THE YANKEES JUST LANDED JASON PARKER

Remember when Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson were shipped to the Red for a player to be named later? The Yankees got their player. It was announced last night.

Yahoo Sports writes:

"The Yankees have acquired RHP Jason Parker as the player to be named later in the deal that sent Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson to the Cincinnati Reds back in July.

Parker, 23, went 4-3 with a 4.05 ERA (80.0 IP, 63 hits, 33 walks, 91 strikeouts, 7 homers) in 19 games (18 starts) in his professional debut with Low-A Daytona this season."

And Red Leg Nation writes more about Parker so you can get to know him:

"This season Jason Parker spent all year in Low-A Daytona where he made 18 starts and one relief appearance for the Tortugas. He was not rated among the Cincinnati Reds Top 25 Prospects. He posted a 4.05 ERA in the Low-A Southeast in 80.0 innings pitched. While there he gave up 63 hits, walked 33 batters, hit 10 others, and struck out 91 of the 337 hitters that he faced.

A quick scouting report has Jason Parker throwing a fastball, slider, and a change up. His fastball worked 88-91 MPH and topped out this season at 93.4 MPH. He relied heavily on his slider – throwing it more often than his fastball at times – and it worked in the 78-82 MPH range. He would also mix in a change up in the low 80’s."

I would have been fine with a bucket of balls. Anyway... the deal is done. All good however... we have some time to develop him. I have no problem with this move!

Welcome Jason!

DO THE YANKEES HAVE ALL THE RIGHT PIECES TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?

Source: Newsday

I loved this line in our noble leader Robert Casey's latest post (here) about acquiring Andrew Heaney seconds before the tradeline deadline hit, "It's pieces like this that make it better for the Yanks." The "pieces" he is referring to are Joey Gallo, followed by Anthony Rizzo, and now Heaney. But the real question is "Do the Yankees have all the RIGHT pieces to make the playoffs?"

Source: New York Post

The New York Post's Ken Davidoff did not give the Yankees high marks for their pickups because he felt they gave up too much in Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson "in order to stay under the $210 million luxury-tax threshold and couldn’t find a taker for Luke Voit." I will be honest, I felt that giving up Cessa was a real loss, given our lack of consistency and depth in the bullpen. Wilson on the other hand has been ineffective. But it is not just pitching that is on the hook for the pickle the Yankees are in right now. 

The Yankees simply cannot leave runners in scoring position like they did so blatantly in the game against the Marlins on Saturday evening. Gary Sanchez, although more effective in more recent weeks since dropping that leg kick, still can't seem to consistently knock in runs with the bases loaded. This is just a mere example of the kind of disadvantage this team puts themselves in when they leave runners on the pond, and unless these new pieces can do something about that, the Yankees will not move any closer to the post-season in 2021.

The other point I'd like to make here is that this has to be a team effort. No one can do this alone. It is not Gerrit Cole's role to lead this team, nor is it Aaron Judge's or Rizzo's. It is a collective effort- no one on this team stands out ahead of the rest, even if some have loftier contracts than others. They are all responsible to produce. And when they don't, it is the team's fault. 

So, my question is have the Yankees done enough? Do they have the depth to get things done? With the dog days of summer now, here as we step into August, have the Yankees put themselves in the winners' column? Can they turn this disaster of a season around? It is up to them. The ball is in their court. And collectively, they either go for it and give it everything they have or it is back to the drawing board for Brian Cashman or maybe even the unemployment line. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

CESSA & WILSON ARE GONZO

It was fun... but now it's over. Both Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson are gonzo. They were just aquired by the Reds.

MLB Trade Rumors has this:

"In a surprise transaction, the Yankees announced they’ve traded relievers Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson to the Reds in exchange for a player to be named later. Cincinnati designated Ashton Goudeau and Edgar García for assignment to open 40-man roster space....

                                                               In Photo: Ashton Goudeau

Goudeau bounced around waivers throughout last offseason. He now seems likely to wind up back on the wire after making five MLB appearances for the Reds this year. He’s tossed 31 innings across eight appearances (five starts) with Triple-A Louisville, working to a 4.65 ERA with a below-average 16.1% strikeout rate. García has also spent most of the campaign with the Bats. He’s been quite good in Triple-A but hit hard over his five big league outings.

From the Yankees perspective, the deal frees some payroll space and clears a pair of spots on the 40-man roster."

And that's it... which makes you wonder what will happen next?  Are that Yankees about to make a big pickup somewhere?

Stay tuned.

GUESS WHO'S BACK AGAIN?!

I was convinced that Billy Martin and his five stints as Yankees manager would hold record for most times hired in the organization....but maybe not. It appears Billy has some close competition.

Welcome back Adam Warren for the fourth time. I really wasn't sure what was going to happen with Warren after they had to release him back in July due to the unique constraints of the roster this season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but Brian Cashman did say he wanted to bring him back if possible. Maybe 4th time is the charm for us.

And it could be. I have always like Warren and apparently he has always liked pitching here more than anywhere else. Warren and the Yankees look to be the perfect match. Warren had a rough 2019 season with the Padres and really hasn't had a lot of success outside of his time with us. He's always had some unexplainable magic with us, in 407 innings with the Yankees he has a 3.18 ERA with 8K/9 and a 2.99 BB/9. With numbers like that, it's no wonder why the Yankees were willing to bring him back a fourth time. 

As far as the Yankees are concerned, this is a no-risk signing. We still don't know the financial details of the deal but it costs them no guaranteed money and if he bounces back from Tommy John he will fit in nicely in the bullpen. The Yankees need more depth and he was well-liked by his teammates. Since the Yankees are not looking to spend a lot of money this winter they probably aren't looking to build up the bullpen with an expensive free agent splash an effective Warren could be a HUGE asset to the Yankees. It's low risk and hopefully high reward.

I like the possibilities here, Warren could be a massive upgrade to this team. He's the opposite of the "He can't pitch in New York" argument and maybe he's the rare "He can ONLY pitch in New York" and on a minor league deal, this is a no-brainer. He could be an upgrade to Luis Cessa and this point, I have MORE faith in Warren than Adam Ottavino. This could be really good for us.

So welcome home, Warren. We could definitely use you! You are the modern day Billy Martin but in bullpen form.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES CORONAVIRUS UPDATES & THE 2020 OPT OUT

This weekend was a hard one. This fourth of July holiday weekend looked a lot different than others. I keep reminding myself that it's not different just for us but for all players and every single team. The hope of baseball is now linked to consistent testing for Coronavirus and enhanced health and safety measures. Both of those we saw center stage over the weekend at Yankee stadium.

I'm really hoping for the best for Masahiro Tanaka. We've been so focused on Coronavirus, but the reality of getting hit by a comeback pitch is still as likely today as it was before Coronavirus and we were reminded of that. The same dangers surrounding baseball are still there...and now new ones. Reports say that Tanaka was showing concussion symptoms that have since subsided, thankfully but Tanaka will indeed go into concussion protocol. Definitely not the exciting news we were looking for as Spring Training 2.0 is now underway. Now we sit and wait and hope for good news.

In the meantime, as Tanaka recovers we get other results that hit close to home. As the Yankees completed their first round of Coronavirus tests of many to come....we hear that Luis Cessa and DJ LeMahieu have both tested positive, read more HERE. While Cessa was experiencing "mild symptoms" LeMahieu is asymptomatic, reminding us how scary this virus is. It's hard to fight and protect others from what you can't see. LeMahieu won't be the last, there will be more. So the next few weeks and months are going to be hard for baseball.

It is hard enough that some players have exercised their option to not participate in the 2020 season, and now that we have our first big names to opt out who will be next? Or who is on the fence?

David Price and Felix Hernandez are not playing this season. Price is a huge loss for the Dodgers who expected Price to be a good addition for another run at the World Series. No Yankees have opted out yet, but could that change?

Maybe but I hope not. Mike Trout is one of the biggest names in baseball, and he is considering not playing this season. He and his wife are expecting their first child soon, and is concerned with their health and safety. Yesterday Sean Doolittle and Buster Posey also said he has reservations about playing and will continue to evaluate and will opt out if they feel it is necessary, read more HERE.

These are unprecedented times for sure. We still want baseball to happen, perhaps now more than ever....but what if some of our favorites or big names in the game decide to sit this season out? If the big names don't play how does this affect the game? I know I am still going to watch no matter what, but it is definitely going to be a big change.

This season isn't going to be easy, but I think Aaron Boone is right....we are as hungry as ever. The Yankees will find a way to rise to the challenge, and baseball will find a way to persevere.

Keep your fingers crossed for Tanaka, LeMahieu and Cessa!

--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES CONTINUE TO WORKOUT IN TAMPA

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic and perhaps despite it, the New York Yankees unanimously elected to remain in Tampa preparing for the 2020 season, whenever that will commence.  On Thursday, Major League Baseball provided three options for players following their announcement that spring training would end at the end of that day.  The choices were, go home, go to the city where your team plays or stay at your spring training facility.  The Yankees chose as a team to continue to workout.

Source: Lynne Sladky/AP

"Saturday, LeMahieu, Gio Urshela and Tyler Wade were among the infielders there to work on drills. Outfielders Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier were in to hit and do drills. Luis Cessa, Chad Green and Jonathan Holder were among the pitchers there on Saturday," reported NY Daily News.  Accordingly, the Yankees cut back on personnel at the spring training facility but there are enough supports there to provide them the resources they need to be effective in their workouts.

“It went well. Large group of players showed up today and we were able to do defensive work, infield work, guys hit indoors, pitchers played catch,” Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza said as he drove out of the complex Saturday morning. “We’ll continue to do that,” said the News.

Source: New York Post

The team wants to be ready for the season and stay ahead of the work, while building endurance for the long season ahead. "We have a shot at a World Series title," Britton told MLB.com. "We want to be prepared to seize that opportunity. Guys aren't panicking about this thing. We understand that it's serious, but the Yankees have a ton of resources in the area. We feel like this is a good place for us to be," report CBS Sports.

It is not clear how long informal spring training will continue or even if the US Department of Health will recommend a complete stoppage, but for now, the Yankees personnel will support the team as they ramp up for the season.

“We’re gonna support [the players] and obviously that’s our job,’’ Mendoza said of the team’s decision to stay local. “We’ll see where this situation will take us because every day it looks like it changes so who knows what’s going to happen? But as of right now we’re here for them,” reported the New York Post.

A few fans were around Steinbrenner Field to try and catch a glimpse of players, but the facility, which is normally packed with excitement this time of year, was empty.  It is sad that it has come to this, but this will pass.  For now, this is our new normal and better days are ahead for all of us.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THAT PUNCH TO THE GUT YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT!

Source: NY Post

ESPN bluntly and clearly said better than I could to open up this piece: "New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino has an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery."  Whoosh.  Let that sink in.  Now come up for air.  Yeah, it is still bad.  My question is this: "Didn't he have an inkling based on his how he was feeling during the fall?" I mean couldn't he have been more proactive?

Again, I ask a simple question: "Why did you wait?"  All clues pointed to surgery last year, when Sevy was sidelined for most of 2019.  But, he decided to wait?  Why?  "Cashman said last week that Severino had two MRIs -- one in December and another in January -- and a CT scan after complaining of discomfort, and all tests had been negative. But the Yankees sent him for further testing. Cashman said Tuesday that a dye contrast MRI revealed the partial tear of the UCL," reported ESPN.  Again, I am not sure why we waited even until December for the MRI.  Was he waiting for a referral from his primary care doctor?

