EVEN AARON BOONE "DOESN'T KNOW" ABOUT FRAZIER'S FUTURE

Is Clint Frazier the 31st man on a 30-man roster? Is he even 31? I don't know, and what's scarier here is neither does Aaron Boone.

Even with an expanded roster to start this unusual season, there isn't a clear path for Frazier. It's the same old story that Frazier has faced for years now.....where does he fit in? He was optioned down to their alternate training site after Saturday night's game along with Ben Heller. Aaron Boone's honest answer isn't very encouraging, especially not if you are Frazier and you happen to read it in the news. You can read about it in depth HERE.

Boone was honest and blunt. I admire an honest answer even when it isn't the answer you want to hear. It sucks to be both Frazier and Boone right now.

“I would say he’s great and a pro and I’m really proud of who he is right now and where’s he’s at. Doesn’t make it any less difficult. Again, you’re sending down a player who you know is ready to be an impact player in the big leagues. That’s a hard thing to do. Especially with the work he’s put in and the strides he’s made in every aspect of his game are real. So that’s a difficult one.”

And it must be even harder when you are sending down an impactful, major league ready bat but keep Miguel Andujar in left field for Sunday's game. I mean, I love that Andujar is back but he's never played a game in left field and he gets the call over Frazier. Maybe it wouldn't hurt as bad if Frazier had played in the previous two games, but that didn't happen either.

Then to top it all off, the Yankees plan to bring right-hand rookie relievers Nick Nelson and Brooks Kriske up to the roster who both pitched in Double-A last season. We can thank James Paxton's disappointing performance for that I guess. There's a reason for it....but if you are Frazier right now it probably doesn't make it easier to accept.

So when will we see Frazier? I don't know and neither does Boone. He called this decision "difficult" and believes "Clint's ready to be an impact player in this league. There's no doubt in my mind." He went on to say that Frazier is "just unfortunately, blocked right now with a lot of good outfielders."

He's not wrong, but a short 60 game season makes Frazier's future as a Yankee even cloudier. The Yankees have even less time to find an opportunity for him without a significant injury. We all don't want to see that happen, but unless it happens it is likely a reality.

So does this season really determine what happens to Frazier as a Yankee? Maybe. If the Yankees already acknowledge that he is "blocked" the trade rumors we have already seen for awhile aren't likely to go away. If anything they may intensify.

If the Yankees can't or choose not to use him....some other team will want to. Definitely not a good place to be in if you are Frazier, and it sucks. Guess we wait and see what happens.

--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JORDAN MONTGOMERY: BACK ON THE HILL AGAIN

Source: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

I can't imagine what it was like for Jordan Montgomery last night as he went to sleep. He either felt giddy like Christmas Eve anticipation or anxious like the night before the SAT.  It's been a long time since Montgomery pitched in pinstripes. Back in May 2018, the Yankee pitcher went down in pain during his start against Houston. After Tommy John Surgery and months of painful and emotional rehab, he takes the mound this afternoon for the rubber game against Toronto.  With Montgomery back, what role will he take on as the Yankees surge toward the post-season?

Source: NY Post

“Hopefully he can get in some outings here to where it’s a momentum builder going into the offseason. But I wouldn’t rule out the fact if he comes out and pitches really well and efficiently he could push himself into that conversation,”said Aaron Boone as reported by the Daily News.
Boone says the 26-year-old is expected to throw about 60 pitches in his season debut today. With the JA Happ and CC Sabathia uncertainty, it would be great to see Montgomery step in and pick up where he left off 16-months ago.

Source: Wikipedia

"Before Montgomery underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2018, he looked like a quality homegrown arm for New York. Montgomery, a fourth-round pick of the Yankees in 2014, debuted in 2017 and proceeded to amass 182 2/3 innings and 35 starts of 3.84 ERA/4.09 FIP ball with 8.23 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 through last season," reports MLB Trade Rumors.  He suffered a set back earlier in the year when he threw harder than his arm was ready for, but now Montgomery says his mechanics are cleaner, his change up is more fluid and he's ready to take the helm today.

According to NJ.com, "Montgomery said it was “really nice to have’’ teammates Ben Heller and Didi Gregorius to lean on during the early part of his rehab. All three were recovering from Tommy John surgery and “they helped me get through the hardest times right out of surgery.’’

I have been looking forward to this day for such a long time myself as have all of you I am sure.  Let's hope he can strut into Rogers Centre confidently, be efficient with his pitches and do some damage against the young Blue Jay lineup.  That would set him and the Yankees up nicely for the next phase of the season and start of the playoffs.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

GET READY! HERE COMES DEIVI GARCIA!

I'm stoked and I won't try and hide it! We may see Deivi Garcia sooner rather than later and I'm hoping we do. The stats this kid is putting up has me drooling for the chance to see him in the Bronx.

And that just may happen because Deivi has a new gig for the rest of the season and will pitch from the bullpen. But why?
"It’s a couple different reasons," Jay Bell Triple-A RailRiders manager said. "One, just to preserve pitches and that kind of stuff. But they also want to see if he’s an option in New York in September. So, we’ll see what happens there," read more HERE.

Deivi has been impressive this season, but he is already at a career high 103.2 innings pitched this season and his previous high was only 74. The Yankees no doubt want to rest him but they also want to use him as a September call up which will be here before we know it. It's smart to rest him before he gets his next big test.

His last appearance was Saturday out of the bullpen but that was because Ben Heller was also there on a rehab assignment and he was used as the RailRiders opener. Heller and Garcia pitched for a combined six innings and Deivi pitched in five of them and walked five, struck out seven and had one unearned run.

Bell said Deivi will switch to a reliever effective immediately but will have no set pitching schedule. I hope we see him in September, he could be a huge asset with our inconsistent pitching staff. Truth is the Yankees need as many arms as they can get right now. I hope Dellin Betances is back soon but you an never have enough arms, right? He's missed all season, a little extra insurance would be nice and I really want to see if the kid is ready for MLB hitters.

I like the idea of adding an extra weapon to the bullpen. We already have great arms with Adam Ottavino, Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green but if we get Betances back AND Deivi this could be one hell of a road block for the rest of the season.

So it's time to wait and see what happens. As long as I get to see Deivi in the Bronx it will be worth the wait.

I get excited about the young, promising kids and I can't wait for September call-ups. Get ready....because I think Deivi is coming!

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

PREDICTIONS & CLUES FOR THE LAST 2 ROTATION SPOTS

Photo: NJ.com

The Yankees have three Spring Training games left and are still undecided on their fourth and fifth rotation spots. They have not said if they are leaning toward certain players, but we know one thing is for sure Luis Cessa won't be one of them now that he is in minor league camp. So what have the remaining contenders done to help the Yankees decide?

(Oct. 1, 2016 - Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America)

Bryan Mitchell looked to be in control of his own destiny and on the way to winning a starting gig until his last start on Sunday. It looked like the pressure got the best of him. In just over three innings he gave up three runs on six hits, walked two and hit one batter.

(Sept. 27, 2016 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

Mitchell hasn't been dominant but he has been good enough to keep the Yankees in games and hasn't had the same inconsistencies as some other contenders. He's also been here before, he was a contender for a starting role last season until the last week of March when he suffered a toe injury that kept him out of play until August.

Photo: Getty Images

Adam Warren also had a tough outing on Saturday giving up four runs, four hits and issuing two walks in three innings. Just like Mitchell, his last start didn't go the way he wanted and he's been determined to win a starting role. He's versatile, and has major upside in a long relief role and he knows this last outing didn't help get him the starting role, read that HERE. But I have to wonder....has he done enough to win a rotation spot? The Yankees have made some interesting moves over the last few games.

Has anyone else noticed that at the beginning of spring both Mitchell and Warren were coming into the games in a relief role? No surprise there, but here we are less than one week away from Opening Day. Would the Yankees be giving them starts this late in camp while the other guys are throwing three innings in relief if they weren’t the leading candidates for the rotation?

