YANKEE PANIK!

There's one thing the Yankees DO need and that's a lefty bat or 2.  No idea if they will be successful finding it this offseason, but recently there's been chatter that one guy they are keeping their eye on is Joe Panik. Now look... this comes from Buster Olney of ESPN who is pretty horrible about being right, but always good about getting clicks to made-up or fake sports news stories. Hey, my opinion, just look at his track record.  I know people like Buster's stuff. I do not, but that's OK... I still like you all!

Anyway, check this out from Buster:

"As the Yankees explore ways to have more left-handed balance on their roster, one option they’ve discussed — among others — is adding Joe Panik in free agency, to be part of their infield mix..."

Empire Sports Media actually does a great job of laying things about Panik, tools and all:

"Panik played in 142 games last season, logging 491 at-bats with five homers and 39 RBIs. His offensive production isn’t noteworthy, but he has potential and can be of use for a Yankees team looking for reserves. During the first half of the 2019 season with the San Francisco Giants, Panik was defensively stout, earning a .992 field percentage over 90 games at second base. 

The Yankees are looking at him as a reserve infielder with an optimistic bat. With Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada waiting in the wings, this would be a low-risk move to add some diversity to the batting order."

Key word phrase here:

low-risk.

Let's see what happens next.

KEEP 'EM OR DUMP 'EM LIST

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As we enter the week of Thanksgiving, approximately one month since our last game of the ALCS,  I could not think of a better time to put together what I am touting as the KEEP 'EM OR DUMP 'EM LIST.  And let me preface this by saying that fans have been asking me to write a piece like this and I overheard a group of Wegmans' employees chatting it up about who should stay and who should go as they organized the carts in the parking lot on a busy Saturday morning.  The conversation was entertaining and they had no idea I was eavesdropping or that I would have an clue what they were talking about...BYB undercover reporter!

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

If we start with our pitching staff, I would absolutely offer CC Sabathia a reasonable contract and make an attempt to keep him, but I would be happy to see Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia go.  Dump them both- they have no business here, really.  Promote Chad Green to a starter and bring up Justus Sheffield and give him a whirl.  Masahiro Tanaka?  Depends.  I would try and keep him but if he is way too expensive, I would dump him along with Caleb Smith, Jonathan Holder, and Chasen Shreve.  See what we can get for them along with Luis Cessa who has already been in trade talks for a potential trade with San Francisco.  Dellin Betances should also be part of the trade talks.  Not in love with what he gave us during the later part of the season.

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Our catchers are staying, although I caution Gary Sanchez with this warning...figure out how to be a better defensive catcher, use your resources to improve and don't be so cocky.  That's all I have to say about that.  Turning my attention to the rest of the infield or the position players, Chase Headley needs to go already.  I would figure out how to keep Todd Frazier and Ronald Torreyes but I would dump Tyler Austin and Garrett Cooper and even Tyler Wade, especially if we pick up Joe Panik.  We should think about trading Starlin Castro as well.  He offered nothing to us in the post season and a lot of days of the DL during the regular season. Greg Bird holds his own at first base. Just stay healthy, Bird!

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The outfield is stacked with a lot of talent at the corners in Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge but center field, well, that's up for grabs.  Like my comment about Castro, I was very disappointed with Aaron Hicks' performance during the post season and his number of long trips to the DL this season.  He needs to prove himself worthy of the starting center field position before I think about trading Clint Frazier.  If I could design my own Christmas gift, I would figure out how to gift wrap Jacoby Ellsbury and ship him right out of the Bronx.  Hey, Brian Cashman has shown us his black magic before when he dumped Tyler Clippard (dare I say his name) and we picked up Frazier and Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson (all of whom I would absolutely keep).  Let's not lose faith that he can pull off some kind of Ellsbury exit.

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Anyway you look at it, we have some moves to make and a championship team to fine tune.  Some guys are with us and fit this vision and others clearly don't.  What are your thoughts on "the LIST"?  Give us a shout out and weigh in on your KEEP 'EM or DUMP 'EM LIST.

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof 

BLOCKBUSTER! YANKEES COULD MAKE TRADES WITHIN THE WEEK

 Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

There is speculation that the Yankees could make some trades with the San Francisco Giants, which may excite you and derail you at the same time.  The GM Meetings begin in Orlando this week and there is talk that the Yankees could come away with some new players, which could significantly improve their infield and batting order but we may lose something in the process.

