Yankees Continue to Spend Stupidly, Near 4-Year Deal With Headley

I got 52MM bucks

I've repeated it numerous times this offseason. The Yankees do not have a philosophy for building the 2015 team. They're avoiding giving big bucks to those who will help the team (i.e. David Robertson) one second, and in the next moment they are spending money in a ridiculous manner. It continued on Monday when media outlets reported that the Yankees and Chase Headley agreed to to a four-year, $52MM deal.

While $12MM a season is reasonable these days, giving Headley four years is not. This is a guy who has had ONE great season. It was a fabulous, MVP-type season. But he did nothing before it and he's done nothing since. Acquired at this past season's trade deadline, Headley had ONE good stretch as Yankee. He brings a great glove to the position, but having the left side of the infield as a complete good-glove, no-hit combo is not a good combo.

It is clear that Hal Steinbrenner does not want to spend money like his Dad. Which is fine, but spend it wisely. George made plenty of mistakes in that department too, but getting cheap on David Robertson isn't the way to do it. They should have used this money to lure back Brandon McCarthy. They overspent last year on Jacoby Ellsbury (by a lot) and Brian McCann.

This isn't the Kansas City Royals where it takes more than a decade to build a contender. This is New York and though the Yankees don't need to win the World Series every year, you at least want to be competetive.

The team still does not have a solid rotation due to injuries and uncertainities, and the lineup will have a hard time producing runs. Much of the issues comes down to Alex Rodriguez and, believe it or not, this is not his fault. The Yankees stupidly gave him a 10-year deal at an average of $27.5MM a year and it has completely hamstrung them.

This team is in disarray from top to bottom.

The 2015 Jeter-less Yankees - Who Are They?

The Jeter maze is probably easier to figure out than next year's squad.

This has not been a happy summer of Yankees’ baseball. It’s not helped by the fact that the summer is flying buy either. Football is around the corner and the final 1-1/2 months of the regular season is here. The Yankees semi-salvaged their road trip to Baltimore and Tampa Bay with a pair of wins this past weekend, but they enter Tuesday’s play a long 7.5 games behind the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles. They’re still in the wild card race (three games back of Detroit), but there are many others in the mix.

The fans are restless, bored, and unenthusiastic. It’s hard to blame them though. This current squad of Yankees has been turning in some dull efforts. It’s a team that can’t stay healthy, struggles to hit, and has a patchwork rotation.

It makes you wonder what things will be like next year. It will be the first Jeter-less Yankees team since 1995. (Yes, he had a cup of coffee with the team, but his impact wasn’t felt until a year later.) So the first thing to consider is:

Who will be the Yankees starting shortstop in 2015?

That is a difficult question to answer. There was speculation when Stephen Drew was acquired from Boston that the Yankees would try to re-sign him for next season to take over at his natural position, shortstop.

Earlier this year, it looked like Yangervis Solarte might be the answer. Then he flamed out and is now a member of the San Diego Padres.

All-Star Troy Tulowitzki, who wears the number 2 in honor of his idol, basically came out and said he wanted out of Colorado and would like to be the next Yankees shortstop. There are several problems with that, not the least of which is the guaranteed $118MM he is owed through 2021. He’s injury prone and in fact, underwent season ending surgery last week to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. At this point, how quickly he is ready to play next year is anyone’s guess.  Oh, and let’s not forget…he’s still a member of the Colorado Rockies.

The veterans that are potential free agents include the Dodgers’ Hanley Ramirez, the Nationals’ Asdrubal Cabrera, and the Orioles’ J.J. Hardy. The best option of the three is Ramirez, the former star with the Florida Marlins. Ramirez earned $16MM this year, a season in which his production has dropped off some from last year, when he suffered a shoulder injury. Ramirez will be 31 when next season starts. Health and wanting a long-term, big money deal are the drawback.

Cabrera’s numbers have steadily slid since his 2011 All-Star season and Hardy has just 7 HR in 112 games after having averaged 25 HR the prior three seasons.

