte. The non-roster invitee has so far raked to a .667/.705/1.067 line through eight Grapefruit League games. Everyone is pulling for this guy because he has an awesome name, is hitting the absolute cover off the ball, and simply isn't named "Eduardo Nunez." Unfortunately, no matter how long Yangervis' hot-streak lasts (and I imagine he will cool down here pretty shortly), I fully expect him to get sent packing to Scranton come April.

Dean Anna: Here's another PSA favorite. Now, unlike Solarte, I do feel Anna has some sort of future with the Yankees; it will just start with Scranton once camp breaks. The Yankees have said they will go with a platoon at third to pairwith Kelly Johnson, and, for obvious reasons, Anna doesn't fit the bill as a right-handed platoon partner. Because he's on the 40-man roster, and can play both second and short, Anna could very well be given a chance with the big league team once one of Derek Jeter/Brian Roberts gets hurt sometime in April or May.

Eduardo Nunez: Back in October, I wondered if the Yankees would give Nunez a shot at third base in 2014, considering he played reasonably well there during the month of September. As a result, it appears as though the team has at least given him a shot to be a part of the third base platoon with Kelly Johnson. Nunez has also seen time at short and second during camp, but if he manages to make the team, he should see a bulk of his time at third. For whatever reason, Nunez keeps getting chance after chance, but I do feel the team has lost some patience with him and there is definitely a non-zero chance he doesn't make the team.

Scott Sizemore: Along with Dellin Betances, Scott Sizemore is a guy who I'm rooting hard for to make the team. He tore his ACL twice in the past couple of years and has amassed only six plate appearances since the beginning of 2012. It's a limited sample, but Sizemore has hit lefties well in his career (118 wRC+), and if he were to continue, or at least come close to that type of production, he would be a good fit as part of the platoon with Johnson. Along with third, Sizemore has experience at second, so he could fill in there once Brian Roberts gets hurt, too.

Russ Canzler: The final member of this competition for the last infield spot is perhaps the most boring member. No offense to Canzler, but he's pretty much just... there. I mean, no one hates him like Nunez; no one loves him like Solarte or Anna; and he's not in the middle of some feel-good story like Sizemore. Nonetheless, Canzler was mentioned by Brian Cashman as a guy who could platoon with Johnson at third, but mentioned his struggles defensively at the position. Canzler has, however, hit lefties well at the Triple-A level in the past (~.957 OPS vs LHP since the beginning of 2012), and could spell Mark Teixeira here-and-there at first base if needed.

TCB Super Sunday Astros Crawfish Boil

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Today was talk about the Astros future, the plan for said future, and Spring Training in general.

Good morning boys and girls, it's time for another round of rousing previews and Spring Training stories. At this point, I just want to get to the games that matter. We are one day closer to Opening Day, let's get to it.

2014 team preview: Houston Astros - CBSSports.com
The Houston Astros went 51-111 last season. Are they better this year? If so, by how much? Time to preview them.

MLB Over/Under Jamboree
Good news for the Mets? Bad news for the Yankees? The chance to win some Gummi Bears? It must be time for the annual MLB Over/Under report.

Spring Training report: Astros eager to see loaded farm system pay dividends | astros.com: News
The Astros' loaded farm system can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it's an exciting acknowledgment of strong scouting and player development work. On the flip side, having a great system sounds great on paper, but if it doesn't funnel players through the pipeline to turn things around at the highest level, it's a bit hollow.

Astros County: Your Neighborhood Astros Blog & Grill: Quick Look at Spring Training in Astros history
There have been a few articles over the past few days about the validity of Spring Training stats, so I thought we might take a look at how the Astros leaders in hitting and pitching in Spring Training fared in the regular season. Let's take a gander, shall we?

Astros put Clemens in charge for Jeter’s first farewell stop | New York Post
The first stop on the Derek Jeter Long Goodbye Tour will be in Houston the opening series of the season. It should be one memorable tribute, especially when you consider who will be taking a large part in the event — Roger Clemens.

Houston Astros Use Data Analytics to Drive Ticket Sales @BizTechMagazine
Major league baseball teams have proved how Sabermetrics works in analyzing players. Now, they are taking it into the front office.

Clubhouse confidential: Astros 'model' taking shape
That was the perfect old-school comment about the new-wave Houston Astros. Too bad none of the players involved have a clue, let alone context, what the member of the team's staff was talking about.

Brent Strom, second to undergo Tommy John surgery, recalls Dr. Frank Jobe
Even before the death of Dr. Frank Jobe, the doctor who credited the procedure known today as "Tommy John" surgery, Astros pitching coach Brent Strom was known in baseball as the man whom the surgery could have been named after. Strom was the second pitcher undergo the operation, while John was the first.

Astros scouts honor Jim Fregosi
Two Astros scouts paid their respects to the late Jim Fregosi on Wednesday in Clearwater, Fla., where a service was held at the Phillies’ spring training complex that brought baseball folks from all walks together.

