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Spring Training 2014: Cosart and Oberholtzer named to the starting rotation

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The Astros name Jarred Cosart and Brett Oberholtzer as starters for their opening series against the Yankees.

The Astros' 25-man Opening Day roster is taking shape. A few more questions have been answered today. Jarred Cosart and Brett Oberholtzer have been named the starters in the opening series against the Yankees. Cosart will start game two; Oberholtzer game three.

Cosart made a splash in the major league debut last season on July 12, 2013 against the Rays, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The right-hander made 10 starts before being shut down in 2013, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.95 ERA, 0.97 K/BB rate, .246 BABIP, and 4.68 xFIP*. Cosart showed flashes of brilliance and lack of command that blurred the future of the right-hander. Cosart has been quite vocal about his desire to clearly his position on the team in 2014.

In his most recent Spring Training start against the Nationals, he dominated - striking out nine over five perfect innings.

Oberholtzer took a spot in the rotation after the Bud Norris trade at the deadline and never let go of it. He made 13 total appearances, and 10 starts for the Astros. Obe' touted a 4-5 record with a 2.24 ERA, 41 strikeouts, and 13 walks.  This year in Kissimmee, the left-hander has given up six runs over four innings of work.

The question then becomes who will get the fourth and fifth spots?

As a reminder, Scott Feldman will take the mound on Opening Day for the Astros.

*Stats courtesy of Fangraphs


Who will make the Yankees 25-man roster for Opening Day 2014?

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Who will make the cut when the team heads to Houston to open the season?

Spring training is used primarily to get players into shape for the long 162-game season ahead, but it also serves as a tool for fringe players to work their way onto a big league roster. The Yankees don't have a lot of spots up for grabs that those kinds of players can obtain with even the best of spring training results, but there are a few roles that remain undefined roughly a week before the team leaves Tampa.

Here's a chance for you to predict who you think will end up on the 25-man roster once the team leaves Steinbrenner Field for Houston for their opening series against the Astros. Which players do you think will grab the last few remaining spots on the bench and in the bullpen? Will it come down to spring training results or veteran presence?

Catchers:

Locks - Brian McCann
Other options - Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine, John Ryan Murphy

Infielders:

Locks - Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson, Brendan Ryan
Other options - Dean Anna, Yangervis Solarte, Eduardo Nunez, Scott Sizemore, Russ Canzler, Zelous Wheeler, Jose Gil

Outfielders:

Locks - Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki
Other options - Zoilo Almonte, Adonis Garcia, Antoan Richardson

Starting pitchers:

Locks - CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Masahiro Tanaka
Other options - Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno

Relief pitchers:

Locks - David Robertson, Matt Thornton, Shawn Kelley
Other options - Preston Claiborne, Dellin Betances, Chris Leroux, Matt Daley, Yoshinori Tateyama, Cesar Cabral, Fred Lewis, Jim Miller, David Herndon, Danny Burawa, Shane Greene

By my own personal count, there are 18 players that are absolutely guaranteed a spot when the Yankees break camp at the end of this month. That is, of course, assuming that none of them are traded ahead of Opening Day. The rest of the spots will have to be decided based on the various ongoing competitions. Cervelli seems to have the backup catcher spot pretty much locked up at this point, but he could still be dealt for infield depth if the right team comes calling. Pineda seems like a sure bet to begin the season as the Yankees' fifth starter, but David Phelps and Adam Warren still have a high probability of making the team out of the bullpen with Pineda likely to be pitching on an innings limit. The team could also opt to send Pineda to the minors to continue to build his arm strength if they are more comfortable going with Phelps or Warren at the back of their rotation, even though that seems unlikely after the way the spring has gone and how good Pineda has looked.

The bullpen and bench are where the most jobs are still left to be sorted out. Will Betances' strong spring earn him the chance to be in the big league bullpen on Opening Day, or will his magical fourth option be exercised to give him more time to hone his skills as a reliever in Triple-A? Could one of the surprising relievers like Leroux or Tateyama use strong spring training results to fill out a questionable bullpen?

Leave your predictions for how the 25-man roster will look on Opening Day in the comments below.

Is it time to designate Preston Claiborne for assignment?

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The Yankees bullpen is still a work in progress, but it seems that we're getting closer and closer to figuring out which seven relievers will be with the team on Opening Day. Three spots have been filled by David Robertson, Shawn Kelley, and Matt Thornton, so we have another four spots to go.

While there are still 15 pitchers in camp looking for a job, we know that, by the way the Yankees operate, only those on the 40-man roster are really in contention for a roster spot. That would mean Matt Daley, Jim Miller, Yoshinori Tateyama, Danny Burawa, Fred Lewis, Chris Leroux, and David Herndon will be on the outside looking in come April. Shane Greene is on the 40, but he'll likely end up in the minors as well. That would leave seven pitchers in contention for five roster spots, one of which is the fifth starter. I will remove Michael Pineda from that group because he will likely either be in the rotation or in Triple-A.

The remaining six pitchers include David Phelps, Adam Warren, Dellin Betances, Preston Claiborne, Cesar Cabral, and Vidal Nuno. Of the four spots, at least one will go to Phelps or Warren to be the longman. Going by Joe Girardi's previous comments, Betances might be the closest to a guaranteed spot in the bullpen out of anyone left over. That would leave them with three possible bullpen scenarios:

PhelpsWarrenBetancesCabral/Nuno
PhelpsWarrenBetancesClaiborne
Phelps/WarrenBetancesClaiborneCabral/Nuno

It might not make sense to carry two long relievers because then you run the risk of having two potential replacement starters without the stamina to take on a full-time starting role. So if we cut out the first two options we're only left with one course of action, but is that really the best the Yankees can do?

Perhaps it's time to designate Preston Claiborne for assignment. After a really great start to his career, he was essentially useless after his first month. From June through September, he had a 5.55 ERA and a 5.76 FIP in the second half of the season. Now in spring training, he's given up three runs on 10 hits in just 5.2 innings. Obviously, you can say that spring training stats are meaningless, but he's not exactly performing better than any of his competition.

It might sound premature for a player who still has two seasons before he's even arbitration eligible, but the Yankees have plenty of options to replace him. The 2014 bullpen might not be as strong as it has been in recent years, but is there really any reason to hamstring it any more simply because of roster status? DFAing Claiborne could clear a spot for Daley or Miller, who have performed better, or even the recently cut Mark Montgomery, who has far more upside. The Yankees didn't hesitate to DFA Brett Marshall last year, so Claiborne should be no different. If he gets claimed off waivers, oh well, that's the nature of the nameless, faceless middle reliever. Preston Claiborne isn't exactly irreplaceable.

Athletics claim Kent Matthes, foreshadowing upcoming Rockies roster moves

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The former fourth-round pick of the Rockies' is heading out west. What does this mean for the Rockies' organization.

The Oakland Athletics have announced that they have claimed right handed outfielder Kent Matthes on waiver from the Rockies. Matthes, who had been optioned to the AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox a week ago, was added to the 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Though the Rockies were short on righty outfielders at that time, the acquisitions of Drew Stubbs and Brandon Barnes significantly lowered Matthes' placement on the depth chart.

On the minor league front, the Sky Sox already had a crowded outfield with Tim Wheeler, Jason Pridie and whichever of Barnes, Charlie Blackmon or Corey Dickerson doesn't make the club. In addition, Kyle Parker is expected to continue to play some outfield in addition to time at first base. This may increase the likelihood that a player like Matt McBride makes the club, as he would have slightly more playing time in the OF as a utility player.

However, the real intrigue here lies in what this means for the MLB roster. The Rockies wouldn't have been trying to move a player through outright waivers unless they felt they needed a spot open on the 40-man roster in the near future.This suggests a few things about what the Rockies may be looking to do before opening day.

Firstly, if the Rockies were to return Rule 5 bullpen candidate Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees, they'd get that 40-man spot. Does this mean that the Rockies intend to break camp with Kahnle? Possibly, unless they also intend to purchase yet another player to the roster.

There are two non-roster players in the mix for 40-man roster spots right now: infielder Paul Janish, who could easily be described as the Spring MVP, who has surprised no one with his defensive success, definitely has surprised everyone with his offensive production. Now that it seems certain that the Rockies intend to use the 25th roster spot for another infielder, this could be a move to make room for Janish if the team has chosen him over Ryan Wheeler or another possible infielder.

Troy Renck of the Denver Post has floated the idea that backstop Michael McKenry may be the player in question here. this concerns me for a couple of reasons, most notably that because the out-of-options Jordan Pacheco is still on the roster, the team may intend to use Pacheco as that extra infielder, a position on the roster that he has not excelled in over the past two seasons. Pacheco was a much easier pill to swallow as a backup catcher, but if Pacheco's offensive woes continue, plus his poor defense in the infield, this could be a really bad idea to start the season, especially with other infielders having good Springs.

The Rockies could add McKenry to the roster and then option him to the minors in an attempt to circumvent an out clause in his minor league contract. However, no out clause has been reported publicly that I have found. We may not know the specifics here for a few more days, but it seems reasonable that the Rockies intend to promote one or both of McKenry and Janish to the roster.

Spring Training Game Twenty Three: Yankees at Red Sox

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David Phelps gets to face most of the expected Red Sox Opening Day lineup. See how he fares!

Yankees.

Red Sox.

Yangervis Solarte.

Jonathan Herrera.

The most intense of spring training rivalries.


Lineup

NEW YORK YANKEESBOSTON RED SOX
Ichiro Suzuki - CFGrady Sizemore - CF
Brendan Ryan Dean Anna - SSShane Victorino - RF
Eduardo Nunez - 3BDustin Pedroia - 2B
Mark Teixeira - 1BDavid Ortiz - DH
Francisco Cervelli - CMike Napoli - 1B
Scott Sizemore - 2BDaniel Nava - LF
Yangervis Solarte - LFXander Bogaerts - SS
Zoilo Almonte - RFDavid Ross - C
Zelous Wheeler - DHJonathan Herrera - 3B

The game will be available on YES, ESPN, and MLB.tv. David Phelps gets the starting nod against Clay Buchholz. Here are the reserves coming in once the Yankees starters (who are already kind of a B-team) depart:

Austin Romine (C), Jose Gil (1B), Jose Pirela (2B), Carmen Angelini (SS), Ben Gamel (LF), Antoan Richardson (CF), Adonis Garcia (RF), John Ryan Murphy (DH).