Who will be manning second base and third base?

Things get really sticky here. Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner stated last week that he expected Alex Rodriguez to be back as the Yankees third baseman in 2015. Can you really see that happening? Despite the fact they owe A-Rod $61MM, do you really think they want to deal with the circus that will come to town with him? It’s odd not to think the Yankees will attempt to either buy him out or eat a chunk of his salary and deal him to a team like the Florida Marlins. A-Rod would be in his hometown area and maybe the Marlins would have a drawing card. For his part, A-Rod would probably like to return to the Bronx just to stick it to the team he feels conspired with Major League Baseball to get him suspended. He’s going to have to weigh that against a mixed reception from the fans.

Barring an unusual circumstance, Martin Prado becomes the regular second baseman. (Perhaps third baseman if A-Rod departs.) Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline, Prado has two years and $22MM left on his contract.

Free agent options for the two positions include Chase Headley, acquired at the deadline from the San Diego Padres. After a hot start, Headley entered this weekend with just eight hits in his last 47 at-bats, for a .250/.349/.375 slash line with 2 HR and 8 RBI in 20 games. His defense at third base, however, has been superb.

Pablo Sandoval is the biggest name among the pending free agents at third base, though his hitting has curtailed a bit the last couple of years. After making $8.2MM this year, “Kung Fu Panda” will be looking for a long term, big money deal.  He’s under 30-years of age, practically unheard of in the Bronx these days, and is a switch-hitter.

Among the second baseman that could become free agents are the Tampa Rays’ Ben Zobrist. The team will likely pick up his bargain basement $7.5MM option, but if they don’t, Zobrist will bring versatility to any team he joins. This season alone, Zobrist has played both corner outfield positions and both middle infield positions. The last two seasons, he has not shown the power or speed he had in previous years, but he could still put up 15 HR and 10-15 steals.

Will there be a healthy body in the starting rotation?

CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda. That’s a starting five that can go toe-to-toe with any starting five in baseball. But Nova never made it past April, Sabathia’s season ended on May 10, Pineda was out from April 24 to August 11, and Tanaka made his last start on July 8. The oldest of the group, the 39-year old Kuroda, is the only member of the staff to take his regular turn.

The Yankees traded for Brandon McCarthy and Chris Capuano, plugged in David Phelps and Vidal Nuno, called up Chase Whitley and Shane Greene, and gave a spot start to Esmil Rogers. The replacements have had their ups and downs, and have been the victims of a lack of run support too many times to count.

In a perfect world, Sabathia returns next season with a healthy knee (no microfracture surgery was needed), Tanaka avoids Tommy John surgery and is in the rotation from the get-go, and Pineda remains healthy. The final two spots in the rotation would be filled in with free agents, trade acquisitions, or free agents.  Nova would not likely return until at least the mid-season point.

The Candidates

McCarthy has been outstanding since joining the Yankees. Granted, it’s a small sampling, but as of his first six starts as Yankee, McCarthy posted a 2.21 ERA, 1.282 WHIP, and had allowed three home runs in 36.2 innings pitched. If the price was right, the Yankees certainly would be interested in McCarthy, who won’t be 31-years old until next July.

Phelps was up and down in his 17 starts before he landed on the 15-day DL with an inflamed elbow. He had put together five solid starts before his final two, when it became apparent there was an injury issue. He’s due to begin a throwing program this week if he’s cleared by the medical staff.

Manny Banuelos was expected to be in the Yankees rotation by now. But poor performance and then Tommy John surgery sidelined him from May, 2012 until April of this year. Still just 23-years old, the left-hander has progressed steadily as the season has gone on. Over a period of three starts from July 22 through August 1, Banuelos allowed one earned run and three hits over 14 innings for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.  Though he was hit hard his next time out, the Yankees moved him up to Triple-A Scranton, where he allowed one run and one hit over five innings on August 12. (Banuelos had control issues in his start yesterday.) If not at the beginning of 2015 season, Banuelos is a good bet to join the Major League squad at some point during next season. The question is, will it be as a starter or reliever?