"I don't want to sugarcoat the fact that being without Sevy, that's a blow, but it doesn't change our expectations and what we're truly capable of," Boone said. "So, no, nothing changes," reported ESPN. The only silver lining is that this gives someone else a chance to make a name for themselves.  Jordan Montgomery has been throwing well, with his fastball up to 94 mph.  Recall he had Tommy John surgery in 2018.

Perhaps Jonathan Loaisiga, Deivi Garcia, Michael King and/or Luis Cessa will get the nod for the fifth starter the position.  Cashman said that this is the time of year where teams looks from within to arm the team with their best options.  Hopefully this will be the case.

This is not the news any of us wanted to hear.  But now that we heard it, we have to root for a speedy recovery for Sevy.  He goes in for surgery on Thursday at Hospital For Special Surgery in New York. Prayers for Sevy.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

JORDAN MONTGOMERY IS THE NUMBER 5 FAVORITE!

James Paxton is expected to be out for at least three months after back surgery, so who does that leave to take over the Yankees' fifth spot in the starting rotation? With JA Happ most likely taking spot #4, that leaves Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa, Michael King and Deivi Garcia to fight over spot #5.

Photo: MiLB.com

In his first 35 Major League starts, Montgomery pitched a 3.84 ERA. In 2018, he underwent Tommy John surgery after finishing 6th place in the previous season's AL Rookie of the Year Award vote.

Loaisiga has allowed 30 earned runs in 56 innings (4.79 ERA). He also appeared in four postseason games last season and allowed two runs.

Cessa has 86 MLB appearances and as a starter, 19 games, has a 4.93 ERA. He has been aboard the Scranton Shuttle for most of the past few years and has been nothing more than a fill-in starter.

Out of all of the options, Montgomery is the favorite.

“He has good stuff, he battles out there and attacks the strike zone,’’ an NL scout said of Montgomery. “Pre-surgery he and King had the best command. They throw a lot of strikes.’’

Not only is he the favorite, he has more starting experience than the others combined. Aaron Boone did not say he had a leading candidate, however spoke highly about Montgomery. 

I think he has proven himself at this level. For him to get back last year was big, just for his frame of mind,’’ Boone said. “The fact he was able to make it back and get some work done, get into some games, I think was big for him and his mindset moving forward.’’

The true test will be during Spring Training on who will get the starting position. Luckily we don't have much longer to wait until we find out!

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

MORE PITCHING! YANKEES ADD INTERESTING DEPTH PIECE

You can never have enough pitching, right? The Yankees just signed Long Island, New York native Nick Tropeano to a minor league deal. Looks like Tropeano is leaving the west coast and is coming home.

Okay, West Islip isn't the Bronx but he's close by. It's an interesting move. Tropeano has signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training according to Newsday HERE. He was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the 2011 draft and later traded to the Angels in November 2014. He has made 42 appearances throughout the course of five seasons and his best season was with the Angels in 2016, where he started 13 games with 68 strikeouts and a 3.56 ERA. But since 2016 he has struggled with the Angels and last season he pitched to a 9.88 ERA over 13.2 innings in the majors. He was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake but didn't fare much better and he pitched to a 5.87 ERA over 79.2 innings. Obviously, we hope he turns things around with the Yankees.

But performance isn't the only concern here. The right-hander has also dealt with injury issues during his career. He did miss all of 2017 due to Tommy John surgery and shoulder issues in 2018 ended his season in early September.

It will be interesting to see how he fits into the Yankees strategy. We still have J.A. Happ in limbo. We are waiting to see if the Yankees do trade him before the season starts. The Yankees also have Luis Cessa who is also out of options so Tropeano could just be depth down in Triple-A or could be an emergency spot starter or bullpen piece if the Yankees have a lot of injuries to deal with. Obviously we hope that doesn't happen, last thing we want to have happen is the Yankees have to deal with a lot of injuries like last season. The Yankees have a lot of arms thankfully and it will be nice to have Jordan Montgomery back this season and we have Mike King, Deivi Garcia, Jonathan Loaisiga to use as needed.

