THE YANKEES & THE LONG, SAD ROAD OF INJURY

When will we catch a break?

I miss having Luis Severino on the rotation, but it doesn't seem like this guys coming back any time soon.  If you didn't know already, Severino has been place on the 60 day IR.

For the rotation and for the team, this is a big deal, a blow to the rotation without question... and more wonder as to why the Yankees let a guy like Gio Gonzalez walk, and why the idea of Dallas Keuchel isn't on their radar. A mystery of mysteries for me for sure.

Plus then you have Clint Frazier.  Frazier was our saving grace but now he's on the 10 day IR because of that ankle twist.  This is a guy that was contributing big time.

Feeling blessed for this new journey with the @Yankees 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/1IHrWTs6FT

— Cameron Maybin (@CameronMaybin) April 26, 2019

The Yankees made some moves to keep the line moving.  Cameron Maybin was recently signed. A good move and I told Jack Curry that on Twitter the other day.  They also have reliver Joe Harvey now.

But look, I've never seen a Yankee injury list this bad before ever.  You can blame it on bad luck if you want. I think a very small percentage is that. But strength and condition is a big one... and there's one more thing and the more I'm reading about it, Joe Girardi makes a ton of sense.  Read this Tweet:

Joe Girardi seems to think the players don't train enough for explosive movements, just slow and steady weight lifting but says it's a hard mindset to change.

— Joanie G (@Joangyankee) April 26, 2019

Thank you Joanie, love you! Yeah, that is very interesting to me. Something Yankee brass needs to start thinking about whether they like Joe or not.  I have no doubt there is a lot of truth to that.  I don't think all of it is this, I think a lot of it is.  Also, if you haven't already read Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa's THE REAL PROBLEM THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT , do it! It's great.

But look, the best thing this Yankee team is doing is rallying. They are taking whatever personnel is in front of them and they are working to win. That's the goal no matter what. You still have to focus on the goal. You still need to try your best no matter what your team is.  The Yankees are doing that, and you need to respect that.

Maybe one day soon the injury tide will turn. For now however, it's historic and insane.

GIO GONZALEZ JUST FORCED THE YANKEES TO MAKE A DECISION

We've been watching this for a couple of weeks now. We knew decision day was coming, and this time Gio Gonzalez took control and is forcing the Yankees to make a decision. Gio opted out of his contract on Saturday, which gave the Yankees 48 hours to either release him or add him to the 25-man roster. Time is ticking, and by the end of today we will see what the final decision is.

We knew this was coming and shouldn't be too surprised to see him opt out. The Yankees added him as insurance for CC Sabathia's health concerns and Luis Severino too. If Domingo German hadn't been as reliable as he has been maybe this would be a different story. The Yankees like what they have seen from German and are comfortable enough with Jonathan Loaisiga as depth. Even so, the old saying goes you can never have too much pitching depth. Maybe if Gio wasn't expensive pitching depth on an already expensive payroll they would keep him. I just don't see the Yankees keeping him at this point. Adding him to the 25-man roster adds a $3 million base salary and an additional $300,000 per start.  Who knows though, maybe I'm wrong.

(Photo: Michael Majewski)

I can't blame Gio for opting out. The Yankee starting rotation has thankfully been healthy thus far, even with the very full listed of injured players. The Yankees seem set with their starters, which makes Gio expendable for now. If he has no clear path to the majors here, all he needs is one other team to give him a chance.

And that's not unrealistic at this point. There are teams out there that are struggling with pitching. The Angels need help, the Red Sox will be without Nathan Eovaldi for awhile and surgery could be on the table. The Mets also have their own tricky situation with their ace Jacob deGrom and other ineffective starters.

Photo: Times Leader

So Gio may be in demand and in a new job pretty quickly. According to MLBTradeRumors HERE, the Mets are watching the situation with Gio closely. Degrom has a "barking" elbow and he has been placed on the injured list, but may strangely choose to forgo an MRI, read more HERE. Strange approach but, whatever. Add the ineffectiveness of Jason Vargas to the current state of the Mets pitching staff and they may be in immediate need of rotation help.

Something tells me we may still see Gio in New York, and we shouldn't be surprised. If Gio was a position player he'd definitely have a spot right now on this team. Weird how baseball works. If this is the end of Gio as a Yankee, I still wish him all the best.

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

EYEING DALLAS KEUCHEL

I'd love the Yankees to sign Dallas Keuchel to a short term deal. No idea if he'd go for that, but the way I see it, the Yankees could use him, and he could at least re-invent himself instead of sitting on his couch waiting for a big money, long term contract. I know he's lowered his expectations, and that's good. But look, it's clear, he is perceived as being damaged goods or a pitcher that just doesn't have it anymore. I don't believe that's the case. I believe it's just a market that got away from him.

There's a new report that has the Mets actually being a team that are perhaps reaching about Keuchel though. Hey, with Jacob deGrom getting hurt and being placed on the IL, this could potentially be a big deal for them. But there are other teams too:

SNY writes:

"As Jason Vargas struggles, the Mets have remained in touch with free agent starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel. Here's the latest... 

April 18, 12:14 PM: Keuchel is open to signing a one-year deal and then "resetting," reports Jon Heyman of FanCred. It was reported by Ken Rosenthal on April 7 that Keuchel was open to a one-year deal worth more than the $17.9 million qualifying offer he rejected from the Astros or a longer-term deal at a lower average annual value."

Heyman's FanCred name sounds ridiculously stupid... just saying. Trying too hard.

Look, the Yankees have Gio Gonzalez down on AAA.  I love that option, but we are hours away from the Yankees potentially losing him because of an opt-out clause.  And so, if they do, the Yankees need to move on Keuchel. It's the right thing to do.

Hell... maybe it will freshen up the Yankees stale start.  Who knows... I just want to start winning consistently. Dallas can help.


  

IT'S TIME TO PROMOTE GIO GONZALEZ

It's hard to watch these games right now. There's just so much going wrong right now and the Yankees need to make some adjustments right now. A lot actually. The defense is bad, Aaron Boone makes me want to throw things, the losses and the pitching. Oh that pitching....it needs a lot of help.

It's not just the recent implodes on the bullpen either. Those have been bad, especially since this is one of the best bullpens we've ever had on paper. The potential is there, but what about the starters? Improving the starting rotation was at the top of Brian Cashman's list of priorities over the winter but it has certainly been battle tested so far.

It's early and starters are still getting their rhythm but is anyone else bothered by the fact that only two of our starters have pitched BEYOND the fifth inning? I expect Masahiro Tanaka to be economical and thankfully he has but Domingo German has been a pleasant surprise. He's stepped up in a big way. I wish I could say the same for guys like J.A. Happ and James Paxton. We all wanted to see Paxton come in here and be the reliable guy the Yankees were impressed with in Seattle. We gave up Justus Sheffield for him, so that came with high expectations. Is he cracking under the New York lights or is it still too soon to tell? The Yankees need to be more economical. We can't burn the bullpen out this early.

The Yankees have to be watching and thinking about Gio Gonzalez right now. He looked big league ready in his start Tuesday night where he struck out 10, gave up three hits and one walk in a 5-1 win. His first start was rough, but he's making a good impression at the right time. The Yankees signed Gio as insurance for CC Sabathia and extra depth while we waited for Luis Severino to come back for a May target date that will no longer happen. The Yankees will have to tap into their pitching reserves longer than they expected which could be a game changer.

The Yankees won't have a lot of time to think about this one. Hopefully if he continues to pitch well it will be an easy call-up but Gio can opt out of his contract on April 20th if the Yankees don't call him up by then. He has two more starts before that happens, which is two more opportunities to force the Yankees hand but at this point with our long list of injuries those outings might not matter. He may not be the pitcher that he once was, but he is still an innings eater. German has pitched well so far, no denying that but who is more likely to pitch deeper into games at this point. Gio definitely has experience on his side.

By next weekend we will know what happens with Gio. The Yankees could call him up. The Yankees may pass and he may opt out or.....he could choose to stay in Triple-A. Either way, decision day is coming. If Severino didn't have a setback this decision wouldn't be as important. You can never have enough pitching and the season is very young, we could have more pitching injuries. It wouldn't be wise for a team to lose pitching depth when everyone seems to be dropping like flies.

