Despite Win, A Horrible Year For The Yankees Continues

Carlos Beltran with his wife Jessica and daughters Ivana and Kiera in happier times.

The Yankees topped the Tampa Bay Rays tonight, 3-2, but it's hard to find much joy due to the sad news that was released tonight.

Carlos Beltran announced on his Facebook page that his wife had a miscarriage and they had lost the baby son she was carrying. It would have been the family's first son.

Below is the statement from Beltran in Spanish and the English translation, which could be slightly incorrect.

La vida me acaba de quitar la bendición de tener mi primer hijo (varón). Conozco de Dios y vivo agradecido por todas sus bendiciones como mi bella familia, amigos, fanáticos y mi carrera. Todo es y será en el tiempo perfecto de Dios y así mi esposa y yo lo aceptamos. Gracias por el cariño y los mensajes. 

The life of me just take the blessing of having my first son ( man ). I know God and I am grateful for all his blessings like my beautiful family, friends, fans and my career. Everything is and will be at the time, a perfect God and my wife and i accept this. Thank you for the love and the messages.

Beltran had left earlier in the day in what was described as a "personal matter".

My condolences to the Beltran family for their tragic loss.

Yankees Must Now Address Right Field

The Yankees should fly Byrd to New York

When the Yankees signed Carlos Beltran to a three year, multi-million deal this past offseason, they expected a 25 HR, 90 RBI season from their new right fielder. What they didn't expect was for Beltran to be limited to designated hitter duties to a balky right elbow that may eventually lead to surgery.

For now, Beltran has begun throwing again, but is limited to the designated hitter role. Even if he gets cleared to play the outfield, it will be on a limited bases. Right now, Ichiro Suzuki is the right fielder. Kelly Johnson is on the DL with a groin strain and Zelous Wheeler has a little outfield experience. Yes, the Yankees need an outfielder, preferably someone who can play right field.

The possibilities:

Most teams aren't making deals since they are within close range of either the division leader or the two wild cards. But there are some teams ready to bite the dust.

Josh Willingham
The Twins are one of those team that are quickly descending back to the AL Central basement. The 35-year old had fabulous back to back seasons with the A's and Twins in 2011-12. But injuries limited him to 111 games last year and he missed three-quarters of May this season. His OPS is a modest .770, but his .412 slugging pct. is a vast improvement from last year.

Willingham is a free agent after this year and would be owed the remainder of the $7MM he's set to earn this season. The drawback is that Willingham has primarily been a left-fielder in his career. He has 35 games of experience in right field and that all came in the 2009 season, while he was a member of the Washington Nationals.

Had Beltran been healthy, Kendry Morales would have been a good acquistion from Minny to fill in for the much injured Mark Teixeira.

Marlon Byrd
The Phillies are "phading" fast - they enter Thursday's play 15 games under .500. The 36-year old (these guys are the perfect age to be a Yankee) has played 98 games in right field this season. The much traveled Byrd - he's been with seven organizations in the Major Leagues (and more than once as a member of the Phillies)  - has put up a .796 OPS with 19 HR and 58 RBI in 387 at-bats.

The drawback is that Byrd is owed $8MM next year with the possibility of a vesting option in 2016 (also at $8MM). The Phillies will get more in return in if they eat some of the contract, but they already have a ton of money owed to several players. So far, the rumor is that the Phillies are asking for too much in return.

Alex Rios
The player that was once compared to Dave Winfield is a conundrum. A two-time All-Star, a player let go off recallable waivers, 25 home run power one year and just four home runs in 97 games this year.

It's hard to believe Rios is 33-years old. It seems like yesterday that he was an up and coming five-tool athlete with the Toronto Blue Jays. Rios was an All-Star in 2006-7 and hasn't been since. Toronto signed him to a six-year, $64MM extension prior to the 2008 season. But after a solid, but not upper tier season in 2008, the Blue Jays put him on waivers during the 2009 season. At the time his production had dropped off more and the Blue Jays must have been regretting the contract extension they gave to the then 28-year old.

They could have pulled Rios off of waivers and tried to make a deal with the White Sox, but they simply let him go and allowed the White Sox to assume the rest of the contract. He had just a .530 OPS in 41 games. But he bounced back the next season with 21 HR, 88 RBI, and 34 steals. For the most part he did well with Chicago, but was dealt to Texas last August (after clearing waivers) for Leury Garcia, a light hitting infielder.

This season, Rios leads the AL in triples and has 16 stolen  bases. He has a $13.5MM team option for next season, which no team will exercise. He sprained his ankle a few days ago and has been unable to play, though the team does not think a DL trip is necessary. Rios is a risk, but at the right price, one worth taking for a handful of months.

Drew Stubbs
Stay away from the Colorado Rockies outfielder. The 29-year old once stole 40 bases in a season, but doesn't hit. His .297/.335/.498 slash line and 10 home runs in 82 games is merely a product of playing his home games at Coor's Field. Stubbs road line is .229/.277/.343.

There you have it
And sadly, that's about it. I would love for the Yankees to pick up  Jay Bruce, who has having an off-year. While the Reds might be willing to dump his salary, the Yankees aren't likely to pick up more. ($25.5MM guaranteed with the potential of $12MM more.) The Reds would also demand a king's ransom for him. Marlon Byrd should be the top target in this flip-a-coin reality.

The Yankees also need to address starting pitching, but let's solve one crisis at a time.

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.

Another Night, Another Boring Yankees Game

Derek Jeter is hoping to end this season with a smile

While the current Yankees team doesn't remind anyone of the 1962 Mets, there are some reminders of the mid-1960s, broken-down Yankees squads, as well as the Bomberless Bombers of the late 1980's and early 1990's.

They're tough to watch. They're a team that's missing three starters in their rotation and a fourth, who in no way resembles the pitcher that was the Yankees' ace last season.

