#ALLRISE HAS SHOULDER SURGERY

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

Our Rookie of the Year, Aaron Judge, went under the knife on Tuesday to repair what the team is describing as a "loose-body removal and cartilage cleanup" on his non-throwing shoulder.  In his Judge-like ways, the Yankee right-fielder down played his left shoulder symptoms during the second half of the season, including the post season.  But, as we all witnessed, Judge's incredible defensive plays took a toll on the 25-year-old outfielder's shoulder and it hurt his offense as his batting average dipped after the All Star Break.

Source: Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

"In the first half, Judge hit .329 with 30 homers and 66 RBIs. He capped it off by winning the Home Run Derby. In the first 44 games of the second half, Judge hit just .179. In September, though, he got hot again, belting 15 homers and batting .311. Judge finished the regular season with 114 RBIs," reported ESPN.

Source: MLB.com

Judge's shoulder sustained a number of blows to the wall as he made terrific defensive plays, robbing a number of extra base hits and even some home runs.  According to the NY Times, "In the playoffs, the same shoulder took a blow when Judge crashed into the right-field wall to steal an extra-base hit from Houston Astros first baseman Yulieski Gurriel in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Judge tumbled to the ground after colliding with the wall."  We all cheered for him but at the same time, the impact was scary and worrisome.

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

"On Aug. 30, with persistent questions about the condition of Judge’s shoulder, Manager Joe Girardi said the team and Judge had discussed the possibility of Judge getting a cortisone shot," said the Times.  There was no confirmation from the team whether or not Judge got the shot.

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

The good news is that Judge is expected to be ready for spring training so the timing of the surgery could not be better.  Wishing our runner-up MVP and Rookie of the Year a good recovery and lots of rest during this holiday and off season. 

Take care, #AllRise.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof




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REMEMBER YULIESKI GOURRIEL? HE SIGNED!

Quick note about Cuban ballplayer Yulieski Gourriel.  No, he didn't sign with the New York Yankees, but he did sign with a Major League team. It's being reported by Jesse Sanchez of MLB, Gourriel signed with the Astros:

Source: INF Yulieski Gurriel agrees to 5-year, $47.5 million deal with #Astros #Cuba More on https://t.co/mkcBseoZWQ pic.twitter.com/6uj12AgGGL

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) July 15, 2016

Nice photo. Looks kind of bad ass. I wonder if that will translate.

Now, don't go pouting that he didn't sign with the Yankees.  He was NEVER a blip on the Yankees radar.  The media played that whole story up about him being connected to the Yankees ONLY because he's friends with Aroldis Chapman.  As I wrote in YULIESKI GOURRIEL MAY BE ON THE MOVE,

"...the Yankees have recently been attached to Cuban free agent Yulieski Gourriel and that's because every time the press has a moment, they bring his name up to Aroldis Chapman. That's when Chapman talks about how excellent of a ballplayer Gourriel is.  There isn't TRULY a connection between the Yankees and Gourriel, it's slightly fabricated, but that being said, the Yankees need to think about guys like this.  Roll the dice."

The Yankees passed, that's fine. Maybe they are coming up with ideas on how to deal some of our old players... who knows.

Anyway, Gourriel is now with the Houston Astros, not the New York Yankees.  And it appears, or maybe he's wrong, that Jesse Sanchez is suggesting Gourriel is actually spelled "Gurriel".  Who knew? I'll have to check that one out.

YULIESKI GOURRIEL MAY BE ON THE MOVE

Now, you know that the Yankees have recently been attached to Cuban free agent Yulieski Gourriel and that's because every time the press has a moment, they bring his name up to Aroldis Chapman. 

That's when Chapman talks about how excellent of a ballplayer Gourriel is.  There isn't TRULY a connection between the Yankees and Gourriel, it's slightly fabricated, but that being said, the Yankees need to think about guys like this.  Roll the dice. I mean, at this point, you can only get better adding talent... you know what I mean?

Here's the latest on Gourriel, just to keep you in the loop. According to SNY:

"... The Mets will hold a private workout for free-agent 3B Yulieski Gourriel next week, the team's assistant GM John Ricco told reporters in Atlanta.... Gourriel held a private workout for the Dodgers in Los Angeles this week, according to reports."

Will the Yankees get in on this guy? Look, I doubt it, I'm going to be honest.  But whatever man... you gotta wonder what the Yankees will do with this team, and ultimately, this is something they shouldn't just take off the table yet. 

We will see, but in the end, all this was was an update for all of you from the folks you love at BYB.  Do what you want with it...and carry on.

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WE GET IT CHAPMAN, YOU LIKE GOURRIEL

We bring up Cuban player Yulieski Gourriel here at BYB once every 3 months and the story never changes.  Aroldis Chapman is friends with Gourriel and I guess whenever a reporter talks to Chapman about Gourriel, he raves about just how good he is.

Well, the New York Post has this story today:

"Chapman played with and against Yulieski Gourriel in Cuba, and says the free-agent infielder’s game will translate to success when he signs with a major league team.

 “This is a veteran player with a lot of experience,’’ Chapman said of his teammate on the Cuban National Team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. “This is not a rookie. He has all the qualities needed to be a good player at this level.’’

According to several industry members involved in the international market, the Yankees have an interest in the 32-year-old Gourriel. What he will cost depends on how many teams are involved and what their needs are."

Now look, it's not fair to count the Yankees out yet this season. If they can stay at .500 by the All-Star break, they can definitely make a push to the playoffs.  We'll just have to see.  And we'll just have to see what Chapman and the Yankees will do about Gourriel. I mean, who knows if Aroldis will still be with the Yankees by the deadline and if it would even matter than.  Remember, the Cubs want Chap. We'll just have to see.

Stay tuned...

 


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THAT YULIESKI GOURRIEL STORY LINGERS...

A while back we wrote about how Cuban 'sensation' (it's in quotes because they all are touted that way) was very interested in playing for the New York Yankees on day.  We wrote several pieces about this kid.  My favorite came this past April.  Read THIS CUBAN STAR WANTS TO PLAY WITH ALEX RODRIGUEZ. Now Brendan Kuty of NJ.com decided to get Yankee fans even more excited. 

Kuty writes: "The next Cuban superstar expected nab a multi-million dollar big-league contract would "love" to play for the Yankees and recently peppered Aroldis Chapman with questions about wearing pinstripes, the closer told NJ Advance Media on Thursday. 

Yulieski Gourriel's favorite team is the Yankees, his favorite player is Alex Rodriguez and the 31-year-old third baseman "would be super happy" to become a Yankee, Chapman said via a translator."

This is all fine and good but the Yankees are saving every dollar for the day Bryce Harper becomes a free agent.  That's the main goal for the Yankees.  I guess then, if they have some left over they can go after a kid with a dream, but you gotta wonder if the timing will be wrong on this. 

Whatever the case, I wanted to bring up Yuleski Gourriel's name again... because I know you love it!

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THE YANKEES INFIELD IS WIDE OPEN

I don't know about you, but I cannot remember a time when every spot in the Yankees infield is up for grabs. The thought came to me as I was reading about Yulieski Gourriel's interest in the Yankees and the Yankees interest in him. You can read the latest on him here: CUBAN SENSATION WANTS TO PLAY FOR THE YANKEES. Nothing sends a third baseman a message like your team's interest in another third baseman. Between Gourriel and Starlin Castro, Brian Cashman is keeping everyone on their toes. I think it's a good thing.

I've never liked players entering spring training with the assumption that they will get their position, and that spring training games are just a formality. Everybody should be earning their spots. That said, everyone in the infield will be earning theirs. Even without Gourriel, the team has a lot of flexibility in the infield. The Yankees finished 18th in the majors in fielding percentage and 16th in batting average. Those are mediocre numbers, which translates into terrible numbers for a team that abhors mediocrity.

Chase Headley was signed with the thought that he could play defense well and that he had a decent bat. In fact, he had a great bat at one point, and maybe he could find that swing again. Last year was a definite step back for him. While his average stayed within 5 points of his career average, his fielding percentage dropped by 20 points. In fact, he not only led the team in errors (23), he beat second place by 10. Was this an aberration? We hope so, but the Yankees aren't taking chances. If they cannot sign Gourriel, moving Castro over to third instead of second is an option. Castro is no wizard in the field - he had 24 fielding errors of his own. But at least he would be a 20-point upgrade in the batting average, given Castro's career numbers. That could open up second base for Rob Refsnyder. Remember that he was kept down because of concerns about his glove. He's hit .300 at every level in almost every season he played. If you're already tolerating mediocre gloves, you take a 40-point upgrade in the batting average.

Then there's shortstop. Didi Gregorius had a horrendous start to the season last year. He had a remarkable improvement in the second half. His batting average jumped nearly 60 points and his error rate was cut by more than half. The question is which Didi are we getting in 2016? If you see him start to falter in the field, remember that shortstop is Starlin Castro's primary position. Then the same line of thinking I outlined on Headley applies to Gregorius. You replace a mediocre fielding .250 hitter with a mediocre fielding .300 hitter. That's not even counting Jorge Mateo, who is probably not ready for the majors. But in a pinch, you never know what the Yankees will try. He is ranked #26 on Baseball America's Top 100 List. It's not as crazy as you think.

First base is a little different. Greg Bird's injury settles the short-term debate on who will start at first. Mark Teixeira will likely be the starter. But for how long before he gets hurt? If Chase Headley is having a good year, he could shift over to first and start the aforementioned infield merry-go-round. Dustin Ackley is also an option, as he filled in last year. The most intriguing possibility is if Brian McCann breaks in that first baseman's glove. It's been talked about for years. What makes it so intriguing is the opportunity to have Gary Sanchez behind the plate. He has been tearing it up in the minors and winter leagues. Many, including myself, think he's the natural fit for the backup catcher role in 2016.

There are a lot of options here. It's likely that the season will start with Teixeira, Castro, Gregorius, and Headley in the infield. By May, it could turn into something as different as McCann, Refsnyder, Ackley, Castro. The trade deadline will bring even more possibilities. The one good thing is that the Yankees can afford to let the players demonstrate who the best ones are, and they can field that team. I'm always liking that. Yet another reason why I can't wait for spring training to start.

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






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CUBAN SENSATION WANTS TO PLAY FOR THE YANKEES

Not sure if any of you know 31 year old Yulieski Gourriel, but he defected from Cuba.  According to many sources, now that he has, he has big dreams of playing for the New York Yankees.

Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com writes:

Gourriel "...has his sights set on joining Major League Baseball…and the Yankees may be his top target...

...back in 2015, while talking about the possibility of playing Major League Baseball, Yulieski Gourriel told Yahoo! that it is "the dream of all players to play at the maximum level baseball in all the world," and he also said that he desired to join the Yankees so he could play alongside his favorite player, Alex Rodriguez."

What does it all mean? I mean, who DOESN'T want to play for the New York Yankees.  Well, we will have to see.

Gourriel plays 3rd and can play 2nd base, and has played in Cuba for 15 seasons.  DiPietro writes that Gourriel "...has hit a combined .333 with 245 home runs and 999 RBI." Those stats are with Cuba and with Japan Nippon Professional Baseball. DiPietro also says he just doesn't see the Yankees as a fit, and you know what? He may be right.

I just needed to bring this to your attention because with all this talk about Chase Headley and whether or not he's capable anymore... the idea of Gourriel in pinstripes is definitely intriguing.

We'll keep an eye on this for you. More to come...



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THIS CUBAN STAR WANTS TO PLAY WITH ALEX RODRIGUEZ

One of the top international prospects in the world wants to play for the New York Yankees, alongside Alex Rodriguez. At least according to the New York Post.

Yulieski Gourriel, a Cuban native, told Yahoo Sports "This is the dream of all players - to play at the maximum level of baseball in all the world." Gourriel was asked which team he would play for and his immediate response was the Yankees, where he could play alongside his favorite player, ARod. But, there is a catch!

Gourriel will not come to the United States until the embargo on Cuba has been lifted, and he receives permission from the Cuban Government. I had to do a little bit of research on this. I wasn't born when President Kennedy put the embargo in place, and by the time I was born, it was kind of a social norm that was accepted and not really discussed. Heck, I'll be real honest here... I didn't even know why the embargo was in place, or what the heck it was until today. Thanks for this assignment, Casey. The more you know, right? I suck at History... sue me! But I'll get back to this in a minute.

Gourriel, who has played in Japan, seems to be an incredible player. His BA is well over .300, with plenty of power behind his bat. Eric Nadel, broadcaster for the Texas Rangers, saw him play in Japan and said

"Every time you see Gourriel, you see something special...

"Just look at what he did in Japan last summer. He hit over .300 with power. He's going back there this summer. He's legitimately a major-leaguer in any league."

Okay, so what's stopping him? The embargo restricts trades, but it also restricts Americans from spending money in Cuba. Honestly, it's a lot of political crap, brought on by some hostile relations between the two countries, in the early 1960's after Fidel Castro took control of Cuba. The government is now working towards changing this, but it will take time. For a better explanation, go HERE.

We've seen a steady amount of baseball player's simply defecting from Cuba. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, for example. But those players have to establish residence and get "unblocked" by the U.S. Treasury and... again, politics, politics. This year, Yoan Moncada was allowed to leave, and signed with the Red Sox. But then the question of compensation comes up. Japan gets compensation when their players leave for the U.S., so the idea that the U.S. would compensate Cuba is not entirely outlandish.

Gourriel is not going to defect. He wants an end to the embargo, as do many people... or so I have been reading.  Lifting the embargo will open  many opportunities, including the pool of free agents available to the MLB. There are players like Gourriel who are ready and willing to play once the embargo is lifted.

Defecting is a personal choice, and it comes with many of it's own obstacles, and risk. I don't think any of us know for certain that the embargo will ever be lifted, and maybe there are some that wish for it to stay in place permanently. All I know is that there are many great "could-be-major-leaguers" being held back by a policy that is more than 50 years old.

Now, someone please tell me what the Cold War has to do with any of this? And why didn't they just get a blanket if they were cold? Why the war?  Heh. 

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

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