COULD GLEYBER TORRES BE ON THE AUCTION BLOCK?

Source: Presswire 

Don't kill the messenger, but there is talk that the Yankees could shop Gleyber Torres.  Now, thinking about how that sounds, makes me sick.  The kid went down to an awful injury, perhaps moments before he would be called up to the Big Leagues.  And now, there's talk of shopping him?

Source: New York Daily News

"The San Diego Padres, (are) still seeking their shortstop of the future, and are said to have asked the New York Yankees about top prospect Gleyber Torres," reported Jon Heyman on Thursday.  And you ask, for what in return?  Now before I share this, I have to reference a discussion point between my son and myself on Friday evening.  It is our opinion that the San Diego Padres is the MLB team where guys head out to pasture: a dead zone, much like the Sacramento Kings for the NBA.  The mere thought of him being dealt is disturbing enough, but to the Padres?

Source: ESPN

According to Heyman, "Padres GM A.J. Preller didn’t return a text, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman declined comment specifically on Torres, saying only that “teams are interested in a lot of our prospects.”  Now just because the Padres asked for Torres, doesn't mean the Yankees have any interest in trading him.  No harm is asking, I suppose.  But, the Yankees do have an interest in beefing up its relief pitchers and 27-year-old left hander Brad Hand seems to be a possibility.  I might add, not for Torres even if they threw in Yangervis Solarte.  Fox announcers mentioned during the game on Saturday that the Yankees are in fact one starting pitcher from being in serious contention.

Source: NY Post

As far as Torres, recall that he had an season-ending injury resulting in Tommy John surgery only recently and the Yankees aren’t about to trade a “potential perennial All-Star” for a mediocre relief pitcher in Hand," said Heyman.  Just reporting what's being tossed around the blogosphere.

Source: Getty Images

July is heating up with trade talks and Yankee prospects.  If we are going to stay competitive and in it, we have some decisions to make.  By the way, the Red Sox also have an interest in Hand...just saying, we have to make some decisions.  Could the Yankees be shopping Clint Frazier after bringing him up for his Big League debut?

Time will tell.

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

BYB Stack Merchandise (2017)

PRAYERS FOR SOLARTE

Sad news for former Yankee and great guy Yangervis Solarte.  His wife has passed away due to complications to cancer.

Many are reporting this this morning.  In fact, former BYB writer and friend Frank Gentry reminded me about it this morning and so, we want to bring our report to the BYB audience:

Wife of Padres infielder Yangervis Solarte dies after battle with cancer https://t.co/QXt5r5lVQI via @YahooSports @BleednYankeeBlu

— T. Frank Gentry (@yankeefrank23) September 19, 2016

After reading in, we can report the sad news here. Yahoo Sports writes:

"...manager Andy Green fought back tears while announcing that Yuliette Solarte, the wife of infielder Yangervis Solarte, had died at age 31 due to complications from her fight against cancer.

Yangervis Solarte arrived with the team in Colorado on Friday and was scheduled to be in the lineup. However, he was summoned home to be with his wife and their three daughters — Yanliett, Yuliett and Yulianna — in Florida, when her condition worsened.

'What his family is going through, our thoughts and prayers are with him,' Green said of Solarte’s absence on Friday. 'He’s going through stuff that’s more important than baseball at this point.'”

So true, and no you have to wonder what will happen to Solarte and his career. Not that that matters, but he needs to be there for his kids.  Such a hard situation.

 I loved the infield combo of Solarte and Dean Anna a few years ago on the Yanks.  I felt like they brought energy to the team and so, while I was in the minority, I was sad to see Solarte and Anna go.  

Whatever the case, prayers now for the Solarte family.  It's a tough, tough situation.

 

REFSNYDER SENT DOWN & WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Look, Rob Refsnyder had a few bad days.  Doesn't matter.  He will improve. He's still a youth member trying to get up to the Majors and when the Yankees decided that Starlin Castro was the  2nd baseman,  it was pretty clear that they had no future plans for Ref at 2nd, and so, they tried him as a backup third baseman.

Nothing wrong with that. Refsnyder's such a gamer, he would have washed jock straps if it meant he could be on the big team.  And so, he took grounders at 3rd and made it his priority.  When you're a kid, you do whatever the team wants of you.  But you know what? It didn't work out... not now at least.  Rob Refsnyder was sent to Triple A.  He'll keep working, he'll keep pushing himself and I will bet we see him sometime this year.  Nothing wrong with this... he wasn't ready.