The starting lineup, which has been among the most potent in baseball since the championship dynasty that began in the late 1990's, struggles on a nightly basis to score runs. Joe Girardi is getting next to no production from the majority of the lineup. And there's no help on the way.

So how do you improve this squad so that Derek Jeter's final season isn't the first in his career where the Yankees didn't make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons?

 Right Field
This has been a natural disaster area. Actually, it might be man-made. Carlos Beltran was to be the regular right fielder until his elbow felt like it was going to explode from a bone spur. Medication, rest and rehab, and a three-week stay on the disabled list has Beltran slotted into the DH spot with a return to right field nowhere in site.

Meanwhile, Ichiro Suzuki and Alfonso Soriano are shells of their former selves. Ichiro started the season out with a hot bat. Through May 23, the 40-year old was hitting .373 with an .857 OPS. Since then, he's gone 21-91 (.230) and had a .584 OPS for June.

Soriano was on fire last season after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs. He smacked 17 home runs and drove in 50 runs in just 58 games. His combined totals added up to 34 HR and 101 RBI in 151 games. but the 38-year old has not looked sharp all season. Sure, there's a game here or there where he shows flashes of his prime years or even last season, but the 38-year old has the worst OPS (.632) of his career.

Soriano is in the final year of the eight-year deal he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2007 season. The Cubs are paying $13.2MM of the $18MM Soriano will earn this season. Ichiro is in the final year of a two year deal the Yankees gave him after the 2012 season.

With the reports that the Houston Astros' computers were hacked into, came news that the Yankees tried to deal Ichiro to Houston back in March. According to reports, the Yankees were willing to eat $4.5MM of the $6.5MMM owed to the Japanese native.

So money should not be an issue, but finding a taker for one or both broken bats will not be easy.

With Beltran only able to swing a bat, who could man the area that has seen Ruth, Maris, Reggie, and O'Neill excel? Good question.

 The Infield of My Discontent

We all knew that the infield this season was filled with older, injury prone/plagued players. It's an infield that hasplayed poor defense and hasn't produced much offensively.  Jeter and first baseman Mark Teixeira came back this season from major injuries that limited them to almost no playing time last season.

While Jeter enters Friday's game (vs. Minnesota) with a .271 batting average and a .325 on-base percentage, his slugging percentage is an anemic .329. He's lost more range in the field, which is natural when you're 40, but he's made mental mistakes that you would expect from a rookie rather than a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Brian Roberts has played in 73 games thus far. That's the most games he's played in the first half of the season since, 2009. The 77 games he played with Baltimore last year was the most playing time since then. Roberts has occasionally shown some flash with his bat - he had a game tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning against Tampa Bay this past Monday - but has a .664 OPS. That's a mere 10 points higher than Jeter's.

Teixeira has been been banged up a number of times this year. In addition to soreness from last season's wrist surgery, Teixeira had a 15-day DL stint due to a strained hamstring. He's also had fluid removed from his knee and strained his back. When he's played, Tex has been fairly productive. An .810 OPS is highlighted by 15 home runs and a .342 OBP. He also has a team high 41 RBI, but his five errors in 62 games is a defensive anomaly. Teixeira hasn't committed five errors since he had five total in 153 games in 2008.

Kelly Johnson brought versatility and power to the Yankees, but he hasn't shown much of either. Due the construction of the roster, Johnson has served as a backup to Teixeira. With next to no experience at the position, Johnson has made a number of critical errors. His bat hasn't been much better; Johnson entered Friday's play with five home runs in 165 at-bats and a sub-.700 OPS.

Yangervis Solarte was the biggest surprise of the first half...up to a point. Solarte was a longshot to make the team out of Spring Training, but was chosen over veteran Eduardo Nunez. Through the team's first 16 games, the 26-year old rookie looked like a polished veteran. He put up a 1.007 OPS and drove in nine runs during the 16 game opening stretch. Then he went into a slump and most people, myself included, thought it was the beginning of the end for him.

His slash line read .284/.382/.420 after the Yankees beat the Rays 9-3 on May 3. But then Solarte went on a nine game tear that saw him go 15-31 to raise his line back to .336/.414./.521. His three home runs and 10 RBI during his hot streak gave him back his instant legend aura. After the Yankees fifth straight loss on July 2, Solarte's line read ..260/.343/.393 and he got a ticket to Triple-A Scranton. A .164 batting average in June and eight errors will do that to you. The Yankees brought up fellow rookie Zelous Wheeler to try to get some more punch in the lineup.

Like Solarte, Wheeler joined the Yankees organization this year and will be making his Major League debut. The 27-year old rookie was hitting .299 with 7 HR and 31 RBI in 66 games.

 Not Catching On

I was skeptical when the Yankees signed Brian McCann to a five-year deal that guaranteed $85MM. I thought that the length of the contract and the amount of money (McCann can vest into a sixth year at $15MM) was too much. But I still thought the former Atlanta Braves' backstop would be productive. He's done a good job behind the dish, but not so much when he's in the batter's box.

His two hits and a home run yesterday (7/2) still left him with a .658 OPS. Though he has 10 home runs, he's knocked in just 37 runs and hit .248 with runners in scoring position (RISP). McCann, of course, is not alone in not performing with RISP.

Backup John Ryan Murphy did a decent job, but was sent to Scranton to get more playing time once Francisco Cervelli came off the DL. He's only played in five games since his return, but Cervelli is just 2-10 and 5-26 on the season.

 Pitching a Fit

His name is Masahiro Tanaka; without him the Yankees would likely be in last place in the American League East. The Japanese native has been nothing short of outstanding and yet he still enters his start Friday night (against former Yankee Phil Hughes) with a two game losing streak. Tanaka has been more than anyone could imagine and he needs to stop the Yankees skid to start the current road trip. Overall, he is tied for the AL in wins (11) and complete games (3), leads the league in ERA (2.10), and is among the best in the AL in strikeouts (127).

