ROMINE'S BREATHING DOWN YOUR NECK, GARY!

Photo: Getty Images

You don't make it to the Bigs and then just stop working hard.  You need to continue and never stop, because the day you do is the day that someone will pass you by.

Photo: Getty Images

Now I don't know if that's what's going on with Gary Sanchez, but you have to think maybe he's dogging it a bit because he knows he's the starting catcher of the New York Yankees. I'll tell you something though; Austin Romine has been around for a while now, and just when you thought the guy was gone, through Jesus Montero, through JR Murphy... through Brian McCann... he's still around. Sanchez better wake up.

I love this piece by Ken Davidoff in the New York Post today. Check out some of it:

"'Blocking balls is very important' on a blackboard. While the Yankees are being a tad passive-aggressive with this Sanchez situation, presumably to leave him a trail of crumbs back to prosperity, we haven’t seen Girardi exhibit this level of aggressiveness with one of his Yankees players, let alone a marquee player.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Since Sanchez committed his 12th passed ball and also oversaw two wild pitches Friday night, in a game the Yankees went on to lose 7-2 to the Indians, Girardi 1) called out Sanchez on the need to improve his defense; 2) started him at designated hitter on Saturday and said he’d return to catching on Sunday; 3) decided to start Austin Romine again on Sunday, without informing Sanchez (according to Sanchez) and 4) put Sanchez through two straight days of rigorous pregame workouts.

'To be 100 percent clear here, I have to improve on defense,' Sanchez told reporters on Sunday, through an interpreter. 'I am not perfect and I understand that. The bottom line is I need to improve.'”

Photo: Getty Images

Look, and it's good that Sanchez is under a microscope and admitting he sucks, but now he's gotta put in the work! Move the feet, be aggressive.  The Yankees don't want to give up on him yet, this is clear, but they can't just let him be lazy back there, and that's right, he has been lazy.  He needs to get it together... he needs to be a better catcher... that's the bottom line.  If he doesn't, trust me, I'd gladly take the harder worker here... Mr. Austin Romine, because believe me, he's breathing down Gary's neck!

I love confidence, I love hard workers and I love balls.  Wake up Sanchez, wake up! Romine's gunning for ya!

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.

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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






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KIDS TO WATCH: GARY SANCHEZ

With Spring training being only a few weeks away, Bleeding Yankee Blue is continuing this series . highlighting the kids that are vying for a coveted spot on the major league roster. We are going over their respective backgrounds – how they have been playing, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what to look for.

Gary Sanchez is a top catcher prospect, and has been a Top 50 Prospect on most major baseball prospect rankings. His claim to fame is his bat, which is so impressive that most people believe that he is ready for the Major Leagues this year. He spent the entirety of last season with the AA Trenton Thunder, and put up a slash line of .270/.338/.406, with a .743 OPS. He is a power threat with a decent average, with one quarter of his hits going for extra bases, including 13 home runs.

His defense is a mixed bag, with both assets and liabilities. He has a very strong throwing arm, throwing out 39% of base stealers in both years with Trenton. His fielding percentage in Trenton was an exceptional .980. However, his ability to call games and block the plate has been a concern, though they have seen improvement. Still, his defensive abilities are respectable and could be Major League-worthy.

Sanchez’ biggest problem is the list of guys in front of him. Brian McCann is the established catcher, and his offense and defense are both good. There is the occasional rumor that McCann may move to first as his primary position eventually, but there is still J.R. Murphy and Austin Romine, both of whom have a lot of potential. If his bat is good enough, he may force the Yankees to move him to another position in the field.

To that end, expect to see two things from the Yankees in regards to Gary Sanchez. First, they will want to see how well he swings the bat against major leaguers. If the power threat is there, it will force the Yankees to decide what to do with him. Second, it should not surprise anyone if the Yankees try him out at another position – perhaps first base or the outfield.

Having a kid with a power bat, forcing the team to put him *somewhere*, and having that kid be at least a backup at multiple positions, is a nice problem to have.

