COULD JORDAN MONTGOMERY BE THE YANKEES ACE IN 2019?

Source: USA Today

There is so much banter about adding to the starting rotation that an important ingredient to the pitching force has been pushed out of the limelight and therefore the conversation.  When Jordan Montgomery was sidelined after his one-inning start against the Astros on May 1st, it was unclear what would happen to the Yankee pitcher who had proven success in 2017 and whose future looked promising in 2018.  In early June, Montgomery underwent Tommy John surgery and has been in rehab, but at 25-years-old, the recovery is often met with great results so the question is could all this chatter about needing another pitcher be unnecessary? Could Jordan Montgomery be the Yankees ace in 2019?

Source: NJ.com

As Rotowire staff via CBS Sports stated in December, "the typical 12-to-14 month timetable has casted doubt as to whether the left-hander will be fully recovered prior to the end of the 2019 campaign. This is obviously a good sign but everything should be taken with a grain of salt at this point in time. Montgomery still has a lengthy rehab in front of him, so continue to expect updates on his status heading into spring training."

Brian Cashman certainly has not counted Montgomery out but his readiness has not been determined so he may go after one more starter just have more security and give his rotation an extra day's rest for when he does come back.  As we have reported here at Bleeding Yankee Blue in A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT ONE MORE PITCHER and  CASHMAN MAY HAVE ONE MORE MOVE UP HIS SLEEVE, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, Wade Miley and Ervin Santana are all part of the conversation with Gonzalez bubbling up to the top.

Source: New York Post

"The 33-year-old González pitched to mixed results in 2018 during back-to-back stints for the Nationals and Brewers. He went 10-11 in 32 starts with a combined 4.21 ERA, 4.2 BB/9, and 7.8 SO/9 through 171 innings, and tossed just three postseason innings for Milwaukee before dropping out of the NLCS with a left ankle sprain," reported Yahoo Sports.  The Mets and Padres have also expressed interest in free agent Gonzalez as well.  His inconsistencies could hurt his longevity with any team, but he may be worth a few bucks here in the Bronx while Montgomery continues his rehab and his skill set improves as the 2019 season progresses.

Source: Sporting News

Again, having the option of giving guys an extra day off in the rotation may prove to be a game changer, particularly when inter-league play begins and the long season moves through the hot summer months of July and August.  Masahiro Tanaka in particular seems to need that extra day's rest and although CC Sabathia is a work horse, it is not determined how he will contribute to the team.  He later season performances are often plagued with DL stints due to his knee, but this year, we are also contending with his heart.  And when I say heart I don't mean passion.  There is nothing wrong with that part of his heart but as you recall, Sabathia underwent heart surgery this winter and his health will need to be closely monitored.

I believe that once healthy, Jordon Montgomery will add value to the starting rotation.  Heck, he could rival Luis Severino as the stud of the team quite frankly.  With the start of spring training less than two weeks away, all eyes will be on a number of components of this year's Yankee team and one of those key components has to be Montgomery.  It is everyone's hope that Montgomery's effectiveness is realized soon into the spring workouts and he makes his way back into the rotation contributing to the Yankees' success early on in 2019.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT ONE MORE STARTING PITCHER

Just when you thought the Yankees were done... they may not be.

You all read Jeana Bellezza's piece titled CASHMAN MAY HAVE ONE MORE MOVE UP HIS SLEEVE the other day.  Now comes this constant beating of the drum that guys like Gio Gonzalez, Wade Miley and Ervin Santana are really possible options here in the Bronx.  Amazing.

Jon Heyman tweeted this:

Yankees look very solid on paper but are considering adding a starter for depth. Gio, Ervin, maybe Miley among possibilities.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 31, 2019

Now look... Heyman is barely right... in fact the only time he is, is after a deal is made, but as a baseball insider, you do need to respect the idea of this... and I'd even add in Dallas Keuchel. I believe the Yanks are serious about a guy like Dallas.

The Yankees definitely want 1 more arm.  The question is, who?

12Up did a break down on Miley, Gio and Santana, just to give you a little color on these guys:

"In 32 starts last year, Gonzalez posted a 10-11 record with a 4.21 ERA, and in five starts after getting traded to Milwaukee, the 33-year-old had a 3-0 record with a 2.13 ERA. 

Santana is a risky proposition, as he only made five starts last season because of a ​finger injury that required surgery. When healthy, he's proven to be a successful starter in the big leagues. 

It's a bit shocking that Miley hasn't been signed, as he was brilliant for the Brewers in 16 starts, posting a 2.57 ERA and continued to pitch well in the postseason. "

We will obviously have to see. I definitely like this nugget though.

Keep going Cash, you're doing great.

HATERS GONNA HATE, EVEN WHEN IT'S ON THEM

Hey Ervin, you're a cry baby.

I don't understand. I like Ervin Santana.  I mean yes, he made a few bad pitches yesterday, but the reality is, any time you make a mistake, most likely you get burned.  What's the way to handle it?

Own it... and move on.

Yesterday Greg Bird cranked out 2 home runs off Santana in the Yankees 4-3 win against the Twins. Read BIRD & EOVALDI AIN'T NO LAW FIRM... for more.  After the game, Santana had something to say about it. I take a portion of NJ.com on this:

"Santana said, he's got a problem with the stadium.

Santana blamed himself for the first blast, saying he left a change up high and over the plate. But the latter? Not so much, Santana said.

'The other one was a very good pitch, out and way, and he just hit it very good,' the pitcher said. 'I know, probably in another park that's a double. But here, it's a joke.'"

Here's the problem with this, and it's 2 fold.  We're talking about a guy that was a gamer for a long time in this game, especially with the Angels.  He's got alittle clout and respect from his peers and the fans, but he also dabbled in PEDs and had to serve time for it. So, let's not talk about 'jokes'. The best thing to do in this situation, especially because both Bird shots were monster shots, is own it like a man.  Seriously.

Secondly, this is the New York media you're speaking to... you wanna war? You got one. The better approach? Tip your cap to the kid... and move on.  You lost, that's the game and yesterday was on you, plain and simple.

I like you, Ervin, I respect you, we follow each other on Twitter... but you're better than that. Come on man.

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FURTHER EVIDENCE MAKING AROD "THE EXAMPLE" DID NOTHING

Baseball and PEDs is like a hamster on a wheel sometimes... it keeps going and never stops and never changes.

Bleeding Yankee Blue said it and we've been saying it for years. Bud Selig wasn't about cleaning up baseball at all. He was about making Alex Rodriguez the example because he just didn't like him.  Guess what?  It didn't work, and now, with recent news about Jenrry Mejia and now 3 Yankees minor leagues being busted for drug use... let's call Selig what he is... a jack ass.

According to Hardball Talk:

"New York Yankees Minor League right-handed pitchers Anderson Acevedo, Anthoniris Santana and Carlos Santana have each received a 72-game suspension after testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, which is basically old fashioned anabolic steroids."

OK, so let's review.  Stiffer drug penalties don't work in baseball. Why? Because getting suspended for PEDs is like pushing the reset button. 

Players get busted, they go away and will come back and all will be fine and forgotten.  Melky Cabrera.  Manny Ramirez...twice. Ervin Santana. Ryan Braun. Bartolo Colon. Alex Rodriguez...and trust me, Jenrry Mejia and Santana, Santana and Acevedo too.

What happened to cleaning up baseball? Bug Selig was about smoke and mirrors.  Bud Selig was hell bent on being the Commissioner that "cleaned up baseball", but it seems to have gotten worse, hasn't it?

Right... right... Bud can't hear me.

Look, I'm not naive.  I know what goes on in sports and it's been going on forever, but it was crystal clear to me that the strike in 1994 nearly ended baseball, and then, when players started hitting home runs and got bigger, the fans came back.  Bud saw the money rolling into MLB. His thinking was "Why complain now?"

Everyone loves a home run, right? And so baseball was back and bigger than ever. Home run records were broken and "Wow... isn't this great for baseball?"  Well, under Bud Selig's own definition... no it wasn't, but why say anything then?  Crook.

When people started noticing, Selig began to pretend there was concern.  He went through the dog and pony show, Congress, "stricter drug penalties", but as players went away to serve their fines and new players returned, all it showed me was MLB was still selling violators jerseys in their stores, and baseball and those punished players stats would stay intact and continue to play.  In essence... nothing happened. 

Nothing until Bud Selig decided to treat ARod as the example, "So this kind of thing wouldn't happen again."  Selig netted and punished the biggest villain in baseball, who also happened to use PEDs.

With Alex Rodriguez down and out... it was over and Bug could ride into the sunset. He accomplished his goal.

One problem... Alex came back better than ever this season, and hey Bud, steroids in baseball is still here.

Message to Bud Selig; You destroyed the sport and you wasted everyone's time doing it.  This ones on you.  If I was Manfred, I'd find away to fine you!

The commissioner who cleaned up baseball... right... not buying it.

Here's that hamster...

 




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STAYING HEALTHY IS A FULL TIME JOB

Athletes will go to great lengths to ensure they are at their best but some do it the right way and others do it the wrong way.  Mark Teixeira has started off 2015 right by deciding to go gluten-free.  The other evening, there was a debate between Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling on whether or not Teixeira would have made it to first base on a ground ball hit to him instead of flipping the ball to CC Sabathia who has admittedly stated that he "isn't able to make that play anymore."  Mark has been injured over the last few years but many believe that he has made a real comeback this year, holding onto 2nd place in home runs in the AL.  He came to spring training lean and healthy and as I reap the benefits of no injuries and going lean myself as a runner heading into a half marathon in a few weeks, I can't help but feel that Teixeira has realized what many have overlooked over the years: Staying healthy is in fact, a full time job.

According to Runners Connect, going gluten-free can be viewed as the latest fad or nutritional therapy, "However, it has often been viewed in the media as a weight-loss or performance-enhancing diet backed by testimonials from a wide range of celebrities and athletes worldwide who don’t actually have a known gluten sensitivity, but follow the diet anyway in the belief that it is healthier. In fact, some have estimated that 15-25% of North Americans either adhere to a gluten-free diet or consume gluten-free products."  Mark Teixeira is one of many athletes who have gone gluten-free and has reaped the benefits it has had on his body.

Unfortunately, Josh Hamilton relapsed after he battled back from a drug and alcohol addiction.  "Hamilton left the Rangers after the 2012 season to sign a five-year, $125 million contract with the Angels. Two unproductive seasons were followed by a shoulder injury and then a relapse with drugs and alcohol for a player whose supreme natural talent and budding career were nearly waylaid by substance abuse a decade ago," reported USA Today.

Then there are guys, like Alex Rodriguez, who let the pressure mount and turned to illegal substances to enhance performance on the field.  At the start of this season, we saw a resurgence of a substance that tossed four players off the field and into suspension.  According to another article in USA Today, "The sudden rash in positive steroid tests among big leaguers – four pitchers, all caught with Stanozolol in their system – has Major League Baseball looking into any links between the cases and exploring why the old-school drug is popping up on tests again. The four players suspended for 80 games in a stretch of 16 days starting March 27 – David Rollins of the Seattle Mariners, Arodys Vizcaino of the Atlanta Braves, Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins and Jenrry Mejia of the New York Mets – are already one more than the number of players on 40-man rosters penalized for using performance-enhancing substances all of last year."

It is a hard pill to swallow when you hear of guys like Cardinal ace Adam Wainwright and former Yankee pitcher Brandon McCarthy hurt for common athletic injuries; an Achilles and ACL tear respectively.  Injuries happen all the time, even to the healthiest of us, like Mariano Rivera who went on the DL after shagging balls in the outfield as part of his full time health regiment.

If staying healthy is a full time job, then how come so many players abuse their youth, diet and athleticism and others work so hard to preserve their talent?  Damned if I know, but as I said to a good friend this week, you can only control your own self, emotion and body.

My advice: watch your diet, exercise daily and make good choices.  Youth is temporary but you are stuck with your body for the rest of your life.

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



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REMEMBERING WHEN WILLIE MAYS 'HAD AMPHETAMINES'

It's been discussed for days now about how a San Francisco Giants fan wrote an open letter to Rob Manfred asking him to put an asterisk on Alex Rodriguez's 660 home run if he hits it to tie baseball great Willie Mays.  While I understand what the fan is trying to do, I don't think something like that would ever happen.  By the way, here's that letter:

I found it very interesting, and you know I'm a die hard baseball fan and I love my Yankees. I also respect the history of the game and the players and all of that.  You also know by now that I'm not an ARod fan.  I say all that because I was recently reminded about the time Willie Mays was accused of supplying amphetamines in the New York Mets locker room.  Don't know what I mean? Oh yeah, it was a big deal, for a brief moment back in the 80's and nothing ever came of it, but I was able to find the LA Times article written back in 1985.

"John Milner testified Thursday in a federal cocaine trafficking trial.The former Met said his first introduction to a liquid amphetamine called "red juice" was from a bottle he took from Mays' locker... 'Management wasn't giving me greenies or red juice or speed--Willie had the red juice,' Milner said. He added, however, that he had not seen Mays take amphetamines.

Mays, who joined the Mets in 1972, said that his locker 'was an open book. Anybody could go into my locker because I never had anything to hide.' As to whether he ever used "red juice" or any stimulant, Mays said: 'My record speaks for itself. I never missed a game for misusing my body. I'm 54 right now and I'm in fairly good shape. I could never have played like I did if I'd misused my body.'"

(In Photo: John Milner)
John Milner was a former teammate of Mays and got himself into trouble.  It was pretty ridiculous that he'd even drag Mays into his own mess... but he did. It didn't stick.

I only bring this up because fandom is a fascinating thing to me. With all this PEDs talk these days, we tend to forget that for years in clubhouses there were clouds of suspicion.  We've heard the stories of "bowls of greenies" players would take in locker rooms and there were alot of other suspicious stuff going on.  The reality is, Willie Mays was truly great, and I believed him then when he said he didn't misuse his body.

Then again, I believed Rafael Palmeiro when he testified he never used either.  You remember how that worked out.

Mays never used and no one ever did, or needed to do an investigation into Mays, probably because Willie Mays is the greatest, hands down.  But these days, everyone is under a microscope and under suspicion, hence, no one believes any of these players these days either.

Plus, even after all the Alex Rodriguez stuff, the Ryan Braun stuff, players like Ervin Santana are still getting suspending for 80 games for an illegal substance.  How unbelievable is that?  You would think these players would learn, but they don't, because they don't even know what they're putting into their bodies.

Am I accusing Willie of anything? No way, but when I saw that Open letter about ARod, the home run chase and Willie Mays, it brought me back to the 80's.  It was something I had to go back and look up, that's all.  The suspicions... the accusations... that's always been going on.  These days though, it's much, much more intense, that's all.

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ONE OF MY FOLLOWERS GOT SUSPENDED FOR PEDs

I hate to even report this, and the fact of the matter is, it's disappointing considering what we all know about PEDs use and baseball at this point.  Sad news. Ervin Santana has been suspended for 80 games for using PEDs. Ervin is one of my followers on Twitter, so this makes it even more disappointing to report this tonight. 

According to Hardball Talk:

"The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Ervin Santana has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Santana will be effective for the first 80 games of the 2015 regular season."

Santana put out a statement. Here's a portion of it:

"...I serve as a role model for many kids in my home country who dream of playing at the highest level. I would never put baseball, my family, or my country in a position where its integrity is jeopardized. I preach hard work, and don’t believe in short cuts. I am very disappointed that I tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. I am frustrated that I can’t pinpoint how the substance in question entered my body. I would never knowingly take anything illegal to enhance my performance. What I can guarantee is I never knowingly took anything illegal to enhance my performance. That’s just not me, never has been and never will.” “Moving forward, I need to be more careful on what I consume in my home country, I will be more vigilant of medications I take so that I don’t commit another mistake..."

I don't know. I personally like the guy, but he messed up and caught red handed.  I guess he does his suspension and we move on.

Unreal...




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THE SHIELDS DRAMA

There is more talk about James Shields almost as if it's the ultimate puzzle.  Bigger than Rubik cube... bigger than Jenga.  We're talking the ultimate... Which baseball analyst, sports guy, blogger will figure out the landing spot and amount of James Shields next contract first!  Here's my answer... who cares?

I do know this, if Jon Morosi of FOX Sports is correct, the Yankees are "in", despite what Ken Davidoff and Joel Sherman of the New York Post say.  Here's Davidoff from his piece:

"The Yankees, with their payroll close to last year’s number, don’t seem very interested."

Here's Sherman:

Like with Scherzer, I continue to hear #Yankees are not in play for significant fr-agt SP such as Shields
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 4, 2015

Maybe the Yankees weren't interested before. But with a price drop, I can guarantee you they are in now. Oh, and for the record... it doesn't matter.  As I've stated here numerous times, everyone has different sources, and the truth is, no one is right, until it's over.  That's usually when Jon Heyman shows up and Tweets, 'Look at me, I have the right answer!" That would then be followed up by a Ken Rosenthal tweet who then "tweaks" Heyman a bit, but is always courteous to give "bragging rights" credit.  He's nice.

Here's the thing, being a Yankee fan and reading Morosi, I knew it would be a risky story to put out last night.  After all, it's a comment from a "rival GM" and you know what? That's the rumor season. When it comes to us, the blogs, we try to be smart at what we put out there.  Truth be told though, the past 24 hours on BYB have been madness because of our report titled REPORT: YANKEES ARE IN ON SHIELDS.

Why madness, you ask? I'll tell you why; Because say what you will about James Shields... when he was first on the market, the idea of signing him for $110 million was silly and obnoxious.  Now, weeks later, Shields price has dropped. The asking price now is $60 million over 3 years, a Davidoff report. That makes more sense to us fans, but it's damn appealing to Yankees right now.  That's in the ball park. Having James Shields at that price... and Yoan Moncada too, will complete the winter and we can definitely look forward to Spring.

Davidoff writes more:

"Morosi mentions San Diego as a possible suitor, and signing Shields would make the Padres’ winter even more electric than it already has been. Milwaukee seems like an obvious candidate: Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has a history of late-offseason free-agent signings such as Matt Garza last year and Kyle Lohse two years ago.

 
The third-highest contract signed by a starting pitcher this offseason is the four-year, $55 million contract Ervin Santana signed with Minnesota. Santana is 32, just one year younger than Shields, and nowhere as consistent or accomplished.

So let’s set that number, $55 million, as the bar for Shields’ free-agency legacy. If he and his little-known agent Paige Odle can’t exceed that, Shields should join Reed in the annals of all-time Hot Stove underachievers."

In the end, and while I like Davidoff. I don't get it.  Is he talking to the fans because here's the thing... fans don't care about Hot Stove busts. All they care about is getting good players and having their team do it any way they can.  Some fans don't care if we spend high, and for us Yankee fans, if cheap is the way to go these days, so be it. 

Plus... look... the Yanks are in, and I guess there's amnesia. I guess certain reporters don't remember the Yankees and their stealth tactics when it comes to Free Agents. The Yanks are in... I'll put money on it.  In the back of Brian Cashman's mind, he is fully aware that the Yankees starting rotation isn't as solid as it may appear on paper.  One of the big reasons is uncertainty.  The other is injury.  If Cashman can sure up the rotation with a guy like Shields at the discount price, it's not only smart, it's borderline brilliant.  But they gotta do it right... they can't overpay.

We'll see what happens with the Yankees and James Shields.  Maybe nothing will happen, but remember one thing in this whole saga... it's only baseball.  Remember, James Shields prefers the west coast. But if the right deal and a chance to make it to the World Series and play for a big time franchise pops up, guess what else he'll prefer. Never count the Yankees out.

In the meantime, just chalk up the "baseball insiders" stumbling over each other as comedy.  And when the story comes out... we'll report it for you correctly. 

That IS why you come to BYB... right?

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SHIELDS IN PINSTRIPES MAKES PERFECT SENSE NOW

I expected James Shields to be signed by now.  So did James Shields.

Not sure why... maybe he's looking for the right deal or maybe the right deal hasn't popped up yet.  Here's what I do know... the Yanks appear to be out.... but maybe that will change. Don't know what I mean? Keep reading...

ESPN's Buster Olney had a great opening line to his piece on Shields:

"With the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, it’s apparent that James Shields reached the zenith of his negotiation leverage on the night of Dec. 9. That was the night when Jon Lester finalized his decision to go to the Chicago Cubs, and the San Francisco Giants and other teams faced the reality that they needed a Plan B.
Shields was in a good spot in that moment, it seemed, because unlike Cole Hamels, he wouldn’t require a trade investment of prospects, and unlike Max Scherzer, he wouldn’t require the equivalent of a Defense Department budget to sign. Whatever cards Shields held at that time were probably the best he has seen all winter.
But that leverage is now gone, and Shields is in the worst possible spot of any free agent..."

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Buster Olney.  Shields is the house on the market that stays on too long... "Why is that house still on the market? Something must be wrong."  Am I right? That's how people, or teams think... especially in February.  That drives his cost down.

MLB.com makes a great point about Shields as well:

" I think the Yankees will be well served for the long run by what they've done here this winter. But I also think that in what could be a wide-open American League East, the Yanks would be remiss not to make every effort to shore up their greatest weakness -- starting-pitching stability -- before Opening Day. The most logical way to do that is to sign James Shields...The Yankees don't need to be handing out $100 million contracts to 33-year-old pitchers. Everybody understands that. But I've never viewed Shields as an obvious candidate for that size of deal, and the fact that he's still unsigned the first week of February is pretty good indication that plenty of executives and/or owners agree.

So now, we could be at or nearing the point where Shields' best contractual hopes are in line with the Yanks' most logical levels of commitment. In fact, with so many teams locked into their current budget parameters, it's not inconceivable that Shields might be dropping into Ubaldo Jimenez (four years, $50 million) and Ervin Santana (four years, $55 million) territory. And if that's the case, the Yankees have the need and resources to pounce."

Interesting... and also true... the Yanks have pretty much made it clear that big, long contracts for aging pitchers is not happening... but no one said anything about shorter, cheaper deals for pitchers in their 30s. In fact, it may be a smarter idea, and Shields would fit that mold wonderfully.

No one knows where Shields will end up at this exact moment. Hell, the guy has been connected to many teams this off season... none of which have happened.  So, as the price drops, as Shields maybe becomes desperate... could the Yankees swoop in?  It's an interesting idea and one we've stated here at BYB at least once. Why? Because the idea of Shields in pinstripes is not half bad...especially now.  Read  BRING "BIG GAME" JAMES SHIELDS TO THE BRONX!  In it, Jeana Bellezza wrote:

"There are some serious upsides with Shields. One thing that stands out for me is that he has pitched more than 200 innings since 2007. The guy is durable and we need that... He proved he could handle the AL East, so for once we don't have to question that.... if there is a chance that Shields wants a taste of the big apple and he wants the bright lights the Yankees would be crazy not to give him a look."

Something to think about.

If something happens with Shields... wherever he ends up... we will bring it to you here at BYB.

 

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