DON'T LOOK NOW, BUT SONNY GRAY IS GOOD

Photo: Getty Images

Sonny Gray was good.  In fact, the Yankees won against the Mets. And now, when you look at Sonny Gray, something significant has happened, and the YES Network tweeted it out late yesterday:

"Sonny Gray's last two starts: 2-0, 1.59 ERA, 14K"

Now for you and I that is great and all, BUT will it stick?  The biggest problem with Sonny Gray is that he is mad inconsistent and each time he's out there... you never know what you're gonna get.

Photo: Getty Images

There have been calls to trade Sonny Gray... calls to bench him, the send him down.  That's not gonna happen, folks.  I really don't think it will.  Now look... if Sonny can stay in this zone he's in right now, we have something.  But if he starts to unravel again, we'll need to have an emergency meeting with Cashman or something.

Here's alittle on what went down in yesterday's game:

Photo: Getty Images

"It had been a while since Sonny Gray walked off the field to cheers in the Bronx, but on Saturday afternoon the 47,102 fans in attendance handed the Yankees' starter a loud ovation as he made his way from the rubber to the dugout after striking out Asdrubal Cabrera with two runners on to end the fifth inning. The right-hander came out to face three more batters in the sixth before ending his afternoon after 5 1/3 solid frames, permitting three runs (two earned) on three hits in the Yankees' 7-6 victory over the Mets at Yankee Stadium."

I love the way Mandy Bell at MLB.com encapsulated that.  It was really a great display, and Gray did good.  With the fans behind him, let's hope he can keep it up.  I am not that hopeful, especially with the trade deadline coming.  We will see though.

For now...Gray's doing the job.  I appreciate that. Let's keep going.

CASHMAN LIKES FLOWERS!

 Update: Flowers signs with the Braves. Tweeted by Bob Nightengale of USA Today:

Tyler Flowers signs a 2-year, $5.3 million contract with $1.5 million of annual incentives with the #Braves.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 9, 2015

Na-na-na-na-na!

I know, sounds like I'm teasing the big GM for the New York Yankees.  The reality is, I'm not.  Cashman really does like Flowers.  I mean Tyler Flowers though, the catcher.

There have been tiny conversations all day today about a few players the Yankees may or not be interested in.  Jose Fernandez is still being discussed, although the Yankees probably won't trade away Luis Severino to get him, and that's a good thing.  They are also connected to Asdrubal Cabrera who is a Shortstop, who the Yanks would like to play second base. (There will be plenty more about that on BYB the next few days).

 But the latest, most interesting rumor is the Yanks wanting White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers.

According to Bryan Hoch:

Tyler Flowers is said to be deciding between the Yankees, Braves & Rays.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) December 8, 2015

And so why is this happening? What's the thinking here?  If we have Brian McCann, is the thinking that Flowers is the back up, Gary Sanchez spends more time in the minors getting more at bats instead of sitting on a major league bench, and then we see Sanchez in the summer or fall?

Are the Yankees planning on unloading Sanchez? What is the plan here?

Anyway, you saw the Hoch tweet.  Now it's just a matter of what team Flowers wants.  Let's see what happens.



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YANKEES TARGET: ASDRUBAL CABRERA

With hitting being the precious commodity this offseason, the Yankees will be looking at many options for upgrades. One name that is sure to be near the top of the list of candidates is Asdrubal Cabrera. He has 8 years of major league experience playing mostly shortstop and some second base. At 28 years of age, he could be a very good addition.

One of the biggest drop-offs from the prior season was the middle-infield part of the order. With the departure of Robinson Cano and the diminished hitting of Derek Jeter, we easily lost over 100 points in batting average across both the second base and shortstop positions, and the replacements are still not clear for 2015. When you look at the talent pool, there are one or two good stars, and then you are resorting to guys at the tail end of their careers.

Cabrera is a legitimate major league hitter who can play both middle infield positions and can hit from both sides of the plate. When you look at the Yankees’ options, that says a lot. Over the course of his career, he has a slash line of .268/.330/.409, though his batting average has tailed off the last couple of years. Still, he has maintained about a .700 OPS over the same period. Again, he is 28 years old, so there is no reason to believe that his best days aren’t in front of him.

His glove is good, with a fielding percentage at about even with the league average for shortstops and above the league average for second basemen. He has played shortstop for the majority of his career, though when he was traded to the Nationals last year, he was immediately converted into a second baseman. He played second earlier in his career, with good success in the field.

This makes him a versatile option. The only question will be which position is he willing to play, and where would the Yankees want him. I think he adds more value at second, just based on other available options at short. The price tag would also be better. He would sign at about half the asking price of Hanley Ramirez. Whatever the details are, Asdrubal Cabrera should be a name high on the wall in the Yankees war room.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row





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WILL THE YANKEES SHOP FOR ANOTHER SHORTSTOP?

Someday Yankee fans everywhere will sit in front of their television and listen to another Yankee great hang up his spikes and call it a career. Thankfully, that day wasn't on Thursday and according to the captain himself it won't be this year either. That gives us all some level of comfort. Derek Jeter will play again sometime this year. When? No one knows. So until he is one hundred percent the Yankees have some decisions to make. Do the Yankees continue with the infielders we have, or will they go shopping for a temporary replacement? If they do, who is available?

The Yankees have trusted the shortstop duties to Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix since Spring training started. They have done well for the Yankees during this time, but we never expected them to fill in for this long. Now that we know that Jeter wont be back anytime soon....does this change their approach? Nunez has shown some major improvements this year defensively. He even surprised me so far. The question is, will the Yankees continue to put their faith in this kind of consistent performance going forward? While he has done well defensively, he has really struggled at the plate. He just doesn't look comfortable up there at all and he looks lost. It's weird how his strengths have switched this year. I never saw it coming.

On the other hand, Jayson Nix can also fill in when needed. He has always been known for having a better glove than a bat but even he is surprising people. Nix does have a great arm and he can make a play when needed. This year his bat has shown some signs of life. Sure, his .245BA isn't stellar but he has helped bring runs in, he has 4 RBIs and a home run. Like Nunez, you have to wonder if he can continue to produce like this all season. As the injuries pile up, increased playtime time could drain these guys.

It never hurts to explore what is out there, but the problem is that finding a shortstop right now is like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are three that the Yankees could target if they want some extra infield security.

Cesar Izturis would be an interesting option. He won a backup role for the Cincinnati Reds this spring as a non-roster invitee. If the Yankees are content with the infield as is, it couldn't hurt to pick up a bench piece for the time being. He would be able to fill in at shortstop when someone needs a day off, but he can also play second or third base as well. He would give the Yankees a lot of options because he is so versatile. He is also a switch hitter so he would give the Yankees a much needed right handed bat right now. He is off to a slow start so far with a .238BA, but he is willing to take a walk and won't chase balls as often. He is also playing a back up role for the Reds everyday shortstop Zack Cozart, so the Reds may be more willing to part with him then some of the other options out there.

(In photo: Elvis Andrus)
If it were still Spring Training then Elvis Andrus might be an option. During the off season it was rumored that the Texas Rangers might be willing to part ways with him. His contract was going to expire at the end of the 2014 season and the St Louis Cardinals were looking to replace their own shortstop. Andrus was tied with the Cardinals for awhile read that here. Fast forward a month later and now he has a new contract extension with the Rangers read that here and he wont be a free agent until 2023. The idea of Andrus is nice, but if we have learned anything this off season it is that the Yankees just are not going to make any sort of long term commitments right now. It's a nice theory, and it would mean that the Yankees wouldn't have to worry about replacing Jeter when his dreaded retirement announcement comes along but it is probably too little too late.

If the Cleveland Indians don't make a playoff run this year they could decide to deal Asdrubal Cabrera. The Indians made some big moves in the last year or so and they believe they are a team that could contend, at least that is the plan. If they are too far behind by the All-Star break they could become sellers, and if they are then I bet they would throw Cabrera into trade talks. His name has already been involved in trade rumors, including during the off season, read Cleveland beat writer Jordan Bastian's tweet here. Cabrera is signed through 2014, so he wouldn't be a long term investment. He can also play second base and he is a switch hitter as well. His .229BA isn't impressing many right now but he does have 2HR, 5RBI and a stolen base so far this year. He is also a patient hitter so he wont chase pitches. If the Yankees could get him for the right price he might have a lot to offer the team.

Shopping for a shortstop is never easy, it's probably one of the most difficult positions to fill. Luckily for us, our backups have performed so far. Unless Jeter suffers another setback I don't see them making any moves for a new shortstop. Of course, if the Yankees do make any moves we will have all of that information here for you. Even if the Yankees did make a move, filling Derek Jeter's shoes is no easy task! The Captain will be back in time, I bet money on it.

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor 
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ

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WHAT IF THE YANKEES FAIL TO SIGN KEVIN YOUKILIS?

The Yankees left the 2012 Winter Meetings with more questions than they did when they arrived. Other than missing out on potential free agent targets, the only newsworthy item during the meetings was that Alex Rodriguez would require left hip surgery, thus giving the Yankees yet another hole to fill. The team has reacted by reportedly offering Kevin Youkilis a one-year, $12 million contract. However, the Cleveland Indians have reportedly offered Youkilis a two-year, $18 million deal. So, the question is: What will the Yankees do if they don’t sign Youkilis?

Before the Yankees had to turn to the Kevin Youkilis option, I felt they had a good chance at plugging the third base hole by signing Jeff Keppinger (who has now recently signed with the White Sox for three-years and $12 million) and re-signing Eric Chavez (who instead signed a one-year $3 million contract with the Diamondbacks). The Yankees would then have a pretty formidable third base platoon, but of course now that won’t happen, so they turn their focus to Youkilis.

Kevin Youkilis will turn 34 before Opening Day, and he’s coming off one of his worst seasons in his career. He posted a career-worst slash line of .235/.336/.409 in 122 games with 19 homers and 60 RBI with the Red Sox and White Sox. The average and on-base percentage are the lowest marks of his career, while the slugging percentage was the second-worst mark of his career since becoming a regular in 2006. This could be just a blip on the radar, or a start of a downfall for him, but with the other third base alternatives in mind, it might be worth the risk to sign him anyway.

(In Photo: Jack Hannahan)
Who are the third base alternatives after Kevin Youkilis, you ask? Well, there’s Jack Hannahan. Reportedly, the Yankees were interested in Hannahan, according to Jon Morosi (HERE), but now word on the street is that an “MLB source” suggests that Hannahan will sign with the Reds (read HERE). Either way, I won’t lose sleep if the Yanks miss out on Hannahan. He’s a good glove, but the bat is left to be desired, and we need bats at the moment.

Along with Hannahan, the Yanks have also been linked to Mark Reynolds, as they’ve visited with his agent, according to Bryan Hoch (HERE). Reynolds is far from an ideal candidate since he’s near the top in strikeouts every year, and he was so bad defensively at third, the Orioles made him move over to first during the season. However, the upside is very good. We saw first-hand late in the season, that when Reynolds’ bat is hot, he is one of the toughest outs in the game.

(In photo: Asdrubal Cabrera)

The rest of the free agent crop is pretty weak (HERE, take a look for yourself), so the Yankees could explore a trade if they miss out on Youkilis and if they miss out on/don’t want Hannahan and Reynolds. They could trade for Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians, who of course is a shortstop and would need to move to third. In fact, there reportedly was a team that had a deal in place with Cleveland to land Cabrera. That deal would’ve included “one big-league pitcher and two high-level prospects.” The team acquiring Cabrera would then have moved him to shortstop. However, the deal fell through because Cleveland wanted an extra high-end prospect as well, according to the Plain Dealer (HERE).

Could that have been the Yankees that were involved in that scenario? Maybe, maybe not. If it was, maybe the two clubs could revisit talks if the Yanks are still searching for a solution at third, but it will most likely come at a hefty price. The point is, like it or not, signing Kevin Youkilis is the best option right now, and if they don’t do so, they’ll continue having trouble filling the vacancy at third. 



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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WANNA REPLACE RUSSELL MARTIN? TRADE FOR CARLOS SANTANA

Once Russell Martin agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, I was very upset. In fact, I hadn’t been upset about a Yankee-related free agent signing since Cliff Lee chose to take less money to go back to the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2011 season. I really believe the loss of Russell Martin will hurt, unless if they make a splash for, say, Carlos Santana.