It's hard to imagine letting a big league option like Gio get away. He could be the added boost we desperately need right now.

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

AND JUST LIKE THAT, GIO IS A YANKEE!

And sure, this is a minor league deal between Gio Gonzalez and the Yankees, but there is no question this guy's gonna be up this year. I'm kind of excited about it.

ESPN writes:

"The New York Yankees have agreed to a deal with free-agent left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez, the team confirmed Monday night. 

It's a minor league deal, and if Gonzalez is added to the major league roster the contract will be worth $3 million for the season, plus incentives, a source told ESPN's Buster Olney."

And so think about that... no big deal.  $3 mil, 1 year. For the Yanks it's nothing. It's better than 4 years, $40 million for a Dallas Keuchel...because you have no idea what you're getting with that guy.  At least if Gio sucks it's a $3 million experiment. You know what I mean?

I'm happy about this deal.  How about you?

REPORT: YANKEES MADE AN OFFER TO GIO GONZALEZ

Sure, Brian Cashman said he liked his internal options to fill temporary vacant spots for CC Sabathia and Luis Severino, but he's still looking at options. He may like what he has, but he may like what he doesn't have also....like some more pitching depth.

I really like our rotation. It's definitely better than what we had at the same time last year. But now we have ask ourselves if we need more because Cashman is. The Yankees had interest in Gio Gonzalez long before Severino went down with shoulder inflammation. CC Sabathia's angioplasty this winter definitely adds more concern especially he will be out until the end of April if all goes well. Hell, an aging pitcher with bad knees is a good enough reason to look for depth.

The Yankees are in a position where they can no longer gamble on an ace with shoulder concerns, a pitcher with heart and knee concerns and also Masahiro Tanaka has his own history with elbow issues which can't be ignored. So here we are now, making offers to Gio Gonzalez and not just relying on our internal options.

I don't think the Yankees are particularly enamored with Gonzalez but if they were sold on Luis Cessa, Domingo German or Jonathan Loaisiga they wouldn't have made an offer. Heyman says the Yankees don't have a lot of optimism to sign him, but that could change. The Giants and the A's are also reportedly interested in Gonzalez but if circumstances with Severino change for the worst the Yankees motivation to sign Gonzalez could change quickly.

In a perfect world there would be a good right handed pitcher still out there but there's not. Some people may be concerned about the Yankees running with four left handed starters. It's not ideal, but it can and has worked for other teams. In 2017 and to start last season, the Red Sox went with four lefties in the rotation. Their strategy certainly worked well because it gave the Yankees all kinds of problems. Yankee Stadium is built for lefties so too many lefty starters is not a problem. You could apply that same question to the lineup though, it needs some lefty bats to balance out that lopsided right handed lineup, so that really is the bigger problem.

So could Gio be a Yankee? Maybe especially if the Yankees continue to deal with injuries. One more pitching loss and we are looking at a completely different scenario. It's good that Cashman is looking. I'd be worried if he wasn't. I guess we just sit back and wait for more details and see what happens.

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

YANKEE SPRING STORIES YOU NEED TO FOLLOW

Spring Training is going by fast. There's still some time until Opening Day finally arrives, but until then the Yankees have a few things to watch. It's been a challenging spring, some of it complicated by injuries, but there are other concerns. Question is are they big or small problems and do they follow the Yankees into the start of the regular season?

1. Hicks still has a sore back

It sure sounds like the injury that the Yankees think is no big deal is turning into a big deal. Aaron Hicks is still experiencing back discomfort and will see a doctor today. Hicks hasn't felt 100% since March 1st when he first felt discomfort during batting practice and then again in a spring training appearance. He's improved some since but he's not 100% yet. Aaron Boone said they are taking a conservative approach with it but with almost two weeks of discomfort and missed time should the Yankees be more concerned about his condition? Hopefully today's doctor visit will bring some insight and a good plan to get him healthy again.

2. Tulo's in a slump

It was nice to see Troy Tulowitzki start spring with a bang with two home runs in his first three games as a Yankee. His last three games haven't been as good with his 0-for-8 record and six strikeouts. The Yankees aren't worried though, they will continue to give him reps to work through it. Whether the Yankees want Tulo to be attracting this kind of concern or not he will. After all, Tulo is the guy the Yankees signed instead of Manny Machado. He's also the guy the Blue Jays released after missing all of 2018 due to surgery for bone spurs in both heels. He will be under the radar no matter what.

3. Sanchez is sucking

The Yankees are counting on a rebound season from Gary Sanchez. They are looking for 2017 Sanchez instead of 2018 Sanchez who had a .186 BA, 18 home runs in 89 games. Sure, the injuries didn't help but if the Yankees can get the 2017 Sanchez back it makes the lineup that much deeper and really gives the Yankees an edge. So far Sanchez has only had 11 at-bats but also has a 0.91 BA which will only make the spotlight on him even brighter.

4. Battle of the first basemen continues

The New York Post has a great breakdown on this one HERE. According to Boone the Yankees will be forced to make a decision between Luke Voit and Greg Bird. There's only room for one. The other won't be a backup. I guess the best way to put it really is "two automobiles don’t fit into a one-car garage" so who should the Yankees give the job too? Is Bird doing enough to prove that he is the guy we first saw in 2015? Can Voit prove that he still deserves the spot he was given last season?

5. Rotation Depth

The Yankees will start the season with CC Sabathia and Luis Severino on the disabled list. The Yankees have three internal candidates to fill-in the rotation, but they all come with question marks due to previous inconsistencies in other big-league appearances. Can Jonathan Loaisiga, Domingo German or Luis Cessa effectively do the job until the Yankees return to full strength? So far Cessa has had the most success of the candidates, as he has allowed just one run over five innings over two outings. There have already been rumors about the Yankees possibly adding some rotation depth, and Gio Gonzalez has been a popular name. If the Yankees lose anymore rotation depth, could they possibly add a guy like Gio? At this point, should they even wait?

6. Severino is still sidelined

We are five days into Severino's two weeks on no-throwing and Boone has some optimism. He says Severino isn't experiencing the pain he did almost a week ago. He is still sore from the cortisone shot but he is getting better every day. After his two weeks are up he will be reevaluated and if his shoulder discomfort is gone he will be cleared to start his spring training all over again. He will start by playing catch and progress his way back. But even if all goes according to plan we won't see Severino until late April or early May. For now it is good news but, it is a shoulder injury after all. Shoulder injuries are always a concern for a pitcher, so can the Yankees and Severino really breathe a sigh of relief at this point?

It's Spring Training, thankfully. If this were the regular season already there would be more reason to be concerned. But as the Yankees look to build upon their close but not quite 2017 and 2018 seasons it's something to think about. We are still over two weeks away to the bright lights so it's not panic time yet. But these are things to watch...

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

SEVERINO SHUTDOWN! LET THE PITCHING RUMORS FLY

Well, this isn't good news... Luis Severino is shut down, ladies and gentlemen.

In case you missed it, multiple sources have reported that Severino felt sharp pain in his shoulder after pitching in a pre-game bullpen session. It was bad enough that he told Larry Rothschild that he was done and he went to the hospital for an MRI. The test revealed inflammation but no tear. That sounds like a good thing but the inflammation is in the rotator cuff. And now, we all begin to worry.

After Tuesday's game Aaron Boone said that Severino would be shut down for at least two weeks and he is "highly unlikely" to be ready for opening day, read more HERE. Bottom line for the Yankees, whether this is a tear or not it's still bad news for the Yankees. It's not the Yankees don't have other options because they do, but someone else is going to have to step up. One of Domingo German, Luis Cessa or top prospect Jonathan Loaisiga who has had his own history of shoulder issues will have to be the insurance the Yankees are looking for.

The Yankees were counting on these guys to be insurance for CC Sabathia at the back end of the rotation, but now the Yankees will have to also have insurance for their ace. So now what?

Losing Severino for any length of time means the bolstered rotation now becomes vulnerable. But is it vulnerable enough for the Yankees to go out and add another starter? Maybe. Back in January we wondered if the Yankees were still looking for pitching depth, we thought CASHMAN MAY HAVE ONE MORE UP HIS SLEEVE and now that could be even more likely. Now with news of Severino missing time names like Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Keuchel are popping up in the news again.

The Yankees have options with either Gonzalez or Keuchel, but it sounds like they have already thought about Gonzalez before Severino went down. He would definitely be cheaper than Keuchel and considering that the Yankees are already $20 million north of the $206 million threshold, the Yankees are not only subject to the initial 20 percent tax — they’ll also pay a 12 percent surcharge on any additional contracts, which could make Keuchel much less desirable.

I hope Severino is okay. The Yankees are already have enough injury concerns with Aaron Hicks missing time so we don't need anymore. Rotator cuffs are no joke. You can never have too much pitching, and Cashman said he wanted to sign two starters earlier in the winter. I'm sure this isn't how he wanted to do it though.

Let's hope for some good news. It's too early for all of the injury drama, especially for our rotation. None of us want Severino to be the reason why Cashman goes shopping for another starter. All we can do now is be optimistic.

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

COLLUSION IN BASEBALL?

No, I am not talking about the conspiracy between President Trump and Russia. We breathe baseball here, not politics. That being said, does collusion exist in baseball?

There are WAY too many free agents still on the market right now. Spring training is here and there are far too many big names out there still with no job. Thankfully J.A. Happ isn't one of those names and he was smart to sign in December, but you can still hear some of his frustration:

"It’s surprising and it’s disappointing. I know we're [the Players Association] working on ways to change this, but it's frustrating for sure to see all the quality guys out there that can help teams win not being signed this close to spring. It's a bummer," read more HERE.

Last winter was slow, but it also didn't have the same star studded power as this free agent class, so many didn't expect another slow market. Big names like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado usually create a slower market for others until they sign but....they both still don't have jobs. How can two young guys with infinite talent still be on the market? This wouldn't even be possible three years ago.

And what about Dallas Keuchel, a Cy Young Award winner three years ago? There's no reason why he does not have a job. Or Craig Kimbrel, who led the NL in saves for four straight seasons and was the closer for the defending World Champion Boston Red Sox who is the best reliever on the market. Adam Jones does not have a job, nor does Mike Moustakas or Gio Gonzalez.

How about Doug Fister or Marwin Gonzalez? I mean, Gonzalez is extremely versatile. Teams salivate over a guy they can plug in multiple positions. You can't convince me that a guy with his versatility doesn't fit on one of the 30 MLB teams. I'm not buying that one.

There are approximately 70 experienced free agents still unsigned with Opening Day less than two months away. Quite a few of these players would be major game changers to a team, especially contending teams like the Red Sox who haven't addressed their bullpen and the guy that helped them win their championship. Side note, I am VERY okay with not seeing Kimbrel pitch against the Yankees.

So should fans and players be mad at the owners? It's easy to say that owners are trying to be strategic with how they are spending their money and don't want to sign those big money long term deals. They are in it to make money, but fans are in it to see their favorite players. Without their favorite players there is no reason to buy the expensive jerseys, MLB extra inning packages, game tickets or outrageously priced beers at those games.

Long term and big money deals do have a bad stigma attached to them. We tend to remember the bad deals like Bobby Bonilla, Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and Alex Rodriguez and understandably so. I know I can't wait to get rid of Ellsbury.

But not all long term deals are remembered as a disaster. I'd say CC Sabathia's seven year deal was a good investment. He's been reliable and it helped us get an immediate championship. Oh and Derek Jeter's 10 year deal back in 2000 was one of the best investments any team could make.

More than half of Major League teams haven't signed a free agent this winter. That's a startling number. So far, the only player to get a payday of over $100 million is Patrick Corbin. Many teams (like the Yankees) CAN afford guys like Harper or Machado, but yet they have chosen not to. Are MLB owners behind this?

I love baseball, but it's not easy to make it here. Yeah, there is a potential to make BIG money here.....but it's a long road to get there and maybe it is scaring some guys off. Maybe guys like Kyler Murray who just chose the NFL over baseball (read more HERE) are more interested in the guaranteed money than a gamble in MLB free agency. At this point, can you blame them?

So who is to blame for these last slow winters? Are players just greedy and have they ruined free agency....or are MLB owners colluding to change the game? It makes me wonder if a salary cap is the only thing to get baseball back on track.

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