MY SOURCE SAYS "JUDGE WILL BE A SAN FRANCISCO GIANT NEXT YEAR..."

I hate the source game, because I hate spreading rumors and I'm not a baseball insider either. Actually, now that I think about it, none of the baseball insiders are actually baseball insiders. They just guess. But here's the deal, I have created and have written thousands of articles here for Bleeding Yankee Blue since 2010 and I'm proud of that.  Being in this chair with Suzie and Jeana, we have met numerous baseball people and I have been lucky enough to get some information over the years.  It helps me make predictions and get information that many do not get. That's because I don't go bragging about what I know, I just share it when it seems pretty air-tight in the hopes that it helps people understand the true world of baseball and the business it is.

I have a source, a friend, that works for the San Francisco Giants. I will not reveal his name. I will only reveal what the buzz is and what he's hearing on the ground out there. He is not privy to private meetings. This is water cooler rumor, but still a pretty big one I want to share. The phrase he used with me is this:

"It's very real. Judge will be a San Francisco Giant next year."

I asked him why. He would not tell me. I asked him to give me more. He said he didn't have anything more. He told me to "trust him" and said it will come down to the contract, something Judge "could not walk away from."

I have to tell you, I believe him.  

Again, I don't do this carelessly. This is fact.  Kind of like when I told you all that Troy Tulowitzki might be a Yankee based on my source. Remember when I wrote SOURCE: "TULOWITZKI TO THE YANKEES..."

Back in 2014 I wrote:

"I don't have much, other than me getting information from someone I trust 100%. "Troy Tulowitzki to the Yankees might actually happen." was the text.

I immediatlely texted back. "What????"

"WOW", came next...

Then, he continued:

"It's one expensive gamble. Top prospects and alot of salary."

Tulo did become a Yankee a few years later.  While I have never been a "called it guy", I was on the right track and got the right information. And that's why I believe this Giants story when it comes to Aaron Judge.

Clutch Points writes:

"According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the Giants are looking into Judge, a California native, and Turner, who plays for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, despite the massive contracts it would take to land them.

“Yet, money may be no object, with the Giants willing to do anything for a return to the postseason, winning 26 fewer games than a year ago,” writes USA TODAY. “‘We do have the flexibility to be involved in every possible option on the table,’ Giants president Farhan Zaidi said.”

And now the latest. Dave Flemming the San Francisco Giants Broadcaster was asked about Judge. He said "“I’ve heard there’s some underlying tension between Judge and [the Yankees]... If Judge says, ‘I want to go somewhere else because I feel like they did me wrong’ then I think the Giants are a very viable option." That's something fans surely like to hear."

Hmm. The fans. Fans love stars.  So do us Yankee fans. That's why I cannot for the life of me understand why booing a 62 AL Home Run leader in what could be his last home game as a Yankee ever is a good idea, especially if the tension rumor between Judge and the Yankees have extended to the West Coast so quickly.

Look, there is no question Judge could fly. It's very likely. He could also finish he career in New York and I would absolutely love that more. But I take these RARE source texts seriously.

I hope it's bull.  I really do, but look, the most important part of this is it's a RUMOR. Take it how you want to take it.  I have nothing else. I just believe it. I think the Giants are gonna go HARD on Aaron Judge, and if I had to guess, I think they would go much HARDER than the Yankees at the end of the season. 

Stay tuned.

TULO RETIRES

Oh, Thank the good Lord.

Troy Tulowitzki came to the New York Yankees at the wrong time in his career. And now... it's over. Yahoo Sports writes:

"Tulowitzki is hanging up his cleats. The 34-year-old Tulowitzki announced his retirement from baseball Thursday saying, “It has been an absolute honor.” Tulowitzki played in just five games with the Yankees this season. He injured his calf in early April and was unable to return. In his retirement statement, Tulowitzki expressed a desire to stay in the game."

Here's that statement:

Now, I love Tulo, but like any baseball player, things come to an end. As a fan, you don't want them to hang it up, but you see the decline and you think about it.

When I heard the news that he was retiring, I was happy for him, plus I was relieved. It's hard to watch a solid ballplayer decline in front of your eyes.

I'll tell you what. I'd love to see him on that Aubrey Huff podcast OFF THE CUFF with AUBREY HUFF. Talk about honest interviewing. I'd love to hear about any nuggets Tulo has about the Yankees clubhouse or baseball in general.  Hey Huff... get him on!

Anyway... happy retirement to Troy, a class act all the way through. Good luck my friend.

I'LL TAKE THREE MORE OF DJ LEMAHIEU!

