CASHMAN TALKS TO MEDIA CALLING FOR MAJOR CHANGES

Source: AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Major changes. Yea, we all know this. He have all felt the pain of losses, bad losses for this Yankee team over the last week. And to answer the questions, provide feedback about what their next move is, Brian Cashman talked to the media on Tuesday night ahead of the Yankees 6-5 win against the Blue Jays in Buffalo. The Yankee GM told reporters that the team was his responsibility and it was up to him to figure out what was ailing this them, noting he will not allow them to fail. 

“Losing invites scrutiny on us all,’’ Cashman said prior to Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field. “We are all in this together. We made this bed and we’re gonna sleep in it and make sure we find a way to fix this together,” reported The New York Post. 

The Yankees are hovering just around .500 and down 8+ games in the AL East. They are hurting for consistent starting pitching, their fielding and base running are atrocious and there is a big gap in center field to fill before the trade deadline. 

Source: AP

Now the Yankees have not made a big deal at the deadline since the 2016 trade that shipped out Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova. But this year, the Yankees are buyers. Specifically, center field and the starting rotation appear to be two areas in need of improvement."As the July 30 non-waiver trade deadline gets closer, Cashman said he expects more players to become available. If a high-priced addition becomes an option, he said he will go to ownership to see if that player is in the budget," reported the Post. 

Source: NJ.com

But adding to the frustration is the lack of fundamental baseball which includes smart baserunning, and clean defense. So, my question is what is the coaching staff doing about that? And who is responsible for ensuring that this team actually takes infield practice and coaches are providing instructional discourse to this team, which includes simulated game play to keep the team sharp. 

“We’ve got really good coaches that know what they’re doing and I think we have a really good manager who knows what he’s doing,’’ Cashman said. “That doesn’t mean you’re gonna get the results you want. You’ve got to stay at it. We’re in this together and I’m trying to figure this thing out. We have what it takes in this clubhouse already,” reported the Post

So, my takeaways are this: 

1. Cashman is at least talking to the media and facing the music

2. Cashman acknowledges that changes need to be made, noting this was not the performance he was anticipating and will figure out how to go from here

3. Cashman stands by his coaching staff and believes in them 

4. Cashman is going to be a serious buyer ahead of the July 30th trade deadline

Not sure I am satisfied, but as I said in point #1, Cashman showed up on the road to address his team, his coaching staff and reporters. He isn't hiding. And I can appreciate that. Now let's see if we get some action to those words and we really do see changes. Otherwise, this is going to be a long summer. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

FOR PETE'S SAKE, IT'S JUST A SERIES

Photo: Getty Images / Pete Kozma

So you thought the Buccos would be pushovers and now you're brooding on an off-day about losing a series?

Get over yourself.

The Pirates have a hundred problems. But unlike the Yankees, starting pitching isn't one of them, and as we all know good pitching  usually beats good hitting. And it definitely beats the likes of Pete Kozma.

Photo: Getty Images

The Pirate rotation's 3.38 ERA is 5th best in MLB (they're  also tied for 5th toughest to hit dingers against) and the Yankees' overachieving (yeah, I said it) rotation ranks just 17th with an ERA of 4.05 and tied for 7th easiest to hit one into the seats against.

So any lingering frustration you feel today should be dispelled. All three games of that series were filled with sloppy play and blown chances on both sides and could've gone either way -- and, in the end, the best team was the one that didn't have Pete Kozma at the plate with bases loaded and two outs.

Photo: Getty Images

So tip your cap to our old friends Ivan Nova, Chris "Stewie" Stewart and Francisco "Gazoo" Cervelli on a job well done and fuggedabowdit. It was a one and done series and we'll never see them again. Just shake  it off  the way  a pitcher  would a fluke  homer by some guy who couldn't hit water if he jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge -- like, say, Pete Kozma -- and save your acid reflux  for the fun to come at Fenway.

(July 16, 2016 - Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America)    

Speaking of Koz, Sir Didi went 2-for-5 in his third rehab start at Tampa Sunday and should be back by the end of the week, relieving us of any further need for Pete's (*cough*) services.

And speaking of Ivan, did anyone happen to catch Ken Davidoff's interview with him yesterday in the Post entitled How Being A Yankee Hurt Ivan Nova?

(April 22, 2017 - Source: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)    

I won't give away any spoilers. But if you've ever read and agreed with any of my takes on why I think "the Yankee way" of introducing young starters to the Bigs stinks,  you'll be pleased to learn Ivan agrees with us those same reasons are what screwed him up and kept him from achieving his potential here too. Check it out.