Before I make my case for trading for Carlos Santana (No, not musician Carlos Santana, the catcher currently with the Cleveland Indians), I just want to elaborate how the loss of Martin hurts. People who wanted to replace Martin continued to point at his low .211 batting average. Now, the low average is certainly not a good thing, but in his time in New York he did everything else moderately well. Over the last two years, Martin posted a solid .224/.317/.405 batting line while catching at least 125 games in those two seasons. In that span, only six catchers hit more homers than he did (39), while just 10 other catchers posted higher walk rates than he did (10.7%). Add that to the fact that he’s a good defensive catcher, while the pitchers enjoy pitching to him, the Yankees will certainly miss him if they end up settling with a downgrade.

Since all the in-house/free agent options either don’t fit the bill or are just plain awful, the Yankees really don’t have a choice but to look at the potential trade market if they are intending to upgrade at the catcher position. This is where Carlos Santana comes in. Now, before I continue I want to caution everyone that this is pure speculation as of right now. Personally, I have no idea if the Indians are willing to let go of Santana.

They seem to be shopping guys like Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Justin Masterson around, so maybe if the price is right they could do the same with Santana, and with the Winter Meetings just around the bend, anything can happen.

Acquiring Carlos Santana would be an instant upgrade at arguably the most important position on the field. In his young career, Santana, 26, has batted .247/.363/.443 in three seasons and 1459 PA’s while hitting 51 homers and driving in 177. He has suffered from knee issues in 2010, but since then he has been able to catch at least 95 games behind the plate in the last two years. Perhaps the Yankees could increase his workload to around 110-115 games and DH him in some of the others he’s not behind the dish. As for the pieces it’ll take to get him, I’d have to think catcher Gary Sanchez would be included. Cleveland also needs pitching, so I’d have to think either David Phelps or Ivan Nova would be in a trade as well, and that’s probably just a starting point, so who knows how much the Yankees will be willing to give up. Finally, money shouldn’t be a problem as he’s owed just a little over $18M over the next four years with a $12M club option for 2017.

If the Yankees don’t end up trading for Santana, which might be the case, it’ll be just about impossible to upgrade the overall game Martin brought to the Yankees the last two seasons. The Yankees being unable to pay Martin $17 million is pretty telling, as they aren’t kidding around with this $189 million plan set for 2014. Though I’d love to trade for Santana, I have an awful feeling the Yankees will settle with signing a one-year downgrade instead.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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WHY JETER IS THE PERFECT ROLE MODEL

Now-a-days when you look at the top shortstops and infielders in Major League Baseball, you tend to think of Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia.

Why does this matter? Well, most of these player's had 1 role model in their lives, it was Derek Jeter. For example, Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez wear #2 in honor of the Captain.

Although Derek Jeter may not be a top 5 shortstop in baseball anymore, he has proven that he is one of the best shortstops of all time. He first of all is the Captain of the most storied franchise in all of sports, he has won 5 World Series Championships, he owns a career batting average of .312, and is also a member of the 3000 hit club, and he is 37 years old which is quite young for all of those accomplishments, if you think about it.As DJ is definitely on the decline, he is no longer as feared or good as he once was, but he is still the most respected ballplayer ever; Respected among the New York Yankees, among the entire league, and respected by parents and children around the globe.Figure this, many players respect Babe Ruth a hell of a lot and would wear #3 in honor of him such as A-Rod did with Texas. David Wells worshipped the Babe and wore a number 3 in 9 of the 11 teams uniform numbers he wore while a player. In a much similar fashion, I believe that Derek Jeter's number 2 is on the same level as the great Bambino which is pretty crazy when you think about it. Why? Well, the Babe played well before many of us were even alive. Our grandparents saw him play. On the other side, most of us have seen DJ's career unfold from a rookie into a true leader and World Champion to his 3000 hits, to literally transforming into an icon.Although his career isn't over, here's to you Jeet to a great career. We have loved every moment of watching you from the Jeffrey Maier home run, to the Flip Play, to your full out dive into the stands. But most importantly, your 3000th hit. We appreciate all you have done and will continue to do for us.

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--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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