HEATHCOTT & CAMPOS NON-TENDERED & MORE

Sometimes life happens and sometimes there are hard choices.  Yankeeland wanted to eventually see Slade Heathcott and Jose Campos make it to the Bigs... but it never happpened.

According to Joel Sherman, Slade, Campos and lefty David Huff were non-tendered. In other words, they were cut loose...

#Yankees non-tender Slade Heathcott, Jose Campos and David Huff
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 3, 2014

Just to explain to the newbies on BYB who are wondering what non-tendered means, check it out:

"Non-tendered means that an arbitration-eligible player was not offered a contract by their team. A non-tendered player becomes a free agent available to sign with any team."

Thank you Answers.com. The Internet has everything.

In tomorrow's lesson, we'll do an in-depth lesson on Respect.  It's fascinating.

In all seriousness... I wish those guys the best of luck.  As Ty Hensley's mom once told us:

"Marci Hensley: I do know that making it to the majors is more about a bunch of factors such as health, opportunity, and work ethic coming together.  That doesn't happen in one season with kids coming out of high school. It takes some time..."
 
That always stuck with me and it's so True. Many factors, plus you want to get there and stay there after that.  It's all these players ever work for. It's tough and fans don't get it. Great words from a great woman.

Good Luck to those guys!

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THE CERVELLI TRADE MEANS OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE

Look, it is hard to say goodbye sometimes especially when you become attached to someone. Trust me, I know I am constantly called things like "prospect hugger" but we become very attached to players. Francisco Cervelli had an energy to him. He was that spark plug on the field that the Yankees needed for a long time. Now he is gone, and I know a lot of people that are upset by this but.....this could work out better for him and open new doors for everyone else involved.

They say when one door closes another one opens, and I think this could be the case for a lot of people on both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Yankees. The Yankees have lost Cervelli but we also gained a hard-throwing lefty and anytime you can gain a lefty you are ahead of the game, at least in my book.

The Yankees have been searching for a reliable lefty in the bullpen, we had David Huff last year but Justin Wilson has a power arm that is hard to ignore. Wilson had an outstanding 2013 season ending with a 6-1 record and a 2.08ERA and held lefties to a .501OPS. In 2014 he wasn't as dominate but was 3-4 with a 4.20 ERA and held lefties to a .681 OPS.

He has the experience and he throws hard. He has three pitches that he relies on that has proven to fool hitters. He has a fastball and a sinker that can hit over 96 mph and a cutter that hits 91 mph. He has proven himself AND he wants to be a Yankee.

Thank you Pittsburgh! Will never forget the great time I had with the Pirates. Going to miss the organization and especially my teammates...
— Justin Wilson (@J_J_Wilson) November 13, 2014

but excited to join the Yankees! Tradition and a first class organization. Can't wait for Yankee baseball. Hope I look good in pinstripes!
— Justin Wilson (@J_J_Wilson) November 13, 2014

Good thing Yankee gear is sold all over! pic.twitter.com/Tc6MmVU3aZ
— Justin Wilson (@J_J_Wilson) November 13, 2014

These past few seasons I have really appreciated the players that bring that sort of passion to the table, yes....even Cervelli too. Look, he is already looking forward to wearing our uniform, how can you not like that?

Truth of the matter is, Cervelli was not going to get a chance to be a starting catcher here. Brian McCann has that job, regardless of his underwhelming 2014 season. The Pirates could use Cervelli as a starting catcher next year in the event that Russell Martin leaves for a multi-year deal from another team, which is a real possibility. Isn't it funny how Cervelli will be playing once again with Chris Stewart? They were the catching tandem that we used to replace Russell Martin after 2013. Baseball is funny like that.

So now what about the Yankees? We have a lot of catching depth, so while we will miss Cervelli's energy and charisma we have plenty of in-house options to backup McCann. Spring Training will be interesting to watch because while John Ryan Murphy looks to be the favorite for the backup position now, the Yankees still have Austin Romine in the system too. He was once hyped as the next big catcher for us and they are still waiting to see his potential shine through his injury plagued past. Could this be the year that he overcomes that?

