JONATHAN HOLDER... GONZO

Not that it's a big loss, but it's important to see that things are moving in the offseason.  Jonathan Holder is gone now... signed with the Cubs.

CBS Sports writes:

"After the New York Yankees non-tendered right-handed pitcher Jonathan Holder, the Chicago Cubs have signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract...Holder will earn $750,000 if he makes the major-league roster."

Again, not a huge deal, but good for Holder who can now just enjoy Christmas knowing he's got a deal done.

MAJOR CHANGES TO THE MLB DRAFT COULD HURT THE YANKEES

A major change to the MLB draft will impact the Yankees and every other team this year. The last major change came in 2012, when the draft was shortened from 50 rounds down to 40....but this summer we will have just five rounds. It's another side affect of the Coronavirus as Major League Baseball begins to regroup and bring baseball back.

Owners are looking for new ways to save some money thanks to this pandemic. I get it, baseball is a business but that doesn't mean I have to be thrilled about it right? I didn't believe the news at first, but it is true.

This decision will impact over 1,000 prospects that expected to be drafted this summer. These players will either sign undrafted and be eligible for a maximum $20,000 or wait until the next draft for more favorable terms. If I was a prospect right now I would be pretty bummed out. Some young and talented players could have to wait even longer for their big shot. From a team's perspective, this could really hurt any teams farm system for years to come. I can see why a lot of these front offices were pushing for a longer draft. You can read more about the specifics of the upcoming draft HERE.

The smaller draft does align with the league's proposal to eliminate a quarter of minor league teams, an idea that I don't like either...and it has been widely criticized. The Morning Call has a good breakdown of what that could mean HERE. The new draft is definitely a major concern for minor league teams, so it is something to watch.

So what does a five round draft look like for the Yankees this year? Well....definitely more strategic.

The first five rounds means that all thirty teams have plenty of talent to pick from. The athletes in the first few rounds are the cream of the crop, they have a good chance of progressing to the next level. Some may even say they have better odds, but regardless the first few rounds are important. This year that couldn't be more true for the Yankees. To say the first few rounds will be important to us is an understatement. Here's why....

The Yankees got their "white whale" when they signed Gerrit Cole this winter. We all know how important he is to us going forward, but when we signed Cole we also forfeit our second and fifth round picks of this upcoming draft, so we won't even get five picks. That leaves us with a first-round pick (Number 28 overall) and then a selection in the third and fourth rounds. The Yankees are going to have to be very strategic....and our scouts are going to be extra thorough.

It's an important point to realize here, the loss of the draft picks hurts BUT even if the Yankees had known they would be surrendering two of their five picks this summer they still should have signed Cole. The loss of the draft picks sucks, but missing out on Cole would have hurt a lot worse. Cole is a game changer, a draft pick is a "wait and see."

This draft will be different for the Yankees, but it's not necessarily bad. They can still sign undrafted players and maybe they will get a few of them. We have a few Yankees on the 40-man roster right now that were drafted after the 5th round. We all recognize Mike Tauchman, Chad Green, Luke Voit and Jonathan Holder, right? I guess we will have to wait and see what happens, the draft is expected to start on June 10th. I'm looking forward to it....are you?

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES CONTINUE TO WORKOUT IN TAMPA

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic and perhaps despite it, the New York Yankees unanimously elected to remain in Tampa preparing for the 2020 season, whenever that will commence.  On Thursday, Major League Baseball provided three options for players following their announcement that spring training would end at the end of that day.  The choices were, go home, go to the city where your team plays or stay at your spring training facility.  The Yankees chose as a team to continue to workout.

Source: Lynne Sladky/AP

"Saturday, LeMahieu, Gio Urshela and Tyler Wade were among the infielders there to work on drills. Outfielders Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier were in to hit and do drills. Luis Cessa, Chad Green and Jonathan Holder were among the pitchers there on Saturday," reported NY Daily News.  Accordingly, the Yankees cut back on personnel at the spring training facility but there are enough supports there to provide them the resources they need to be effective in their workouts.

“It went well. Large group of players showed up today and we were able to do defensive work, infield work, guys hit indoors, pitchers played catch,” Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza said as he drove out of the complex Saturday morning. “We’ll continue to do that,” said the News.

