THE KENDRYS QUESTION

When he played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (near the 5 Freeway, close to Disneyland, of Orange Country, about 50 minutes from San Diego) I referred to him as “Kendrys Bad Company”. It seemed he would always make a fruit smoothie out of any hanging fruit an unfortunate Yankee pitcher might toss over the dish.  I hated seeing him step to the plate in the Bronx because I knew he was always a dangerous hitter. He has serious pop. He can spray the ball to all fields and he has a fairly good eye…or he did anyway. Since moving to Seattle I have to be honest, I haven’t heard much about Kendrys Morales. By the way that’s also a heads up to Robinson Cano.

Robbie, your new home is also where the Federal Government puts most of those who are in the Witness Protection Program. Good luck with that, sport. By I digress…

The recent question for the New York Yankees is should they sign the once up and coming DH/1st baseman. My answer is an ABSOLUTE Yes! Look, I am, to date, wrong about Tex being an absolute bust, but he does still have a wrist that may be held together by spit and tape. He has been putting up good power numbers, but has also needed time on the DL.

As of this minute Tex is in limbo wondering if the recent soreness in his surgically repaired wrist will subside. That question CANNOT be answered with “We’ll go ahead and pencil Kelly Johnson in at 1st.” No, no you won’t. I feel bad for Johnson. He gives it all he has, but he is a true 2nd baseman and has not cut the mustard playing 3rd or 1st. The Yankees need a true backup plan and Morales could be it.

Now if the Yankees sign him prior to the draft they would sacrifice the 55th pick. I am also certain that Morales won’t come cheap, as other clubs may get involved to drive up the price on the free agent. Hey, it’s supply and demand and Kendrys’s people are holding the cards. I wish the Bombers would have held on to Mark Reynolds or Lyle Overbay (both in Milwaukee now) but they didn’t. But the bottom line is that Morales is better than both of those former Yankees…by a great deal offensively. Why wait? Get the young man signed and let him start punishing pills over the fence. The guy is a switch hitter. He can ACTUALLY play 1st and the Yankees need some more pop…ASAP.

I never want to be one of those fans that just look to throw money at a problem. I wish to hell we could bring up a Big League ready prospect to do what Kendrys can. But the sad fact is we can’t at this point. The Yankee Farm system is filled with not yet ripe players. It's time to pull the trigger. If we lose Tex again or Beltran is done for the year the Bombers will be nearly out of Bombers. This deal makes sense and Morales is still fairly young. Yes, we could keep putting Murphy behind the plate and enact the McCann to 1st base plan early, but why? Let Mac catch, let Murph learn and develop and go get Kendrys now! This way he can be “Bad Company” to the rest of the league and not in the Bronx.

** This one is for Mr. Morales. Dial the phone, Cashman…before someone else does.”






--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."



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PLAYING THIRD BASE... KELLY JOHNSON ?!?

“Who’s on first? I don’t know – third base!”

Okay, we have all heard that a million times, one of the greatest comic routines of all time. But that line is starting to make you believe in the Oscar Wilde quote, that life really does imitate art more than the other way around, as you look at who is playing third base for the Yankees.

If you look at the playbook, Kelly Johnson is the guy at the top of the list to take over the hot corner. Can he play third base? We don’t know. As that line of reasoning goes through my head, I do the mental equivalent of Lou Costello letting out a high-pitch squeal of frustration, as this does not look like the best plan possible for the Yankees. In many ways, we are repeating some of the same mistakes we made last year.

We knew that Alex Rodriguez’s injury was going to keep him out for at least the first half of last year. Therefore, we signed Kevin Youkilis to take over at third. Then Mark Teixeira was injured, and Youkilis became the first baseman, before Youkilis had a season-ending injury himself. That left third base to the likes of David Adams, Mark Reynolds, and a cast of characters that made third base look like extended spring training for anyone who could fill the void. Does today’s roster sound familiar?

Maybe you are a Kelly Johnson fan, and you are wondering why I am being so hard on this choice. Don’t get me wrong – I do not dislike the guy. I just wonder why the Yankees would sign a 32-year old with a career .253 batting average and put him at third base where he has only played 16 times in his career. That’s right – sixteen career games at third base. To put it in perspective, Mark Teixeira has played more games in his career in right field (18) than Johnson has at third. To add to the comedy, Tex’s fielding percentage in right is higher than Johnson’s fielding percentage at third. So what am I missing?

What nobody is admitting to is that there is no plan for third base. The guy they signed to be the backup at second if the Yankees could not swing an Omar Infante deal, he is the guy who drew the short straw. It makes you wonder why an organization like the Yankees cannot do better. I know we cannot sign All-Stars to every position, and we have certainly put a few in the outfield, behind the plate, and the starting rotation. However, we should be able to do better than this.

We are all die-hards here at BYB, and we pull for our players. Kelly Johnson is no exception. I will be the first to admit to my error if he turns into a superstar. Nevertheless, the numbers do not indicate that.

The hope here is that he can perform decently. If he hits in the .260 range with good coverage on defense, and I think we dodge the bullet. Otherwise, we may see another rookie experiment or mid-year trade to bring some talent in. Let’s hope for the former.

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

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THE YANKEES EYED FORSYTHE... BUT LOST

It's probably too late at this point. Why you ask? Read out update right at the top.

UPDATE: Logan Forysthe is hours away from being acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade it appears.  Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish says: "The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired Logan Forsythe from the San Diego Padres in a multi-player trade, according to a league source. Alex Torres is likely headed to San Diego in the deal, and each team seems set to receive additional prospects.
The trade is likely to be announced on Friday, according to league sources with knowledge of the situation."  

While sources are known to be wrong, Cotillo happens to have good information.  Most likely, he's nailed this.... 

He also ruined my John Forsythe joke... Damn you Cotillo!

I had written a fun piece about the Yankees wanting to acquire John Forstyhe from Dynasty...  But actually, John Forsythe passed away in 2010. Rest in Peace old pal.

 Logan Forsythe of the San Diego Padres was someone that the Yankees were looking at.  And when I say looking, I mean the Padres are fielding called about him and the Yankees have "checked in.  That comes from Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish:

Hearing "a number of teams' have called the #Padres about trading for Logan Forsythe.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 21, 2014

So what did this all mean? Well, it means that Forsythe is young and a utility man and another infielder we can add to the mix as we figure out who will play 3rd base. But who do we need to trade and will do the Padres like any of our guys?

(In Photo: Chase Headley)
Plus, what the hell ever happened to Chase Headley? Wouldn't he make more sense? Jon Morosi of Fox Sports hints about that:

Sources: Yankees have made trade inquiry to Padres about infield depth; Logan Forsythe is the most realistic target, not Chase Headley.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 14, 2014

I mean, ultimately, the Yankees could have had Mark Reynolds, but they passed. Now Forsythe is gone... will the Yankees now pursue Chase Headley?

Who knows... it seems that everytime the Yankee want to look at someone, they're too late...

Maybe John Forsythe wasn't a bad idea...

at least we know no one's pursuing him.

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LYLE OVERBAY IS OFF THE BOARD

I just wanted to let you all know, that the same place where Mark Reynolds just went a week ago, Milwaukee... Lyle Overbay has now chose to do the same.

According to the Brewers, Overbay has signed a deal with them... a minor league deal:

The Brewers have signed 1B Lyle Overbay to a minor league contract with an invite to ML camp.
— Brewers Player Dev (@BrewersPD) January 20, 2014

It's weird right? What I mean is, there was a ton of talk about Mark Reynolds and the possibility that he'd re-sign with the Yankees.

Then there was talk that Reynolds didn't want to take a minor league deal with the Yanks.  Then, the chatter was Reynolds was excited that the Brewers wanted him because it would give him a chance to be an everyday first baseman for them. Reynolds then turns around and signs a minor league deal with the Brewers.  Why am I telling you this? Because it appears with Lyle Overbay now signing with the Brewers for the same spot, it causes alittle competitiion between Reynolds and Overday... not to mention that the Yankees still don't have a first OR third baseman.

Whatever man... it's annoying. 