I have always been a big fan of Murphy. My close friends know that I have hyped him a lot. He is young, he will turn 24 this year and he plays a great defensive game. He is smart, he analyzes hitters so he knows how to catch them off guard and he calls a good game. There is definitely room for improvement with his bat, but again he is still young, and it will come. Murphy really stepped up this past year when McCann and Cervelli were not able to play. The Yankees have faith in this kid, and we should too.

Next season will be interesting to watch as we have fewer familiar faces on the team, but maybe that is a good thing. Change can be hard, but this could benefit everyone.

Thanks for all of the memories, Cervelli. I know I didn't say that often enough. Good luck in Pittsburgh, and Wilson....welcome to pinstripes!




 
 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ







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WHAT WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THE ROYALS

The Kansas City Royals aren’t the league’s most powerful team.  In fact, they hit the lowest number of home runs in MLB this season, not even reaching 100 – the only team not to do so.  Instead, the Royals have used a combination of speed (they led the majors in stolen bases), hitting with runners in scoring position (they ranked 4^th in MLB), and as my colleague Suzie Pinstripe pointed out in WHY CAN'T THE YANKEES BE MORE LIKE THE ROYALS? – chemistry and hustle to create a winning formula.

Does that mean every team should look to play “small ball” to win?  Of course not.  What it does mean is that a winning formula has to be developed according to the personnel you have and the stadium you play in.

The Royals’ most frequent lineup was an average age of 27.8 years-old.  It included 24-year-old stars Salvador Perez (Catcher) and Eric Hosmer (1B) as well as four other “20-somethings”.  There’s lots of energy there to be had, and they’ve used it in their run to the World Series.  They play in a large park, so it only makes sense that they play a station-to-station type of game.

With a strong starting staff anchored by James Shields and 23-year-old fireballer Yordano Ventura, and bullpen that ranked 6^th in baseball, the Royals aren’t a fluke.  They are a team built for their stadium and managed to their talents.

Can the Yankees find that same type of recipe? They can, but they’ll need a change in mindset.

Beleaguered by injuries over the past two seasons, the Bombers have ranked 22^nd and 12^th in home runs.

The previous three seasons they were 1^st, 3^rd, and 1^st.  The bottom line is that their advanced age – the average age of the Yankees most frequent lineup was 33.7 (with no one under the age of 30) – is resulting in a higher frequency of downtime and sapping their power.  The replacements for the fallen starters have included the likes of Chris Stewart, Lyle Overbay, Brendan Ryan, Ichiro Suzuki, and many others whose best power was seasons long in the past.

When a starting nine that once included Robinson Cano, a healthy Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada is replaced with players like those mentioned above, you need to adjust your style of baseball.  You no longer have consistent power, and need to compensate for that.

Instead, the team has ignored the hand it has been dealt and attempted to recreate the success of 2009 with players of a different caliber.  There is no statement more telling of that ignorance than a quote from manager Joe Girardi in 2013.  In responding to reports that hitting coach Kevin Long suggested the team play more “small ball”, Girardi was quoted as saying “We’re the Bronx Bombers, not the Bronx Bunters”.  At the time, the team featured Stewart behind the plate, Overbay at first (Teixeira was down with a wrist injury), Jayson Nix at third base and Eduardo Nunez at shortstop (Derek Jeter was out with an ankle injury for most of the year).  In 2013 only one player – Robinson Cano – hit more than 20 home runs.  How could they NOT be the Bronx Bunters?

I’m not just focusing on 2013 as the “stubbornness” seemingly has continued through the most recent season.  In spite of an injury to Carlos Beltran that clearly hampered his talent at the plate (.233 average with 15 hr in just 109 games) and the continued decline of Mark Teixeira (.216 average with 22 home runs and 62 RBI), Girardi repeatedly left them in the middle of the order (Beltran had 88 games in either the 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th spot, Teixeira had 109 games in either the 4^th or 5^th spot) as the team hopelessly battled for the final playoff berth.  As much as it pains me to say it, the manager’s refusal to move Derek Jeter from the number two spot in the lineup (where he hit .258 with a .306 on-base percentage) was yet another example of failure to adapt to the talent at hand.  It is one thing to be loyal to your players, but to do so at the expense of the team is tantamount to sabotage.

Without dwelling on the mistakes that are now water under the bridge (I could go on about Stephen Drew, or David Huff, or Matt Thornton, or any other desperate attempt to find a left handed pitcher just for the sake of having a left handed pitcher), what change of direction can the Yankees take to create the success that the Royals have?

First, they need to trust some of the players that have proven themselves in the minor league system and promote from within.  The 2014 Royals starting lineup features five “home grown” players.  Their rotation has two starters that began their MLB careers as Royals and their All-Star closer, Greg Holland, has never known another major league team.

Do the Yankees have that kind of talent in the minors?  How are we going to know if they aren’t given a chance?  Already, out of necessity (due to numerous injuries to the staff), the team stumbled upon a couple of gems on the mound in Chase Whitley and Shane Greene.   Both are 25-years-old and both can expect more time in the Bronx next season.  Greene may actually break into the starting rotation.  Need I even bring up what Dellin Betances did in 2014?

Instead of lamenting the need for a shortstop, let Jose Pirela have a shot at proving he belongs in “the show” (he has over 300 games at short in MiLB and hit over .300 with Scranton).  Bring up Rob Refsnyder and start him at second base.  He has proven himself at Triple A (hitting .300 in 77 games with the RailRiders).  At the ages of 24 and 23 respectively, they would not only fill needs on the field, but inject some youthful energy into our stale, old team.

Aside from personnel, the Yankees game management needs to be more flexible.  If one of the aging stars is in a prolonged period of..well…aging…then move them to a different spot in the order!  Realize what you have at that moment, and adjust accordingly.  Broken egos are much easier to recover than lost games.

Should we end up with a team made up of hitters more capable of hitting doubles than home runs, then we need to manage the game to make that sort of character a strength.  Why do I get the feeling that as a toddler, young Joe Girardi repeatedly attempted to pound the square block through the round hole?

It is my hope that our GM and manager are following what the Kansas City Royals are accomplishing and how they are doing it.  Let’s learn from an organization that has somehow passed us by and rekindle our future simply by utilizing what we have.


    

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

   





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THE WINNING STREAK IS ON...

The number 5 in Yankeeland is a significant number. Joe DiMaggio was a terrific ballplayer for the New York Yankees. But the 5 also means a 5 game winning streak for the 2014 Yankees... and it wasn't just 5 games tonight, it was 8 runs to the Royals 1.  That doesn't happen too often with this Yankee offense. But it happened tonight... and "they look glorious."


The Yankees won because of great offense and great pitching. When the combination of the 2 happens, this club is unstoppable.  More times than not though, it doesn't work this well.  I'm not about to get too excited here... but something good is happening in Yankeeland.  Do you feel it?

Michael Pineda started and looks great.  He pitched 6.1 innings, gave up 5 hits and only 1 run.  David Huff followed and didn't give up another run all game. 

The run scoring for the Yankees went like this:

In the 3rd, Derek Jeter grounded out but Ichiro Suzuki scored.  Then, in the 4th, Stephen Drew homered. It was a solo shot.  In the 7th, red hot Martin Prado homered. Another solo shot.  Jacoby Ellsbury then singled and knocked in 1. After that, Jeet singled knocking in yet another.  Brian McCann then sacrificed home Ellsbury.

In the 9th, Ellsbury homered. It was a 2 run homer.

Final: Yankees 8 - Royals 1

Keep going Yanks!

 
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NOT BREAKING BAD...

And just getting worse.

I love my team, but this is ridiculous now. I, like you, can't stand the way this club plays baseball.  The fan base, as much as we love the pinstripes, will stop showing up.  Sure, it's Derek Jeter's season and we need to cherish the moments with Jeet, but let's face it... Jeter has always been part of a winner, and it doesn't seem that way this year at all.  We're bad.

We have an expensive team that can't win.  What an embarrassment.  Is it Cashman's fault? The Steinbrenners? Nope. They got us the guys we needed.  Bottom line, the guys can't play and they sure as hell can't play together. They can't score runs.  They are absolutely horrible.

Let's not forget, we're playing the Houston Astros the last 2 games.  I'd love to say that they're not very good, but the reality is, we're not.

Michael Pineda pitched tonight.  He wasn't bad at all. In fact, you gotta feel alittle bad for the guy.  He went 6 innings, allowed 4 hits and 2 runs. The Yanks were up 2-1 until the 7th. That's when the Yankee pen, which is suddenly horrendous, forgot how to pitch.

David Huff gave up 1 run. Esmil Rogers gave up 2. Then, like clockwork... the Yankees had opportunities, but could not get a run in to even make it a competitive game.

The only 2 Yankee runs scored and it went like this:

In the fourth inning, Stephen Drew homered. It was a solo shot.  In the 5th, Jacoby Ellsbury singled on a bunt grounder ball back to the pitcher. Ichiro scored in the process.  But that was it.  No Rallies... no nothing.  We were 1-8 with Runners in scoring position. We left 10 men on base. TEN. Not 2... TEN. 

Pathetic.  When are we going to bench players that can't help the club? When are we going to make an example of someone, be it Kevin Long or Larry Rothschild and fire them. It's clear, the Yankees are ignoring the fans and Hal Steinbrenner when he said "step it up." It's a joke now... we're a terrible ball club. I didn't even want to write this... my heart isn't in it lately... sorry.

Final: Astros 5 - Yankees 2

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NO LIFE IN THE BRONX

On a day when BYB writer Jeana Bellezza was in the Bronx, coming home to New York from Arizona to see her boys, you just expected a win.  I mean, the day started positive enough... she and fellow writer Ike Dimitriadis ran into Bald Vinny...

But the reality was... meeting Bald Vinny wasn't enough. He doesn't have that Yankee life we need, he's just a fan like you and me.  No, we needed the real pinstripes to take us to the finish today. We needed runs, big hits. We needed a blow out. We needed to rebound after yesterday's loss from our New York Yankees. But none of that happened... not one thing.

The fact of the matter is, the Yankees were lifeless with the bats today and the pitching didn't exactly excite me either.  As a fan, you really have to wonder why? I mean, these are the Indians we're playing, not the Orioles.  As a fan, we expected more... Oh well.

Hiroki Kuroda wasn't great, going only 4.2 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 runs. Reports on the Internet call him "ineffective". But I wonder where are bats were. They could have helped dig him out of his rut.  Anyway, the other run was given up by David Huff. 

At 4-0, the Yankees fought back the best they could... it was more like sleepwalking though. As fans, we expected them to explode at any moment, but it was more like a fart, meaning, the only run we got came in the 9th, when Jacoby Ellsbury went deep.

Alittle too late, I think.

Overall, not much to celebrate.  All I know is this, we're about to play the Orioles.  We lose 3, we lose a ton of ground.  If we take 3, we're in the thick of a pennant race.  It's our biggest test since the Tigers.

The Yankees need to beat all teams as you know. They need to win every series they play.  But they MUST beat every division rival... They must.  Will they? Well, we're about to find out.

Final: Indians 4 - Yankees 1

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THE YANKEES HAVE BECOME THE DARK HORSE

It was one of those games where you and I and millions of Yankee fans were squirming, uncomfortable, moaning a bit while we were watching.  After all, we expect our Yankees to explode at any moment, but those moments haven't happened. It was a pitching duel for a while tonight.  1-1 until the 7th. Then, suddenly it was 5-1... and like the baby that's all over YouTube who suddenly hears Katie Perry's Dark Horse and gets all happy for the world to see... much did we too. The Yankees hit, and scored tonight. The Yankees won and all is right in the world.



I tweeted a message to Yankee hitting earlier tonight...

Come on Yankee hitting... the pitching is doing their job... you do yours! #BYB
— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) August 7, 2014

I'm right and you know it. Bottom line, it was time to explode as a team. The funny thing was, I just wasn't sure if tonight would be the night. Thank God it was.

Chris Capuano has been good for us and I'm happy he's there. Great pitching from him tonight.  6.2 innings pitched and he gave up 5 hits and 1 only run.

The Yankees had 8 hits.  The run scoring went like this:

In the bottom of the 5th, Chase Headley homered. It was a solo shot.  In the 7th, Brian McCann hit a solo shot as well.  Dare I say, McCann is starting to come around.  Good time to start hitting.

Then, in the 8th, things happened.  Mark Teixeira singled knocking in Brett Gardner.  Then, according to MLB.com:

"Yankees challenged (tag play), call on the field was overturned: Brian McCann grounds into a force out, first baseman Miguel Cabrera to shortstop Andrew Romine. Jacoby Ellsbury scores. Mark Teixeira scores. Carlos Beltran out at 2nd. Brian McCann advances to 1st, on a throwing error by shortstop Andrew Romine."

Rally time. And just like that, it was 5-1,  Yanks up.  Our relief of Adam Warren and David Huff shut the door. 

The Yankees win, and just like that, I love Katie Perry's Dark Horse now... what can I say.

Final: Yankees 5 - Tigers 1

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THE YANKS SNAG ANOTHER LEFTY...

And the winner this time is... Chris Capuano. Woo Hoo. Yay!  Wait... what????

According to several sources, and we'll use Hardball Talk on this one:

"The Yankees announced this evening that they have acquired veteran left-hander Chris Capuano from the Rockies for cash considerations.

This is just the latest move by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who has added the likes of Brandon McCarthy, Jeff Francis, and David Huff as the club attempts to get by after a number of injuries in their starting rotation."

Before the Rockies, Capuano was with the Red Sox. Oh, and by the way... DJ Short of Hardball Talk forgot to mention Rich Hill... but you get the idea. The Yankees are clearly stockpiling arms at this point.

Rumor has it I am also being considered. After all, I am a lefty, and I haven't pitched since High School... that's why I'm perfect.

Anyway, just wanted to keep you in the loop... carry on.

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WE CAN'T WIN THEM ALL... BUT WE SHOULD

Shane Greene looked good, but part of the problem with the Yankees offense is helping the pitching stay in the game.  Many times, only 4 runs against them still makes it impossible for us to win. That's exactly what happened last night.  We, for some strange reason are only looking at the fence, I guess for a home run or something. Or, maybe we fans were just over sold on the team we had going into 2014.  Yes, I'm being critical.  You realize why I am, right? We don't score runs!  We rarely score 5 a game and hell, we never score 6.  Papa John's was smart to hold that special of 6 runs and half-off your next order there... that's because the Yankees don't score 6... it seems like EVER.

2 runs for us last night. Just 5 hits.  OH... and 5 errors.  FIVE. This is the sign of a championship team? I think not.  We look miserable.

Greene went 5.2 innings last night and gave up 4 runs.  That was followed by the three stooges, and I say that affectionately, Matt Thornton, Adam Warren and David Huff.  Now they held the Rangers down which was great, but those 4 runs off Greene were enough.

The Yankees run scoring, or lack there of, went like this:

In the bottom of the first, Carlos Beltran sacrificed home Derek Jeter. In the 4th, Jacoby Ellsbury homered... a solo shot.

Blah, blah, blah.... Sorry, but as a fan, I want more!  We deserve more... these are the Yankees for Christ's sake.

Final: Rangers 4 - Yankees 2

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