Source: New York Post

The team wants to be ready for the season and stay ahead of the work, while building endurance for the long season ahead. "We have a shot at a World Series title," Britton told MLB.com. "We want to be prepared to seize that opportunity. Guys aren't panicking about this thing. We understand that it's serious, but the Yankees have a ton of resources in the area. We feel like this is a good place for us to be," report CBS Sports.

It is not clear how long informal spring training will continue or even if the US Department of Health will recommend a complete stoppage, but for now, the Yankees personnel will support the team as they ramp up for the season.

“We’re gonna support [the players] and obviously that’s our job,’’ Mendoza said of the team’s decision to stay local. “We’ll see where this situation will take us because every day it looks like it changes so who knows what’s going to happen? But as of right now we’re here for them,” reported the New York Post.

A few fans were around Steinbrenner Field to try and catch a glimpse of players, but the facility, which is normally packed with excitement this time of year, was empty.  It is sad that it has come to this, but this will pass.  For now, this is our new normal and better days are ahead for all of us.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

INSIDE THE MINDSET OF THE OPENER

Source: AP

The Yankees did not pick up a stud starter at the trade deadline.  They decided to go with the team they have.  Jim Collins the author of Good to Great stated, “People aren’t your most important asset... the right people are.” The Yankees believe they have all the right people and that includes a bull pen that is nimble; nimble enough to take on different roles in the rotation including the opener role.

When YES Network's Meredith Marakovits asked Jonathan Holder if he minded being called upon to be last night's opener, he smiled as said he loved the idea.  That's the kind of heart and soul that's on this Yankee team: guys willing to do what it takes to win.  Perhaps that's why you see guys like Mike Tauchman stepping up the way he is.  The Yankees put more of priority on defense instead of spending a pretty penny on a starter who may only be a rental.  Brian Cashman wanted more and he built this team based on potential and giving guys with that potential an opportunity to play everyday.

Source: AP

"Rather than question his own front office and bemoan the state of his rotation, which put up a 6.18 ERA in July and still has major holes, Boone pronounced his team “ready to roll” with what it had," reported the Washington Post.  Part of the ready to roll is the opener strategy, which has been embraced by Chad Green, who has gone 9-0 when leveraged in that role.

Source: USA Today

“I struggled really bad the first three or four weeks of the season,” Green said this past week. “For me, my fastball command was so bad at the beginning of the year that I put myself into a hole,” reported Newsday.  But since being leveraged as a starter, he's been nothing short of stellar and has really lifted the Yankees when they needed it most.  Green and Holder are close teammates. They do a lot of talking and have shared their mindset and insights about opening, how that changes things a bit when it comes to their routine and even who they are facing at the plate in the one to two innings they pitch.

The opener strategy is here to stay at least for the Yankees this season.  Even though many believe they won't have to employ it in the post season, Boone is not ruling anything out.  His team is ready for any challenge.  They have the mindset for it.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof 

SHOULD THE YANKEES CONSIDER GOING WITH AN OPENER?

Source: Lynne Sladky/AP

We saw the trend of the "opener" catch on for teams last season.  Tampa Bay and Oakland took the trend further than other teams.  So, the question is, will the Yankees consider this option in 2019?

“If we did do it (Green and Holder) would be prime candidates to start the game,” Boone said. “To have them kind of go through the routine -- just because it is a little bit different for a relief pitcher to start games -- to have them go through the routine of getting ready for the start of the game, I think there is some value in that,” reported the New York Daily News on Tuesday.

Source: KDOW 1220 AM

Chad Green "opened" for Luis Cessa on Tuesday in the Yankees 6-2 win over the Rays and today Jonathan Holder "opens" for Domingo German.  The quad of pitchers have all be effective in spring trainer and that combo could be lethal during the season if the Yankees push the strategy forward.

"Doing (this) in spring training, just to know how long it takes to warm up, not based on game situation,” Green said. “Trial and error maybe. I think the only difference in the mound is (it’s) brand new when you are going today. Overall, it’s pretty much the same,” said Green, reported the News.