The internal long shot would be Luis Severino, who is now considered by many to be the organization’s top pitching prospect. The native of the Dominican Republic will be 21-years old shortly after pitchers and catchers report to training camp. The six-foot right-hander has struck out 118 batters over 103 innings combined at Charleston (‘A’), Tampa (‘A+’), and Trenton. The most remarkable stat for such a young strikeout artist is that Severino has walked just 25 batters. That works out to a nifty 4.72 strikeout to walk ratio. Severino’s ascension may be slowed for the remainder of the season – he’ll return tonight after being out 10 days with an oblique injury.

Free agency will see some heavy duty price wars for the services of left-hander Jon Lester and last season’s AL Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer.  Royals’ ace James Shields and Seattle’s steady right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma lead the next level of starters, many of whom will wait to see what the top guns get before agreeing to deals.

With all the money the Yankees have tied up in players with questionable health right now, it’s hard to see the team making a push for Lester or Scherzer. Iwakuma would probably be the cheaper option of the tier 2 pitchers.

Does D-Rob return?

Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman better be sure he has enough money in the pot to bring back free agent closer David Robertson. “D-Rob” has done an outstanding job in his first full season as Yankees closer, a job made even more difficult by being the replacement for Mariano Rivera. The native Alabaman has saved 33 of 35 chances and averaged a career high 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

The 29-year old earned $5.215MM this season and will get a substantial raise next season.  His departure would be a huge blow to the Yankees pen. (Many fans feel Dellin Betances is ready to step into the role already due to his 13.4 K’s per nine innings.  But this is Betances’ first full season in the Majors and it shouldn’t be assumed he’s ready for the 9th inning role.)

Who will be Brian McCann’s backup?

Francisco Cervelli has been solid as McCann’s’ backup. With injuries to McCann and first baseman Mark Teixeira (McCann has filled in), Cervelli has seen his playing time increase since he returned from the disabled list in mid-June. He’s hit .296 with an .825 OPS in 98 at-bats. The Yankees need to decide whether it will be Cervelli, John Ryan Murphy, who backed up McCann while Cervelli was out this season, veteran minor leaguer Austin Romine, or if will be a wild card entry to share the catching duties next season. With Gary Sanchez and others on their way up the ladder, one of the many Yankees’ catchers could be dealt in the offseason.

Can the Yankees trade Mark Teixeira?

Your guess is as good as mine. Teixeira has had one injury after another this season after missing most of last year with a wrist tendon injury. He’s been decent when he’s played - .768 OPS, 19 HR, 52 RBI in 87 games – but his status is nearly questionable every day.  Teixeira has two years and $45MM remaining on his contract beyond this season. He’s also got a no-trade clause in his pact. Barring a financial arrangement of some kind, Teixeira is in New York for the next two years.

Will the Yankees make the playoffs in 2015?

I have no answer for that. There are a lot more questions about next year’s team and so far, not many answers. A healthy team would be a good place to start.

Steinbrenners to Introduce GeorgeCare

A view you may not see again this year.

Yankees' Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner announced earlier today that the team is rolling out new healthcare legislation, "GeorgeCare", due to the rash of injuries the team has suffered this season. The new legislation will allow the Yankees to carry a 50-man active roster and fans will receive rebates every time Matt Thornton pitches or Kelly Johnson bobbles a ball at first base.

All kidding aside, the Yankees are a physical mess right now and there is no hope in sight for a healthy turnaround.

The death knell to the season may have come when it was discovered that Masahiro Tanaka had a slight tear of his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL). Tanaka will be out a minimum of six weeks, and Tommy John surgery has not been ruled out of his future.