Everything after Tanaka has been a crap shoot.  Hiroki Kuroda, Tanaka's fellow countryman and the star of last year's staff, has been unable to produce any consistent results this season. His 4.08 ERA and 1.244 are career worsts, as is his hits per nine innings (9.4). Before wearing down in the final month of the season, Kuroda was a legitimate Cy Young candidate in 2013. At age 39, he suddenly looks a lot older.

Kuroda has allowed four or more earned runs in four of his 17 starts. In addition, he's allowed three earned runs five times. While that doesn't sound bad, keep in mind that Kuroda has pitched past the 6th inning just once in those five starts.

With Ivan Nova out for the season after Tommy John surgery and CC Sabathia (threw for Double-A Trenton Thursday night, but woke up with knee pain and went for an MRI) and Michael Pineda likely not back until August, Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi have had to work with a patchwork crew. Left-hander Vidal Nuno (2-5, 5.42, 9.9 hits her nine innings) looked very good in his short stint with the Yankees last season, but has struggled all year. The Yankees could be very close to removing him from the rotation.

David Phelps has struggled with location and it has shown in his numbers. He'll look dynamite some nights and awful on others. He's also been a victim of the Yankees sloppy defensive play. Phelps has decent strikeout numbers, but his propensity to walk or hit batters has to stop.

Chase Whitley was the "new Aaron Small", a player who seemingly came out of nowhere to contribute. Whitley was 3-0, 2.56 after his first seven starts, six of which turned into Yankees wins. But perhaps the league is starting to catch up with the 25-year old. One week after he limited the Blue Jays to two runs and five hits in five innings, Whitley got pounded by Toronto to the tune of eight runs and 11 hits in 3-plus innings. That was followed by a five-run, eight-hit start that lasted just four innings against the Boston Red Sox, who have struggled to start runs all year.

 The Bullpen is Mightier Than the Sword
For the most part, the Yankees bullpen has been a Godsend. David Robertson has made a nice transition from late inning set up man to closer. He's converted 18 of 20 save opportunities and has averaged a notable 15.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The big development in the pen has been the emergence of Dellin Betances. Once a top starting prospect, Betances struggled and was moved to the pen. He's been excellent and earned Girardi's trust to be brought into high leverage situations. The tall right-hander has 76 strikeouts in 48 innings.

Adam Warren has been solid all year, though it's not great that he's appeared in almost half of the Yankees games. He's averaged 8.5 K's/nine innings. Matt Thornton has done very well against left-handers, while Shawn Kelley has struggled since he returned from the DL.

The pen hasn't been as good of late, but that's because the starting pitchers have not given them enough rest.

 What to Do?

That's another good question. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury have been the only two Yankees to put up consistently good offensive numbers. So where's the minor leaguers we keep hearing will help?

Outfielder Zoilo Almonte did a nice job during a call up last year, until an injury cut his season short. He was brought up earlier this season, but was never given much of a chance to get at-bats. At Scranton, Almonte is hitting .273/.318/.461 with 12 HR and 43 RBI in 61 games. But Almonte can't be called up until the Yankees can clear out Soriano and/or Ichiro.

Utility player Jose Pirela could eventually see some time if Johnson or Brendan Ryan are jettisoned. The 24-yr old has an .809 OPS with 7 HR, 13 doubles, 4 triples, and 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts.

The Yankees won't get any help from the starting staff at Scranton (not that he was going to call recalled, but starter/reliever Al Aceves was suspended 50 games for failing a "drug of abuse" test.)

The Yankees have reportedly been looking long and hard at the Padres' Chase Headley...again. Headley had a bust out season two years ago when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 115 runs, but has been pretty much a bust since. Last year Headley's OPS dropped nearly 130 points from the year before and he produced just 13 HR and 50 RBI. The now 30-year old has produced a .605 OPS through 64 games. Look elsewhere.

The Yankees can scout plenty of players right now, but every team will command a king's ransom. It's still too early in the season with so many teams in contention for wild card spots. In another two to three weeks, when it gets closer to the trade deadline, Cashman will need to do some heavy shopping.

Yankees Aim To Give The Captain One More Ring (D4A)

Key Acquisitions: Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann

Key Losses: Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson

The 2013 New York Yankees season was rife with poor performance, injuries, moves made in desperation, steroid allegations, and a roster of maybes, has-beens, and never-weres. Owner Hal Steinbrenner wanted general manager Brian Cashman to get payroll under control so that the team would fit under the 2014 luxury tax threshold of $189MM. With injuries and payroll cuts, sub-par players like catcher Chris Stewart and journeyman infielders like Reid Brignac and Luis Cruz littered the 25-man roster last season.

Manager Joe Girardi did his best to push all the right buttons, but many days he simply ran out of buttons to push. The team managed to rack up 85 wins and finished in third place the AL East, but their record fell well short of a playoff appearance. It was just the second time since 1995 that the Yankees missed the post-season.

With Derek Jeter's announcement that this will be his final season, the moves made by the Yankees this off-season could give him one final chance to add to his championship ring collection (He has five).  More importantly, Jeter needs to remain healthy after ankle and quad injuries limited him to 17 games in 2013.

The Yankees upgraded at catcher when they signed veteran Brian McCann to a five-year deal worth $85MM. The former Atlanta Brave hit 20 or more home runs during the last six seasons and should enjoy swinging at the short porch in right field this year.

Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, a member of the Boston Red Sox 2013 World Series championship, was persuaded to put on the pinstripes with a seven- year deal in excess of $152MM. (The deal could earn Ellsbury close to $169 if the Yankees exercise an 8th-year option.) There's no question that the Yankees overpaid for a player who has missed more games than he has played in two of the last four seasons and suffered a calf injury during the current Spring Training season. But, if healthy, he can steal 50 bases and hit 10-15 home runs.

