YANKS JUST SIGNED ANOTHER GUY TOO!

Photo: Getty Images

Adeiny Hechavarria is a New York Yankee. That comes from the Yankees PR Department who put this out:

The @Yankees have acquired SS Adeiny Hechavarria and cash considerations from Pittsburgh in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the @Yankees have designated LHP Ryan Bollinger for assignment.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) September 1, 2018

It was a nice last minute waiver move and as you can see, Ryan Bollinger is gone, but I was kind of hoping it would be Jonathan Holder. I'm not a fan.

Photo: Getty Images

Bucs Dugout writes:

"...it seems the Pirates are at long last clearing the decks for the younger players. This raises some question about why they acquired Hechavarria in the first place, but whatever, they can move on now. "

Pirates also got rid of David Freese who went to the Dodgers.

Anyway, Hechavarria is a nice addition.  That is all.

Happy Saturday everyone.

SOMETHING BIG HAPPENED TO RAUL IBANEZ

Someone sent me a note a while back.  It was after we wrote a piece about Raul Ibanez, who, at the time, was on the Mariners again.  It read "Why do we care what Raul Ibanez does now? He's not a Yankee." I'm gonna be honest with you... that's ignorant, and you know it.

Celebrate players. Understand the talent needed to stay in a league, or in baseball as long as a guy like Raul Ibanez, or Derek Jeter, or Cal Ripken Jr.  It's a brutal business.  You need to show your top game every day, because if you don't, there are others younger, and probably stronger willing and able to take an enormous pay cut, just to get a taste.

I only bring this up because Ibanez notched his 2000th career hit this weekend.  As Bill Baer from Hardball Talk writes: "With closer Jose Valverde on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning to protect a 6-3 Mets lead, the Angels mounted a two-out rally. David Freese singled, then Erick Aybar walked to bring up the 41-year-old Ibanez. Ibanez took a ball, then took Valverde deep to right-field for a game-tying three-run home run to tie the game at six apiece."

Sound familiar? Remember this?



Nice! Sure sir, who wrote me that email... say whatever you want, you're entitled. But there is something about athletes and the flair for the dramatic and big moments that gets me all fuzzy inside.  Ibanez will always be part of the BYB family.  Not only for his athleticism, but for his interview he gave us after Hurricane Sandy. This man stepped up and offered to help out any way possible.

Read BYB EXCLUSIVE. IBANEZ TO SANDY VICTIMS: "I AM HERE TO HELP"

I love it Raul... keep going!

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FORGET FREESE... HE'S BEEN TRADED

Remember all the hype surrounding the Yankees really wanting to work out a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals about 3rd baseman David Freese?  Forget it, he's gone.

The Cardinals have traded him to the Angels for Peter Bourjos. That comes from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

#Angels getting Salas along with Freese from #STLCards. Freese and Salas for Bourjos and Grichuk.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 22, 2013

Oh good.  So glad the Yanks are being aggressive.  And speaking of aggressive, remember the Yanks wanting lefty reliever Javier Lopez? The San Francisco Giants just re-signed him. We're too slow... good players go quickly. 

The Javier report comes from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat writing: "Lopez, a free agent left-hander, reached agreement on a $13 million, three-year contract to stay with the Giants." 

Oh Goodie. Great start.  Please tell me this isn't going to be a repeat of the winter of 2012... I can't stomach that. I'm not in the mood for signing Kevin Youkilis again. I just can't do it.

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GUESS WHAT THE CARDINALS WON'T DO WITH THE YANKEES?

Well, when we last left you, we were making some fancy play on words with David Freese's name... telling you to "Freeze" and making you smile alittle and we delivered some interesting news.  There was a rumor going around that Freese was a guy the Yankees wanted.  Read FREEZE! YANKEES WANT DAVID FREESE. for info on that one.

Now comes word from Ken Rosenthal that the Cardinals are not too interested in working out a trade with the Yankees, for the simple fact that the Yankees, "have little to offer."

Source: Freese trade to #Yankees unlikely. Difficult for teams to find match. Yanks have little to offer #STLCards.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 13, 2013

OK then.  I'm confused.  Hasn't Yankee brass been bragging about all the "top, young talent" we have? Now suddenly, we don't have much? Which is it?

Look, there is no doubt that the idea of Freese coming to the Yankees was mad appealing to me. But right now, at least according to Rosenthal, it ain't happening.  It was fun while it lasted I guess...

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FREEZE! YANKEES WANT DAVID FREESE

When I read the report about the Yankees discussing a trade, or being "close" to acquiring David Freese from the Cardinals... I got giddy.

I know, many don't think Freese is a big deal. I do.  I always have.  Freese seems to be a guy that comes up in big moments and delivers.  I like clutch players.  Freese can be one of those guys in the Bronx. I believe in him.

The report is all over the place, but we'll go with the New York Daily News on this one. They write: "According to a source, the Yankees have discussed a potential trade for Cardinals third baseman David Freese. It’s unclear what St. Louis would want back..."

Now look, this is a 2011 World Series MVP and a dude who can give you solid defense at third base, alittle pop with probably 20 home runs a season and will keep his average hovering around .290.  If the Yankees can get him for a reasonable price, it would work out nicely.  Lord knows what's going to happen with Alex Rodriguez this season, so, this is a smart idea. Plus, it's a helluva lot better than a Kevin Youkilis who shit the bed for us last season.

Your wondering why the Cardinals want to unload Freese? Well, they want to move Matt Carpenter into 3rd base from 2nd.  That means they can afford to move Freese.  If we can get him, we should.

Stay tuned on this one...

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THE WORLD SERIES & WHERE MY HEAD'S AT

I have so many friends that are Yankee fans and when the Yankees don’t win in the playoffs, they still stay loyal to the American League and root for the AL team to beat the National League in the World Series.  I don’t get it and I don’t like it.  Do you?

The Tigers pummeled the Yankees this postseason and guess what, they’ve done it 2 times before.  It angers me as a fan and trust me, I hold grudges. The bottom line is, the Tigers need to go down.

Now, I, like Derek Jeter once said, won’t watch the World Series if we’re not in it.  Let me modify that a bit; I’ll watch it, if it’s on, but I won’t make it an event because I’m still alittle annoyed.

Look, if there’s news, you’ll get a report on Bleeding Yankee Blue for you like last year when the world fell in love with David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Giants look like a pretty tough team and I actually believe they can pull it off.  So yeah, much to my friends’ disappointment, I am definitely rooting for the National League this year.  I mean this year especially, how can you not? The Tigers were the guys that stomped on us to get there, we need to all be Giants fans so they can stomp on the Tigers!

Look, much like Jim Leyland had said, Derek Jeter IS the postseason and with him not in it, for me personally, and I don’t care how much of a baseball fan I am, when it comes to the final dance, the World Series, if the Yanks aren’t in it, I don’t want to know about it, it stings.  It’s amazing to me that the Yankees have made the playoffs for such a long run, over and over again since 1995, and only 1 year did they not make it… in 2008.

This year, we probably weren’t supposed to be there. We had plenty of problems, a ton of injuries and like I’ve mentioned a few times, the routine became too familiar, and so, my Yankees began to go through the motions and worst of all, they didn’t change it up, they went with it and failed.  I am a firm believer reading everything I can get my hands on that the Yankees lost simply because the Yankees were in the same routine day in, day out and never had that incident or “break” in the routine to make then reshuffle the deck.  Think about it, there were so many issues throughout the year, but when players got hurt and Girardi needed to reshuffle, it was only then that they started winning again.  I’m right, trust me on this.

It sounds crazy but I believe it to be true. Why? Because once the Yankees reached the postseason ,we had all our guys healthy and we never had that opportunity to truly gel. Then, each day, they practice the same way, they talk to the press the same way and it just seemed pretty blah, almost like, “Hey, we’re here, we’re always here and we’ll do what we always do,” except, they didn’t, they couldn’t get it together…they didn’t show up. Not to mention the crucifixion of Alex Rodriguez by the press.  In case you live under a rock, read THE ALEX RODRIGUEZ PILE-ON IS NOW RELENTLESS.

So yeah, I sit here thinking about my new team in the World Series, my back-up plan to my New York Yankees, the San Francisco Giants, who are on a mission to beat the Detroit Tigers this year.

I’ll be there when I can, wearing my New York Giants hat of course, you need to represent somehow and hoping they win…because there is one thing that feels almost as good as winning the World Series, and that’s when the NL beats the AL team that beat you in the ALCS… so I say this… Go Giants!

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2012 BYB NATIONAL LEAGUE PREDICTIONS

In case you missed it, check out 2012 BYB AMERICAN LEAGUE PREDICTIONS. Here’s part two of our predictions, enjoy.

NL East:

(In Photo: Chase Utley)

1. Phillies: Best 1-2-3 rotation punch in baseball, need to tread water with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard out, Jonathan Papelbon slight upgrade over Ryan Madson. X-factor: Jimmy Rollins; needs to prove that he has enough in the tank and can stay healthy.

2. Nationals: Fantastic young rotation headlined by Stephen Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman needs to stay healthy for Washington to snag a wild card spot. X-factor: Jayson Werth; had a sub-par first year of mega contract, needs to step up big time.(In Photo: Jose Reyes)
3. Marlins: Health of Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson are vital, Giancarlo Stanton is one of the best young hitters in the game, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell additions are huge to pitching staff. X-Factor: Josh Johnson; if he’s healthy he can win a Cy Young, no doubt.

4. Braves: Can easily finish first in stacked NL East, tons of young pitching in rotation and high minors. X-factor: Jason Heyward, had nightmare year last year, needs to go back to 2010 form for Braves to make the playoffs

5. Mets: Offense better than most think, revamped bullpen, not much starting pitching. X-factor: Johan Santana. If he can turn back the clock to 2008 and pitch 120+ innings it’d be huge for this team that is assured to finish in last.

NL Central:

(In Photo: Sean Marshall)
1. Reds: Great 1-2 combo in rotation (Cueto and Latos) and 3-4 combo in lineup (Votto and Phillips), Madson injury won’t hurt too much with Sean Marshall closing out games. X-factor: Bronson Arroyo/Homer Bailey/Mike Leake. One of these guys needs to step up and pitch like a legit number 3 starter.

2. Brewers: Fielder departure will hurt, but Aramis Ramirez signing may help, Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke one of best 1-2 rotation combos in the game. X-factor: Corey Hart. Needs to stay healthy and help fill the void of Prince Fielder.

3. Cardinals: Albert Pujols, LaRussa, and Duncan departures critical, Chris Carpenter injury huge as well. X-factor: David Freese; Needs to stay healthy and continue to hit close to what he did in ’11 playoffs.(In Photo: Andrew McCutchen)
4. Pirates: Some good young talent in the lineup led by Andrew McCutchen, Joel Hanrahan elite closer, may have to wait one more year to break streak of consecutive losing seasons. X-Factor: Erik Bedard; would be a nice boost to the team if he can stay healthy for an entire season, could thrive in National League setting.

5. Cubs: The curse of the Billy goat and such will continue another year, Starlin Castro a young, exciting player that will eventually emerge into a star. X-factor: Geovany Soto; has followed every good season in career with a bad one, last year he OBP’d a career low .310 after .398 showing in ’10. Is a big year in the works?
(In Photo: Wandy Rodriguez)
6. Astros: By far the worst team in baseball and it’ll only get worse when they move to AL 2013. X-Factor: Wandy Rodriguez; Needs to pitch well enough to get traded to a contender in late July.

NL West:

1. Diamondbacks: Could be best team in NL with great young pitching and lineup, Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy are MVP and Cy Young candidates, respectively. X-Factor: Trevor Cahill; Needs to prove he can handle pitching in desert after pitching in spacious Oakland.(In Photo: Melky Cabrera)
2. Giants: Buster Posey and Brandon Belt have potential to be one of the better young offensive combos in the NL. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner are second best 1-2-3 rotation combo in the NL. X-factor: Melky Cabrera; Needs to repeat strong ’11 campaign and get on base in top of Giants order.

3. Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp both cornerstones of potential elite team in a few years, Dee Gordon is very young and exciting player, best of luck to Don Mattingly in second season of managing. X-Factor: Chad Billingsley; Needs to take next step and become legit number 2 starter behind Kershaw.
(In Photo: Carlos Gonzalez)
4. Rockies: Troy Tulowitzki is best shortstop in the game, acquired two nice pieces in Ubaldo trade to improve starting rotation in near future, Jamie Moyer comeback is great story. X-Factor: Carlos Gonzalez; Needs to stay healthy and return to 2010 form for Rockies to have a chance at the NL Central.

5. Padres: Fueled by pitching and not much offense, Yonder Alonso could be future star. X-Factor: Edinson Volquez; Needs to pitch somewhat near 2008 form. Maybe change of scenery and friendlier ballpark could do the trick.

Wild Cards: Nationals, Marlins
NLCS: Marlins over Phillies
MVP: Joey Votto
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
Rookie: Yonder Alonso
Comeback player: Johan Santana
Manager of the year: Ozzie Guillen

World Series: Yankees over Marlins
World Series MVP: Curtis Granderson

There you have it, our NL and AL predictions. Feel free to sound off in the comments if you agree or disagree.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse

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WHY THE CARDINALS WON THE WORLD SERIES

This St. Louis team never gave up, a mentality that the Yankees have had for a long long time, especially in their 90's run. The other night when David Freese helped the Cards come back and then walked off in grand style, it reminded my of the way things used to be done in the Bronx. I'm not saying the Yankees don't still have that spark, I'm saying it was the guys you didn't expect that always came through. Scott Brosius in 1998 comes to mind. The Cardinals deserve this one. Look, I'm a Yankee fanatic, but I'm a baseball fan first and the Cardinals did it right. Congrats to them, from Bleeding Yankee Blue.Read the full story HERE.

And now... the off season, one of my favorite times of year in baseball.

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FREEZE! FREESE HELPS FORCE GAME 7 FOR CARDINALS!

I have never seen a more dramatic and exciting ball game than I did last night. The full story is HERE, but The Cardinals are alive and forced a Game 7. They were down to their last out 2 times in a row and both times came back. David Freese tied it in the 9th with a 2 run triple. Josh Hamilton homered for the Rangers the following inning to make it 9-7. Then Lance Berkman tied it to make it 9-9! In the 11th, David Freese came through again to win it for the Cardinals in walk off style! It may have been the most dramatic thing I've ever seen in baseball and I'm thrilled for David Freese, he had the game of his life... that's why baseball is the greatest sport in the world. I wrote in WHY BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE PICKS THE CARDINALS because I don't care for the Rangers fans because of of the newbie's with their crisp new Rangers caps that know nothing about the game. They ruin it for all baseball fans. I want the Rangers to lose based on that alone and I hope the Cards can put them away tonight.

Great game Birds! BYB is rooting for you!

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