REMEMBER DUSTIN ACKLEY? HE LOVES LA

Associated Press photo

Dustin Ackley still has something left in the tank.  And you know who believes that? The Angels.

Word spread that Ackley has signed a deal.  Yahoo Sports wrote this:

Stubblebine/UPI / License Photo  

"The Los Angeles Angels have signed first baseman Dustin Ackley to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major league spring training."

Good for Ackley. I never disliked this dude, although, truth be told I always liked Brendan Ryan better, from that Seattle Mariners grouping.  Both those guys were teammates out there at one point.  Then Ackley came over. Then Ryan left... and then... oh... forget it.

Whatever the case, I wanted to just share this nugget. 

Good luck to Dustin.

NO DEAL FOR JACOB LINDGREN

Photo: AP

This is a new report and it's interesting, but hey, this is the game.  Sometimes teams have high hopes and sometimes those hopes have nothing to do with anything, it's just a roster spot situation. I know, you're mad confused right now. Don't worry, we're BYB, we'll explain everything.

We have some news on hopeful Jacob Lindgren.  Apparently he was non-tendered.

Bryan Hoch writes: "The Yankees resolved two of their potential non-tender situations this week with the outright releases of right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackley, and they settled their business in advance of Friday's 8 p.m. ET deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players by declining to offer a deal to left-hander Jacob Lindgren, who appeared in seven games with New York as a reliever in 2015."

So, for some of you, you have no idea what that means. MLBTradeRumors.com explains it wonderfully for all of you that don't get "non-tendered":

"To tender a player a contract is to offer a contract, but non-tenders refer to a specific kind of offer: offers of arbitration. Rules and precedent shape the kind of salary a player can expect through arbitration, and players under team control usually get raises through the process....Teams might choose to non-tender a player if they don’t have 40-man roster spots to spare or they view players as injury risks."

And notice that last part: "...don't have 40-man roster spots to spare or they view players as injury risks."

That is exactly the thinking when it came to Jacob Lindgren.  And so, that's where we are.

YANKEE SURPRISE IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

Well, not totally, but for me it was! I went to be early! That's parenthood on a Friday for you! I missed this news!

(Aug. 9, 2016 - Source: Jim Rogash/Getty Images North America)

The Yankees have appeared to have cut 2 veteran Yankees. Nathan Eovaldi and Dustin Ackley. Wow... they're not kidding about getting young, huh?

The New York Post writes:

(May 27, 2016 - Source: Brian Blanco/Getty Images North America)

"Knowing Nathan Eovaldi was going to miss the 2017 season because of Tommy John surgery and Dustin Ackley had been replaced by Ronald Torreyes as a utility infielder, the Yankees designated Eovaldi for assignment and unconditionally released Ackley on Friday."

Not only that,  They traded James Pazos, the lefty pitcher to Seattle for righty Zack Littell! What the hell is going on?

Credit: MLB Pipeline

Cashman is on a tear, he even added to his 40 man roster.  Miguel Andujar and Jorge Mateo were added!

(Oct. 17, 2016 - Source: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images North America)

Look, with the designation of Eovaldi, you can damn be sure the Yankees will be making more significant moves this off season.  The question is, what will they be? We could obviously use a starter, and you gotta wonder if the Yankees will pursue someone like Rich Hill or if they will try and trade for someone like Chris Sale.

Whatever the case, I was very surprised when I woke up this morning.  Let me rephrase... I wasn't surprised, I was taken back... but satisfied.

Happy Saturday.

SEE YOU LATER, NICK SWISHER!

Nick Swisher's quest to come back to the big leagues has come to an end....well for now at least. I don't think many people are surprised at this point.  So Swisher finally opted out of his minor league contract with the Yankees yesterday afternoon. He may be done this season but it doesn't sound like he is ready to hang up his uniform and call it a career just yet.

    "After the birth of my second child, I’ve decided to take a step back and spend the rest of this season full time with my wife and two daughters. Make no mistake, I am not hanging it up. I love this game with the same amount of passion that I had as a rookie 12 years ago. I want to thank the Yankees for giving me the opportunity to return to the organization that I love so much and wish them nothing but success for the rest of 2016. Despite not being at the ballpark every day, I will continue to train on a daily basis and evaluate my options for next season at the appropriate time." - Nick Swisher

Swisher played first base and designated hitter for the New York Yankees in AAA where he had a 255 BA, 7 home runs, and 25 RBIs in 55 games. Swisher was red hot early in his new assignment but then he seemed to fizzle at a bad time when the Yankees were hit by the injury bug. The Yankees passed him up several times after injuries to Mark Teixeira, Dustin Ackley and Chris Parmelee.

They even signed Ike Davis to a very fast deal instead of calling up Swisher. Despite the Yankees desperation and the many opportunities they had, he never made it back up to the Bronx.

