YANKEES SIGN ROUGNED ODOR

 Yup, it happened. Rougned Odor is on the Yankees. But don't panic. It's a minor league deal.  MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"The Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran infielder Rougned Odor, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The BHSC client can opt out of the contract on July 1 if he hasn’t been added to the roster by that point. Odor had signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball back in January, but the league announced just a couple days ago that he’d been released.

It’s the second Yankees stint for Odor. The now-30-year-old infielder spent the 2021 season in the Bronx and batted .202/.286/.379 with 15 homers in 361 trips to the plate."

OK. Let's see what happens next with Odor!

YOU CAN'T DENY NESTOR CORTES, BUT BOONE DID

The Yankees should have won that game yesterday behind Nestor Cortes. It just made sense. I mean the guy had 12 strikeouts through 5 innings. And then what happened? He was relieved by Chad Green with no score in the game in the bottom of the 6th...and after that? Everything fell apart.  Who do you blame? I know who I blame... and the dude doesn't play anymore... It's Boone.

Pinstripe Alley writes:

"The Orioles finally put the game away in the eighth inning. Jonathan Loáisiga never really had it, loading the bases with one out and bringing up lefty pinch-hitter Rougned Odor while southpaw Lucas Luetge was hot in the bullpen. Aaron Boone made the decision to leave Loáisiga in, Odor singled up the middle, and it was 2-0."

 

The Yankees would eventually lose 5-0. Boone dismissed the fact that Cortes was on fire... pitching an immaculate inning, the 39th in history and even bridging to Green when you cannot stop watching the highlight of  Tim Locastro, the animal in the outfield saving an extra base hit with a diving catch. I'll say it again... the Yankees were supposed to win that game yesterday.

And look, it's April, but games against division teams matter regardless. We gotta be able to beat teams like the Orioles!  We did not... that sucks.

Let's tighten it up!

WAS THE YANKEES BIG WINNING STREAK AN ANOMALY?

I miss the thirteen game win streak. It forced Aaron Boone and the analytic junkies to stop relying on their failed system. I wish all of the injuries didn't come with all of that, but it still proved an important point.

The win streak came when some of the regulars were not in the lineup. The Yankees had to get creative and patch together a lineup in the worst of circumstances that actually worked. It's a reminder to stick with what works. Don't be afraid to shake things up. Before the win streak things weren't working and the trade deadline got some pieces for us that were a band=aid but while the 13 win streak was fun to watch, was it an anomaly?

What we saw from April-July was representative of what the "regular" team really is....ineffective. The addition of the lefty bats was welcome because it added balance but it wasn't the solution. So IS ANYONE EXCITED THAT JOEY GALLO IS A YANKEE? I'd say NO now.

I still like the Anthony Rizzo addition, he adds consistency in the infield and some additional leadership....which the Yankees need. I never liked the Andrew Heaney move. I've watched him long before he ever put pinstripes on and honestly, Brian Cashman added a weakness there. The Angels are the winners in that trade and they are very happy about losing his 7.71 ERA. These were band-aids, not fixes and some of them didn't even pan out.

I'm not the biggest Tyler Wade fan these days but he gave the Yankees the energy and speed on the bases that has been missing. That snapped as soon as Gio Urshela was brought back and Andrew Velazquez is definitely superior at shortstop than Gleyber Torres. The Yankees have handicapped themselves because while the "regulars" are back, there's no room for the guys that were productive and getting the job done. The same goes for Rougned Odor who is now back on the bench. I believe Torres can be developed the Yankees shouldn't give up on him BUT leaving him at shortstop is not the answer.

So the Yankees went back to their tired lineup because they are the regulars and the guys who were getting the results are not playing. The analytics are back, it's managing with a formula that hasn't produced results instead of rolling with the lineup that was producing. That's the only explanation that makes sense. The sad thing is, the season is on the line and a Wild Card spot is once again in jeopardy. October isn't even a guarantee. The Yankees are in real danger of missing the postseason.

The win streak showed us what is possible, but not with Cashman's current approach to building rosters or with Boone's management skills. I believe the Yankees are capable of a lot more, but we wont see the full potential with this ideology. The streak may have been an anomaly, but if the Yankees changed their thought process and played real baseball it doesn't have to be.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS FOR ANDREW VELAZQUEZ

Andrew Velazquez got a shot. Andrew Velazquez is shining for the Yankees right now.

Last night in what was the past play of the game to sweep the Boston Red Sox, he made a play at short to literally bury the Sox for good.

ANDREW VELAZQUEZ OH MY GOD THE KID FROM THE BRONX FINISHES OFF THE SWEEP OF THE RED SOX

RIZZO WHAT A SCOOP pic.twitter.com/C4YOCMIdFP

— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) August 19, 2021

As BYB reader Tony Zeppieri tweeted...

He's right to ask that question... I mean, can we?

The New York Post writes:

"When Velazquez and the returning Anthony Rizzo teamed for a superb final play, the Yankees secured a 5-2 victory over the rival Red Sox, closing out a three-game sweep against their former tormentors and — thanks to the White Sox’s 3-2 triumph over the A’s in Chicago — carving out exclusive possession of the top American League wild-card slot.

They did so with Velazquez, 27, who delivered a pair of RBI singles in addition to his game-ending glovework, earning the cherished championship wrestling belt, which sparked him to offer a heartfelt speech to his teammates.

“In that locker room, with those guys, I’ve dreamt of doing what I just did,” Velazquez said, recounting his words. “In real life, it was way better.”...

“I was just ready for anything there, anything on the ground,” Velazquez said. “I didn’t know if Rougie was going to make a play on it, so I just wanted to see what was going to happen there. And then when I got it, I said, ‘You know what? I’m gonna throw it as hard and as low as I can so that Rizzo can just pick it. If not, I would’ve thrown it in the family section in the second deck.”

Dreams come true and this kid got a shot and ran with it.  And by the way, don't look now...

The Yanks are just 5 games back out of first place. Anything can happen with this team right now... anything.

COBBLING TOGETHER LINEUPS & WINS TO STAY AFLOAT

Source: Twitter

What a crazy series in Kansas City. Amidst soaring temperatures, long games, trips to the IL and new guys in the lineup, the Yankees have proven that anything can happen. And that means they need to "Grit it out" as Yankee announcer Ryan Ruocco shared at the opening of Tuesday night's game against the Royals. Aaron Boone also stated to reporters that “You’ve got to roll,” when asked about the long list of positive cases of COVID-19. Cobbling together lineups and wins are keeping this team afloat.

Source: Vincent Carchietta/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

"While most of the Yankees’ positive tests have been so-called breakthrough cases in which a person tests positive despite being fully vaccinated, (Anthony) Rizzo’s vaccination status was unclear. In June, as a member of the Chicago Cubs, he told reporters he was not yet vaccinated, saying he was “taking some more time to see the data” in what he described as a “difficult decision,” reported The New York Times.

Source: New York Daily News

This and other Yankees on the IL have given other Yankees an opportunity to lead and play positions that they are not accustomed. Although Giancarlo Stanton was groomed an outfielder he has only had five starts out there this season, most coming more recently. Rougned Odor is a second baseman playing third as Gio Urshela recovers from the virus. And with Gleyber Torres out with a sore thumb, the Yankees have brought up Andrew Velazquez to make his debut in grand style. Then there is Luke Voit, who is making things interesting with Rizzo out for an undetermined time. 

But here's the thing, this cobbling that is happening right now will soon be a distant memory. Take a look at the stacked lineup the Bombers will have once the team recovers. 

1. DJ LeMahieu, 2B

2. Anthony Rizzo, 1B

3. Aaron Judge, RF

4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH

5. Joey Gallo, LF

6. Gleyber Torres, SS

7. Gary Sanchez, C

8. Gio Urshela, 3B

9. Brett Gardner, CF

A lineup that NJ.com calls out with glee: "Can you find many more accomplished top five hitters in any lineup in the sport?" Then there is the starting rotation which not only will bring back Gerrit Cole but likely Luis Severino and Cory Kluber. 