The injury leaves Hiroki Kuroda as the only starting pitcher left from the five man rotation the Yankees hoped to trot out to the pitcher's mound.  CC Sabathia has been out since mid-May due to a degenerative knee injury; Michael Pineda was DL'ed on May 6, when he felt pain in the area below his right shoulder, and Ivan Nova, who looked to have returned to his 2011 form in the second half of last season, went down early to Tommy John surgery. And then the big blow to the season came with the loss of Tanaka, who was among the league leaders in all positive pitching categories.

Unless a decision is made prior to that, if Tanaka needs surgery and doesn't have the operation until August or September, there goes the entire 2015 season and probably part of 2016.  For now David Phelps, Shane Greene, and Brandon McCarthy are in the rotation, along with Kuroda. But who will be joining them?

Chase Whitley started out fantastically, but crashed back to Earth in his last three starts (17 earned runs in 10.1 innings pitched). He did pick up the win in relief on Wednesday when the Yankees topped the Indians 4-2 in 14 innings.

Left-hander David Huff has pitched fairly effectively out of the bullpen and is a former starter, though he has only started six games since 2011.  (Two with the Yankees last year and four with the Indians in 2012.)

The Yankees added another left-hander to the mix Friday when they acquired Jeff Francis from the Oakland A's for a player to be named later. Francis had been designated for assignment on July 3 after he had allowed nine earned runs in 13.1 innings pitched. Francis pitched through shoulder pain for the Colorado Rockies in 2008 and missed the entire 2009 season after he underwent shou7lder surgery. He's never regained the effectiveness he had in 2006-2007, when he averaged 15 wins and a 4.19 ERA, with his home games played in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

The Yankees lineup is suffering too. Carlos Beltran has been a walking disaster area. He missed time due to a bone spur in his elbow and a strained hamstring.  Then during batting practice on Wednesday, Beltran fouled a ball into the cage. It ricocheted back into his face, causing two small facial fractures. He was placed on the 7-day disabled list to check for a concussion as well. So far, the three-year deal given to Beltran is a complete bust.

The trade deadline (July 31) will be coming up before you know it. The Yankees always go for the gold, but do they sell instead this year? If their still floundering in three weeks, it might be for the best to try to deal some players. David Robertson will be a free agent after this season. He can always come back, so why not trade him to a team willing to pay a heavy price for one of the better relievers in baseball.

Though his hitting hasn't been tremendous, Brian Roberts has stayed healthy and could be traded for a minor prospect or two. See if Hiroki Kuroda is willing to waive his no-trade clause. Perhaps a reunion with the Los Angeles Dodgers could be in the offing.

Who should build/rebuild this team?

You never know when injuries will strike, but there's a greater chance with older players. Combined with the lack of top prospects at the top tier of the farm system, and you can see why it maybe time for Brian Cashman and the scouting department to be under more scrutiny. Cashman has been creative, at times, in building a team, but the putrid play the last two seasons have shown that maybe it's time someone else was the team's foreman.

Greene Baseballs and A Ham

Shane Greene has waited for this moment since he was selected by the Yankees in the 15th round of the 2009 MLB amateur draft. Sure, he's had a cup of coffee, a very tiny cup, in the Majors already. That came on April 24 when he put on the Yankees' road greys with a  #39 on the back and strode out to the mound against the Boston Red Sox. It didn't end well.

Greene only got one out, walked three batters, and allowed three unearned runs. Well, at least his ERA is still 0.00. Tonight the Yankees are counting on Greene to last a lot longer than that when he makes a spot start against the Indians in Cleveland. Hopefully there will be no midges.

This would have been Vidal Nuno's start, but the lefty was dealt to Arizona on Sunday for Brandon McCarthy. With McCarthy on his way, it was just logical for the Yankees to grab Greene for one start. The 25-year old has made 15 appearances this year, 13 of them starts, for the Triple-A Scranton RailRiders. His 5-2 record, 4.61. and 1.583 WHIP means the Yankees will have a long man ready early to back him up.

