GERMAN'S SUSPENSION: FAIR OR TOO HARSH?

On Thursday, Major League Baseball finally announced their decision on Domingo German's investigation. It was good timing because before the announcement was made we were wondering IS MLB DRAGGING THEIR FEET WITH GERMAN? Now that we know the outcome of the investigation I'm wondering about something else....

So Yankee fans know now that German will serve an 81 game suspension, but 63 of those games will occur during the upcoming season. The other 18 games count as time served from 2019 when he missed the end of the regular season and the postseason. So we know the punishment....but now we are left to wonder if the number of games missed fair or is it too harsh?

I am not questioning if German did something wrong here. There's no place for domestic violence, so we knew there would be consequences for this. German got his suspension and we know he's not appealing his suspension. He has agreed to counseling, and will make a donation to Sanctuary for Families, a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding victims of domestic violence. Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball are making a statement here....Domestic Violence will not be tolerated anymore. This isn't the first time baseball has dealt with domestic violence, but German's case isn't quite the same as ones in the past.

The difference here is that German’s suspension is the longest for a player who never was charged with a crime and fourth longest overall. In June 2018, San Diego Padres pitcher Jose Torres was given a 100 game suspension.

In July 2019 Odubel Herrera of the Phillies was given 85 games and May 2016 Hector Olivera on the Atlanta Braves was given 82 games. If you don't recognize any of those names it's because none of these players have appeared in the major leagues since their suspensions.

Last week we talked about the New York Post said HERE that "German’s offenses don’t appear to be as egregious as those of Astros closer Roberto Osuna, who served a 75-game suspension last year, and they’re regarded as worse than Mets reliever Jeurys Familia, who sat out the first 15 games of the 2017 season." We said that the article made it sound like the New York Post was guessing that the suspension would be between  and 75 games based on their logic. I was skeptical about it.

We will probably never get additional information on what happened exactly. I just wonder how MLB concluded that 81 games was the right number when German was never charged with a crime. On the other hand, Aroldis Chapman was suspended for the first 30 games of the 2016 season after shooting a gun in his garage after a domestic dispute that prosecutors decided not to pursue.

I'm glad MLB is taking a tough stand on domestic violence. I just wonder how they got to 81 games and is that number justifiable when no charges were filed against German. I guess we have a long time to debate it since German is out until June.

Do you agree with Manfred's decision of 81 games? What will the Yankees do with German after his suspension is up? I hope Manfred will be this tough when he makes his ruling against the cheating Astros. I'm anxiously awaiting that decision too.

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

DODGERS ADD CUBAN SENSATION HECTOR OLIVERA

Hector Olivera has agreed to a six-year, $62.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers according to MLB.com.

Source: Cuban INF Hector Olivera has agreed to a 6-year, $62.5 million deal with Dodgers. $28MM signing bonus. Check http://t.co/mkcBse7p5i
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) March 24, 2015

The infielder will get a $28 million signing bonus once his physical clears.

Olivera was courted by many big league teams including the Yankees. The shortstop hit .341 and had 17 home runs last year in Cuba and looks to be an immediate impact player. Though his decision to don Dodger blue comes to no surprise to many baseball insiders, Olivera still has a couple hurdles to clear before he makes his debut in the majors.

One - Olivera might have issues with his throwing arm that could require Tommy John surgery. This would leave him out for a whole season. Two - he also still needs a visa—which could again hold up his debut in the big leagues.

The Dodgers also have plenty of infield talent. They traded away arguably one of the most promising infielders in Dee Gordon this offseason to get Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins in the middle infield. If Olivera is to see any playing time this year, he will probably split duties with Juan Uribe at third base. But Rollins and Uribe’s contracts are up after the 2015 season which could give way to a permanent home for Oilvera in the infield.

I like the deal because it gives the Dodgers flexibility to make some roster moves down the road. They have a crowded outfield and will need to deal some players (like Andre Ethier) to make room for developing talent. Having another card to add to the deck will only strengthen the Dodgers negotiating position. It’s also a promising sign that the new front office is serious about building a balanced lineup that gives the team the best chance to win a World Series.

Now if we could just get the games on TV.

