THE STROMAN HEADACHE

Marcus Stroman has drawn his line in the sand—he’s a starter, no ifs, ands, or buts. And honestly? The Yankees might want to start packing his bags. Will they actually trade him? That’s anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, Aaron Boone is playing it cool, insisting that the press... us, are making a big deal out of nothing (even though Stroman is clearly making it a big deal). Bottom line? If the Yankees move him, they could snag a decent return.

CBS Sports' Mike Axisa recently put together a list of five players who could still be traded before Opening Day, and—surprise, surprise—Stroman made the cut. Axisa knows what he's talking about, so his insight is worth noting. He floated the Angels as a possible landing spot, saying:

“There aren’t many. The best chance for a Stroman trade involves another team losing a starter or two to injury in spring training and having to scramble to add innings. Even then, guys like [Kyle] Gibson and [José] Quintana are available for just cash. To list a team, I’ll say the Angels.”

Translation? Unless another team gets hit with an injury crisis, finding a trade partner for Stroman won’t be easy. Why give up assets when you can sign a free agent for just money?

And speaking of criticism, broadcaster Michael Kay—who wasn’t a fan of the Yankees signing Stroman in the first place—didn’t hold back. He tore into the deal again on Feb. 14, after Stroman stirred up drama at Yankees Spring Training. On his ESPN radio show, Kay ranted:

"I've said over and over and over and over and over and over and over again that you cannot defend the Yankees signing that contract. It made no sense when they did it. It makes less sense now. So today, when he spoke with the media, he said, 'I am not a reliever. I'm a starter. I'm not a reliever.' So you know what that did? That was a square kick right in the cubes of the Yankee organization as they try to trade this guy.”

Not exactly subtle.

Let’s not forget—Stroman is set to make $18.5 million this season against the luxury tax, and if he throws 140 innings, his deal automatically extends into 2026. Will that happen? Maybe. But it’s far from guaranteed.

The Yankees have a choice: deal with the drama or get what they can while they still can. Stay tuned—this could get messy.

THE CLOCK WINDS DOWN & SO DOES MY PATIENCE

Wake me up when the clock strikes 4:01pm.....

I am not sure if it is the high level of anticipation or anxiety that has me ready for the trade deadline to finally come to a close. This season has been packed with all kinds of rumors. I love rumor season, but some of them this year made me point and laugh. I just want it to be over and done with. July needs to go away and it's time to focus on August and a push for the postseason.

Photo: UPI

The bullpen has been reinforced, and the starting rotation got a band-aid fix. I can't call it an upgrade exactly but, whatever. Jaime Garcia is a veteran lefty that adds some stability to the back of the rotation. Now the question is.....can Billy Beane and Brian Cashman finally get this Sonny Gray deal done?

Credit: USA Today Sports

So again, my anticipation and anxiety are heightened. Would it be cool to have Sonny Gray? Sure. I like the idea of young, controlled starting pitching. But, I like the idea of keeping our farm in tact more. Some people call Gray an "Ace" and I disagree. To those who do, that's fine. On some teams Gray is an ace but on the Yankees he just isn't. If I had my way I would continue to hold to my "Prospect hugging" ways (that comes from readers here at BYB) and hold firm.

Photo: Newsday

I was having a friendly debate with some fellow baseball fans this week. Quite a few made the argument that the Yankees have "an army of up and coming outfielders" to which I agreed. We do. Because of that the Yankees should get rid of some of them and go "all out" and trade them for Gray which I again disagree. The name that kept being tossed around was Clint Frazier and like Cashman I say he is "untouchable" and is worth a lot more than Gray is. Pitching wins baseball games, but the Yankees can still win a bunch of baseball games with other less costly pitchers. Not for nothing, Gray would pitch once every five days while Frazier is an EVERYDAY guy and he is a FIVE TOOL player. I'm not trading him for an injury prone pitcher. Frazier is a guy you build an entire team around and he is the guy that helps gets fans to the ballpark EVERY game.

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images 

Cashman and Beane should and will continue to talk about Gray. He is a difference maker but Cashman already showed he wasn't giving up top prospects TWICE with the Chicago White Sox. He said no to not only Jose Quintana, but to Chris Sale prior to that why would he do it for Gray now? The market may be very soft for starters but he doesn't command a better package then Sale does.

Something tells me this will be a nail bitter to the last few minutes. There has to be a limit here for Gray, because he comes with some risk and the Yankees have a lot of promising talent. So who gives in first?

Please don't let it be Cashman. I can't wait until this is finally OVER!



--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

A REUNION WITH ROBERTSON MAY BE IN THE WORKS.....

Photo: Getty Images

As the second game of the Sunday Doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox got underway social media started to blowup once again. You gotta love this time of the year! It sounds like the Yankees and Red Sox are not only battling on the field at Fenway but also at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

We have always wondered if we would ever see David Robertson back in a Yankees uniform and based on the latest rumor by Jon Heyman HERE, we just might. It's not the first time we have written about it. Last season when the Jose Quintana talks started Robertson was attached to a rumored deal the Yankees were interested in. The White Sox have since traded Quintana away so now the question remains....are we scouting for the same player?

July 7, 2017 - Source: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America

The Yankees have been rumored to be looking for other options at third base all season but the Red Sox may have more need for Todd Frazier than the Yankees after the Sox decided to DFA Pablo Sandoval for.....obvious reasons. The Yankees do have issues at third base but thankfully not the same kind. The Red Sox are also looking for bullpen help but the Yankees have a more pressing need for the pitching so maybe, we won't be competing for the same guys this time.

May 26, 2017 - Source: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America

We have always loved David and his wife Erin here at BYB, in fact they sold our first set of BYB shirts so we go way back.

The bullpen is a big concern for the Yankees. Dellin Betances hasn't been the same for a while now, Tyler Clippard is just horrible and Aroldis Chapman is not the same Chapman from before his trip to the disabled list. The ERA is higher and the blown save the other night really hurt. Robertson could be another great setup man or give Chapman a night off when needed and he knows what it takes to pitch here.

Photo: Getty Images

It sounds like Robertson has had a lot of anxiety recently with facing the possibility of being traded. It's hard to deal with the rumors and worrying about uprooting your family when your wife is pregnant but now that they have welcomed their daughter Violet into the world wouldn't it be a great 'homecoming' to come back to the Bronx? I think so.

I think Heyman was right when he said the Yankees "always have" loved Robertson. Fans loved him and we do too so a Robertson reunion would be a-OK with me. If anymore Robertson trade chatter happens you know we will be quick to share the news.

Until then....congrats to the Robertson's on their new bundle of joy and we hope to SEE you soon!




--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

THE STROMAN IDEA

(May 23, 2017 - Source: Dylan Buell/Getty Images North America)

It's been known and discussed a lot. The New York Yankees need to do something with their starting rotation. There are so many rumors are out there right now as to who they should go after. I just wrote about talk of the Yankees maybe pursuing Sonny Gray.

Photo: Getty Images

Read READY FOR SONNY GRAY? for more on that. Now look, to tell you the truth, I'm not really crazy about that idea. I'm really not.

The other guy people are talking about is Jose Quintana.  That rumor seems to have been floating around for a long time now. Would that happen? Who knows.

Now comes the latest, newest, freshest rumor in Yankeeland.  NJ.com discusses the possibility of the Yankees maybe even pursuing Marcus Stroman. I mean... Stroman? Really?

(June 16, 2017 - Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America)

"If the Yankees are going to give up big assets and a chunk of a top-level farm system in a trade, the return has to be worth it.

With the team struggling heading into the All-Star break, a case can be made for general manager Brian Cashman to go after help at first base, third base, bullpen or starting rotation.

While names like Athletics' Sonny Gray, White Sox lefty Jose Quintana and Pirates ace Gerrit Cole have dominated conversation, a new young ace has entered the rumor mill: Toronto Blue Jays righty Marcus Stroman."

June 3, 2017 - Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

What a great rumor! Stroman fits the bill as to what the Yankees are trying to accomplish, which is staying competitive while rebuilding for the future. This kid can be the bonafide ace the Yankees have been looking for. It would also get him away from the AL East rival Blue Jays, IF the Blue Jays are willing to give him up.

Photo: Getty Images

Throw him in with Sevy and they could end up with one of the best 1-2 punch in the league. A trade of this magnitude would help the Yankees in a year they have been better than most predicted. With him not being eligible for free agency until 2020, it also helps them for the next couple years and gives them more time to lock him up for the future.

But like I stated, could he be given up by the Jays? And, what would be the cost? Any pitcher of quality the Yankees go after is going to cost the proverbial arm and a leg. but to be honest, out of all the rumored pitchers that have been linked to the Yankees, I think I like this one the most. 

How about you? Comment.

--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @sevn4evr

BYB Posada Original

This is a wonderful image I took of Jorge Posada is available on Laptop cases and Phone cases.

TRADE PROPOSALS THAT MAKE YOU SAY, WTF?!

(July 1, 2017 - Source: Jon Durr/Getty Images North America)     

I love the rumor mill. I have to admit though, I liked the rumor mill more when the Yankees were winning and on a roll. Right now, the rumor mill isn't as fun and some of these ideas smell like desperation and insanity as I read through them. Some of them are just completely crazy!

I was reading a rumor piece from a major news source talking about two pitchers the Yankees should go after. The names weren't new, we have talked about them here on BYB but the trade proposals made to get these guys were new....and rather ugly. The name Jose Quintana still won't go away and Johnny Cueto looks more appealing with everyday that passes, but the Yankees are looking to deal and build for the future and not be robbed which is exactly what these proposals were....highway robbery.

Photo: Getty Images

1) Yankees Gain: Jose Quintana AND Todd Frazier
    Yankees Lose: RF Clint Frazier, RHP Justus Sheffield, RHP Zack Littell, 1B/OF Tyler Austin and SS Wilkerman Garcia.

We've talked about Quintana for months but here's a quick breakdown on WHY we and many other teams are talking abut him. He's attractive because he is cheap, offers team control to the Yankees, he is an innings eater and he's a consistent starter. All things that sound great. However, the proposal made above is not great.

Photo: Pinstriped Prospects

First of all....I am not trading two young top prospects in Frazier and Sheffield for Quintana. Frazier is a five-tool player and I'm not giving him up for a number three starter. I like what Quintana offers, but not enough to give up a five tool guy who is younger. You can't discredit Sheffield either, this is a guy that will probably be a starter for the Yankees at some point next season.

(June 2, 2017 - Source: Leon Halip/Getty Images North America)

So Todd Frazier may make sense on paper. He can play first and third which we all know are HUGE problems for the Yankees right now. Those are the cornerstone pieces in any infield and should be major offensive contributors. The Yankees have not had any luck at first with injury plagued Greg Bird and Tyler Austin and then Chris Carter with his lack of offense, defense and habitual strikeouts. Chase Headley is no better, he just happens to be healthy. Frazier may sound like a guy the Yankees could use but he is also barely batting above the mendoza line. He's not an upgrade no matter how you look at it. Oh and....Austin is injured again so why would the White Sox want him? The logic is missing here.

Source: Getty Images

2) Yankees Gain: Johnny Cueto
     Yankees Lose: OF Dustin Fowler and SP Chance Adams

We've talked about Cueto before also, and sooner or later he is going to be on the move. The Giants are 22 games behind in their division and he has an opt-out clause waiting for him to exercise at the end of the season so the Giants have no reason to keep him. The Giants are also needing a major influx of young new talent. Their farm system is weak, and the Yankees is just the opposite and we all know what had to happen to give us a strong farm. Knowing that, why give up a strong farm for a rental?

Giving up Adams is a no-go for me. This kid has a future spot pitching on this team and he has been doing well down in Triple-A. Some fans are already petitioning for the kid to be called up to the Bronx despite not logging enough innings down in Triple-A. I'm not giving up a young pitcher with a high ceiling for a short term rental. Not to mention, Cueto has allowed 18 home runs in pitcher friendly AT&T Park. I don't want to imagine how ugly those numbers can get in hitter friendly / short right porch Yankee stadium. Not to mention, the guy is 31 years old and is having his worst season since 2009. It makes no sense to trade the future for a guy like Cueto.

Oh and not to harp again but Fowler has a pretty bad injury. He won't be back this season so that really doesn't make any sense.

Photo: SI

The Yankees need to stick with their plan and build towards the future. Guys like Adams and Frazier are players you build around. The Yankees will have a very strong team with these guys playing for years to come. Do we want to win now? Of course, we are Yankee fans....but we aren't dumb either. We know what we have, and it's much better than the trade proposals above. Some things you just can't make up.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ



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DESPAIR IS SETTING IN

Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

Before we left for California, I had confidence in our team.  I would watch games, see the score, and breathe a sigh of relief.  The relief was centered around confidence; confidence we would win; confidence that we could put up enough runs from the team as a whole, to buffer the poor pitching performance.  But after the absolute nightmare of California, despair is setting in and I can't help it.

Source: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

I guess the lynch pin for me was the news about Gleyber Torres and his season ending surgery; one from which I hope he can rebound.  "The Yankees announced Monday that the 20-year-old Torres will undergo Tommy John surgery on his left elbow but is expected to recover in time for spring training next year.

"It is unfortunate." Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "I'm thankful that it is a correctable problem," reported ESPN on Monday. If there is a sort of white knight in this painful situation it is that the injury came to Torres's non-throwing arm, but still...a terrible injury none-the-less.

 Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

Perhaps the Yankee GM didn't get my despair note and therefore had this assessment of the situation according to NJ.com, “We’re going to stay the course and play our way out of this.” "That means keeping (Masahiro) Tanaka in the rotation, no trade for an available starter like Gerrit Coleman or Jose Quintana, and no call-up for right-hander Chance Adams, despite an 0.93 WHIP at Class-AAA and a .168 opponents’ average."

Source: Jason O. Watson/Getty Images North America

Also countering my despair is Cashman's stake in the team and as NJ.com reported,  "Now it’s a race. Now we’ll find out if the Yankees can handle a suddenly confident opponent (the Boston Red Sox) many picked to win the pennant. Cashman says the Bombers are up to this challenge. “I believe in this team,” he said, knowing that faith is about to be tested."

Source: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images North America

I want to believe...believe me.  Perhaps it is the lack of transparency around the progress of injuries to Aaron Hicks who just returned, Jacoby Ellsbury still symptomatic, Greg Bird apparently not ready and even Aroldis Chapman, who seemed to be taking his time back into the clubhouse only to complain about traveling across the country for one game.  Perhaps what Joe Girardi said about activating Chapman resonated with me, "I just think that, if you're a player that's being paid to play and you're eligible, you'd show up," Girardi said. "This is something I've heard from a couple different people about, `You're going to fly him across the country for one day?' How many divisions have been lost by one game in the course of history? How many playoff spots have not been guaranteed because of one game? Yeah, it's not ideal to be all the way out here, yeah, I get that. But he had a travel day where he didn't play. All our other players had a travel day where they played that day. If you've got people available that are the best, you want them here," reported ESPN.

So hopefully I will battle my despair over the next several days with some home wins, where the Yankees appear to be fairing the best and they will cruise into the All Star Break in a way that makes my faith in the team reappear magically. It certainly didn't happen last night!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEES CAN'T IGNORE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM ANYMORE

(April 12, 2017 - Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America)     

There's no sugar coating what happened the past week. After an incredible winning streak the Yankees dropped a series to the Los Angeles Angels without star player Mike Trout and then went on to Oakland and got SWEPT in a four game series to a team with the worst record and run differential in the American League. The Yankees should have dominated the A's. The Yankees have some serious problems they can no longer ignore.

Here's what needs to happen. The Yankees need to work on the solutions and skip making any excuses. The Red Sox are banging on the door and first place and the division is now at stake. The Yankees have three major areas of weakness, and some of those are the same as division rivals.

(June 16, 2017 - Source: Jason O. Watson/Getty Images North America)

1. Pitching
CC Sabathia is out, and will likely be out until after the All-Star break read DOUBTFUL CC WILL BE BACK BEFORE TRADE DEADLINE for more. I don't know what the hell is going on with Masahiro Tanaka but he can't be trusted. That's two anchors of the Yankee rotation that will be missing. The Yankees are going to need starting pitching and Joel Sherman had a great piece this week HERE highlighting Brian Cashman and his trade deadline strategy.

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees are still tied to the Jose Quintana rumors, and as the deadline gets closer the rumors will likely heat up. Sherman is right, Cashman does "deal from strength" and right now that is our middle infielders and starting pitching. The Yankees also need a lefty reliever. So who does Cashman get and who does he give up?

Photo: Getty Images

2. Third Base
The Yankees have been rumored to be considering upgrades at third base for weeks now. Chase Headley is having one of the worst offensive seasons of his career and he has committed the second-most errors at third base this year. Many expect the Yankees to improve the position form within, especially with Gleyber Torres rising quickly through the minors. That may be the long term plan, but now that he has an injured elbow those plans are temporarily on hold. The Yankees will need to consider upgrades outside of the organization and the Kansas City Royals are a good trade partner. The Royals are in third place after posting the worst record in April.

(June 13, 2017 - Source: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images North America)

Their bad start has them at a slim 6.7% chance to make the playoffs so that makes Mike Moustakas a prime trade target, read more HERE. He is in the middle of a career season and the most intriguing trade target for the team. Boston is desperately trying to solve their own third place weakness with Pablo Sandoval, so the competition may cause a higher price tag.

(April 1, 2017 - Source: Brian Blanco/Getty Images North America)

3. First Base
We all love Greg Bird. He is a big part of the Yankees future but he's not ready right now. Now that the Yankees have shut him down again the Yankees need to look at another solution potentially longer term because Rob Refsnyder and Chris Carter just don't work. The Yankees have Tyler Austin down in AAA. There was a lot of speculation that the Yankees were going to call him up on their last home stand but it never happened.

Photo: Getty Images

I guess the Yankees just don't feel like he is good enough right now. If that is the case, the Yankees could consider Yonder Alonso from the A's. He is having a breakout season and rumored to be interested in signing an extension with the team but are rarely successful in retaining high-dollar free agents. The A's are likely to make Alonso available on the trade market and his one-year, $4 million salary will make him easy to move. Division rivals the Angels and Mariners are interested in him, so maybe moving him to the Yankees will be ore appealing to the A's instead.

The Yankees just lost two series the should have won. The Angels were a sub .500 team until they dropped the last two games. The A's series was a nightmare. The Yankees should be dominating teams like this. As the season goes on the weaknesses of this team will only continue to be more obvious and the Yankees can no longer ignore the elephant in the room and they need to start making the right moves if they want to contend now.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

 

YANKEE RUMORVILLE: ARE THESE PITCHERS ON THE YANK'S LIST?

(April 25, 2017 - Source: Brandon Wade/Getty Images North America)

Not to get ahead of myself here, but they Yankees have proven that they are better team than many have predicted. The Yankees look like a potential playoff team now rather than the two years some predicted, like Vegas. They may not believe in the Yankees....but we do and if they make the right moves they will too.

I usually don't pay attention to Vegas odds because honestly, their predictions and thought process seem ass backwards sometimes. But this time, I found something to be rather interesting. In May the Yankees had 16/1 World Series odds, read that HERE. Now all of the sudden we have a legitimate MVP candidate and one month later we have a 12/1 odds. It's amazing how much someone like Aaron Judge on a winning team suddenly changes everything.

(May 29, 2017 - Source: Patrick Smith/Getty Images North America)

As I sit back and watch the league now that we are one-third of the way into the season we can all see the Yankees have one area they need to address in order to win it all in October. The Yankees are going to need pitching, plain and simple. Masahiro Tanaka has not been an ace, Luis Severino has rebounded from a disastrous 2016 and Michael Pineda is inconsistent and still cannot be trusted. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Yankees would be in trouble.

The Yankees have the offense but need some more pitching depth if they want to compete in the post season. As the trade deadline approaches there are some names the Brian Cashman could call on.

1) Jose Quintana - White Sox

Photo: Getty Images

2017 stats: 2-7, 11 starts, 5.60 ERA
Contract Status: Owed $38 million through 2020 (If options for 2019 and 2020 are picked up).
The Yankees have been tied to Quintana since the off season. He was one of the most consistent, underrated pitchers of the last four years. He threw at least 200 innings from 2013-2016 and never had an ERA over 3.51. He's had a rough start but history shows he is a better pitcher than what his current stats are. He's pitching on a fourth place team who isn't helping those stats. The numbers may not be pretty but he will still be a hot commodity on the trade market this season. He would still require a good prospect package to get him but knowing Cashman he is at least going to make the call and see where the conversation leads.

2) Gerrit Cole - Pirates

Photo: Getty Images

2017 stats: 3-5, 12 starts, 4.27 ERA

Contract Status: Free Agent after 2019
The Yankees drafted Cole as a first round pick back in 2008, but he attended UCLA instead of signing. The advantage with Cole would be getting another young, solid pitcher under team control. The Yankees would then be able to save more money to get under the luxury tax which has been a goal for awhile now. The Pirates are also in fourth place in their division and will be looking to sell by the deadline. It would be a good fit for the Yankees.

3) Johnny Cueto - Giants

(May 11, 2017 - Source: Jason O. Watson/Getty Images North America)

2017 stats: 5-5, 12 starts, 4.38 ERA
Contract Status: Owed $21.8 million per year through 2021 with an opt out option after 2017.
The Giants are 12.5 games out in the NL West and are bound to be sellers. Beat writers already recognize that he is an impact player for a contending team....the question is whose? If Cueto can have a good season behind a bad team exercising his opt out option only makes sense and would give the Yankees another ace on a rental. If the Yankees can keep him it's a fair price to pay for another ace in a playoff berth.

4) Cole Hamels - Rangers

Photo: Getty Images

2017 stats: 2-0, 5 starts, 3.03 ERA
Contract Status: Signed through 2018 with a 2019 team option
The Rangers are 15 games out in the AL West. Hamels is currently out with an Oblique strain and unlikely to return by July so he likely wont have enough innings pitched for his 2019 option to vest. That's good news because it would mean that the Yankees or any other team could get him at a deep discount and would be a longer term rental for a good pitcher who has some experience in big game situations. It's more of a low buy, higher risk option but if the price is right it's worth a phone call.

5) Yu Darvish - Rangers

(June 1, 2017 - Source: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images North America)

2017 stats: 5-4, 12 starts, 3.13 ERA
Contract Status: Free Agent after 2017
The Rangers have plenty of trade chips, and Darvish may be the rental that every contending team wants. He would be the rental that could make a difference. Early rumors predict that the Yankees and the Cubs are two favorite destinations for Darvish, read that HERE. The Yankees may be a suitor for him in the off season anyway, so it could be a good test to see if he can handle the New York pressure.

6) Matt Harvey - Mets

Photo: Getty Images

2017 stats: 4-3, 11 starts, 5.43 ERA
Contract Status: Under team control through 2018
This name is out there in the rumor universe. The Mets are open to trading him.....but all I can think is "NO! Please baseball gods, no!" The guy is a mess.

The trade deadline is still a ways off but I love all of the speculation. It's interesting to read all of the rumors and then look back on everything later. Who knows if any of these names and rumors have any merit to them, but it's still all part of the fun of being a baseball fan right? Let the trade rumors roll!

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