We all like extra depth. It's nice to have more arms and who doesn't like the story of the local kid coming back to his home state? Maybe he just needs a change of scenery. Either way, it won't hurt to give him a chance. So welcome to the Bronx kid! This isn't Suffolk county, but you are home!

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

HAPP FOR COLE, YEAH THAT COULD HAPPEN

Source: AP

The Yankees are going to add starting pitching.  That is a given.  I mean, really this time, this year, they will add a stud starter.  And if that stud is Gerrit Cole, awesome!  But what if I told you that the rumblings are that J.A. Happ could be part of the deal to get Cole.  I kid you not...

According to a story late yesterday in the New York Post, "One outside executive who believed the Yankees would go for Cole if they could clear salary suggested that the Yankees would try to attach a desirable second piece to Happ and trade him to a starter-hungry team such as the Angels or White Sox, who would not mind the risk of the 2021 option vesting. For example, tie Luis Cessa or a pitching prospect to Happ."

Source: AP

Wow that would be excellent.  Happ has lived up to the expectations the team had for him when they picked him up back in 2018.  "Much of his 2019 season was rocky, as he allowed a career-high 34 homers while going 12-8 with a 4.91 ERA over 30 starts plus a five-inning relief outing in his regular-season final," reported NJ.com.  He was not part of the starting rotation in the post season and was not expected to be there.  He is a class act and well educated, but he has not performed at the level the Yankees needed him to this season.

Gerrit Cole would be an incredible addition to the Yankees, forming a starting nucleus of James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino.  It has not been determined if or when Domingo German will return and if he does, what level his contribution will be for the 2020 rotation.  For Happ, who knows, if he will be part of the package to get Cole or if he will finish out his contract with the Yankees.  But, it is encouraging to read that he could be in the mix to get Cole and that the Yankees will do what it takes to ensure he falls back in love with the team he rooted for as a kid.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

SAD ENDING TO AN AMAZING YANKEE SEASON

There are so many things to unwrap. But the bottom line is while the Yankees were great, the pitching was just OK.  Not outstanding. Not horrible... just enough all season long. Well, when it comes to a short series… the pitching needs to be outstanding, and we found that out in the ALCS.

There are so many emotions going through me as a life long Yankee fan, much of it has to be with the performance of certain players, a lot of it has to do with the amazing fans that never give up on this team.  I am being honest here... I said we weren't making it out of Houston alive. I knew that in my mind as much as I didn't want to believe it in my heart.

I’m done with the Fucking orange towels. There...I said it.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) October 20, 2019

That Astros ballpark is too loud, incredibly intimidating and that Astros team is damn good.  It was stacked against us when we walked in the door.  And pitching... yes pitching was the issue again.

But let's start with Gary Sanchez.  Love the guy in a Yankee season.  His performance is great when it comes to big home runs and throwing out players from his knees trying to steal second.  But when it comes to a short series... the microscope is on him.

The one thing that people don’t get when it comes to Gary Sanchez. Over a full season, numbers and performance are solid. In a 7 game series where it’s a whole new season? He’s exposed... bat and glove. Yankee brass have a lot to discuss this offseason.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) October 20, 2019

I tweeted this last night.  Not many disagreed. That's because it's true.  There were more passed balls and more lackluster at bats that just expose this dude for what he really is. Slow. Lazy. Just there.  Never had a big moment.

Never wow'd anyone all series. Can that change? I'm not sure.  In fact, I will venture and say no.  MLB players are set in their ways.  He needs to slim down, work on agility and get ready for 2020. The problem is he won't, because he's set in his ways. He was a huge disappointment.

Chapman smiled last night after giving up that home run to Altuve.  But folks, before you get on this guy, that wasn't a smile of joy.  That was a smile of stunned. Disbelief.  This guy is the best in the game when it comes to closing them out.  He was against a guy that was the best in the clutch. As a major league player, that's what you want. You WANT that moment.

Big question is why even pitch to Altuve?

— Yankeesource (@YankeeSource) October 20, 2019

I'm not fond of people that criticize after the fact. The fact of the matter is Chapman DID pitch to him.  Because Chapman wanted that. He lost the battle and that smile? He was beat, he knew it, he felt horrible and he realized that he gave it his best and lost. Hey... that's life.  But now he's getting crucified for being a gamer? Stop.  People need to stop.  If you've never lost big like that after going 110% perfect, you have no idea the emotion going through Chapman... so shut up. Seriously.

DJ LeMaheiu.  What can I say? Clutch is the word for him.  A dude who came over... really didn't have a spot, but they made one for him because he hits, hits, hits.  Impressive, love him... I never want him to leave New York.

I can’t sleep https://t.co/KQCLspNRJN

— TheLastSingleDigit0 (@LastSingleDigit) October 20, 2019

He is a silent leader now that CC Sabathia is retiring.  The line of questioning is so stupid in this video by the way, but he's such a pro, you just gotta tip your cap.  It wasn't Didi Gregorius. It wasn't Aaron Judge that kept the Yankees alive. It was DJ.

Boone. Hmm. Tough one.  Aaron Boone impressed me alot this season, but much like Gary Sanchez, when it comes to a smaller series and using his personnel, he mismanaged more than he managed.  For example, guys like Tyler Lyons... guys like Luis Cessa should have never seen the light of day.  They don't belong there.

I know Cessa did OK, but let's face it... these are guys that are only there for 1 reason, to give the Yankees time and to not eat all their relief.  This comes back to starting pitching. If we had guys that were competitive for 6 or 7 innings, we're not talking about this.  But the fact that we had to duct tape our way through games just puts us in a spot where 2020 will be about getting a big time starter. We don't have that... or... we don't have enough of them.

James Paxton impressed me this series... but James Paxton is not a big time pitcher.  He can develop into one, but he's not there yet.

In the end, like Judge said, we failed.

Judge: "It’s a failure. In spring training we talked about winning the division, putting ourselves in a good spot in the postseason & the World Series. And we came up short. So not matter how many games we won in the regular season or anything else we did, the season’s a failure"

— Erik Boland (@eboland11) October 20, 2019

It's not the way it should have been, but if you really think about it, with all the injury and situations we were in all season, we didn't give up and really surprised everyone. But these are the playoffs.  The games are fewer than a season, and that's where we were exposed.  We weren't supposed to be here... but we made it.  The problem however was we were running out of luck.

Momentum is a beautiful thing, but the ones that were supposed to perform in big moments didn't and the surprises... DJ, Urshela, Paxton... they were shining, but it never works if a team of 25 can't contribute too.  We didn't. We fell short. We're the loser here.

And the worst part? CC Sabathia rides off into the sunset with nothing.  Our unofficial team captain. Our leader.  Our guy in the big moment walks away, crippled, sad, upset and incredibly empty inside.  There is no excuse for this.  We all let him down. The team... the fans... Yankee brass... all of us.

CC Sabathia is by far one of my favorite players because of his poise and passion for not only the game, but for this team.  He's a leader, a hero.  He never gives up ever. Yet... we gave up on him.

God damn this is tough. pic.twitter.com/rzPZo5eGZ0

— Evan Daniel (@mrevandaniel) October 20, 2019

The season was great folks. This team was very special... but it's over now.  The hugs are emotional.  The clubhouse was quiet last night.  No one likes to lose. But this is now a wake up call to what we all knew since Game 1 of the season... pitching wins ballgames... or at least helps secure wins in a short, important series.

No heads should roll. I tip my cap to Aaron Boone and to Brian Cashman.  But hell... we need to fix this for 2020.  I have no doubt we can.

Congrats to the New York Yankees for an unbelievable season. You gave me joy and happiness all year long.  We were the underdog until we were the dominant force in the American League east.  But last night we fell short... and that's life when it comes to champions and baseball.

I tip my cap. You make me all proud.

--Robert Casey
Chief and Head Writer, Bleeding Yankee Blue
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu