DALLAS KEUCHEL HAS MANY SUITORS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE YANKEES?

All winter I have been watching Dallas Keuchel and waiting to see what kind of deal he gets. While others are on Manny Machado watch...I'm over it. Actually, I don't think I was ever really in it. I'm all about the pitching. I was hoping Santa was going to bring me another starting pitcher for Christmas and not necessarily Keuchel. Maybe I wasn't good enough. Or maybe the Yankees just don't think any other pitchers are good enough.

Who knows. The only thing I do know at this point is that Keuchel is still available, and someone should snatch him up soon, or eventually. Once Keuchel realizes that he isn't the 5-year / $100 million dollar deal he is hoping to get and more likely to get a deal similar to what Jake Arrieta got last year.

Keuchel has interest from "at least" eight teams, read more HERE, none of those teams were ever rumored to be the Yankees. I've never been interested in giving Keuchel a five-year deal. I just don't think he is worth that kind of commitment, especially not after signing J.A. Happ at a max of three years. But why not Keuchel at three years or even an option for a fourth if needed? I'm sure teams would be comfortable with three to four, but not five.

On paper the Yankees have five starters, but you can never have too much pitching. Maybe I am still thinking about this because I am not completely sold on the rotation. I like the addition of James Paxton, but aside from that the Yankees have the same rotation. Hopefully that's enough to make the Yankees successful again in 2019.

Keuchel is an attractive option for teams because he is an accomplished pitcher. He was the 2015 AL Cy Young winner, 2017 World Series Champion and a good ground ball pitcher. As attractive as that looks, he's also pretty inconsistent.  He's not the same pitcher from 2015 when he won 20 games. Last season he went 12-11 in 34 starts and had several occasions where he had issues pitching out of the first inning. He hasn't been the same pitcher since 2015, that guy would be worth a five-year deal if he maintained those numbers the last three seasons, but this Keuchel is not worth five years. If I were an interested team, I would be leery also.

It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Keuchel will get. I think he's risky and he's asking for too much, but would you expect anything less with a Scott Boras client?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

DON'T RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITHOUT A CONTRACT FOR ROBERTSON

Source: elitesports.com

The Yankees should be concerned about potential injuries to their players, particularly their starting pitchers whose track records to the DL are rich with history.  Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and new Yankee James Paxton all have had their share of injuries each year and so yet another reason to enlist another starter and an even deeper bullpen.  But, instead, they seemingly are waiting to see what will be left in the bank account once they eventually sign Manny Machado, which does seem inevitable. And waiting to see what's left could leave us without the difference makers in the bullpen.

Source: MLB.com

According to SNY, "the club is reportedly working on revamping its bullpen according to a tweet from Jon Heyman. Heyman states that the club is still in contact with Zach Britton, Adam Ottavino and David Robertson. FOX Sports' Jon Morosi adds that the Red Sox are also involved in Ottavino discussions."  The Sox appear to also have an interest in Robertson who has said he would like to be a closer.  Give the job to him.  He's earned it.  Why can't he be the closer?  Does it have to be Aroldis Chapman, who has also seen the DL more than the average pitcher?

Source: NY Post

As alarming as it would be to lose Robertson, it would be absolutely awful to see him go to the Red Sox or across town to the NY Mets.

"Robertson has let people know he'd prefer to pitch in the Northeast, but the problem is that he's probably going to command a three-year deal for slightly more than the $30 million the Mets committed to Familia. Still, if the Mets aren't going to spend big on A.J. Pollock to upgrade their center field situation, as Van Wagenen indicated last week, they really should load up and build a monster bullpen," reported SNY.

Source: NY Post

Give the job to Robertson.  Not so he doesn't leave, but because he's shown he's capable.  Then, sign Adam Ottavino and say good bye to Britton.  Don't ring in the New Year without a contract for Robertson.  Just don't!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @Suzieprof

PUMP THE BREAKS ON MACHADO

Look, I am so tired of the speculation when it comes to Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.  Freaking relax.  If Manny wants to come to the Bronx, I think we all know the decision's coming... especially after the meeting with the Yanks and then the Phillies.  I don't believe anything I read until the deal is finally done.