Swisher is undoubtedly very disappointed that the Yankees never gave him the opportunity that he was waiting for but that wasn't obvious in his social media announcements. This journey may not have worked out the way he wanted it to but Joe Girardi says he doesn't think his time is up yet and I hope he is right. He may not be the same player but no matter what the future holds for him we are still pulling for him. He was a fan favorite during his time with the Yankees and a helped bring us our last championship back in 2009. His energy and personality are truly one of a kind.

So for now, Swisher's baseball journey is coming to an end....and hopefully this is just a temporary hiatus. Swisher is a good guy and this is the start of a new chapter for him. I am glad he is taking a step back and taking a "family first" attitude right now. Being a baseball player is cool, but I am sure being a parent is infinitely even better.

For now... I am not going to say goodbye. I am going to say "see you later" because I have a feeling one day we will hear your name pop back up in the baseball world once again. Life is all about journeys and after you enjoy this time with your family I can't wait to see what new journey awaits you.

 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer & Editor
  Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

MUSICAL CHAIRS

So Mark Teixeira is down in Triple-A Scranton working out that knee in hopes to get back to the team this weekend....the keyword is 'hope'. I don't throw a lot of faith into this plan. I want to but given his track record I am hoping for the best but planning for the worst case scenario because let's face it, Tex is as fragile as the porcelain figurines my mom had in our china cabinet when I was growing up.

So in the event that he does make it back somehow....who gets to stay and who gets bumped off of the team? Some may instantly think about Ike Davis since he is the newbie on the team, others may say Refsnyder since he is the rookie with all of the options but there is one more option that I think makes more sense.

I think the Yankees should consider sending Ronald Torreyes down to AAA. No disrespect to Torreyes because he has done the job that the Yankees asked him to do but I think he is the least important piece on the team right now. He is a backup shortstop, and the Yankees have already shown that they are willing to put Starlin Castro back in that position if they feel that Didi Gregorius needs a day off.

Castro has the experience to fill in and help out. It's not ideal, but it would still work. Not only that but....I kind of forgot Torreyes existed. He has made very brief one inning appearances lately and his bat has cooled off. It's unfair to keep him up and deter his own development if he isn't getting the workload. He's still young. Let him go back down and get consistent at bats.

I can't say that I am a huge fan of Ike Davis, but I think it would be wise to keep him around at this point. He is the only true first base man and I can't believe I said that because I laughed when we picked him up....but the Yankees need the depth. It's unrealistic to think that Teixeira is going to come back from a complicated injury and just play everyday until the end. The realist in me says it's not going to happen.

Davis is the Yankees fifth first base man we have seen with Chris Parmelee and Dustin Ackley currently out. There's still so much of the season left so it wouldn't hurt to have a little more insurance so we aren't scrambling again when Tex gets a boo boo. The Yankees could choose to option Davis to AAA instead since he does have options but since he has 5 years of service time he could refuse the assignment. He has bounced back and forth between the minors and majors before but who knows if he wants to do it again.

Another option would be to send Rob Refsnyder back down to AAA, but that would be counter productive at this point. The Yankees have spent a lot of time molding him into a serviceable first baseman so sending him back down would be foolish. Not only that, the Yankees can't afford to not play him with a .300BA. They need to find a way to put his bat in the lineup whenever possible. This is his time and the Yankees need to let him prove what he can do in the majors. He may not be the most experienced at first base, but he would also give more flexibility in the field. He's played at first, second, third and right field since being recalled in May and while he may not excel at any of these he certainly isn't bad at them either. He is not a defensive liability. Based on what he has been able to do for this team I think he has earned his spot.

I don't think Tex is taking this seriously right now so the Yankees need to be serious about how they reconfigure this roster. Right now, Tex reminds me of Paul Walker's character in the movie Varsity Blues. He ill advisedly took shots to treat an injury in hopes to keep him playing. Granted his coach was irresponsible and only believed in winning at all costs. He pushed Walker's character to ignore the injury and push through the pain. In this case, Tex is a grown man and he is his own worst enemy. Hopefully Yankee brass watched that movie because in the end it cost Paul Walker's character his season and the backup quarterback had to step in.

This is all Teixeira's own doing and I can't support that. I hope the Yankees are smart enough to recognize that Refsnyder and Davis are the necessary backup quarterbacks in this scenario. For now, I will hold my breath and watch nervously. Let's hope for the best.


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








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MEANWHILE... OUT AT THE BALLPARK

This week was very overwhelming for me.  Between graduations, grant proposals and typical work/life challenges, I have been engaged in things other than the Yankees.  Meanwhile, out at the ballpark, the Yankees are on a five-day win streak, so things are going well, despite my absence.

Hey, what can I tell you, between MIGRAINES experienced by our BYB editor and legends Gordie Howe and Muhammad Ali passing on, this week has been a tough one for many, including Nick Swisher, who seems to making the RailRaiders his permanent home this season.

"When Mark Teixeira recently hurt his knee, the Yankees passed on Swisher and chose to convert utility man Rob Refsnyder to first base and call up journeyman Chris Parmelee instead.

On Thursday night, Parmelee went down with an ugly looking hamstring injury, which means the Yankees have now lost four first basemen this year (Greg Bird and Dustin Ackley both had season-ending shoulder surgery). Swisher is hitting .238 with four homers, 17 RBIs and a .605 OPS in 42 games for Scranton and remains at Triple-A," reported ESPN this week.

Besides hardships for Swisher, there's Tex, who "still hasn’t begun baseball activities as he attempts to avoid surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee." And Girardi said "he would use Austin Romine at first, as well, but with the way the roster currently is constructed, playing Romine at first would leave the Yankees without a backup catcher," reported the NY Post.

So despite winning as of late, there is still so many deficits in this club between injuries to veterans and rookies and position changes, which are not entirely comfortable for individual players. I would say the team is as overwhelmed as I was this week.  The good thing is the game is played everyday. And there is always an opportunity to do something great, despite the challenges that face us along the way.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof





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KEEP ROOTING FOR THE PLAYERS!

As bad as the Yankees season has begun, they are making progress. By no means is this a difficult mountain to climb. They reached .500 then plummeted down a few notches and now they are at .500 again. Whether or not the Yankees start making a run for the postseason or not is up to them. Bottom line, there are plenty of reasons to still root for individual players.

For starters, it has been great to see Austin Romine, who was all but written off at the beginning of 2015, get some semi-regular time and perform both at dish and behind it. He may be one of the best feel good stories for us die hard fans.

Rob Refsnyder has seen more action and has succeeded overall (Read .500, MIGRANES & HARD WORK PAYS OFF). It’s great to see him get a chance to play with Tex, Parmelee and Ackley sidelined. Sometimes you just need a chance!

Seeing some younger, inexperienced players like the above mentioned have some success bodes well with how they can help the club in the future. It also allows them experience and a ‘try out’ of sorts as the Yankees look into the future.

As for the veterans, not only would their success help lead the Yankees to victories but it would also enhance their trade value throughout the summer. Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman, Brett Gardner and Carlos Beltran stick out to me as guys who could bring in a return if the Yankees decide to sell over the next seven weeks.

Carlos Beltran hasn’t quite lived up to his contract, but has not been a complete disaster either. He has been the Yankees best hitter over the first nine weeks though and is on pace for 40 home runs! His .272/.301/.549 slash line with 15 home runs and 38 RBI should be attractive to a team needing a playoff experienced rental bat come July. We need him to stay hot in order to help the Yankees win, which he does, and also keep his value high.

Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman are very similar in what they can offer on the trade market. There have been speculations already but there is no need to beat a dead horse there. Miller has several years of team control, making him higher valued, while Chapman is a free agent this fall. The three headed monster in the bullpen is fantastic but so wouldn’t acquiring some young, Major League ready, or close to, talent. If the price and circumstances are right, these two pieces could be the best way to improve the roster and the upper echelons of the minor leagues.

Offers for Brett Gardner and pretty much anyone else on the current roster should be considered by Brian Cashman assuming the Yankees think that selling is the right move. Nathan Eovaldi is another intriguing piece (and I would hate to see him moved since he is young, still controllable for another year and is still learning how to pitch. Read THE "TRADING EOVALDI" RUMOR if you haven't seen it yet.)

Still, it’s early June and the Yankees are finally back at .500. This is baseball and they still have plenty of games to play.  But the Yankees are now at 4 in a row, and in baseball it means a hot streak could be coming.

I’m a glass (of beer) half full kind of guy and still have hope for contention but am also realistic that an on-the-go rebuild is necessary. However this season plays out in terms of wins and losses I can handle, as long as the organization makes a decision to either go after the playoffs if they’re close or sell, sell, sell their marketable pieces if they aren’t.

At the very least though we can still enjoy rooting for the individuals on the roster as they can help the organization in several different ways.

 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia

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#TEXDONE2016

Sometimes when a player gets hurt way too much, it really doesn't matter what type of achievements he had in his entire career.  Fans just kind of give up. And that's where we're at with Yankees' first baseman Mark Teixeira, or at least I am.

It's being reported by YESNetwork.com that Mark is now out with an "apparent knee injury".

AJ Herrmann writes: "Mark Teixeira pulled himself out of Friday night's game with an apparent knee injury prior to the third inning.

With Dustin Ackley out for the year and no other backup options at first base, Rob Refsnyder took over for the veteran infielder and 2015 All-Star from the third inning on.

