DONT BE SURPRISED IF THE YANKS SNIFF AROUND DILLON GEE

As you know, the Yankees want a righty pitcher.  There is much debate about what they actually want, be it a reliever or starter, or both.

Now, as you know, they eliminated Esmil Rogers after that just wasn't working out, and then they snagged Sergio Santos. 

They've also been attached to Johnny Cueto, although, if you ask BYB writer Ike Dimitriadis about it, he'll tell you that he just doesn't see that as a good fit.  I tend to agree with him.

Now, you also may know that the Mets designated Dillon Gee for assignment, and then dropped him from their roster.  I'm here to tell you I have no doubt, the Yankees will be looking at this guy closely, if they haven't sniffed around his hydrant already.   Why? Well... here it is...

Hardball Talk writes: "It’s still possible they’ll find a taker, since designating him for assignment gives them 10 days to potentially trade Gee, but clearly the level of interest in him has been minimal. It also didn’t help their efforts that Gee has allowed 29 runs in 40 innings this season and missed time with a groin injury. 

When healthy Gee has been a decent middle-of-the-rotation starter, posting a 3.91 ERA in 640 innings prior to this season, and he’s still under 30."

He's cheap, it's easy and the Yanks will treat it as an experiment, especially because they won't break the bank on the guy.  Look, I don't know if the Yankees looking at the guy's a good of bad thing, no one does.  They tend to experiment a lot though, this is clear.  Plus, factor in the fact that a change of scenery can sometimes change a player, although, the Gee groin injury doesn't help matters... neither does the 29 runs in 40 innings.

All I'm saying is... watch. The Yanks will kick the tires on this guy, or, sniff around his hydrant... or something.

 

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

CLEANING OUR CLOCK!

It's fascinating to me to watch the Yankees, who at one time suggested Alex Rodriguez was the devil, suddenly use his 2000th RBI as a promotional tool and shy away  from the fact that the Orioles once again cleaned the Yankees clock. 

Yup. The O's beat them 2 times in 2 days... amazing.That can't be ignored... I don't care about the milestone! I want Yankee wins!

Alex Rodriguez is breaking records like mad. Tonight was a big one, he passed 2000 RBIs with a 2 run home run.  But even if you asked him these days what was more important, Alex Rodriguez would have said, "Beating the O's."  It just didn't happen and I'm not sure why.  We should be able to do it, but we're not.

CC Sabathia started for the Yanks. He went 5 innings, giving up 8 hits and 4 runs.  Nothing unmanageable.  Then came in Chris Martin who gave up 3 more, and then Sergio Santos... not much better than Esmil Rogers giving up an additional 2.  Not quite sure why we're rolling the dice on Santos.  There must be a reason somewhere.  What's next, Sergio Mitre?

The Yankees 4 runs went like this:

In the first, Mark Teixeria singled knocking in 1.  Then, Brian McCann doubled and Tex scored.

In the 6th, ARod hit his 2 run homer and tied  the game up 4-4.  That would be it for the Yanks. The O's would then turn it on and we'd lose by a large margin.

So why is this happening?  It's 2 in a row in Camden Yards.  Can we turn this terrible losing streak around?  We'll have to see... maybe tomorrow.

Final: Orioles 9 - Yankees 4

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

THE YANKEES JUST SIGNED RIGHTY SANTOS

Remember when the Yankees were hinting that they were interested in signing a right handed relief pitcher? Well, they did it.

News out right now states that the Yankees have signed Sergio Santos.  According to Hardball Talk:

"Sergio Santos has signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees after being released by the Dodgers last week. Santos saved 30 games as the White Sox’s closer in 2011, but he’s struggled to stay healthy since then while logging a total of just 65 innings in four years."

Well, I mean, that doesn't sound too great, does it?  Whatever the case, I guess that's why a minor league deals in play.  We'll see if he's got anything.

Whatever the case, Welcome Serg.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

THE BRIDGE TO DAVID ROBERTSON

Ever since Mariano Rivera popularized the role in 1996, teams have sought to find one or more relief pitchers on their respective staffs to be setup men. These guys bridge the late innings from the starter to the closer. For the last 4 seasons, that person was David Robertson, who has recorded between 30 and 35 Holds per season over that time. Now the Yankees have penciled in Robertson as the closer for the team, and the question is now around who will fill the gap. In my mind, I think there are two pitchers who could form a very powerful tandem, in the way that Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton did for Mariano Rivera years ago. Those two pitchers are Dellin Betances and Matt Thornton.

Matt Thornton is a career setup and bridge pitcher, mostly with the White Sox. Since 2006, he has set up Bobby Jenks, Sergio Santos, and Addison Reed to the tune of about 20 Holds per season. He kept his ERA in the 2’s and 3’s for the most part, coming in mostly for the 8th inning, and earned an All-Star appearance in 2010. He appeared in one postseason with the White Sox, and has yet to yield a postseason earned run. At age 37, he is in a position to serve as a veteran mentor to some of the younger Yankees pitchers. Despite his recent Spring Training outings, his history says that he should balance out a nice 8th inning one-two punch.

