THE YANKEES BLEW IT WITH THE CLAY HOLMES TRADE

Have I mentioned that I hate the Clay Holmes trade? Have I? Can't stand it.  It does nothing but give the Yankees an extra arm to go to, but there are plenty wrong with THIS arm. I guess they couldn't get it done with guys like Brooks Kriske so they went with other no names to fill the void.  Seriously... WHAT THE HELL ARE THE YANKEES DOING THIS YEAR?

Not only did the Yankees get Holmes, they traded away a solid Hoy Park and Diego Castillo.  Whatever man.  I just don't get it.

Fangraphs writes:

"Depending on how one frames Monday’s Yankees and Pirates swap of reliever Clay Holmes for upper-level minor leaguers Hoy Park and Diego Castillo, it can look pretty rough. Holmes, who is out of options, is walking over five per 9 IP and has an ERA just a shade under 5.00 in a middle relief role for one of the worst teams in baseball, while Park and Castillo are annihilating the upper levels of the minors and play valuable defensive positions. But even though my shoot-from-the-hip reaction to this deal was that the Yankees took a bit of a bath because I think Castillo has the most long-term upside of the players exchanged, there are indications that Holmes is better than his superficial stats and really special in a few ways. There are also minor league roster dynamics at play for New York that make parting with these two middle infielders more palatable."

I love Fangraphs, but they didn't need all these words to say "this deal is dumb."

But this they needed to explain... and it's important when it comes to Holmes:

"...Holmes barely threw in 2020 due to a foot fracture and a forearm strain) may be contributing to that poor control. Holmes’ walk rates (15% career, 13% this year) are troubling, though he’s slowly improved in that regard every season of his career. The Yankees are walking a tight rope here. Holmes is out of options and he had forearm trouble last year (he’s about a half decade removed from a 2014 Tommy John). He’s a little wild. "

Feel good about this yet? Me neither.

Time to call the New York Yankees. Here's the number:

(718) 293-4300

I would then ask for Media Relations and/or Tickets and make sure you tell them they need to get it together because if no fans come to the ballpark, they will be forced to make a change. I just did.

We have had a shitty season folks... trades like this make it worse. I feel like we're headed backwards, not forward. Awful.

GREGORIUS & TORRES COULD BATTLE FOR SHORTSTOP

I read an interesting nugget on NJ.com at the end of the week that thrusted Didi Gregorius into the limelight and a head to head pseudo battle for shortstop with hotshot prospect Gleyber Torres. I say pseudo battle because neither are face to face battling for a position, which Gregorius has held rather well since taking over for our retired Captain Derek Jeter.  But...it could happen and may happen even as early as this season.

According to NJ.com, "Gone are the chants for Derek Jeter. But now Didi Gregorius faces a new challenge: Showing the Yankees that he's the shortstop of the future, not their hot shot prospect Gleyber Torres."  This concept brought back some memories of another battle for SS that never really was a battle but a concession and contract caveat from the player and the Yankee administration.

When the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez, hot shot Texas Rangers shortstop, Rodriguez said he would move his position from shortstop to third base so that he could be a Yankee. Brian Cashman almost passed on the deal because he was more than satisfied with Derek Jeter's performance at the shortstop.

As written in the The New York Times in 2004, "The impetus for the Yankees' deal came on Jan. 16, when third baseman Aaron Boone seriously injured a knee while playing pickup basketball and Cashman could not find a replacement. Rodriguez, sensing an escape from what had become a gilded prison in Texas, decided he would shift from shortstop to third base if the Rangers dealt him to the Yankees. It was no small concession from Rodriguez, who has won Gold Gloves for fielding excellence at shortstop the past two seasons. But Rodriguez has never played in the World Series, and according to one person familiar with the trade talks, he told the Rangers' owner, Tom Hicks, through an intermediary early last week that he wanted to be traded to the Yankees."

Source: The New York Daily News

We already have Torres but the 19-year-old is not expected to make his debut in the Bronx this season.  According to insiders, Torres will start the season at the Trenton Thunder and could see time in the majors in 2018.  This is now, but as we all know, anything can happen.  This leaves Gregorius with 2017 to impress and solidify himself as the Yankee starting shortstop of the future.  "If everything goes right, Gregorius expands on his power, hits at least 20 bombs again, but improves defensively, winning his first Gold Glove by not just making SportsCenter Top 10 plays but by breezing through routine ones effortlessly — and consistently."  And this would not only be great for Gregorius but for us as well.

Source: CBS

If not Torres, it could be one of many talents we have in place at shortstop.  Jorge Mateo, Kyle Holder, Wilkerman Garcia, Tyler Wade and Diego Castillo are all shortstops to keep an eye on as they move through the ranks to the majors.  And let's not forget Ronald Torreyes and Ruben Tejada who could get some playing time this season and perhaps make a name for themselves at short.

Bottom-line, Didi Gregorius has to perform and perform at the top of his game in order to not only hold onto his position at short but hold onto a position on the roster.  I'm not trying to put unnecessary pressure on the guy, but at the end of the day, it is about consistency both at the plate and in the field and Gregorius isn't there yet with either.  Now, 2017, could be his year and I hope it is.  But, for all of us, the idea that someone else could snap up shortstop as his own is definitely a possibility.  Everyone is replaceable and the battle for shortstop is real.  Just something to look forward to as we head into spring training within the next week.



--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof