RANGERS SNATCH UP 'RED THUNDER'

 Just when you thought you would never hear about Clint Frazier, or er... Jackson Frazier again, you're wrong.

Clutch points writes:

"The Texas Rangers agreed to terms with 5 players on minor league contracts with invites to Spring Training, per the Rangers’ PR Twitter account. Notably, Texas agreed to terms with former New York Yankees’ top prospect Clint Frazier and former Kansas City Royals’ star pitcher Danny Duffy. Additionally, the Rangers brought in OF Travis Jankowski, RP Ian Kennedy, and RP Reyes Moronta...

Outfielder Clint Frazier was once regarded as a top prospect. The Yankees acquired him from the Cleveland Guardians and expected Frazier to serve a big role for them at some point. But things never panned out for him in New York."

Just recently Frazier signed with the Toros del Este, read CLINT FRAZIER JUST SIGNED WITH A DARK HORSE.... Now however, he appears back in the bigs, and to be honest, I'm thrilled for him.

THE TALE OF AUSTIN JACKSON

I remember when Austin Jackson was the serious future for center field for the New York Yankees.  And then, in a flash he was shipped off to the Detroit Tigers and that was the end of it.

Baseball-Reference.com has his early timeline:

"June 7, 2005: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 8th round of the 2005 amateur draft. Player signed June 22, 2005. 

December 8, 2009: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the New York Yankees with Phil Coke to the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit Tigers sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers sent Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The New York Yankees sent Ian Kennedy to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Detroit Tigers. "

Well, it's been years, and the dude's been a successful player, and by the way, I still like the dude as a player. I like that he was always nimble, humble, hardworking and a solid athlete. And now he's been around, but he's looking to get back in the game, which, I didn't even realize he was out for a bit.

MLBTradeRumors.com has this nugget about him:

"Long-time MLB outfielder Austin Jackson is open to offers to get back on the field, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports on Twitter. 

He says he has remained in playing shape and is interested in a potential return. Jackson only recently turned 33, so he’s not that long in the tooth. But he didn’t appear in the professional ranks in 2019 after nine consecutive MLB campaigns. As he contemplates a comeback, Jackson says he’s looking for the “right situation” — not just any opportunity, evidently. 

There’s obviously no chance he’d command a big-league contract at this point, so he’d surely be looking for a minors arrangement of some kind."

I applaud this. Always liked him. And much like a Ty Hensley, if you still have a passion to play... then get back out there!

I'd love the Yanks to give Jackson another shot. I just think it ain't happening at this point. But one can hope.

Look luck Austin!

IF CASHMAN ADMITS JOBACIDE, HE SHOULDN'T COMMIT JOBACIDE

(Feb. 26, 2015 - Source: Brian Blanco/Getty Images North America)    

Jobacide is a word I've used for too many years now to describe the Yankees' systemic sacrifice of young starting pitching at the altar of a cheap and steady supply of  relievers.

It's no secret the Bronx bullpen has long been the place where promising young starters brought up too soon go to die, and you could fill a whole shelf of binders with all the wildly creative story lines the Yankees have tried to peddle to media, fans and -- most sadly of all, to the players themselves -- to explain away the diversion,  marooning and pruning of so many homegrown, high-performing Triple A arms and careers there.

Photo: MLB.com

Which is why I nearly spilled my coffee on my keyboard last Thursday as I perused Mark Feinsand's lengthy Q&A with GM Brian Cashman published Thursday on MLB.com and witnessed, for the first time I can recall, an official acknowledgement of the practice.

"MLB.com: There has been a lot of talk over the years about the Yankees' inability to develop young starting pitchers. Do you think that's a fair criticism?

Photo: New York Daily News

Cashman: Yeah. It's a fact. I think part of the process has been certainly where we draft. Because we've had a lot of success, we've not been allowed to tank and go off the board and therefore get access to some of the high-end stuff that plays out to be impactful. Part of it is we can't get out of our own way because we don't have the patience to let guys finish off their development, because if you possess some unique ability that stands out above everybody else -- whether it was Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, now [Luis] Severino and before that [Bryan] Mitchell and Shane Greene -- we're pulling them up before their development is finished.

Teams like Tampa Bay, for instance, they're going to wait until they have their four pitches down and their innings limits are all exceeded at the Minor League level; they're very disciplined in that approach as they finish off their starters. For us, if I'm looking at my owner and he says, "What's our best team we can take north?" Well, "We could take this guy; he's not necessarily 100 percent finished off, but we can stick him in our 'pen. He can be in the back end of our rotation, because he's better than some of the guys we already have," and then you cut corners, so I think that probably plays a role in it. And sometimes we don't make the right decisions, either, when we're making Draft selections and signings and stuff like that. On top of it all, playing in New York is a lot different than playing anywhere else."

So there it is, confirmation that Jobacide is real --  couched between poor draft position due to past success, an owner's insistence on the best personnel playing in the Bigs ready or not, and the bright lights choke factor of the Big Apple. .

This winter Hal and Brian were publicly confident they had the young arms ready to go in the system to fill the vacant spots in the rotation.

But the ensuing spring competition has revealed nothing could be further from the truth and  re-focused giant Broadway-sized spotlights on the problem the Yankees have  finishing off their young pitchers' development.

Now that they've clearly identified they have a problem, will they allow  all the losers of the rotation competition to return to the farm and finish their development as starters -- or will they all become inmates condemned to life sentences in the Bronx Pen-itentiary?

It all depends on whether  the Yankees decide admitting the problem is the first step toward solving it or not.

So far, they've shown admirable restraint with the young position prospects by resisting the urge to fling one into the deep end ahead of schedule to patch a temporary hole at shortstop.

It would be a huge step forward for the franchise if  they could start doing the same with their scarcest and most precious commodity -- their young pitching prospects -- and outlaw Jobacide from Yankee Universe once and for all.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

THE LATEST ON YOENIS CESPEDES

Someone emailed me and asked why BYB didn't report on Chris Davis resigning with the Orioles or Ian Kennedy signing his deal with Kansas City.  Hey, I guess it means you guys are reading...

I blew it... kind of.  I mean look, It's my feeling that Yoenis Cespedes is a bigger signing and story than Davis and Kennedy and to be perfectly honest with you, my plan was to report on both, because sometimes when a big deal like Davis drops, some new suitor jumps right in to get the other guy.  In this case Cespedes. I thought it was going to be the Mets and I guess it still could be, but nothing yet.

Yes, Chris Davis signed a $161 million deal with the Orioles, but there is no question that the relationship between Buck Showalter and he will be alittle strained.  That being said, now there is word from Peter Gammons that the Houston Astros could be in on Cespedes:

Thrice today I had execs say "watch the Astros on Cespedes." 5th best HR park in MLB in '15. Good lineup. OK, I'm watching

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) January 17, 2016

Now yes, I don't take anything that Gammons says seriously anymore. I'm not a fan. Its over, but that was a provocative tweet and not alot of folks have come out with that one, and so, I'll give him that.

If there's movement on Cespedes, we will tell you.

See... I can be alittle nice to Gammons...

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PRESSURE FALLS ON CASHMAN IF SEVERINO FAILS

I read a headline that I disagree with 100%.  Lots of Pressure on Luis Severino.  The headline is from a Fansided piece that reads:

"Being a top prospect usually comes with pressure, but in New York, that pressure is always intensified. Many fans were expecting the Yankees to trade for an ace, but when the trade deadline came and went, no deal was done.

Brian Cashman and the Yankees stayed true to their word that they wouldn't be trading any of their top prospects. Now, added pressure will be on them to perform at the major league level."

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Sure, say the pressure is on these kids all you want, but the reality is, if the Yankees, who have touted these "superstar" prospects as the next big thing, send these kids out there and the kids blow it... the pressure won't be on them.  No, no... pressure will build against Yankee brass.  The reason? Overhype.  Overhype by the Yankees to the media and to the fans.  These players go out there every day and do their job, on the farm, in hopes of making it to the Bigs and staying there.  But it's the Yankee Machine that has famously overhyped and sometimes destroyed these players just by a few phone calls.

(In Photo: A young Phil Hughes)

Joba Chamberlain. Phil Hughes is a good one. Austin Jackson was supposed to be the next "big" centerfielder for the New York Yankees, only to be traded. Ian Kennedy. Nick Johnson. There are others, but you get the point. We fans are many times sold a bill of goods.  Fans don't want to see these kids flop and the kids don't want to flop, but Yankee fans are also smart enough to realize that the Yankees many times tout kids as "truly great" over and over again, only to have fans disappointed if these prospect don't live up to the hype.  And then, fans grow impatient and the Yankees end up flipping them for a veteran, or letting them die in the minor leagues, because "Things just didn't work out."   I've never liked the way they handled it.  But fans are smart, and by fans, I mean you guys.  Yankee brass is on your radar and you'll be ready to crucify Cashman, especially after we did absolutely nothing but trading for Dustin Ackley this trade deadline and especially if Severino shits the bed tomorrow.  You see what I mean?

Enter young Severino.  Look, there's no question he could turn into an ultimate superstar in New York and I'm rooting for it. Lord knows he can be, but I've been reading alot about this guy, and 1 thing that I've found, and it's a brilliant nugget that not many are reporting on, is that maybe Severino is just a bullpen guy, and not a starter at all.  The reason? Too much arms and not enough legs. Seriously. This is fascinating to me...

Keith Law from ESPN who suggests that because of Severino's violent delivery, he could end up in the bullpen for the Yankees. In short, that kind of delivery isn't designed to be a 15 year career starter thing.  Then of course there is Baseball Prospectus' Christopher Crawford, who is great at this stuff:

"There's no question that Severino has the stuff to pitch every fifth day, but there are some reasons to be concerned about the long-term profile. In addition to the less-than-ideal size, Severino has a delivery that is extremely arm-heavy; relying on his impressive arm strength to produce the big velocity and deception. It shouldn't hurt him in the short-term, but because of the stress this can put on the arm, it could have long-term ramifications."

These are important things that as a Yankee fan you need to think about.  Not just because we're excited about Severino, but about how the Yankees are exposing him to the media and the fans as being the next big thing!  Well, maybe he'll only be the next big thing for a few years... then what?

Should we be worried? I say no, not yet at least. But I will caution whether or not this guy is a "superstar" prospect.  Sure, the books say he is, the Yankees say he is, but we don't know if he is, because he hasn't done anything in the Bigs yet.

So, I suggest caution.  I also suggest that if this turns out to be a total disaster, we remember that the pressure shouldn't lean Severino's way at all.  He's just a pitcher trying to get a nut in the Bigs with the New York Yankees.  No, if this turns out to be a flop, we can look Cashman and Co. square in the eyes and wonder once again... what is happening on the farm?

Look, let's hope we are reading piece in the BYB archive in 5 years after 4, 20 win seasons for Severino and laugh.  I would rather the Yankees were right about this, and the critics were wrong... that would make me very ,very happy.

Anyway, an interesting nugget I had to share.

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THE YANKEES ARE READY TO MAKE A DEAL

In the final stretch of the first half, the Yankees front office is wheeling and dealing for the final adjustments for the second half. The Yankees have their eyes on a few players, to fill some holes in the roster. While the Yankees are in first place, there are plenty of needs that need to be met if they’re going to go to the playoffs and compete well. The starting rotation is inconsistent at best, and more than half of them are recovering from serious injuries - something the Yankees can hardly afford. The bullpen is overworked, depending on only a few good pitchers because of disappointing trade acquisitions and rookie call-ups. The team is hitting .254 and holds the fourth worst fielding percentage in the league. Clearly there is room for improvement.

Let's start with the starters. We have reported the news that the YANKS ARE SCOUTING THE HECK OUT OF JOHNNY CUETO. I still wonder whether Johnny Cueto can handle the pressure of playing in New York, but all signs are that the Yankees are trying to decide whether or not they want to pay the inordinately high asking price. They are not the only ones. Somebody might flinch and cough up half the farm, but the Yankees have more cost-effective options. For instance, Jeff Samardzija. There’s something to be said about a starter that has a winning record on a last place team. He has a 0.9 HR/9, 1.7 BB/9, 7.5 K/9, and a career ERA of 3.92. If we’re worried about the bullpen, he is averaging just under 7 innings per start over 17 starts, and 10 of those were Quality Starts. He is on a 1-year contract, and the White Sox are in last place. If we offer them something competitive, and they can get something out of it, I believe he moves. 

There is another diamond in the rough that the Yankees should be looking at, and the name should be familiar. Ian Kennedy is on a 1-year deal and should be available for the right, but not crazy price. Right now he’s 4-8 with a 4.84 ERA, which sounds downright dreadful to the untrained eye. First, smart scouts learn to ignore win-loss records when the team is hitting .239 behind him. Second, Kennedy had 3 bad starts in May that blow up his stats. Take a look at his starts since June 1. In seven starts - five of them Quality Starts - he had a 2.63 ERA, 8.12 K/9, and 1.98 BB/9. Before you point out that he only had two wins during that stretch, note that he had 2 runs or less of support while on the mound in 6 of those 7 starts. Look, I hated it when we gave up on him at age 24, and I still think he has potential.

It’s time to beef up the hitting as well. The most obvious way to improve the hitting is to replace our second baseman, and I am liking Howie Kendrick. He is in his contract year and has gotten some attention from scouts. Nevertheless, while all eyes wanting a second baseman are on Ben Zobrist, the Yankees may be able to pull off a deal here with a little less competition. He’s hitting just under .300, his OPS is just under .800, and his fielding percentage is .991. At age 31, this would be a good deal.

There are a lot of good deals out there if the Yankees are looking in the right places. The obvious risk is that they will be tempted to give up too much. With a rich farm system, everyone is demanding a huge return. Still, we get the feeling that we are going to see some good moves before the trade deadline. More to come.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row






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BASEBALL IS MY LIFE: THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

I wanted to introduce you to my friend Mike.  Mike & I recently had a discussion about the Yankees and baseball.  I asked him to write about something baseball related that I could never see in New York City. His answer was simple... the Arizona Fall League.  That was followed by a "Got me." Next thing you know, Mike's convincing me to post a piece on his experience at the AFL. And here it is.  Enjoy this, I did.  Hey Mike... you're published! Congrats... 

Baseball is my life and the New York Yankees are what keep my heart beating. 

Living out here in Arizona, it does not allow me to see them too often. They come and play the Diamondbacks every so often, and when that happens, trust me, I'm there. When the Yanks are here, downtown Phoenix turns into a mini-version of the Bronx.  Being such a storied franchise with national exposure helps that.  For me though, a die-hard Yankee fan in Arizona, it's just not enough. Sure, I have MLB Extra Innings so I can get the games, but somehow, it's just not the same as stepping into Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.  

Opening day is the day I live for. I live for the first pitch, the first hit, the first run, the first stolen base and all the other firsts that happen as a new season begins.  Once the last out of the World Series hits, alittle part of me dies. Though, much like you, it's a little easier when my beloved Yankees are the Champs! 

So, you're wondering... what's the point of all this? Right?  Bleeding Yankee Blue's Robert Casey asked me if I would like to write about something that he would not get to experience if only living in New York. Well, there is something, and it's fantasic! It's probably the best month and a half of my year. It's a little thing called the Arizona Fall League. 

The Arizona Fall League starts at the end of the regular season in early October and runs till Mid-November. There are 6 teams filled with prospects from every Major League team. Each teams chooses 7 kids to send to refine their skills and get extra playing time. The six teams each have a roster of 35 kids or so, from all teams and they play together on one. I've been going to these games on a steady basis for about the last 5 years. It costs me $85 for a season pass. The season pass allows me to go to as many games as I want at any of the 6 stadiums. 

Since I've been going to these games, I've gotten to meet many notable players in today's game. A couple years ago I got to see Mike Trout and Bryce Harper take the field together on the same team. It's allowed me an up-close look at Aroldis Chapman and Yasiel Puig. 

Last year, the top prospect in all of baseball, Byron Buxton was here. I'm not here to write about players from other teams though. I'm here to share my experience with the kids the Yankees have sent. 

Within the past couple of years, I've gotten to see Preston Claiborne, Dellin Betances, David Phelps and Austin Romine. Some of the notable prospects that have been here in the last couple years have included Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Manny Banuelos and Tyler Austin. 

 (In Photo: Former Yankee, Vidal Nuno)
Players that are not on the Yankees anymore but on other teams rosters have included Ian Kennedy, Vidal Nuno, Phil Hughes, David Adams and Brandon Laird. 

Any time I can chat with the Yankee kids, I do. I love the opportunity because I can get to know these guys more closely.  Most are really good kids within this low pressure situation. It's a good give and take with the fans for the most part, until of course some ass wants to get 20 autographs in 1 meeting.  Not only is that ridiculous, it's rude, to the players, to the fans.

I get one ball a year and have the kids from the Yankees sign it, then let them go to do their thing with the occasional "Hi, How you doing?" thrown in. You treat these kids with respect.  That's key.

The Arizona Fall League is a great time, and I highly recommend it if you're ever in Arizona during it's season. In addition to watching these kids play, meeting them, shaking hands in a fun atmosphere, some of the legends come out too.  Last year I got to meet some guy named Joe Torre. A couple years before, I met Don Mattingly. 
 

I've even met Reggie Jackson. You never know who you'll meet, and that's one of my favorite parts. 

If you've never seen the kids perform in the Arizona Fall League, I encourage you to check it out.  There is terrific talent, a great time at the parks, the weather's great and the memories last forever.  It's extra baseball after the season ends.  It's the AFL, and it's awesome.

Mike, we enjoyed your piece about the Arizona Fall League. We appreciate it.  Oh, and to our BYB audience, be sure to thank Mike. 

If you'd like to see some past BYB posts on the Arizona Fall League, be sure to click and read:

 YANKEES IN THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
 HANGING OUT AT THE ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Good job, Mike. Thanks - Casey

--Mike Kirk, BYB reader & Guest writer for Bleeding Yankee Blue





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YANKS MAY TRADE JAGIELO & CLARKIN FOR IAN KENNEDY

I read it and my mouth dropped.

I have heard only good things about 3rd base prospect Eric Jagielo and Starting pitcher Ian Clarkin since they have been in the Yankee system.  Now I'm hearing that the Yankees may no longer want them.

(In Photo: Eric Jagielo)
All of the sudden there is a report out that suggests that the Yankees are willing to ship them to San Diego just to get Ian Kennedy in return.

Ian Kennedy. You remember him. He was the kid that was also a "prospect" for the Yankees once, only to be shipped out of the Bronx back in 2009 to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a 3 team trade.

Jim Bowden of ESPNXM just tweeted this:

Yankees & Padres discussing deal that would send Ian Kennedy to Yankees in exchange for Eric Jagielo and Ian Clarkin according to a source
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) July 25, 2014

I fell out of my chair. Wait... now I'm back.

Now look, there are 2 ways of looking at this:

(In Photo: Ian Clarkin)
1. The Yankees need to win now and Kennedy is a veteran pitcher at this point and can definitely help our club!  Jagielo and Clarkin still need time to be seasoned. Go for it!

OR


2. What the hell are we doing?

Look, by the time you are reading this, Kennedy could possibly be a Yankee.  I don't know how slow or fast this move will be, or if it even has legs, but I did find it damn interesting though, and wanted to bring it to your attention.

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STARTERS, UPGRADES & YANKEE OPTIONS NOW!

The news that CC Sabathia is out for the season is not completely surprising, yet it still stings to the faithful and hopeful fans. Sabathia had been struggling for the better part of a year with various injuries, and now he is going to need surgery to clean out his ailing knee. The hope is that he will take his time and get his knee strong, and come into 2015 at full power.

Now, Yankees universe cannot sit back and watch the season float away. At the same time, they cannot just pull out the checkbook and the prospect list and just hand over the kingdom to any team with premier talent. Working out the right balance is a tricky game, and replacing your starting rotation in July is no easy task, but that is the reason they pay Brian Cashman. If Cashman is seriously thinking about “incremental upgrade(s)”, here are some options.

#Pirates, #Royals among teams that scouted #Padres’ Kennedy last night. Pirates looking for SP and RP. Royals keeping all options open.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 19, 2014

Ian Kennedy is officially on the radar of teams hunting for starting pitching. Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals attended his start on Friday night at Citi Field. It was his 21st start of the season with a respectable ERA of 3.62.

I don’t look at records like 7-9 when you are talking about the San Diego Padres, but I do look at things like a 9.5 K/9, a 0.7 HR/9 which shows that he can dominate hitters. As a former Yankee, the team would know what they are getting. He was a rising star before Joe Girardi sent him to the minors because of poor pitching, and finally trading him to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Having gone 59-45 with a 3.82 ERA since leaving the Yankees, including a 20-game-win season and a consideration for the Cy Young in 2011, he is the picture of “gave up on him too soon”. The Yankees may have a chance to get him back.

Vancy Worley is a recent call-up of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and may be a target for some trade talks. He is a 26-year old journeyman, having been with the Phillies, Twins, and now the Pirates over 5 seasons. After being brought up in June, he has had 5 starts, 4 of them being quality starts. His career ERA is 3.99 and HR/9 of 0.9. This year, he is sporting an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.125. Just before the All-Star break, they brought him in as a middle reliever to eat up a couple of innings against the Reds. Could they have given up on him? As I said earlier, the Pirates are actively pursuing starting pitchers. If he is the sixth man on a 5-man rotation, the Yankees may want to put in a call.

Look, there are no easy answers to the Yankees’ starting pitching problem. There is no easy way to replace the production you get out of a pitcher like CC Sabathia when he is 100%. Between pitchers being locked into contracts and the tightness of practically all the races in baseball, finding teams willing to give up someone with potential is challenging at best.

We hope that one of these guys will be within reach of the Yankees and we can get someone to get us through 2014.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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A TEN YEAR DROUGHT PLAGUES OUR FARM

(In Photo: Slade Heathcott)
I sit here watching the 22nd Winter Olympic Games from Sochi and I smile with pride at the youth of the skaters, snowboarders and skiers.  It’s awesome to see such talented young people out there fighting for their personal best on their journey to win the gold for the United States.  With Yankee pitchers and catchers reporting date almost here, I sit here concerned about the value and talent of the teens and young people in our farm system these days.  And I am not alone.  ESPN New York posted their analysis questioning the “juice in the Yankee farm system.”  “For a team that has shown remarkable success over the past two decades -- five World Championships, 13 AL East titles and 17 postseason appearances in the past 19 seasons - - the Yankees have also shown some remarkable weakness in their ability to draft and develop their own talent,” stated the article “Have the Bombers gone barren” by Wallace Matthews and Andrew Marchand.  As much as I would like to disagree, they have a point.

 (In Photo: Rob Kaminsky)
ESPN Keith Law ranks the farm systems before each season.  The St. Louis Cardinals have been in the top ten of overall farm rankings over the last couple of years.  This year the pitching dominant Cards are listed at 7th.  Perhaps the most surprising ranking is the Houston Astros, topping the list for 2014 with the Twins, Pirates, Cubs and Red Sox finishing the top five.  According to Law, teams in the top five have a lot of depth.  Where are the Yankees?  We are ranked 20th out of 30 farm systems.  Ouch!  That hurts, but look at the history.  We’ve only had one injury free, every day player come out of the farm system in ten years; the once-rumored trade bait, Brett Gardner. Before that, we had the Core Four and our very own fan favorite Bernie Williams.  To say there has been a drought is an understatement. 

Even our GM, Brian Cashman, agrees.  “It's not as good as we need it to be in terms of results," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said when asked if it was fair to characterize his farm system as a bust. "There are a number of reasons behind that. At the end of the day, we've had some misses, without a doubt. We've had some guys who didn't make their projections, who failed to cross the finish line. So basically it's fair to criticize where we're currently sitting."

Some guys just aren't cutting it. There is concern that injury will hold back others. We even spoke extensively here about young stud Ty Hensley who literally over compensated in his delivery for years, not even realizing that he was. Eventually he had an abdominal strain, which led to hip surgery.  Luckily now he's fully recovered, but that setback hurts. Back in August, this was the exchange BYB had with Ty:

BYB: Ty, how are you feeling and how is the recovery? Are you on the mound? Flat ground? Are you able to throw at all yet? Walk us through it.

Ty Hensley: Right now I am feeling better than I have in a very long time, my body is adjusting to the new rotation my hips have and I am working on building up muscle strength while doing a lot of PT to stretch out that area and increase flexibility. My doctors and I couldn't be happier with the progress I have made since my surgery, but I wouldn't be telling the truth if I didn't say there have been some pretty tough days along the way.  I am not throwing yet, outside of simulation, but I am not far off.  I am able to start a running program soon and I can't wait!

Read NEW TY HENSLEY INTERVIEW: CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN for more and we'll get an update soon about Ty, because no doubt he's recovered and ready to roll, but that's just one small, positive part of a bigger troubling picture.

Many are worried about our farm.  This season for instance, there is a "chance" we may see Manny Banuelos, but perhaps only in the pen.  I have seen Slade Heathcott play in Trenton, but honestly, at this point, we don’t have room for another outfielder up here, even if he does stay healthy.

Beefing up the farm is hugely important for our future.  We all know this but for me personally, I feel like it's just not happening.  Remember, however, to be a Yankee, you have to be at the top of your game.  There is a different level of competition.  There is a higher standard.  “So guys like David Phelps, Adam Warren or an Ian Kennedy aren't looked as good. It is either you are the next Derek Jeter or a failure”, states an AL scout quoted in the ESPN article. 

According to Law, “Scouting and player development are still the best way to build a competitive major league team, and while some extra money in scouting helps, success in either area is far more a function of the people you employ than the money you throw at the players. Good organizations hire and retain good people, enact strong processes and then execute them -- even when fans or writers don't see the big picture.”  

To that end, Hal Steinbrenner admitted at the Brian McCann signing in December that the organization is teaching scouts to look for “different things, things that maybe they hadn’t looked for before, things Cashman thinks are important.”

I hope so, because being ranked 20th in anything is not a "Yankee thing."  Maybe we’ve shaken things up a bit in the youth market with the Tanaka signing earlier this year.  Let’s hope we can seed the farm with a little bit more punch in 2014 and make some progress in our good ‘ol fashion home grown talent.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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