WARREN IMPRESSING IN HIS BID FOR THE STARTING ROLE

If it was today, I give the 5th spot to Adam Warren.  I like what he's done.  He's developing into a hard working starter.  Today in the Yankees loss to the Rays, he struck out 5.  Not too shabby.

As ESPN wrote on March 25th: "Adam Warren runs away from the field", meaning, he's got the best shot to take the spot for the 5th slot in the starting role. He's running away with it:

"Warren has made more starts (4) than any pitcher in camp, thrown more innings (13) and pitched a respectable 2.77 ERA. Joe Girardi has raved about Mitchell's stuff, made excuses for Rogers, and Whitley has yet to allow a run. But it is clearly Warren who has shown the most capability to fill the hole in the rotation long enough for Capuano or Ivan Nova, recovering from Tommy John surgery, to return. But if Cashman seriously believes Warren is Secretariat, Capuano might have to be Man O'War to win his job back."

Fantastically written by Wallace Matthews.  He's right.

As far as the Yankees and their offense, they scored 5.   They came close in the 9th, but never were able to tie it.  Big hits came from Slade Heathcott,  Didi Gregoirus and Ramon Flores who all had RBI doubles. It was Jake Cave who was able to knock in that 1 extra run in the 9th... the Yanks just ran out of time at that point.  Hey, it happens.

Overall a good game, a close one and players are still airing things out.  A loss, but alot of positives today. Good work. Tough loss.  And yes... Spring Training.

Final: Rays 6 - Yankees 5

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YANKEES BELIEVE JUDGE ISN'T READY...

Nice nugget from New York Daily News Mark Feinsand. 

According to Mark: "... Aaron Judge and Luis Severino were two of the most talked-about players throughout the first three weeks of spring training. Sunday, they got their walking papers.

Both blue-chip prospects were reassigned to minor-league camp, though Joe Girardi made it clear the moves had nothing to do with their play.

'We’re sending players down now that played really well,' Girardi said. 'You start to run out of innings, you start to run out of playing time, and the last thing you want for them is not to be ready for their season. If we need them during the course of the season, you want them properly prepared.'”

Interesting quote from Girardi and yes, I guess it makes sense.  You figure the Yankees have 3 expensive outfielders already, and with Chris Young as your 4th outfielder, they're not gonna stick some kid in there and pay millions for veterans to ride the bench. And so, Judge will continue working on his craft in the minors, and I believe we'll see the guy this season.  I have no doubt actually.

By the way, there were other players that got sent down too: "OF Jake Cave, INF Cito Culver, C Trent Garrison, RHP Nick Goody, C Juan Graterol, LHP James Pazos, RHP Diego Moreno and LHP Tyler Webb."

And there you have it.



 
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TANAKA LOOKS GOOD & THE YANKEES WON

As Bryan Hoch wrote... "Tanaka's first spring start well worth the wait." Definitely.

He goes on: "The right-hander turned in a perfect Spring Training debut, retiring all six batters he faced against the Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Tanaka struck out two and induced four routine groundouts, throwing 15 of his 19 pitches for strikes. The 26-year-old required additional pitches in the bullpen just to reach his allotted count of 35.

'Overall, I think it was good,' Tanaka said through an interpreter. 'Probably the best part is that I was able to get first-pitch strikes a whole lot tonight.'"

There were RBIs from Brett Gardner, Nick Noonan and Jake Cave.  Didi Gregorius had a triple.  For the most part this Spring a lot of these players are giving Yankee fans something to cheer about.  And yes, I know it's early, but not a lot happening from Brian McCann or Mark Teixeira's bat.  They need to step it up...

Yankees win in a Spring Training game that means nothing last night... but things are happening and that's the big thing. Working out the kinks...

Final: Yankees 3 - Braves 2

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THE KIDS HAVE COME TO PLAY!

As of this writing, the New York Yankees have just alittle more than five 2015 Spring Training games under their belt.  Yes, it’s early, but still there is a clear theme that is beginning to emerge:  the “Baby Bombers” are ready to become grown-up Bombers.

Before even a practice pitch was thrown, General Manager Brian Cashman had given all of us his take on who would be our starting players on Opening Day.  As I’ve written in the past, I found it curious how a GM would be the person announcing the players that would take the field when the team breaks camp and heads north.  I had always been under the belief that the Manager would be determining the starting lineup and positions, but before I divert my attentions down that path again, let’s just look at the group Mr. Cashman has decided will trot out to their spots on Opening Day.   

His lineup has Brian McCann at catcher, Mark Teixeira at first base, Stephen Drew trying to play second, Chase Headley at third, Didi Gregorius at shortstop, and an outfield of Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran.  His DH spot will either have the polarizing Alex Rodriguez or newcomer Garrett Jones.