(Aug. 8, 2016 - Source: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images North America)

So who are "the other guys?" In recent games other starting role candidates Chad Green and Luis Severino came out of the bullpen. Does this mean that the Yankees have moved past the idea of Severino as a starter and think he adds better value as a reliever? He has one more start on Thursday to show the Yankees that he is still the starter they are looking for.

Now if you look at Green's stats on paper he's had a successful spring with a 1-0 record, 1.50 ERA, in 5 games, 2 starts, 12 IP, 9 hits, 2 ER, 6 BB, and 8 K. He has held opponents to one run and five hits over 8 1/3 innings in his last three games but his longest outing has only been 3 1/3 innings. So maybe the short appearances have the Yankees looking at him as a reliever instead?

Photo: Newsday

We can't forget Jordan Montgomery the towering lefty who throws downhill who has had two impressive back to back outings and has left Joe Girardi "curious." He has another start on Wednesday to impress the Yankees and make them give him a starting role but he is not on the 40-man roster, meaning the Yankees would have to make a corresponding move to get him up. Could the challenge of solving the roster situation weigh into their decision making?

Photo: New York Daily News / Jonathan Holder

Speaking of relief roles, there are two names to watch for that could be in the bullpen. Both Ben Heller and Jonathan Holder could both be competing for the same gig. Heller has had a very good spring and pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings over his last five outings, giving up just three hits in this stretch. Holder's had just one bad outing back in February. Since then he's worked 8 1/3 shutout innings, allowing three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. The Yankees are looking for someone who can go multiple innings in their bullpen and it could down to one of them for one remaining spot.

So who gets the remaining two rotation spots and have the Yankees given us a clue as to who they favor? The coming days should be interesting.

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

YANKEE PROSPECT WATCH: JUSTUS SHEFFIELD

As we approach the home stretch to spring training and our Yankees prospect watch series, we will follow up on number seven prospect Miguel Andujar with a newly acquired member of the Yankees organization, number six prospect according to MLB.com, LHP Justus Sheffield.

(Photo: Mike McCann/WFAN)

Acquired from the Indians along with Clint Frazier and two other prospects, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen, in the Andrew Miller deal, the former first round pick out of Tullahoma High School in Tennessee is currently ranked as the 78th best prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com and the Yankees top pitching prospect.

Topping out at 97 and sitting in the 93 mph range, Sheffield has good arm-side life on his fastball and adds a slider and a changeup to his three pitch repertoire. When asked, Yankees GM Brian Cashman had some very good things to say about Sheffield as reported by the New York Daily News:

Photo: New York Daily News

"Justus Sheffield is sitting, if not at the top, towards the top of our pitching prospect side,” says Cashman. “He’s right up there with (James) Kaprielian, Chance Adams and (Luis) Severino, fighting for ‘I’m the best.’ Who’s to say he is or isn’t? Sheffield’s a three-pitch mix guy -- fastball, changeup, slider. He’s a 20-year-old that sits at 93 (mph) and tops out at 97, with an above-average slider and above-average changeup. We’ve been very excited about his makeup and development.”

Last season Justus began the season in high-A Lynchburg in the Indians organization before heading to high-A Tampa once acquired by the Yankees. In Tampa Sheffield got off to a great start in the Yankees system going 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA over five starts while striking out 27 over his 26.0 innings pitched. His success in the Gulf Coast League prompted the Yankees to give him a start with Double-A Trenton in which he allowed just two hits over four innings while striking out a very impressive nine batters!

For his career, Sheffield has averaged over a strikeout and inning and his slider is a good swing and miss pitch. He has walked 3.3 per nine innings pitched though and will have to continue to develop better command and make better pitches within the strike zone.

  (Four Seam Images/AP)

Although there is improvement to be made, as there is with all 20 year-olds (Sheffield turns 21 in May), there is a lot of upside and Cashman has already said that the 20 year-old will begin the season with Trenton, a very good challenge for the young man.