Could Alfonso Soriano be a decent backup option at first base?

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Alfonso Soriano is taking reps at first base during spring training. Could he be a decent backup for Mark Teixeira in an emergency situation?

As it stands, there is still not a real backup plan for first base. Kelly Johnson is scheduled to play first base in today's spring training game, but how can he be Mark Teixeira's backup if he's supposed to be the starting third baseman? Well, it seems that Alfonso Soriano could be another option. In case you haven't heard, Soriano will be taking reps at first base during spring training. When I first heard this, I thought to myself, 'Oh, great. Let's have the backup plan just be that on any given day, anyone with a glove can come off the bench and try out first base if Tex goes down. Why try to find someone with actual experience?'

On second thought, getting Soriano some time at first base does make some sense. There isn't very much room on the roster to add infield utility players (such as someone to platoon with Johnson, or replace Eduardo Nunez), so it is in the Yankees' best interest to have players on the team who can fill as many roles as possible. If Soriano could play "just in case" first base every now and then, it would be a good way of keeping his bat in the lineup while letting other players into the DH spot. Especially since half of the team is going to need to use the DH spot.

Soriano has the added benefit of having infield experience, primarily at second base, but he has played third base (65.1 innings) and shortstop (53.2 innings) as well. While he hasn't played more than 4 innings in the infield since 2006, it could possibly be an easy transition for him. Kelly Johnson is another player who has also played the bulk of his major league innings at second base, yet he has been able to move around to other positions, albeit not all of them well (-4.0 UZR in outfield last year). If Soriano is swinging a hot bat though, that could potentially make up for any weak defensive skills at first base. He could also fill in for Tex in the later innings of blowout games.

Even if Soriano could fill in at first base in case of emergencies, this would still in no way be a long-term solution to the "What if Tex gets hurt?" problem. If the Yankees do want this to be a thing, then I'd like to see Soriano get some time at first base in actual spring training games. What do you think about Soriano taking reps at first base--potential solution to the problem, or do you think it's a waste of time, and that the Yankees should find someone with real experience?

Spring Training Game Thirteen: Yankees vs. Rays

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David Phelps gets the start as the Yankees host the Rays.

David Phelps will get another chance to show off his credentials in the battle for the fifth starter's spot as the Yankees take on the Rays.

On the bench for the Yankees will be John Ryan Murphy (C), Russ Canzler (1B), Zelous Wheeler (2B), Dean Anna (SS), Jose Pirela (3B), Ramon Flores (LF), Mason Williams (CF) and Adonis Garcia (RF). Available to DH are Francisco Arcia, Jose Gil, Peter O'Brien, Gary Sanchez, Corban Joseph, Zoilo Almonte and Antoan Richardson. In the bullpen are Dellin Betances, Mark Montgomery, Bruce Billings, Dan Burawa, Matt Daley, Preston Claiborne, Branden Pinder, Jeremy Bleich and Pat Venditte. Chris Archer will get the start for the Rays.

The game can be seen on YES and heard on WFAN.

Rays vs. Yankees GDT: Archer Archer Archer

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In addition to this Archer, the other Archer, the TV show one, just had Season 4 added to Netflix.

Another radio game. :/

Here's this. I haven't watched it yet, but I'm expecting it's funny. I can't watch it because I haven't seen all of Season 4 yet:

It's probably NSFW, but since it's a Sunday and since you, really, all of us here, are probably unemployed: Awhutevz.

So FanGraphs has the top of the AL East (the Red Sox) separated from the bottom of the AL East (the Orioles) by a span of just 9 wins. If we believe that any one season has 10 games of just random-ass chance, then this division is essentially going to be a firestorm.

It makes sense then, that 5 of the toughest 8 projected schedules are the AL East team. This has me thinking: Is it possible these AL East monsters whip each other up so much that this division is won by an 88- or 89-win team? Moreover, is it possible the AL East will not have a Wild Card team for the first time since 2006? Is it possible the division will be too good for a team to get enough in-division wins to secure one of those two Wild Card slots?

It's a fascinating, troubling trail of contemplation. Let's hope the Rays are good enough to make it all moot.


Yankees 3, Rays 3: Phelps throws five shutout innings in tie

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It's a tie!

David Phelps got the start in the thirteenth game of spring training against the Rays and made the most of it. As part of the ongoing battle for the fifth starting spot, Phelps showed his credentials with a strong outing in game that eventually finished in a 3-3 tie.

Neither team could get any offense going early. The most interesting thing from a Yankee perspective was Derek Jeter's play in the field. Jeter made some decent defensive plays and looked to be moving easily in the field. The other interesting thing for the Yankees was Phelps' performance. Phelps went five innings allowing no runs on three hits while striking out one. It was a performance that will keep his name near or at the top of the fifth starter's spot competition.

The Yankees' offense was similarly held down by the Rays' pitchers, with Chris Archer allowing no runs on two hits in 3.1 innings.