Greene opened some eyes last year, when he made 26 starts (plus one relief appearance) between Scranton and Double-A Trenton. His combined sub-4.00 ERA, 1.328 ERA, and better than eight K's per nine innings gave him a legitimate shot to be a call-up this season. His command issues and more than a hit allowed per inning caused a professional setback.

But Greene can open some eyes again tonight with solid start.

Oh, the ham? That would be the Indians' Nick Swisher.

Yankees Trade For Brandon McCarthy. Is Anyone Cheering?

So a little while ago a friend texted me and others that the Yankees traded Vidal Nuno to Arizona for Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy. The reactions were What? Why? LMAO. No, no one thinks the Yankees needed to hold on to Nuno. But Brandon McCarthy?

While at first I had forgotten that McCarthy is no longer a fly ball and thought the Yankees were acquiring a Phil Hughes "arm doppelganger", my opinion is still that he's not a good pitcher. (I'm being nice there)

This season McCarthy is tops in the National League in hits and earned runs allowed. His 5.01 ERA and 1.377 WHIP, and 15 home runs allowed (second worst of his career after only 18 starts) are too many crooked numbers, to paraphrase ol' Jim Kaat. Throw in a -0.5 WAR and you can see why no one is doing cartwheels.

There are some positives. The Diamondbacks, for unknown reasons, are paying the remainder of McCarthy's $10.25MM salary and $1MM assignment bonus. McCarthy has rung up a career high 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings and has walked just 1.6 batters per game. Of course, you can't walk batters when they are too busy getting hits off of you.

McCarthy's best years came when he called the very pitcher-friendly Oakland A's (Oakland-Alameda County Colisuem) ballpark home. He led the AL with a 2.86 ERA in 2011, the first year in which he converted from getting fly balls to getting hitters to keep it on the ground. (While getting ground balls is better in Yankee Stadium, the Yankees infield defense could cost McCarthy some outs.) He also had a solid 2012 season with the A's before a line drive to the head caused serious injuries and ended his season early. In the offseason he departed Oakland for a free agent deal with the lowly Diamondbacks.

His numbers in his first year in the desert were only slight better than this season. A 4.53 ERA, 10.7 hits per nine innings, compared to 10.8 this season, and a .325 BAbip  (Batting average on balls put in play). This year, hitters have a .347 BAbip against McCarthy.

While the right-hander's numbers are worse at home, his road figures aren't much better.better. And remember, that 5.01 ERA is primarily against National League teams, which in essence fields an eight man lineup. (You might even consider it seven batters the way the eight man in the order gets pitched around to get to the pitcher.)

A few things factored in McCarthy being acquired by the Yankees. 1.) The Yankees have no Major League talent ready to help in the rotation. 2) The Yankees don't have the prospects to deal for a better pitcher. 3.) See 1 and 2.

McCarthy is an upgrade over Nuno, but nothing to get excited about.

Pitchers Must be Protected

Scenes like this need to be prevented.

If you didn't watch the live telecast of the Toronto Blue Jays - Tampa Bay Rays game, you may not want to watch the replay of Blue Jays' pitcher J.A. Happ take a line drive off his head.

The sound itself was horrible - Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey described the impact as sounding like the ball had been hit by two bats; the actual swing by Desmond Jennings and then the collision with Happ's head. I was grateful the camera shot was from behind Happ rather than from behind home plate.

It was unsettling to watch the fear on the faces of players on both teams as Happ fell to the ground, bloodied on the left side of his head, and stayed there until the he was stabilized and carted off the field. Happ was taken to the hospital for precautions and kept overnight. He was released earlier today and said he was in "good spirits".

How long Happ remains out remains to be seen. He appears to be luckier than Brandon McCarthy was last season when he was hit by a comebacker while pitching for the Oakland A's. It resulted in a skull fracture that required surgery and a six day hospital stay. McCarthy missed the last month of the season and playoffs, but he's back this season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As a Yankees fan, I automatically think of the Yankees-Red Sox game back in 2000 when the Yankees Ryan Thompson hit a line drive into the face of Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie. It was a horribly bloody injury that compromised Florie's vision. He got back to the Red Sox the following season, but was released after seven big league appearances and then bounced around the minor leagues until he called it quits in 2007.