Meanwhile, Dellin Betances has been on fire since converting to the bullpen. A once-rising future starter, Betances seems to have found a home and settled in to his role as a relief pitcher. Last year, he spent most of his time in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a relief pitcher, and saw both his ERA and WHIP take a nosedive. His strikeout to walk ratio doubled, and his performance in Spring Training this year has turned some heads. In 8 innings of work scattered across five games, he has given up two hits, two walks, and struck out seven. Granted, he’ll be turning 26 on the 23rd of March, and he has yet to face a high-pressure major league situation, so we’ll still have to see if he can hack it in the 7th and 8th. Nevertheless, the outlook is bright right now.

With the departure of Mariano Rivera, the change of role for David Robertson, and the almost complete overhaul of the Yankees bullpen, the 2014 season should prove to be an interesting and formative year for the Yankees pitching staff. While anything can happen, these two pitchers seem to be the most likely candidates to form the bridge to the closer. Given their pedigree and recent performances, it should be very interesting.

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



You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

THE YANKEES GUIDE TO THE AL EAST

It’s almost time again, Opening Day is around the corner and I can hardly wait! The Yankees made a lot of moves during the off season, and now it is time to see Cashman’s plan put into motion. The AL East is always a tough division, which also makes it so exciting to watch every year. You can find it all here from fierce rivalries to some of the best hitters in the game. This year will be no different, the Yankees aren't the only one to make changes and it is about to get interesting….so let’s break out the scouting report!

Baltimore Orioles

(In Photo: Brian Matusz)
Buck Showalter has a very young team that has a lot of potential but depends heavily on a few key players. Last year, the Orioles young and promising pitching staff did not pan out as they had hoped. This year, Brian Matusz is likely headed back to AAA and and Jake Arrieta is looking for a bounce back year after having shoulder surgery. Showalter has already named Arrieta as his opening day starter, so all eyes are on him. The Orioles are also going to count on Mark Reynolds to make more contact with the ball than he does with thin air since the Orioles do not have a lineup rich in offense. Another key to the offense will be Brian Roberts. Although he is currently on the disabled list with a concussion, he is the best lead-off hitter they have, and if his bat is out of the lineup it is noticeable. Matt Wieters is also crucial to the lineup, and while he is pretty solid defensively he has a hard time batting from the left side. The Orioles are still going through some growing pains, but they have a lot of potential.

Toronto Blue Jays

(In Photo: Ricky Romero)
The Blue Jays become even more dangerous with every year, if the Blue Jays were in the AL Central, they might be division winners. This team has a lot of young talent including a strong starting rotation and two closers. Ricky Romero has turned into the ace of a young staff, who has inexplicably managed to induce ground balls at an amazing ratio but has a higher than average fly ball ratio to go with it. Somehow, he keeps batters guessing and it works for him. The bullpen is also going to be a strength for them with two potential closers Francisco Cordero and Sergio Santos both capable of shutting down the game. Offensively, the Blue Jays have a big question mark with Adam Lind who is very streaky but can hit for power. Of course, Jose Bautista knows how to hit for power. After putting up similar numbers in both 2010 and 2011 there is no reason to think his numbers will be any less impressive.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have one of the strongest starting rotations in the entire league along with a productive offense to back it up. David Price is back again along with James “Big Game” Shields who are one of the most dangerous 1-2 pitching combinations in the game. Last year’s Rookie of the Year award winner Jeremy Hellickson is also back after working on some adjustments. One notable difference this year is Wade Davis transitioning to the bullpen, which will only make the bullpen bridge to Kyle Farnsworth even stronger. Offensively, the Rays may not hit for as much power but BJ Upon, Evan Longoria and newly reunited Carlos Pena (yes, again) can come in and deliver during a clutch situation. One of the biggest strengths that the Rays have is their defense, which is fundamentally sound. It will be interesting to see how the lineup changes without Johnny Damon this year, but make no mistake, this is a dangerous lineup.

Boston Red Sox

Oh can you feel the rivalry? The team has gone through a drastic makeover. Goodbye Theo, Francona, Captain Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, and Jonathon Papelbon….and hello change. After an epic collapse, it is time to see what Bobby Valentine brings out of the announcers box and onto the field. The starting rotation is still a big question mark with Daniel Bard taking on a starting position, Matsuzaka still out and John Lackey missing all of 2012. New closer Andrew Bailey is now dealing with a thumb problem which makes things even more complicated. The Red Sox have options, but they could use some depth. The offense is still as lethal as always, but it will be interesting to see how the lineup changes now that Marco Scutaro is not on the team, can Nick Punto handle a starting role at shortstop? Carl Crawford is still injured and will be looking for a comeback, but the Red Sox still have a lot of power in Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Dustin Pedroia. It’s a new look to an old rivalry and I can’t wait to watch the drama unfold!

On Friday the long 162 game season starts and I can’t wait to see how the Yankees new roster stacks up against everyone else. The battle for the AL East is always exciting, but this year it is going to be even more intense. It is hard to predict anything, but you can count on one thing…..it will be a fight to the finish. PLAY BALL!

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, 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.