Tyson Blaser (whose first name is known only by Tanya and Mrs. Blaser) and Ali Castillo will also be available off the bench. Outside-shot bullpen candidates Matt Daley, Chris Leroux, Yoshinori Tateyama, and Fred Lewis will likely relieve Phelps out of the 'pen. Branden Pinder, James Pazos, Manny Barreda, and Caleb Cotham have also made the trip to Ft. Myers in case they are needed.

Update

Brendan Ryan was a late scratch due to back spasms. Dean Anna will start in his place.

Yankees 3, Red Sox 2: David Phelps stymies Red Sox over six innings

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David Phelps looked sharp in a solid performance against a legitimate lineup.

David Phelps had a tough task ahead of him tonight as he had to face an almost-full lineup from the powerful Red Sox, but he performed admirably over six innings. Not only did he allow just four hits, two walks, and two run, but he also retired 12 Red Sox in a row at one point. The Yankees backed Phelps with just enough offense to end up with a win in Ft. Myers at Fenway South.

Phelps worked around a one-out double by Shane Victorino in the first inning, strand him by retiring the formidable duo of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz. His batterymate, Francisco Cervelli, continued his scorching hot spring with a long homer to deep left over the faux Green Monster, his fourth round-tripper of camp. Spring training stats should be taken with a grain of salt, but there's no denying that Cervelli has come to came ready to back up Brian McCann and step in whenever he is needed. And hey, building possible trade value doesn't hurt one bit, either.

After Victorino's double in the first, the next 12 Boston batters went down in order against Phelps, as he got three strikeouts during this streak as well. Both Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava were fooled on two-seamers that snuck into the strike for called strike threes, and he also got Victorino swinging in the third as well. The streak ended with one out in the fifth inning when Phelps walked Nava, but he quickly bounced back by inducing a ground ball double play from top prospect Xander Bogaerts.

The right-hander endured a bit of a rocky sixth inning, when the Red Sox scored ther only two runs of the game. David Ross led off with a single, Jonathan Herrera hit into a forced at second base, and Grady Sizemore singled to right, moving pinch-runner Carlos Rivero into scoring position. Phelps almost escaped without allowing a run when Victorino hit a comebacker, but Pedroia laced a two-run into right-center field. Although he then walked Ortiz, Phelps ended his evening on a high note when Napoli popped up to strand Pedroia at second base. Despite slipping toward the finish line, it was overall a fine performance from Phelps. Michael Pineda seems set to earn the fifth spot in the rotation, but Phelps appears more than ready if called upon to replace a starter at any point or provide productive innings out of the bullpen.

The Yankees never trailed in this game, as they built a 3-0 lead before Phelps's one bad frame. They went down in order against Buchholz 11 batters in a row after Cervelli's homer, but a two-out rally in the fifth sparked by the Brothers Zed snapped them out of the funk. Zoilo Almonte walked and Zelous Wheeler smacked a double to right field, moving them both into scoring position for Ichiro Suzuki. The veteran outfielder came through with a grounder through the right side for a base hit, scoring both Zoilo and Zelous to make it 3-0. Dean Anna, starting in place of Brendan Ryan (scratched for back spasms unrelated to his earlier oblique injury), singled to keep the inning alive, but Eduardo Nunez did Eduardo Nunez things by killing the rally on a comebacker. Alas.

Both bullpens did a nice job keeping the offense quiet for the rest of the game. Chris Capuano pitched three scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Red Sox, and the Yankees' bullpen trio of Chris Leroux (who ran his scoreless inning streak up to 10 1/3 in spring), Fred Lewis, and Matt Daley finished off the Red Sox to polish off the 3-2 victory. Any opportunity to beat Boston is welcome, even if the game meant nothing. So huzzah!

Box score.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/21/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

The Star-Ledger | Jorge Castillo: Brendan Ryan could miss the beginning of the season to injury.

It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: Ivan Nova is starting to sound much smarter.

CBS Sports | Jon Heyman: Alex Rodriguez still hasn't paid his lawyers after all his lawsuits.

Hardball Talk | Craig Calcaterra: The former lawyer Calcaterra disputed the above claim, saying that Heyman didn't understand how legal bills work

MLB Trade Rumors | Tim Dierkes: Breaking down 2013 WAR by agency.

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins: Breaking down Nik Turley's prospect status.

ESPN New York | Andrew Marchand: The Red Sox won the World Series, thanks to a lot of luck, so the Yankees could use some luck too.

New York Post | Joel Sherman: The Yankees and Mets both have the same problems at shortstop.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: First base coach Mick Kelleher breaks down the Yankees starting infield.

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: Yankees fans will have to learn to deal with injury and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Yankees spring training: Hitters' Making the Team Meter - Week Three

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Examining where players without guaranteed spots on the Yankees' Opening Day roster stand in their quest to make the team after two weeks of spring training.

Three weeks into spring training seems like little time at all, but it marks one final week to go before decisions are made and the team departs Florida for Texas. We discussed yesterday that spots on the Opening Day 25-man roster were being filled by players who are locks for the team and those who have pulled ahead in their respective competitions for a set role on the team to begin the year.

