REMEMBER RAMON FLORES? HE'S DONE

Not that this is a huge deal for the Yankees, but if you liked Ramon Flores, and was a fan of his, well here's an update... he's hurt.

According to MLB.com's Greg John, Flores has an ankle compound fracture... and he's done:

OF Ramon Flores, who'd hit ,423 for Tacoma since being acquired in Ackley trade, has compound fracture in ankle and done for year.

— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) August 15, 2015

Now what I find more fascinating is that Dustin Ackley is on the Yankees DL, while Flores was tearing it up in Tacoma for the Rainiers.

You gotta root for guys like Flores.  I expected him to stick around Yankeeland for a bit. Instead, he was traded and we got Ackley. Yippie.

Carry on.



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"...YANKS JUST GOT DUSTIN ACKLEY"

"According to Jack Curry, the Yanks just got Dustin Ackley" 

--Steve B., BYB reader

The hardest part of my job as Chief of Bleeding Yankee Blue is this: I can't type as fast as the news comes out!  That's on me.  I can't exactly just reach out to my writers, who work and have children and activities and all that stuff and say hey, "Stop what the hell you're doing and write this!"  This is a volunteer shop... we do what we can.  

Luckily for us, we have awesome, dedicated fans and readers who help me out.  I tip my cap to Steve B.  Oh yeah... and to Jack Curry:

It will be Ramon Flores and Jose Ramirez to the Mariners for Dustin Ackley, source says.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) July 30, 2015

Yes, the Yankees got Dustin Ackley, a second baseman, sometimes outfielder and that only means 1 thing to me. Maybe Stephen Drew's days at 2nd could be over for the New York Yankees. Oh yeah, and expect Rob Refsnyder to be traded eventually.  That's not my wish when it comes to RR, it's just the way things appear to be going. Bottom line, I'm confused by Ackley mainly because these days he plays more outfield than second base.

Here's the other part of the puzzle, Ramon Flores and Jose Ramirez are going to the Mariners.  Ugh. I didn't want to part with Flores... but it is what it is at this point.

OK then.

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HOT STOVE PANIC? NO. EXACTLY.

 Fabricated panic sounds more like it.

So there was a flurry of panic and curiosity about Austin Romine and Ramon Flores, but this is the rumor season... and you just need to deal.

Turns out a lot of speculation was made when both Romine and Flores were pulled from their AAA game:

Both Ramon Flores and Austin Romine were pulled from the AAA game. Hmmm.

— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) July 18, 2015

To be honest, after that, there was everyone and their mother trying to nail down the "trade" and who it could be:

@GusAFC you honestly think Romine and Flores will lead to Cueto

— Retarded Turtle (@DeadJackhole) July 18, 2015

Only other explanation for Flores and Romine both being pulled is that the #Yankees are CLOSE to a trade. Might be nothing.

— Kenny DeJohn (@kennydejohn) July 18, 2015

@j_nyy @BobbyMilone29 Just heard Flores and Romine were pulled from AAA game. Think it has something to do with a trade?

— Yankeesnews (@Eddie_YN26) July 18, 2015

Thank God for Jack Curry of YES to set the record straight:

Romine injured his thumb and Flores was hit by pitch. That's why they were removed from Scranton game. It's not because of an imminent deal.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) July 18, 2015

Another flurry of silly Tweeting wasted.  Look, no doubt the Yankees will make moves this Trade Deadline... you just need to read everything before getting nutty.

Carry on.

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JOSE PIRELA WAS JUST OPTIONED

Not a great thing.  First the Yankees move Ramon Flores to AAA, now the Yankees have optioned Jose Pirela.  I hate to see the kids being jerked around like this, especially if they're contributing, but that's what the Yankees do, until they have no more options for these kids.  Then they cut them loose. Let's hope this doesn't happen to guys like Flores and Pirela.

According to ESPN:

"Needing to beef up their outfield, and now their bullpen, the New York Yankees optioned infielder Jose Pirela to their Triple-A Scranton affiliate after Wednesday's 5-4, 11-inning loss to the Washington Nationals.The announcement was made via press release after the clubhouse was closed, so neither Pirela nor manager Joe Girardi was available for comment."

And there you have it. Carry on.

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RAMON FLORES SENT DOWN, BUT THERE'S A REASON

Quick note.