As far as Bryce Harper... it's been publicly reported and came from the mouth of Cashman that they aren't pursuing him. That's it.  It's 2 high level Free Agents and that's a ton of money. Are we really gonna do these long term contracts again? Stop it... all of you.

This is not even worth reporting, but I'm doing it to make a point.  And this is something that we do from time to time on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Some sports writer named Dan Clark Tweeted this:

Have heard that the #Yankees, #Phillies, and #WhiteSox have all made their final offers to Manny Machado, and it is indeed New York where he’ll be heading. Announcement expected early-January.

— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) December 28, 2018

Now a few things here.  First all, everyone on the planet knows that offers from the White Sox, Yanks and Phils are in.  Everyone knows this.  So that's nothing knew. The next part is madness.

And so, be cautious.  Why? Because all the writers and some of us fan writers run in the same circles and many of us would have heard a whiff of this information if this is actually true.  But NO ONE has. No one. Just Dan Clark...and Clark's not an insider... Clark's literally a sports writers alittle above where I am. And I rarely report guesses at BYB.

Even Yahoo Sports mocked him a bit with their article...

"One writer says Manny Machado is set to join Yankees, though no one else has confirmed"

Tim Stebbins is right.  You can't go out there and make stuff up just for clicks.  But here's the reason why Dan Clark did it... because he won't lose either way.

If he's right, he looks like an insider. If he's wrong... it's just a "rumor" gone bad and life goes on.  But this is what it REALLY is... irresponsible. Why? Because it's a guess and it gets everyone into a tizzy. I would have had more respect for him if he just said, "If I had to guess, with all the info I've been reading, I would think Manny's coming to the Bronx."

You know what? I'll do it...

"If I had to guess, with all the info I've been reading, I would think Manny's coming to the Bronx."

Stop making up garbage and just give the fans the facts until it happens.  Everyone wants to be first. Everyone wants followers... it's all garbage.

JOSH HARRISON ON THE RADAR AGAIN...OR SOMETHING

Remember when the Yankees liked Josh Harrison of the Pirates a while back? We first reported about this interest back in December 2017 when we wrote:

YANKS NEED 1 PITCHER... AND AN INFIELDER APPARENTLY

Now it looks as though that rumor is back. Or maybe it's just Jon Heyman trying to get clicks for Fancred… whatever the hell that is. Heyman tweets:

Josh Harrison, very good super utility player with plus 39 DRS at 2B/3B, has interest from Nats, Reds, Rangers, Giants, Brewers, with Yanks, Phils, Dodgers potentially in play, depending on the big guys

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 27, 2018

I literally have nothing more to add to this other than to give you that piece of information and remind everyone that pitching is the priority here.

Carry on...

NEW TEAMS FOR ROBERTSON ARE EMERGING

To be honest, it's disappointing that I've seen nothing really about the Yankees and David Robertson getting together again. It sucks actually.

Photo: USA Today Sports

Other teams that I'm reading about are the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels. They seem to have a real interest in the reliever who... is representing himself as agent this off season.  I'm not kidding.

Red Sox via New York Post:

"...the Red Sox have serious interest in David Robertson changing uniforms in baseball’s fiercest rivalry. 'They are heavy on him,’ a person with knowledge of the World Series champs’ plans said of Robertson. "

Photo: NJ.com

Angels via MLB.com:

"Free-agent reliever and Rhode Island native David Robertson has made it known that he would prefer to sign with a team in the Northeast. But there are a couple of factors that may give the Angels a shot at bringing him to Anaheim, as MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi reports: Robertson knows the club's general manager, Billy Eppler, from their days with the Yankees, and Robertson wants to be a closer, a role the Halos could offer the right-hander. So it stands to reason that the Angels would show interest in Robertson..."

Come on Yanks... it seems like an obvious pick up. DRob's a Yankee for crying out loud.

We shall see....

NOW THE BREWERS ARE INTERESTED IN SONNY GRAY

Every day it's a new team with new interest for Sonny Gray and then nothing happens. It's interesting and silly.

Elite Sports NY writes about who the Brewers may be willing to give up, but only if the Yankees actually land Manny Machado or not.  Check this out:

"According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, while Cincinnati has backed off, the Brewers are still “prominent in Sonny Gray talks...

The asking price for Milwaukee probably depends on Manny Machado. The Yankees are anxiously awaiting Machado’s free agency decision to see what pieces they’ll need going forward. If the Yankees pull Machado, they could ask the Brewers for a bullpen piece, such as Corey Knebel or Jacob Barnes. Should Machado spurn New York, Cashman could ask for infield help, such as 24-year-old Mauricio Dubon, a career .300 hitter in the minors. 

Photo: USA Today Sports / Mauricio Dubon

Those are realistic options, though. The way he’s been playing it, Cashman might target Hader or Jeremy Jeffress in the bullpen, or top-prospect Keston Hiura for the infield."

While the pile of names are good ones, it should be acknowledged that these players are guesses.  No official word on who Cashman is actually targeting. And again... talent level will change depending on whether or not Machado is landed.

Kind of why I didn't write anything yesterday on BYB... a lot of guessing and nothing official. It's that time between Christmas and New Years where it's just quiet and the writers are going crazy... me included.

SONNY'S PERGATORY

Sonny Gray is still a New York Yankee.

But you know Cashman,,, he's trying to make the right deal for the Yanks.  The Reds have some nice pieces that the Yankees should try to snag for Gray. But the Reds are weary as to if Gray can actually still pitch. We all know he can. We all know that he clearly couldn't hack it in a big market like the Bronx. So maybe if he goes to Cincy, he'll be able to blossom with no pressure. After all... no one's watching the Reds these days.

Sports Illustrated has this:

"The Yankees and Reds are still trying to work out a Sonny Gray deal. The hold up is in the return that New York would get from Cincinnati. The Yankees don’t seek very top prospects, but the ones just below, Double-A and Triple-A pitchers, are players that the Reds prefer not to trade."

I'm not sure this statement is 100% accurate as I've heard different things. By the way, that originally was sourced to Jon Heyman... what else is knew. But there are a few names that keep popping up when it comes to the Reds and Sonny Gray.

Photo of Scooter Gennett

Taylor Trammell... which is not happening. Jeter Downs, who was recently sent to the Dodgers.  The other one that you hear from time to time is Scooter Gennett… a second baseman, a baseball veteran that's been with the Reds since 2013.  Look, I have no idea who or if the Yankees can make a deal.  Ideally it would make sense for the Yankees to try and grab a young pitcher, but we'll just need to see.

Hey, it's the rumor season... and we're in it.  Gotta roll with it.

ARE THE YANKEES OFF TO A GOOD START?

Source: Arkansas Razorbacks

Some will say that the Yankees are ahead of the game this off-season.  I think they may be right, but they are still down one starter and I am not sure if they are off to a good start without more insurance in the rotation.

"GM Brian Cashman had the best quote of the Meetings when he referred to the Yankees as a “fully operational Death Star,” which leads me to believe he’s just getting started, with major moves still to come," reported NJ.com.  Recall, the Yankees signed James Paxton and added J.A. Happ but with CC Sabathia still questionable as far as longevity and Jordan Montgomery coming off Tommy John surgery, the Yankees need another guy on the hill.

Source: USA Today

"The Yankees are off to a great start this offseason with the acquisition of left-handed starter James Paxton from the Mariners and the re-signing of lefty J.A. Happ, who they signed to a two-year deal with a vesting option during the Winter Meetings. The Yankees are now in pursuit of superstar infielder Manny Machado, as well as chasing most of the elite relievers still on the market," according NJ.com.