Read the rest of the preview for Free at Designated For Assignment

Sterling's Spring Training Starts Now

Pitchers and catchers don't report until February 14, but I can imagine that at this very moment John Sterling is in his home, sitting in front of the fireplace in a navy blue pinstripe suit, Chivas Regal in one hand, DVR remote in the other. He faces his 50" flat screen TV and watches highlights of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Brian Roberts, Carlos Beltran, abd Kelly Johnson hitting home runs. Occassionally a tear rolls down his cheek as he realizes he'll no longer say, "Robbie Cano, don'tcha know!".

He jumps around, setting his sights on one particular image and brainstorms new home run calls. "What words rhyme with the names? Are there any old Broadway references/ Is it something I can sing? Have I used it before? I got caught last year doing that. I can't let it happen again."

Just then Jacoby Ellsbury, clad in a Boston Red Sox uniform, hits a pitch into the Fenway Park bullpen.

"It is high, it is far, it is gone..Ohhh Ellsbury Fields Forever!" Hmmm..maybe. He pauses the recording, puts down the remote and scribbles the possible call on a pad of paper.  Remote back in hand, he skips back to the beginning and watches Ellsbury's home run again.

"Jaco-by hit that to Nairobi..no, no maybe not. Jaco-by using the force like Obi-Wan-Kenobi. Instant classic!!!"

Brian McCann, wearing his long time Atlanta Braves uniform, steps to the plate on the plasma.

"Oh, Brian..making the pitcher cryin'.....Oh, Brian lost that baseball like we lost a Mayan...hmmm, too obscure?"

"McCann just gained a fan! That would have to be after another call. Wait! Guys and Dolls."
"Can do Can do, McCann says his bat can do" He pauses the television and quickly grabs his cellphone to call Suzyn Waldman. He begins to sing his modified Broadway tune. Soon he and Suzyn are singing together, then break into "Luck Be a Lady" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat".

Sterling hangs up the phone. A satisfied look on his face, with a "McCann Can Dance still in his bag of tricks, he refills his glass and pops on video of Roberts. The light bulb immediately goes off - Mr. Roberts, Hank Fonda...a Broadway and movie classic, but not a musical. Damn it, so close. "Sterling loses, Sterling loses."

Undeterred, the modern voice of the Yankees watches Carlos Beltran appear on screen. "That's it, I'll go back to Roberts. Too many Brians. "Burn Baby Beltran..no, no, no..sorry Bernie.  Carlos puts the belt in Beltran...hmmm, maybe. It is high, it is far, it is gone! Carlos "Danger" Beltran. No, no that could cause more problems. And Beltran ra-an, he ran so far away-ay-ay, he touched home plate today. Ah, those Flock of Seagulls. What an '80s band. Suzyn will never get that one though. This is tough. I have to think about it more."

On to Johnson. "When he goes back to back, I can use back to back and a belly to Kelly! Yes, it's gold! But what about when he hits one alone. Kelly, he hit that one to Carnaegie Deli. Okay, I can save that for tape measure shots, but what's the sure thing? KJ made the ball yell May Day. That's it. Pure genius! The right blend of cornball and obscurity.  I've got to pack up and get down to Tampa early to try these out."

No matter who plays on the Yankees this year, you can bet that John Sterling will be well prepared with a pocket full of home run calls. Let's just hope he has plenty of them to call for the Bronx Bombers.

10 Christmas and Hanukkah Gifts for 2014 Yankees and Their Fans

It's December 26, a day to return that ugly sweater your Aunt Betty gave you, get greeting cards at half off, drink 12 pots of coffee to stay awake, drink eight bottles of water to try to push out the 3 tons of sugar you ingested in the last 72 hours, decide how many days it will be until you finally take down your Christmas lights and get rid of your tree, and start to prepare for the new year.

With that in mind here are 10 items the Yankees need and will hopefully receive in 2014:

1. A healthy Derek Jeter. It was strange enough knowing that Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte were retiring after the 2013 season, but to see the Yankees captain play two more games (17) than he did in 1995 was mind boggling.  A healthy Jeter and his leadership will be a big asset to the 2014 squad.

2. Masahiro Tanaka says "Hai (yes)" when asked if he wants to sign a Yankees contract. After much deliberation the Rakuten Golden Eagles decided to allow Tanaka to post out to play in the Major Leagues. A team, hopefully the one in the Bronx, will pay a $20MM fee to Rakuten and many more millions to Tanaka to take the mound every fifth day. Ironically, Tanaka's fellow countryman, Hiroki Kuroda, is currently wearing Tanaka's #18 on the Yankees. The six-year MLB veteran has always worn 18 on both the Dodgers and Yankees. Tanaka would look good sporting #19, previously worn by pitchers Bob Turley and Dave Righetti.

3. Alex Rodriguez loses his suspension appeal.  Yes, yes, I know many of you support A-Rod and don't think he deserves more than a 50 game suspension. But if the royal pain misses one season, the Yankees can adjust their roster better for the future. You also know that many of the fans that support him now will be the same ones booing him if he returns and doesn't do well.

4. Jacoby Ellsbury has a huge year to make everyone forget there are still another six years on his contract. A gross overpayment, though not as gross as the contract Shin-Soo Choo signed with Texas.

5. CC Sabathia re-learns how to pitch with stuff that's not as fast or sharp as it used to be. An elbow cleaning and a ton of innings and pitches thrown seemed to catch up with the big man last year. The good thing is that CC always knew how to be a pitcher and not just a thrower. The Yankees need him back to, at the very least, 90% of his former self.

