Yankees Get Gardner To Stay Awhile

Brett Gardner could have tested the free agent waters next year, but instead chose to stick around a little longer in New York. The Yankees and Gardner agreed to a four year contract extension worth $52MM on Sunday.

The Yankees went out of their comfort zone - they normally don't extend players that are already under contract - to get Gardner at a reasonable price.  GM Brian Cashman explained why.

"It's a demonstration from our end. We don't typically do this, but it shows the level of confidence, belief and trust in the type of person and player he is, and we're excited to know he's going to be part of this thing going forward."¹

While Cashman may be saying all the right things about Gardner, the terms of the contract also make the left fielder a viable trade chip in the future should any of the touted outfield prospects (Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, and Tyler Austin) pan out.  But Gardner wants to stay right where he is.

"I don't want to be anywhere else," Gardner told reporters. "There's no better place to play baseball than in New York. I've never been anywhere else. I got drafted here almost nine years ago, and I love it here. I love everybody in the organization, the coaching staff and all my teammates, and this is where I want to be."¹

While I don't necessarily agree with the length of the deal, it was a smart move by the Yankees, especially considering how much money they have tied up going forward in Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Masahiro Tanaka. By getting Gardner at a mere $12.5MM per year (there's a $12.5MM option in 2019 with a $2MM buyout), the Yankees will have more money to work with when players like Mark Teixeira come off the books.

Do The Yankees Have the Stones to Trade For Tulo?

Since the rumors began about a month ago that the Colorado Rockies might just trade their prized shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki, the wheels in my mind have been spinning. Would/could Tulo play for the Yankees and be the heir apparent to his idol, Derek Jeter?

Though the Rockies have denied any interest in dealing the 29-year old, it makes for interesting thought and conversation. The seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft is in the midst of a contract that guarantees him $134MM through 2021, with the possibility of earning an additional $11MM if the Rockies (or whomever) picks up a team option for the 2021 season.

Tulo is scheduled to earn $14MM in 2014, followed by five seasons at $20MM and the final completely guaranteed year at $15MM. The Rockies would have to pick up some of the salary, with the amount directly impacting the players sent in return. The $14MM for 2014 would fight nicely into the Yankees "budget" plans.

The Yankees, at some point, will need a long term solution for Derek Jeter. It could be as soon as this year or the 2015 season. There could be a scenario this season, much as there was last season, where the left side of the infield has no Jeter and no Alex Rodriguez.

Even if Jeter is perfectly healthy, he'll need some extra days off and/or time at DH in 2014. However, Tulo should not be the Yankees shortstop in 2014. Have I confused you yet? You should be able to see where this is going. One year of Troy Tulowitzki, third baseman. You could split his time between shortstop and third base, but that would be a lot to ask of someone that is in a new town, hasn't played one of the positions, etc., and is looking to replace the most popular athlete in New York.

Instead, you have Jeter play shortstop with a Brendan Ryan type backing him up. The goal would be to move Tulowitzki back to full-time shortstop in 2015 with A-Rod or someone else at the hot corner. Jeter, if he still wanted to play, would be relegated to part-time status or more of a utility role. And yes, that's a lot to ask of him, which is why he would probably walk away rather than accept the role.

There are plenty of complications to such a deal. Tulo will not come cheaply, no matter how much money Colorado picked up.  The Yankees would have to part with one of the three outfielders - Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin; a Major League player - David Phelps?, a top tier pitching prospect, and one of the Yankees catching prospects. That might not even be enough unless the Yankees picked up the bulk of the salary.

This is Jeter's team and the Yankees would be, in essence, starting the post-Jeter era. The St. Louis Cardinals tried to do it with Ozzie Smith and his heir apparent, Royce Clayton, and it proved to be a disaster. Of course Tulowitzki is on a level well above Clayton.

Would Tulowitzki make the temporary position switch to accomodate his idol, the reason that he wears #2 on his uniform?

Injuries..not the Captain's, but Tulo's. The California native has only played in more than 126 games once in the last four seasons.

There's plenty of positives though. A 10 year age difference to the positive. A player whose skills are better than Jeter's right now, both at the plate and in the field. A player that is signed for the next seven seasons. Imagine Robinson Cano and Tulo turning double plays year after year.

Is this all crazy? Of course it is. But, and this but is bigger than Prince Fielder's properly spelled backside, this is what the hot stove is all about. GM's talking, hypothetical trades discussed out, and the possible alteration of a team's future.

I say go for it. Now batting, number 22, Troy..Tulo-witzki.

Trenton Thunder Named Minor League Team of the Year

The Yankees Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder, came out on top in a fan poll for the top minor league baseball team. The team featured some of the top prospects in the organization - catcher Gary Sanchez, pitcher Danny Burawa, and outfielders Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott, and Tyler Austin.

The team also had rehab visits from Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez.

Below is the press release from the Thunder:

(TRENTON, NJ) MiLB.com, the official website of Minor League Baseball, has named the Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, "Team of the Year" following a three week online voting period this month. The honor is part of the annual "MiLBY" Awards which are presented by MiLB.com each fall.  

The Thunder were the champions of the Eastern League after earning the East Division Wild Card during the regular season.  Trenton got hot at the end of the year and finished on a nine-game winning streak including sweeps of the first place Binghamton Mets in the Eastern Division Championship and the Western Division Champs, the Harrisburg Senators, to earn the title. Trenton became the first team to sweep both rounds of the EL postseason since 1991. 

The title is the franchise’s third in its 20 seasons in Trenton, all under the watch of Manager Tony Franklin. In Franklin's seven years with the Thunder, he has led them to the EL Championship Series five times.   

MiLBYs are the end-of-season awards that honor the best players, teams and performances of the Minor League season. For three weeks, fans chose their favorites in 13 categories at milb.com. The official website of Minor League Baseball announces Fans' Choice winners as well as MiLB.com staff picks for the major awards.

Trenton is a finalist for two additional MiLBY Awards that will be announced on Thursday, October 31. The Retirement Party for Chase That Golden Thunder is a nominee for "Promotion of the Year" and a tribute video for Chase is up for "Mascot Clip of the Year".  

The Thunder will begin the 2014 season on at home on Thursday, April 3.  Season tickets, group outings, Pic-A-Plans, and Mini Plan renewals are on sale now.  For more information about tickets, fans should call 609-394-3300 or visit trentonthunder.com.

Thunder Bring the Thunder to Capture Eastern League Title

The Trenton Thunder celebrate the Eastern league title

The Trenton Thunder were not supposed to make it past the first round of the Eastern League playoffs. Not only did they advance, but they didn't lose a single game in capturing the third title in their history. The Thunder finished off the Harrisburg Senators 11-4 Thursday night to win the championship for the first time since 2008. (The Thunder's first title came the year before.)

The Yankees Double-A affiliate went up against the Mets' Binghamton squad in the playoffs opening round. The B-Mets won the league's eastern division by 12 games over the second place Thunder and were heavily favored to win the series, but Trenton got hot at the right time.

The Thunder rode a nine game winning streak into the playoffs and never let up. The tone for the series and playoffs was set in the first game of the first round. The Mets scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning to take a 5-3 lead, but the Thunder rallied with two outs in their final at-bat.

Jose Pirela doubled and scored on Gary Sanchez's single. Tyler Austin's infield single moved to pinch-runner Francisco Arcia into scoring position and it paid off when Casey Stevenson singled to tie the game. Ben Gamel brought Austin home with the game winning run with a single of his own to right field.  The Thunder's 2-out, 5-hit rally came against Mets closer Jeff Walters, who saved 38 games during the regular season.

Another nail biter followed in Game 2 with the Thunder's Mikey O'Brien and the Mets' Darin Gorski locked into a 1-1 pitcher's duel. It stayed that way until the 7th inning when Mason Williams reached on a 1-out single and scored the go ahead run on a 2-out double by Ali Castillo.

Tommy Kahnle closed things out for the Thunder in the 9th with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out after Blake Forsythe drew a 2-out walk.

The series moved on to Binghamton where the Mets hoped to get up off the canvas and rally, but the Yankees pitching staff would have none of it. Despite the fact they gave up 11 hits, starter Shane Greene and relievers Pat Venditte, Branden Pinder, Manny Barreda, and Danny Burawa kept the Mets off the scoreboard.

The offense, meanwhile, put two on the board in the 5th inning and another in the 7th. Reegie Corona and Castillo each picked up an RBI in the process. Burawa picked up the final four outs, three by strikeout, to clinch the series.

Harrisburg, Washington's Double-A affiliate and the western division's regular season champs, advanced to the finals in four games by defeating the second place Erie SeaWolves.

Trenton blew Game 1 open with a 5-run 3rd inning and cruised to an 8-2 win. Williams drove in two in the big inning with a single and later added a sacrifice fly. Nik Turley stuck out 10 over six innings to earn the victory.

