CHRIS ARCHER. GOOD IDEA? BAD IDEA?

Do the Yankees want Chris Archer? Do the Yankees NEED Chris Archer? Would the Yankees rather have Trevor Bauer? Here are my answers...

Maybe.

NO.

YES.

I've said this all along so I'm just gonna say it again because this is what I do... complain and vent.  The Yankees need 2 vital pieces to get to a championship next season. They need DJ LeMahieu and the need a top pitcher... Trevor Bauer. 

WITHOUT THESE GUYS, THERE IS NO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE NEW YORK YANKEES IN 2021. Write that down.

Some people love the idea of Chris Archer coming to the Yankees. I will suggest that it's fine if we're stockpiling arms, but that's not who we need.

Some good thoughts here. One from Pinstripe Alley:

"A number of teams, including the Yankees, could use a veteran starter like Archer to fill out their rotations. The question is, where does Archer provide the most value? And how attractive is he to the Yankees?

Would it be risky would it be to sign Archer to a one-year deal? Kind of. Archer had thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) surgery in June to address symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, which causes pinching and compression in the nerves connecting the neck and armpit area."

This one from Yanks Go Yard:

"Archer isn’t simply coming off an injury — he battled thoracic outlet syndrome, the effects of which can continue to rear their ugly head interminably. Occasionally, it’s a career-ending diagnosis, like in the case of Josh Beckett. We can’t just discount this as a setback to be shrugged off for an otherwise-dominant bounce-back candidate.

Of course, there is the other half of this equation: Archer hasn’t been good for a long time. If you need to dig extensively into the metrics to justify someone’s effectiveness, maybe they aren’t that useful."

And with these 2 opinions, which are quite similar talking about injury, this is a non-story folks. Signing Archer is a bad idea. The best thing he should do is walk away gracefully... and perhaps Cashman should dig deep into his wallet and grab a sure thing... Trevor F'ing Bauer.

THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS & BASEBALL WISHES AS WE LOOK AHEAD

First and foremost, I want to wish all of you a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving! This year has been stressful on all of us, but we press on and we persevere. I've learned to appreciate a lot of things that I previously took fore granted because I thought they would always be around. 

Sports is a great example of that. It's been routine for many of us, so when we didn't have any to watch for months I suddenly appreciated them a lot more. I missed them A LOT. I missed the distraction from the unfamiliar world we live in. It's the simple things in life that I now appreciate even more.

So I hope as you read this and you are spending time with your family that you are healthy and focusing on what you are grateful for. The world looks very different right now. I yearn for pre-covid days and I hope to watch baseball inside of a stadium again. I hope that is in our future, and will continue to remain optimistic and wish for what comes next. Who knows, maybe those wishes will manifest and turn into reality.

One of my wishes would of course be to re-sign DJ LeMahieu. I think that is on every Yankee fan's wish list this winter, but my wish goes beyond the obvious. This season we were reminded how hard it is to stay on top. The Rays are the new pain in our butts while the Red Sox were far less threatening. I want to get back to the top just like every other fan....and this week there was one important detail to help us get there. The Rays lost an important piece to their division winning team, so that's good new for us.

Maybe the Yankees are starting to close the gap. There's a long way to go of course. The Yankees need to make improvements even if the Rays lose more of their big names BUT Charlie Morton is no longer a Ray and has left for Atlanta. The Rays declined Morton's $15 million club option for 2021 and the Braves were willing to pay it. The Rays wanted to keep Morton but at a lower price. The Rays made a mistake, Morton's salary was too much for their payroll, but so is the cost of his departure.

But on top of that, the Rays are also rumored to be willing to trade Blake Snell for a hefty return just like they did in 2016 when they traded Chris Archer. Now IF this is true and not just a baseless rumor, a trade that involves getting Snell OUT of the AL East would be HUGE for the Yankees. I wouldn't mind the idea of Snell in pinstripes either behind Gerrit Cole in our rotation, but to me that sounds like a wish that just isn't realistic. It is a nice thought for sure. I realize this winter will be challenging for free agent signings. Owners will probably pinch pennies so IF the Yankees big splash is bringing back LeMahieu I am happy with that if the Rays help us close the gap by making more notable subtractions. Sometimes you need to get a little creative and improvise and 2020 has definitely taught us this.

So as we sit around the table today and give thanks for the small victories and celebrate 2020 coming closer to an end I also celebrate the possibilities for 2021 ahead....baseball related or not.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I am truly thankful that all of you continue to come here and support us.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE GREAT TRADE CASHMAN NEVER MADE!

Not too long ago, Chris Archer was a big deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.....but the scenery change in Pittsburgh hasn't been very kind to him. Now he's not a big deal, and he could actually be a big flop.