Source: Newsday

As DJ LeMahieu stepped up to the batter's box on Tuesday night with the bases loaded in the 7th inning, the YES Network gave this stat about our best pickup for the 2019 season:  LeMahieu has the third best average in baseball with runner's in scoring position.  As if on cue, he didn't disappoint as he launched a base hit down the middle into centerfield scoring two runs in the Yankees rally at the stadium before eventually losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4.  That seemingly ordinary guy, LeMahieu, I'd take three more of him on this Yankee team.

Source: AP

"Despite being one of the industry’s best defensive second basemen, with three Gold Glove Awards in the five prior seasons, LeMahieu signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Yankees in January based on the premise he would bounce around the infield. Because the transaction essentially ended the possibility the Yankees would sign Manny Machado, it sparked outrage among a significant contingent of the team’s fans," reported the NY Post.  Those naysayers are eating crow now as LeMahieu presents a significant resume for the 2019 American League All Star Team.

Source: SNY

The Yankee designated infielder is batting .313 with 29 RBIs and he is lifting this team beyond what was expected of him from the outside with Didi Gregorius down and Troy Tulowitzki up to his chronic injury woes.  "I think now, in the biggest market in the world, people are starting to understand how good of a player he is," Jim Hendry, (a special assignment scout, who drafted LeMahieu to the Cubs back in 2009) said. It may have been a quiet signing, but his impact has been anything but that so far this season," reported SNY."

LeMahieu may be soft spoken and quiet in appearance but his player presence is anything but as both a defender and contributor to the evolving small ball, situational hitting ball club who is leading the AL East still without their regular cast in place.  Watching LeMahieu lead this Yankee team in outright battles night after night is exciting.  Pair him with Gio Urshela and I am sold.

Yea, that DJ LeMahieu, I'll take three more of him.  His contributions to this Yankee team are priceless.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

ANDUJAR TO HAVE SEASON ENDING SURGERY AND IT SUCKS

It's not what we wanted to hear, but you can't always get what you want. I wanted to see Miguel Andujar come back after an exciting 2018 but I guess we will have to wait until 2020 because according to multiple sources like the New York Post, Andujar is having season ending surgery.

It's the worst news that we all knew was likely inevitable. It's a bad break, and I am sure it wasn't an easy decision for him but I think it was the right decision. We could all see that even though Andujar completed a rehab assignment he just wasn't the same. He made it through rehab games, but once he got back to the Bronx it was hard to watch.

On May 4, Andujar was activated but in nine big-league games he showed no resemblance to what helped him finish second in the AL Rookie of the Year race last year where he hit .297 with 27 homers and 92 RBIs in 149 games.

Since he was activated he is 3-for-34 or a 0.88 BA and those three hits were singles. I'm sure the decision was hard. This surgery ends what was supposed to be the season of growth and improvement. Even though he finished second for Rookie of the Year, there has been a lot of concern over his defense. He went into the offseason working hard to improve defensively, and now we will wait to see what happens.

I was really hoping that Andujar was going to be able to just rehab this, but a shoulder injury to your throwing arm is no ordinary injury. He suffered the injury on March 31 diving back into third base against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Surgery was an option then but a rehab program was chosen instead. 

You can argue he "should've" had the surgery in April, hell I wouldn't disagree with you. It's easy to say that in hindsight now that we know the rehab program didn't work. It certainly seems like the Yankees rehab programs have been less effective this season....Troy Tulowitzki went back on the Injured List after his rehab also. The Yankees acquisition of Kendrys Morales was also a good indication that the Yankees were preparing for this just in case. Andujar is young. This is the best move for both his future, and the Yankees since he won't be a free agent until the 2023-2024 offseason.

Andujar will have surgery on Monday, and then we wait until next season. For now we continue to rely on Giovanny Urshela's clutch bat and great defense as well as DJ LeMahieu to man third base. The Yankees are in good hands for now, and so is Andujar. It sucks it came down to surgery, Miggy. But here's to a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Rest up and be ready to come back better than ever next season. We've got it from here.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

TROUBLE FOR TULO

Reinforcements are coming Yankee fans, and soon! We've been waiting to get through this long west coast swing and get back home with a shorter list of guys on the Injured List. That could still happen but that list might not get shorter as fast as they would like.

Both Miguel Andujar and Troy Tulowitzki started a rehab assignment with the high-A Tampa Tarpons on Tuesday. Andujar may be close to returning to the Yankees, but it sounds like any plans to have Tulowitzki back soon are on an indefinite hold.

On Tuesday, Tulowitzki went 1-for-3 with a first-inning homer and but was also hit by pitch and stayed in the game. On Wednesday he was back in the lineup and lined a first-inning single to left field, then immediately was removed for a pinch-runner due to tightness in his left calf. The Yankees have said that this is just "precautionary" but it definitely doesn't sound good.

So what does this mean for now? Well, nothing new honestly. The Yankees will still use Gleyber Torres at shortstop and once DJ LeMahieu returns from his own injury (right knee inflammation) he will go back to second base. At this point, it sounds like as long as there are no other setbacks we will likely see Andujar and LeMahieu back before Tulowitzki.

Would the Yankees benefit more by getting other guys back before Tulowitzki? Sure, I think a majority of people would say yes. He was signed as additional insurance. The Yankees signed him as a low-risk, high reward type of reclamation project. He's not as versatile as other guys that are currently out....but man we need to start getting some guys back.

Calf strains can take a long time to heal. Saturday will be a month since he has been on the Injured List. Hopefully this isn't a big setback. We need some more good news, not setbacks. I guess we will just have to continue to play the waiting game.

Stay tuned and cross your fingers.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE INJURY TRAIN KEEPS ROLLING....

Is it wrong to say I am not surprised that two more Yankees got hurt? It's become the predictable theme so far this season, and it's still April. Nothing to see here, just more guys getting hurt. Luckily we are still winning....but still, this is unreal.

In case you missed it, yesterday Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu both got hurt and had to be taken out of the game. LeMahieu was the first to be pulled in the third inning with right knee inflammation.  LeMahieu fouled a pitch off the knee on Friday night and had the knee wrapped with ice after Friday's and Saturday's games. He did get x-rays after the game which did come back negative, but he will get an MRI and see an orthopedic today according to Aaron Boone. They think it is a deep bone bruise but want to make sure it's not more serious. Hopefully it's not a trip to the injured list for him, let's keep our fingers crossed.

In the fifth inning Urshela took a pitch to the top of the left hand and left the game. He also had x-rays which also came back negative. That's good news. I'm sure that hand is going to be sore and swollen though. Let's hope it just needs a few days rest and he can avoid the injured list. It would be a shame to lose him, he's been such a huge asset to the Yankees since he's been called up. I don't think you could've asked him for more, he's delivered on everything the Yankees have asked.

This definitely isn't the news we wanted especially considering the Yankees just swept the San Francisco Giants. It would be nice to focus on the fact that the Yankees have won 11 of their last 13 games despite having 13 guys on the Injured List and a roster missing almost all of the starting day lineup. The Yankees have found ways to win and are supposed to be getting loser to getting some big name guys back.

If all goes well we could see Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier back all within a couple of weeks of each other, read more HERE. Hopefully Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks aren't far behind also. The Yankees are getting closer, so losing two more would be devastating.

I'm hoping both Urshela and LeMahieu can avoid the Injured List. At his point, the Yankees have limited options. Thairo Estrada is already on the big league roster and the Yankees have Brad Miller in Triple-A as the next call-up candidate. If they need to replace LeMahieu or Urshela, they can
easily do it. But what if they have to replace both? I have no idea what the Yankees would do. I don't even want to think about that. Anyone reading this have a glove? We may need you ASAP.

Thank goodness today is an off-day. Everyone needs a rest, it's been a long road trip. Hopefully the off-day gives them some much needed rest and hopefully brings some good news for both LeMahieu and Urshela.

Stay tuned and cross your fingers...

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE REAL PROBLEM THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

It's time to start asking the tough questions here. We've tackled a lot of tough subjects this week everything from I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE SECOND STRING YANKEES to NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE PEN. Both emotionally charged subjects and important.

But honestly, I want to know why aren't more people asking questions about all of these injuries? It's time to start asking the tough questions here and possibly make some unpopular decisions.

As of the writing of this post, we have twelve guys(!) on the Injured List with a possibility of growing to 13. Anyone else ticked off by how freaking INSANE this is? Word has it that Giancarlo Stanton had a setback and is expected to be out until around May 10th. Again estimated, but he definitely won't be back until after this long west coast swing. His biceps strain is healed but now he has a barking shoulder and got a cortisone shot.

Now my biggest fear of all could be coming true....Clint Frazier's "precautionary" day off on Tuesday may be more than just a conservative day of rest. He went for an MRI and may have a sprained ankle, read more HERE. He could be the 15th guy the Yankees place on the Injured List this season. 15 folks and it isn't even 30 days into the season! This is stupid!