The game's first run did not come until the seventh inning. After a scoreless sixth inning from Dellin Betances, Bruce Billings took the mound for the top of the seventh. James Loney led off against Billings with a double. Sean Rodriguez came up next and laid down a sacrifice bunt. Billings threw away the throw to first, allowing Loney to score. Two batters later, Rodriguez, who had stolen second and moved to third on a passed ball, came around to score on a Ryan Hannigan single. The Yankees got out of the inning when Vince Belnome lined into a double play, but the score was now 2-0 in favor of the Rays.

The Yankees got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the seventh. Alfonso Soriano hit a one-out single, followed by Kelly Johnson getting hit by a pitch. Ramon Flores and Russ Canzler, who replaced Soriano and Johnson, were both able to move up a base on a wild pitch. Flores then scored when Brian Roberts hit fly out which was deep enough for Flores to tag up. That cut the score to 2-1, but it would be all the Yankees could get in the seventh.

The Rays added another run in the top of the eighth. With one out, Jeremy Moore reached second after Dean Anna lost track of and dropped a fly ball. Moore would move to third on a Dan Burawa wild pitch and then come around to score on a ground out.

The Yankees were able to cut into the Rays' lead again in the bottom of the eighth. Jose Pirela led off with a single and was able to move to second on a Mason Williams ground out. Adonis Garcia came up next and he singled to put runners on the corners. With Anna at the plate, Garcia attempted to steal second. The throw hit Garcia and bounced into center field. That scored Pirela and made the score 3-2.

Other than Billings, all of the Yankee pitchers performed decently to greatly. Matt Daley looked especially good in his 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Down to their last out, the Yankees staged a comeback. After the first two hitters went down, Jose Gil singled to keep the game alive. Pirela then reached on a bloop single that just managed to drop in between two fielders. That moved Antoan Richardson, who pinch ran for Gil, to third. Rays' pitcher Braulio Lara then threw a wild pitch on which Richardson was able to score and tie the game.

Mark Montgomery pitched the tenth for the Yankees and he too impressed. He struck out one in a easy 1-2-3 inning. The Yankees then also failed to score in the tenth and the game was called after that, finishing in a 3-3 tie.

After an off day tomorrow, the Yankees will return to the field Tuesday against the Nationals at 1:05 eastern.

Box score.

Yankees make first cuts of spring training: Jose Ramirez and Francisco Rondon

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Injuries are lovely, aren't they

The Yankees made their first cuts of the spring today, and it should not be too surprising to see who they are:

Welp. Jorge Castillo reported a week and a half ago that Rondon had to be shut down for a few weeks due to tightness in his left shoulder. The lefty reliever turns 26 in April and he has only pitched three games above Double-A Trenton, soooo not the best start to camp for him.

Meanwhile, Ramirez's back locked up while warming up during workouts on February 26th, and he had to go get MRIs on his back and oblique, which revealed another oblique flare-up. The 24-year-old Ramirez has a ton of potential (Baseball Prospectus writer Jason Parks ranked him the second-best prospect in the system), but he just cannot seem to ever stay healthy. Hopefully both young pitchers can make a full recovery.

Yankees spring training: Joe Girardi has been impressed by Dellin Betances and Fred Lewis

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Will they make the team?

Spring training is not just for MLB players to sharpen their skills and prepare for the regular season, it's also a time for prospects on the fringe to make an impression and hopefully land on their team's radar. It looks like two such players, Dellin Betances and Fred Lewis, might be doing just that after both recieved recognition from Joe Girardi for their performances so far.

We all know that Betances is up for a job in the 2014 bullpen. After becoming a full-time reliever in 2013, he improved his stock so much that he finally returned to the majors for a cup of coffee in September. The big righty has been one of the more impressive relievers in camp, collecting five strikeouts and allowing a two hits and two walks in 6.1 innings. He's also getting a good long look as the most heavily used Yankee reliever up to this point. It's a good sign for Betances, who still has one remaining option year, so he's not necessarily promised a position with the big league team.

With the 2014 bullpen essentially a mystery, I believe that he is one of the best options the Yankees have at this point. He'll be under contract for many years to come and it's finally time to see whether or not this former top prospect can offer the team any value before he gets too old.

Lewis, on the other hand, is a complete unknown and was unlikely to ever get a real chance to crack the big league team. At the age of 27, he's already too old to be a prospect and he spent the majority of the 2013 season in Double-A, though he did pitch to a 2.28 ERA and 3.68 FIP. He also impressed in the Arizona Fall League where he pitched 11 innings without giving up a run. So far the lefty has collected four strikeouts while allowing two hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. After seeing him perform this spring, Girardi says "he's a guy that you're not going to worry about putting him against right-handers...He gets a lot of ground balls."

Girardi's interest in Lewis is interesting. It won't necessarily mean he will make the team out of camp, since there are likely many more players on the totem pole ahead of him. What this might mean is that the has lined himself up for a potential call up, should the need arise. If the Yankees are interested in carrying two lefties out of the bullpen, they'll probably turn to Vidal Nuno instead, but Lewis could have jumped over Cesar Cabral in the depth chart of potential injury replacements. He could start the season in Triple-A and be available as the next LOOGY should something go wrong on the big league team.