A number of cuts have already taken place to narrow the field down from the massive amounts of players that showed up to camp with at least some hope of making the team. The rest will play out over the course of the final week of games to give Joe Girardi one last glimpse of the players that he thinks would best fit the Yankees' needs right out of the gate. A bench spot or two is really all that is left for the position players without defined roles, but those could be important considering the shaky state of the Yankees' infield in particular.

As always, here is the legend we used:

Keep in mind that all spring training players are not created equal. Some can bat 1.000 and still won't have a spot on the team while another could pick up one hit before the team heads north and would still have a spot on the Opening Day roster. The reality of each player's situation is taken into consideration in their ranking.

The biggest spot remaining for position players in spring training lies with bench spots for infielders. Eduardo Nunez may have the advantage as the one who has simply been there before, but Yangervis Solarte's strong spring has certainly placed him in contention. Dean Anna hasn't had a great spring, but his 40-man roster spot could edge him ahead of his competition. Brendan Ryan has been dealing with a sore oblique for most of the spring, and upper back spasms that caused him to be scratched from Thursday night's game against the Red Sox could put his Opening Day status in jeopardy. That could open a door for Solarte or Anna to grab a spot that may not have been available otherwise.

It seems that the competition for backup catcher has been nicely wrapped up after Francisco Cervelli's hot-hitting spring. He was always the favorite to start the season as Brian McCann's backup, but Austin Romine and John Ryan Murphy simply haven't done enough to really keep up. Cervelli could, of course, be used as a trade chip for some infield assistance if Brian Cashman receives the right offer. For now, there's little reason to expect anything other than Romine and Murphy heading to Triple-A to start the season unless a trade happens.

Ichiro Suzuki has been a bit maligned after the Yankees gave him a two-year deal following his half-season in New York in 2012. The acquisition of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Alfonso Soriano makes Ichiro little more than a fifth outfielder on the team as it is currently constructed, but the team is almost certainly paying him too much money to just cut him loose. His spring hasn't been anything to write home about, though it would be pretty shocking if one of the players with better spring statistics managed to wrestle his spot away. There probably isn't a ton of playing time to be thrown Ichiro's way, but he will more than likely make the team as a bench outfielder unless another team decides they'd like to take him off the Yankees' hands. That's bad news for guys like Zoilo Almonte and Adonis Garcia who have hit very well this spring. Unfortunately, it's unlikely to matter when put up against Ichiro's salary and veteran status.

Which players do you think have the best chance of improving their stock over the final week of spring training? Can any of them manage to steal a spot that seems destined for a veteran?


Yankees spring training: Pitchers' Making the Team Meter - Week Three

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Examining where players without guaranteed spots on the Yankees' Opening Day roster stand in their quest to make the team after three weeks of spring training.

Week three of spring training games has narrowed us down to the pitchers who are the most likely to either make the Opening Day roster or be called up at some point in the season. Everyone who has looked bad, like Bruce Billings, Brian Gordon, and Robert Coello, is gone and the prospects, including Chase Whitley, Manny Banuelos, Bryan Mitchell, Mark Montgomery, who were just trying to make an impression have been sent down. Now who joins the rotation, who ends up in the bullpen, and who gets sent to Triple-A is becoming much clearer:

Screen_shot_2014-03-12_at_8

While it was a complete surprise that Montgomery was cut, especially so early, the rest were generally expected. Whitley could have made an impression if he performed well, but he will now return to Triple-A and try his hand as a starter. It's unlikely that any of Billings, Coello, and Gordon will remain in the organization for the 2014 season, so they could get cut loose soon in order for them to pursue other opportunities.

Everyone left in the running for a roster spot has pitched well enough to earn a major league job. Unfortunately, that can't happen and only five out of the remaining 15 players will be leaving camp with the team. It's pretty easy to point to those not currently on the 40-man roster as the ones who won't make the final cut. Danny Burawa, Fred Lewis, Matt Daley, Shane Greene, David Herndon, Chris Leroux, Jim Miller, and Yoshinori Tateyama can all be sent down to Triple-A and provide minor league depth.

The competition for the fifth spot in the rotation is really down to Michael Pineda and David Phelps, and as well as Phelps has been, Pineda is probably going to win. That would move Phelps to the bullpen, likely in a longman role. Adam Warren could then be sent to Triple-A in order to remain stretched out as a starter. It really all depends on how they choose to use Phelps.

That's really what I want to know. How will they use both Warren and Phelps this year? Will they be two long reliever? Will Phelps be a middle reliever and Warren the longman? Will one be sent down to the minors to stay stretched out? This is really the pivotal decision that will determine the makeup of the bullpen.

Dellin Betances likely already has a bullpen spot won, so that's another spot. Vidal Nuno, the forgotten man, will likely end up in the Triple-A rotation if he's not recruited as a second lefty out of the bullpen. Same goes for Cesar Cabral, and that leaves just Preston Claiborne to take the final spot in the bullpen.

Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 39: The power transfer

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We have big news on the podcast today, and a couple surprise guests join us later on for more about it. Also Yankees stuff, which is more important. Possibly.

Welcome to a bittersweet episode of the Pinstripe Alley Podcast as we bid farewell to not one, not two, but three of our hosts! (And basically four, as you'll find out.) But do not fret! We have replacements lined up who will make an appearance toward the end of the podcast, and in no way at all are the previous hosts' voices dubbed! Promise. Maybe.

Also Yankees baseball. That's a thing.

[0:00] Closing time
[1:20] We need an update on whether or not Jacoby Ellsbury&Brendan Ryan are alive. Humbler?
[5:04] We admire the starting rotation... but express concern about CC
[10:10] Who will take Ryan's spot if he misses Opening Day?
[12:12] The Braves' announcers and their alcohol
[14:09] Greg tortures Tanya with by discussing the exploits of some guy in Seattle
[15:04] Reflecting on the disappointment of Phil Hughes
[19:50] Extremely different thoughts on Francisco Cervelli's revitalization, Chris Stewart's Stewart-ness, and expectations for Derek Jeter
[25:43] Tweetbag: Tanaka-sized Nunez vs. 100 Nunez-sized Tanakas & the ol' international peace conference plot device
[27:35] The big news reveal!
[29:04] Bringing the new co-hosts onto the call... and immediately terrifying them, then rolling into the final/first Yankee/Mitre of the Week
[44:12] Bidding farewell with a million Greg thank-yous and one last "Greg Bird hit three home runs for Tanya story"

Podcast link (Length: 54:46)

iTunes link

RSS feed

Spring Training Game Twenty-Four: Yankees vs. Pirates

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The Yankees and Pirates square off tonight in New York's second straight evening spring training game. CC Sabathia takes the ball for the Yankees opposite Edinson Volquez for Pittsburgh. Tonight's lineup consists mainly of regulars minus Jacoby Ellsbury and with Ichiro Suzuki batting ninth as the DH (oh, spring training).

Per Chad Jennings at LoHud, here are the players expected to come into the game after the usual suspects depart:

· Today’s second string: C John Ryan Murphy, 1B Russ Canzler, 2B Yangervis Solarte, SS Dean Anna, 3B Zelous Wheeler, LF Zoilo Almonte, CF Antoan Richardson, RF Adonis Garcia

· Today’s scheduled relievers:David Herndon, Matt Thornton, Shawn Kelley and Dave Robertson (with Danny Burawa, Shane Greene and Fred Lewis available if necessary)

Joe Girardi acknowledged today that the setback Brendan Ryan experienced yesterday with his upper back spasms would put his Opening Day status in question. That should put all eyes on Solarte and Anna to try and work their way onto the 25-man roster over the final week of spring training.

You can watch tonight's game on MLB.tv or on MLB Network. Unfortunately, there is no television coverage on YES.


Lineup

NEW YORK YANKEESPITTSBURGH PIRATES
Brett Gardner - CFJosh Harrison - LF
Derek Jeter - SSNeil Walker - DH
Carlos Beltran - RFAndrew McCutchen - CF
Mark Teixeira - 1BGaby Sanchez - 1B
Brian McCann - CTony Sanchez - C
Alfonso Soriano - LFJordy Mercer - SS
Kelly Johnson - 3BJose Tabata - RF
Brian Roberts - 2BMichael Martinez - 2B
Ichiro Suzuki - DHRobert Andino - 3B

Yankees 4, Pirates 0: CC Sabathia stifles Pirates over seven scoreless innings

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CC Sabathia held the Pirates' offense to four hits over seven scoreless innings of work as the Yankees topped the Bucs Friday night in Tampa, 4-0. The lack of velocity that has come to be a cloud of concern surrounding Sabathia was minimized just a bit after the big left-hander was able to consistently get his fastball up to 91 mph. That's not the velocity Yankees fans are used to seeing from their ace, but it is quite a step up over the 86-87 mph showings earlier this spring. Sabathia's seven strikeouts followed up his impressive performance against the Marlins in Panama, hopefully signaling good things to come as the regular season gets underway.

The Yankees' offense jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Carlos Beltran singled and came around to score on a double by Brian McCann. Mark Teixeira worked a walk just prior to McCann's double and scored on a wild pitch that got past Tony Sanchez. The 2-0 lead was extended to 4-0 in the second inning when Kelly Johnson worked a walk before Brian Roberts and Ichiro Suzuki each singled to load the bases. Brett Gardner drove in Johnson with a fielder's choice and Derek Jeter drove in Roberts with a ground out. No further scoring would happen in the game.

Johnson and Roberts each committed an error in the field by booting routine grounders, but they proved not to be very costly mistakes. McCann flashed some of his defensive prowess by completing to strike 'em out, throw 'em out double plays. Dean Anna and Alfonso Soriano were the only other Yankees to come up with a hit. That could be important for Anna, who is fighting for a spot on the roster made available by the fact that Brendan Ryan is not expected to be ready for Opening Day.

A trio of regular relievers followed Sabathia out of the bullpen with Matt Thornton, Shawn Kelley, and David Robertson rounding out the pitching for the evening. Thornton and Kelley combined to pitch the eighth inning cleanly with the latter of the two picking up a strikeout. Robertson came on to round out the game and did not allow any base runners.

Masahiro Tanaka will start tomorrow's 1:05 pm matchup against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. Francisco Cervelli and Brett Gardner are about the only regulars expected to make the trip after tonight's late game featuring mainly all of the expected starting position players. The game will be televised on MLB Network and on MLB.tv

Box score

Yankees Spring Training: Who will replace Brendan Ryan

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Dean Anna or Yangervis Solarte?

Brendan Ryan hasn't played in a spring training game since March 4. He was previously sidelined with an oblique strain and was expected to return to the lineup on Thursday. Unfortunately, he was held out of the game due to back spasms and, upon further testing, it appears he has a pinched nerve in his back. He will receive a cortisone shot, but it is looking like he will begin the season on the disabled list.

Brian Cashman has already gone on record that, when Ryan is ready, he will play in a minor league game so they can backdate his DL stint. Joe Girardi seems unsure about the shortstop's status and whether or not he will be able to return in time for the beginning of the season as well. If that is the case, then Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte are looking at an opportunity to replace him.

So far this spring, Anna has hit a moderate .233/.361/.233 in 30 at-bats while Yangervis Solarte has led the team with a .455/.514/.636 batting line in 33 at-bats. Neither have ever tasted the majors before, but which one should? If a replacement is needed, Anna is the more likely choice, since he's on the 40-man roster, however, Solarte has been more impressive and he could be easily added if they designated Anna for assignment. Solarte is a switch-hitter, which the Yankees obviously like, though he has limited experience at short.

Ryan was brought in to be the backup shortstop capable of filing in for Derek Jeter when he needs a rest. If the Yankees thought enough about him and his role to sign him to a two-year deal (signed before Jeter decided to retire), it's likely that they would value Anna's positional experience over Solarte's spring performance. The Yankees don't like DFAing players they don't have to and getting rid of Anna wouldn't make sense if they want to replace Ryan's very specific role.

Playing Anna might even improve the team somewhat since we all know that Ryan is all glove, no bat. I averaged the Oliver, Steamer, and ZiPS WAR projections for each player and it turns out this injury might not be that bad after all. Brendan Ryan is projected to offer around 0.6 WAR over a full season, while Dean Anna is actually expected to contribute a whopping 1.6 WAR. It might be a short stint, and the difference won't play up in such a small sample of playing time, but maybe Dean Anna is a better choice for Brendan Ryan's role than even Brendan Ryan is. Even Yangervis Solarted projects to have a marginally better 0.8 WAR over a full season. I might take either of them over Ryan, at least to start the season. At least there's a chance they could hit.

Spring Training 2014: Astros make more cuts

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At TCB, we don't always agree with Baseball Prospectus' Jason Parks

But one thing, if nothing else, the man has right; prospects will break your heart.

On Saturday morning, the Astros announced the next round of roster cuts as they continue to trim down to just the 25 players they'll be taking with them to Minute Maid Park to face the Yankees on April 1st.

Infielders Gregorio Petit and Japhet Amador were reassigned to minor league camp, which effectively ends any chance Amador had of winning the first baseman's job (though that was virtually a foregone conclusion after he got a late start).

Also, left-handed pitcher Darin Downs, claimed off waivers from the Tigers last November, was optioned to minor league camp. This was also an unsurprising move, as Downs coughed up seven earned runs on 10 hits and four walks, while striking out none, in 9.1 innings pitched. Kevin Chapman and Raul Valdes are the remaining left-handed relievers in camp, and at least one of them is guaranteed to make the Major League roster now, barring injury or a last minute trade or signing.

The last one is the one that hurts, though; outfielder J.D. Martinez, a non-roster invitee, was released outright. For those of us who began to follow the Astros' minor league system in earnest once Ed Wade was allowed to sign draft picks again, the 20th round selection of the 2009 draft was one of the first bright stars that we saw as potentially being among the next wave of talented Astros.

Martinez burst onto the scene, making a mockery of short-season ball in the months after he was drafted. In 2010, he played 88 games for the Class A Lexington Legends and mashed, hitting .362/.433/.598 with 15 home runs. He was so good that he earned a promotion straight to Double A Corpus Christi, where he spent the last two months of the year.

After tearing up the Texas League to start 2011, Martinez was called straight up to The Show with Jose Altuve, bypassing Triple A entirely. He initially looked promising, as he hit ..274/.319/.423 with six long balls in 53 games to finish out the year, good for a solid 103 wRC+.

He faltered in both 2012 and 2013, and he continued to struggle in the minors after he was sent back down. He came into camp after reworking his swing from the ground up, but it wasn't enough; he hit .167/.250/.222 in 14 spring games this month, and with Robbie Grossman and Marc Krauss stepping up and George Springer looming on the horizon, Martinez's tenure with the team that drafted him came to an end.

This off season has seen the departure of Jordan Lyles, Brett Wallace and now J.D. Martinez. Just another reminder that for all the stats they put up and all the hype that builds around them, lots of prospects fall by the wayside. The Astros' active roster now stands at 34.

Spring Training Game Twenty-Five: Yankees vs. Twins

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Tanaka time!

Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound again as the Yankees take on the Twins.

Lineup

NEW YORK YANKEESMINNESOTA TWINS
Brett Gardner - DHBrian Dozier - 2B
Eduardo Nunez - SSKurt Suzuki - C
Kelly Johnson - 1BJoe Mauer - 1B
Francisco Cervelli - CJosh Willingham - LF
Scott Sizemore - 3BJason Kubel - DH
Dean Anna - 2BTrevor Plouffe - 3B
Zoilo Almonte - RFOswaldo Arcia - RF
Zelous Wheeler - LFAaron Hicks - CF
Antoan Richardson - CFPedro Florimon - SS

The bench includes Jose Gil, Francisco Arcia, Yangervis Solarte, Ali Castilo, and Adonis Garcia. Available to DH are Carmen Angelini, Mason Williams, Ramon Flores and a Wilson. In the bullpen are Danny Burawa, Fred Lewis, Shane Greene, Yoshinori Tateyama, Dan Herndon, Mark Montgomery, Aaron Dott, Jeremy Bleich, and Pat Venditte. Kevin Correia will get the start for the Twins.

The game can be seen on MLB Network and heard on WFAN.


Yankees 5, Twins 4: Four-run inning gives Yankees win

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Masahiro Tanaka started as the Yankees picked up another spring training win.

Masahiro Tanaka got the start for the Yankees and he wasn't as good as he's been in past outings. Not entirely fair as his past outings have been really impressive, while this one was was just okay. Tanaka allowed three runs in his 5.2 innings, but the Yankees got the win anyway, thanks mostly to a four-run fourth inning from the offense.

Tanaka did not get off to the best of starts as Brian Dozier led off with a double. That was followed up by two consecutive ground outs, the first moving Dozier to third and the second scoring him, giving the Twins an early lead.

After Tanaka was able to get out of a jam in the bottom of the third, the Yankees finally got some offense going in the top of the fourth. Eduardo Nunez started the rally by dropping a one-out single into right field. Nunez then moved to third when Kelly Johnson singled. Francisco Cervelli was hit by a Kevin Correia pitch, which loaded the bases for Scott Sizemore. During Sizemore's at bat, a wild pitch allowed Nunez to score, tying the game. Sizemore then singled to right, scoring Johnson and Cervelli, making it 3-1. Three batters later, Zelous Wheeler hit a double that scored Sizemore, making it 4-1.

After shutting down the Twins following their first inning run, Tanaka gave up some hits to let the Twins get back in the game in the sixth inning.  Kurt Suzuki led off the inning with a single. After striking out Joe Mauer, Tanaka hit Josh Willingham with a pitch. Jason Kubel then doubled, scoring Suzuki, and moving Alex Presley (pinch-running for Willingham) to third. Presley scored when Trevor Plouffe grounded out. Plouffe would be the last batter Tanaka would face as Fred Lewis was then brought in. Tanaka went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out six.

The Yankees tacked on another run in the top of the seventh. Almonte led off with a double and moved to third when Wheeler singled. Roybell Herrera then singled to score Almonte, increasing the Yankee lead to two runs.

Lewis, David Herndon, Shane Greene and Yoshinori Tateyama combined to finish off the game. Only Tateyama got in any real trouble, when he allowed a home run to Eduardo Escobar. That made the score 5-4, but Tateyama struck out the next two batters to finish the game and give the Yankees the win.

Tomorrow the Yankees will take on the Blue Jays at 1:05 eastern. Michael Pineda is scheduled to get the start.

Box score.

Encarnacion and Sierra homer, Jays beat Tigers

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Tigers 4 Blue Jays 9

That makes 4 wins in a row.

It really looks like the offense has it together (doesn't hurt the offense that the wind was blowing out). Now if the starting pitching could come around.....

Happy Thoughts:

  • Todd Redmond threw 4 scoreless innings, gave up a walk and hit in a scoreless 5th. The 6th wasn't so good, he gave up a homer and 3 doubles, and 4 runs. In total 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk with 8 strikeouts. 4 runs, 3 earned. Until he tired, he looked great.
  • Steve Delabar, Aaron Loup and Tyler Ybarra pitched a scoreless inning each.
  • Melky Cabrera went 3 for 4, with 2 doubles. .434.
  • Jose Bautista went 2 for 2 with 2 walks..390.
  • Edwin Encarnacion was 2 for 4, with a double and a home run. .320.
  • Moises Sierra went 1 for 2, with a home run. .256.
  • Colby Rasmus had a 2 for 5 day, with a double. ..242.
  • Josh Thole was 2 for 4 with a double. ..227.

Less Happy Thoughts:

  • Ryan Goins went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. .180.
  • Brett Lawrie was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. .318.
  • Jonathan Diaz made his 3rd error of the spring. It was a pretty hard hit ball, but Redmond really could have used the help to get through the 6th inning.

We are back to 11-11 on the spring. Not terrible. Tomorrow they play the Yankees at Tampa Bay. The game is on MLB.tv, but not on Sportsnet. Mark Buehrle gets the start. Michael Pineda for the Yankees.

Taking a look at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's starting rotation

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Which pitchers will fill out Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's starting rotation?

With over a week to go until the regular season, the Yankees appear to have their big league starting rotation just about set. At the Triple-A level, however, things aren't quite the same, as injuries to some of the team's better starting pitching prospects have put a wrench into things at the moment.

Coming into camp, I was hoping we'd see pitching prospects Nik Turley and Jose Ramirez appear in a game or three. Unfortunately, those two suffered injuries early on in camp and have not appeared in a game since; Turley's arm felt tight during a bullpen session before spring games even began and Ramirez injured the same oblique that sidelined him last summer. Because Turley and Ramirez have been unable to get innings under their respective belts this spring, it wouldn't be a shock to see these two land on the DL to begin the season.

A prospect we did get to see this spring, though, is Manny Banuelos. He looked very rusty in his two outings, but that's to be expected given the nearly two-year, elbow-related layoff. Although he has spent prior time at Triple-A, Banuelos could wind up in High-A Tampa's rotation to begin the year; the weather is much better in Tampa than it is in Scranton right now and it'd be preferable to have a guy who's coming off Tommy John surgery pitch in more ideal conditions. Once the weather improves up north, Banuelos could find himself back in the RailRiders' rotation.

After being optioned to minor league camp, Chase Whitleyis expected to be stretched out as a starter. Whitley does have experience as a starter, most notably pitching to a shiny 1.42 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .512 OPS in a four-outing trial at the tail end of last season. For whatever reason, Whitley didn't get claimed in the Rule 5 draft, so he'll get to show if he can continue his success in the rotation for Scranton.

Another option could be Vidal Nuno. Even though Nuno has pitched well this spring, he appears to be, at best, a bullpen option at the big league level. At the same time, I wonder if the team would be better off having Nuno in the Triple-A starting rotation so he can build up some innings; if one of the big league starters gets hurt, the Yankees would have a major league arm stretched out and ready to step in. Joe Girardi did say at the beginning of spring that David Phelps and Adam Warren will make the team no matter their role, so Nuno starting in Triple-A wouldn't be much of a surprise in that case.

Because of the injuries/rehab to Turley, Ramirez, and Banuelos, the outlook of the Triple-A rotation is somewhat of an unknown at the moment. Another prospect, Shane Greene, could possibly make the rotation, but for now it's unclear whether he'll start in Scranton or at Double-A Trenton (he did pitch well in 14 Double-A outings last season and has performed well this spring, so he could get bumped up to Triple-A). Either way, the Yankees may have to use some of the lesser-named minor leaguers (Caleb Cotham, Graham Stoneburner, Zach Nuding, etc.) to fill out the rotation in the meantime before the bigger-named prospects are ready to step in.

Around the Empire: New York Yankees News - 3/23/14

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Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

New York Post | Ken Davidoff: Alfonso Soriano had a great contract year back in 2006, so the Yankees will hope he does it again in 2014.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: The Yankees are learning what Masahiro Tanaka can do when he doesn't have his A game.

Fangraphs | Jason Collette: See where the Yankees center field depth chart, led by Jacoby Ellsbury, ranks against the rest of MLB.

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins:Corban Joseph is learning to play third base and outfield, and other notes from minor league camp.

Pinstripe Pundits | Chris Mitchell: Sizing up the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2014 season.

LoHud | Chad Jennings: The Yankees could make their decision on the rotation by Tuesday, but the bullpen might take longer.

The Times-Tribune | Donnie Collins: Chris Leroux has scrapped his four-seam fastball in favor of a slower sinker.

Fangraphs | Eno Sarris: See where the Yankees first base depth chart, led by Mark Teixeira, ranks against the rest of MLB.

MLB.com | Richard Justice: Even with diminished velocity, the Yankees need an effective CC Sabathia if they want to compete.

Yankees Prospects: Jose Ramirez will be moved to the bullpen

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Although Ramirez has power stuff, it was probably the right move to shift the right-hander to the bullpen.

In an interview with MLB.com, Yankees' GM Brian Cashman said that the team will move right-handed pitching prospect Jose Ramirez to the bullpen. Cashman noted that Ramirez's injury history was the reason why they decided to move the 24-year-old from the rotation to the bullpen.

Moving Ramirez to the bullpen shouldn't be too much of a surprise and is probably a move for the best. Just last season, Ramirez missed the beginning of the year due to "fatigue," while missing the final month of the season due to a strained oblique. He also re-injured the same oblique this spring while warming up during a game early on in camp. This all comes after previous troubles with his elbow and shoulder.

In 2013, Ramirez pitched to a 3.67 ERA and 4.63 FIP through 17 games and 73.2 innings split between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, though he pitched much better while with Trenton (2.76 ERA, 4.26 FIP) than he did with Scranton (4.88 ERA, 5.05 FIP). Ramirez' innings totals have also declined every year the last few seasons, going 115 IP in 2010, 103.1 IP in 2011, 98.2 IP in 2012, and 73.2 innings last season.

As a starter, Ramirez already had a power fastball that can get close to triple digits, and, theoretically, Ramirez could see an uptick in velocity now that he'll be a reliever. Along with the power fastball, Ramirez boasts a wicked change-up that could rank as one of the best breaking pitches in the organization. Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus had Ramirez as the Yankees' number two prospect this winter, noting that he has a chance to be a "high-leverage reliever, perhaps even a closer" if he can straighten out his command. Though it's a bit disappointing to see Ramirez not stick as a starter, at least we can dream of a late-inning bullpen in the Bronx that features the likes of David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Mark Montgomery, and Ramirez someday.

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