SOTO LEAVES HIS MARK ON BALTIMORE'S EUTAW STREET

I got a text message from a fan Tuesday night that said, "We already look second class against Baltimore." My response, "It's too early for that talk." And with that comment Juan Soto launched a 471 foot 2-run shot into Eutaw Street. "It's Juanderful", as John Sterling would say. So despite Baltimore being well, Baltimore and taking the first two games of the series, the Yankees keep things exciting with Soto.

Source: David Dermer/AP Photo

"For those who don’t know, Eutaw Street is the festive area that’s located between Camden Yards and the B&O warehouse. Every home run ball that completely clears the right-field wall and lands on the street gets a mini plaque on the spot where the ball lands. Didi (Gregorius) is the first Yankees player to hit a homerun on Eutaw Street since Curtis Granderson did it back in 2013," reported Elite Sports NY. Didi did it in 2019 with a 417-foot home run. In fact, Granderson, Gregorius and now Soto are in great company with other Yankee lore including Jason Giambi (three plaques on the street), Paul O’Neill, Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon, and Nick Swisher. Soto's blast is the 11th by a Yankee. 

Besides this huge home run last night in Baltimore, Soto has been absolutely on fire. According to MLB.com, "He was doing historic things from the first series of the season. Soto became the first player in the expansion era (1961) to record a go-ahead RBI in the 7th inning or later in three of his first four games with a team, and the first to do so in three of his four with the Yankees, specifically, since RBI became official in 1920, according to the Elias Sports Bureau."

We have watched him be selective at the plate, choosing the right pitches to hit. He make hard contact when he does swing, among the best in the majors. And he hits the ball in the air. According to MLB.com, "Soto is hitting .521 and slugging 1.083 on fly balls and line drives, and has always had similar numbers on such batted balls. By hitting fewer grounders, he’s positioning himself for those positive outcomes even more. The culmination of all of this: he isn’t just hitting the ball in the air more overall, but also when making hard contact. 66.7% of his hard-hit batted balls have been fly balls and line drives."

The Soto party is very popular in Yankee Stadium, of course, but even on the road, Soto has more fans than not. Sure he gets boos, but honestly, it is hard to boo for a guy that has a smile and disposition like he has. Now Soto has left his mark, permanently in Baltimore. And his plaque will soon replace the ball that he muscled out there on Tuesday night. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

RUMOR: CARLOS BELTRAN TO REUNITE WITH THE YANKEES?

I'm not going to lie, this is far from my favorite headline this winter BUT....it's a possibility.

In case you missed the news, the Yankees are considering bringing back Carlos Beltran as a YES Network game analyst, read more about it HERE. Now that David Cone is taking on national work with ESPN and my personal favorite Ken Singleton has retired from his broadcasting career YES Network is looking for more on-air talent and Beltran is on a short list of names.

As we all remember, Beltran was the ringleader in the Astros 2017 cheating scandal and the Astros went on to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS and then "win" the World Series that year. In November of 2019 the Mets names Beltran their new manager but then in January both sides amicably decided to terminate his contract. Now....the Yankees are considering giving Beltran a second chance.

How nauseating, but here we are. I get it, the Yankees need more analysts. I have always liked listening to John Flaherty and he is already an in-house option that the Yankees are considering giving more air time to. Why not him? There are TONS of good names out there to consider. I'd vote for Curtis Granderson instead in a heartbeat! There are plenty of former players who didn't cheat and lose all credibility in their career who speak well and who are knowledgeable enough to fill these requirements. Why Beltran? 

Even if fans and Yankee brass "forgive" Beltran for what he did WHY should they be giving him a job as a Yankees announcer? It's just ludacris to think about and even an insult to the fan base and players. To anyone saying "but Alex Rodriguez cheated too and he is an announcer, so why not give Beltran a shot?" The difference is after Beltran left the Yankees he went to play for the Astros....and he helped the Astros cheat against his former team. Jumping to hire him to work for the team he cheated against is insane and why the Yankees reward him with this opportunity? 

Nothing like coming full circle. The Yankees hired analyst Aaron Boone to be a manager so why not former  cheater turned manager in Beltran (for a literal hot minute) to be an analyst? It fits their operating model so....is anyone out there really surprised?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

THE TALE OF AUSTIN JACKSON

I remember when Austin Jackson was the serious future for center field for the New York Yankees.  And then, in a flash he was shipped off to the Detroit Tigers and that was the end of it.

Baseball-Reference.com has his early timeline:

"June 7, 2005: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 8th round of the 2005 amateur draft. Player signed June 22, 2005. 

December 8, 2009: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the New York Yankees with Phil Coke to the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit Tigers sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers sent Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The New York Yankees sent Ian Kennedy to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Detroit Tigers. "

Well, it's been years, and the dude's been a successful player, and by the way, I still like the dude as a player. I like that he was always nimble, humble, hardworking and a solid athlete. And now he's been around, but he's looking to get back in the game, which, I didn't even realize he was out for a bit.

MLBTradeRumors.com has this nugget about him:

"Long-time MLB outfielder Austin Jackson is open to offers to get back on the field, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports on Twitter. 

He says he has remained in playing shape and is interested in a potential return. Jackson only recently turned 33, so he’s not that long in the tooth. But he didn’t appear in the professional ranks in 2019 after nine consecutive MLB campaigns. As he contemplates a comeback, Jackson says he’s looking for the “right situation” — not just any opportunity, evidently. 

There’s obviously no chance he’d command a big-league contract at this point, so he’d surely be looking for a minors arrangement of some kind."

I applaud this. Always liked him. And much like a Ty Hensley, if you still have a passion to play... then get back out there!

I'd love the Yanks to give Jackson another shot. I just think it ain't happening at this point. But one can hope.

Look luck Austin!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BUT YOU ARE FIRED!

Can you believe we are only two days away from Christmas? We hope you all have a wonderful day with friends and family. The holidays can be stressful, and something tells me it might be even more stressful for one particular person....maybe.

It didn't take long for the Yankees to part ways with bench coach Josh Bard and pitching coach Larry Rothschild....but now in late December the Yankees have fired another coach. So why did the wait so long to fire strength and conditioning coach Matt Krause?

I'm not sure, but it is a good question. Multiple sources are reporting the Yankees have parted ways with Krause, but we will go with the New York Post HERE. I was surprised when the Yankees let Rothschild go, he's not who I was expecting. After all of the injuries I was sure that the first change the Yankees were going to make would be the strength and conditioning coach. It was the logical answer after we watched 30 different Yankees land on the Injured List 39 different times. In 2018, the Yankees sent 20 different players to the Injured List 23 different times.

So clearly something wasn't working. The Yankees needed to make the change. Matt Krause was hired in 2014 and he has a lot of experience. Before his six years with the Yankees he spent 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds. In 2017, Krause was named Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association so what went wrong here?

We may never know, but when a man with this kind of experience is in charge of your strength and conditioning program the last thing you expect is for almost every player to miss time due to injury. Looking at the Yankees Opening Day roster, only Brett Gardner and Gleyber Torres did not miss significant time. The Yankees had lost seasons with Giancarlo Stanton who played in only 18 games, Luis Severino only made 3 starts and Dellin Betances faced two batters. The Yankees have been here before, anyone remember 2013?

In 2013, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter all missed time and in wake of the Yankees missing the postseason for the second time in 19 years, the Yankees fired Dana Cavalea as their strength and conditioning coach.....but they did it in October.

I wonder where the Yankees will go from here. Will there be more changes to the strength and conditioning staff? Given the amount of injuries and also setbacks, the rehab staff at the club's
Tampa spring training facility could also see some personnel changes. When you lose as many players as the Yankees did this season, something's gotta give.

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

CAN GERRIT COLE BREAK THE YANKEE UNLUCKY STREAK?

Source: CBS Sports

Fans and the media swarm on Gerrit Cole, who arrived in New York on Monday to face the media officially as a Yankee.  The crowning is today at the House that Ruth Built and the fanfare will be infinite.  But Cole follows a line of Bronx baptisms, that didn't exactly go as planned.  Can Cole break the Yankee unlucky streak?

"Cole will only be the seventh player feted at Yankee Stadium III, which opened for the 2009 season. The three big signings (A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira) who came aboard prior to the ’09 championship campaign ironically held their initial events at the old Stadium across the street while work continued at the new place," reported the NY Post.

Giancarlo Stanton, our last big seven-figure signing, came to us via the Winter Meetings in Orlando, where he was decorated a Yankee back in 2017.  He didn't make an early appearance at the Stadium. Stanton hasn't exactly been what the Yankees expected, but perhaps Cole will be different.

Source: Anthony J. Causi, NY Post

"Cole joins, in chronological order, Curtis Granderson, Rafael Soriano, Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Masahiro Tanaka, plus Boone. Of those six players, only Tanaka remains a Yankee, or even a currently employed player. None has played in a World Series as a Yankee," reminded the NY Post yesterday.

Cole appeared happy to be in New York, but not as excited as I had anticipated.  His one-word answers during a short TMZ appearance in front of the Mandarin Hotel were frankly lackluster and perhaps slightly aloof.  "Let's save the questions for the press conference," he bellowed as he signed autographs.  Slightly contradictory behavior if you asked me.  He followed with a slew of short answers, like "Of course" to a question about whether he was happy to be a Yankee.  What about being a Yankee is exciting?  "What doesn't excite me."  Interesting disposition from such a celebrity pitcher.  But it is early, and maybe he was told not to say much by his agent Scott Boras.

Let's see how Cole does today at his first official unveiling to the New York media and fans.  As a former fan himself, he knows what it is like to watch iconic players battle for wins in a city that is full of critics. Can he be one of those iconic players himself, who lives up to the expectations placed on him and the Yankees?  Time will tell, but God I hope so!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

GRANDERSON'S STILL GOT IT!

I love Curtis Granderson. 

LON HORWEDEL/Associated Press

I loved him in the Bronx.  I liked him before the Yankees.  He carries himself very well.  That's why I've always called him 'the Gentleman'.  Just a class act.  When he left the Mets for the Dodgers, I was happy for him.  Now though, he's out of LA too.  On to Toronto.
I swear.

New York Daily News has this one...

Lon Horwedel / Associated Press

"Curtis Granderson isn’t ready to hang it up just yet – and he’ll be returning to the AL East in 2018.

The former Met and Yankee reached an agreement with the Blue Jays on a one-year, $5 million deal, according to multiple reports. Granderson, who turns 37 in March, hit .212/.323/.452 in 147 games between the Mets and Dodgers with 26 homers and 64 RBIs last season."

Good for him. I hope he has a great season and sticks around the AL longer. A great baseball ambassador.

QUEENS SHOCKER: GRANDERSON TRADED!

I didn't see this one coming... or maybe I did.  Curtis Granderson was traded to the LA Dodgers.

Photo: Getty Images

Everyone is writing about this, but we'll go with ESPN:

"The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets for cash considerations and a player to be named later, the teams announced Friday...

'A little bittersweet to do that,' Granderson told SNY in a locker room interview aired after the Mets' game Friday night, when asked about the pending trade. 'But an opportunity to be able to go play in the postseason is exciting.'"

Aug. 16, 2017 - Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

And the bottom line is Granderson, the Gentleman as I call him, has really given his heart and soul to that Mets team, but they still kind of stink. And hey, maybe he's probably alittle sad, but the reality is, this is great for Grandy... the Dodgers are friggin' awesome this season!

Just wanted to report on our old pal Curtis. I wanted to make sure you were in the loop on this one.

Happy Saturday.


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ARE THE YANKS READY TO CHASE JAY BRUCE?

What's going on with that other New York team? As of the writing of this post at least six Mets have been put on waivers, cleared and are eligible to be traded. Many players clear waivers. Some clear because management considers the player to be less valuable than his contract while others because it is a waste of time or energy. The Mets entered Sunday with a 49-59 record, 15 games behind in the NL East so they are ready to move on.

So as the Mets look ahead, are they ready to move on with some of their big names and heavy hitters? Possibly. Now that Curtis Granderson, Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce could be moved, is it likely that they will be moved or just pull them back off of waivers and keep them? While two of them are of no interest to the Yankees.....one might be.

Credit Kathy Willens/Associated Press         

Jay Bruce could be an interesting pick up. He makes sense for the Yankees in a lot of different ways:

1) adds another lefty

The Yankee lineup leans heavily to the right side. Now that Jacoby Ellsbury is an expensive bench player and Chase Headley is also inconsistent the Yankees have few options. Until Aaron Hicks comes back and assuming Greg Bird does make a return this season the lineup is pretty unbalanced. Adding Bruce gives the lineup more length and certainly the ability to build a more strategic lineup.

2) Bruce could mash in Yankee stadium

Photo: Newsday

Believe it or not, Bruce is among the 2017 Home Run leaders you can see for yourself HERE. Along with his 30 home runs he also has 75 RBI's so he's having a very good season. His pull happy swing would be a big benefit in Yankee stadium. The short porch would see some action and that would be nice to see. He could give a nice little kick to a very lackluster offense we have seen lately.

3) He adds a first base / DH option

Photo: Newsday

Now that Matt Holliday is on the DL (again) the Yankees could add not only another good bat, but they can play him as a DH or let him fill in at first base. He's done it multiple times this season and it gives the Yankees another interesting lineup option. Despite the recent good news about Greg Bird back in his rehab phase and possibly being back by September the Yankees can't count on that now. First base is still a concern and we still need more production from it.

4) He is consistent

He is a power hitter with 20-plus homers in all but one season since 2008, and is on pace to blow past his career high of 34 this season and has averaged 96 RBI's a season. Sign me up.

5) Mets want to free up a spot to their best prospect

Sandy Alderson is rumored to be anxious to get the Mets best prospect Dominic Smith a spot on the roster. Trading Bruce away allows the Mets to get younger and give their first baseman of the future a taste of big league action.

How likely is it that the Yankees could get Bruce if they wanted? Who knows, but it might be a long shot. The Mets weren't ready to trade with the Yankees for Lucas Duda at the deadline so who knows why that would change now. Not only that, it is rumored from Bob Klapisch that Hal Steinbrenner has been firm with Brian Cashman about spending money now that the trade deadline has passed: the payroll is frozen for the remainder of 2017. Read more on that HERE.

Photo: Lexington Herald-Leader

If payroll isn't an issue, Bruce would still have to waive his no trade clause that blocks a move to the Yankees. It's rumored that he would waive it to go to a contending team.....and the Yankees are just that. The AL East is still very winnable and who doesn't like winning?

So could the Yankees land Bruce? Maybe.....who knows. Anything is possible in baseball.



--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

GARDY "A FIT" FOR THE BLUE JAYS?

Nah! It's crap!

May 10, 2016 - Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

It's funny how when the world is now waking up with hangover, this story (or non-story) just tends to slip through the cracks. That truth is, it's interesting, but I'm just not sure there's a lot here.  For one, the Yankees want something big in return for Brett Gardner. For 2... last time I checked the Blue Jays kind of needed a big bat.  Isn't Jose Bautista still out there?

Yahoo Sports offers this nugget that actually came from Hardball Talk:

"Two days ago, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the 36-year-old outfielder had engaged in contract discussions with the Blue Jays. It appeared to be a logical choice for both sides, as Bautista has a lengthy history in Toronto and the club wouldn’t have to forfeit a draft pick to re-sign their former slugger."

Oct. 13, 2016 - Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Then, there was more that happened. The Toronto Star wrote about the relationship between the Jays and Bautista:

Sept. 19, 2016 - Source: Michael Reaves/Getty Images North America

"The sides did meet face-to-face at the winter meetings in early December, with the understanding that the Jays have other trade avenues to explore involving outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson of the Mets, Brett Gardner of the Yankees and more before a Bautista alternative can be considered. Nothing has changed there."

Photo: Getty Images

So... you're saying there's a chance that Gardy could be a Blue Jay? Duh. Obviously, right? But what are the true chances of this happening.

OK, in all honesty, the Jays have no real reason to dismiss Bautista other than spending way too much money on him.  The Star's Griffin continued it's reporting with this:

Oct. 8, 2016 - Source: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images North America

"...if the 36-year-old finds that his best option is to return for one more season and then try it again, he can rationalize the short-term decision and make it sing. He can explain that:

1. He wants to be with a contender, and he has been a big factor in the Jays reaching the post-season for two straight years.

2. There are few power options expected to come out as free agents in 2017, and under the new collective agreement there would be no compensation required for a team that wants to sign him, because the Jays can’t make another qualifying offer...

...Bautista has not fallen off a cliff. His offensive numbers in 116 games in 2016 were better than people give him credit for. "

(May 19, 2016 - Source: Getty Images North America)

And so really the Gardner connection was more of just a mention, because as everyone knows in sports off seasons, all options are on the table until they're off.

Then go back to Hardball Talk who kind of buttons this nugget up as a waste of your last 2 minutes. Read the part in red:

"Without Bautista, however, the Blue Jays have several options going forward, including veteran Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner. Gardner is slated to receive $25 million through 2018, with a $2 million buyout on his $12.5 option in 2019...Whether the Blue Jays have serious interest in Gardner remains to be seen, and Griffin points out that Toronto could be in danger of losing its status as an “elite offensive team” if they can’t snag a hitter of Bautista’s caliber."

And so... sorry to make you read that during your hangover! hey, I did... I decided to make you suffer too.

It is interesting how these things escalate though, huh?

Happy 2017... a whole lotta that I guess...

CONOR "BLEEPING" GILLASPIE!

It was an unbelievable blast and it was all the Giants would need after a truly stellar pitching performance by Madison Bumgarner.

Don't get me wrong, the Mets were no slouches last night and it was pretty evident that they could probably win it in their park, with their fans and with an incredible catch from Curtis Granderson an inning earlier.  But in the end, all that didn't matter.

Last night in the top of the 9th, Conor "bleeping" Gillaspie homered, and that gave the Giants and opportunity to send out MadBum again, to shut down the Mets and get the win, and not only that, advance in the playoffs...

 Conor "bleeping' Gillaspie, a career .262 hitter... won it for San Fran. That's baseball... you never know what will happen, Suzyn.

How do you like that?

Final: Giants  3 - Mets 0

DAVID ROBERTSON TO THE METS?

Not sure if you remember, but #BYB had written SOURCE: METS WANT DROB FOR LEADERSHIP & "TOP" CLOSER in November 2014? In that piece, we wrote:

"Speculation and the rumor mill kills me sometimes, because the truth is, you never really know what’s going to happen to a player until it happens.  Sure, certain writers are called "baseball insiders", but what do they really know? Hell... What do I really know? All I’m saying is the rumor mill can be fascinating sometimes That being said… you won’t believe what I heard about David Robertson and the New York Mets. A source that I am friendly with was chatting with someone "familiar" with the internal chatter inside Mets camp, and it was suggested that there is concern about the closer situation in Mets-land.  With that, there were "serious discussions" about making a "hard push" to bring David Robertson to Queens."

Now, that was 2014, and that didn't happen, and after that I was questioned by "important" folks like I was some kind of jerk for having it and them not.

@BleednYankeeBlu really?

— Mark Simon (@msimonespn) November 6, 2014

@BleednYankeeBlu I guess he saw it in Joe Sheehan's newsletter. But definitely big props to you if you turn out to be right

— Mark Simon (@msimonespn) November 12, 2014

And yes, that's exactly what happened, because Schoenfeld sure as hell wouldn't read little Bleeding Yankee Blue. In fact, it was amazing to see what ESPN and Sports Illustrated did after my piece was written:

  "...that appeared in ESPN SweetSpot's David Schoenfield's piece titled David Robertson to the Mets?  Yup, that's right. In it, Schoenfield wrote: 'As it turns out, Joe Sheehan mentioned this in his newsletter this morning. He wrote, No, if the Mets do sign another [compensation-eligible] free agent, I suspect it will be David Robertson. Robertson fills a position of perceived need, closer, where the Mets have a number of options but none with a track record of success. Robertson, as Granderson did a year ago, comes with familiarity to the fan base, a built-in credibility.'"

And by the way, no disrespect to Mark Simon. One of the best out there. He just hangs with the wrong people.  Anyway, I digress.

 It was then, November 2014 that that DRob story died...Until now.  Turns out the Mets are back to looking to try and bring David Robertson to the Mets, and it's serious this time.  Same friend, similar conversation, and I am putting it out there once again, that the rumor season is crazy and I am NOT a 'baseball insider'.  I'm just a guy with a friend that is in the Mets clubhouse who gave me a sweet nugget about David Robertson.

Let's see what happens. And lets see how quickly the others steal this story.  That's right Joe Sheehan...

I'm watching you...