6. Mark Teixeira stops trying to pull everything from the left side and becomes a more complete hitter again. Tex has been banged up the last few years, including his disastrous 2013 campaign that ended with wrist surgery. His numbers have dwindled since he came to New York prior to the 2009 season, primarily because he's become pull happy when he's batting left-handed. Here's to him laying off breaking balls in the dirt. He'll still hit plenty of "Tex Messages"

7. The Yankees somewhere down the line in 2014, find a real solution at second base rather than the good power/mediocre hitting Kelly Johnson, and the walking disabled list, Brian Roberts.

8. David Robertson or whoever is at least 75% of the closer that Mariano Rivera was. No one can be Mariano, and everyone knows that, but the fans need to give the bullpen a chance to sort things out and to remember that saves are not an (almost) automatic any more.

9. John Sterling comes up with more corny, ridiculous, and ill-conceived home run calls for the new players the Yankees have brought in. I can't substantiate these, but Sterling could be using:

"Ellsbury Fields forever."
"McCann got all of his shoes into that one."
"Report to the home run deck Mr. Roberts." Accompanied by an  homage to the Henry Fonda 1955 movie. "It was a classic Suzyn!"
"Carlos Belt and Ran."

10. A reason to make Joe Girardi switch to #29 in 2015. You can figure that one out.

Beltran Gets His Stripes

Carlos Beltran was re-introduced to the New York media Friday morning, wearing the 36 he wore his first two years in baseball with Kansas City. It was the final pre-season task as part of the three-year, $45MM contract the Yankees and the veteran outfielder agreed to.

The questions and answers were, for the most part, run of the mill, but there were some exceptions. Beltran chuckled when asked how he thought his reception would be wearing the Yankees unifrom in Queens, where he played for six-plus sesasons with the Mets. Beltran hoped the fans remembered how hard he played for them, but he figures there will be a mix of cheers and boos.

He was also asked how he felt life might have been different had the Yankees signed him to a free agent deal before he decided on becoming a Met. His answer made me chuckle - "They (the Yankees) were having some issues with the salary cap and I needed to do what was best for my family/" - Yeah, it was that last part that got me. Because as you know seven years and $119MM is barely enough money to take care of your family.

Back to being genuine - Beltran when queried about age, talked about how hard he works, how much he cares about the game, and the results he's produced the last two seasons. It's good to hear, because the Yankees are really going to need him to be the best Carlos Beltran he can be.

YES' Michael Kay and Bob Lorenz talk to Carlos Beltran after the press conference. When Beltran was in Kansas City he mentioned that Bernie Williams was his favorite player growing up. He reiterated those feelings on Friday.
    

Beltran to Be Introduced Friday Thanks to a No Thank Choo

Jessica Beltran tweeted this picture on Wednesday of herself, husband Carlos, and children Ivana (standing) and Kiara back in the Big Apple.

Carlos Beltran will be introduced to the media at 11 a.m. Friday morning after he and the Yankees officially put their signatures on the dotted line of a three-year deal worth $45MM.

The press conference comes on the heels of news that prior to agreeing to terms with Beltran two weeks ago, the Yankees had offered Shin-Soo Choo a seven-year, $140MM deal. Thankfully, Choo said no. It would have been a much worse deal than the seven-year overpayment that the Yankees gave to Jacoby Ellsbury.

Someone really needs to show the Yankees how to negotiate.  The style of "hmm, they offered five years and $75MM..tell you what -your name here - we'll give you seven years for $140MM", does not really work out in the long run.

Scott Boras has been peddling Choo as an on-base machine to try and substantiate a $20MM per year contract. Choo reached base at a career high 42.3% last year in addition to hitting 21 home runs and drew 112 walks. (His previous high in base on balls was 83). Not that it's a true marker of ability or performance, while Ellsbury has made just one All-Star team, Choo has never been voted or selected to the July classic. Choo is a very good player, but he's not a great player.

So rebuked by Choo, the Yankees powered full steam ahead to wrap up Beltran, who had spent 6 1/2 seasons in New York as a member of the Mets. Beltran took to Twitter back on December 10 to announce that he would wear #36 as a Yankee. It's the number he started his career with in 1998-1999 with the Kansas City Royals. Beltran wore 15 for much of his career and donned the #3 with St. Louis the last two seasons. With both numbers retired in the Bronx, he decided to go back to his numerical roots.

Despite playing on creeky knees last year, Beltran still hit .296/.339/.491 with 24 HR, 84 RBI, and 79 runs scored. The days of stolen bases are over for the player who averaged 37 swipes a year from 2001-2004, but he'll cut down on the Yankees strikeouts per game quite considerably. He fanned just 90 times last year in 600 plate appearances.

Time to Take a Look at the Yankees Bank Account

With the addition of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Brian McCann, and the return of Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees purse strings have tightened up a bit.

So far this is roughly the impact of the players under contract on the luxury tax:

Derek Jeter: $12.81MM
Alex Rodriguez: $27.5MM
Mark Teixeira: $22.5MM
Alfonso Soriano $4MM
Vernon Wells: $0
Brian McCann: $17MM
Jacoby Ellsbury: $21.857MM
Carlos Beltran: $15MM
Hiroki Kuroda: $16MM
Ichiro Suzuki: $6.5MM
CC Sabathia: $24.4MM
Kelly Johnson: $3MM
Brendan Ryan: $1.6667MM

Add in about $11MM for insurance and the Yankees total, with A-Rod, is $183.233MM. Suddenly the luxury tax limit of $189MM is crushing. Since there is no immediate resolution to A-Rod's appeal hearing the Yankees have no choice but to operate as if the lightning rod will be part of the 25 man roster in 2014.

That means that if the Yankees have less than $6MM to spend and need 12 more players on the roster. Which is the reason the Yankees are shopping Ichiro Suzuki and Brett Gardner. The big ticket free agent signings are over for this year and the Yankees will now need to look to trades, from within the organization, and minor free agents to fill out the roster. Should one or both outfielders get dealt it could create an opening for Zoilo Almonte, who had impressed the Yankees the last two spring trainings and in 34 big league games.