Best of luck to Lyle Overbay though.  He did well for us in pinstripes and I enjoyed watching him play for the Yankees in 2013.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE YANKEES LOST THEIR SHOT WITH MARK REYNOLDS

We are probably hours away from Mark Reynolds signing with the Milwaukee Brewers.  That information comes from Adam McCalvy of MLB.com:

A good source confirms #Brewers are close to signing Mark Reynolds to be the everyday first baseman. Story coming to the site.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) January 17, 2014

Now, it is true that the Yankees were more interested in giving Mark Reynolds a minor league deal instead of a contract in the bigs, and to me, that makes no sense.  It made better sense from my perspective to sign him to a major league deal so he could man 3rd for us and occasionally 1st is Mark Teixeira couldn't handle it.  Remember, Mark still isn't 100%... read that HERE.

Instead we have a hodgepodge situation over there. I know, I know, the Yankees aren't really spending any BIG money until they know what's happening with Masahiro Tanaka, but still, it was a no-brainer to me to sign Mark Reynolds.

When he signs with the Brewers, we'll let you know, but it appears to be coming soon.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

SCOTT SIZEMORE'S INJURY REPORT DON'T LOOK GOOD

The Yankees signed Scott Sizemore to a minor league deal over the weekend. You can read about it HERE. Here’s the thing, it’s a minor league deal and it fills the void at third base with Alex Rodriguez suspended for 162 games if he comes up to the Bigs, which is most likely going to happen.

But look, this is an injury prone player and while this is a minor league deal, injury doesn’t discriminate.  And if you’ve aggravated a knee once… and it happens again… well, chances are pretty big that it will happen again, you know what I mean? Don’t know what I mean? Keep reading

Back in 2012, Scott Sizemore tore his ACL in his left knee.  When that happened, it caused him to miss the rest of the season.  Bummer right? Well, it gets worse.

He recovered from the injury in 2013 and he was ready to return, only to find out that in the beginning of the season, he re-tore that same ACL in his left knee.  He was then out for the rest of 2013 as well. Then, in November, he was outrighted by the Athletics.

Enter the Yankees, who signed this guy to a minor league deal, probably crossing their fingers that he doesn’t re-aggravate that left knee again.

Now, my question is simple;  We found out Alex Rodriguez was suspended, BYB gave a few options the Yankees could pursue, Michael Young, Mark Reynolds, all out there for the taking. Yet, we chose Sizemore. And the reason is… why?

Now, there is a very good chance Sizemore will be excellent for us.  After all, he’s 29 years old, but I’m not going to lie, I’m worried about that knee.  And if he goes down, but are we gonna do, just slide Eduardo Nunez over?

A lot of questions still, even with this signing.  As a fan, I’d rather have alittle security than uneasiness with new players.

Good luck Scott! I know what your thinking, but it’s not true… we’re NOT against you. We are worried though.  Good luck in pinstripes pal.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

SECURING THE YANKEE INFIELD NOW THAT AROD IS OUT

Time to spend again in Yankeeland again, and according to what was reported yesterday, read AROD KO'ED! SELIG'S PLOT QUESTIONED. YANKS NOW SPEND!, we need a 3rd baseman, don't we? Here are 4 guys that the Yankees have been communicating with.  Some aren't even third baseman, but with some slight personnel moves, the puzzle pieces could fall into place. Who would you choose?

Michael Young: A source has told ESPN that Young is very much in the mix for the Yankees.  Andrew Marchand writes, "...the Yankees tried to trade for him prior to last July's deadline when he ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  In 147 games in 2013, Young hit .279 with a .730 OPS. By comparison, Rodriguez had a .771 OPS in 44 games in '13. " He also wrote that the Yankees wouldn't go back to Young unless something happened with the ARod suspension. Well... we're there.

Dustin Ackley: Back when the Yankees were at the Winter Meetings, Ackley's name surfaced as a guy the Yanks were looking at.  How serious is it? I'm not sure.  This is what we do know; Ackley was a .253 hitter with a .660 OPS for the Mariners last season. Ironically, he wears number 13. He's not a power guy, only have 22 homers in the 3 years in Seattle.  He's a good fielder and would be a nice compliment to Brendan Ryan at short on the days Derek Jeter isn't manning his position... Ackley and Ryan are former teammates. I have heard nothing really about the Yankees / Ackley connection recently, but no doubt the Yanks are looking again. Also, one important part of this... Ackley's primary positions are first base, second base and center field. Not sure if they can make that trade, or if they even want to... but we shall see.

 Nick Franklin: Nick is a Mariners rookie and hit .225 last season with 12 home runs.  He has a lot to learn, but could work out well in the Bronx. Plus, most likely the price is cheap. The fans have been yelling about "young" and Michael Young is 37. Franklin is 22.  He's also a second baseman by trade, but young enough to mold, or sign and then move a guy like Eduardo Nunez to third instead.

Mark Reynolds: The Yanks liked Reynold's services, but were in a holding pattern re-signing him until they knew what would happen with Alex. But the timing just may be off because it's possible they waited too long.  The reports are Reynolds is talking to other teams and according to the Daily News, Reynolds, "...may be on the verge of signing elsewhere." Anthony McCarron also writes, "... a source labeled it 'unlikely' because the Yankees currently are offering him just a minor-league deal." I believe that probably has changed because of the ARod news.  The Yankees would have to move quickly now, so we shall see what happens with Reynolds.

There you have it, 4 guys the Yanks could consider to help secure their infield. What do you think?

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YANKEE DILEMMA: WHO'S ON FIRST... AND THIRD?!

Signing Mark Reynolds last year was a no-brainer. When the Cleveland Indians released him the Yankees were quick to pounce. It's a good thing we did too, because I don't want to sit here and even pretend to imagine how the Yankees would have tried to put a Band-Aid on the roster without him. Now it is 2014 and while I hope we don't have the same injury riddled season, we may still need him for an entirely different reason.

Any day now (one can only hope) we will finally hear the ruling on the Alex Rodriguez suspension. Waiting for the outcome is giving me gray hair. If Rodriguez does miss all of 2014 then the Yankees could be in trouble. Right now, there is no ideal candidate to take over at third base. Kelly Johnson could play third base in theory, however he has only played there sporadically for a season and he isn't the ideal everyday player.

Eduardo Nunez has been protected by the Yankees for so long, but he was also thought of as Derek Jeter's backup. Brian Cashman always said that while he can play third his natural position was at shortstop and he could be yesterday's news now that the Yankees have Brendan Ryan for at least the next two years. Let's not forget that Mark Teixeira has his own question marks too.

I see two real possibilities here, one I am more fond of then the other. First would be trading for Ike Davis. The Mets were trying to get rid of him last year and couldn't make it happen. Davis had an impressive 2012. He played in 156 games, had 90 RBI and 32 HR. 2013 was not so kind to him though. He only played in 103 games, had 33 RBI and 9 HR. He isn't know for his superb batting average, but even I think he is a better player than his "Mendoza line" like stats suggest.

He struggled to stay above that line for a good part of 2013. You could tell just by watching him that his struggles were getting to him mentally, so eventually the Mets had to demote him to AAA Las Vegas. It's easy to forget that Davis is still a new kid on the scene. He is still under team control and looking at his stats over the past four years it is hard to find any kind of consistency there. It's a big gamble, and it doesn't give the Yankees as much versatility so I think there is a better option.

I am on the "Bring back Mark Reynolds" train for more than one reason. Several people think I am slightly crazy in my thought process, and sure it may be a little flawed but when I look at who else is available I think he is the best person to fill our needs. It's no secret, I am a big Mark Teixeira fan.

I am hoping that this year he comes back healthy, productive and brings in all of those RBIs he is known for. However, in the event that something happens to him and he gets injured again (pardon me as I hold my breath now as I type), Reynolds is the best replacement. I like him for a few reasons. First, he can be our corner infielder. I would argue that he is probably a better defender as a first basemen then he is at third base, but hey....beggars cant be choosers.

Reynolds could easily fill in for Tex at first or he could just help give someone a day off. If Rodriguez does get the big suspension he can still be an asset at third base. Second, he is durable! Even as a bench player for part of the year he was able to play in 135 games last season so you know he is going to show up everyday ready to play. Third of all, Reynolds has more experience but he also has a pretty consistent track record. He does strike out a lot, but that is to be expected. He also has a .233BA over his career, which is pretty consistent with his batting average every season. He's not going to hit for average, but he will definitely give the Yankees some more "pop" in the bat. Lastly, he gives the Yankees another much needed right handed bat and most of all....he WANTS to be on our team. At this point, I think that is important. We need players who want to be here and be productive. He has already told the Yankees he enjoyed his brief time on the team and wants to come back so it seems like a good idea.

I don't think I can take a repeat to last year's rotating roster. In fact, it may drive me mad. I hope the Yankees jump on Reynolds fast before he gets away. The last thing I want to be reenacting this year is Abbot and Costello's "Who's On First" bit!





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




Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

MARK REYNOLDS MAY BE S.O.L.

Earmuffs...

S.O.L. means "Shit outta luck", or at least that's what I learned it meant when I was 12 years old.  I once heard my Italian uncle say it when I was a kid and was literally baffled the entire weekend until I asked my dad what it meant.  He didn’t pull punches, he told me and I always thought that was cool that he did.

 Anyway.  We all knew that the Yankees and Mark Reynolds were engaged in talks about a possible return.  After all, Mark Teixeira is no 100% healthy, but claims he will be.  To be honest, I can’t trust that.  I would sign a backup, and fast.  Reynolds would actually be a smart signing.  He can play first base, and if Alex Rodriguez is suspended, he can play 3rd.   I know that Ike Davis is available, and he’s managed to suck in Queen recently, but he’d probably be a cheap trade and he’d fit the bill too… but let’s stick with Reynolds for a second… he’s my first choice.

According to the New York Daily News, “The Yankees have been engaged with Mark Reynolds about a possible return, but a source said the power-hitting infielder appears close to signing with another team outside the Bronx…”

So what does this mean? It means the Yankees are dragging their feet because there are a lot of money factors here:

• Masahiro Tanaka: This is a huge money factor.  He’s going to be a ton of money and the Yankees would rather full holes and have Tanaka than spend on filler and lose out to him. In other words, the Yanks will be "all in" on Tanaka.

• Alex Rodriguez:  I’ve mentioned before that we don’t know if he’s going to be suspended or not. If he is, the Yankees will have more play with cash.  If not, they need to be smart on their spending. 

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote about Reynolds as well, writing: “Reynolds remains an option for the Yankees, who are trying to find a temporary or permanent solution to replacing Alex Rodriguez at third base. Even if A-Rod gets his 211-game suspension reduced, the feeling is the Yankees will be in need of a third baseman to replace him for at least part of the 2014 season. Reynolds still has excellent power, but his strikeouts are problematic. Third base is also no longer his forté, but he could still play there if need be.”

Bottom line, I’d like Reynolds back, but I believe he’d have to be mad cheap to sign him. I doubt he’d go for it, but he should, he wasn't outstanding for us, but he did the job. Look, we just signed Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran… we need to be smart with our spending now.

Hey, can Vernon Wells play first? I'm half joking... I mean, what the hell are we gonna do with that guy?

Anyway, if something happens with Reynolds, we’ll tell you. Don’t worry, BYB has your back.


I leave you with Earmuffs... a great scene from Old School. 

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

LYLE OVERBAY IS LONELY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The Yankees have Mark Teixeira coming back fully healthy to first base most likely.   While out last season, Lyle Overbay, a last minute pickup by the Yanks, stepped up big time.  In fact, between he, Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner, he was the most impressive, performing well at the plate, as well as filling in for a hurt Tex.  In other words, Lyle Overbay was a good solider and I’ve stated here numerous times, I’d re-sign him based on that alone.  But look, I understand that it doesn’t work that way.  I get it, and so, the Yankees have probably moved on and thanked Lyle for his services.

Right now though, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Lyle Overbay’s phone is not ringing at all.  I was surprised to read that.  Here’s Cafardo:

“Very little activity on Overbay, who will likely be a January tack-on. He saved the Yankees’ lunch last season by replacing Mark Teixeira, but for now the Yankees have Tex back and there isn’t a spot on the roster for Overbay. He’ll likely wind up as someone’s backup or a low-cost option for a team such as the Orioles or Indians.”

Look, who ever picks up Overbay will be happy with his performance, as well as his price. I think it would be stupid to not give this guy a look.  Now, let me state that I would love to have Overbay back in the Bronx, but it’s clear that the Yankees have no intention of bringing him back and are eyeing guys like Mark Reynolds who can play first AND third base, just in case ARod gets suspended.

Whatever happens to Lyle Overbay… I wish him well.  I liked him in pinstripes and I hope he finds a gig soon.

Just wanted to keep you guys in the loop.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

MARK REYNOLDS & THE YANKEES ARE "TALKING"

That's all we got. That headline above is about all we know about the Yankees and Mark Reynolds.  We don't know if they are chatting over a pint of beer or a cup of coffee, but they are "talking."  That comes from someone familiar with the situation. 

I love that last line.  That's an old  Jon Heyman trick.  He's good like that... (Me impersonating the great Jon Heyman): "Mark Reynolds and the New York Yankees are talking.  That information comes from someone who is familiar with the situation."    I never got that.  Just say "sources" Jon, because, my mom knows that both sides are talking, but it doesn't mean much, you know what I mean?  I love my mother, but does that make her a baseball insider too?

Here's what we know officially from Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:

Source: Yankees and Mark Reynolds' agent have talked, but "nothing close" at the moment. Several teams interested in Reynolds.
— Mark Feinsand (@FeinsandNYDN) December 17, 2013

Carry on... even you mom. Geez, don't work so hard!

She wants to help out with BYB so badly... God bless her.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

MICHAEL YOUNG & MARK REYNOLDS ARE REAL YANKEE OPTIONS

A lot is going on over night tonight.  It is being reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Yankees are considering bringing in Michael Young to man 3rd base and Mark Reynolds is another guy they are considering bringing back as well.  Tough to say if the Yanks want them both, or just 1 or the other... or is Heyman just trying to top Ken Rosenthal's Brian Roberts rumor, or what?

As you know, Young was a guy on the Yankees radar at the trade deadline, but then that seemed to die and then he went to the Dodgers.  Anyway, here is Heyman's tweet on both he and Reynolds:

in addition to mark reynolds, also on #yankees radar are michael young and brian roberts
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 17, 2013

This is very interesting considering both can play 3rd and we really don't know what the future lies for Alex Rodriguez right now.

Now, I am of the belief that if the Yankees can wait as long as they can to fill the 3rd base position, they can roll the dice and if ARod is suspended and guys like Young and Reynolds are gone, they can just stick Eduardo Nunez in the spot until they figure out what to do next.  Otherwise, I really don't know how they can keep signing everyone and still have "big" money left over to hopefully sign a pitcher like Masahiro Tanaka.  That's if everything works out with him and the posting situation.

Anyway... it's another interesting rumor. We'll have to wait and see.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS LUIS CRUZ?

So, Scott Williams a Facebook Bleeding Yankee Blue reader was checking out our piece titled THE IMPORTANCE OF BRENDAN RYAN. Basically it's a piece about how good Ryan is defensively and I'd like to retain him in 2014.  Scott agreed, but asked me this:

Now, life goes pretty fast and in this crazy Yankee world, you tend to forget little details.  I went back and wanted to find out what the hell happened to Luis Cruz. I mean, I knew the guy was signed by the Yankees, but then he got hurt... like everyone else on the Yanks, but where the hell did he go?

Well, this is what we know...

After the Yankees signed Cruz, he was a good soldier, but like I stated earlier, he got hurt... He sprained his knee, read HERE. Shortly after that, the Yankees DFA'd Cruz to make room for Mark Reynolds.  This was in August.

Then, 3 days later, he was released by the Yanks.

His location is unknown, but I would hope the dude's doing OK. I'm sure he is.

So Scott... this post is for you. Enjoy it.

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