In 2018, the Yankees were shopping for a starting pitcher before July's trade deadline. The Yankees were interested in Archer, but the idea of trading within our own division was going to be tough but the Yankees still took a swing and struck out. At the time Archer was a nice prize, so I understood why the Yankees tried to get him. I wasn't heartbroken that we didn't get him though and now I am stoked that we didn't. He may be one of the best trades Brian Cashman never made!

Funny how baseball works out sometimes, huh? I bet the Pittsburgh Pirates wish they didn't trade for him now too. Last week the Pirates announced that Archer had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and will miss the 2020 season, if there is one. Who knows if there will be one at this point. So basically, Archer won't be back until 2021 and that point, his time with the Pirates may be done.

Archer has an $11 million club option for 2021 with a $250,000 buyout. The Pirates aren't expected to pick up the option because frankly....since leaving Tampa Bay Archer has been awful. In Tampa Bay he was an All-Star who finished fifth for the American League Cy Young Award. In Pittsburgh he tanked and finished 3-9 with a career worst 5.19 ERA in 23 starts for 2019. Yuck!

When 2021 comes around it will be interesting to see if he is able to regain any from for his 2018 self. Someone out there will take a chance on Archer if the Pirates do not pick up his option  as expected. He could be a low-risk but high reward for some team out there....maybe. But a return back from this surgery will not be easy.

Remember Former Red Sox postseason pain-in-our butt Josh Beckett? He is a good example. This same surgery is eventually what ended his career.

And what about former New York Mets Ace Matt Harvey also known as The Dark Knight? His future may be dark but without the nickname. At 31 he is hoping for another opportunity to redeem himself after having the same surgery. After pitching for the Mets he played for the Los Angeles Angels last season and went 3-5 in 12 starts with a 7.09 ERA. The Angels tried the low-risk high reward idea and it didn't work out so well. He tanked, so I wonder if someone else will give him a shot this season. Last I read, he was drawing interest from Korean teams for a potential comeback in KBO. Sounds like his super agent Scott Boras isn't able to persuade an MLB team at this point.

Maybe Casey will finally get his wish and Harvey goes away! I know he'd like that.

So who knows what will happen to Chris Archer. It will be interesting to watch, but it sure sounds like the Yankees dodged a bullet by not getting him after all so thank you, Cashman!

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

CHEATING TWERPS ALTUVE & BREGMAN ARE RUNNING SCARED

Oh... suddenly they look scared and worried. You can see it in their faces. Little Jose Altuve looks like he's about to cry when he addressed the media at fan fest.  And Alex Bregman... you know, that cocky little dude who always used to run his mouth about how great the Astros are, suddenly has one answer: "The Commissioner made his report and decision, the Astros made their decision."

Not so cocky anymore @ABREG_1 . Maybe that’s because you’re caught. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY. #BregmanTheClown #tinyaltuve #asstros #byb pic.twitter.com/TCSg0pqSLY

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) January 18, 2020

What he doesn't realize is that he's not safe by any means. Reports can easily be re-evaluated... especially when new information comes out.

They are running scared. They know they're caught and I am loving every minute of it.  The Sporting News expands on these 2 idiots:

"Altuve and Alex Bregman faced questions about Houston's sign-stealing scandal for the first time Saturday, but beyond denying rumors they wore electronic buzzers during games, the infielders mostly declined to discuss details about their team's misdeeds. Bregman called the allegations he wore a device under his uniform "stupid." Altuve called them "ridiculous."...

.@JoseAltuve27 asked about the MLB report on the #Astros sign stealing was player-driven: “I think the time to comment about that will come. It’s a little early for me to say something about it.” pic.twitter.com/0UGK46ZzrY

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) January 18, 2020

MLB said it investigated the possibility of "wearable devices" being in the Astros' scheme and "found no evidence." Altuve also issued a denial through his agent, Scott Boras. "

But if the drum is banged loud enough, by fans and especially by players, Rob Manfred will be forced to look into this incident again... no question. Guys like CC Sabathia, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Chris Archer and Todd Frazier have already come out blasting the Astros and they want action.

I do find it interesting that squeaky clean guy Justin Verlander is silent. A few years back he was the guy on the Tigers that was blasting the Astros for sign stealing. Now suddenly an Astro himself... no one has heard from this guy.  Makes him look just as guilty.

I will say this... this story is the greatest thing to happen to Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Our readership is now up by 70% thanks to these idiots. And so, we will continue to report on it. It's the biggest, most disappointing story in baseball history. Not everyone understands this though:

"looking LIKE a fool." Not "looking a fool". Bad grammar. Who tweets at 2:25am? Jerk offs... that's who.

Notice BYBs top 10 trending right now:

This works for us here at BYB. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for your support.

THE PIRATES SNAG ARCHER

I didn't see that one coming, but there you have it.

Photo: Getty Images

Chris Archer is a Pittsburgh Pirate.

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"The Pirates have officially struck a trade to acquire starter Chris Archer from the Rays, as Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported (via Twitter). Talented young players Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow will both go to Tampa Bay, as Jim Bowden of The Athletic tweeted.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

There’s also a third player in the deal, as first noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The identity is still not known..."

Soon enough that player will be revealed.

Nice move by the Pirates and I just have to laugh because of all the baseball insiders that revealed that the Yankees were the leader in those sweepstakes. Truth is no one truly knows until it happens... and it happened... and it was the Pirates!

Love it.

TRADE CHATTER SURROUNDING ARCHER

Photo: Getty Images

I don't think the Yankees are really and truly even a consideration, but I always liked Chris Archer and would love to see him in the Bronx.  That being said, we have Britton... we have Happ, and maybe we don't need another starter. I kid, I kid... I think we do. I think having another will help us catch the Sox.  It's literally all we're missing.

Photo: Getty Images

Ken Rosenthal is usually pretty close with his "baseball insider" stuff.  So I'm going with his tweet first, followed by a few others:

#Yankees, #Dodgers and #Padres among teams trying for #Rays’ Chris Archer, sources tell me and @JimBowdenGM.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2018

Told @Rays are taking lots of calls on Archer, but no one near threshold yet. #Padres interested, but without the urgency of a playoff position pushing them will they go the extra yard now or revisit in offseason?

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 28, 2018

The Yankees are now the favorite to land Chris Archer? pic.twitter.com/Ed7RD9gvSn

— Mike Nash (@MikeNash15) July 30, 2018

We will have to see... but the deadline's coming.

Gotta love the rumor season.

CAN'T WE JUST CLONE SEVY?

Every time a pitcher other than Luis Severino pitches, I get anxious about our ability to hold off the bats of the opposing teams we face.  I get particularly nervous or quite frankly, down right angry when Sonny Gray is scheduled to pitch mostly because he is just so inconsistent and unable to recover when he derails.  But Luis Severino has been our ace.  The 24-year-old right hander has done a tremendous job at the helm for the Bombers in 2018, with an 8-1 record and a 2.31 ERA.  So, to keep everyone calm, I just wish we could just clone Sevy, groom another farm star or pick up someone just like him.

Source: Sports Illustrated

"Everybody wants to have strong starts, but when they give the ball to me, I just want to go deep. And especially if the guy before me, something happened for some reason and he didn't get deep in his game," Severino said according to ESPN. "I want to go over there and try to do my job and be more economic with my pitches and get deeper into the game to save my bullpen,"said Sevy prior to his start on Wednesday night.  He has been nothing short of remarkable in his performance this season and he appears to get better as each inning ticks by, particularly in games where the Yankees are close.

Source: SNY

The other unique quality that Sevy has that many other veteran and rookie pitchers don't have is poise and humble ambition.  He goes out there every outing to compete at his highest level.  He doesn't know what mediocre means; it's not in his makeup.  And because of his mindset and ability to take criticism, he continues to soar.  So not only do we need a guy who can pitch like Sevy, we need a guy who acts like him too.

Source: NY Post

"A starting pitching upgrade is obviously on the Yankees’ to-do list before the trade deadline, but the market is still just taking shape. Texas lefty Cole Hamels could be a possibility — for a lesser prospect return and if the Rangers eat a portion of his remaining $22.5 million salary, which could be tough for the Yankees to fit under the $197 million luxury-tax threshold," reported the Daily News earlier this week.  Other potential prospects include San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner and I am always holding out for a guy like Jacob deGrom.  It is unlikely that division rivals Tampa Bay Rays or Toronto Blue Jays give up Chris Archer or J.A. Happ respectively, but stranger things have happened.  Guys like Chance Adams and Clint Frazier would be good trade bait.

Source: Newsday

Clearly, we would feel a lot more comfortable and perhaps less stressed if Jordan Montgomery were back in the rotation.  He has a lot of the same qualities as Sevy.  His presence is surely missed in the clubhouse.

Source: NJ.com

Bottom line, Sevy is a rare breed with both a balanced personality and tremendous talent.  If we could just be so lucky to groom another guy like him we would be set and our nerves would not be shot every time someone other than he pitches.  Please save my fingernails! Can't we just clone Sevy?

God I wish we could...

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees will have their home opener today against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Jordan Montgomery will take the mound for New York. Archer for the Rays. According to MLB.com, in 4 starts against the Yanks last year, he had a 4.24 ERA, 11 runs in 23 1/3 innings.

Photo: Getty Images

A few days later there is still confusion and anger about that loss to the Jays in which DRob threw to Justin Smoak, and in the end, the Yankees lost the game.  Some are calling it the worst baseball match up ever, a bad baseball decision and all of that.  Get over it, please.  That's baseball and it was game 4.  That was a perfect example of what makes it the best damn game in the world and the fact that people are looking at the statistics and are treating it as an "obvious" reason to not throw DRob in that moment is getting silly.  It's Tuesday.  Are you that bored with your life that you are still harping on this? Even Robertson forgot about it.  You need to more forward folks.  And that's what today is all about.

Photo: Getty Images

Montgomery will throw from the bump today. I can't wait to see him.  There was talk about not throwing Montgomery.  Newsday writes: "Boone consulted with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and then eschewed the option of skipping Montgomery and going with ace Luis Severino.

Photo: Getty Images

'Larry and I talked about possibly . . . that would put [Severino] on regular rest,' Boone said Monday. 'We felt like this was built in for [Montgomery]. When we can give our guys those five [days] and keep Monty on his regular turn? We did consider it, but we decided we’re going Monty tomorrow.'"

Tomorrow meaning today.

Now you all know what will happen. If JoMo loses, Boone will be blamed for that too.  But here's the thing and I am in the minority here... I like that this early in the season Boone is taking chances. I say go with it.

Photo: Getty Images

Today there will be questions about why Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have had slow starts, but in reality, it's insignificant to the remainder of the season.  It's just a matter of getting into a groove and trust me, they will.

Photo: Getty Images

We will also see Rob Refsnyder today.  I always liked that kid.  He was a man without a position in New York.  Hopefully he finds a home in Tampa Bay.

But here's the bottom line. Today will be a wonderful day, despite the threat of rain.. despite the damper of snow and the concern about Sunday.  We just have to have some fun here. This is baseball. The greatest sport in the world being played today in the greatest city in the world.  We just need to enjoy it... and stop being so damn angry.

Happy Opening Day, take 2.

Go Yanks!

ARCHER TO THE YANKEES?

Source: Greg Fiume/Getty Images North AmericaS

Since losing Gerrit Cole to the Astros last week, the Yankees are re-examining their pitching prospects.  Although they have been linked to multiple teams, they have their eye on Chris Archer and the Rays may just be willing to give him up.

Source: Joseph Garnett Jr./Getty Images North America

"After dealing away Evan Longoria, the Rays look to be in serious sell mode and far away from competing in a realistic way in 2018. That could lead to Archer's outster as the game of musical pitching chairs continues," reported NJ.com.

 Source: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America

As I said to an Orioles fan at the bagel shop in Philly last week, dealing within your division can be harsh particularly when you watch how Daniel Murphy has hurt the Mets from his new home at the Washington Nationals.  Although the context was between the Yankees and Manny Machado, the issue remains the same: it is a no-no to deal within your division.

Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

But as Joe Giglio points out in his piece on NJ.com, "with prospects such as Clint Frazier and Chance Adams still in tow, could the Yankees and Rays make a swap? After all, we're talking about a pitcher that was rumored to be headed to the Yankees years ago."

Source: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America

I like Archer.  I like his confidence.  I like his persistence.  I like his numbers.  He is only 29 and he throws just over 10 strikeouts in 9 innings.  He has a career 3.63 ERA despite one slightly higher last season.  Archer could add a lot of value to the rotation and quite frankly, I like him much better than Cole any day.  His experience pitching to some of the most lethal batters in the American League also helps his case and an impression on Brian Cashman and company.

So, on this snowy Wednesday in the Northeast, things are heating up with purpose as the Yankees seek the final component for their run for championship #28.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THAT TIME CHRIS ARCHER WAS A YANKEE OPTION...

Source: Brian Blanco/Getty Images North America

This rumor has been loosely floated, but nothing is really definite or even happened. And of course, the word "rumor" is important here.  That being said, BYB has historically written about how we like Chris Archer of the Rays and even connected him to the Yanks on occasion.  Now that that's out of the way... here's that rumor, brought to you by the Sporting News first...

Source: David Banks/Getty Images North America

"It remains to be seen whether the Rays’ front office will commit the cardinal sin of trading stars to division rivals, but if the Yankees can swing a deal for Archer, they should do it in a heartbeat."

You're looking at that sentence and saying "Well, that's not a rumor at all, it's a suggestion." Well... that's how it starts. Now here's the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

"The Yankees offered packages of prospects and young players similar to what they are offering the Pirates to the Tampa Bay Rays, for Chris Archer...Archer, 29, is under contract through 2019 for only $13.75 million total, with club options for 2020 ($9 million) and ’21 ($11 million). He also plays for a division rival, albeit one that is retooling."

Photo: Getty Images

And, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Rays said no way.  But again... this is a rumor... and interesting.  Look, the Yankees really could use 1 top pitcher.  Not a superstar, a winner that can fall into place with the current Yankee rotation of Severino, Tanaka, CC and company.

I would LOVE to see Archer in pinstripes, but I gotta be honest here... I will bet this 'alleged' offer and talks are now officially dead, even if this report is true.

Oh well...