Among the players still to be added to the roster are:

Ivan Nova
David Robertson
Shawn Kelley
Brett Gardner or a replacement if dealt.
Francisco Cervelli or Austin Romine
A left-handed reliever (possibly Cesar Cabral)
A 4th and 5th starter - one of which may come from David Phelps, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno, or Michael Pineda. If Pineda is healthy he would be the ideal choice.

That would still leave four roster spots, five if they release Wells even though he has no luxury tax impact. If Ichiro is dealt, probably for low level prospects/non-prospects, that would take $6.5MM off the books. Gardner is arbitration eligible and would like get $3.5MM - $4MM.

The Rumor Mill

A report came out on Monday that the Yankees were looking into Twins free agent and ex-Met starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. To say the reaction from the fans was pure rage would be an understatement. Letting Phil Hughes walk and replacing him with Pelfrey would be utter nonsense. (I'm keeping it clean)

The Indians are reportedly shopping Justin Masterson who made over $5.6MM last season and is arbitration eligible. Masterson made his first All-Star appearance this past season and you can expect he'll get a healthy increase, one that would be out of the Yankees range of spending.

Beltran Replaces Cano in Pinstripes

Trading Places: NY Edition

After seemingly out of the Carlos Beltran free agent sweepstakes, the Yankees have reportedly signed the veteran outfielder to a three-year, $45MM deal. Obstensibly, Beltran and Alfonso Soriano would split time between RF and DH if the Yankees stick to their public statement that Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury would start off the lineup as a pair of table setters.

Beltran was a member of the NL pennant winning St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 after he put together his eighth All-Star season.  He finished the year with 24 HR, 87 RBI, and an .830 OPS. The switch-hittter, who will be joining his sixth organization, has built a remarkable post-season resume. The native of Puerto Rico has hit 16 home runs and driven in 40 runs in 51 post-season contests, with an 1.128 OPS to boot.

Beltran's defense is not above average as it once was and neither are his knees, but he could fill some of the void created when Robinson Cano bolted for the Seattle Mariners earlier on Friday. The Yankees now have six outfielders on the Major League roster- Gardner, Ellsbury, Beltran, Soriano, Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki.

Wells will likely be released since he has no impact on the team's luxury tax. Suzuki is owed $6.5MM and doesn't have much left in his bat. He'll be difficult to move and the Yankees could very well be stuck with him. At the very least they would have to pay half his salary if they find a suitor.

I originally thought Gardner might be dealt when Ellsbury was signed, then I read the front office wanted the pair setting the table  in the 1-2 spots in the order. However, Gardner may still be used to acquire a starting pitcher wtih the Yankees possibly relying on a youngster like Zoilo Almonte.

The Yankees said they would spend a lot of money this off-season, but I'm not so sure how wisely they're doing it. Perhaps at the trade deadline the Yankees can deal A-Rod back to Seattle for Cano.

Feinsand: Ellsbury and Yankees Agree to 7 Year-$153MM Deal

I tried to keep my head from spinning after I heard CBS Sports' Jon Heyman report that the Yankees and free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury were close to a seven year deal. Now comes word from the NY Daily News' Mark Feinsand that it's a done deal worth $153MM pending a physical on Wednesday. Perhaps it's a leaked rumor to get Robinson Cano into a panic mode since he and the Yankees are still well apart in negotiations or the Yankees are simply moving on.

Ellsbury is a very good player..when healthy. He missed all but 18 games in 2010, was limited to 74 games in 2012 and missed 28 games this past season. He was an AL MVP candidate in 2011 when he hit 32 home runs, drove in 105 runs, scored 119, stole 39 bases, put up a .928 OPS, and had a league high 364 total bases.

The 30-yr old has led the league in steals three times including this past season when he swiped 52 in 56 attempts. With Alfonso Soriano set to play left field, this could spell the end of Brett Gardner's days in pinstripes or a possible demotion to the fourth outfield position.

According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, Ellsbury's deal includes an eighth year option with a buyout that could bring the total to $169MM. There will be a $21.86 hit on the luxury tax. Passan still feels the Yankees can still get Cano on board as well if he lowers his demands. The Yankees are reportedly still pursuing Shin-Soo Choo and are out of the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes.

Things just got a whole lot crazier.

Update 10 pm: Getting more torqued thinking about this deal. The Yankees supposedly won't budge off the $160MM, 7 years they've offered Cano, yet they are willing to give a very good, but not great player almost the equal amount.

I don't want to hear about Cano not busting it down to first base, he's a superior player to Ellsbury with the bat and with the glove. He's also played at least 159 games in the last six seasons.

NYDN: Yankees Pushing Hard For McCann and Beltran

At the GM.Owners meetings in Orlando Florida, Yankees head honcho Hal Steinbrenner told reporters the Yankees were going to be aggressive in pursuing free agents to vastly improve the team for 2014.

According to the New York Daily News' Mark Feinsand, the Yankees are doing just that. The Yankees are reportedly pushing hard to sign veteran catcher Brian McCann (this surprised me) and outfielder Carlos Beltran (no surprise).

The Yankees aren't alone in their pursuit though. The Texas Rangers are highly interested in McCann and at least a half-dozen teams, Texas included, have expressed an interest in Beltran. Should the Yankees be able to quickly sign one or both free agents, it will give them a better handle on how much money they can allocate for Robinson Cano, Masahiro Tanaka, and others.

I'm not for signing McCann since I don't believe the Yankees should commit to a three year or longer contract.

Yankees Need A Year Without A-Rod To Re-Boot

Whether you support, condemn, or are indifferent about Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees would be better off without the controversial slugger and the millions he is owed for 2014. Because of the Steinbrenner's initiative to get the 2014 salary below the new $189MM luxury tax max, the Yankees won't have a lot of wiggle room to construct next year's squad with or without A-Rod.