Spring training is all about making impressions. If either of these players want a chance to make the team, impressing Joe Girardi is probably a very good first step.

Yankees GIFs: Mark Montgomery displays intimidation factor

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Wait, that's not steam.

The Yankees made a comeback in the ninth inning to tie the score against the Rays in as dramatic a fashion as spring training will allow. As we went to extra innings, Yankee prospect Mark Montgomery entered and slammed the door on Tampa Bay's offense. And he brought intimidation with him to the mound. Because he's a super badass, he struck out Vince Belnome on three pitches and just walked away like it was no big thing:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Even though it was just the first out. Like, he was done with this inning. Don't care about your three outs. If we were to grade out his walk against the 20-80 scale, it's probably about a 50 Intimidation. Thankfully, he shows the upper limits of his intimidation tool in the next five seconds when he blows steam directly out of his nostrils. Like one of those angry bulls:

Wait, that's not steam. I'm not sure where snot rockets rate on the scale.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/10/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

New York Post | Joel Sherman:Carlos Beltran looks back on his career with the Mets and his role with the Yankees as a leader.

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: A comparison of Chris Stewart, Russell Martin, and Brian McCann using new fielding data.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Derek Jeter will be able to stay in position on shift plays now that Alex Rodriguez is gone.

It's About the Money | William Tasker: The best Yankee to wear each uniform number.

The Star-Ledger | Dave D'Alessandro: After Matt Daley came out to replace Mariano Rivera, he's looking for a spot on the team.

The Record | Bob Klapisch: Brian Cashman is cautiously optimistic about the Yankees' chances this season.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Dellin Betances is impressing with the command of his breaking pitches.

NoMaas | SJK: A list of some of the prospects you should be watching in 2014.

The Star-Ledger | Dave D'Alessandro: An interview with Zelous Wheeler about his time in camp so far.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: Kelly Johnson will need to learn to play first base along with third base this season.

Yankees Injury Updates: Ryan, Turley, Teixeira, Austin, Sizemore, Heathcott, Ramirez, Rondon

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Taking a look at the players who are recovering from injuries.

Brendan Ryan considers the sore oblique that's kept him out of action for the past few days to be a non-issue. Ryan thinks the Yankees are just being overly cautious, and even said, "Back end of a quadruple-header, I’d be upset if I wasn’t in there." Joe Girardi said that Ryan's going to be reevaluated on Tuesday, and Ryan said he expects to play Wednesday.

Nik Turley is expected to be shut down for the next two weeks, as his pitching arm has remained tight. On the plus side, tests have come back clean, and Turley said that he's more frustrated that he can't pitch than he is concerned about his arm.

Mark Teixeira has finally gotten into some spring training games, and he says that his wrist has felt fine. "No complaints so far." Although it sounds weird to say, Tex is anxious to swing and miss, and check his swing, as both of these motions will test his wrist. So far, so good.

Tyler Austin has had a lingering wrist injury, but it might be clearing up. Chad Jennings reported that he saw Austin wearing batting gloves and headed towards the batting cage on Sunday morning. If he's able to swing a bat, then it sounds like we can be cautiously optimistic that his wrist is improving.

Scott Sizemore is coming off of back-to-back ACL surgeries on his left knee, which caused him to miss the entire 2012 season, and almost the entire 2013 season. Although he's been confined to playing in a pretty big brace, he says that he's gotten used to it and has been moving well on the field. If he can stay healthy, he just might have a shot at making the team.

Slade Heathcott has been working his way back from minor knee surgery that cut his 2013 season short. He's been limited to running on a treadmill, and taking dry swings, though he was scheduled to hit off a tee on Saturday. Heathcott has not felt any knee pain so far.

Jose Ramirez and Francisco Rondon have been cut from spring training due to lingering injuries. Rondon has been dealing with shoulder pain for several weeks, while Ramirez has an oblique injury.

Making the case for Dellin Betances to begin 2014 in the Yankees' bullpen

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The former Top 100 Prospect has seemingly reinvented himself as a reliever, and his potential deserves serious consideration for a bullpen spot.

It's been a long, winding road for rookie reliever Dellin Betances. Although he has less big league experience than players drafted five years after him, like Michael Wacha and Kevin Gausman, it feels like he's a prospect who has been around forever. Not many players drafted in 2006 still count as prospects, but Dellin is a rare bird indeed.

The 6'8" Brooklyn native has always had talent, evidenced by top-notch evaluators immediately placing him on the Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus Top 100 Prospects list in 2007, but like many tremendously tall pitchers, it has been a challenge helping him harness his skills. After a few more times on the Top 100 and a little over seven years of trying to mold him into a legitimate starting rotation, Betances's problems with control proved to be too great to overcome. So on May 10, 2013, the 25-year-old Betances took the mound for Triple-A Scranton as a full-time reliever for the first time. From then on, he was absolutely lights-out.

