CAUTIOUS TANAKA

(Aug. 18, 2016 - Source: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images North America)    

Masahiro Tanaka is being cautious... and the Yankees love it because it protects their investment.

The New York Post has the story and it's a good one that involves Tanaka and the WBC and Japan... and how he's not going to pitch in it. There are 3 main reasons according to the Post:

"1. The international tournament’s logistics make it tricky for a Japanese major leaguer to participate. Team Japan’s first game is March 7 in Tokyo. So Tanaka would have to report to Yankees spring training in mid-February and return to his home country less than a month later. Astros outfielder Nori Aoki is the only Japanese major leaguer committed to play for Team Japan.

Photo: Getty Images

2. Tanaka tore a ligament in the UCL in his right elbow in 2014, and since then, he and the Yankees have managed his right arm with great care. Ramping up early for the desired intensity of WBC action would not constitute great care.

3. This marks a potential walk year for Tanaka. As per the terms of the seven-year, $155 million contract he signed in January 2014, he can opt out of the deal following the 2017 season."

(Aug. 16, 2016 - Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

The one main one for me has always been #2.  But I guess I'm just overly worried because injury of the arm, especially as a pitcher is always worrisome and the Yankees don't have a lot of solid pitching in the starting rotation.  That being said, the Yankees and their doctors seem to have a grasp on the Tanaka arm.

Whatever the case, it's a nice nugget for you, right?

Carry on.

BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME VIII

As the old year closes and a new one moves in, it is fitting to reflect on the past year to perhaps get some perspective about where we have gone and where we are headed, or where we need to be headed.  As I see it, the New York Yankees need to battle their way back into our good graces and into a position that will yield their a playoff spot in 2015.  With the moves so far, however, I am not sure we are where we need to be.  Let's look at this week's Hot Stove for a better understanding.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, four teams are interested in Yankee shortstop/second baseman Stephen Drew and I feel blessed!  The Athletics, Cubs, Blue Jays and White Sox all have expressed some interest in Drew, but according to Sherman, "A few teams involved with Drew say his asking price of $9 million-$10 million for 2015 is not in their price range. Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, has emphasized the career .764 OPS the lefty swinger took into last season as representative of his client and not the .536 he posted in a disjointed 2014 campaign."  Sure the Yankees could have an interest too, but with their commitment to Didi Gregorius, there is word that the club does not want Drew around as a distraction to the development of their new short stop.  I guess there will be a enough of a distraction with Alex Rodriguez around, so I do count my blessings, again.

As was reported earlier this week here on BYB, the Yankees sent relief pitcher Shawn Kelley to the Padres for pitching prospect Johnny Barbato.  What does this mean for the Yankees as far as the bullpen this season?  According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, "It opened a second spot in the Yankees’ bullpen, that’s for sure. Only five pitchers now appear to have secured spots in the club’s relief corps. Take a look:

RHP Dellin Betances
LHP Andrew Miller
RHP Adam Warren
LHP Justin Wilson
RHP Esmil Rogers."

We still need to land an ace starter, an anchor and with the Padres set on Cole Hamels, who I think would have made a great addition to our team, it doesn't look likely we could be in on that unless, there is a three-way trade deal in the works.  Since we have already connected to the rebuilding NL West team, maybe we will have some sort of opportunity to pick up Hamels or 24-year-old outfielder Wil Myers who is rumored to go to the Phillies in exchange for Hamels.  We shall see.

WEEI is reporting that the Red Sox will not close a deal that would send Max Scherzer to Boston.  According to Rob Bradford, "The Red Sox always valued Lester over Scherzer, so the idea that they would extend beyond the six-year, $135 million offer made the lefty for Scherzer isn’t plausible. One major league source familiar with the Red Sox’ thinking believes the notion of the Red Sox being a player in the Scherzer talks is driven by a desire to use the Sox as leverage against what many believe to be the most legitimate Scherzer suitor, the Yankees." This is getting ugly.  I think the Tigers should just pay their pitcher to stay with them and move on.  As much as I like Scherzer, I worry about six-year deals with anyone.  I know I am not alone in that.

Finally, according to Fox Sports, the Orioles have expressed interest in picking up not only Colby Rasmus and Ichiro Suzuki but now they have their eyes on Kansas City Royal outfield Nori Aoki.  With the outfield looking thin for rival Baltimore, some movement could happen here.

That's it for this week's and 2014's BYB Hot Stove.  Happy New Year and keep the comments coming!

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof



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WHEN THERE'S NO YANKEE NEWS... RECYCLE

Remember when Carlos Beltran signed a 3 year deal with the New York Yankees last winter? The deal was 3 years and $45 million. I remember the headline because it's in my bookmarks.  I read it on ESPN and it stated then:

"Free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran has agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with the New York Yankees, sources confirmed to ESPN.com..."

It also read: " Beltran took $3 million less to sign with the Yankees, sources told ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand. Beltran had an offer for three years and $48 million with another club. A source with knowledge of those discussions said Beltran was "down the road" with that team..."

"The Kansas City Royals, Beltran's first major league team, also pursued him. But the Royals filled their outfield void with a trade for Milwaukee's Norichika Aoki on Thursday. "

Then today, I was reading Joel Sherman of the New York Post and read this, one year later mind you:

"Kansas City actually offered more than the Yankees’ three-year, $45 million bid and its proposal included a fourth-year option. However, Beltran has long wanted to play for the Yankees."

That just came out ladies and gentlemen. What makes matters even more confusing was RAB ran it like it was news.  I don't get it.  Now you know me, I've made my share of mistakes at BYB. If we blow it, I'll tell you. But I'm just not seeing the interest in a story that happened a year ago. Am I missing something?

You know what the story should be? The fact that the Royals lost out to the Yankees on Beltran, but then signed Aoki.  Aoki has been a big contributor on the Royals this season. Plus, the Royals happen to be in the World Series.  The Yankees lost Beltran to several stints of injury and eventual surgery to remove bodies from his elbow.  Who got the better end of the deal in 2014? Analyze it.

Look, BYB isn't superior to any publication.  This however is NOT news about Carlos Beltran. It is however... old news.

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ROYALS WITH SPUNK!

My friends and I have a long standing joke about the Kansas City Royals. It's a bad nickname.  They were never that good, and so, they were referred to as the "Royale with Cheese" from Pulp Fiction. You know the scene.



Now, truth be told, the nickname isn't that funny at all... it just flows off the tongue and that's literally the only reason it stuck. Otherwise... it's pretty dumb.

But these days, Royals are no slouches. They've got spunk and so, like them or not, you need to stand tall as a baseball fan and tip you cap.  They're a terrific ball club. They are fun to watch and they're made up of youngsters and believers.  They manufacture runs.  You believe they cannot lose... and they don't. They swept another club of believers in the Baltimore Orioles and it looked like those O's were a bunch of 7 year old Tee-ballers.  It was amazing actually, because the Orioles showed up all season.

It was a surprise to me, because I know just how good Buck Showalter is when it comes to motivating a club.  But I noticed something happen to the Orioles when they entered the ALCS.  They appeared cocky. They appeared arrogant.  They didn't look hungry anymore and I have nothing to base that on other than 1 fan, me, looking at these guys take the field for 4 straight games.  They reminded me of a Yankee club that had made it to the post season almost every year in the 2000s and who suddenly forgot how to play.  But the Royals... they didn't look like that.  The Royals looked spry.  The Royals looked like they were honored to make it this far and just didn't want to screw it up.  And they didn't.

When I saw the Royals play, they appeared like there was an innocence surrounding them and I was taken by that. Names like Alex Gordon, Nori Aoki, Eric Hosmer, James Shields, Mike Moustakas. Outside of Kansas City, some of them aren't exactly household names. Yet, it's their make up that has taken the baseball nation by storm. It's an incredible story. I say quite honestly and sincerely... Good for them.

Now, I have no dog in this fight now that the Yankees are out. Although, I will tell you that for some reason, when the Yankees aren't in it, my oldest son gravitates toward the St. Louis Cardinals.  And so, because I am all about my kids, I'll side with my son in hopes that the Cardinals make the World Series.

For now though, hand it to the "Royals with Spunk", no longer the "Royale with Cheese".   They have what it takes and that's a great thing in this great game of baseball. You gotta love and respect that.

Congrats.




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