WAS LETTING CANO GO A MISTAKE?

(Sept. 29, 2016 - Source: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images North America)

When you look at Robinson Cano's numbers last season, and his return to good, solid baseball, you gotta wonder.  The New York Daily News writes this:

"Ex-Yankee Robinson Cano returned to dominance in 2016, belting a career-high 39 home runs, triple-slashing .298/.350/.533 and ranking sixth in all of baseball with an ESPN Wins Above Replacement of 7.3.

Cano is now three seasons into his 10-year, $240 million contract with the Mariners. And so far — with the exception of the first three months of 2015, when he battled a reported stomach illness and struggled as a result — it's worked out very well for Seattle."

(Sept. 27, 2016 - Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images North America)    

OK... fair enough, but how good has it really been for Seattle?  In 2014 they finished 3rd, 2015 they finished 4th and in 2016 they finished 2nd.  Sure, maybe there is progression there with Cano improving in 2016, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

(April 5, 2014 - Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America)

And yes, on the Yankees side, it didn't really work out well either yet.  Jacoby Ellsbury when healthy is good, but when is he healthy? I mean, every Yankee fan I know was yelling about that signing.  And at second base, there hasn't been a good replacement.  Stephen Drew was a mess... again... another guy Yankee fans didn't want and remember that moment we had Brian Roberts?

(Sept. 13, 2016 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

But here's the difference... there's movement toward improvement. The Yankees are looking future.  The Yankees have Starlin Castro, to me a clearly "temporary piece" as they wait for the youngsters.  And those youngsters are Jorge Mateo and Gleyber Torres.

Photo of Jorge Mateo: NJ.com File

Now we all know Torres is the Yankees minor league shortstop and he is in the future, but these kids are almost ready for major league play. Mateo is a second baseman, Torres could play it if the Yankee choose to go that route, but the good news is, we have pieces that can very well be dominant, maybe even better than Robinson Cano.  If Cano was in the Yankees second base spot, it's possibly we may never see those guys, and that's all I'm saying.

Photo of Gleyber Torres

Cano wanted way too much money and the Yankees turned their back on him because they didn't like the asking price and didn't think he had a lot left.  We will have to see if that move was truly smart.  But for now, us Yankee fans are excited about the future youth. 

Right now, if you need to compare teams and all they accomplished giving away Cano and getting him... the jury is still out as far as I'm concerned.

That should not sway you from NOT reading the Daily News piece.  It's HERE.  Mike Mazzeo does a great job breaking it all down.  Please check it out.


 

IT'S TIME FOR THE OBSESSION TO END

Those of you who read my articles and follow me in social media know that I am none too happy with the Yankees management’s unfounded obsession with Stephen Drew.  I have made a nearly daily effort to point out the obvious when it comes to Drew and the decision to start him on a regular basis.

It’s not that I have anything personal against Stephen Drew.  In fact, I’m sure he’s a great guy, leader in the clubhouse, hard worker, etc….  My rising blood pressure - when it comes to who is playing second base for the Bombers - stems from our general manager constantly saying he can find no better choice for the position, and then our manager obediently following the GM’s lead. 

Both appear to refuse to allow players they drafted and signed and have allowed to progress through our minor league system the opportunity to prove themselves at the major league level.  Apparently neither Brian Cashman nor Joe Girardi followed last season’s playoffs and World Series, otherwise they would realize that giving a shot to players aged 25 and younger can result in success (short and long term).  This season both the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals own the best records in the American League – and both feature stars younger than 30.  The ‘Stros and Royals have given the players on who they banked their future the chance to pay them back for their trust.  No such trust exists with Cashman.  The existence of Stephen Drew on the Yankees roster is living proof of that.

Let’s look at some facts about Mr. Drew.  In 46 games last season he hit .150 for the Yankees.  The excuse makers for him reasoned that he hadn’t played a full Spring Training slate and were sure that once he had done that, he’d be at least a solid .250 hitter.  Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has been one of his biggest proponents and touted the benefits of the Yankees re-signing Drew.  With Scott Boras as his agent, Brian Cashman happily signed the former Red Sox to another one-year deal worth $5 million.

That full Spring Training sure has made a difference eh?   Drew is now hitting a bold .179 with 12 home runs.  He is the only regular player in the lineup below .200.  In fact, at no point as a Yankee (122 games) has Drew’s average gone above .193.  The Jon Heymans of the world – as well as Drew’s immediate family I suppose – will point out that the Yankees main objective in getting Drew was to solidify the infield defense, and that clearly Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela (the primary internal options at second base) need development in that area before assuming a regular spot in the infield.  That would be fine and dandy if Drew truly was so much better than those two in the field – to offset how much worse he is at the plate.  Only, defensively Drew isn’t all that much better.  A look at current MLB second basemen reveals that Cashman’s obsession ranks 16th in fielding percentage and 22nd in range factor.  Couple that with Drew ranking last in batting average among qualifying players at the position and you have a thoroughly below average player.

I’m guessing that, at this point, anyone still making excuses for why Drew should remain a regular in the Yankees lineup isn’t going to change their mind no matter how much data you throw at them.  For those of you still on the fence about it,  here’s some more:  Among qualifying second basemen in MLB, Drew ranks 20th in RBI, 25th in runs scored, 20th in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage, 19th in OPS and yes, 2nd in home runs.  On the fielding side, he’s 22nd in assists.  Is this really a resume of someone you’d like to throw even one million dollars at – let alone $5 million?

As far as Stephen Drew’s new-found power goes, it appears he hits home runs in groups, then does close to nothing after.  On April 12th and 13th he hit dingers in back-to-back games.  He followed that up by going 2 for his next 17 (.118 avg).  Drew hit two home runs in each game on June 6th and June 9th.  He went 7 for his next 33 (.212) following that outburst.  Finally, on June 21st he had yet another two-dinger game.  True to his pattern, Girardi’s favorite son managed just 2 hits over his next 26 AB (.077) before hitting a late solo shot in last night’s game (as a pinch hitter).  Here’s a look at Drew’s season at the plate broken into 10 game spans:

One has to ask Brian Cashman if he’s serious that this is the Yankees best option at second.  In Scranton, Rob Refsnyder was hitting .287 with 7 home runs and 36 RBI’s before being called up for today's game, read HERE.  In his career in the Yankees’ minor league system, he’s hitting .295 with a .824 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).  While it is true that his fielding still needs work (he has a .965 fielding percentage – compared to Drew’s .987), it has improved.  Refsnyder has a total of 13 errors at second this season in Scranton, yet only 2 of those have come since June 1st – a span of 36 games (Drew has one over that same span).

Brian Roberts was relieved of his duties as a Yankee after 91 games last year.  During that time he hit .237 with a .300 OBP and .659 OPS.  His fielding percentage was slightly lower than Drew’s at .974.   Based upon what Cashman is saying, there’s no indication that he’s even considering showing Drew the door.

Why the double standard favoring Drew?  Clearly his value in the field does not out-weigh the deficit he represents at the plate.  It is even more clear that there are better options – right in our own organization.  Good thing they are giving Rob Refsnyder a shot. And, if it doesn't last long with RR, why not give Jose Pirela a fair chance in the Bronx.  Instead of half-heartedly using him as a pinch-runner or a spot starter once a week, let him take over the reins at second base for a span of two weeks?  See what he can do when run out there on a regular basis.  Don’t worry Joe; you can still use your beloved Drew as a pinch hitter and late-inning defensive replacement if your binder calls for it, but for crying out loud, give Pirela a chance to develop some rhythm as a starter.  You might just be surprised, and your binder might even change its mind.

I’m guessing the obsession with Stephen Drew – yes, it’s an obsession in spite of Brian Cashman’s denial to Michael Kay – stems from our GM’s ego and pride.  He doesn’t want to admit that there was no real necessity to re-sign Stephen Drew.  His ego simply won’t allow him to admit a mistake.

In the meantime, our team manages to defy the odds – and the incompetence of its management – and remains in first place in the AL East Division.  The problem is that once we get into the playoffs (if we do); an auto-out like Drew in the lineup will be magnified and exposed.  We need to make a change now and give our future a chance.  The more time goes by with Drew on the roster, the less our hopes of ever being able to reap what Refsnyder and Pirela can provide.



    

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

    





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THE YANKEES QUEEN OF ENGLAND

Many of you are well aware of my opinions about the philosophy of our Yankees organization - to attempt catching lightning in a bottle with veterans on the downsides of their careers.  Frankly, I feel that it’s a strategy pointing the club in the direction of mediocrity, and the results tend to give validity to that argument.  

During Brian Cashman’s “regime”, the Yankees have managed just one title over the past 14 seasons.  Clearly his mentality as GM is very different from that of former GM Gene Michael and the team’s success reflects  it.

Our run of championships prior to 2009 was the result of taking chances with prospects working their way through our farm system.  Bernie Williams had 142 major league games under his belt by age 24, Jorge Posada’s first full season was at age 26, Mariano Rivera was throwing his darts from the mound in the Bronx at age 26. 

The Big Texan, Andy Pettitte was just 23 when he started 26 games in 1995, and The Captain, Derek Jeter was just 22, and coming off a minor league season that saw him commit 29 errors at Columbus when he took his storied spot in the field at shortstop. 

They were all gambles that paid off, and certainly for each one of them, there probably were 10 others that did not.  As the saying goes “nothing ventured, nothing gained”.   Unfortunately it is clear those days are distant memories.

Today, manager Joe Girardi announced that veteran Stephen Drew would be the team’s starting second baseman when the season opened.   Saying  “We signed him to be our second baseman.  Our plan for it is to be Stephen.", Girardi effectively snuffed out the hopes of either Jose Pirela or Rob Refsnyder in competing for the spot.  In addition, it assures that at least one of them will start the season at Triple A Scranton.  

Girardi’s statement goes much deeper than just a decision about a position in the field.  It signifies that he has little or no say as to what team he brings north for Opening Day.  While he and his binder might be able to make in-game decisions, when it comes to personnel he has about as much influence as the Queen of England does in matters of State.  

Cashman all but named Drew the starting second baseman in January when he signed him.  At the time, I wondered if that decision shouldn’t be left to the manager who could better evaluate the players during Spring Training.  

To date, Drew has been outplayed in the field and at the plate by both Refsnyder and Pirela – by a wide margin – yet Girardi’s statement indicates that simply because the team signed Drew, he would be the starting second baseman.  Nowhere does Girardi mention the quality of play or who has played best at second. 

So, here we are, with no lessons learned.  Aging veteran Brian Roberts was our starter at the position to open 2014 and 90 games later was relieved of his duties after hitting .237 -  87 points higher than Drew hit with the Yankees after Roberts left. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I have nothing against Stephen Drew personally.  He’s just not Yankee material – at least not the Yankee material I’ve experienced through my lifetime.  He represents the stale play that has brought us seasons that end in September .

Many say “well, what if Refsnyder or Pirela started and failed, where’s the safety net?”.   There was a day when we didn’t ask that question, instead we said “let’s see where this guy takes us and we’ll deal with it if he stumbles”.  The whole mentality of the Yankees organization has changed to a “glass is half empty” outlook under Cashman (I wrote what I think Cashman’s problem is in February.  You can read it here).

What’s the point of a “safety net” if it represents the worst hitter in Major League Baseball (in 2014)?  Drew admittedly is still learning second base (though he played 39 games there last season and had the entire off season to work more), and he said so after making an error (took the wrong angle on a ground ball) during the first opponent’s at-bat of the spring. 

If I’m Adam Warren, I am very concerned regarding Girardi’s “Drew is starting” statement.  Warren is supposedly competing for the fifth spot in the rotation- and has looked very good so far.  Unfortunately, Brian Cashman deemed Chris Capuano the fifth starter when he signed him in December. 

How long before “Her Majesty” declares “Chris Capuano is our fifth starter.  We signed him to be a starter.  Our plan is for it to be Chris.”?

I truly fear for our team.  We have a GM and Manager both gutless in their jobs.  Our GM doesn’t trust the players he drafted enough to give them a chance, and buckles to the promotional campaigns of Jon Heyman and Scott Boras.  Our binder-bound manager lacks the spine to stand up for the more deserving players and prefers the “good soldier” role in appeasing the GM. 

Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Luis Severino and Tyler Austin take notice.  Chances are that you’ll either be traded for, or supplanted with a 30-something veteran who last played well in 2010 and signed for $5 million.

We have a “Prime Minister” GM who calls the shots and a manager more than willing to be nothing more than a figurehead.  This team needs an organizational revolution before its relevance fades into history.

    

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

  
 
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BRIAN ROBERTS DID SOMETHING IMPORTANT

Well, as careers go, sometimes you just know when it's time to end one.  Brian Roberts has in fact understood that maybe he couldn't play anymore... and so... he retired from baseball after 14 seasons.

According to ESPN:

" Brian Roberts, who played all but one season of his 14-year major league career with the Baltimore Orioles, confirmed Friday that he is retiring.

'It was just kind of my time,' Roberts told the Baltimore Sun. 'There were numerous reasons that I felt like I couldn't play at a level that I was accustomed to and wanted to play at if I continued to play. I always said that I wasn't going to be the guy that tried to hang on as long as I could.'

Roberts signed with the New York Yankees in 2014, but was released in August after hitting .237 in 91 games."

Truth be told, I was pulling for Roberts as a Yankee, I was hoping his veteran status could help the club, but it was clear, his playing ability was lacking.

My only signfiicant memory of playing against Roberts was when he busted his arm in a collision with Bubba Crosby back in 2005. I have always felt like he never truly recovered from that... that's probably me just talking out loud right now...

Brian Roberts will forever be an Oriole, not a Yankee... and that's OK. He had a decent career. Whatever the case, I wish Roberts well.  He's a good dude and I know for a fact, speaking to players about him, that he was great teammate too.

Good luck to Brian Roberts, from BYB.

 

IT'S A MATTER OF TRUST

I’ve just about had it.

I’m tired of watching old players well past their prime breaking down and leaving unfulfilled promises in the hands of our medical staff.  I’m tired of a manager’s misguided loyalty to his players that results in the same lineup letdowns day after day, and I’m tired of watching a win slip away while that same manager seems to be oblivious to the obvious.

It’s all about trust.

We are fielding one of the oldest, if not the oldest, teams in Major League Baseball simply because our general manager would rather try to catch lightning in a bottle with players whose glory years are a distant memory, instead of looking to what we have in our minor league system.

He simply doesn’t trust the youngsters. As a result, we are left with a band of broken part-time players.

Our GM has a strategy of trying to harness a rebirth of former stars.  He throws money at them like it was soft candy at a geriatric parade, and we get stuck with a bevy of mid-to-long term contracts for players that spend more time worrying about what surgery to have next rather than what their approach should be with the next at-bat.

Brian Cashman’s strategy has become as worn as the players he’s acquiring, and it needs to stop.  Start trusting what you have developing in the minor league system Brian.  Why not give a shot to a young outfielder instead of signing Carlos Beltran to a three-year deal?  What would you have lost?

Beltran has appeared in 107 of our 149 (as of this writing) games.  He’s hitting .235.  Tell me how one of our prospects would have done worse.  I’d struggle believing you.

One player Cashman brought on board that isn’t a geriatric (he’s 31), but who plays like one is Stephen Drew.  The GM traded Kelly Johnson to the Red Sox for him on July 31^st.  I’m not altogether sure what “Cash” saw in Drew, given that he was hitting .176 in Boston at the time.  I know he was trying to fill a void at second base because the former superstar second baseman that the GM signed during the off-season – 36-year-old Brian Roberts – hadn’t worked out, but Drew’s last truly good season was in 2010 (I’m being nice) and he had never played second base.

Yet another gamble to rekindle the past has failed miserably, as Drew is batting .135 with the Yankees. He currently ranks 307^th (yeah that’s not a typo) in the American League in hitting, and of those around him in the rankings, only one – John McDonald of the Angels – has played in more than 70 games (McDonald isn’t a starter).

(In Photo: Jose Pirela)
All the while the club has had TWO second basemen at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre who have far out-shone anything Drew has displayed in the Bronx.  24-year-old Jose Pirela has hit .305 with 10 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and 60 RBI at Scranton.  His play at second has been decent with a .979 fielding pct (Drew’s is .971).   If Pirela doesn’t “float your boat”, the RailRiders have another choice in 23-year-old Rob Refsnyder.  The baby Bomber hit .300 with 8 home runs and four stolen bases in half a season with the club.  During the first half of 2014, Refsnyder pounded out a .342 average at Trenton.  In the field, the former outfielder held his own with a .988 fielding pct.

(In photo: Rob Refsnyder)
My only question is what would either Pirela or Refsnyder have done that could be worse than Drew?  Why didn’t we give at least one of them a chance?

Since we are on the topic of Stephen Drew, it brings me to my issue (well, primary issue) with our manager Joe Girardi.

As I mentioned, Drew isn’t exactly burning good memories into the minds of Yankee faithful with his play in the Bronx, yet Joe Girardi continues to put him into the starting lineup.  To date, Drew has appeared in 36 of the 42 games played since he donned pinstripes.  In spite of his anemia at the plate, Girardi puts Drew in the seventh spot of the order, and he’s even batted as high as fifth in the lineup.

Does Girardi feel “obligated” to put Stephen Drew in his daily lineup?  Or, is Girardi an extension of Brian Cashman, believing that Drew is going to have a rebirth soon?  I think it has to do with loyalty.  Our manager is loyal to a fault.  Look at how many times he turned to David Huff in the middle of the season before realizing that the lefty “specialist” was hurting more than helping (that’s just one of several examples).

Joe Girardi has shown himself to be resistant to change.  In previous seasons he used Boone Logan until his arm virtually fell off, and he continues to throw Beltran and Mark Teixeira into the heart of the order in spite of the fact that neither is hitting above .236.

As I sit here pondering our situation, I can’t help but think that maybe the problem with the Yankees is that our management team lacks “creativity”.  They have become so set in their ways that the Bombers are now stale.  The close-mindedness of our GM and manager has snuffed out the candle of yet another season.

(In Photo: Chris Stewart)
I want to believe in Girardi.  After all, I still think last season was perhaps his finest as he kept the team in the playoff hunt until the very end while having to use the likes of mannequins Lyle Overbay and Chris Stewart.  Only, in watching this season I’m starting to think that maybe he just “lucked into” that playoff chase of a year ago.  I think I’ve lost my trust in him.

Unfortunately, our owners have all but pledged to bring back the men responsible for the product we see on the field every day.  They have a blind trust in Cashman and Girardi.  Or, maybe they just don’t care.

I’ll keep hoping that we turn a corner, but with the age of this team and the mentality of those that run it, it’s becoming a struggle to even watch on a daily basis.

I will enter 2015 with no expectations.  It’s a feeling that I haven’t had in quite some time.  We’ll see what the off-season brings, but it will be on the field where this team will have to regain my trust.

    

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


 
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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


 
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THE YANKEES HAVE THAT CUBAN FLAVOR

The Yankees have been attached to Cuban players for a while... the that Cuban flavor keeps coming...

You remember when the Yankees liked Daniel Carbonell, right? It was a big deal back in May. He was a big strapping outfielder and they actually scouted him in February.  Only to not go further. Read (THE YANKEES REALLY LIKE THIS CUBAN OUTFIELDER)

There was also Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz, and the Yankees were "hot and heavy" on him, only to not really be. It was weird, but Diaz eventually signed with the Cardinals.

They did sign Adonis Garcia back in 2012. He was a 26 year old outfielder. Read YANKEES SIGN CUBAN ADONIS GARCIA. He's currently in Scranton.

Now apparently the like this new kid, Rusney Castillo and as George King III of the New York Post says, something could be brewing:

 "The Yankees held a private workout for Rusney Castillo on Friday at the minor league complex in Tampa and are interested in talking dollars with the free agent Cuban defector... the Yankees sent four scouts, the Yankees like the 27-year-old right-handed hitter as a second baseman. Other clubs believe the 5-foot-9, 205-pound Castillo’s future is in the outfield...According to a person on the grounds in Tampa, the Yankees had several talent evaluators from the professional and international side watching Castillo, who travels with a guy who hits fungoes, another who throws batting practice and a third man who towels him off in between sessions.  Castillo is represented by Roc Nation, which is headed by Jay Z."

Now all of that is well and good, but are the Yankees really serious? And think about this? They lost Robinson Cano. They are about to lose Derek Jeter to retirement. How strange is the Yankees infield going to look in the future?  My God. I just had to think about that for a second.  Brian Roberts couldn't hack it at second this season and he was eventually gonzo.  Now they have Stephen Drew and others filling in when needed... they Yankees seem pretty determined to get something done.  Maybe Castillo is the answer for the future infield. Or maybe he becomes another outfielder they will eventually need.

We will have to see. I trust the Yankee scouts.  If they see something in this kid, let's get'er done.

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