Early on in spring, “Cashman’s Heroes” (with Rodriguez in lineup) have gone 8 for 54 (.148) with no RBI, one double and have struck out 11 times.  With Garrett Jones in lineup, they are slightly better (he’s looked VERY good) and are 10 for 56 (.179) with one RBI, two doubles and 11 strikeouts.  

It could be a very long season if that keeps up.

On the flip side of the coin are a group of youngsters all trying to prove Cashman wrong in his assumptions.  Some are coming off stellar Triple A or Fall baseball seasons, while others are bouncing back from injury or disappointing 2014 campaigns.  A pretty decent lineup of these Baby Bombers has already shown it not only could compete with the aforementioned “starters”, but it would handily beat them.  

My group of “wanna-bes” includes JR Murphy at catcher, Greg Bird manning first base, Rob Refsnyder at second, Jose Pirela at shortstop, Eric Jagielo at third base, an outfield of Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams and Tyler Austin, and at DH, Aaron Judge. 

So far, this group of young Yankees is 19 for 59 (.322) with six doubles, a triple, three home runs, 12 runs scored and 11 RBI.  This isn’t even including what center fielder Jake Cave (who last played at AA Trenton) has done - 4 for 7 with a home run, 3 runs scored and 3 RBI.  

I guess a lot can be said for youth with incentive, eh Brian?

Cashman’s list of starters is very close – aside from the obvious (Jeter gone, A-Rod back) - to those that gave us a lifeless 85 wins in 2014.  It is punctuated with players clearly on the decline in their careers (Beltran, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Drew) and outside of Gregorius, has no one less than 30 years of age.  In short, it lacks the kind of energy we once saw when 20-somethings Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Francisco Cervelli, and Brett Gardner breathed life into our last world championship (2009).  Remember Melky and Robinson celebrating home runs and wins in the dugout with high fives and belly-bumps? 

Who is Didi Gregorius going to belly-bump on Brian Cashman’s aging team?  We need that energy and youthful passion for the game again.

It would seem that we have that opportunity if our GM and Manager would just see the forest through the trees.

Besides, let’s look at it from a “business” point of view.  How many fannies are going to be put into the stadium seats with the lineup of veterans?  Outside of immediate family, who is going to attend a game specifically to watch Stephen Drew or even Carlos Beltran?   ARod will draw some only because he’s a curiosity – a sideshow freak or train-wreck depending on your perspective.   The bottom line is that this team isn’t going to be exciting to watch.  There’s a reason so many former stars are getting spots in Monument Park this season.

It might just be me, but I contend that a lineup littered with our future would be something worth seeing – and would draw bigger crowds.  I’m not so crazy as to think that the Baby Bomber list I created above should ALL be starting on Opening Day.

I believe McCann, Gregorius, Teixeira, Headley, Gardner, Ellsbury and Jones really should be in that first lineup,  but there is no reason Refsnyder and one of the outfielders I mentioned shouldn’t also be there (Judge comes to mind).  And why can’t Greg Bird, Jose Pirela, Mason Williams, and Slade Heathcott all be on that roster in the Bronx, even if it is as backups?  God knows that Teixeira and Beltran will break down at some point in 2015.  It has become their history.  McCann will need rest as well, and it is likely that Murphy will make the squad.    All I’m asking is that some life be breathed into the corpse that this team has become over the last two seasons.   We have the players to do it.

Let’s stop assuming that the veterans will all be starters.  Give everyone in camp the same opportunity to start the first regular season game.  Perhaps that kind of incentive will light a fire under the 30-somethings.  Based on what we’ve seen early on, “incentive” is just what they need because clearly the kids (with incentive) have already come to play.

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

  
 

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YANKEES WON! IT'S SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS!

This is my recap, but to the other extreme of sex and baseball.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, read BYB MAY BE ABOUT FAMILY, BUT WE'RE NOT BABYSITTERS.

It was so cute the way the Yankees played well! It reminded me of the time I saw the new Spongebob movie with my kids! Yippee! My kids were so happy, and we had alot of laughs and popcorn.

OK... I'm joking about how this set up has been presented.  I was told kids read BYB too yesterday and I was trying to be funny this morning.  It's a joke... no one should take me seriously.  What is serious however is that the Yankees won yesterday and demolished the Astros in a Spring training game.  Gotta love that.

Big moments came from the kids.  Jake Cave his a homer, a solo shot. Rob Refsnyder his a single scoring 2.  Greg Bird also hit a 2 run home run.

The pitching started with Scott Baker. He gave up 3 runs in the first inning and that was it. He struck out 2. Jose DePaula had 2 scoreless innings.. and yeah, there was a bunch of pitching that happened, but ultimately for the Yankees... it was that 9th inning that they ended up breaking wide open, scoring 6 runs.

Life is good.  It's all sunshine and rainbows... and no sexy images of women or men taking their clothes off...

I kid, I kid.

Final: Yankees 9 - Astros 4

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BIG BYB UPDATE ON THE BABY BOMBERS

It has been a few weeks since the last time I updated you with what our future Bombers are up to in the minor league system, so let’s take a look at five more players working their way to the Bronx.

Dante Bichette Jr. (3B/DH) – His father was a power-laden outfielder who could flat out rake.  In 14 big league seasons he hit 274 home runs and batted .299.  Junior seems to have received a lot of that good DNA. 

Dante Bichette Jr. is batting in the heart of the Tampa Yankees (advanced A ball) lineup as a third baseman/designated hitter.  Currently, he’s hitting .276 with seven home runs and 40 RBI (leads the team). 

Drafted by the Yankees in the first round (51^st pick) of the 2011 Amateur Draft, the 22-year-old has advanced at least one level each year he has been in the organization.  He has displayed good power and if he can keep his average where it is or higher, it would come as no surprise if he finishes his season at the next level.

There are things to work on for sure, as he’s made 8 errors in 95 chances at the hot corner (a .916 fielding pct) and he tends to be a free-swinger at the plate; striking out 309 times taking a base on balls on 151 occasions in 361 minor league games.   But, those are things that can be worked on and improved over time, and at 22, he has plenty of time. 

Bichette Jr. has a tremendous upside and given the issues the parent club has had at third base, he represents a ray of hope for the future at the position.

Jake Cave (OF) – Drafted in the sixth round of the same draft (2011) as Bichette Jr., outfielder Jake Cave has impressed the past two seasons– he played in just one game in 2011 (breaking a kneecap in a collision at home plate), and missed all of 2012 after re-injuring it in extended spring training.

Currently a teammate of Bichette’s, the 21-year-old outfielder is hitting .297 with a .740 OPS.  In spite of his past injury, he’s a very capable runner on the base paths; swiping 25 in 37 attempts since 2013. Like Bichette, Cave needs to work on plate discipline as he carries nearly a 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

In the field he has an above average arm and range; playing center field for the Tampa Yankees with a .988 fielding pct.

If he stays healthy, Cave has shown abilities that should put him on the fast track through the organization.

Caleb Smith (LHP) – Left-handed starting pitchers are the blood diamonds in baseball.  Teams will kill for the good ones, and in Caleb Smith the Yankees may have a gem in the works.

Picked in the 14^th round of last year’s MLB Amateur Draft, Smith was quick to impress; posting a 1.89 ERA over 9 starts at low-A Staten Island, and even making a late season spot start at Double-A Trenton.

Since joining the organization, the southpaw has struck out 118 in 110 innings pitched and currently is 4-6 with a 3.56 ERA through 14 starts at Charleston (single A).

The 22-year-old has great potential as he showcases a fastball in the 93-95 mph range and an above-average circle change.  He also will occasionally use a slider, and has shown good control; walking just 43 batters in his 110 innings on the mound. 

If he keeps this up, the sky is the limit for Smith.  Given Yankee stadium’s short right-field porch, this lefty starter could find himself in the Bronx ahead of some of the other “baby” Bomber’s I’ve written about.

Jose Rosario (2B, SS,3B, OF) – One trait of successful Yankees teams in the past is that each had a good “all-purpose” player.  They are guys who play virtually every day, but seemingly never at the same position.   Their value lies in the fact that they allow their manager to rest his starters without losing production in the field and at the plate.

Jose Rosario is just that type of player.

Still young (22), this product of the Yankees Dominican Summer League team has shown versatility in the field and competence at the plate.  This season alone, Rosario has seen time at second, third and each of the three outfield positions while being promoted from Single-A Charleston to High-A Tampa.  To date, he’s hitting .295 at Tampa (.292 on the season) and has shown ability on the base paths in stealing 49 bases in 66 attempts during his minor league career.

The fact that he’s already been promoted this year is a good sign for the multi-talented player.  Look for him to continue his climb through the ranks and possibly finish the season at Double-A Trenton.

Jose Ramirez (RHP) – Jose Ramirez is a Baby Bomber who has been given his first taste of “The Show”.  While at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre this season, the 24-year-old right-handed starter-turned-reliever was lights out; posting a microscopic 0.84 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched. 

Since being signed as an 18-year-old amateur free agent in 2007, Ramirez steadily worked his way through the ranks of the system as a starter until last season.  He features a fastball that averages 94 mph, a change up, and a slider.

Even though he’s made it to the Bronx, there are still clearly some things to be worked on - specifically, his WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched).   In spite of his above average tools, Ramirez seems to pitch to a lot of contact.  He gets a decent number of strikeouts (his average is roughly one per inning), but yields home runs at a high rate (he’s already given up 2 in just 8 innings of big league work), and has had a WHIP higher than 1.2 every season (minors and majors) since 2009. 

Unless he can start missing bats at a better clip, his visit to the Bronx may not amount to much more than a quick cup of coffee.

There you have it – our latest update on some Yankees prospects.  If you have specific Baby Bombers you’d like to know about, feel free to send us the request and we’ll be happy to include them in our write-ups!

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1


 
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THE YANKEES & DRAFT SIGNINGS

(In Photo: Dante Bichette Jr.)
The Yankees were able to secure 7 players that they selected in the draft before the deadline. We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue wanted to bring them to you.

(In Photo: Greg Bird)

Gregory Bird: This kid was in the 5^th round, 179^th overall and signed for $1.1 million. Bird played in the California Collegiate League. He's a catcher. Click on his name to read more. Bird had this to say about the Yankees, brought to you by the Denver Post: “It’s exciting... There’s still a long way to go."

(In Photo: Jake Cave)

Jake Cave: Cave is a left hitting outfielder who signed for $825,000. He was in the 6^th round and 209^th overall. Cave is a position player. The goal is to make him a center fielder by the beginning of his major league career. Cave played in the Coastal Plains League. More HERE from Yankees Daily.

(In Photo: William Davis)

William Davis: Davis a right hander in the 14^th round. It's reported the "Rookie" Davis will make $550,000, the "largest handed out to a player outside the top three rounds this year," according to the Jacksonville Daily News. While David can play shortstop and first base, the Yankees like him as a pitcher.

(In Photo: Daniel Camarena)

Daniel Camarena: This left hander was in the 20^th round. He signed for $335,000. MLB's Daily Dish says it best "Camarena is a polished lefty starter that tends to sit in the high-80's these days, but he flashes a quality curve ball and could develop into a quality pitcher down the road."

(In Photo: Chaz Herbert)

Chaz Herbert: Herbert is a left hander from the 27^th round. Herbert said of the signing, "It really came down to the last two days and me deciding what I really wanted to do, In the end, I did what I've always wanted to do and that's play professional baseball." That is brought to you by The Daily Advertiser. Herbert will please in the Rookie Gulf Coast League to finish out the minor league season and then report again in March to really start his professional career.

(In Photo: Joseph Maher)

Joe Maher: Maher is a right hander in the 38^th round. "The fall prior to his sophomore season, Joey Maher threw a pitch that registered 87 miles per hour on the radar gun," according to the Bedford Patch. and here's more from the Patch: "As a senior, he produced a .442 batting average while playing first base, third base and designated hitter on his non-pitching days."

(In Photo: Jordan Cote)

Jordan Cote: Cote was in the 3^rd round and signed for $725,000 instead of attending Coastal Carolina on a baseball scholarship. Cote is a former New Hampshire Union Leader Player of the Year and a right hander. He’ll report to Tampa, Fla. and play rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League. Read more HERE.

(In Photo: Dante Bichette Jr.)

Dante Bichette Jr: As you know, Bichette signed a $750,000 deal back on June 18^th and we wrote about it here on Bleeding Yankee Blue. Currently, Bichette is with the Gulf Coast League. He’s batting .338 with 13 doubles, 3 homers and 41 RBIs. Bichette is the son of former baseball great and friend of Joe Girardi, Dante Bichette.

Here's the full list of who the Yankees signed:

3B Dante Bichette Jr. (Comp. A)
RHP Jordan Cote (3rd rd.)
INF Matt Duran (4th)
C Gregory Bird (5th)
OF Jake Cave (6th)
1B Austin Jones (7th)
RHP Philip Wetherell (8th)
RHP Zachary Arneson (9th)
RHP Mark Montgomery (11th)
OF Cody Grice (12th)
OF Justin James (13th)
RHP William Davis (14th)
RHP Branden Pinder (16th)
RHP Hayden Sharp (18th)
RHP Robert Paullus (19th)
LHP Daniel Camarena (20th)
INF Zach Wilson (21st)
RHP Corey Maines (23rd)
LHP Matthew Tracy (24th)
LHP Chaz Herbert (27th)
RHP Joseph Maher (38th)

(Source: NJ.com)

Remember these names folks, we may see some of them n the Bigs one day. Exciting stuff coming out of Yankeeland.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.