Enjoy your off day, everyone. Tomorrow, our bats have dates with a green monster and a pesky pole.

Oughtta be a wicked pissah.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

YANKEE SPRING STORYLINE 1: THE STARTING ROTATION

Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America

Inspired by the massive amount of change that has taken place prior to the end of the 2016 Season and by the storylines that have arisen in the off season, we will be bringing you a series of ten pieces entitled Spring Storylines.  These will carry us through spring training and into the start of the 2017 MLB Season.  Highlighted in our piece YANKEES OPEN FOR BUSINESS ON TUESDAY, these short vignettes should get you ready for how things could play out on the field this season.

 Source: Leon Halip/Getty Images North America

Our first of ten is THE STARTING ROTATION, which has arguably been the topic of conversations across the fan base.  According to the YES Network, "Last year, it was Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia battling it out for the fifth and final rotation job. This year, it's likely that Luis Severino, Chad Green, Luis Cessa and Bryan Mitchell will be the final four candidates to round out New York's starting staff. Each one has a chance to lock up the job for themselves with a strong performance in spring camp, so it will be an intriguing position battle to keep tabs on."  In addition, we should not discount the possibility of a late season visit from Chance Adams who has been wowing everyone across the minor league circuit.  Even GM Brian Cashman hinted that if Adams puts up the numbers he did last season as he quickly rose from Single-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton, he may make a trip to the Bronx in 2017.

According to NJ.com, "He (Adams) went a combined 13-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) this season. The 22-year-old righty went 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 11 starts at High-A Tampa before posting a 8-1 recording a 2.09 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) at Double-A Trenton."  And Yankees VP of Player Development Gary Denbo said that Adams, "did a great job of repeating his delivery which enables him to have good enough fastball command that we think we could keep him in a starting role," Denbo said. "His secondary stuff was above average and to me that's the definition of a starting pitcher. He took to the role and ran with it and just had a great year."  Keep in mind, that Adams has been successful as a starter and as a reliever, so depending on the need, he could take on either role.

Source: NJ.com

I am not discounting the possibilities we have in Severino, Green, Cessa and Mitchell, but I like what I see in Adams.  He appears confident and hard working and both are characteristics we need in our young players.  All of these guys need to be hungry for wins and hungry for the spot in the rotation, ready to contribute at all costs.  Nothing is a guarantee.

 Source: Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images North America

Brian Cashman has said time and time again and YES Network's Meredith Marakovits reiterated in a YES report earlier in the week, "If you are the best arm, we will find a spot for you on the team." As this storyline plays out beginning this week with regards to our starting rotation, we will bring you coverage of our young pitchers as they battle for the right to take the hill every five games.



--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

CUBS CUT HAMMEL LOOSE & YANKEES POUNCE

Dear Jason,

Thank you for your efforts this season. We realize that you were a big part of our success. You helped break the curse of the billy goat and now we have our long sought after World Series ring. You were a reliable starter for us and helped us make history and despite that, we are declining your 2017 option. Oh but what an advantage for you....here is your $2 million buyout and now you can take your pick of any team you want to sign with. Thanks again for the ring. See ya around!
Sincerely,

Theo Epstein

OK, so I am sure that is not how the Cubbies broke up with Jason Hammel but after reading Epstein's comments in an ESPN article found HERE but it sure sounds like the Cubs are just over him. I am a little surprised by it but whatever....he just made the worst free agent pitching market ever a little more interesting.

Look, the Yankees need pitching BADLY and you know what....I'm all in and I hope the Yankees can sign him. Hammel went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA this season with a hot start pitching to a 6-1 record in April with a 0.75 ERA. He had a rocky second half and look deflated by September but I'm still interested. I'm sure his tight elbow issue didn't help things but that is part of the game. He's healthy now.

Hammel was not included on the postseason roster which tells me the Cubs lost faith in him. I don't know how you would lose faith in a starter with a 15 win season or better yet a pitcher with double-digits wins and an ERA under 4.00 in the last three seasons. Hammel has proven to be consistent and now that he is available he is the most exciting starting pitcher out there.

The market is thin and is getting thinner by the day. Jeremy Hellickson accepted a $17.2 million qualifying offer from the Phillies so he is off of the table. Rich Hill is out there and he has a lot of suitors including the Yankees so who knows what will happen with him.

Last but not least Ivan Nova is out there looking for a job but I am guessing that the Yankees are not exactly looking to reunite with SuperNova. The competition is fierce, folks!