According to several sources, but we'll go with the New York Post with this:

"The Yankees took a look at Refsnyder, a second baseman, at third when camp opened because Dustin Ackley, the other backup infielder, plays only first and second.

Jace Peterson, Gordon Beckham and Andres Blanco are infielders with short and third experience who could be had if the Yankees don’t believe Pete Kozma or Ronald Torreyes, who are in camp, can handle the job.

'The utility guys we have in camp, it will come down to one of those guys,' Joe Girardi said.

But there is a chance the player will arrive by trade.

'That’s always a possibility,' Girardi said. 'My thought is that it will come out of this camp, but it’s a possibility. You never know what is going to happen at the end of camp.'”

Now I'm a big Beckham fan, but I just don't see them going outside of the team to snag a 3rd baseman.  Who knows, maybe they will, but much like when Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte were with the team a few years ago... sometimes the Yanks just stick with what they have, and guys like Torreyes and Kozma will most likely be those guys.

Whatever the case, Ref is down now.  And we need to move on.  Opening Day is almost here folks... I can't wait.

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THE CHRIS YOUNG DILEMMA

OK, it's not really a dilemma... I'm being dramatic.

I was never a big fan of Chris Young... until I saw the guy bring an energy to the Yankees I haven't seen in 2014 since Yangervis Solarte and Dean Anna.  I love the believer ladies and gentlemen... I think that's been well established on BYB at this point.  So when Chris Young suggested he would be thrilled to return to the Yankees... I smiled... I like hearing stuff like that:

“I’m really happy that I did get this opportunity to come here, in this environment, in as big of a year as it’s been for the Yankees... To be surrounded by that, I’ve been able to create memories that’ll last a lifetime. Every little bit helps, for sure. I’m really grateful for that...

I got a chance to play in his last game at Yankee Stadium and I think that’s something I’ll remember forever... It’s a good story to tell your kids one day...This is a great organization.  I’ve had a great time while I was here and I’m completely open to everything.”

We were grateful to have you, Chris.

But I ask you all... how did the player that was so hyped when he was signed by the Mets, fail so horribly in Queens, only to be so electric in the Bronx? What was it and how do we bottle it so the rest of the veterans feel that inspiration in 2015?

Plus, you gotta think about the outfield situation, the 4th outfield spot, and my guy, Ichiro Suzuki. A player I loved since the Seattle Mariner days... How would he fit in in the Yankees decided to re-sign a guy like Chris Young?

You have to assume that the Yankees would only have 1 spot available for the outfield. If that's the case, I would love to sign Ichiro to a 2 year deal, allow him to closer to that 3000 hit mark, and have Young on the back burner, bringing him up from Scranton, if needed to supply that extra energy.  But would Young want that? Doubtful. Plus, you have to also assume that teams that saw Young in September understand that his Mets months were a fluke.  Young could probably go anywhere at this point... right? I know, I'm thinking out loud at this point... and rambling...

So I ask you... would you sign Chris Young as our 4th outfielder... or would it be Ichiro?  Take our poll on the BYB page.   We'll do a write up about it as soon as the poll is over and chat about the results.  I know, there is that overwhelming audience that suggests we cut guys like Young and Ichiro loose and just go younger.  I get that.  But I believe guys like Young and Ichi still have something left in the tank.

Let me know what you think.

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ELIMINATED!

Sure, be mad.  It shouldn't surprise anyone.  As my friend Delia tweeted today... this year we kinda knew this was happening in August.  It makes it alittle easier I guess.

In theory, our Yankee club had the ability to climb mountains and challenge other clubs to win a championship.  But we seemed doomed from the start. 

Injury killed our rotation... and when replaced, guys like Brandon McCarthy, Chris Capuano, David Phelps, Shane Greene and the always reliable Hiroki Kuroda stepped up big time.  That's a ballclub. That's teamwork. You can't fault them.  Out bullpen was superior, doing much better than anyone expected too.

But it was the Yankee offense that literally buried us game after game.  I got on the guys pretty good and I'm tired of being mad.  Brian McCann struggled at the plate, but I give him a helluva lot of credit for having to learn the first pitching staff just to have to stop and do it all over with the new one. 

Alot of the guys were supposed to do big things this year, but many didn't.  There were glimpses of energy which I personally enjoyed watching.  Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte were fun, but they didn't stick around.  Brett Gardner not only interviewed with Bleeding Yankee Blue this year, but he had a terrific season providing energy to our club. I love Ichiro off the bench and he filled in and did everything asked of him, but who knows if he'll want to be a bench player again with the Yanks, or if he'll try to find a club where he can play full time to get his 3000 hits in the Major Leagues.  And Derek Jeter, the Captain, the leader.. he did his best and did it well as always. 

I'm not going after Girardi here. I'm not going after Long or Rothschild or Cashman or the Steinbrenners. You know where I stand.  If you don't, type their names in the BYB archive and find out how I feel.  Again... I'm tired of being mad. 

I was going to do a recap in this space, but I'm not. The Yankees didn't make the playoffs for 2 years in a row.  That's all you need to know. In the past, we'd hear "Changes will be made". In reality, changes should be made. Who knows what will happen.  All I know if Jeter didn't deserve this.  It's a damn shame.

Final today: Orioles 9 - Yankees 5

Finally, let me say this... and this goes back to the character and class of Derek Jeter, something bonehead Keith Olbermann doesn't understand (Read JETER IS A GREAT ROLE MODEL FIRST, A GREAT PLAYER NEXT.) When asked if Jeter would play the series in Boston, he simply said he couldn't think that far ahead. He was just preparing for tomorrow's game.  Always the professional. Unbelievable work ethic.  I applaud you, brother.  You make us proud, Derek. Thanks for being you and thanks for being a great role model to my kids.

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HAVE GUTS!

I sent a note to one of my writers this morning about writing a piece for me. She wrote me back, “I can do it… I have guts.”  It sounds crazy, but I got chills. I love that mentality, and it’s a mentality we have not seen from this Yankee club.

Guts.

Often people will say, “What would George do?” Referring to Mr. Steinbrenner and the state and struggles of this current club.  Yup, if he saw this club play the way they are right now, he’d been kicking and screaming like a maniac.  But let’s be honest, George is gone and we can’t think that way any longer.

As I reflect on this terrible season of offensive blunders, I think back to past leaders of our club. Jorge Posada. Andy Pettitte. Mariano Rivera. Bernie Williams. And yes, our Captain, Derek Jeter. It’s a much different time these days, isn’t it? Sure, Derek Jeter leads by example, but Jeter can’t do it alone these days.  There is no question that this staff of veteran hitters don’t have much regard for Kevin Long or Joe Girardi, even though they say they do.  They don't want to change. They feel as though they can do it "their way." Well... it's not working.

We have problems, and we need leadership desperately.  No… not for this season, this season is embarrassing and just about done. We need it for our future.

It’s clear Brian Cashman has been exposed.  Now, while I have never been a Cashman hater, something needs to happen. Sure, in the past, he’s brought us some pretty great players. He’s also brought us some major duds.  But think about what we have. We had a pretty happy off season and picked up some pretty high profile players.  Jacoby Ellsbury. Brian McCann.  Masahiro Tanaka. 

We even signed Carlos Beltran which, to me personally, looked more like a wink and a nod and a “We’ll sign you because you want to be here, and then you can retire a Yankee” type of signing.  Let me state for the record that watching Carlos Beltran play is the true definition of "old."  I don’t like him in our outfield and I think he’s overrated.  You could disagree and that’s OK, but I don’t need a Beltran home run in 1 – 20 at bats if he does absolutely nothing in between.  He’s no longer a good player. Give me Ichiro into his 50's… at least Suzuki looks like he wants to be there!

Now, Masahiro Tanaka got hurt, and that sucks, but we need to deal with that.  Ellsbury has been OK for us and I’m not unhappy with him.  Brian McCann has been pretty terrible at the plate. You’d think with that short porch he’d be launching them out… but he’s not. 

Sure, he’s done great things with the Yankee pitching staff and the turnover and for that, I’m grateful, but he’s not Munson-like. He’s not even Posada-like… he’s more like Wynegar-Like.

I’ve heard every argument. “The Yankees were thrown a curve. Bad injuries.” Really? Every team has injuries… move on, you need to play through it. It builds character! 

“We had pitching problems, give them a break.” The pitching isn’t the problem, Sunshine, stop saying that. It's the offense that's the problem.