So September is shaping up to be an amazing month if the Yankees can continue to cobble together lineups and wins to keep the engines running through the dog days of summer. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEE FAVORITE ANTHONY RIZZO IS ALL ABOUT "TEAM"

I just wanna share this because it just shows just how much of a team guy Anthony Rizzo is. Max Goodman put this out about a conversation that Rougned Odor had with Rizzo the other day:

Rougned Odor said that when he was moved to third base the other day for the first time, Anthony Rizzo told him...

"Just throw the ball, I'll catch everything."

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) August 6, 2021

Classic. This is the kind of comfort and looseness a team needs to feel every time they're out there.  Rizzo is pumped obviously. 

The Yankees are starting to heat up. Odor, while a new Yankee has been contributing greatly and me, on the outside looking in, I notice consistency and that's all any Yankee fan wanted from this team. 

The Yankees are clawing back, but it only happens with moments and team unity and this is exactly what that is. 

It's a short post, but I had to share.

Latest standings. Here come the Yankees.

THE IDEA OF TREA TURNER ON THE YANKS IS AMAZING... BUT IT'S JUST AN IDEA

Could you imagine Trea Turner on the Yankees? I can. He'd fit all our needs.

But with a guy like Peter Gammons still alive and kicking and throwing out weird and random nuggets like this, it's kind of annoying... because, lets face it, blogs like us go crazy starting to think of the possiblities.  

Let me state for the record that there is ZERO indication that the Yankees would go after this guy. I mean, they should after reading that tweet from Gammons, but they won't because they have other pokers in other fires that are further along. Not this one for sure.

Yanks go Yard writes:

"Let’s get it out in the open: there’s a version of a Trea Turner trade that includes Jasson Dominguez as the deal’s centerpiece. In this version, the Yankees have to surrender significantly less surrounding the 18-year-old future star. If Dominguez is on the table, you can add Luis Medina and Anthony Volpe/Oswald Peraza and probably call this one.

Presuming Dominguez is not included in this trade, though, the Yankees probably up the ante with Plan A: Gleyber Torres, future Washington Nationals … second baseman?"

In my opinion... we're giving away too much if we do what Yanks go Yard wants. No disrespect to them, I just don't see it. you'll piss off the entire Yankee fan base. We haven't even seen Dominguez play on the big stage yet. I mean, why all the hype if you're just gonna flip him for a guy like Turner and the Yankees are 9 games out. It doesn't take one player to get to the playoffs... it takes a team.  Plus, wouldn't it make sense to move Torres to second on the Yanks, maybe make Odor the DH? I don't know... I'm spitballing here. 

I think personally we have the pieces we need on the field. We just need 1 or 2 more people. One of which, could be (probably not) Trea Turner... but for the right price of course.

Anyway... it's interesting the fire storm dinosaur Gammons brings to the table. Good banter.

For me... personally I think the deal with be with Colorado for Trevor Story... a deal that needs to get done. 

That is all.

YANKEES POUNCE... BEAT BOSTON IN THE 8TH

You have to appreciate the latest energy by the New York Yankees. A loss here and there are gonna happen, but the energy seems different lately and I like it. Yesterday it seemed like they were done against the Sox, but they came back when they needed to. And it happened in the 8th when the Sox got complacent. You gotta love baseball... it's so unpredictable.

MLB writes:

"Rougned Odor kissed Fenway Park’s Green Monster with a game-tying, two-run double and Gleyber Torres’ soft flare found turf in right field to create the Yankees’ first lead of the afternoon, part of an unlikely rally that fueled a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox on Saturday.

“It’s a really good win on a day when we were lackluster for the first seven innings or so,” said outfielder Brett Gardner, who helped spark the comeback with an RBI single. “Things weren’t looking good, so it’s definitely nice to be able to come out of here with the win. It’s a crazy game we play.”

Gardner squared a curveball for a two-out, two-strike hit that chased home Estevan Florial with the Yankees’ first run, helping New York swipe a victory from Boston -- their third win in 12 tries this season.

That knocked out right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who had been excellent through seven innings, handcuffing his former club by striking out eight without a walk. Giancarlo Stanton greeted right-hander Adam Ottavino with a ground-rule double that bounced into the seats along the right-field line."

Bottom line... it's what the Yankees needed and it's all coming together at the right time.  Go Yanks!