Source: SNY

Dellin Betances is yet another addition to the DL with shoulder inflammation.  Luis Severino is expected to be out until May and who knows what CC Sabathia will have to give this season.  Considering the opener strategy is not a bad idea given the potential of pitching combinations the Yankees may need to employ to win ball games.  I would love to see Green and even Jonathan Loaisiga in the role as opener.  It's a very interesting idea.  Aaron Boone may just be on to something...yes, I am giving him a high five. Let's see how the whole idea plays out.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

COUNTING ON KAHNLE

This bullpen may be one of the best bullpen's in Yankee history. That's hard to imagine without Mariano Rivera, but the potential that these guys have is insane. The Yankees made the right moves this winter but they still have one remaining piece from last season that they are counting on.

The Yankees envision Tommy Kahnle to be a part of this newly revamped bullpen, but he has to make sure he does his part to be included in it. That starts at Spring Training. Kahnle has to prove that the 2017 Kahnle wasn't a fluke and the 2018 Kahnle is gone for good.

It sounds like he is off to a good start. Friday night was the first time the Yankees go a good look at him, and he's off to a good start after striking out all three batters he faced. In fact, Aaron Boone said he looked better than he has ever seen him. Granted, that's not long but it is something.

That is what we need to hear about Kahnle, "you could tell the way the hitters were swinging, the way he was able to command, it wasn’t like he was reaching for it where at times I felt like he was trying to find the velocity that he didn’t really have last year," Boone said. "Mechanically, he was sound yesterday. That was free and easy and it was really good to see. He’s had a good winter and a good spring and to carry it into his first outing is a good thing for him," read more HERE.

So the first glimpse we get of Kahnle sounds good....really good. He sounds like he is in a better spot mentally and physically now that he has slimmed down also. The Yankees would like to see the inconsistent and injury prone Kahnle from last season gone, and I am sure he would too.

Photo of: Adam Ottavino

There is so much potential for this team. The Yankees could win if they can pull it all together. They made some important improvements to the team while the Red Sox still have areas of weakness that have been left unaddressed. The Yankees could be back on top again....but they still need Kahnle. The Yankees lost David Robertson, and even with the addition of Adam Ottavino, the Yankees need another guy to step up and be reliable and productive.

Kahnle is key to a revamped bullpen because the existing pieces cant do it alone. We can't just rely on Zack Britton. A resurgence from Kahnle gives the Yankees more breathing room, Ottavino has a lot of talent but we have yet to see how that translates away from Coors Field. Jonathan Holder struggled in the second half quite a bit and had difficulty at time with division rivals.

Kahnle is the forgotten man in the bullpen, but he could be the superstar that makes this the best bullpen we've ever seen. It sounds like he's on the right track. Can he earn his spot back and get the job done? I hope so.

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

IT CONTINUES TO BE THE MANAGER'S GAMES TO LOSE

Source: Bill Kostroun

I sat in right field last night as I watched CC Sabathia go 2.1 innings, giving up five runs over about 50 pitches.  It was a complete implosion and it put the Yankees at a deficit that carried them into sixth inning.  It was upsetting to see him be unproductive and I am sure he felt the same way.  But what is more upsetting is what transpired after, as the Aaron Boone, once again mismanaged the bull pen putting the Yankees further in jeopardy of winning against a team that is far weaker than the Bombers.  It continues to be Boone's games to lose and it is frustrating to watch.

Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America

"We come out (Friday) like gangbusters and we play well, then kind of fall back to keep from getting that roll," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "But I also feel like we're just a few games away from really getting on that roll to where we can start rolling downhill and start beating some people up. But we've got to get there," said Boone after Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays 8-7 according to NJ.com.  I don't even know what that quote means.  What I do know is what YES Network said about this Yankee team being the worst 90-win team ever.  And part of the reason why is Aaron Boone.

Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America

Chad Green came in to relieve Sabathia and gave up three hits and no runs in 2.1 innings.  He only threw 44 pitches.  So, why not keep him in?  No, Boone brings in Jonathan Holder who also pitched well but then instead of bringing in David Robertson when the Yankees scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, he brings in Tommy Kahnle to pitch the 6th.  I asked the fans around me if the Yankees were just giving up.  Kahnle has given the Yankees nothing but grief and opposing teams lots of runs.  He loaded the bases in Kahnle-style and gave up three runs.  With a score of 8-1, the Yankees put together a comeback but fell one short.  Had Boone put in Robertson, who was also up in the pen, kept in Green or Holder for more innings, we could won this game and should have won this game.