The Thunder had to rally from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits to capture Game 2. Starter Bryan Mitchell struggled with his control and walked seven Senators, but Francisco Rondon, Burawa, and Kahnle kept Harrisburg in check over the final 3.2 innings.

Down a run in the 7th, Austin and Kyle Roller drew back-to-back 1-out walks from reliever Richie Mirowski. Another clutch hit by Gamel loaded the bases and Corono followed with a single of his own to tie the game at 4-4. Castillo hit a grounder to second baseman Rick Hague, but his only play to was to first base as pinch-runner Stevenson scored the go ahead run.

Harrisburg put two men on in the 9th, but Kahnle retired Billy Goodwin on a fly out and struck out Steven Souza to end the game and earn Rondon the victory. Just like Binghamton, Harrisburg returned home with the hopes of rallying from a 2-0 deficit, but the Thunder quickly put that idea to bed in Game 3.

Down 1-0 in the 3rd inning, the Thunder on a thunderous night back in their home state, scored five times to take control of the game. Senators starter Nathan Karnes put up a 3.26 ERA during the regular season and held opponents to a .224 average, but he wouldn't make it out of the 3rd inning Thursday night.

Like their playoff opening rally, the damage came with two outs. Williams started it with a 1-out single, but things didn't get going until Ramon Flores made the second out of the inning. After Pirela was hit by a pitch, Sanchez tied the game with a ribbie single.  A wild pitch put Trenton ahead 2-1 and Austin followed with an RBI triple.

Gamel's double made it a 4-1 game and the Thunder added another run after Karnes and reliever Matt Swynenberg combined to walk three straight hitters. Castillo and Pirela chipped in with home runs later in the game and the Thunder rolled to an 11-4 victory to give  Greene his second victory of the playoffs.. Pinder allowed an unearned run in the 9th, but with two on and two outs got Jeff Howell to fly out to Williams in center to set off the celebration.

Congratulations to the Thunder - GM/COO Will Smith, manager superba Tony Franklin, coaches Justin Turner, Tommy Phelps, and Luis Dorante, and the entire team and employees.

YCN: Mason Williams Rockets to the Top of the 2013 Yankees Prospect List

For some reason Yahoo has decided to move the Yahoo Sports contributor articles into Yahoo Voices, which doesn't get the exposure that the sports section does. That being said, I have written a new article, published in Voices, that details the Yankees top 10 prospects (determined by Baseball America) for 2013.

Mason Williams has been steadily moving up the ranks is number 1 this year. Gary Sanchez and Slade Heathcott are in the top 10 as well, while Dellin Betances and Dante Bichette dropped off from last year's list.

To see the full article, click here, and thank you.

Here's the list of the BA's top 10 Yankees prospects for the last decade.

Year	Player, Pos	2012 Org
2003	Jose Contreras, rhp	Phillies
2004	Dioner Navarro, c	Reds
2005	Eric Duncan, 3b	Royals
2006	Phil Hughes, rhp	Yankees
2007	Phil Hughes, rhp	Yankees
2008	Joba Chamberlain, rhp	Yankees
2009	Austin Jackson, of	Tigers
2010	Jesus Montero, c	Mariners
2011	Jesus Montero, c	Mariners
2012	Jesus Montero, c	Mariners

It Is High, It Is Far, etc.

Yesterday's performance by Phil Hughes was about as ugly as the weather the last two days. I saw more sweat stains than I care to remember.

Hopefully, it's a 2-game blip and the starting pitching gets back on track against the Mets this weekend. Sunday night's matchup between CC Sabathia and R.A. Dickey at Citi Field should be fantastic. In the battle of the initials, CC is actually the underdog right now. That's because of the amazing season Dickey is having for the Mets.

Dickey has thrown back to back 1-hitters, thankfully the hit in the second game was clean so there was no nonsense by the Mets organization trying to get it changed to a hit (the only worse recent performance was by Mets' fans who booed Jason Bay when he crashed into the wall and ended up with a concussion), and struck out double digits with his amazingly controlled knuckleball.

Notes


Tyler Austin, the hot hitting outfielder for the Charleston RiverDogs, will represent the Yankees in the Futures Game during the All-Star break. But if you are wondering how the top 10 rated Yankees prospects are doing, click here to read the piece I wrote for the Yahoo Contributor Network. Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Mason Williams, and more.

The Yankees hope Omar Rodriguez becomes one of the top 10 prospects in the near future. The 19-yr old Cuban and the Yankees agreed to a deal that I detailed in this Yahoo Contributor Network piece.