So what do you do? Pitchers can't wear helmets. Do you put some kind of insert in the cap similar to those used by batters as a pre-cursor to batting helmets? (McCarthy pointed out that neither Happ nor he would have been protected by an insert).

ESPN's Buster Olney was on Michael Kay's radio show Wednesday afternoon and mentioned that Major League Baseball is looking at some kind of insert, perhaps kevlar, for the caps. He emphasized that the league has to look into the impact on a pitcher's mechanics and comfort level.  Any kind of head gear would probably need to be tested in the minors first and with the generation of players that will arrive in the Majors soon. Just like the NHL did when helmets became mandatory, the current players would probably be grandfathered in to the old rules giving them the choice to wear some kind of protective head gear.

Whatever the league comes up with, something needs to be done soon. The number of incidents of pitchers being seriously injured has increased and it would be sad if nothing was done until, God forbid, someone suffered a fatal injury.

Cano Needs No Reminders of 42

Robinson Cano doesn't need to be reminded of the importance of Jackie Robinson to the game of baseball and to the African-American community. The Yankees number 24 was named after the baseball great, whose career numbers don't reflect his stature or his courage.

Cano, who switched to 24 (42 in reverse) to honor the former Brooklyn Dodger, is the most important hitter on the Yankees right now. His bat was a big influence again in last night's 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Yankees sixth victory in their last seven games.

With the Yankees down 2-0 in their first interleague game of the season (I won't get into the ridiculous idea of playing an interleague game in the first month of the season), Cano stepped to the plate with two men aboard in the 4th inning against AZ starter Brandon McCarthy.

Moments later the Yankees had a 3-2 lead when Cano's fourth home run of the season sailed over the right-center field wall. It was all that Ivan Nova and the Yankees bullpen would need, though Eduardo Nunez added a sac fly RBI in the 7th inning for the 4-2 final.

Outside of an 0-3 performance in Sunday's series ending victory over Baltimore, Cano has been a house of fire. His 19 hits in 31 at-bats (.613) have included the aforementioned four home runs, four doubles, and 11 RBI. He also walked three times and scored seven runs. Cano's current OPS is an appropriate 1.042.

One of Cano's favorite days of the baseball season is when he gets to don the Yankees jersey with 42 on the back. In the last five games that Cano has worn the number he has gone 9-19 with four home runs and eight RBI.

“That guy opened the door for us,” Cano said of Robinson. “It’s amazing to get a chance to wear 42 that day. It’s one of those fun days in the big leagues.”  - NY Daily News

Cano's heroics helped out Ivan Nova, who struggled in his first start in 11 days. After he got away with some pitchers left up in the zone early in the game, the Dbacks scored a pair of runs in the 3rd inning when they loaded the bases. Things could have been worse, but Nova hung tough after he allowed a sac fly to Miguel Montero and an RBI single to Cody Ross.

Nova's 72 pitches through the 3rd inning continued a bad trend however,  and it will come as no surprise to anyone (except maybe Nova) if one day David Phelps supplants the former 16-game winner in the rotation. Phelps has become the Yankees newest version of Ramiro Mendoza- good enough to start, but so valuable out of the pen as evidenced by the four shutout innings he threw on Saturday to keep the Yankees in the ball game.

Speaking of the bullpen, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera combined for the last 12 outs of the game and allowed just one hit. Rivera picked up his third save of the season.

Notes

The Yankees honored the city of Boston in the third inning by playing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" over the Stadium loudspeakers. The song is a mainstay of Red Sox games and other Boston sporting events.

It's only April 17, but going into tonight's game with Arizona, newcomers Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner, and Vernon Wells are all hitting over .300. For a team that wasn't supposed to hit home runs, the Yankees have the fourth highest total in the Major Leagues with 19.