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

I felt deflated as many other fans, like yourselves, felt last night into today.  If Boone gives the impression of giving up, why should we stand behind him or this team?  He simply cannot manage.  He has put this team in terrible position for the Wild Card and I can barely watch the rest of the season while he is at the helm.  As I stated earlier, I don't even understand his explanations or soundbites.  I don't think anyone does. Oh and besides mismanaging his pitching staff he sat red-hot Miguel Andujar for most of the game until he realized his bat was missing, just in time for Miggy to hit a grand-slam to put the Yankees within one of Toronto.

 Source: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images North America

Today is the final game of the series with the Blue Jays.  The Yankees have brought up Justus Sheffield from Triple A Scranton and it is possible we could see Aroldis Chapman in the Boston series later this week.  It is all hands on deck.  We cannot afford anymore of this bone-head moves.  If Boone wants this team to get "rolling" then he needs to help them by getting feedback from his advisers and helping his team win.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKS JUST SIGNED ANOTHER GUY TOO!

Photo: Getty Images

Adeiny Hechavarria is a New York Yankee. That comes from the Yankees PR Department who put this out:

The @Yankees have acquired SS Adeiny Hechavarria and cash considerations from Pittsburgh in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the @Yankees have designated LHP Ryan Bollinger for assignment.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) September 1, 2018

It was a nice last minute waiver move and as you can see, Ryan Bollinger is gone, but I was kind of hoping it would be Jonathan Holder. I'm not a fan.

Photo: Getty Images

Bucs Dugout writes:

"...it seems the Pirates are at long last clearing the decks for the younger players. This raises some question about why they acquired Hechavarria in the first place, but whatever, they can move on now. "

Pirates also got rid of David Freese who went to the Dodgers.

Anyway, Hechavarria is a nice addition.  That is all.

Happy Saturday everyone.

BOONE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENCY

I am reading a book right now entitled Culture By Design by David J. Friedman.  The author describes a protocol for driving "better individual and organizational performance" through the development of a series of fundamentals, which help organizations take their desired behaviors and put them in action.  A few of the common fundamentals include "Take Ownership" "Practice Blameless Problem-Solving" and "Speak Straight."  With these in mind, watching Aaron Boone in his pre and post game press conferences lately have been especially painful.  Truth be told, since I am speaking straight, I have never really understood his riddling soundbites that seem to go on about nothing both in the context of his press conferences live or quoted in sports columns.  But, lately, they have been particularly cloudy and for someone who was hired for his articulation and relationship building qualities, I think Boone needs a little more transparency with fans and the media.

Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America

"Manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Stanton's hamstring tightness has not subsided since he began feeling it a week ago, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports. This issue has forced Boone to play Stanton primarily in the DH spot, which is where he's spent five of the past seven games," reported CBS Sports.  But it wasn't until this weekend that we even knew officially that Giancarlo Stanton had a hamstring issue.  He just kept playing him at DH despite many of us scratching our heads in confusion.  I mean they played Neil Walker in right field, who has had little to no experience in the outfield and who is barely hitting .227 (just started to "get hot").  Why not tell us why Stanton keeps playing DH?  Why not be upfront?

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

So the first Fundamental for Boone to get under wraps in his journey towards transparency is Take Ownership.  He needs to take ownership for not playing his best team every night.  He needs to take ownership for his words or the words he chooses to either confuse us or keep things from us.  The New Haven Register calls him out for his choices of late. "Aaron Boone is beginning to overthink things. On Friday night he sat red-hot Neil Walker a day after belting two homers in favor of minor league-caliber bats Luke Voit and Shane Robinson. And slumping Gleyber Torres continues to move higher and higher in the lineup."  

Source: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images North America

The next Fundamental Boone needs to be concerned about is Practice Blameless Problem-Solving.  We have been told that we have the best bullpen in baseball.  Has anyone taught Boone how to use them effectively?  As NJ.com points out following the massacre in Fenway, perhaps not.  "Did Boone take CC Sabathia out too soon (three innings) on Thursday? Why did he keep Jonathan Holder in so long Friday? Why not go to Chad Green over Holder in the first place? Why go to A.J. Cole with his team down, 3-0, in the seventh inning vs. the Red Sox on Saturday rather than, say, Dellin Betances? (The game was close enough, and it’s Boston, after all.) It was only one or two times early, perhaps partially Yankees were bashing around teams, but Boone’s bullpen usage has deserved scrutiny lately." Why not own this Boone instead of placing much of the blame on Miguel Andujar for his error late in the game instead of just owning the poor bullpen choices.  Boone instead said this:

"We have to do a better job of playing a cleaner brand of baseball. Especially when things are hard and you're up against a real good opponent, you've got to play clean," Boone said as reported by ESPN. Cleaner brand of baseball? Real good opponent?  The words, the struggle, be real, Boone.  How about this, "We made some fundamental mistakes as a team and that includes myself as manager."  

Source: David Maxwell/Getty Images North America

The final fundamental Boone needs to put into practice is Speak Straight.  As I mentioned earlier, listening to Boone talk about the game the Yankees are about to play or the one they just finished is difficult.  He speaks in riddles and he uses a lot of phrases and clauses that are not linked to any substance.  "I see [this] as a bump," Boone said. "I see it as we didn't play great these last two days, but I have a lot of belief in those guys and the approach those guys have going into the day.
This is a long, arduous season. You're going to hit these little bumps in the road where it's difficult, where you're trying to preserve pitching a little bit, where you're up against it a little bit a lot of days in a row," Boone said after the loss to the Red Sox last Thursday.  I would rather him say that we blew it.  I would rather him own the loss and say that we just have to play better baseball.  Make no mistake, Boone, this is NOT a little bump in the road.  This is a gigantic pot hole and we are stuck.

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

Bottom line, this late in the season, we need a little more transparency in our Yankee administration, and it starts with Boone.  Giancarlo Stanton speaks straight, so does Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia, owning their bad outings or injuries.  Jonathan Holder owned his poor game play.  Why can't Aaron Boone be more upfront with us as fans?  That's the message today- be a transparent leader, Boone.  Be honest with us.  Be honest with yourself and own your deficiencies.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

GEORGE KONTOS & FALLING DOMINOES

Can he help?  Lord I hope so.

Photo: Getty Images

Yea, pitching seems to be what we're lacking big time. We get J.A. Happ and he gets Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.  So we scramble.  We decide we're gonna make Luis Cessa a starter for Saturday against the Sox following CC's Thursday night appearance. Cessa's all happy about the opportunity (Yankee fans were not) and then Aaron Boone makes the dominoes fall.  CC Sabathia, probably one of the most seasoned Yankee pitchers against the Sox is pulled too early in that game Friday night (We were up 4-2) and Jonathan Holder comes in and gets his tits lit up.

Photo: Getty Images

That threw the entire rotation into a tizzy and I would even suggest the momentum of bad vibes, bad body language and just a really amazing Sox offense which then leaves Luis Severino a shell of himself.

Photo: Getty Images

What I'm trying to say is everything that has happened has become a domino effect to something else this weekend.  There is no back up plan, that is clear.  It's walking into a game saying... "We have this, but if this doesn't work, we HAVE to do this because we have no other plan, and THIS isn't a good idea but we have no choice." 

Photo: Getty Images

That's why we saw Chance Adams... a desperate move by the Yankees in the most important series of the season... and while he did OK... we still lost and that's the most important thing.  We need to start winning, not scotch taping a shaky rotation together in the hopes that we can pull out a win. Who PULLS out a win in a pennant race? Have a plan!!  This is the pros... it's doesn't work that way.

Now we were forced to get more pitching... and the name is familiar.  The New York Daily News has the story about George Kontos and the Yankees most recent acquisition...

Photo: Getty Images

"With their pitching being stretched thin, the Yankees acquired right-hander George Kontos from Cleveland for cash considerations on Saturday. Kontos had been demoted to Triple-A on July 9. The Indians had picked him up after the Pirates released him in May. Kontos will report to Triple-A Scranton. In 27 big-league appearances this season, Kontos pitched to a 4.68 ERA, striking out 13 and walking seven over 25 innings."

And this move is simple and maybe OK, but not a fix.  In a nutshell it back fills the problem... it doesn't fix it.

I like Kontos, but with those numbers I'd pick my 15 year old son over him.  It's a "Lightning in a bottle" move.... and you better hope there's lightning. You know what I mean?