Maybe the Cubs just realized that they have a lot of big games that will all be free agents around the same time and they won't be able to re-sign all of them. This could be the start of them clearing up some payroll to save up to re-sign some guys later. Maybe they just want to put some more young guys with team controlled contracts in there. Who knows....and quite frankly I don't care.

I think the exit was a little odd, but Epstein is right, at least Hammel's stock is high now and he should be able to cash in with a team. The Yankees need to make a serious offer here. The rotation after Masahiro Tanaka has way too many question marks after it and Hammel only makes the Yankees stronger.

So Hammel, the Cubbies may not want you anymore but you can come over and pitch at Yankee stadium. I promise, you will like it!

 --Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ



 

CHAPMAN HIGH ON YANKEES LIST

The New York Daily News has a great nugget about something we have been talking about for weeks here on Bleeding Yankee Blue.  They really, really, really want Aroldis Chapman back.  And you know what? I would love to have Chapman back as the Yankees closer next season.  Apparently Brian Cashman is already making his move:


"Cashman said Monday that he has reached out to Chapman's agent — along with the agents for several other free agents — as the baseball offseason kicked off with the start of the general managers’ meetings.

Cashman appears focused on pitching above all else this winter, both in the starting rotation and in the bullpen. Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon are the top relievers on the free-agent market, while Rich Hill, Bartolo Colon and Ivan Nova are among the best starters available.

'There are certainly some names out there that are pretty good,' Cashman said. 'It's probably a thin starting pitching market, there are a number of different relievers in the market; certainly more relievers in this free agency than there are starters of quality. The trade route is obviously an area we'll see what develops over time.'"

I always hate when the Yankees are that opened about who they are going after because obvious you worry about rival division teams cock blocking the Yanks. Plus, when it comes to this signing, you gotta worry if the Cubs will try and have Chapman come back too.  Whatever the case, we will have to see. No question this is an interesting one, and I don't want to see the Yankees lose this!

Stay tuned...

 

KUDOS TO YOU, BRIAN CASHMAN!

Give credit when credit is due, and Brian Cashman is owed a lot of it right now. This is a very different team compared to what we had in May. The Yankees had a pathetic 9-17 start and even imagining that the Yankees could still be in the hunt for a wild card was a pipe dream. It really shows you how with risk there can be big rewards.

July feels like it was so long ago now. I guess looking at all of the changes it is a long time ago, and hopefully it stays there in the past. July may feel like a different life for this team but I remember the feeling of defeat I had after being swept by the last place Tampa Bay Rays. How do you get swept by a last place team?! Playoff teams don't do that so Cashman did what some fans just didn't agree with.....he had a massive fire sale. The Yankees are retooled.

Now fast forward to September and the Yankees are no longer known for having a "three headed monster" of a bullpen. There is no more Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller. Ivan Nova is no more. The Yankees packaged Carlos Beltran, the teams leader in hits for a younger future. Then, Alex Rodriguez, a veteran leader on this team is also gone and ready to start a new chapter. It's the beginning of the NEW Yankees.

Now, this NEW Yankees team is climbing up the standings led by new and hungry faces like Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin and Rob Refsnyder again. Star power is now no longer a familiar veteran face. Now it is youth that has fought hard. This team has nothing to lose and they are playing with a "go big or go home" attitude.

I'm not ready to go home yet. The Yankees aren't ready to go home yet and they are proving everyone that with the impressive 25-15 record over the last 40 games but as impressive as that is this team has a brutal schedule for the rest of the season. For the last 17 games the Yankees need to be ready. Take no prisoners! The Red Sox and the Orioles are not going to go easy on us. This is a different team that the Red Sox will be playing for 4 games. With any luck, the Yankees could close that 4.5 game gap. If they play their cards right, they could make this race even tighter.

Cashman has rebuilt this team. I have been critical of him in the past but he gambled this time and it paid off big. Not even he expected the Yankees to be where they are right now. It's exciting to see what this team really can be. The future is bright but as we work our way to seasons beyond it's time to finish BIG. Chase that wild card, but also chase for the extra bragging rights to knock down some of our rivals.

This team has proven that anything is possible and Cashman has proven once again, that sometimes the unpopular decisions are the right ones to make. Kudos to you, Cashman. Bring on these last few games against the AL East....and win!

 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer & Editor
  Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

 

CLOSURE TO THE IVAN NOVA TRADE

The Yankees got their guys!

(In photo: Stephen Tarpley)
Outfielder Tito Polo and left handed pitcher Stephen Tarpley have been sent to New York from the Pirates to complete the trade that sent Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh.

Now don't forget, when we wrote IVAN NOVA LOOKS BETTER AS A PIRATE, we suggested that the Yanks should look at some decent Pirates prospects, including Stephen Tarpley.

(In Photo: Tito Polo)
Well, good for us, we got Tarpley.  We also got Polo, who, fellow #BYBHub writer Jon Calvagno of Notes from the Sally tweets:

@BleednYankeeBlu @YankeeSource #Yankees
I only got 1 look at Tito Polo this year but he can playhttps://t.co/RO8l7X03za

— John Calvagno (@AshevilleSoxFan) August 30, 2016

It's true, John wrote:

"Polo stood out in BP, despite not being a big guy, he was putting a charge into some baseballs and showed terrific bat speed. After he hit,  he shagged fly balls in center and showed very good range seemingly gliding to the baseball, he also went back on a ball and made it look easy.

At the plate he hits with an upright closed stance, a linear swing that’s a little on the long side and utilizes an aggressive approach. Polo jumped on a Anderson Espinoza 1st pitch fastball the other night, lining the pitch into the left field corner for a double.

It was just one look but he was impressive, someone I’ll be keeping an eye on."

The Associated Press reports on Polo and Tarpley:

"Pirates have sent outfielder Tito Polo and left-hander Stephen Tarpley to the New York Yankees to complete the Aug. 1 deal in which Pittsburgh acquired right-hander Ivan Nova. In five starts with the Pirates Nova has gone 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA and one complete game. He has struck out 22 and walked one...

Polo, 22, hit .289 with 16 homers in 109 games between Class-A Bradenton and West Virginia this season and was selected as a South Atlantic League Midseason All-Star.

Tarpley, 23, was 6-4 with a 4.32 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 100 innings in 20 starts with Class-A Bradenton."

And so now the trade is complete... and that's that.

TURNING THE PAGE: FROM AROD TO BIG AARON

Well, many of us are finally getting our wish. We are going to get to see what these young up-and-comers are capable of. If the last few games are any indication, some of them are clearly living up to their reputations and others are still struggling. Even so, the last 2+ weeks have redefined the Yankees and their future trajectory is now set.

It's every die-hard fan's dream that their team can rise to superhuman levels and bring home a championship. It's nice to dream that Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran were going to hit .300, that those two plus Alex Rodriguez were each going to hit 30 home runs, and that the three-headed monster in the bullpen was going to make every game a six-inning affair.

Reality was and is a little different. Trading away some of the folks that were not going to be part of the rebuilding process was a painful yet necessary exercise. Trading away players whose contracts were ending this year, like Beltran, Aroldis Chapman, and Ivan Nova was the reality reset that this was not going to be the Yankees year.

Trading Andrew Miller really upset me. I think it says something about the front office's mindset about when the Yankees could really make a drive for the World Series - that it may be a few years away. It's a tough message, but if that's reality, you have to applaud Brian Cashman for having the backbone to make the deal.

From then until now, we have seen the departure of Alex Rodriguez and the announcement of Mark Teixeira's retirement. It turns the page.

Following Alex's departure, Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin joined the major league ranks and hit the ground running. Or rather, homering. They both announced their presence with the long ball. Aaron Judge followed it up with another homer in his second game. I believe with the press he's getting and his performance, he is going to be one of the core faces of the Yankees in the coming years.

Both he and Austin have yet to have a hitless game in the majors. Okay, it's only a couple of games, but it shows that they are making an immediate impact. Gary Sanchez already has two home runs, a .275 average after a slow start last week, and has thrown out three base stealers in five attempts. How long and how well they can keep this up remains to be seen.

Speaking of which, Luis Severino has struggled mightily of late, though I believe he is going to be a key member of the starting rotation. He helped salvage what would have been a dismal year last year.

This year's numbers look much worse than his overall body of work because he seems to lose his composure when he starts to give up runs, effectively creating an insurmountable landslide once the opposition rallies. If he learns to stop the bleeding - and that's definitely an "if" - he should be another impact player. Remember, after his first 14 games in the majors, Andy Pettitte was 3-6 with a 4.80 ERA. It's hard to tell at this stage what direction Severino is going to go. I remain hopeful.

(In photo: Gary Sanchez)
The final key to turning the page, of course, is wins. They have tied their season-high four games over .500 this past weekend, and continuing on this pace puts them on track for a playoff appearance. They are 4.5 games out of the Wild card and 5.5 games behind the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, who they happen to be hosting this week. That deficit is absolutely surmountable. It'll be interesting to watch. I won't lie - my interest in watching Yankee games jumped a few notches in the last few days. The ARod era is over. Bring on the Big Aaron era!

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @KingAgamemnon