Source: NY Post

Elite relievers are definitely key assets to the arsenal but more comfort is needed in the starting rotation.  Forbes posted this insight earlier in the month, "It has been common knowledge the Yankees are actively looking for trading partners for the services of right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray. The marriage between the two hasn’t worked out as all would have hoped and a change of scenery would do Gray quite well. The list of potential suitors for Gray is nearly a dozen ball clubs. The Yankees don’t expect to find answers to their pitching concerns by trading Gray for prospects. In truth, their best bet in building a starting rotation that meets the Yankees’ lofty standards first begins with conceiving highly creative trade proposals and then considering free agent left handed pitchers J.A. Happ and Dallas Keuchel."  Keuchel would be a definite score for the Yankees.  Making that happen is likely.  The pursuit is real...because the front office knows the Yankees need just one more good starter.

As we move into the last year of 2018, the Yankees are off to a good start as far as trades and added components to what is becoming the pursuit of 28 in 2019.  Let's hope they keep the Death Star engaged and the Yankees pick up one more good guy for the hill before the middle of January.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE FRIENDSHIPS ARE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

Merry Christmas everyone. Happy Holidays as well.

As the creator and head writer of Bleeding Yankee Blue, I would just like to say how special this moment is for me. We are in our 8th year here and while writers have come and gone, our core is strong and continue to put out valuable and entertaining content to a group of fun loving, happy and wonderful individuals.

Many of you have been with us since the beginning.  Some are new to the product. No matter... it's good to see you, to have a dialog with many of you and to chat through social media after you read some of our posts.

You are our loyal fans and readers. Not only that, you are the reason why Bleeding Yankee Blue is in existence. You make this fun. We love to write for you. We love to share our views. In short... we love you.

Now, I've softened over the years.  In the beginning of BYB I was very much about making noise, getting into arguments and stirring stuff up. I liked causing trouble and none of it had to do with clicks. All of it had to do with my passion for the game, the Yankees and writing.  But after a while, seeing the way social media has gotten a little nutty and scary, I stopped all that garbage. Why? Because life's too short. My family is growing up. I'm getting older... I know what's truly important in my life and what's not.

I don't care about debating people on politics for I will never change their mind. I don't debate people about Yankee trades and who's a better player.  Fans are fans because of all types of reasons and sometimes you just can't change a point of view. And you know what? That's what makes being a fan so great. And that's where discussion... not hate, comes into view.

We love our audience here at BYB because we have respectful banter, see each other's points and are never nasty and hateful. It makes me feel good about what we have here.

Look, even when it comes to this Bill Ballou character and his article about how he's not putting Mariano Rivera on his ballot because he doesn't think 'Saves' are a big achievement based on stats and innings pitched per game. Yankeeland has gone crazy on this guy the past week.

Here's the thing... Mariano Rivera is one of the greatest closers ever.  We as Yankee fans see it more than anyone and so, when a guy like that writes opinion like that, a Boston writer and Boston fan by the way, we grow angry. But why? Why are you guys so pissed? Who cares about Bill Ballou?

The bottom line is Mariano WILL get into the Hall of Fame. He's a lock actually. Who the hell cares is it's unanimous or not? Not I.  I took my reasonable view to Twitter and made my points to Mr. Ballou directly. And it was respectful...

@BillBallouTG There’s some sense to your saves point. Problem is baseball invented the counting of “saves” making it another record to attack fans. Your argument against Mo falls empty however because he had a job and did it... better than his peers.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) December 23, 2018

@BillBallouTG you not voting for him is your perogrative. I wouldn’t care if you ever vote for him. But in this era of baseball, Matheny, Francona, or you aside...Movdid something for the good of baseball whether you like it or not.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) December 23, 2018

@BillBallouTG P.S. you don’t sound much like a sports writer as much as you do a whiny Boston fan. Which is fine by the way, but be more forthcoming with that information. That’s why you’re getting crucified. Merry Christmas.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) December 23, 2018

In the end though, while this Bill Ballou tries to stir crap up... he doesn't have the decency to respond. My question to that is why? Why have an article in which you know is going to cause a stir and then go radio silent with no dialog between the readers and the writer?  Makes no sense.  It's bad journalism in this day and age of social media. And that's why BYB was created. Banter is important.

We love the dialog between readers and us writers. We know you aren't going to always agree, but we also aren't hiding under our desks trying to avoid you.  Again... we appreciate you.