With Derek Jeter's recent one-year, $12MM deal, the Yankees have about $80MM (You have to include approximately $11MM for insurance and other associated costs - costs) to fill out the remainder of the roster for next season. That's not much money to bolster the starting pitching, get an upgrade at catcher, get a starting outfielder, and strengthen the bench. Imagine how much easier it will be to accomplish that feat if A-Rod's luxury tax impact was reduced to $2.5MM from its current $27.5MM.

Below are the seven Yankees under contract with their current adjusted salaries based on the amount used to calculate the luxury tax. Even though Vernon Wells is owed approximately $2.4MM by the Yankees, nothing goes towards the luxury tax since the Angels are picking up over $18MM of his 2014 salary. Which should also make it easier to move the one-time All-Star somewhere else. 

The luxury tax impact of the seven signed players is $97.71MM.

Derek Jeter $12.81MM
Alex Rodriguez $27.5MM
Mark Teixeira $22.5MM
Alfonso Soriano $4MM
Vernon Wells $0
Ichiro Suzuki $6.5MM
CC Sabathia $24.4MM

I'll now construct the rest of the team with the assumption that A-Rod will not be part of the 2014 squad. That means that I have about $107.5MM to work with.

The other elephant in the room besides A-Rod is Robinson Cano, the topper in this year's free agent class. The front office is reportedly interested in free agent second baseman Omar Infante as a possible substitute should they lose their best player and it's also been reported that they have initially "kicked the tires" on Reds' second baseman Brandon Phillips. (When a rumor spread about two weeks ago that Phillips might be on the trading block, I knew it was just a matter of time before we would all hear the Yankees might be interested.)

The Yankees have to do their due diligence in case they do lose Cano to another team, but they are also trying to send out a little scare to the Dominican native that they might go elsewhere if the free agent's asking price is too high.

10 years and $300MM is what Cano is supposed to want; he won't get it from the Yankees or any other team. 7 years? That's a possibility, but it's still unlikely to be at $30MM annually.  That being said, it is not likely that another team signs Cano, so I'll go with the notion that his 2014 paychecks will add up to $27.5MM and will be paid for by the bank of Steinbrenner.

Just like that, I am back to the $80MM figure and seven players on the 25 man roster. Time to add some players, so I'll hand out new one year deals to the following players (Amounts are guesstimated):

Brett Gardner $3.5MM (arb eligible - made $2.85MM in 2013)
Ivan Nova $625K (pre-arb eligible - made $575.6K in 2013)
David Robertson $5MM (arb eligible - made $3.1MM in 2013)
Shawn Kelley $2MM (arb eligible - made $935K in 2013)

That leaves about $68.875MM in the company's vaults. With A-Rod out of the picture, I sign Mark Reynolds to a one-year, $5MM (2nd year option for $7.5MM with a $2MM buyout) to play third base and to back up Mark Teixeira at first base. $63.875 left in payroll and I haven't addressed the starting rotation or catcher spot yet. (The Yankees are also considering the possibility of bringing back Eric Chavez, who spent last season with the Diamondbacks.)

Austin Romine looked good in the second half of the season and will hopefully be fully recovered from the concussion he suffered in September.  He's my backup catcher and will make the league minimum of $500K. That's a $10K increase from 2013 as laid out in the collective bargaining agreement and 13 players on the 25-man roster.

As for the starting catcher position, I’m cutting ties with Francisco Cervelli. Youngsters John Murphy, Gary Sanchez, etc. aren't ready for the big leagues yet, so the Yankees need a veteran catcher. There are three primary free agent catchers that will garner the most attention. Atlanta's Brian McCann, Chicago White Sox' A.J. Pierzynski, and the Boston Red Sox Jarrod Saltalamacchia. None of the three are necessarily the answer to the Yankees' needs.

McCann and Saltalamacchia will be looking for long term deals, while the soon-to-be 37-year old Pierzynski would be more of a stop gap measure. McCann is by far the best hitter of the trio. He has 20 or more home runs for six straight seasons and averaged 21 over the last eight years. McCann has an .823 lifetime OPS, but was under .700 two years ago and a tad under .800 this past season. 

He had surgery in October, 2012 for a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that impacted the 2012 season and didn't return until early May this year. Having made $12MM last year, McCann will most certainly looking for a 3-5-year deal that averages out to that amount or higher. The Yankees shouldn't commit to that.

Saltalamacchia had a career best .804 OPS in 2013 for the World Champion Red Sox, but prior to that was a below average hitter with some power (25 HR in '12). He's a decent game caller, but base runners go wild on him - opponents stole 89 bases in 110 tries when Salty was catching last season. His bat is too unreliable to give him multiple years.

The Yankees reportedly have concerns about Pierzynski's overall defense and a player who has thrown out 25% of runners for his career isn't going to get better as he approaches 40-years of age. Pierzynski's timing was perfect in 2012 when he had one of the best offensive seasons of his career (tops in HR, OPS, and RBI), but nonetheless he had to settle for a one-year deal. His OPS nosedived more than 100 points in his first season with Texas this past season, most of it due to a precipitous drop in slugging pct.

I would also avoid another free agent, Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies catcher had the best year of his career offensively in 2012, but then was suspended 25 games to start the 2013 season for amphetamine use. He'll be 35 when the season starts and will be looking for an increase over the $5MM he made in '13.

So if the Yankees don't go with one of the main three, where do they turn? The Yankees should look short term/stop gap and they can look at someone who formerly donned the Pinstripes, Dioner Navarro. The Venezuela native will turn 30 shortly before Spring Training and is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career (13 HR, .300/.365.492 split). The free agent made $1.75MM last year with the Cubs, and could be had for $2.5MM - $3M annually. Navarro is average at throwing out base runners, but at that price, go for it. He'll come a lot cheaper than Pierzynski, though I'll keep the veteran on the back burner as "Plan B".