YEAH, I'M ALL IN ON GREG ALLEN

Source: The Day

I barely know this Yankee team. From new starting pitchers to position players making their debut, the Yankees are making it work in the new normal following a COVID-19 spread across the team after the All Star Game last week. One shining star has to be Greg Allen who went 3 for 6 over the weekend against the first place Red Sox. The Yankees snagged two out of three against Boston, giving the team a much needed lift after players went down to injuries and the virus. Allen is in the center of it all and he's loving getting a shot at the big leagues after being shepherded for this moment by one of baseball's greatest players.

Source: WNYC

“Coach Gwynn had a monumental impact, and it was one that I probably unfortunately didn’t even realize the true impact of until I was no longer at San Diego State,” Allen said. “But it was an incredible blessing just having a chance to be there. Having this chance to be under his tutelage ... he was just a phenomenal coach, but even a better person. He loved his players, loved his family and loved to try and make everyone better. And he loved the game of baseball, loved to compete,” said Allen as reported by NJ.com. 

Allen was recruited by San Diego's finest, Tony Gwynn, who at the time was the head coach for San Diego State. Recall that Gwynn died at the young age of 54, but lived to see his protege get drafted in the sixth round by the Cleveland Indians in 2014. Many of the qualities of Gwynn are found in the 28-year-old Allen who has been lighting it up since stepping in for Aaron Judge and the rest of the outfield on the IL pretty much indefinitely this season.

“He can really defend in the outfield,” Boone said. “He can run obviously. He’s given quality at-bats from both sides, even at-bats that haven’t ended in a result necessarily. It’s a big league at-bat. It’s competitive. It’s not a lot of chase. “He can help us,” reported NJ.com.

And help is what the Yankees need. From speed to small ball to quite frankly, consistent offense, the Yankees need to break away if they are going to be competitive and catch the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox for a shot at the post season. 

Right now Rougned Odor, Gleyber Torres, Ryan LaMarre and Greg Allen are holding up this Yankee team. And although I see these new numbers and strange guys in pinstripes right now, I am all in as they seem to be the spark the team needed to get things going. Let's go Yankees! 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

HUGE YANKEE WIN! BIG WALK-OFF!

You can't beat a walk off.  It's the greatest moment in sports.

Last night the Yankees played and won a huge game, and a walk off was a result... not to mention the Yanks got a triple play... and by the way, that was the first time in the Yankees franchise history that they ever did a triple play and walk off in the same inning. Of course it is... that's pretty hard to do. It's also pretty incredible.

MSN Sports writes:

"A triple play and walk-off single in the ninth inning had that same crowd explode louder than it's been all season long in the Bronx..."

This is how it went down. MSN Sports again...

"...the first two batters reached against Aroldis Chapman in the top of the ninth. A leadoff walk and a slow roller in front of the mound had the closer on the ropes.

That all changed when White Sox left fielder Andrew Vaughn rolled over on a 1-1 slider, sending a hard ground ball to third base.

Gio Urshela gobbled it up, stepping on the bag to his right for one. He then fired a strike to Rougned Odor at second for two. The relay to Luke Voit at first was just in time, getting Chapman and the Yankees out of the jam in dramatic fashion."

But then came the walk off...

"Against Chicago's Evan Marshall, the Yankees rattled off three base hits in a row. Aaron Judge set the table by ripping a single up the middle, Urshela followed with a line drive to shallow right and Gleyber Torres stroked a walk-off single through the left side, his second game-winning hit of the season."

Let's not leave out Jordan Montgomery... striking out 11. Throwing his heart out.

Big win... huge game... Go Yanks!

AND JUST LIKE THAT...THE YANKEES WIN THREE IN A ROW

Source: USA Today

Three-in-a-row may seem like a silly, minor accomplishment but for the Yankees, it is the first time they have hit that milestone in 2021. The Yankees have had a difficult time warming up from a seemingly cold winter but they may have finally found their sweet spot and from here, all there is up! Hopefully!

In a Saturday night pitchers' duel, Gerrit Cole went 7 innings with 11 strikeouts to hold off the Cleveland Indians for the stellar bullpen who helped the Yankees to a 2-1 win. The Yankees had two solo home runs, one from Aaron Hicks and the other from Rougned Odor, which was just enough to inch out the Tribe.

The New York Post called the Yankee bullpen, "nearly unhittable" which has been the brighter side of the Yankee team in 2021. Keeping this streak alive is Jonathan Loaisiga who picked up his first Yankee save for 2021 as he closed the door on the Indians in a perfect 9th inning on Saturday night. Also noteworthy is the "awakening" of Yankee slugger Giancarlo Stanton who moved to the two-hole after hitting two home runs in the game Friday night. He was quiet on Saturday but he continued to have some good at bats and appears more confident in the box. “When he’s locked in, when he hits ’em like that, it’s just different than anyone I’ve ever seen,” said Aaron Boone as reported by the Post.

This afternoon expect to see Jameson Taillon on the hill for the Yankees in the series finale. This could be another first for the Yankees, who could sweep the Indians before heading to Baltimore. Monday night could be the season debut of Deivi Garcia as the Bombers take on three against the Orioles before returning back home at the end of next week to host the Detroit Tigers. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THIS CRAP ON THE FIELD?

The Yankees have 99 problems...And no, I am not pointing a finger at Aaron Judge right now. I have never been so bored and agitated watching a Yankee game at the same time. This is the lowest of the low for me. It's a sh*t show out on the field....nothing else to call it. 1997 is calling and even they are embarrassed by this team.

That says a lot. No one wants to remember that start but, here we are. We just got swept by the Rays.

It's all gone wrong and we need to stop being so soft and fix it. The pitching, offense, defense and the managing.... It's all a disaster! We are all tired of watching it on television and even worse what about the people that are PAYING to see it in person while leadership is just counting their cash. It's not just one person to blame here, it starts at the top and it ROLLS downhill and I mean ALL THE WAY down.

The Yankees didn't want to spend money so Brian Cashman went out and got reclamation projects hoping to find that spark and it just hasn't happened. Jay Bruce is literally a quitter (Thanks for nothing, Bruce!), Rougned Odor was a bizarre addition and everyone behind Gerrit Cole is a giant question mark. The Yankees can't even hit a lobbed beach ball at this point and we look worse than a little league team. That's the extremely short version of this debacle.

But Aaron Boone's team meeting Saturday was supposed to fix that I guess? I'm not buying it. This team is SOFT. They are far from savage, and even though I really believe that Aaron Boone is nothing more than a YES MAN and a mouthpiece he's not the only one to blame. The offseason experiment is not succeeding. Brian Cashman's winter looks like a failure at this point. It's early, but unless this mentality changes, the results won't change either.

This team is missing leadership all the way around. I can appreciate Boone's team meeting, but I don't think it accomplishes what we need. This is a SOFT team. I don't think he knows how to get the best out of his players. He's well-liked by the players but he doesn't know how to get the results

and light a fire under them.

And aside from Boone whether you think he is a major problem or not, this team is missing more leadership. Yes, the Yankees have Brett Gardner the veteran, but something is still missing. Aaron

Judge gave a little pep speech, read more HERE and I expect that from him. He's a great role model, even a great speaker but not a motivator. I miss the days of CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. I miss those great Posada team meetings back in the day. We need that right now! It's still missing and you could see it yesterday with Aaron Hicks very catchable ball yesterday that he made NO effort to catch and then he botched a ground ball. It was a few feet in front of him, and this....is 100% true

It's unacceptable. This is a losing team and it won't change without major adjustments from within. I don't care that "IT'S ONLY APRIL" or "WE'VE ONLY PLAYED 15 GAMES" because this team isn't clicking and we can all see it. This team has lost its edge and it is SOFT. The Yankees need their balls back....NOW!

What changes would you make? Think big. Comment and tell us.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES SWITCHING THINGS UP TO FIND THE RIGHT STUFF

Earlier this spring I mentioned that seeing Gio Urshela at shortstop was something we should expect. Tuesday night the Yankees chose to start Urshela at short for the first time since 2017, when Urshela was playing for Cleveland. Honestly, I am thrilled. He is our best defensive infielder. And he certainly brings more to the table than Gleyber Torres, who has been struggling in the middle infield position. Will the Yankees switch things up til they get it right? I certainly hope so.

"I have a lot of confidence in Gio when he has a glove in his hand and stands on the infield," Boone said. "So I expect him to go out there and play the way he’s capable of and handle the routine play and hopefully go out and contribute to a victory for us," reported Yahoo Sports. Now to be clear, Torres is experiencing soreness after diving back to a base on Monday night's win against the Blue Jays. But it is also no secret that Torres has not been comfortable at shortstop since replacing Didi Gregorius who is lighting it up in Philadelphia.

Moving Gio to shortstop also relocates DJ LeMahieu to third and places Rougned Odor at second base. Jay Bruce is back at first base as Luke Voit remains out of the lineup until later this spring or early summer. Voit is already doing baseball activities according to reports from the Yankee skipper. This is great news for Voit and the Bombers. 

Will this be a lineup we will see going forward? Will the Yankees continue to tweak things until they get it right? Yes. For Torres, he appears much more comfortable at second base, so maybe we will see him there? Bottom line, the Yankees need to protect and preserve their pitchers. Having a strong defensive infield and outfield is the only way to do this. They also need to ensure that the big bat isn't the savior—that is just not sustainable. Hoping the Yankees stay focused on putting the best team on the field, so they can have the best opportunity to win. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEES EXPOSING THEIR WEAKNESSES

The Yankees didn't show much action in Saturday afternoon's game against their nemesis Tampa Bay Rays but they did expose their clear weaknesses that need to be plugged up if the Yankees are going to be competitive not only against the Rays but the AL East and MLB at large.

What are the Yankees weaknesses? There are number of clear winners and since it is early in the season, there are a lot opportunities to tweak and improve in order for the 2021 Yankees to meet their mark of winning the AL East and moving onto the post season matchups and into the World Series.

Source: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

1. Hitting with runners in scoring position. RISP is key to success and the Yankees simply cannot convert hits into the runs. "The Yankees collected just five hits, despite watching starting pitcher Chris Archer (2 1/3 innings, 0 runs) leave early with forearm tightness. A day after missing a game due to COVID-19 vaccine side effects, Gio Urshela didn’t get a hit in three at-bats. They went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded six runners," reported NJ.com following the Bombers 4-0 shut out loss against the Rays. 

2. Gleyber Torres. Sigh. Gleyber Torres's defense has been in the spotlight since 2020 when he began to show mechanical and timing issues fielding balls at short. And already this season, Gleyber has a number of missteps and poor throws leading to errors and runs. The Yankees need to be a win-now team and they have to start to ask this question, "Can we win the Series with Torres at shortstop?" I would not go so far as making a trade for Torres, but I wonder myself if the Yankees latest acquisition Rougned Odor, who will likely get the start at second today, will step in for Torres and make a difference or do they need to go out and get another specialist such as Trevor Story or Corey Seager. And is that even possible in 2021? I think The New York Post columnist Joel Sherman's article on Saturday gives a lot to think about on this topic. As a note of reference, the Yankees have already demoted Tyler Wade, who although defensively and in speed he outshines Torres, Wade can't swing the bat so there's that. 

Source: Newsday

3. Injuries. Aaron Judge sat out two games due to soreness. How is that even possible? Can he take Advil? I feel like there is more going on there. And we wrote about it earlier this week in THIS AARON JUDGE INJURY SEEMS KIND OF SERIOUS. Then there are the early injuries to Luke Voit and Zack Britton, causing stress on the Yankees. Jay Bruce simply is not producing the way the Yankees expected but the bullpen continues to outdo itself. The addition of Justin Wilson is proving to be impactful.

Source: MLB Film Room

On the flip side of injuries, Brett Gardner continues to be, well, Brett Gardner. He made fantastic catch in left center field. It was so incredible that fellow outfielder Brett Phillips saluted him. Gardner also produced offensively for the Yankees. 

It is still early. And teams don't make drastic changes until later in the spring or even early summer. But changes need to be made and the Yankees have to be thinking about this. As Aaron Hicks said on Saturday, the Yankees are tired of losing and so are we as fans. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof