REMEMBER PHELPS? HE IS HANGING UP HIS CLEATS

Nostalgia hit me hard when I hopped on Twitter late yesterday afternoon and saw David Phelps announced retirement. It's hard to believe that 10 years ago we watched him break into the big leagues as a Yankee. My how time flies.

For the first three seasons of his career, he threw 299 1/3 innings with the Yankees over 40 starts and  posted a 4.21 ERA. He quickly became a favorite of mine so when the Yankees traded him to the Marlins over the 2014-2015 season I was pretty disappointed. In return, the Yankees got Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Jones and then Low-A pitcher Domingo Germán, who is still a Yankee today. Funny how trades pan out sometimes.

After his time with the Marlins he bounced around to five other teams and spent the last two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays where he posted his best numbers since he played for the Marlins, he tossed 63 2/3 innings of 2.83 ERA ball through 65 appearances. His resurgence would've landed him another contract somewhere in the league, but he decided to retire instead.

One of the reasons why I was disappointed to see him leave the Yankees was because I loved his attitude and his passion. When he was on the mound, he gave it everything he had. Even when he didn't have his best stuff that day, you could tell he was such a competitor. It's tough to hear about players retire sometimes, but I am actually happy to hear him hang them up now. Sure, he is healthy enough to go another year....but he's battled some rough injuries over his career. Now he gets to go out on top and I think that is the best way to do it. End it on a high note.

So Phelps....best wishes and happy retirement. Thanks for the memories! You were one hell of a competitor and the game needs more guys with your dedication.

By the way, if you didn't know already, we interviewed Phelps. So be sure to check out EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DAVID PHELPS. It's a great interview, released on July 20, 2014.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

WHY KYLE SCHWARBER MAKES SENSE FOR THE YANKEES

Clearly the only guy that makes sense for the Yankees despite the fact that he will put them over their salary cap is DJ LeMahieu. And with other teams swarming around the big fish, the Yankees still remain LeMahieu's top contender. But put that aside for a minute to consider other bats the Yankees need to remain a contender for the world championship. Kyle Schwarber is available, can crank out home runs and could be a cheap option for the Yankees to ignite the lineup.

Source: ESPN

"Have you seen the short porch in right field? It’s like Schwarber was born to play in Yankee Stadium, and likely part of the reason the Yankees have been connected to the ex-Cubs slugger for years. Schwarber is coming off a down season (.701 OPS, 88 OPS+), but only a year removed from crushing 38 home runs and posting an OPS+ of 122 for a playoff team in 2019. On the right team and in the right spots (platooning only vs. right-handed pitchers), there’s a valuable hitter here," reported NJ.com on Saturday. 

I like the guy. I mean, he provided much needed offense for the Cubs, even late into the Series in 2016, despite being on the IL for most of the season. He could fit the DH spot and also fill in from time to time in the outfield. Now, many will say well, that is what we got Giancarlo Stanton for; true but he's a dud. 

Source: The Chicago Tribune

The Yankees are not the only team who could go after Schwarber. DJ LeMahieu's old team has an interest in the outfielder too, which would make for a great addition to the team. According to Colorado Rockies manger Bud Black, "the team is looking to add a bat either in the outfield or at first or second base this offseason. Now, the Rockies are hardly a big-market presence, but they could absolutely swing a deal that would bring Schwarber to the Mile High City and balance out a lineup that’s pretty right-handed heavy as currently constructed," reported Fansided. 

Source: NJ.com

Brian Cashman also needs to cleverly balance a budget while also picking up another couple of pitchers to round off the staff. Word on the street is that 34-year-old David Phelps could be someone who not only fits the budget but also has a heavy hand in the bullpen. Whatever happens in the next couple weeks between LeMahieu, Schwarber and even Phelps will be very telling for the Yankees who need to do something soon and get their Spring Training and 2021 Season revved up and ready to go. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKS CHECK ON PITCHING AS SANCHEZ CHECKS OUT SURGERY

Things will pick up soon, the offseason is young but until then a couple of important updates to get you through the lull.

