WHY INDEED, MR. CASHMAN?

Recently my colleague Mike O’Hara wrote an article titled “WHY?” (you can see it here).  In it, he questions the wisdom of naming players to certain roles prior to any competition happening in Spring Training.  In particular, Mike writes about GM Brian Cashman naming recently acquired flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman the closer for 2016.  Later, figurehead Manager Joe Girardi would confirm his supreme leader’s proclamation.

Mike’s point, in the perfectly explained piece, is that the Yankees already had the American League closer of the Year Andrew Miller, and closer-in-waiting Dellin Betances on the roster.  Why not let the three more-than-capable stoppers compete for the ninth inning role during Spring Training, and let those hired to coach and manage the day-to-day performance of the team decide which they’d rather place their confidence in?  It’s a perfectly valid question, and one that I ask annually.

Unfortunately, the Yankees have a General Manager who has made it a habit of determining who will be starting in the Bronx come Opening Day.  One only need to look at the past two off-seasons to realize that perhaps our GM needs an intervention.  Just last winter, December 16th to be exact, Cashman stated “He’s coming in as one of our starters” in reference to the signing of aging pitcher Chris Capuano.

Without so much as a word from Girardi, a new (old) member of the squad was named to the rotation.  How did that work out?  It didn’t.  The 36-year-old who had an ERA under 4 just three times in his career, the last one coming in 2012, lasted just three starts before being removed from the rotation.  Apparently the baseball people on the ground convinced his highness that a guy who couldn’t make it out of the sixth inning and held a 6.39 ERA wasn’t going to be the answer for the five-hole in the rotation.  Capuano would go on to finish the season with a 7.97 ERA (he made one more appearance as a starter where he gave up five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning), and hopefully out of the Bronx in a pinstripe uniform forever more.

If the Capuano decree wasn’t enough, then there’s my favorite (no, not really) topic: Stephen Drew.  A little over a month after the starting pitcher’s (trying not to throw up writing that) signing and starting role announcement, the Yankees GM re-signed lifeless infielder Stephen Drew to a $5 million contract – in spite of fact that Drew hit just .150 over 31 starts for the team in 2014.

On Jan 29th, just a few weeks after saying that Baby Bombers Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder would be competing – or sharing – for the starting second base job (something Girardi confirmed), Cashman again exercised his self-validation technique and bestowed the starting role upon Drew (the figurehead manager wouldn’t confirm it until March – even after Drew was thoroughly outplayed during Spring Training).   The result I have written about on numerous occasions: 131 games, .201 average.  If not for an injury that shortened his season, we might have witnessed the shortstop-turned-Cashman-second baseman finish with an average under .200 for the second consecutive year.  As it was, his anemic numbers officially qualified him as the worst hitting second baseman in Yankees history.  Like Capuano, it’s a good bet that Drew will no longer be our burden to bear, as the Nationals decided to take on the ballast this winter; ensuring us of having a productive bottom of the order.

Don’t for a second think that Cashman will stop his filling out of the lineup card during winter press conferences.  Just today – January 19th – he announced that Starlin Castro, recently brought on board to play second base, could also see some games at third.  His quote:

“We might do some non-roster invites, but we also think (Starlin) Castro can swing over (to third base) and plug a hole there.”

Yeah, it’s a position he HAS NEVER PLAYED.  But, what the hell, he’s the GM and he can do whatever he damn well pleases – even if it: A. immediately alienates returning third baseman Chase Headley, and B. once again circumvents the coaching staff’s decision-making.

I’m not sure what types of decisions that Brian Cashman thinks a GM is supposed to be making, but I’m pretty sure his coaching staff would rather he left the on-field calls to them.

In the meantime, all I, and others like Mike O’Hara can do is just keep asking “Why?”



    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

 




Thank you for your loyalty to Bleeding Yankee Blue. 
Please shop at the BYB store!  
On Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu 
On Facebook, LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue!
Don't forget to check out the BYB Hub.

DEALING FOR THE SAKE OF DEALING

Well, here we are again.  The same old business model dusted off and exercised in the off-season.  Of course, I speak of Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s practice of bringing someone’s “second best” over to our team just for the sake of making a deal.  It’s amazing how he seems to just get caught up in the activity swirling around him at the winter meetings, and in some perverse effort to make himself relevant, reaches an agreement with another team or player that does little or nothing to truly improve the team.

It has become almost predictable each winter, and each time it is precluded with statements either by Cashman or Manager Joe Girardi 100 percent contrary to what actually happens.

This time, it was Girardi talking about the spring competition between Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder for the starting second base job.  Both had performed exceptionally well down the stretch and during the most crucial games of the season (hitting a combined .303).  Refsnyder had played so well (hitting .385 with one error attributed to him, but in reality was an errant throw from pitcher Andrew Miller) that he was given the starting spot in the wild card game.