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





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JR WAS ON DALLAS, JOHN RYAN MURPHY IS A YANKEE

Do you remember the 80's? I know I do. I remember staying up past my bed time to watch "Dallas" with my parents when I was younger and J.R. was one of my dad's favorite characters, if not the favorite. Years later, I have my own favorite "J.R." as many Yankee fans have come to know him as throughout the years. Make no mistake though, he has grown into his own big name in the Bronx. Oh and, he likes to go called John Ryan Murphy, no abbreviations please.

As much as I think I know about our kids on the farm, I am often amazed at how much I learn about them even a few years down the road. I must admit, as much as I have liked John Ryan Murphy, I think I had blinders on. There is something very special about this kid, and he is really showing that to the baseball world. You ever heard the saying "It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for?" Well, in this case I think it is fitting. The Yankees have been so stacked with catching depth over the years, and I know I was always rattling off other names before Murphy came to mind. He was always in the list, but he wasn't at the top. Now looking back at everything I think he should have been.

Like many, for years I was so focused on Jesus Montero and Austin Romine. They always had center stage because they were older and I heard people saying things like Montero could have a potent bat like Jorge Posada but Romine would have the impressive defensive skills. They were the ones getting compared to all of these former legendary catchers or current hot names. I get it....but Murphy's consistency was lost in the mix.

Not to forget the high energy Francisco Cervelli, too. I mean, how can you not be drawn to him? Just watching him get all amped on television gives me an energy charge. His energy is contagious, and he just wants to go out there and make a difference. He is like the life of the party, except he may be the life on the bench sometimes. His energy just spreads and bounces to everyone on the team, and that's a good thing but that hasn't transitioned to a healthy and consistent year.

Then of course there is the phenomenon we are all hearing about named Gary Sanchez. He is hyped to be the next big thing for us. He could have a solid gold bat and an arm like a cannon, but he's just not ready yet. He could be the next great Yankee catcher, everything I have read seems to tell some version of this story, but again....where is Murphy?

I can tell you where Murphy has been, he has been grinding it out and working hard and making sacrifices to get to where he is now. Did you know that Murphy chose to go to IMG Sports Academy in Florida instead of a traditional high school? Can you imagine spending your mornings trying to be a normal teenager and cramming like we all did but then spending your afternoon practicing sports non-stop? It's a sacrifice. It's hours of choosing to work towards your future instead of living in the present and being young and spirited. I can't imagine that, but Murphy DID that and now he is here.

It's paid off. When Cervelli went on the disabled list with his hamstring issue the Yankees could have easily called up Austin Romine over him. Murphy was hitting below .200 but the Yankees called him up instead. Maybe it was the last moments from 2013 that set him apart also. He was the one the Yankees called up to help the team when injuries hit us like the black plague. He is the one that caught Mariano Rivera's last pitches. He has been the one the Yankees have leaned on when they needed help.

That being said, he has opened up a lot of eyes. Not only is Yankeeland impressed with him, but so are those other 29 teams. This is where my "you have to protect the kids" anthem kicks in. If you know me, you know that was going to come. I know I pledge this anthem constantly, but I do it because it is worth mentioning. In this case, the Yankees have entrusted a 22 year old kid over someone who is more experienced like Romine and he has delivered.

Even Joe Girardi is giving high praise and that's a huge compliment because Girardi was a great catcher. Read what Girardi has to say about Murphy HERE. All of the positive press is giving other teams something to think about and remember later in the season. What happens if the Yankees need an extra arm down the line? With Ivan Nova out for the rest of the season and Michael Pineda out for several weeks our pitching has taken a hit. If the guys we have healthy now don't perform then if push comes to shove the Yankees could deal him for the right arm. Could that happen to any player? Of course, but honestly, right now there are teams out there that need a catcher and there isn't a lot out there to choose from. Murphy is ready to be a big league catcher, he has the instincts and skills for it....but he won't be one here for awhile.

I hope Murphy does stick around. I never want to hold someone back just to keep them in pinstripes, but I think after everything we have seen from Murphy he IS a Yankee. He has the drive, and the skill to really help this team. I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to him before, but Murphy certainly has shown all of us that we should work hard and reach for the stars because dreams do come true.

OH and....JR belongs in the Bronx, not Dallas.....sorry dad!




 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ



 
 
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HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?

It's amazing how the ability of a ball club changes in just 1 game.  Last night the Yankees looked lost.  Today, they looked scrappy and determined.  That's the best part about a loss sometimes.  As soon as it ends, you want to get back to the ballpark and play again so you win.  You gotta love this great, great game.

Today it was about the kids.  The same kids that we here at Bleeding Yankee Blue interview and root for on a daily basis.  We want the next Core Four.  We want the youngsters to be given an opportunity to shine and prove to the Yankees organization that they're ready. Today John Ryan Murphy cranked out his first home run.  Today Dellin Betances looked dynamic.

Today, our buddy David Robertson closed things out in a 4-3 victory.   But I'm getting ahead of myself... this is how it happened:

Vidal Nuno pitched 4.1 innings today.  He gave up 5 hits and 3 runs. He also had 5 strikeouts.  Filling in for Ivan Nova so far suits him nicely.  He a good pitcher, and I love that he's a lefty. Betances followed, and other than balking at one point, he was tremendous.

Shawn Kelley and Matt Thornton followed and looked damn good.  The bridge to DRob was intact and we won.

As far as run scoring for the Yankees... it went like this;

In the bottom of the 2nd, Mark Teixeira scored on a balk. That was followed by John Ryan Murphy singling in 2 more runs. Then, in the 5th, Murphy homered.  Boom, all Murphy, all the time.

It was a good day in Yankeeland.  A combination of the kids and a W. The Yankees have forgotten about being beaten up last night. Today, they had a clean slate! Gotta love it.

Final: Yankees 4 - Angels 3.

I leave you with The Heavy... How you like me now.



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A WALK TO REMEMBER

In just eight pitches one of our newest Bombers etched a highlight sure to be replayed once the 2014 campaign is over.

And all he did was walk.

Dean Anna entered the fourth and final game of this April series in Tampa hitting just .136; clearly making his hold on a roster spot with the big league club a precarious one.  To make matters worse, the Yankees were desperate to get the previous two games’ blowout losses behind them, and were locked in an extra-inning 1-1 affair with the Rays, when Anna (inserted after Ichiro Suzuki pinch-ran for Derek Jeter the inning before) botched a routine ground ball in the bottom of the 11^th inning – putting the winning runner on first base for Tampa.

The Yankees escaped that inning and both teams entered the twelfth frame with little remaining on their benches.

With two outs in the top of the inning, the Yankees mounted a threat when Brian McCann singled Brett Gardner (who reached via a fielder’s choice) over to third base.  Rays’ manager Joe Maddon, always the strategist, had Jacoby Ellsbury intentionally walked to load the bases for the light-hitting Anna.

If ever the old adage “A walk is as good as a hit” rung more true, this was it.  

On the mound, the Rays had 24-year-old CJ Riefenhauser, a southpaw with a promising future ahead of him (don’t all of the Rays’ pitchers seem to fit that description?).  Maddon couldn’t have hoped for a better match-up.  After all, Anna was oh-for-the season (0/7) against lefties in 2014.

What ensued was a classic battle between two players desperate to hold onto roster spots.

After the first three pitches, Riefenhauser had a leg up in the count at 1-2, and I couldn’t help but think this game was going to go at least another inning.  This war of attrition didn’t seem to want to end.

Only, Dean Anna came to fight.

He fouled off two of the next three pitches and the count stood at 2-2 when he let ball three go by; showing great plate discipline.

The runners would be moving on the next pitch and one could sense that this would be the Yankees make-or-break moment of the game. 

Riefenhauser’s throw was low and away but close enough where Anna began to chase it, except the backup infielder was able to stop his attempt before it could be called a swing, and the Yanks had the go-ahead run across the plate.

You could almost feel the team release its collective breath, and when the camera panned the visitor’s dugout; our players could be seen celebrating.  In particular, Mark Teixeira yelled repeatedly “GREAT AT-BAT!!!”

The unofficial at-bat (walks don’t count as at-bats) didn’t raise his average, but it clearly showed Anna can handle big league pitching and pressure with the best of them. 

The walk “opened the flood gates” and the Yankees would go on to score three more times before the final out could be recorded.

The Yankees won the game 5-1 in no small part because of Anna’s walk.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, our “newbies” have given the Yankees new life, and Anna’s moment was a perfect example of that point. 

Yangervis Solarte, in spite of going 0-for-4 at the plate, played a crisp third base.  Vidal Nuno threw five scoreless innings while striking out six.   JR Murphy was solid behind the plate – making key blocks on pitches in the dirt with runners on base, and the bullpen – which had been pummeled the previous two contests – threw seven shutout innings.

Who says this team doesn’t have depth?

The game marked a big moment early in this season for our team.  As Kenny Singleton pointed out last night on the YES network, it was important that the team bounce back from the poundings it endured against the Rays. 

Now, the Yankees enter the new week on a good note (having won 6 of 8), knowing that they can play with the best this division has to offer.

Whether or not Dean Anna is able to “stick” in the Bronx remains to be seen, but last night’s ballgame went a long way in helping his cause.  Should the team be able to build upon the win, they can look back and thank the infielder for doing the simplest of things – drawing a walk.

    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1




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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS SO DAMN GOOD!

I had the fortune of being able to attend the Syracuse Chiefs Opening Day in Syracuse last Thursday.  It was special for me not because the local minor league team was beginning its season (the Washington
Nationals are the parent club), but because it was the opener for our “baby bombers” – the Scranton / Wilkes Barre RailRiders – who happened to be the Chiefs’ opponents.

It was a golden opportunity to watch the guys who didn’t make the Major League team and see what kind of potential would be on display.

I wasn’t disappointed.

As the game progressed, it became clear to me that our minor league system isn’t as barren as some would lead you to believe (perhaps our organization is scrutinized more heavily because of our success?).  Several stars emerged, and while it was only one game, it was still evident that the Yankees have a number of players with the talent to make it to “the show”.

Among those that most impressed were Scott Sizemore, one of the odd men out (with Eduardo Nunez) in the battle for the Yankees backup infielder spots.  He went three-for-three with three singles and a walk.

Russ Canzler, playing first base, showed good power in hitting two doubles during successive at bats and drove a long fly to right in his final time at the plate.

Zelous Wheeler, the shortstop, had a single and double in four trips to the plate and looked solid in the field.

Of all the players in the lineup, the one that stood out for me was Ramon Flores, the right fielder.  He had two hits during the game, one of which was a triple where tore around the bases at a speed that Secretariat would envy.  However, the play that I’ll remember isn’t one where Flores was batting.


It was the bottom of the fifth and the RailRiders led 4 – 1.  The Chiefs had runners at the corners and no one out.  Our starter, Bruce Billings, was beginning to labor and Syracuse’s Will Rhymes was at the plate.  The second baseman hit a fly ball of medium depth to right field.   Flores first started back on the ball then stepped forward towards it, and without hesitation made the catch and fired a throw on a line to home plate.  It took one bounce and settled perfectly into catcher JR Murphy’s glove a half-second before the runner arrived.

If you are an outfielder, it’s the type of play you dream about.

The hitters and fielders weren’t the only ones to leave their mark on Opening Day.  While our big league club has had a great start from its bullpen, the Triple-A relief corps wasn’t going to be outdone.

25-year-old Danny Burawa struck out two of the three batters he faced in the seventh, Mark Montgomery retired the Chiefs in order in the eighth, and Matt Daley struck out the side on 13 pitches to close out the game.

One couldn’t help but be impressed with the RailRiders from top to bottom.

As I left the stadium that day, I felt confidence in the future of our club.  Each of the players I have mentioned is at the cusp of their career in pinstripes, and I’m excited for their arrival in the Bronx.

Should our parent club need reinforcements during the season, I’ll have no problem with the powers-that-be reaching from within to fulfill their need.

The next time you hear someone tell you how thin the Yankees’ farm system is, just give a smile and walk away knowing that we are far better off than they think.  Take my word on it.



    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1




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