FROM "A GREAT OFF-SEASON" TO "DOUBT"

Thanks again Joel Sherman for starting my week off wrong...

Joel Sherman put a piece together yesterday in the New York Post to state that while the Yankees spent alot of money this off-season bettering their club, they also signed a bunch of guys that have had injury filled pasts.  OK then... thanks for starting my Monday off right. That's sarcasm for anyone that didn't get that.

Sherman writes:

"... They have areas of real fragility and little in the way of strong second-tier options. In 2013, as they used a franchise-record 56 players, that meant fire-drill acquisitions of underwhelming players such as Ben Francisco, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells, and too many at-bats ultimately for lightweights such as David Adams, Reid Brignac and Luis Cruz. 

It was “The Day After Tomorrow” as age, lack of emphasis on the bench and a woeful farm system finally caught up with the Yankees, leading to a playoff-less season.

Well, “The Day After Tomorrow 2” is in pre-production."

Why the Yankees let this guy into their facility is beyond me.  I mean, yes, Sherman's doing his job and he has the right to criticize all he wants. I mean, even us fans know that the idea of some of these guys on our payroll is "rolling the dice", like a Jacoby Ellsbury for instance, but what Sherman is failing to understand is "What happens if we didn't do anything?" or better yet, "Who else is out there?"  I don't mind criticism if you write about the Yanks and their "bad moves" as he's suggesting, but here's an idea, if you criticize, have a suggestion on what you would have done better. I mean, there is never a good suggestion box when it comes to Sherman. He just spews out annoying columns to get Yankee fans riled up... and for what? To sell papers? Stop already.

(In Photo: Zoilo Almonte)
We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have offered our own backup plans, like slowly sprinkle the kids in. Slowly bring up guys like Tyler Austin or Zoilo Almonte and get them prepped for the Bigs.  But Sherman even slams the Yankees minor league system writing:

"... the farm system still isn’t ready to help much, the depth remains iffy and the frontline is brittle enough to suggest the Yankees are going to need way more than 15 really good players, even if the plague doesn’t hit again to cause the need for 56."

You know what Joel? That's what the minors leagues is for... let the kids develop and you know what, every once in a while you throw a kid a bone.   Look at the Core Four. Look at Bernie Williams, All started out slow and all developed into superstars over time.  But that's what we need... time, not criticism every time we open your column bro.

And in the future, make a solid suggestion. What's your plan... these guys that you wrote about?

"...they were outbid on Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante, and tried hard to acquire Logan Forsythe from the Padres, who was instead dealt to Tampa."

Hmm. It seems like those suggestions are like 2013 all over again. It also seems like you're contradicting yourself.  Plus, are we really gonna give a guy like Peralta a shot? He's dabbled in PEDs just like Alex Rodriguez. You know, the guy you rip for being a liar?  What's the difference between Jhonny and Alex? 

Sure Omar makes sense, but it was clear the Yankees wanted cheaper and so they went Brian Roberts.  After all, they were saving what they could to get Masahiro Tanaka at that point. Look, what's to say Omar doesn't get hurt this season? What's to say Brian Roberts doesn't have a great season? We don't know. The Yanks made moves based on what they thought was right.

Here's a good idea for your next column... Write about what you would have done if you were the Yankees and don't give me guys that have already been signed... really think!  It appears that what the Yankees did was pretty significant this off-season, many of us believe that. And while the future doesn't look bright in the minor leagues as you suggest... don't tell those kids that, because they don't believe it for 1 second.   I know them... they want it more than anyone, they just want a chance.

Dear Yankees... ignore the haters... go win in 2014!

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.

I LIKE THE LILLIBRIDGE MOVE

Just want to keep you in the loop on this. It's minor, but important.  As you may have heard, or maybe haven't, the Yankees designated Reid Brignac for assignment earlier today, read HERE.   He was about the equivalent of Chris Nelson in my eyes, so I guess it's good that they moved Reid... no offense to Reid, I'm sure he's a nice guy.

To fill the hole, the Yankees acquired utility man Brent Lillibridge from the Cubs. The return will be cash considerations.  Lillibridge is 29 and with the Cubs AAA he was batting .281.

Look, I actually like this kid.  I remember a few years ago he single handily beat the Yankees when they played the White Sox.  Read WHY LILLIBRIDGE BEAT THE YANKEES. I've talked about "moments" at Bleeding Yankee Blue, and sometimes those moments are big.  No doubt Brent Lillibridge will never forget that moment beating the Yankees... and now he is one.  Wacky stuff!

The Cubs are apparently ready to sell and tonight, with the acquisition of Lillibridge, it's clear, but I actually think there is another player the Yankees should try and trade for... stay tuned for that on BYB tomorrow....

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GOING LONG-ORIA

Tonight the Yankees faced the Tampa Bay Rays in a Divisional Match up they absolutely had to have. Adding icing to the revenge cake was the chance to finally beat Matt Moore. Now would be the time, as Moore was showing weakness.

It didn’t start well. In the second, Tampa chipped away at Andy Pettitte, who seemed to have less command than usual. The Rays knocked RBI singles and sac flies in the second to make it 3-0 Tampa. Evan Longoria would knock a homer the next inning to get it to 4-0 Rays, his second RBI of the night.

Then a whole lot of nothing until the sixth. Brignac got a single after 18 futile at bats. Gardner walked. Nix walked. And the Yankees had something cooking.

With the bases loaded for Robinson Cano, Matt Moore faltered. One wild pitch later and Brignac scored. Life breathed into the Stadium. Two successive sacrifices by Cano and Hafner brought the score to 4-3. Unfortunately, Wells, as has been his wont of late, ended the inning with a limp ground out.

In the eighth inning, Longoria struck yet again, with a two run dinger this time. Yunel Escobar followed that with a two run dinger of his own, putting the Rays firmly in the driver’s seat at 8-3.

In the ninth, Zoilo Almonte replaced Wells and got his first MLB hit. That was pretty much the only bright spot in the back half of the game. Evan Longoria beat the Yankees all by himself.

So. Opinions? Nothing fit for print if you want candid honesty. I watched this game with my infant son, and were it not for his presence there would have been a lot of swearing and stomping around the house.

The Yankees needed this win, but fell short again. They had that rally in the sixth but then quit after that. The wheels are long off this automobile. The patched meant to hold the team together for the first couple of months have fallen away. Management desperately needs to make a move.

A season starting with such miraculous hope is already sinking away into the depths. Hiroki Kuroda is pitching well. Brett Gardner is hitting well. That’s it, Yankee fans. Expect some major moves very soon.

Here’s a picture of my kid to make you feel better.

 Final: Rays: 8 - Yankees: 3


Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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CALL IN THE CAVALRY!

We’ve enjoyed a bunch of ballplayers that probably played alittle over their head this season so far. I think that's a fair assessment.  Nothing wrong with players pushing hard to get to a common goal, a championship, but when the Mets swept us, a harsh reality set in… that party is over.  

Chad MacDonald wrote a brilliant piece (and recap) in THE YANKEES REALITY CHECK. Click it, read it, comment and think about it for a moment.  I too wanted to add my own thoughts, some may be similar, some will be different and that’s what makes Bleeding Yankee Blue unique…our writers have different opinions, but we all love our Yankees.

The Mets came in and they swept us, and the timing couldn’t be more right. Think about it. It’s almost like Brian Cashman was in a back room somewhere with his protractor and telescope trying to work out when exactly the walking injured would join us again.  Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are apparently ready and suddenly, questions are raised about what happens to guys like Lyle Overday and David Adams. Read TEIXEIRA, YOUKILIS & THE YANKEE LOG JAM. Another great piece. This one by Ike Dimitriadis with a whole lot of questions too.  It got a ton of buzz yesterday because many of us are concerned.  Who to trade, who to send down and who to release.  Many questions, but the only ones who have the answers are Brian Cashman and "the Steinbrener gang." Now, we all know that anything they do is wrong, that’s what makes the Yankee fans great. We all have difference opinions on our personnel and we always think our ideas are better for the team than they do.  But back to Ike's piece... it had a simple message, something has to be done, someone has to be moved, especially with Tex and Youk coming back.

This is the best case scenario; Guys like Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and David Adams did good things when we needed them, but now the big money players are back and so, those other guys get a rest.  Now, it would be foolish to play Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkils every single day starting tonight, so in a perfect world, we play them for a few days, ease them in and then bring Overbay back here and there, or, if Adams stays up, bring him back here and there and this way we work everyone in.   Maybe we don’t rush them back because it’s literally May 31^st and not September, but you know what I mean... easing them back is better than making Tex and Youk hit the ground running. Sure,  it's no easy puzzle, but I don’t get paid to solve it. It's just an idea.

One thing we have to put in perspective is the Yankees DO lose games once in a while.  We’ve lost huge ones and insignificant ones, but we have lost them.  We were swept by the Mets, not a division rival, just another team that happens to play in New York.  

I don’t think much of the Subway Series and the last time I truly cared was the 2000 World Series.  The Mets are just another team who had a great 4 games. Tip your cap and move on.  But yes Yankee fans, we’re in a slump.  Slumps happen in baseball but the best thing we can do now is get angry and handle an important team, an important division rival.  The Red Sox need to be beat.  That’s where the standings change and that doesn’t matter if it’s in April or September… these games are important.  

(In Photo: Teixeira with the Thunder)

The most interesting part is guys like Tex and Youk, they know about the rivalry and they’ll be ready.  Guys like Wells, Overbay, Hafner, they’re new to it, so it will be fun for them, but again, the timing is right, they’re cooling off a bit and just in time for the money players to return. 

And while I’m on my rant,  why all the worry about benching Lyle Overbay? Can’t we all just admit we enjoyed it while it lasted? Can't we all admit that he's not going anywhere?  There are so many articles written about “What happens when?” and while it’s a legitimate question, we just need to deal with it.  The Yankees are investing millions in guys like Mark Teixeira.  When Tex his healthy, they’re not just going to bench him. They’re not going to tell him to go out an earn his spot.  They’re going to play him.  You know who gets that? Lyle Overbay.  Overbay will be fine. The Yankees like what he’s done and he’s not going anywhere.  He’ll back up Mark Teixeira as planned, play when Tex needs a day and continue to contribute.

Lyle Overbay has been terrific all season should be applauded. He had an opportunity, he ran with it and has done terrific work for us.  He reminds me in a lot of ways like Raul Ibanez.   

Many found the Ibanez signing ridiculous. Of course that was before he became a superstar in the playoffs last season.  Raul fought the odds and officially became a Yankee last October.  This year, Overbay is proving the doubters wrong, same with Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner by the way.  We really need to give Brian Cashman a lot of credit for seeing potential where us fans just scratched our heads. But there’s more to it. Overbay is handling his role like a champ and most importantly, he knew his role was temporary.  He’ll do what the Yankees need him to do and that goes for Wells and Hafner and Brignac and David Adams and whoever else the Yankees picked up to plug the holes.  In the end, we’re the Yankees, and for some reason everything always works out.   

For right now… for right this second, it’s time to call in the Cavalry though… the Yankees are on a losing streak and need to break it in the biggest test all season, again the evil Red Sox.  The time is now… hopefully they can. You know I’ll be watching every pitch and I know you will be too…

Go Yanks!

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THE YANKEES ARE ACQUIRING GUYS LIKE NUTS TODAY!

The Yankees are making mad moves today!  Players are being signed, players are being designated for assignment and it's all to better the club.  You can criticize Brian Cashman all you want, but things are really moving lately and I appreciate what he's been doing.  I realize that when it comes to this team, it's off-seasons like this that make me realize that he's the GM and I'm just a fan.  Anyway, check this out:

Jon Heyman Tweeted HERE that the Yankees have traded $75,000 to the Colorado Rockies for Reid Brignac.  To make that move, the Yankees had to designate Alberto Gonzalez for assignment. 

That is being tweeted by Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger HERE. Gonzalez will always be remembered for pitching for the Yanks, staying a week and now possibly being claimed by another team right now.  Let's see what happens. Hopefully he'll clear waivers and go back down to AAA.

Also, I just read on CLNS Radio.com, HERE, that the Yankees have just signed Josh Bell to a minor league deal.  Bell is a third baseman who, according to them, "Bell will most likely report to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Bell, 26, was released by the White Sox on May 7th after appearing in fifteen games for AAA Charlotte to start the season. In 55 at-bats, he hit .273 with 4 RBI."

Oh, and not only that, there was other movement today...

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have claimed former Yankee Chris Nelson off waivers. The Angels Tweeted that HERE. The Tweet is below:

Holy moves... enjoy the rest of your Weekend.

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