--Alexis Garcia, BYB's "Eye on MLB" Columnist
Twitter:  @heylexyg







 
You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME XVIII

Here we are at week 18 of our Hot Stove series and the heat is on Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. one more time.  According to ESPN, Amaro tells us that "All pitchers can get hurt. All players can get hurt. It can happen any time. That has nothing to do with the way we go about our business, [by] planning for a player to get hurt. That doesn't make any sense." He is referring to the potential career-ending injury Phillies' ace Cliff Lee is suffering from a tear in his common flexor tendon near his left elbow and the very healthy Cole Hamels who is still up for sale.  It sounds to me that Amaro wants to trade Hamels before he gets hurt- well, isn't that just terrific  According to ESPN, "So trading Cole Hamels is the best, potentially franchise-changing card remaining in Amaro's deck. If he plays it now, he won't get that A-plus or A-double-plus deal he's been looking for. But he might get an A-minus deal." Folks something is going to happen soon and it all sounds like dirty money to me.

The Toronto Sun is reporting that there is interest from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers in Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro.  Navarro who is slated to miss a couple of starts, is open to the ideas because he, like our third baseman, Chase Headley, wants to play everyday.  According to The Sun, "Everyone in baseball knows that the Jays need relief help ... just as everyone knows the Diamondbacks need someone to go behind the plate."  So, a trade with the D'Backs for a couple of relief pitchers like Addison Reed or Brad Ziegler could happen.  Or, maybe Navarro stays in Toronto and is the everyday DH since Russell Martin will likely take on the starting role behind the plate. Toronto will be lethal this year, anyway you slice it, so my guess is picking up some relief pitching is essential for Toronto to be at the top of the East come late September.

The San Diego Padres strike again. Yahoo Sports is reporting that "The San Diego Padres are positioning themselves as a favorite to land Cuban infielder Hector Olivera, showing a willingness to spend significant money after strong-but-failed attempts to sign Cubans Yasmany Tomas and Yoan Moncada earlier this offseason, sources told Yahoo Sports.  The market for Olivera heated up Tuesday, with the Padres considering an offer upwards of $50 million, according to sources. The Atlanta Braves, Oakland A's and Los Angeles Dodgers remain in the mix."  Who would have thought that the Padres would ever be this aggressive.  But having a weak infield could hurt the club, hence this big push toward Olivera.  The Padres need to make their off season spending worthwhile- no weak links will be tolerated by new GM A.J. Preller.

(In Photo: Jason Hayward)
Last up, The New York Daily News is reporting that "According to two major league sources, the Yankees and Atlanta Braves were talking more than we knew over the winter, in addition to swapping Manny Banuelos and David Carpenter. The Yanks were interested in what would have been a blockbuster acquisition of outfielder Jason Heyward and shortstop Andrelton Simmons." What? Really?  Yep! "Before the Yanks acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius, they asked Atlanta about Heyward and Simmons. It is not clear what the Braves would have wanted in return, and it is possible that talks never progressed to the concrete offer phase."  What a difference that would have made.

That's all for Hot Stove Volume XVIII.  We will keep our eye out for the latest on Hamels and the rest of the trade talks across MLB. 

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



You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

HECTOR OLIVERA IS NOW A FREE AGENT

News tonight about that other Cuban sensation Hector Olivera.... according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, something is happening....

Source: Hector Olivera has been declared a free agent by MLB and is free to enter into a contract with a big league club. #Cuba
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) March 7, 2015

Remember, the Yankees were in on Yoan Moncada, until the Red Sox signed him.  Olivera is older and more injury prone.  Here's the question... are the Yankees in on Olivera anymore?

Here's a reason to not be too interested.  Jeff Passan reports this:

"Serious concern exists that Cuban infielder Hector Olivera has a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, potentially hindering the market for a free agent who many expected to contribute in the major leagues this season, sources told Yahoo Sports."

What do you make of that? Right, you're concerned too. Yet we passed on Yoan Moncada... a 19 year old Cuban stud with a ton of upside. Whatever, man.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

YANKEE FAN ANGER! RED SOX SNAG YOAN MONCADA

This shouldn't happen, but it has.  Yoan Moncada has signed a deal to play for the Boston Red Sox.  This is not what Yankee fans had in mind and you really have to wonder what the hell happened that the Yankees would offer Moncada 3 private workouts and then suddenly, they pass or were outplayed in signing this19 year old stud from Cuba. Moncada had a ton of upside. This is disappointing... It's outrageous! And if you're a Yankee fan, you should be pissed.... bottom line!

Here's the report of the signing, It comes from Jesse Sanchez of MLB:

BREAKING - Source: Cuban INF prospect Yoan Moncada agrees with Red Sox on a deal in $30 million range. Check http://t.co/mkcBseoZWQ.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) February 23, 2015

Now look;  The Sox took a page from the Yankees playbook here and it was brilliant on their part.  They snuck in there and really sweet talked this dude.  Meanwhile, the Yankees took their eye off the ball, perhaps waiting to see if they had the money to do it, or just too much red tape to get through quickly.  It doesn't matter though, the Yankees, once aggressive when signing top players, just don't have it anymore and this piece... Yoan Moncada would have made the off season perfect for the Yankees and us fans, who just wanted 1 more piece of talent.

Now the Yankees will spin this and say that Moncada "isn't all that", but they're doing it because they blew it...bottom line.  Fans should be angry... they should also not accept the Yankees spin.  You know what? I want a press conference... I want to know why the Yankees blew this!

Bottom line, this blows.  They had Yoan in their hands... and they let Moncada slip away to the Red Sox. 

It's not acceptable ladies and gentlemen... it just ain't.

Watch, the Yanks spin will be "Well, we're all in on Hector Olivera"... the 29 year old Cuban who's often injured...

We'll have to wait and see.




You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

MANY TEAMS ARE IN ON HECTOR OLIVERA

I found this interesting and wanted to share.  You remember the Yankees and other teams had been giving Hecter Olivera a look, right?  He's the 29 year old Cuban second baseman who, by the way, has had some injuries attached to him as well.

Well, Peter Gammons just tweeted this:

OK, so it's five teams over $70M on Hector Olivera. But I still wish the Brothers Gourriel could play in The States
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 17, 2015

OK, now look; $70 million is just insane when talking about a 29 year old player who's been hurt and has already played 10 years. MLB Trade Rumors Jeff Todd had a great nugget not many know about:

"Olivera’s medical history is not just limited to sports injuries, but includes a significant case of thrombosis. Then, there is the fact that Olivera’s age cannot be confirmed with certainty and even some indications that scouts are questioning why he is 'fatigued earlier in workouts than an athlete of his size, strength and age should.'”

Again, and teams are willing to spend $70 million on this guy? Really?  Alot of question marks.

Sure, the track record for Cuban players has been pretty damn good, and Olivera puts up great numbers, but I'd much rather offer that amount to a 19 year old Cuban player named Yoan Moncada instead.  I mean, what does Hector Olivera have that he's worth that kind of money at that age? That seems crazy to me. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Anyway, here are the teams interested in this guy:  The Altanta Braves, the Yankees, the San Diego Padres, the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics.

So I ask you... what do you think will happen next? And if the Yankees sign Olivera... are they out on Moncada?

As of right now Olivera has not been cleared to hit free agency, but it will happen soon.

Stay tuned...

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

HECTOR OLIVERA SHOWS MUSCLE IN SHOWCASE

Small story, but great if you're Hector Olivera. You remember Hector, he's the other Cuban that the Yankees had been looking at, in addition to Yoan Moncada.  We wrote about him in CUBAN HECTOR OLIVERA WORKED OUT & EVERYONE WAS THERE.

Now comes word that Olivera was showing off a bit in his showcase and good for him, that's what a showcase is all about.  Ben Badler of Baseball America has the story:

"...Hector Olivera made another strong statement today at his second open showcase. Playing in a game at the Dominican air force base, the righthanded-hitting Olivera hit two home runs, including one to left-center field in his first at-bat. Later in the game, he pulled another home run to left field, then used the opposite field for a double to right-center. While he wasn’t facing major league pitching, it was a standout day for Olivera, who split time in the field between second and third base... 

The Padres, Giants and Braves have all had their top club officials scout Olivera recently and have been linked to him as potential landing spots. The Mariners also had president Kevin Mather and general manager Jack Zduriencik scout him at a private workout in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, though Seattle is already locked in at second and third base with Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager..."

I find it all every interesting because in Badler's whole piece, the Yankees were not mentioned at all, which leads me to believe they will be locking in on Moncada.  Who really knows, that's a guess.

I just wanted to share this Olivera update for all of you.  That is all my friends.




You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE CUBAN MARKET

We mentioned the other day about how Yoan Moncada was being blocked by Major League baseball to sign with a Major League club.  The story was interesting and we wrote about it in INTERESTING TWIST IN THE YOAN MONCADA SWEEPSTAKES. Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote:

"Major League Baseball, not the United States government, is the reason that Yoan Moncada and several other Cuban players have yet to begin their careers.

 The U.S. has an embargo against Cuba, which means Cuban nationals must be regarded as “unblocked” by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) before they can work for a U.S. company.

Moncada, though, has already met the government’s requirements to be able to begin his career. Moncada has permanent residence in Guatemala. Any Cuban national who presents documents showing permanent residence in a country outside of Cuba qualifies for OFAC’s “general license,” which is not a written document. 

As far as OFAC is concerned, that should make him unblocked, and that’s good enough for the government to allow him to sign...at some point in 2012 after Puig signed in June that year, MLB no longer allowed Cuban players to sign using the general license and instead required them to apply for the specific license, which is a written document from OFAC. That goes beyond what the government requires from Cuban players to be able to begin their careers, and with some players waiting six months to receive their licenses..."

Well, now there's even more information from Badler:

But if MLB ends its specific license requirement, not just Moncada, but Hector Olivera & Andy Ibanez should be eligible to sign immediately.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 28, 2015

We've mentioned all these players here at BYB because these Cuban players are considered to be some of the best.  It's also one of those moments where you realize that the Yankees may have a good chance of landing one.

(In Photo: Hector Olivera)
The Yanks are favorites to land Moncada and have recently been connected to Hector Olivera.  Read CUBAN HECTOR OLIVERA WORKED OUT & EVERYONE WAS THERE for more.

This is all very interesting, which is why I continue to bring you this story.  Come to BYB for the latest on the Cuban market.  It's been alot of fun bringing it to you.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYaneeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

CUBAN HECTOR OLIVERA WORKED OUT & EVERYONE WAS THERE

This is a report that I found interesting. First of all, as you know the Yankees are allegedly "all in" on 19 year old Cuban, Yoan Moncada. You can read about that in THE YOAN MONCADA SWEEPSTAKES HEAT UP and in THE YANKEES "IN HARD" ON CUBAN YOAN MONCADA.

But the other Cuban player the Yankees are looking at is 29 year old Hector Olivera.  According to reports, they were in attendance for a Olivera workout. In fact, everyone was... Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com:

More than 200 scouts attended workout for Hector Olivera last week in DR. SFG, SD, TX, ATL, NYY among teams showing strong interest. #Cuba
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 24, 2015

OK then.

DJ Short of Hardball Talk gives a nice breakdown of Olivera:

"Olivera has long been considered one of the best players in Cuba. In fact, Baseball America ranked him as the No. 6 player in Cuba last August, but he carries some questions due to his age and injury history. He missed the entire 2012-13 season due to thrombosis in his left biceps and hasn’t played in any international competition since. 

However, he batted .316/.412/.474 with seven home runs over 273 plate appearances in his return to Serie Nacional last season while amassing more walks (38) than strikeouts (25), so he can still get it done with the bat. It’s worth noting that he spent a lot of his time at DH, so he might have to prove that he can stick at second base stateside."

We'll have to see what happens next. Stay tuned...




You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYaneeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

THE YANKEES ARE CHECKING OUT A CUBAN SECOND BASEMAN...

Just when you thought maybe, MAYBE Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela would get a shot at second base... it appears the Yankees just can't get enough.

According to Baseball America, the Yankees are looking at a kid named Hector Olivera.

According to Ben Badler, "...second baseman Hector Olivera is the best Cuban player out there. Olivera is also right up there with Yasiel Puig as one of the most fascinating players to ever leave the island, a mixture of premium talent, performance, health issues, a lack of recent looks and age...

The Yankees re-signed Chase Headley this month to a four-year, $52 million contract, so they’re set at third base. Yet they also have a hole at second base after shipping Martin Prado to the Marlins. The long-term solution could be Moncada, with the Yankees looking like a favorite there having already gone over their 2014-15 bonus pool, owning the deepest pockets in the game and lacking young, impact talent at the upper levels of the system.

There’s no guarantee that Moncada will be a Yankee though, and even if he is, he’s not going to help in 2015, and maybe not in 2016 either. The Yankees could go with Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela at second base, but Olivera would be an upgrade over either player. Yankees international scouting director Donny Rowland has been around long enough to have seen Olivera in his prime, the Yankees haven’t spent much money this offseason and they are certainly a team that’s shown comfort giving big contracts to players in their 30s. If the Yankees want Olivera, he would be a good fit in New York."

(In Photo: Yoan Moncada)
That's right you saw the name Moncada in there. Remember Moncada? Yoan Moncada? The Yankees are apparently "in" on him too.  We wrote about that in  WILL THE YANKEES SNAG CUBAN, YOAN MONCADA?  It was back in November that the Yankees were very interested in him, a Cuban and an infielder, but right now, we still don't know if that's going to happen either.  The best part about Moncada is he's 19.  Olivera is 30.

Here's the reality of Olivera... he's a good pickup if the Yankees can get him and if they can see a showcase and fall in love, he could almost be an immediate 2nd baseman for the Yankees. But that raises the question of Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela.

My question is, why can't the Yankees just play their kids? What's this fascination of going after everyone they read about?

Look, there is no question I would love a "Puig type" player on the New York Yankees... I just don't see the Yankees being serious about these Cuban players.  They always seem to look like the "favorites", just to later on, peter out.

Stay tuned...

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!