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The Yankees could send Starlin Castro, Luis Cessa and Tyler Austin to the Giants in return for power in the line up and in the field with Joe Panik making his way to Bronx.  According to the Joel Sherman of the NY Post on Saturday, "The Giants are looking to add power, specifically righty power. Panik loses homers at AT&T Park that I believe he adds with his lefty stroke at Yankee Stadium. Just as attractive is that no qualified hitter struck out a lower percentage last year than Panik, and the Yankees might have been too susceptible to the whiff in the past playoffs. He’s a better defender than Castro. He grew up a Jeter/Yankees fan, went to St. John’s and lives in Duchess County in the offseason. In the short term, he plays second with Gleyber Torres becoming the regular third baseman."  

Source: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images North America

Panik completed the 2017 season with a .288 ERA, 10 home runs and 53 RBIs.  Not all that impressive when you just look at the numbers, but if you take into consideration what Sherman says about Panik losing home runs to the parameters of AT&T Park, we may be able to double or even triple his home run numbers and therefore increase his RBIs at Yankee Stadium.  His on base percentage is .347 and he only struck out 54 times.  Panik is 26 and could be a good fit for the Yankees.

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Sherman believes that because the Yankees have traded this early in the past, they are likely to strike early this year.  Now here's the part you may not like. "The Giants badly want to add a center fielder, so (Aaron) Hicks would be more their desire, and I think they are the early frontrunners for free agent Lorenzo Cain. I also keep wondering if there is a bigger trade between the Yanks and Giants with Jacoby Ellsbury (as a salary counterbalance) and more significant power prospect — Clint Frazier perhaps — going to San Francisco for Jeff Samardzija, especially if the Yanks fail to land Shohei Otani and need to put sure innings into their rotation."  Yea, I was skeptical of that part too except for the Ellsbury dumping.

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I like Clint Frazier and I feel like he has an energy and a potential not realized quite yet.  He has not had enough time to prove himself and I don't quite know why the Yankees keep dangling him out there.  Do they not like something about him?  It's peculiar for me.  Samardzija has been struggling as of late but he is a power pitcher who could find himself performing at his best in a power house team like the Yankees.

 Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

So, I think it is safe to say that we have some trades brewing for us as soon as this week with the GM meetings set to start on Monday.  It will be interesting to see what happens for the Yankees and baseball as the Mets may make a play for Jason Kipnis, which could add something to their lineup for the spring.  Count on us to bring you the best coverage and analysis for the off season happenings.  Let's hope for a great week of trading!

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

FEELING LIKE A PROUD MAMA WATCHING NUNEZ PLAY FOR THE GIANTS!

I am not the biggest Eduardo Nunez fan by far, but I liked Nunie as much as the next fan.  Actually, watching him in a Giants' uniform on national television this weekend, I think I like him even more.  I felt like a proud Mama watching Nunez scoop up ground balls and take swings like the All Star he has become with the Minnesota Twins.  He even got a game tying double with the bases loaded in Saturday's game against the Nationals, his first two RBIs since becoming a Giant.  Sure, he has always lacked consistency and had more errors than I would like any MLB player to have, but he holds his own and he most certainly drew the attention of Giants' General Manager Bobby Evans who needed some insurance in the field as the team's post season seems more and more a reality.

"As we look at the rest of the season, we just want to have the protection of (Nunez's) experience -- given the time these guys [Joe Panik, Matt Duffy and Hunter Pence] have missed and how much time they may need to have off down the stretch," reports Fox Sports.  Smart planning for a club who has seen more post season and quite frankly, media coverage than any other team in the last decade.  We could learn a little something from this crew.

Nunez has grown up to be a player who is very much valued.  "Here’s a guy who was expected to be a bench bat for the Twins this season after succeeding in the role last year, and two and a half months into the season manager Paul Molitor is joking that his own biggest struggle regarding Nunez is finding time to rest him." Nunez said that the key for him has been playing more consistently. "Before I was getting one shot every week, so it’s hard to make adjustments. … I think I’m the same player, I just have more opportunity to play, so you can prove more, you can show more what you can do," stated Nunez in an interview earlier this season.

So the fact that his hard work and consistent playing time has gotten him to one of the best teams in baseball is like winning the lottery or making it to the Olympic Games.  This journeyman/utility player has finally made it to a team that values his efforts and could get him a shot deep into the post season, if not the World Series.  Sometime the good guy wins and for Nuni, I am so proud of his grit and determination.  I can't wait to see this guy shine in San Fran!

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