In 32 games and 60 innings out of the 'pen, Betances pitched to a 1.35 ERA, cut his walk rate down to 3.9 BB/9, gave up just one homer, and struck out an eye-popping 12.5 men per nine innings (83 overall). Opposing batters hit a mere .163 against him, and Betances impressed the Yankees enough to earn a couple promotions to the Bronx. The numbers in the pros weren't pretty, but that can just be chalked up to two bad games out of six overall. It's not a big enough sample size to truly evaluate Betances, anyway. He completely dominated International League hitters, leaving him with not much left to prove in Triple-A. In his first four games of spring training this year, Betances has picked up right where he ended 2013, retiring all but four batters in 6 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.

So far in spring training, Betances has demonstrated some of the changes that propelled his turnaround in 2013. LoHud's Chad Jennings talked to Betances and catcher John Ryan Murphy about his tinkering, which was on display Sunday afternoon against the Rays. Desmond Jennings hit a one-out double on a Betances fastball, the 95 mph heat that has always been his best pitch. Murphy then gradually called for six breaking balls in a row, a sequence that Murphy said he probably could not have asked of Betances just a couple years ago. Yet with those six pitches, he struck out Matt Joyce and induced a ground ball double play from Wil Myers, both of whom are legitimate big league hitters, not just random International Leaguers. All of those six pitches were variations on a new pitch for Betances--a very curvalicious slider:

Late in 2012, Betances was looking for an alternative to his inconsistent curveball, and he began experimenting with a slider. A Double-A teammate that year, Mikey O’Brien, taught Betances to tilt his wrist a little bit, and that seemed to make all the difference. The slider comes out pretty slurvy — in fact, Joe Girardi still calls it a curveball — but it’s consistent, and Betances can throw a smaller one for a strike or a harder one for a swing-and-miss. That slider/slurve has replaced his curveball, and that’s the pitch he threw six times in a row to strand the go-ahead run against a pair of dangerous big league power hitters. - LoHud

Whatever the pitch is, it has definitely produced results for Betances. There's also a fairly noticeable difference in his mechanics. Being 6'8" makes mastering his motion a challenge, but he seems to have better control of his body on the mound:

2012

Dellin_2012_medium

2014

Dellin_k_medium

After noting "holy crap, YES has higher quality spring training video available now," it's quite evident that Betances's delivery is less busy than it was before. In 2012, he was all over the place. He used to stay down in the follow-through to his motion, whereas now he gradually brings himself back up. A smoother motion is better for his back, controlling his long arms, and for getting him in a good fielding position as well. With all the craziness going on in his 2012 motion, his 6.8 BB/9 in the minors that year is not surprising.

Now equipped with better mechanics, a devastating new breaking ball, and a solid season of bullpen success in the minors, the soon-to-be-26-year-old Betances appears to finally be ready to join the Yankees on Opening Day, barring injury or collapse. During the off-season, Brian Cashman revealed that Betances actually has a fourth optionleft, but that shouldn't influence the Yankees' decision of whether or not to take him north. As Derek recently outlined, there should be spots available in the Yankees' bullpen.

Assuming a normal 12-man pitching staff, there are 11 arms who are either locks or near-locks to make the team, again barring injury or collapse: CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Masahiro Tanaka, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Adam Warren, Preston Claiborne, Matt Thornton, Shawn Kelley, and David Robertson. The 12th spot is likely up for grabs between Betances, LOOGY Cesar Cabral, lefty Vidal Nuno, and NRI Matt Daley. Betances's potential is higher than any of these players and his results indicate that the Yankees should give him a try. We can only hope that 2014 is, at long last, Dellin's time to shine.


Let's Go Tribe's American League Preview: New York Yankees

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Let's Go Tribe's look at the Indians' competition around the AL begins with the Yankees, who spent more than some nations' GDP this offseason in an attempt to get back to the playoffs.

Between now and Opening Day, we'll be taking a look at each of the other American League teams, to see what they've done during the offseason, and what their outlook is for 2014.

New York Yankees

2013 Record: 85-77 (3rd in A.L. East), 6-1 vs. Cleveland

650 runs scored (10th of 15 in AL), 671 runs allowed (8th of 15 in AL)

The Yankees woke up in 1st place on Memorial Day last year, but by the end of June they'd dropped to 6.5 games back, and they never got back into the mix for the AL East crown. They stuck around the Wild Card race until pretty late in the season, but Yankee Death Day arrived on September 25th (and there was great rejoicing), and they finished with their lowest winning percentage since 1992.

Injuries were part of the problem for the offense, as only Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzuki, and Brett Gardner missed fewer than 20 games, but even when on the field most of the lineup just didn't do that well. Cano turned in another great season, but he and Gardner were the only Yankees with an OPS better than .688 in 250+ plate appearances. he 650 runs they scored were their lowest total since 1990. These were not your father's Yankees (or your granddad's, or your great-granddad's).

In addition to all that, the Alex Rodriguez saga got uglier and uglier, as shortly after he returned from an injury, his connections to the Biogenesis scandal landed him a 200-game+ suspension intended to keep him off the field for the rest of 2013 and all of 2014. He appealed, which allowed him to play out the remainder of August and September, and he put up decent numbers, but turned the locker room into an even larger circus than the Bronx is used to.

The pitching was a bit better for New York, Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova both turned in solid seasons and Andy Pettitte came out of retirement to post solid numbers. CC Sabathia had the worst season of his career though.

The franchise's worst season in more than two decades meant massive changes over the offseason were likely. Ownership had said for two years that the team would get below $189 million in payroll for 2014, in order to reset their luxury tax bills, but many doubted they'd stick to their guns, coming off such a disappointing season. Sure enough, when the time came, the Yankees did what they do best, and spent a fortune to bring in a number of new players.

Key offseason additions:

Masahiro Tanaka (SP), Jacoby Ellsbury (OF), Carlos Beltran (OF), Brian McCann (C), Kelly Johnson (3B), Brian Roberts (2B), Matt Thornton (RP)

Key offseason departures:

Robinson Cano (2B), Mariano Rivera (RP), Curtis Granderson (OF), Andy Pettitte (SP), Phil Hughes (SP), Lyle Overbay (1B), Boone Logan (RP)

2014 Payroll: ~$200 million

Projected 2014 Starting Lineup (with ZiPS fWAR projection):

Pos

Player

Projected WAR

C

Brian McCann

4

1B

Mark Teixeira

2

2B

Brian Roberts

0

3B

Kelly Johnson

2

SS

Derek Jeter

0

LF

Brett Gardner

2

CF

Jacoby Ellsbury

4

RF

Carlos Beltran

2

DH

Alfonso Soriano

2

TOTAL

18

Indian who has killed the Yankees:

No one has an OPS of .800+ against New York

Yankee who has killed the Indians:

Mark Teixeira - .315/.417/.550, .967 OPS, 14 HR

Projected 2014 Starting Rotation/Bullpen (with ZiPS fWAR projection):

Pos

Player

Projected WAR

1

CC Sabathia

3

2

Hiroki Kuroda

3

3

Masahiro Tanaka

5

4

Ivan Nova

3

5

David Phelps

1

RP

Bullpen

2

TOTAL

17

2014 Outlook:

How can a team with a $200-million payroll have that infield? All nine of their projected starters in the lineup are already 30 or older, and four of them are at least 36. New additions Ellsbury, McCann, and Beltran will make more than $53 million in 2014, but they don't do much more than replace the production lost when Cano and Granderson departed. I expect them to score a few more runs than they did last year, but I also think they'll still be below average in that department.

Tanaka gives the rotation a much-needed boost, and I expect Sabathia's production to rebound (he's lost a ton of weight this offseason), but the retirement of Mariano Rivera will hurt the bullpen. It looks like a pretty good pitching staff to me, but not good enough to carry a mediocre offense very far.

There's certainly enough talent on the roster for them to contend, but they don't look more than a few games better than they were last year, and while they won 85 games, they had the run differential of a 79-win team, which means even being a few games better than last year in terms of individual performance may only get them back to 85 wins again. I'm not optimistic enough to count the Yankees out, but for the first time in 20 years, I'm not expecting the Yankees to make the playoffs.

PECOTA Projection:82-80 (3rd in East), 715 runs scored, 703 runs allowed

Yankees Prospects: MLB.com's top 20 list for 2014

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Hello Katoh, goodbye Bichette!

MLB.com has released their list of the top 20 Yankees prospects going into the 2014 season. The list might be one of Jim Callis' most daring as it removes some lesser prospects near the majors in favor of projectable players with several years to go. I tend to value prospects closer to the majors more since we've seen our fair share of disappointments, but it's no doubt that this list displays the absolute best prospects going into the season.

Callis's ranking goes as follows:

RankRank
1Gary Sanchez11Gosuke Katoh
2Mason Williams12Manny Banuelos
3Slade Heathcott13Jose Ramirez
4John Ryan Murphy14Bryan Mitchell
5Eric Jagielo15Mark Montgomery
6Tyler Austin16Rafael De Paula
7Greg Bird17Luis Torrens
8Ian Clarkin18Abiatal Avelino
9Aaron Judge19Miguel Andujar
10Luis Severino20Jose Campos

We have six new names on the list, including Bird, Severino, Katoh, Torrens, Avelino, and Andujar. Unfortunately, that also means six were outright removed from the list. While it certainly makes sense to remove Dante Bichette (finally), Angelo Gumbs, Zoilo Almonte, and Ty Hensley, Nik Turley and Ramon Flores still have value. I still think Mitchell should drop off this list, or at least be ranked in the bottom five, considering the results he's shown in his career.

Some of the biggest changes from 2013 to 2014 include Murphy, who shot up from No. 12 to No. 4, while Campos dropped from No. 14 to No. 20, and De Paula fell all the way from No. 4 to No. 16. I think Tyler Austin got somewhat of a raw deal, falling from No. 3 to No. 6 because of one injury-plagued season while Mason Williams somehow stuck around as the second-best prospect in the system and Slade Heathcott jumped from No. 7 to No. 3 despite undergoing another surgery.

This year we'll get a full season look at 2013 draft picks Eric Jagielo, Ian Clarkin, Aaron Judge, and Gosuke Katoh, and hopefully they'll prove their worth. We'll also get another year of Greg Bird and get to see how Manny Banuelos rebounds after a return from Tommy John surgery. This should be a fun year for Yankee prospects. Hopefully.

New York Yankees farm system preliminary grade breakdown

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I am working thru the New York Yankees prospect list. There are 38 players I am working on, with the current breakdown looking like this:

One Grade A-
One Grade B+
One Grade B
Eight Grade B-
10 Grade C+
17 Grade C

There is some play in the B-/C+ area so there could be some changes there but the final totals should be similar to that.

Searching for realistic trade partners: are the White Sox or Brewers a fit?

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Could the Yankees find some answers to their infield questions in the upper Midwest?

There are just about three weeks left until Opening Day and despite their many moves this winter, the Yankees are still sporting a roster that can best be described as incomplete. While Joe Girardi tries to fashion two fourths of a starting infield out of a motley group comprised of injury returnees and late-20s career minor leagues, the front office continues to scout the rest of the majors to try and identify players on other teams who might be expendable. One team's trash after all...

Despite the much-maligned status of their potential trade commodities, we learned last week that teams have at least been kicking the tires on what the Yankees have to offer. The White Sox and Brewers, in particular, are known to have checked in on New York's catching surplus. Could a mutually beneficial trade be struck with either of those clubs from the upper Midwest?

The White Sox were one of the only teams in baseball in 2013 with a catching situation worse than the Yankees'. A group comprised of Tyler Flowers, Josh Phegley and Hector Gimenez combined to slash .196/.238/.325, making Chris Stewart and friends look like All-Stars in the process. Unlike the Yankees, who signed Brian McCann, Chicago did nothing to improve its lot besides claiming Adrian Nieto in the Rule 5 Draft. John Ryan Murphy could start for the White Sox tomorrow, and Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine probably could, too.

So what can White Sox VP Kenny Williams and GM Rick Hahn offer for one of the Yankees' young backstops? He'd probably love to pawn off Alexei Ramirez and the $20.5 million that's still guaranteed him through 2015. But the Cuban native is 32 and hasn't been a league-average hitter since his rookie year, in 2008. His wRC+'s have sat at 72 and 86 the past two seasons and his once-decent power faded into a career-worst .096 ISO in 2013. Ramirez's still-stellar defense at short has kept his WAR fairly high, but he isn't supplanting Derek Jeter this season, and he hasn't played a game anywhere else in five full years.

If not Ramirez, then what about Gordon Beckham? At 27, he's never fulfilled the promise that led Baseball America to name him a top-20 prospect in 2009, but he has experience at second and third, the Yankees' two positions of need, and he's signed to a reasonable one-year arbitration deal for $4.18 million. While Beckham might be attainable for Cervelli or Romine along with a low-level prospect or two, it's worth wondering whether he's really an upgrade over the in-house options the Yankees are already sifting through. It's possible, if not probable, that the .267/.322/.372, 88 wRC+ season that Beckham managed in 2013 could be matched by someone from the Sizemore-Anna-Solarte mix, for a much lesser price.

A deal that makes sense for both sides would be a Murphy for Marcus Semien swap. Semien, 23, is the fifth-rated prospect in Chicago's bottom-third farm system according to Baseball Prospectus, while Murphy is fourth on the Yankee list. Semien hit .284/.401/.479 between Double-A and Triple-A last year. While he's played mostly short before, he notched time at second in 2013 and played mostly third after being called to the majors in September. Semien wouldn't necessarily make the big club out of spring training, but he'd provide insurance for an injury to Jeter or Brian Roberts and could take over third later in the year if things start off well...as expected. Most importantly, Semien would give the Yankees a legitimate upper-level prospect in the infield, something they've been without for a pretty long while.

Traveling 90 minutes up I-94 to Milwaukee, we find a Brewers team set at catcher with Jonathan Lucroy, who's managed a 3.6 fWAR in each of the past two seasons. Behind him, though, things get ugly. Martin Maldonado, who posted a wRC+ of 40 last year in 67 games is the only other catcher on the 40-man squad, and non-roster invitees like Robinzon Diaz and Matt Pagnozzi don't inspire much confidence either.

Like his counterpart in Chicago, Brewers GM Doug Melvin has an infielder with a bad contract he'd be happy to move. Likely to be ousted by rookie Scooter Gennett, Rickie Weeks will earn $11 million this year despite being a worse-than-replacement level second baseman in 2013 with a triple slash line of .209/.306/.357 and a UZR/150 of -16.9. Last season was part of an ongoing decline for Weeks, who's seen his production dip steadily since his career-best 5.8 fWAR campaign in 2010.

For the Yankees, Weeks would be Vernon Wells version 2.0, even if he could be had for Cervelli or Romine alone, and even if Milwaukee ate a large chunk of his pay. In life and in baseball, the same logic goes - just because something comes cheap, doesn't mean it's necessarily worth having. The last thing the Yankees need to add to their infield stew right now is another shot player swiping reps from guys who could possibly do better. Brian Cashman's "throw it against the wall and see if it sticks" specials haven't worked too well of late, and it's time the Yankees moved away from that approach.

Another Brewer that could carry some appeal is corner infielder Juan Francisco, who was once a fairly promising third base prospect for the Reds. Four years and two organizations later, Francisco's been reduced to fighting it out with Lyle Overbay to be the left-handed half of a first base platoon with Mark Reynolds. While his inability to hit lefties and his suspect defensive skills make him somewhat redundant with Kelly Johnson, Francisco does have some worthwhile qualities. At just 26, he boasts a non-awful 97 wRC+ for his career, and he hit 18 home runs in 365 plate appearances last year. His presence would allow Johnson to slide back into his intended role - playing second base and some outfield against right-handed pitchers. Francisco would also be a better backup to Mark Teixeira's wrist than anything the Yankees currently have. An offer of Cervelli or Romine and a depth pitcher like Vidal Nuno or Adam Warren could be enough to get this one done.

Yankees Prospects: Transcript of Jim Callis' Twitter chat

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Some insightful bits about the Yankees farm system

Following MLB.com's release of their top 20Yankees prospects list, Jim Callis opened up his Twitter account for questions about the system. Here is what we were able to learn:

The system's real problem:

It seems that Callis believes the system has struggled recently due to health problems. In the last few years, they have dealt with injuries to top prospects Manny Banuelos, Jose Ramirez, and Tyler Austin, as well as draft picks like Ty Hensley and Jake Cave. It's worth wondering whether this really is the true issue or if something still needs to be fixed.

Eric Jagielo:

It's good to see that Jagielo should be fine at third base. It's unfortunate that it could take as many as three seasons before he is ready for the big leagues because they could use him as soon as right now. Hopefully he'll be ready when the time comes.

Aaron Judge:

The Yankees took Aaron Judge because they liked his projectable power, but he has yet to show that power in-game, so a lot of his value is hypothetical. While some have said the Yankees could rush him through the system, I think they see him as much more of a project until we see if he can do what they think he can do.

Manny Banuelos:

If Manny Banuelos can recover from Tommy John surgery and become, not just a staple, but a top of the rotation option, that would be amazing. With CC Sabathia likely in decline and Hiroki Kuroda being gone after 2014, Banuelos could become very useful in 2015

Breakout candidates:

Mitchell made his list at No. 14 and Jake Cave was among those mentioned in his 21-25 prospects group. Cave has dealt with injury, but there's reason to believe he can put things together in 2014. Mitchell has been disappointing, though the potential is there. He's been impressive in camp so far.

Rafael De Paula:

While De Paula was certainly exciting to follow in the first half of 2013, he was beaten up once he reached a higher level. If he can't adapt to more challenging hitters then moving him to relief makes a lot of sense. I suppose it's all a balance of whether it's better to hold out hope as long as possible or make the call now and get him to the big leagues faster.

Gary Sanchez:

We know that Gary Sanchez has a cannon behind the plate, but his receiving is what we're all wondering about. If he "can be" average, that's fine, but it also means he's got a lot of work to do. After we saw how bad Jesus Montero was behind the plate, it's made me fearful that the Yankees will try to pretend like Sanchez is improving when he's really not in order to increase his value.

2014 call ups:

I hope that all four can help in 2014, but it's pretty obvious that the Yankees won't be getting much help from their position players, just like in 2013. Perhaps he's not counting someone like Jose Pirela, but then an appearance from him might not end up being much of a good thing.

Outfield prospects:

It's likely that the Yankees decided to extend Brett Gardner because they lost faith in their top outfield prospects, so I don't see any of them threatening his chances with the team. Seeing how Austin was the only one among them to drop in ranking from 2013, it's likely that Callis still doesn't expect much from the rest of the bunch. Slade Heathcott can't stay healthy to be an everyday player and Mason Williams isn't much of a hitter, so Austin, despite a wrist injury, could be the best of them.

I think Refsnyder offers the Yankees the quickest solution at second base, though Katoh likely has a better upside. If Refsnyder can hit like he did last year and offer adequate defense then it's possible they push him through the system to make him an option in 2015. If Katoh is for real, they would then have an All-Star quality second baseman waiting in the wings as well.

As excited as we have been about our favorite Greg Bird, it's important that he shows he can repeat his success this season. Scouts like his power and OBP potential, so it could make sense to line him up as a potential replacement for Mark Teixeira after 2016.

What do you think?

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