With the $3MM I am generously giving to Navarro that leaves $60.375MM as I turn my attention to the starting rotation.

Where does the rest of the starting rotation come from? A lot will depend on whether or not Hiroki Kuroda decides to return. He made $15MM last year and was the ace of the staff, save for the month of September when he ran out of gas. Kuroda already turned down the Yankees qualifying offer of $14.1MM and general manager Brian Cashman has stated he has had no indication whether Kuroda wants to play in the Major Leagues in 2014.

With the qualifier turned down, Kuroda will be looking for more than the $15MM he earned last season. The Yankees are reportedly willing to give a minimal increase, so I'll sign Kuroda for $16.5MM for 2014. (I would rather let him walk at that price, but I see the Yankees getting that type of deal done.)

All right, that leaves $43.875MM in the coffers and two rotation spots yet to fill. There have been several reports that the Yankees are going to go all out to get Japanese native Masahiro Tanaka. First, MLB and the Japanese Baseball League have to work out some things with the posting system. According to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, MLB is trying to lower the amount of money sent to Japan. As you would expect, the new strategy has been met with much resistance.

Whenever an agreement is reached, the bid on Tanaka is supposed to be higher than that of current star Yu Darvish and former Red Sox World Series champion Daisuke Matsuzaka. The good news is that whatever system they came up with, the posting bid will NOT count against the luxury tax. So let's say the Yankees win the bid to negotiate a contract with the 25-year old. Darvish's deal with Texas paid him $5.5MM in 2012, $9.5MM in 2013, $10MM for the next three years and $11MM in the final year of the six year deal.

I'll say the Yankees create a similar deal that will pay Tanaka $7.5MM in 2014, $10.5 in 2015, etc. We really don't care about the (likely) three years to follow that.  That's four pitchers in the rotation and $36.375MM with one starter still needed.

The Yankees could go with Michael Pineda for the final spot, with competition from David Phelps and Adam Warren.  Manny Banuelos could provide competition at some point, though it's not likely he'll be guns blazing in Spring Training after having gone through Tommy John surgery in October, 2012. I am going to assume that it's all systems go with Pineda and give him $550,000 to lower what's left to $35.825.

Should the Yankees not bring back Kuroda and/or lose out on Tanaka, they are rumored to be interested in free agent Ubaldo Jimenez, who had a 1.82 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 84 second half innings in 2013.

Before I go anything further, since there's no luxury tax impact, I am going to get rid of Vernon Wells while I can. His tank keeps getting lower and lower to the point that the needle is just about completely on "E".

Okay back the bullpen, which currently has Robertson and Kelley, Phelps, Warren, and lefty Cesar Cabral gives the team five decent to very good pitchers. The combined salary for the latter trio is $1.525MM

What to do with Eduardo Nunez? The average bat, great speed, can't-keep-his-helmet-on, stone-handed fielder suddenly looked like an All-Star when he manned third base for 13 games in September. He had his best month at the plate with an .808 OPS and committed two errors in 120 innings. However, he still was under .700 for total season OPS. He turns 27 in the middle of next season, but he should be wearing a different uniform at the time.

So who does back up the infield? Brendan Ryan, that's who. Until you see a guy every day you just can't appreciate how well they can or cannot play. In Ryan's case, his fielding was even better than advertised when the Yankees picked him up last season. He has tremendous range, great footwork, and a hell of an arm. The drawback, of course, is that he cannot hit. I mean he really can't hit. His lifetime .619 OPS looks like a mistake, but in this case, you think it would be lower. But the Yankees don't need him to hit; they need him to get every baseball to his left or right or right at him and throw a runner out. A two year deal at $2.5MM per year should do it. (He made over $3MM in 2013, but that ain't happening while I am GM....)

I'm down to $40.59MM and need two outfielders. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported earlier today that the Yankees have their radar aimed squarely on Carlos Beltran. The 36-year old has been a post-season phenomenon and hasn't been too bad during the regular season either. Beltran made $13MM each of the last two seasons. If the Yankees land him, it will take (IMHO) $15MM per year for two guaranteed years. The biggest question will be if Beltran wants to return to the city that he had his ups and downs across town?

The Yankees also have an interest in Shin-Soo Choo, but different sources have his agent, Scott Boras, seeking to top Hunter Pence's 5-year, $90MM deal or Jayson Werth's 7-year, $126MM contract. The latter is absurd, as was Werth's deal, so I wouldn't count on seeing Choo in a Yankees uniform.

Therefore, Carlos Beltran, I give you this check for $15MM and lower my checkbook balance to $25.5M. We got our starting infield - Teixeira, Cano, Jeter, Reynolds; our starting outfield - Soriano, Gardner, Beltran; a veteran catcher, five starting pitchers, five relievers, and a bench of Ryan, Ichiro, and Romine.

I'm going to add Zoilo Almonte to the outfield mix at the Major League minimum, and that leaves three spots open. D-Rob is a great reliever, an even better person, but I don't have the faith in his durability to make him the closer. His arm doesn't respond well to back to back outings, so I am going after another free agent to close. The closer I have in mind is Joe Nathan, who turned down the Texas Rangers option to become a free agent. I highly prefer him over another free agent, Fernando Rodney, despite the latter's success the last two years.

Nathan made $7MM annually the last two seasons with Texas. I am going to hand him a 2-year, $20MM deal, possibly containing an optional third year/buyout.  Plan 'B' would be to try to reacquire Rafael Soriano from the Washington Nationals.

I've got about $17MM to fill the last two spots on the team - another guy for the bullpen and another player for the bench.

There you have it. In my fantasy baseball payroll I even get to go home with extra money.