Ramon Flores was sent back down to AAA.   According to CBS Sports, " Yankees have optioned outfielder Ramon Flores to Triple-A Scranton, the team announced on Wednesday. The move was made to clear room on the roster for Brendan Ryan, who was activated off the disabled list."

That immediately brought out BYB reader Sal Biondo to Tweet:

@BleednYankeeBlu wow,Flores sent down!? Did anyone watch last night's game? Or the last week with this kid?Kid deserves better. #shocked

— Salvatore Biondo, Jr (@BiondoSJr) June 10, 2015

And he's right... we love the kids and we love them in pinstripes and we love when they perform. 

That being said, having Brendan Ryan back is terrific, not only for me personally, because I'm a fan, but for the Yankees stability in the field.  Ryan will be a contributor. I have no doubt. 

While I love Flores... he's got time and the Yankees know that.  This move is smart, don't get it twisted.

Thanks for the Tweet Sal... and thanks for reading BYB.

Go Yanks!

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SLADE HEATHCOTT GOES ON THE SHELF

Well, that was fast.

Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com reported some unfortunate news about Slade Heathcott.  He's headed to the DL:

"Heathcott has a Grade 2 strain of his right quadriceps and will miss at least a month...The Yankees will place Heathcott on the 15-day disabled list and outfielder Ramon Flores has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace him."

And so now, the kid who everyone was excited about goes on the DL.  We just got finished celebrating the guy with a terrific piece by Steve Skinner of BYB fame.  That piece is titled  OUR NEXT "BERNIE". It's a must read piece if you have not yet seen it.

We've also written extensively about our kids on the farm at the beginning of the season... and we wrote about Ramon Flores too.  Check out this Ike Dimitriadis piece titled: KIDS TO WATCH: RAMON FLORES.

Yup... we write about everything at Bleeding Yankee Blue. I hope that's why you love us. Get well soon Slade. Welcome back Ramon.

And speaking of writing about everything... be sure to read  WEARING #BYB MAKES YOU SEXY. 

Laura Posada wears Bleeding Yankee Blue. 

Marci Hensley and Ty wear Bleeding Yankee Blue!

Here's the question.  Will our friend Lory Ankiel wear Bleeding Yankee Blue?

How about Garrett and Cassie Jones? Will they eventually wear Bleeding Yankee Blue?  Stay tuned!





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TANAKA TO START FOR SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE THURSDAY

Quick note about the recovering Masahiro Tanaka.  He will be throwing for the RailRiders tomorrow night, and the YES Network has announced that they will cover it live.

According to YES Network:

"The YES telecast, from PNC Field in Moosic, Pa., will begin at 6:30 pm ET.

Tanaka was placed on the disabled list on April 29 with right wrist tendinitis and a right forearm strain.   Prior to landing on the DL, he had a 2-1 record for the Yankees with a 3.22 ERA. He had 24 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.
 
Among the Yankees prospects on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster are second baseman Rob Refsnyder, pitcher Jacob Lindgren and outfielders Ben Gamel and Ramon Flores."

Good Stuff.  I look forward to watching Tanaka. How about you?

 NJ.com asked this: How many rehab starts will Masahiro Tanaka need before rejoining Yankees?

Good question. I wonder myself. I guess we find out more once we see the guy tomorrow.

Thanks to YES for the note.

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KIDS TO WATCH: RAMON FLORES

With Spring Training now in the home stretch, Bleeding Yankee Blue is continuing this series, highlighting the kids that are vying for a coveted spot on the major league roster, and that we may see later this season. We are going over their respective backgrounds – how they have been playing, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what to look for.

Ramon Flores has quickly gotten our attention and that of the Yankees coaching staff. He is a 23-year old outfielder from Venezuela, signed by the Yankees in 2008. Despite missing some time last year due to an ankle injury, he has shown the Yankees some pop in his bat and good coverage in the field. He was able to generate an OPS of .815 and an OBP of .343 at the AAA level, where he spent essentially almost the whole year.

The thing that stands out to me about this kid has been his performance in the last week in stress situations. Last week in a game against the Detroit Tigers, in the Yankees' final at-bat and down by two, he hit a walk-off 3-run home run for the win. This week, when the Yankees were down by one with men in scoring position, he hit a sharp single to tie the game. I know the sample set is small, but the kid is showing a lot of heart that is not always obvious from the stats without looking deeper. It would huge for the team to have a clutch player performing at that level.

He comes with some issues that he and the Yankees will have to work out. He is very patient at the plate, but the criticism on him is that he can take too many pitches. He has a lot of walks, but he also has a lot of strikeouts, particularly of the reverse-K variety. The other problem - maybe the bigger problem - is that the Yankees have a crowded outfield. At best, barring injury, he would be the Yankees 4th outfielder.

The Yankees need clutch players, ones that will win the game with one swing of the bat. Those players need to have a road paved for them to the Bronx. Did I mention that he hit a walk-off 3-run home run? Clearly, he can handle pressure, and he can play. Now we need Mr. Cashman and Mr. Girardi to figure out how to get him in Bronx pinstripes.

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








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TANAKA & YANKEES LOSE TO THE TWINS

Masahiro Tanaka pitched in what is no doubt his final outing of the Spring. According to MLB.com:

"Tanaka threw 76 pitches (56 for strikes) and permitted seven hits over 4 1/3 innings, including a homer, to finish the spring with a 3.07 ERA. Most importantly to the Yankees, he finished it healthy and with no setbacks after sustaining a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament last July. In 14 2/3 spring innings, Tanaka gave up five earned runs and 13 hits, with one walk, 13 strikeouts and two homers."

BYB's buddy Chris Martin was impressive today, retiring 6 batters in relief. He struck out 3.  Joe Girardi said of his outing: "good downhill angle, good breaking ball -- really good."  Remember, Martins stands at 6'8". He's a big boy. When we interviewed him about that, he said "Being a tall pitcher has its advantages and disadvantages. But the biggest advantage is the angle tall pitchers are able to produce when coming to the plate."  That's what Girardi's talking about.

Remember, we love Martin, read his interview with us HERE.

The Yankees didn't do too much offensively, only scoring 1 run which came off of Ramon Flores' bat when he was able to knock in a run. It was the 4th inning when he singled and Chris Young scored.  That was it though.

We're winding down ladies and gentlemen. It's almost Opening day. I can't wait.

Final: Twins 3 - Yankees 1

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WARREN IMPRESSING IN HIS BID FOR THE STARTING ROLE

If it was today, I give the 5th spot to Adam Warren.  I like what he's done.  He's developing into a hard working starter.  Today in the Yankees loss to the Rays, he struck out 5.  Not too shabby.

As ESPN wrote on March 25th: "Adam Warren runs away from the field", meaning, he's got the best shot to take the spot for the 5th slot in the starting role. He's running away with it:

"Warren has made more starts (4) than any pitcher in camp, thrown more innings (13) and pitched a respectable 2.77 ERA. Joe Girardi has raved about Mitchell's stuff, made excuses for Rogers, and Whitley has yet to allow a run. But it is clearly Warren who has shown the most capability to fill the hole in the rotation long enough for Capuano or Ivan Nova, recovering from Tommy John surgery, to return. But if Cashman seriously believes Warren is Secretariat, Capuano might have to be Man O'War to win his job back."

Fantastically written by Wallace Matthews.  He's right.

As far as the Yankees and their offense, they scored 5.   They came close in the 9th, but never were able to tie it.  Big hits came from Slade Heathcott,  Didi Gregoirus and Ramon Flores who all had RBI doubles. It was Jake Cave who was able to knock in that 1 extra run in the 9th... the Yanks just ran out of time at that point.  Hey, it happens.

Overall a good game, a close one and players are still airing things out.  A loss, but alot of positives today. Good work. Tough loss.  And yes... Spring Training.

Final: Rays 6 - Yankees 5

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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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THE YANKEE CUTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

With the regular season now directly in front of us, teams across MLB get on with the unappealing process of trimming their rosters to 25 players prior to Opening Day.

For the Yankees, it has been a spring training filled with competitive battles for spots at key positions in the outfield, infield, bullpen and starting rotation.  Given the disappointing results of last season, it is no wonder that many of the spots are being held open as long as possible.

Even so, the process of paring down the roster has begun for the Bombers and includes some familiar names.   Among the earliest “demotions” from the Major League roster were:

Jose Ramirez – optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) on March 9^th.  Ramirez is a 24-year-old right handed hurler that has been in the Yankees organization since 2008 and started eight games for the Rail Riders last year with a 4.88 ERA.  Baseball America rates his fastball as the best in the Yankees’ farm system.

Slade Heathcott – optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on March 12^th.  Heathcott is one of the Yankees top outfield prospects (his arm is rated the best in the team’s minor league system), but the 23-year-old has struggled through numerous injuries during his young career.  Last season he played 103 games at Trenton and hit .261 while stealing 15 bases in 23 attempts.

Gary Sanchez – optioned to Double-A Trenton Thunder on March 12^th.  Sanchez, according to Baseball America, is the franchise’s number one prospect.  Only 21 years of age, BA already rates him as the organization’s best power hitter.  In the Yankees’ system since age 17, the catcher has been promoted to a higher level of pro ball every season.  Expect him to make an appearance in Scranton before the 2014 campaign is over.

Nik Turley – optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on March 12^th.  Turley is a 24-year-old left -handed hurler who made one appearance with the Rail Riders last season after spending most of it at Trenton.  Turley is another prospect who has steadily risen through the ranks and is only a year or two off from making regular appearances in the Bronx.

Bryan Mitchell – optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on March 13^th.  Drafted in the 16^th round of the 2009 draft as a 19-year-old, Mitchell is rapidly flying through the Yankees’ minor league system.  In a little over 18 innings pitched at Trenton last season, the right-handed pitcher struck out 16 and walked only 5.  The fact that he is being placed at the Triple-A level shows the confidence the Bombers have in him.  This is someone to keep an eye on!

Jose Campos – Optioned to Tampa (high-A) on March 13^th. Campos is the right-handed pitcher included in the deal that brought Michael Pineda to the Yankees.  He’s still young (21) and features a 93-mph fastball.  He has yet to break above the “A” level of the system because of injury issues and most recently has battled elbow injuries.  At Charleston last year he did manage to pitch 87 innings and had a decent 3.41 ERA, so there is hope.  If he can put the injuries behind him, Campos can get back on track as a rising star.

This past week the Yankees had a couple more players sent to the farm.  They were:

 Manny Banuelos - Optioned to Tampa on March 16^th.  Banuelos is half of the “killer Bees” – the highly touted duo of Banuelos and Dellin Betances - and while Baseball America still rates him as the team’s 12^th best prospect, it seems that his stock is falling.  He didn’t pitch in 2013 as he recovered from elbow surgery, and that clearly has set him back in his progress through the ranks.  This spring he made two appearances and yielded seven earned runs in one inning.  He still has work to do if he wants to achieve his dream of pitching for the Yankees.

Ramon Flores - Optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on March 18^th.  The 21-year-old outfielder is another prospect working his way through the ranks, and Scranton will mark the highest level of ball he has achieved.  Last season he hit .260 and has shown decent speed on the base paths in stealing 56 of 80 bases during his five seasons in the minors.

Even though the aforementioned players aren’t coming to New York with the big league club, for many their assignments represent promotions from last season’s team.  In spite of rumors of its demise, these “baby Bombers” each show that the farm isn’t barren.

Look for the Yankees to make more decisions on players in the very near future as they define the team they will take to the Bronx for Opening Day.


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1




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YANKEES SIGN "THE MICK"... SORT OF

(In Photo: Mickey Storey)
The Yankees claimed Mickey Storey, a right handed pitcher off waivers from the Houston Astros today.  Nice. What does it mean? Well, in a nutshell it means they completed their 40 man roster with he and 6 other guys.

According to the Washington Post, HERE:

"The 26-year-old was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 26 relief appearances after making his major league debut in August. He was 7-4 with a 3.05 ERA this year at Triple-A Oklahoma City."

The other 6 are Manny Banuelos, Nik Turley of Trenton, Jose Ramirez of Tampa, Pitcher Brett Marshall, Francisco Rondon from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and outfielder Ramon Flores.

(In Photo: Dave Herndon)
The Yanks said righthander Dave Herndon refused an outright assignment. That means he's elected free agency. Remember the Yankees claimed Dave Herndon from the Blue Jays the beginning of the month, read YANKEES CLAIM DAVE HERNDON & JOSH SPENCE OFF WAIVERS.

Oh Dave... we barely got to know you... and we never will.

 Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.