 

Ironically, it was just last off-season when talk swirled around the Jose Pirela – Refsnyder battle for that spot on the roster.  Last year, less than two weeks after the Pirela/Refsnyder speculation, Cashman signed free agent slug Stephen Drew and promptly named him the starter.  The move was lauded by the usual Cashman-lemmings; almost all saying nearly the same thing – Drew would be much better once he had a full Spring Training under his belt.   I won’t pick the scab that wound created any further…  In any case, no sooner had the words left Girardi’s mouth (regarding Ackley/Refsnyder) than rumors started flying that the Yankees and Cubs were discussing a deal to bring Starlin Castro to the Bronx.

Under an hour later, the deal was confirmed – pitcher Adam Warren and infielder Brendan Ryan were headed to Chicago for Castro – who would play second base for the Bombers.

Let me go on record as saying that I have nothing against Castro.  He’s athletic, young, and has a decent ceiling – nothing like the long list of issues I had with Stephen Drew.  I just don’t see him as a significant upgrade for second base.  The Refsnyder and Ackley combo did absolutely nothing last season to warrant the focus on getting a replacement.  In fact, they were among the small number of players that helped to keep the team in the post-season chase.  Refsnyder, in particular, has never been given the chance to prove himself.  Yes, over the past few years his defense has been suspect, but observers in MLB noted his improvement in that area.  He was truly developing into a very productive player – both at the plate (where he has always been above average) and in the field, and that development showed in September – when the team needed him the most.

My real problem here is what I’ve written about in the past; that Brian Cashman continues to use the Yankees minor league system as trade fodder, and nothing more.  The only time any of our minor league stars truly get a shot is if injury (Bird, Refsnyder etc.) or necessity out of lack of depth/ poor play (Severino) dictates that opportunity.  If the over-paid veterans with long-term contracts on the MLB squad remain upright, or simply perform at a lower-end level, our minor leaguers aren’t given any consideration – no matter how ready, or how much better they might be.

The bottom line is that Cashman doesn’t believe in, or trust, HIS OWN draft picks or HIS system of development enough to see them through to a conclusion (be it good or bad).  Simply put, he has no balls to believe in his own judgement.

I love the Yankees; always have, always will.  That is why it pains me to realize that we may not again see the likes of the “Core Four and Bernie”.  Cashman simply won’t allow it.

I wish Starlin Castro only the very best.  The potential is there and will be given the opportunity to be realized – a chance our “home grown” youngsters will never have.


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1


    

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.

WE KNOW WHEN PITCHERS & CATCHERS REPORT...

Can you stand it??

Not a huge news item here, but when you get your 2016 calendar, maybe you should mark it off. Yankees pitchers and catchers report on February 18th.

But wait, there's more.  According to LoHud, "The team will hold its first workout on February 19, position players are scheduled to report on February 24, and the first full-squad workout will be February 25. Here’s the exhibition schedule, which opens at home against the Tigers on March 2."

So yeah, other than moving John Ryan Murphy and Jose Pirela, read HERE, the only other "big" news is when pitchers and cathers report...

Yay!!!

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!

ROBINSON'S RETURN?

NOT BLOODY LIKELY! Come on.  Please. Let’s not do this one.  Robinson Cano is gone like Tuesday in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song! He isn’t coming back.  Yes! The Yankees need a big bat and it would be great to have a slick fielding 2nd baseman to boot…but it won’t be Cano.

Even if Seattle ate his whole contract (WHICH THEY WILL NOT) Robinson is not going to be back in the Bronx in the home pinstripes.

(In Photo: Aaron Hicks)
What is happening in the Yankee Universe?  Cash shipped Murph for a platoon outfielder.  Okay, I’m not sold on that one yet.  I take it as a slight against the Irish…I’m kidding…kind of.  And he sent Pirela to Southern California to be covered by Champ Kind.  Not a huge loss there.

Jose was good…not great.  Why did Brian do these things?  I don’t know.  Maybe he doesn’t like Jose and John Ryan much, and thought he would send them packing to show them he’s the big dog in the yard.  Maybe he had a lousy lunch and took it out on two back ups.  Maybe he couldn’t access his Fan Duel account and decided to make a trade out of boredom.  Like I said, I DON’T KNOW WHY.  Is it because he has a grand plan to trade Gardy, Miller and possibly Jacoby to reunite with a Jay Z client who never felt “The Love” from the New York Yankees?  I seriously doubt it.

Cano’s deal in the Emerald City is EXACTLY like most of us thought it’d be.  He makes a lot of money, he plays in an unfriendly for Hitters Park, he had a mysterious food allergy (OK, I didn’t see that one coming) and he has stopped the organization from doing anything else…and they have to pay him until he is 41.  Brilliant!

The Creatures BOOED him.  Yankee fans turned their backs, and rightly so, after that “No Love” nonsense.  Robbie is a great baseball player, with a 2-cent head and starry eyes.  He’d rather be the Jay Z client making random appearances at the Grammies then the next Yankee Great.  That’s it.  There is no more to his story.  I don’t dislike Cano.  I thought he was an amazing player for the Bombers, but those days are over now.  He is Seattle’s 2nd baseman and will be for a while…or at least until picking up the tab on his deal becomes more digestible.

I am all for another Robbie to play 2nd next year.  Give Ref a real shot.  Yeah, he’ll make errors…like a kid normally does.  Sure, there will be growing pains.  But from what I’ve seen Double R might just have what it takes to play there everyday.

I’m not in Cashman’s office.  I don’t know what is going on in the GM’s mind, but I don’t believe that after all the garbage they went through watching Cano split town that they’ll break their necks bringing him back.

NO CANO DONTCHA KNOW!  To quote Garth Algar, “GIVE IT UP, MAN!!  LIVE IN THE NOW!!”

** Not my favorite band, but not my favorite topic of discussion either.  Our Robbie’s gone with the wind…**



 

--Mike O'Hara Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21





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!

MURPHY, HICKS & KNOWING WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

There's always good and bad points made when trades happen.  As many of you know, Jose Pirela and JR Murphy were traded today.  Pirela went to San Diego for righty Ronald Herrera. JR Murphy went to the Twins for Aaron Hicks, an outfielder.

On it's surface, Yankee fans are sad to see our guys go, which is perfectly normal and here's why; Yankee fans over the past 4 to 5 years, and as long as I'm heading BYB...root hard for "our kids".  When our kids go, we feel as though they weren't given enough time.  That's the bottom line.

Pirela was drafted as a SS and eventually was a second baseman and did some outfield work for the Yanks.  But at 25, the once Top Prospect was now just a kid that the Yankees needed to flip.  And yes, he was a Top Prospect.  Not our words, Newsday's words, read HERE... MLB's words, see below...



Bottom line, it would have been nice to see Pirela blossom in pinstripes, but he'll be fine in San Diego.

The Yankees get Ronald Herrera, a righty. A decent pitcher and someone the Yankees will definitely use. Bottom line, he will grow.. Breaking down Brendan Kuty's piece in NJ.com, "IS HE ANY GOOD? Before the 2014 season, Baseball America and MLB.com each ranked Herrera, of Venezuela, in the Oakland A's top 20 prospects. Then Oakland traded him to the Mariners for a player to be named later in May 2014. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo once said Herrera's fastball reached 94 mph and he's got a solid curveball, possessing the makings of a "solid big league starter" at some point. He earned Texas League Pitcher of the Week honors once in 2015."

Then there was JR Murphy, the back up to Brian McCann that, let's be honest, may have stuck around if Gary Sanchez wasn't tearing up the Arizona Fall League right about now.  We get Aaron Hicks in return, who has decent defensive skills and definitely someone that will be utilized in our outfield. I'm excited about him to be honest.

ESPN writes: "Hicks, 26, could serve as a fourth outfielder, the job held this past season by Chris Young, now a free agent. But it also could be the precursor to a bigger move; the Yankees might be shopping Brett Gardner, according to reports out of the GMs meetings in Boca Raton, Florida, this week.

Gardner, an eight-year veteran who is second only to Alex Rodriguez in length of service with the Yankees, was their starting left-fielder and one of two position-player All-Stars in 2015...Hicks, a switch-hitter, has played in parts of three big league seasons for the Twins, who made him the No. 14 overall pick in the 2008 amateur draft.

His best season came in 2015, when he hit .256 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs in 97 games, 88 of them in center field."

There is definitely growth and an upside to having Hicks on the Yankees.  And the good thing about Bleeding Yankee Blue is we have all opinions here. Ike Dimitriadis   wrote PIRELA AND MURPHY ... GONE! today. His glaring point was the following when speaking of the parting of Murph and Pirela:

"Both players were popular in the clubhouse and the fans, so you’re not alone if these don’t sit well with you."

The opinion is valid and his own and I applaud that because it goes back to what I said earlier.  Many Yankee fans want to see our guys grow, not traded away. It's very personal with us.  But let's keep it real, they are opinions and that's what makes BYB different from every other publication out there. My writers all have different takes on different stories.

I was annoyed by a snarky unneeded comment today on BYB:

"...it's always the same story here - trade marginal prospects and you guys are up in arms. You can also never give cashman any credit. I remember on this site when Nuno was traded it was like they traded the second coming of Ron Guidry."

First of all, if you really read us regularly sir, you'd know a few things.  Ron Guidry is a God to me and while Vidal Nuno was decent, he was no Ron Guidry.  What he was, was a lefty pitcher, and me being a lefty myself, I instantly an consumed because I appreciate the southpaw and ALWAYS root for them. Your wise ass comment is ridiculous and wrong.

Secondly, BYB has all opinions... ALL OPINIONS.  We have a story about Stephen Strasburg and how BYB writer Dan Lucia wants him in pinstripes... BADLY I might add, read HERE.  Tomorrow Mike O'Hara has a counterpoint argument. He doesn't want the guy.   We do that with Mark Teixeira, with Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner... what the hell are you reading that you're so wrong?

Bottom line... I like that we moved JR Murphy for Aaron Hicks... Ike doesn't, but tomorrow we get up and work together on some more posts for the BYB audience to read.  That's because we don't take this stuff as seriously as brain surgery. It's baseball... it's the rumor mill... it's a fucking game, bra.  Chill.

To Herrera... to Hicks... welcome to the Bronx.  To Murphy and Pirela... good luck. You were good soldiers in New York, but it's time to turn the page.

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!

PIRELA AND MURPHY ... GONE!

Brian Cashman didn’t wait long to start making moves. There were two big announcements today – the Yankees traded John Ryan Murphy to the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Aaron Hicks and Jose Pirela to the San Diego Padres for right-handed pitching prospect Ronald Herrera. Both players were popular in the clubhouse and the fans, so you’re not alone if these don’t sit well with you.

Aaron Hicks is a 26-year old centerfielder with 3 years’ experience at the major league level. He holds a career batting average of .225. 2015 was his breakout year, where he got his average above .250, his OPS over .700, and got into almost 100 games. Note sarcasm. Seriously, though, he is a decent fielder with a career .995 fielding percentage and above average range. He looks like a solid late-inning defensive replacement. For which we traded the guy that Joe Girardi said would be part of a good catcher tandem with Brian McCann, just yesterday. Yeah.

On the other half of the story, in Ronald Herrera we get a 20-year old right-handed pitcher who has not seen major league action yet but has completed 4 years in the minors at various levels. He finished the season last year at the AA level San Antonio Missions with a 3-1 record, a 4.53 ERA, and a .1420 WHIP. Minor league pitchers sometimes have potential that coaches have to see while the kid is pitching, and maybe that’s the case here, but the numbers just don’t tell that story. Remember, we gave up a top 2B/OF prospect for him.

There is some thought being published out there that acquiring Hicks sets up a Brett Gardner trade. If that were the case, wouldn’t you want an everyday outfielder? Rumors kicked up earlier today about trade talks with the Mariners. Unless King Felix is in the mix, I don’t see how the Yankees end the day in the positive. I am trying to maintain some journalistic impartiality here, but it’s beyond me at the moment. These deals just suck.

Anyway, that’s the news. Carry on.

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






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!

FOLLOWING THE YANKEES YOUTH MOVEMENT

Every once in a while I like to highlight a few players that have been doing some good things during their seasons and playing time.  Mostly it’s the kids, you know, the youth movement that we at BYB advocate for. 

There's a ton of fall baseball being played, besides my own son of course and we wanted to share great stats and streaks of some of the players.  Check this out:

Gary Sanchez:  Could Sanchez be the MVP of the Arizona Fall League? Could be.  Sanchez currently has 4 home runs and 14 RBIs.  In the last 3 games, he’s 7-15. 

Ian Clarkin:  We love Clarkin here, but didn’t when he was drafted and suggested that his whole family were Red Sox fans. Bad start.  No matter, he’s adapted in the Yankees minor leagues wonderfully.  In fact, be sure to check out our interview with him from a few years ago…EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: IAN CLARKIN.   In Clarkin’s second start in the Arizona Fall League, he was able to secure the win.  As Chad Jennings of LoHud writes:  “Clarkin is extremely young for the Fall League, and I imagine there’s some rust after not pitching in a game throughout the regular season. Getting innings is really the important thing at this point.”

Jose Pirela:  In 5 games in Venezuela, Pirela is hitting .500. Not too shabby. Also while playing there, he’s been the left fielder, NOT infield.   That's very interesting.

Tyler Austin: We root hard for Austin here, but we feel as though the Yankees are no longer high on him.  Unfortunate.  We interviewed him here at BYB and loved his drive and attitude.  Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY.

Austin is playing first base and batting .353 in the AFL.  Austin has always played well in the Arizona Fall League, but in AAA this past season, he struggled very much.  You just gotta hope the guy gets the groove he needs this fall and it translates next season.

If you like this series, let us know, we'll try to do this more often.   In the meantime, don't stop rooting for the Yankees youth movement.

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!