Photo of: Jordan Montgomery

Along with the above mentioned young men, James Kaprielian, Chance Adams and Luis Severino, the Yankees have a great group of young pitching prospects who are not too far away from the big leagues and a couple like Jordan Montgomery and Dietrich Enns who are knocking on the door. If even two or three of those six become legit middle-to-front of the rotation starters, the Yankees should be set up for success for the foreseeable future. As much as some have given Brian Cashman a hard time, the last two years or so he has really built a formidable list of prospects that should propel the Yankees back to the glory days in just a few short years, hopefully sooner!

Sheffield has the makings of a two or three type starter. He had a hiccup in 2015 in in which he was arrested for aggravated criminal trespassing and underage drinking and although he is ashamed of it, he sees it as a learning experience and a chance to continue to mature. He seems to have moved on, grown up and by all accounts, minus the one blemish, has a very good reputation.

Photo: Scout.com

I will be following Justus and the rest of the arms closely this summer as they continue their journey that we all hope will lead to success in the Bronx. Even my dad, who has been very disappointed in the Yankees and lost some interest over the past few years, says he is excited about the youth movement and watching the kids this summer!

Next week we dive into the top five as we profile one of the most inexperienced prospects but also one of the kids with the highest upside, 2016 first round pick, OF Blake Rutherford.

We are less than four weeks away from pitchers and catchers… Not that I’m counting.

--Dan Lucia

BYB 'Series' Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @DManLucia

YANKEES MEAN BUSINESS!

They needed to win this game against the Royals tonight and it felt like a major playoff game.  Going into extra innings again, it was intense, so much so that my kid stayed up for the whole thing again, and my wife is going to kill me tomorrow because he's going to be tired, irritated and spent and believe me... it will be my fault.

But it shouldn't be, it should be the Yankees fault, and that's a good thing to get in trouble about... that's because the Yankees are doing big things right now, and no one expected it.  They are beating good teams... they need to keep beating them!

The Yanks won 5-4 tonight.   Luis Cessa wasn't great but kept our boys in the game, and the Yankee pen, who are pretty much all new faces at this point, did tremendous. All of them doing their job, bridging to Dellin Betances.  Ben Heller got the win.  It was beautiful.

Starlin Castro was 3-3 and had a big night.  And the go ahead run came when Brian McCann hit a sac fly to the outfield for a tag-up and run scored.  After that, Dellin did his thing!

And now, if you look at the Wild Card race, the Yankees are suddenly 2.5 back.  And at this moment, it's August 31st with a big series about to happen against the Orioles.  We need to keep this going.

Big win... Go Yanks!

Final: Yankees 5 - Royals 4

SWARZAK OUT. HELLER IN.

Moves are happening... and even if they're small... we'll tell you about them here on BYB...we're nice.

(In Photo: Ben Heller)

Not a lot here, just being honest. It turns out Anthony Swarzak was placed on the 15 day DL and in his place, the Yankees have called up Ben Heller.  That info comes directly from the Yankees.

Not too interesting? Looking for something better?  Check out this adorable kitten...

Carry on.

#REDTHUNDER IS WHAT THE YANKEES NEED!

The Yankees brass, in particular Hal Steinbrenner, decided it was time to pull the trigger on an overhaul on Sunday and dealt Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians for OF prospect Clint Frazier, LHP Justus Sheffield, RHP Ben Heller and RHP JP Feyereisen. If you followed Twitter on Sunday, most analysts were pleased with the haul and most fans were as well. Some complained, as is normal, but I think this trade could be a turning point to #MaketheYankeesFunAgain.

A couple weeks ago I wrote a piece titled just that, MAKE THE YANKEES FUN AGAIN. The boring, lackluster Yankees were in need of a facelift and I believe that got one in Clint Frazier. The young OF prospect, who ranks in the top 30 overall prospects in nearly every top 100 list, brings energy, bat speed and a full, fun bright head of red hair!

Brian Cashman was quoted and in a very un-Cashman-like way, praised the hell out of the kid.

"He's got all the tools. His bat energy is already legendary. A high energy guy who shows up to the national anthem in a dirty uniform."

That quote and a discussion with my buddy Jeff (who helped me come up with the #MaketheYankeesFunAgain story) led me to think, that #RedThunder, as Frazier said in a tweet, could be exactly what the Yankees team and fan base need to get behind.

today, I woke up a Yankee! thank you for all of the support you guys have shown me so far. can't wait to get started. #RedThunder 🔥 @Yankees

— Clint Frazier (@clintfrazier) August 1, 2016

When was the last time we saw a guy in pinstripes really, really excite the crowd? Someone that created buzz? I can’t remember much as of recently. 

Greg Bird and Luis Severino a little last year, maybe. But let’s imagine a guy like Frazier hustling out a gap shot, hair flying and getting dirty and pumped up as he beats the throw to leg out an extra base hit. Envision that and what energy that could bring to the Stadium.

Now he is still a little ways away from the Bronx most likely, and that’s alright. He is still just a kid who won’t turn 22 until September. But this is the kind of player the organization needs to help bring back the interest and excitement the team has seemingly been missing over the past couple of years.

Plus, from what we have been told, that kind of energy could be contagious as he joins a crowded, and talented, OF and team in Scranton-Wilkes Barre. That will be a fun team to watch with him and Aaron Judge in the corner spots in the OF, Gary Sanchez behind the dish and many other future Yankees helping the team win. All while competing and making each other better ball players.

Nothing in life is guaranteed but I must say that Frazier and the hype that surrounds him makes me excited. Over the next couple of years we could very well see some awesome talent make its way to the Bronx.

And it all goes well, maybe it’ll be headlined by #RedThunder. That would #MaketheYankeesFunAgain.

--Dan Lucia, BYB Senior Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @DManLucia

  

FRUSTRATION IN THE BRONX! MILLER TRADED!

Hey, we just wrote TIME TICKIN' 'TIL TRADE DEADLINE, BUT IT'S STILL MILLER TIME IN BRONX! here at BYB and we were feeling pretty good.  I mean, I think deep down we knew that Andrew Miller was gonna be traded, but we just didn't want it to happen.

But we should have known.  We should have known when a fake Buster Olney decided to follow me on Twitter last night and then this morning the real Olney came out with a tweet about it. I should have known by the pouring rain in the Tri-State area last night and then me having a crappy night sleep.  We all should have known it was coming after tweets came out from every "baseball insider" in the world this morning as they were falling all over themselves to trying to be right.

We waited and we watched at BYB... and now we can confirm some info involving Andrew Miller.  He's been traded... to Cleveland and the Yankees get four!

The real Buster Olney, at 8:41am in the morning today tweeted this:

Yankees expected to get Indians prospects Frazier and Sheffield and others in the trade for Andrew Miller.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2016

Hey, I rank on Olney a lot, but give him mad credit here.  He got it and I tip my cap.  Turns out Miller goes to Cleveland and the Yankees will get 4 in return.  ESPN writes:

(In Photo: Clint Frazier) 

"The Yankees will get a package of four players in return, headed by minor league outfielder Clint Frazier and pitcher Justus Sheffield...Frazier and Sheffield are considered two of Cleveland's top three prospects. Frazier was selected by the Indians with the fifth pick in the 2013 draft...

(In Photo: Justus Sheffield)
Sheffield was drafted by Cleveland in the first round of the 2014 draft...Minor league pitchers Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen are also heading to New York..."

And it's sad, very sad because Yankee fans got to love Miller and now there is no Miller to close things out in the Bronx.  But don't get it twisted... this is a haul, the type of haul you NEED when you dangle a guy like Miller.  It's significant, but sad all the same.

And there you have it.  Chapman is gone, and now so is Miller and that "No Runs DMC" shirt you bought can hit the trash can today, never to be worn again... you've been had.  And life goes on in the Bronx.