“Mark Teixeira is battling through his wrist injury.” Not buying it, Counselor. Tex has been on the decline the past few years now. Look at the numbers.

One thing did pop into my mind though.  Alex Rodriguez could have helped this club this season.  I am of the belief that the ARod suspension screwed the Yankees partially.  Yup, many of you hate him, but it’s my belief that if Alex was in the lineup, we’d have offensive pop and alittle more energy.  PEDs or no PEDs, he hit the damn ball, and an argument can be made that Bud Selig single-handily sabotaged this Yankee club in 2014. Sure, there's the other argument that ARod did it to himself... and his team and I get that. Yes, what ARod did was wrong, but dozens and dozens have done the same.  We see 50 game suspensions handed out all day long. But not for Alex. He gets a 162 game suspension. Why? Because Selig said so.  I’ll never understand it, but there is no question that his absence has also contributed to the Yankees offensive chaos.

The media is starting their crusade against Derek Jeter too. I mean, did you read Bob Klapisch? Click HERE. Suggesting Jeter needs to “step it up” to get the Yankees to the post season. Please... are you kidding? 1 dude is supposed to carry the whole team? Of all seasons, this is the one that Jeter SHOULD be batting .265! If he was hitting .300 at age 40, I'd be thrilled, but he's in line with what's expected for his age. What Klapish says is ridiculous. Remember, Klapisch was one of the guys ripping Jeter for batting .270 a few years ago.  Then, when Jeet followed with a .297 average in 2011 and a .316 average in 2012, they gushed over him.  That’s why the media drives me crazy.  They’re not fans, they’re puppets sometimes.

Now, Klpaisch is back with a “Jeter step it up” rant.  I mean, have you looked at the averages of these Yankee players? Beltran is batting .241. Headley's hitting .238. Stephen Drew's batting .167. IT'S SEPTEMBER!  Jeter’s one of the guys near the top! Tex is batting .222.  Give me a break Klapisch… it’s clear you aren’t paying attention.

When Yankee fans get excited about Martin Prado, you know there is trouble in the Bronx.  Now, I say that as not a slight, but as a fact.  Think back to the off-season and who we picked up.  Yet, we’re rooting harder for Prado.  Why? I’ll tell you why… it goes back to my first sentence… Guts.  Prado has it.  Prado wants to be there. Prado is trying to make a difference in the short amount of time he has in New York.  That’s why I love the underdog.  Passion. Determination. Changing the routine. Guts. Prado’s a believer.  Beltran… McCann to some extent… they’re going through the motions. 

That’s why I was high on Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte and that’s why I was disappointed when they left.  Passion.  Averages aside, the passion and guts was there, and the energy was felt among the fans.  That’s how I root. I love the believer… it takes me back to the days of the Core Four, to Bernie Williams.  Believers. Determination. Guts. It gives me chills.

Some seasons there are teams that gel and build so much confidence, it’s addictive.  Players want to play, it’s evident. Not this Yankee club.  We’re a disappointment.  Losing is addictive too.  You know what else is? Lack of Mojo.  Stale Routines.  Us... right now!

Hope is an interesting thing when it comes to fans and their clubs.  I’m losing mine quickly. There’s only 1 thing that can fix the mess we’re in right now, and it’s not going to happen with a closed door meeting with Girardi, Rothschild and Long. The players don’t respect those guys and as veterans, they don’t want to hear it from them. No.  Our players, right now, need to dig deep...real deep and they themselves need to dig out of their own hole. After all, they’re the ones who dug themselves this deep.

They need some energy, some passion… some guts.

That’s my take anyway.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook! 

HEY HAL, LESS TALK... MORE ACTION!

Yankeeland is outraged.  We need a change and we need it now.  Top reason why we can’t get it together? Energy is stale and the offense can't knock in runs.  We have an older, broken down bunch of players not capable of changing routines.  We have Yankee brass not willing to make drastic changes to “light a fire”, and I don't mean signing new life, I mean making a statement with what we have.

Now, Hal Steinbrenner has come out and said the offense needs to step up, and that's fine... I guess. He said this about the team's production:  "They have to. They know that... They're professionals and the talent is there. But they've got to step it up and they know that. ... Look, my job is to be an optimist, and I am confident."

True, and I appreciate the talk, Hal.  But talk is now cheap. Yankeeland is frustrated. We have told the offense all season they needed to step up... and guess what? They haven't. Plus, we have questions now about conditioning of pitchers, and what about bringing up our youth? Where's the energy on this club? Why are we not shaking up the lineup? Why is Kevin Long's job safe? Is Joe Girardi or Larry Rothschild on the chopping block? Now we need action...we need hard choices.  Make a God damn statement and prove you're serious about the team needing to step up!

The Yankees are like Congress these days… low approval rating.  We pay for solid play as fans and I mean, we are the Yankees, we’re supposed to be winning, not losing the way we are!  On paper, we appear to have what it takes, but let’s face it, Brian McCann has turned out to be a dud and we traded for a great defender with no bat in Stephen Drew for a guy with no bat and an OK defender in Kelly Johnson.  But let's be honest? Is there really an upgrade with someone like Stephen Drew from someone like Brian Roberts before him? I can’t believe how disgraceful the second base position is right now.  Robinson Cano is laughing his ass off.  

One quick fix that we can all agree on is Rob Refsnyder needs to be brought up now!  I know we have Drew at 2^nd, but it’s not working. Bring up Refsnyder, bring up that youthful energy and let's get it going!  He batting .300 right now… the guy is ready. Let’s do this.

Energy gets a team going.  Look at someone like Yangervis Solarte.  He was so excited to be in New York and his energy has now translated to San Diego. He's fun to watch.  You know who else was like that? Derek Jeter. Jorge Posada. Andy Pettitte. Bernie Williams. Mariano Rivera.  Homegrown kids who made it to the show and never looked back.  The kids need to be sprinkled into this crippled Yankee roster now.  Cut the fat, bring in the young ones.  

We are 8 games out of first place in the American League East, the hardest division.  Despicable.  We can’t score runs.  Read IT'S BIZARRO IN YANKEE GAMES THIS YEAR.  The Stats don’t lie… we are a pathetic bunch.  Sure, accuse me of being harsh. I’ll accuse you of not truly understanding what the word “collapse” means.  It’s us.  

You know why the Baltimore Orioles play so well? It’s because Buck Showalter breaks rusty routines and motivates a club.  Those players WANT to run though a brick wall for Buck, because they know they’d do it as a team.  We don’t have a team these days… we have individuals unable to perform together.  It’s baseball ladies and gentlemen… not high school wresting.  We need to get it done together.

The solution is simple; inject youth and energy into this club now! Bring up Rob Refsnyder… not as a September call up, as a player on this club in August! Inject life into our lineup... Shake it up. Bench players who aren’t performing. When they ask why, be honest, say “Because you suck!” Yankee fans are fed up!  We want life in the pinstripes now! If we don’t do it in August, you can kiss the playoffs goodbye.   

You think the media was harsh on the Yankees in 2013 after we didn’t make the playoffs? Wait until you see what happens if we don’t make it in 2014. Armageddon.  The Yankees, the brass and management will get crushed. The fans, as much as we love our team, will leave. The fan base will turn their back on them.  And yes, Cashman made a splash in the offseason with guys like Jacoby Ellsbury, Masahiro Tanaka, McCann… but they don’t carry a club.  We need everyone, ALL 25 to make it work.  We don’t have the hunger to win. We have tired, old players who can’t understand why their not hitting anymore.  Well… it’s their job to figure it out.  If they can't bench them, send them down, trade them. And if you want… consider new life… consider Rob Refsnyder.

It’s the youth moment… and we’re calling for it here at Bleeding Yankee Blue… we need a change, and energy and a shake up... Who’s with me?

 You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

YANKEE UPGRADES & DOWNGRADES: PART ONE

The Position Players

In this our year of dwindling hopes and expectations, I thought what better time than to take a look at whether the Yankees have actually upgraded or downgraded with the acquisitions they’ve made.  Given their recent performance on the field, I think I know what overall conclusion I’ll come to, but I’m hoping that I’m wrong.

I’ll start at catcher.

Brian McCann was signed to a five-year deal and replaces Chris Stewart.  Last year Stewart was the epitome of futility at the plate (he hit .211) and behind it (he was second in passed balls with 12).

To date, McCann is hitting .238 with 13 home runs (Stewart had four) and has 8 passed balls while throwing out 43% of runners attempting to steal (Stewart had a 31% rate).  Given the increase in productivity as well as the better threat to throw runners out, I’ll label this acquisition an UPGRADE.

Let’s move to second base....

We started the season with Brian Roberts taking over for the richly departed Robinson Cano.  From the outset expectations were low, and Roberts pretty much met those.  He hit .237 and had a .974 fielding percentage.  That represented a significant drop in production from the position and there was only one label that could be given:  DOWNGRADE

When Roberts’ struggles appeared to be more permanent than temporary, GM Brian Cashman acquired Stephen Drew from the Red Sox and the Yankees declared that Drew would be their second baseman even though he had never played the position.

For whatever reason, many in media considered the Drew acquisition to be a much needed upgrade and had been calling for it from the moment the 2014 campaign began.

As a Yankee, Stephen Drew is hitting .154 and has a .947 fielding percentage at second base.  Sorry, but I’m failing to see where the upgrade occurred.  I’m labeling the Drew experiment a DOWNGRADE from Roberts (didn’t think that was even possible).

At third base we started the year with a combination of Yangervis Solarte and Kelly Johnson.  They were taking the hot corner over from the suspended Alex Rodriguez.  Solarte began the season on fire, and for a few brief weeks excitement grew over the possibility of his future in the Bronx.  Johnson, a multi-positional player, hit for a low average and struck out once every four at-bats.  Eventually Solarte cooled off and Johnson never really got going.  By the end of July both were traded elsewhere (Johnson to the Red Sox for Drew, Solarte to the Padres).  As much as I hate to do it, I’ll label this position another DOWNGRADE from Rodriguez to the collection of players that manned the position through July of this season.

At the end of July, the Yankees traded Solarte to the San Diego Padres for Chase Headley.  For a few years the Yankees had admired Headley from a distance, and finally they found the right time and player to land him.

Since coming to the Yankees, Headley has hit .250 and played a flawless third base (he has yet to make an error in the field as a Bomber).  He has also been called upon to play first base in five games and has done it well.  As of right now, the Headley trade can be deemed a success, and I’ll consider it an UPGRADE over Johnson/Solarte.

In the outfield there has been a couple of major pieces added that we need to take a look at.

First, there is Jacoby Ellsbury.  The former Red Sox centerfielder was signed in the offseason by Brian Cashman to a seven-year deal.  While he takes over at center field for Brett Gardner, he really isn’t replacing Gardner.  Instead, the addition of Ellsbury allows “Gardy” to move back to the left field – a spot where three years ago he made himself one of the best. 

As center fielder for the Yankees, Ellsbury has hit .278 and stolen 31 bases.  In the field he has been nearly flawless (one error in 305 chances).   He is hitting .296 with runners in scoring position (RISP), leading the regulars on the team in that category.  Initially slotted to bat at the top of the order, his success coupled with Gardner’s has allowed manager Joe Girardi to put Ellsbury in the heart of the lineup. 

Even though he has an occasional “slump” at the plate, overall Jacoby’s play is solid and he gives the Yankees a much needed spark both in the order and in the field.  He is an UPGRADE over former Yankees star Alfonso Soriano (who played left field until Gardner could move there).

In 2013, Ichiro Suzuki was the primary right fielder for the Yankees, with occasional starts from the likes of Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Ben Francisco et al.  Overall Ichiro hit .262 and played decently in the field, but he isn’t what he once was.  This offseason Cashman signed Carlos Beltran to a three-year deal.   At 37, Beltran is not much younger than Suzuki (he’s 40) and certainly not as durable.  He has managed to play in 85 games (of 118) and continues to be bothered by various aches and pains.  When Beltran rests, Ichiro has occupied right field and hit .277.  You’ll never have to worry about Ichiro missing time to injury – he keeps himself prepared to play at any time.

While the potential is there for Beltran to be an upgrade on the position, to date I have to label it as yet another DOWNGRADE as he has not lived up to expectations.  Quite honestly, given his age, he may never be what Cashman envisioned.  His best days are behind him.

Overall, the reviews are mixed as to whether GM Cashman has really upgraded this team.  From an everyday player perspective, it would appear he has not.  The slight upgrades at catcher and third base are more than off-set by downgrades at second base alone.  In our next article, we’ll take a look at the UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES in the pitching staff.

Let us know your opinion!  Do you agree or disagree with our assessment?  We want to hear from you!

    

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


 
You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!