Photo: Hartford Courant

We all know pitching is a priority, and luckily Brian Cashman is not wasting any time. According to Joel Sherman HERE, the Yankees have requested medical records for free agents Daniel Hudson, Charlie Morton, and David Phelps. This is pretty standard though, teams frequently request medical information for players every offseason. Cashman is simply doing his homework right now. It is important to note that Hudson has had Tommy John surgery twice now, Phelps is currently rehabbing from Tommy John and Morton has an extensive injury history including shoulder trouble this season.

Those names aren't as appealing as Patrick Corbin, but credit Cashman for doing his due diligence. The Yankees are familiar with Phelps who pitched for the Yankees from 2012-2014. Phelps blew out his elbow in Spring Training and missed all of 2018. Before that he spent most of 2017 with the Marlins and finished the season with a 3.40 ERA. The Yankees had a great bullpen last season and hopefully they can keep it in tact, but if not he could be an interesting low cost option.

I can't imagine the Yankees being too excited with Hudson who pitched 46 innings with a 4.11 ERA with the Dodgers. Not really anything exciting to say about him. Morton is probably the biggest name in that bunch. He threw 167 innings with a 3.13 ERA for the Astros this season but faded in the second half. There were rumors he was considering retirement, but has recently had a change of heart and confirmed he still wants to play.

Photo: USA Today Sports

The Yankees have also checked in with Zach Britton according to NJ.com. A signing doesn't sound imminent but after how he performed for the Yankees this season the Yankees should be checking in here. Talks sounds like they are slow-moving but I would expect nothing less here considering Britton is a Scott Boras client. I wouldn't be surprised if Boras waits until Craig Kimbrel signs a deal so he can turn around and market Britton as "the best closer on the market" and the drive his price up in typical Boras fashion. Either way, it is an option if the Yankees can't woo David Robertson back to the Bronx.

Photo: New York Daily News

Last but not least....Gary Sanchez is back in the news again as the latest Yankee to need surgery, read more HERE. Sanchez as been bothered by pain in his left shoulder since 2017 and he's the Yankees felt he's been playing through it long enough. Thankfully this is his non-throwing arm but the bad news is that's his front shoulder when he swings and that is where he gets all of his power from. It sounds like he has had numerous cortisone shots but nothing has alleviated the nagging pain. Cashman says recovery time is about three months so he should be ready by no later than opening day. Hopefully that won't affect his preparation for the season too much and maybe this helps him rebound next year.

I can't wait for things to really start heating up. It's early in the offseason so there isn't a lot to talk about yet. Keyword there is YET. I wonder what the first big breakthrough will be....I guess we will have to wait and see. At least we know Cashman is already out there and making calls. It's a start!

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

ANOTHER FORMER YANKEE GETS TOMMY JOHN

Photo: Getty Images

Tommy John surgery is more common than it used to be and recovery is alittle easier.  Don't get me wrong, it's major surgery, but there have been advances and it's very interesting.

It's also interesting that so many players have had Tommy John over the last decade.  We just told you all about David Phelps of the Mariners.  Now there's news about former Yankee prospect Jacob Lindgren. Atlantic Journal Constitution writes:

(Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)

"The Braves had high hopes for Jacob Lindgren after poaching the strikeout-producing left-hander from the Yankees in December 2016, but his future appears uncertain now after requiring a second elbow surgery in a 19-month span. The 25-year-old Mississippi native developed elbow soreness early in spring training and had Tommy John surgery Tuesday performed by Dr. James Andrews at his clinic outside Pensacola, Fla."

Don't forget, Lindgren already had Tommy John in 2016.  It's crazy, but it happens.  I just hope he fully recovers. You never want to see that happen.

Get well soon Jacob.

FORMER YANKEE TO GET TOMMY JOHN

(Feb. 20, 2018 - Source: Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)

This is a big blow to the Seattle Mariners.  David Phelps is a damn good pitcher, probably more mature, seasoned and better than he was in New York.  This just plain sucks if you're a Seattle fan and management is not happy about this either I suppose.  Phelps needs Tommy John. Not his fault, this happens to a lot of pitchers. It just sucks to it happened to David.

ESPN writes:

Photo: Getty Images

"David Phelps has a torn UCL in his pitching elbow and will have season-ending Tommy John surgery, the team said Thursday. The right-hander is expected to be sidelined 12-15 months. Phelps was expected to serve in a setup role this season for Seattle, which acquired him from the Marlins last July."

Photo: Getty Images

Damn.  Bottom Line, we love David Phelps here. Bleeding Yankee Blue even interviewed him a while back.  Check out EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DAVID PHELPS for a trip down memory lane.

Get well soon, David.

RED FLAGS, PITCHING & I TOLD YOU SO!

Are the New York Yankees broken? It's only April but it is hard to find a lot to be excited about right now unless it happens to be Nick Swisher related. The fan favorite that is stashed down in AAA has me more excited then the Major League team. I find that disturbing, but it's true. I am watching his stats everyday with excitement meanwhile I can barely watch my television without groaning every few minutes. Something has to change and fast.

The offense is just plain offensive. What happened to the Bombers we all know and love? They have never been great at small ball but at this point I miss those long balls. At least that gave me something to cheer for and feel good about. I am just waiting for that magical turning point to come. Last night when I turned on the game and looked at the box score and saw the top of the order going one for twelve I shook my head. The sad thing is I wasn't surprised when I saw it. I just shook my head and said "oh, the usual" like it was no big deal. Not hitting is not ok.....and fans being complacent about not hitting isn't either. Red flag.

One of the biggest concerns going into this season was the starting rotation. I have no doubt that when Aroldis Chapman is eligible to return on May 9th that the Yankees will have the best bullpen in baseball....but we have to get to them first. At this rate, with the dreadful performance of the starters the bullpen could be a non-factor. The Yankees not scoring runs coupled with the starters not giving quality starts is going to spell disaster for this team. With 20 major league starts under their belt the Yankee starts have the second worst ERA in the American League.

Right now Masahiro Tanaka is the only starter who has an ERA that is better than league average. The Yankees also can't navigate through a lineup three times. The Yankees have a major league worst record of a .963 OPS and that is how you pitch your way to a loss. Look at last years pitching staffs with the best ERA's.....you will notice those were playoff teams. In recent years the Yankees answer to fixing voids in other areas by trading away pitchers like Shane Greene, David Phelps and Adam Warren now you have to wonder if those moves are going to be beneficial in the long run given the teams current pitching situation. Pitching wins baseball games. Red flag.

And last but not least....I think I have heard the words "I told you so!" more often then I care to acknowledge. Most of those are in reference to friends who follow other teams telling me that the Yankees will be last in the AL East this year. If I hear "I told you guys that you needed to sign Tim Lincecum" one more time I may lose my mind. Haters seem to think he is the answer to the rotation problems but it is deeper then just not signing Lincecum. It's only April, and plenty of baseball left. I know it won't stay this way but come on......I don't want to hear this is April! It's too early for the "I was right and you were wrong" victory dances. The Yankees need to prove all of the haters wrong.

Good teams learn to adapt and find ways to win games. It's easier said then done, but baseball isn't meant to be easy. The bottom line here is the offense and the starters need to fix the problem that they created. They have no one to blame but themselves and their success this season depends on it.


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





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I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!

Who are these Yankees? Is there really a Steinbrenner running the show? Is it Cashman who has had the will power to not offer high priced contracts over the past couple of years? The Yankees organization has taken a different road the past couple of off seasons. After the half a billion dollar spending spree heading into the 2014 season, the Yankees have mostly improved via trades. While not all of these moves have been popular or have immediate impacts, the plan seems to be coming together nicely.

Starting last winter, Cashman dealt for Nathan Eovaldi and gave up a middle aged (in baseball years) Martin Prado and a number five starter or long reliever in David Phelps. He also acquired Didi Gregorius in a three team deal in which they gave up RHP Shane Greene.

Both trades filled a void and injected more youth into the organization. Both these moves I loved, particularly the Eovaldi trade, and now the Sir Didi trade, and that seemed to be just the start for Cashman and the brass.

So far this off season, Cash has acquired a young right handed hitting outfielder in Aaron Hicks, added a couple young arms, yet not terribly highly touted prospects, in Luis Cessa and Chad Green. Combined The Yankees have 12 years of control over these two young men. He picked up Starlin Castro, a three time all-star, for above average reliever or number five type starter, Adam Warren. Cash then added Aroldis Chapman, in which he gave up four so-so prospects who have a long ways to go.

If you ask me, the team is better and deeper now that it was heading into the 2015 season. Plus Cash hasn't given up the top prospects! The rotation remains a work in progress but is definitely much younger and livelier than it was several years ago.

Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino lead the charge. Next is Michael Pineda, who has huge upside and just has to stay away from the DL and pine tar. Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia round out the rest of the likely rotation candidates.

While all of these players carry a risk; age, health and experience being the three biggest, there is potential.  The average age of the likely rotation candidates, however, will be just 27 years old as of Opening Day. Take away Sabathia and the average age is just 25.4 years old.

After the acquisition of Chapman, which in a purely baseball related perspective is a fantastic pickup, Cashman now has a little wiggle room in the bullpen and may be more willing to consider accepting an offer for Miller. With another top of the line closer now dealt (after Ken Giles and Craig Kimbrel), the market for closers is getting slim. Perhaps a team, now approaching desperation mode, could offer a larger return for Miller and with Chapman and Dellin Betances at the back end of the 'pen, Cash would have to consider any deal that helps his team, and in particular, his rotation.

I really don't think Cashman is done this off season. Whether it be a blockbuster deal or a 'filling a piece of the puzzle' move, the Yankees front office seems to want to avoid costly long term contracts until the current ones begin to expire following the 2016 season. With Mark Teixeira's deal expiring, and Greg Bird waiting in the shadows, and Carlos Beltran's deal expiring, and Aaron Judge hopefully waiting in shadows, The Yankees should have some more cash on hand to spend some next winter and the following.

While I realize that this mode of operation is looked down upon by some fans, the brass has to assure the long term future of the organization, as well as the short term. The Yankees went all in to win a World Championship in 2009 and it worked but now we are seeing some of the backlash of that.

This is a different team than it was under 'The Boss' George Steinbrenner. With the luxury tax and the proven success stories over the past few seasons with teams developing within their organizations and winning championships, the Yankees are taking the road less traveled for them. Now the question is, will it pay off? And when?

For you impatient fans, it could be a struggle over the next 12-24 months. But give these guys two years and we will see a vastly younger, more athletic and well-rounded team than we have today. A new core is forming with Luis Severino, Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Jorge Mateo and others. They may not all stick but some will and they will lead the Yankees to another World Series Championship....

In due time.


 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia


  

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DAVID PHELPS IS DONE FOR THE YEAR

We liked David Phelps here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, but it became evident, to me at least, that Phelps was getting the squeeze in New York as they were trying to figure out what to do with the guy. 

Needless to say, he took the ball in every situation given to him and proved that he was a reliable and competent pitcher.  But he was traded this off season, a few months after BYB Senior Writer Suzie Pinstripe introduced EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DAVID PHELPS on the audience.

News came out that David Phelps, now with the Marlins, is done for the year.  The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer Tweeted this:

#marlins RHP David phelps out for season with stress fracture of right radius

— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) August 18, 2015

Bad break, but we wish Phelps well.

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LOST IN MIAMI

It's a pretty big embarrassment. I mean, the Miami Marlins are good, but not this good.  What the hell happened to our team tonight?

Nathan Eovaldi must have had cold feet or something coming back to Miami and performing in front of his old team... because I have news for you... He sucked.  I hate to sound harsh, but look at the numbers... 0.2 innings pitching, he gave up 9 hits and 8 runs.

On the other side, David Phelps is something nice to see these days, huh? He feels comfortable in Miami it appears. There is something refreshing about seeing Phelps do well, even though he's a Marlin now.  We always liked him at BYB. In fact, shameless plug, read his interview with us... EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DAVID PHELPS.  In the end, Phelps had the backing of his team who helped score him 12 runs.  He got the win.  The Yankees were lost in Miami.  Unreal.

Here's the run scoring for us... be ready to puke.

In the 6th, Brian McCann singled knocking in a run.  Then, in the 7th, Mason Williams doubled driving in Stephen Drew.  Nice to see the kid do something big... but the Yankees ended up leaving 7 on base tonight and going 2-9 with Runners in Scoring Position.

Bottom line, it sucked and that's all I can say about this... maybe tomorrow we turn this around. Please?

Final: Marlins 12 - Yankees 2

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