ANDUJAR TO HAVE SEASON ENDING SURGERY AND IT SUCKS

It's not what we wanted to hear, but you can't always get what you want. I wanted to see Miguel Andujar come back after an exciting 2018 but I guess we will have to wait until 2020 because according to multiple sources like the New York Post, Andujar is having season ending surgery.

It's the worst news that we all knew was likely inevitable. It's a bad break, and I am sure it wasn't an easy decision for him but I think it was the right decision. We could all see that even though Andujar completed a rehab assignment he just wasn't the same. He made it through rehab games, but once he got back to the Bronx it was hard to watch.

On May 4, Andujar was activated but in nine big-league games he showed no resemblance to what helped him finish second in the AL Rookie of the Year race last year where he hit .297 with 27 homers and 92 RBIs in 149 games.

Since he was activated he is 3-for-34 or a 0.88 BA and those three hits were singles. I'm sure the decision was hard. This surgery ends what was supposed to be the season of growth and improvement. Even though he finished second for Rookie of the Year, there has been a lot of concern over his defense. He went into the offseason working hard to improve defensively, and now we will wait to see what happens.

I was really hoping that Andujar was going to be able to just rehab this, but a shoulder injury to your throwing arm is no ordinary injury. He suffered the injury on March 31 diving back into third base against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Surgery was an option then but a rehab program was chosen instead. 

You can argue he "should've" had the surgery in April, hell I wouldn't disagree with you. It's easy to say that in hindsight now that we know the rehab program didn't work. It certainly seems like the Yankees rehab programs have been less effective this season....Troy Tulowitzki went back on the Injured List after his rehab also. The Yankees acquisition of Kendrys Morales was also a good indication that the Yankees were preparing for this just in case. Andujar is young. This is the best move for both his future, and the Yankees since he won't be a free agent until the 2023-2024 offseason.

Andujar will have surgery on Monday, and then we wait until next season. For now we continue to rely on Giovanny Urshela's clutch bat and great defense as well as DJ LeMahieu to man third base. The Yankees are in good hands for now, and so is Andujar. It sucks it came down to surgery, Miggy. But here's to a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Rest up and be ready to come back better than ever next season. We've got it from here.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

KENDRYS MORALES IS A YANKEE!

The Yanks are just making moves and so far this season every single one of them has worked out perfectly. I wonder how it works out with Kendrys Morales. That's right... he's a Yankee now.

CBS Sports writes:

"The Yankees on Tuesday announced that they've acquired DH Kendrys Morales from the Athletics in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named. The Yankees were in need of help at DH after Miguel Andujar was placed on the injured list with a shoulder injury. 

Andujar could be facing season-ending surgery, but even if isn't the Yankees will need a bat at DH.

Morales becomes the bat. Now 35, Morales this season has struggled after 34 games in Oakland with a slash line of .204/.310/.259. Last season, however, he out up an OPS+ of 113 and hit 21 home runs in 130 games for the Blue Jays."

There's no question Morales can help, he's got a big bat. But the fact of the matter is you just don't know what you're gonna get.

Will he turn into that Jack Clark or Ken Phelps or Lance Berkman move that just becomes a big name but is kind of stale... or will he flourish with an already talented, young team.  Let's hope he flourishes.

I've always admired that Morales just kept hanging on in the Majors.  His bat is a huge reason why.

Welcome and good luck Kendrys.

STOP BLAMING EVERYTHING ON INJURIES!

Photo: Getty Images

What a difference a year makes. This time last year there was a lot of hope and excitement. Some say our postseason was a miracle and we should not have eliminated the Cleveland Indians and managed to get just one game away from the World Series again.

Last year we were WAY ahead of schedule. So we are supposed to be closer now, right?

We should....but every week it feels like something happens that puts us further and further away. We are a much better team than this, but  THIS Yankees team just doesn't know how to overcome challenges. There are too many obstacles and missed opportunities. Yesterday didn't get any better either.

For many reasons, it doesn't look like the run we had last year is not LIKELY to happen this year. I hope it does, but the Yankees have a lot of fundamental problems and they haven't been able to figure them out.

Photo: New York Post

One big problem would be the injuries. This team is completely different without Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez's bats and gloves in the game. Sanchez was in a major free fall before going on the shelf but his bat still makes the lineup longer. Not having both of these guys sucks but it may be even worse than we realize.

Photo: Getty Images

If you missed yesterday's game Didi Gregorius collided with Kendrys Morales in the first inning while trying to beat out an infield single. He remained in the game after being examined on the field but was later pulled at the top of the third inning. He was taken to Columbia-Presbyterian for tests that came back clear but Aaron Boone said due to the bad bruise on his heel that he could still go to the disabled list, read more HERE.

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees are crippled right now. With Judge out, the Yankees have turned to Shane Robinson in the outfield who has been ineffective. The Yankees have been trying to find someone to fill Judge's shoes and don't have many options but surely there has to be someone better than Robinson? The Yankees already have Neil Walker doing his own fill-in duty in right field. The Yankees need some serious help right now and it doesn't look like it is coming.

Photo: Getty Images

It's frustrating for us as fans, but I am sure all of this is even more frustrating for Brian Cashman. He has made all of the necessary moves to fix the weak spots on this team but it hasn't paid off like it should. Cashman can't control the injuries but he made moves to make this team better. The results just don't show that.

The Yankees are historically a good and exciting August team but the Yankees seem to be lacking the same passion as we have seen from years before. It was hard for me to watch Thursday's game against the Rays. The Rays had two runners picked off, botched a routine inning ending double play and had to pull ace Blake Snell early.

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees had their opportunities and couldn't capitalize against another bad team. Snell was pulled early thanks to an injury he still hasn't recovered from, he isn't stretched out and can't pitch deep into games. They gave the Yankees every opportunity to win and they just couldn't do it.

Photo: Getty Images

Injuries are one thing but the lack of leadership with this team is astounding. I really want to believe in Aaron Boone, but I just can't. The fire and spark are gone. I think his press conferences are a joke. He's calm and collected, nonchalant and looks like he is not phased by anything. Mediocrity is okay for him. I don't get it. He doesn't have that winning Yankee persona. He behaves like the Wild Card is okay for him. Everything will be okay as long as they get there somehow. This is the attitude of the 2018 New York Yankees and it's not okay.

Injuries do suck and they make the game harder. But good teams have winning attitudes and there is always someone there to pick up the slack.....and we don't have any of that right now. We have flat answers, lackluster results and no passion. This team has all of the talent to replicate last year, but not the leadership or culture. The Yankees need to figure this out before it is too late....and we are running out of time.

Stop giving it away and WAKE UP!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

SEVERINO, CONFIDENCE & A NEW CHANGE-UP

Photo: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Leave it to Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record.  He's got a nice nugget about Luis Severino you'll love.  Sevy's got a new change-up, and he's showing some confidence throwing it.  That's a good sign.

"During his 2.1 innings on Friday afternoon, Severino threw the change-up with conviction against a representative Blue Jays lineup.

"'Confidence is going to be a big thing with him. And I think today we built some confidence in his change-up,’ Romine said after Toronto’s 3-2 win at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium...

Photo: Times Union

'I thought it was progress,’ manager Joe Girardi said after Severino yielded two runs on four hits and a walk, with four strikeouts. 'Because we’ve got to get him comfortable with (the change-up).’

A reliable third pitch is essential to Severino’s quest to earn one of the Yankees’ two vacant rotation spots. And in a 47-pitch outing, the right-hander said he threw 'maybe 9-10’ change-ups against the likes of Kevin Pillar, Russell Martin, Kendrys Morales, Melvin Upton and Bautista."

Photo: Newsday

Now you don't think about this stuff, because many of us just assume that Severino deserves a starting role on this club, but it's very true... it's about command, and if you have control of the pitches you throw... CONFIDENCE will be gained.  I mean, how many times did we see Sevy frustrated with himself last season.  He's gotta get over it... he's in the major leagues now!

It's incredible to think about major leaguers who still aren't confident on what they throw.  I mean, in our society today, even with youth baseball... we are constantly dealing with motivating and trying to keep the kids confident in what they do. It's just amazing that it still happens, even when you make it.

Anyway, I thought I'd share. Nice work again, Caldera.

BLUE JAYS SNAG KENDRYS MORALES

Well, that was fast. In an effort to bulk up their run total, and probably to take away from the Yankees strategy, the Blue Jays swept in and signed Kendrys Morales to what appears to be a 3 year deal.

Ken Rosenthal just tweeted:

Sources: Kendrys Morales to #BlueJays, three years, $33M, pending physical. First reported: @DfineNrmLC.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 11, 2016

So now you gotta wonder if the Yankees will move toward an Edwin Encarnacion or try someone else.

Whatever the case, the idea of Morales on the Yankees is NOT happening.

Stay tuned...


 

AROLDIS CHAPMAN IS MR. "TEAM USA"

Nice little nugget from Cuban Aroldis Chapman.  He wants to play for Team USA.  Gotta love this stuff.

According to ESPN, "Aroldis Chapman has no concerns about being banned from the Cuban National Team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

And that's because the embattled Yankees closer has another uniform in mind, that of Team USA.... Cuba will maintain its ban on baseball players who defected the country and will not allow them to play with the national team in the 2017 WBC, excluding not only Chapman, but also stars such as Yasiel Puig, José Abreu, Yoenis Céspedes and Kendrys Morales....

Chapman replied: 'I am a U.S. citizen; I can play for Team USA.' and said he would welcome a call from Team USA manager Jim Leyland."

Chapman became an American citizen on March 29th this year.

I hope Leyland gives him a call. I'd like him on Team USA.

 


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KENDRYS MORALES SIGNS ELSEWHERE...

The question was, where? Well, we now know...

Now, if you remember, the other day Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com said that he thought the Yankees were going to be the team to sign Kendrys Morales.  I did too.  But Heyman did his best to suggest that the Rangers and the Brewers, and the Mariners were "in" too.  Then, he threw out a "mystery team" was interested. I hate that.  Because that's a "baseball insider's" out all day. If they don't get the correct team,  they fall back on the "mystery team". Whatever man. 

Like clockwork, it wasn't any of the teams Jon Heyman mentioned.  So, my question is... why call these guys baseball insiders if they're gonna use "mystery team" as a crutch.  Seems ridiculous at this point, doesn't it?

Kendrys Morales signed a deal with the Twins. Sports Illustrated writes:

"The wait is finally over for Kendrys Morales. The Cuban first baseman and designated hitter, who has been unsigned since the start of the season, is headed to Minnesota to join the Twins..."

In the end, you can't lose sleep over this. Morales would have been a nice pickup sure, but we have the talent on the Yanks... they just need to figure out how to work together.  It will happen, I swear.

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YANKEES OR "MYSTERY TEAM" WILL GET MORALES

I don't take alot of what Jon Heyman says seriously because let's face it, in the world of rumors and "insiders", no one truly knows.  But we recently wrote about Kendrys Morales and the idea of the Yankees getting him a few weeks ago in Mike O'Hara's piece titled, THE KENDRYS QUESTION. It was speculation. It was an observation and that's exactly what Jon Heyman is doing... he's just putting it out there as if he has it all figured out. We here at BYB like to act human... not superhuman... that's why we mock Jon with our side by side:

But for the sake of sharing, and it being Friday and the idea that perhaps the Yankees will beef up their lineup a bit, this is what is out there about Kendrys Morales from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com:

"The MLB Draft has long seemed to be a key moment for Kendrys Morales, and with agent Scott Boras recently declining to OK the Yankees' request to wait a few days while they monitor the progress of Carlos Beltran and especially Mark Teixeira before Morales signs, indications are that the free agent will likely find a new home within the next day or two.

While the Yankees aren't necessarily out of the running for Morales, it would appear other teams -- including the Brewers, the incumbent Mariners and another team or two -- may have a better chance now to sign the first baseman/DH. The Yankees sought to gauge the health of Teixeira (wrist) and Beltran (elbow) to known how much playing time they would have for Morales, but they may be running out of time.

The Rangers are believed to have shown interest, as well, but are thought to be not as likely as some others at the moment. There is word there's a mystery team in the mix, which always adds to the intrigue."

Notice what I highlighted in RED. I know you BYB readers are smart and I know you understand why baseball insiders usually throw in a "mystery team" in their observation.  That usually is the baseball insiders "out", meaning, if none of the teams that Heyman listed in that article are one of the teams that Kendrys Morales actually signs with, Heyman can just say, "Hey, I said there was also a mystery team... What?"

In other words, you're all smart enough to know that there's no such thing as a baseball insider... and I think that's why you come to Bleeding Yankee Blue. Thank you for that.

Enjoy this rumor... and have a great day ladies and gentlemen.  When we actually know something about Kendrys, you will too.

Thanks for being you Jon... don't go changing.

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!