Depending on the severity of Teixeira's injury, which currently remains uncertain, the Yankees may be forced to call up a first baseman from Triple-A with their two options being Chris Parmelee and Nick Swisher."

Now the title of this post seems cruel, but is it really? I mean this whole week it's been brutal to watch Tex. No wait, not even this week... for a while now, the guy just keeps getting hurt and missing more time than he actually plays. It's nuts.  Now maybe his knee had something to do with him sucking lately, who knows, but as I've stated, when injury keeps happening for a guy that's supposed to perform at a top level... you kind of turn your back on him.

@mikeyoh21 Bro, it's an incredible spectacle. #TexDone2016

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) June 1, 2016

That's kind of where I'm at, and I wrote that on March 31st.

When we know more about Porcelain, we'll tell you.

 


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GUILT & REMINISCING

I have hit a new low and it sucks. On Tuesday night I watched most of the Angels and Tigers game (worth noting: it was against my will). As I watched I saw so many plays that reminded me of what was the Yankees past but not lately. I saw hits that the Yankees used to make and energy that we used to have. Now, it's a memory. I was watching another team make magic happen and I was jealous.

We all have moments of weakness and this one was mine. As I was making a late dinner the game started out pretty boring. My other half was enjoying everything he was seeing. in fact, he compared it to the first game in the Diamondbacks and Yankees series where we got our asses handed to us. It was THAT kind of game. The Angels were dominating with a 9-2 lead and I was salivating.

The Tigers made it interesting and at one point tied the game but I just kept thinking back on the Angels offense last night. Sure, they don't do this every night. In fact, they are just as bad as we are but.....they have done something that we haven't been able to do. It sucks watching another team show signs of life as we drown.

I wish I could remember what a 17 hit game looked like. Tuesday night, I had to listen to the other half run around celebrating as Mike Trout hit a three run homer. It sucked. He does nothing but talk about how he idolizes this guy and I had to watch and hear him celebrate.

Watching C.J. Cron hit not one but two home runs made me violently ill. He is a young 26 year old kid who is a freaking infant in the big leagues and he is hitting bombs. Meanwhile, our power hitters can't even get an infield single. Yeah, and for once I am calling you out Mark Teixeira! 

I know you have an "owie" right now but that doesn't matter. You may not be playing much lately but you can't even hit your weight and it disgusts me. If there is anyone here who can give you that dose of tough love right now, it is ME.

I wanted to throw up my dinner after Ian Kinsler hit his grand slam. I wasn't sure how to feel. I was sick thinking about how he just hit his very first grand slam while of course our Bronx Bombers look like Bronx Bummers. At the same time, he hit a grand slam against the Angels and made the game interesting again and I wanted to see them lose! It was nice to watch the Angels bullpen melt down even if it was short lived.

All of these home runs the other night and all I can think about is August 25, 2011 when the Yankees made history by hitting three grand slams in one game thanks to Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin and Robinson Cano.....all guys that are gone. It's sad that I am sitting her missing players that are no longer here while I can't even reflect on anything good for this season right now.

There's still a long way to go his season, but the Yankees are giving games away. On paper this team is better than last year and we shouldn't be 8.5 games out of first place. We are digging a hole that is getting too deep. We can't expect this team to make a dent and climb back up when they don't hit, the starters can't pitch deep into games and we burn out our bullpen. I don't want to see the Yankees become sellers, but if things don't change we are going to start a garage sale and give away some prized pieces.....like a good bullpen arm.

The last thing I want to think about is teams approaching us to pick apart our team because they know we are too far out of it or think that we have given up. Maybe I am too prideful, but I don't want to give other teams that satisfaction but they aren't blind. They know we are open to trade ideas even if we aren't advertising them, like trading Nathan Eovaldi for example. They also know that the Yankees are scrambling to get a backup for glass man Tex now that Dustin Ackley is out for the season. So far our answer seems to be throwing Rob Refsnyder at first, read that HERE where hopefully he won't suck and maybe he will give us some offense. Way to be reactive, Yankees.

The Yankees wasted yet another good start by Masahiro Tanaka last night. There is a troublesome pattern here that cannot be ignored. In six of his last 11 starts, the Yankees have scored three or fewer runs for him. The Yankees just can't score. A combined five runs in the last four games just isn't going to cut it. Tanaka deserved better last night. He wasn't at his best but one earned run on seven hits and one walk in six innings is still a winnable game if your offense shows up.....which ours never does anymore. My grandmother could probably do better. Wake me up when we get a new hitting coach!

It would be nice to wake up one day and write about something other than the under-performing Yankees. I am still looking but right now the Yankees keep digging a a crater sized hole. I really hope this is rock bottom.....but I am not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel here yet.


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





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