BYB is not only a Yankee fan site, it's a family.

Over the years we have made amazing friends. We don't just talk about the Yankees... we also talk about our families and jobs and what we did last summer.

We have bonded, making life long friendships that will never end.

Our words about the Yankees and about baseball, while unique and sometimes obvious, is because we have a passion for this team. Without writers and BYB Managing Editors Suzie Pinstripe and Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa, BYB would have a tricky time surviving. That's because they truly offer a glimpse into a baseball world uniquely crafted from the female fan perspective. A view that wasn't always prominent in the sports blog world when we showed up in 2010. But I feel like since our existence, we've brought that perspective to the forefront.

BYB also tapped into a female audience... an audience not fed in the Baseball blog world.  The reason is simple... for years when you thought about baseball blogs, you thought about nerdy men with statistics and WAR chatter about who is better through the numbers only.  I hate that... it's a small way of looking at things.  Offering a common sense approach and offering hard opinion as well was my vision, and add in that missing female component, both author and audience … and now a new world of bloggers and blog readers were born.  We've succeeded in that vision. Bleeding Yankee Blue has become appointment web surfing and we are happy to serve you.

BYB is a mainstream Yankee blog. We thank you for such an amazing audience. We are now read all over the world and have nearly 6 million 42 hundred thousand visits since our infancy. That's not by accident, folks. People like us.

It's the perfect formula of our writers, our passion and you, the audience who come to us every day to not only check out Yankee news, but to check out baseball news and sometimes even a vent session about life and respect in general.

Thank you.

Thank you for always being there for us. You are truly the most dedicated and amazing audience ever. I know that many blogs out there have a following, and that's great, but there is something special about this one.

Your engagement with us is fascinating. You make writing fun. You make social media, a nasty, horrible place fun as well.

I personally appreciate you all. I know that Jeana and Suzie do too.  And it's funny... we all write stuff here, and we all have a certain group of readers that follow us individually. But when we put it all together, it's strength in numbers, a truly unique and special audience.

It's the BYB audience and you're amazing! I cannot say it enough.

Thank you to my writers. Suzie and Jeana, you ARE special.  No one better and no one that I'd rather have in my life.  You are wonderful. I love your family milestones... I like checking in with your families and seeing everyone grow up.  It's special.

I leave you with this. A clip that was created for me on Facebook to kind of encapsulate the year and years past. Truth be told... I wish I could encapsulate the entire 8 years in one shot. It's been a trip and we wouldn't be here without you.




Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2019, full of brand new BYB gear and hopefully we get that BYB podcast off the ground. This I will promise!

Thank you for everything.

--Robert Casey
BYB Chief, Managing Editor & Head Writer
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu

WOULD THE YANKEES TRADE AWAY MIGUEL ANDUJAR?

Well, the short answer is, if the right deal was there, of course.  I've said all along that if the Tribe made Corey Kluber available to the Yankees, we need to figure out how to do it and if it means that we trade away Miguel Andujar, so be it. I mean, I love the kid, I'd hate to see him go. But this is business, and that's it.

SNY had this interesting report and I just wanted to put it out there for you all to read...

"The Padres "love" Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar, according to FanCred's Jon Heyman. San Diego tried acquiring the near-American League Rookie of the Year at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted no part of it, per SNYtv's Andy Martino....

If New York is interested in dealing Andujar, the Padres have a great deal of impressive prospects to offer the Yankees. Their farm system is headlined by Fernando Tatis Jr., a budding shortstop grabbing national attention who is not budging from San Diego's tight grasp unless a proven Major League talent is offered in exchange..."

Very interesting... again though, I want a starting pitcher, battle tested... like... right now. And Kluber is the guy.  If we really wanted a budding infielder, just keep Andjuar for crying out loud.

Look, I have no idea is this is an idea that SNY is just throwing out there or if they have some kind of inside info. I have a feeling they're spit balling here.  Any way you slice it, I think it's pretty clear that for the right deal, Cashman would be willing to part with the kid. Let's just hope it's for some strong starting pitching.