I get it, injuries happen. All athletes get them but look around major league baseball.....no one has the same problem we do. No one has a Triple-A roster like we do. Anyone else remember the last time this happened? I sure do!

Let's turn back time, shall we? Prior to 2007 the Yankees hired Marty Miller as the team strength and conditioning coach. Injuries piled up within a month of the season beginning and it proved to be Miller’s undoing and he was let go early in the season. Do you remember all of those hamstring sprains? I do! Hideki Matsui, Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes had some bad ones, and that's just a few that I can remember. Johnny Damon had a bad calf strain and Andy Pettitte worked through back stiffness after a weight lifting mishap that never should've happened.

Photo: Marty Miller, right

Cashman never publicly blamed Miller or Dana Cavalea his assistant back then but he said players declining to participate in a team’s strength and conditioning program could have been a contributing factor to all of those injuries. Think about that one....players DECLINING to participate in the team's conditioning program leaves a bad perception. It's probably what led to Miller's dismissal. It's at least a safe assumption.

Photo: Dana Cavalea

Back in 2013 we also had issues with injuries and Cavalea was the strength and conditioning coach. We said in YANKEES STRENGTH & CONDITIONING NOW IN QUESTION that while the Yankees started to look at which coaches should be cut that the Yankees strength and conditioning coach at the time, Cavalea should not be excluded. There was too much going wrong for the Yankees to just let it slide. That was a much older team, so some people argued that some "concessions" could be made but somehow with all of Cavalea's experience and tenure with the Yankees there was still a disconnect. The Yankees had to go a different direction and parted ways with Cavalea after he was in the organization for nine years.

So here we are, new leadership since then. But something just isn't right here and even though it is taking some time to finally wake up and realize it....people other than just US here at BYB are starting to notice. According to NJ.com HERE, Brian Cashman is starting to get a lot of questions about the medical staff. Even Yankee ownership has gone to Cashman seeking answers. If the boss were around....you know heads would be rolling. If the brass is finally asking you KNOW something is brewing, but is it too late?

Cashman has always been the master of deception. He has a great poker face and he tends to give answers to questions that don't truly answer the question, and leave you wondering. One quote that always stuck with me was his reasoning behind the dismissal of Miller. Just one sentence, HERE.

"It got to the point where the perception is there's a problem here."

That was valid back in 2007....so what about 12 years later? You can't ignore 12 or 13 guys on the Injured List. Three of our guys have torn UCL's (Didi Gregorius, Ben Heller and Jordan Montgomery). Four of our opening day starters have various strains (Aaron Judge, Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Troy Tulowitzki). You can argue that again perception here is there's a problem. It was true back in 2007, and again in 2013....history could repeat itself in 2019.

Cashman called this "bad luck" in his interview on WFAN. You can't call this bad luck. Poor offseason conditioning and lack of proper training lead to muscular issues and strains. The pitching injuries are likely caused by the repetitive unnatural motion but also poor mechanics. There are enough injuries here to make it reasonable to question the Yankees training and medical staff. The Yankees have some of the best resources you can ask for, I'm sure other teams are not nearly as fortunate. It's time to fix the problem!

We have to start to question the strength and conditioning as well as the medical staff here. They are the common denominator and history shows there have been problems before. The only way to get to the bottom of these issues is to look at every possibility. If this isn't the problem then so be it but it's time to be proactive here, and not reactive.

Something just doesn't add up here. I'm sorry Cashman, this isn't bad luck. You may have another perception problem on your hands. So what are we going to do about it?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj 

I JUST WANT THAT FEELING BACK

Source: Newsday

When I read the tweet from @TheNYYBabe2 today, it spoke to me.  "I just want that feeling back," she said with angst.  Or at least I saw it as angst.  She continued with, "It’s been ten long years and we @yankees fans are waiting for our return to greatness. We want to be #1 again. This team.....we need #28."  I could not agree more and maybe you all feel the same.  It hurts to see what BYB reader @dougstro called an "infirmary" or a "MASH" unit, filled to capacity.  I just want that feeling back and maybe it is just around the corner.

Source: ESPN

"Sanchez will be back in the lineup Wednesday after he played in a rehab game Monday in Charleston, South Carolina, as he finishes recovering from a left calf strain. Troy Tulowitzki, who had his own calf strain, appears to be close behind Sanchez. At some point thereafter, Stanton (left biceps strain) is expected back. If Andujar (small labrum tear) is able to avoid surgery, he could rejoin the team around the same time," reported ESPN.

Source: Twitter

Another positive for the Yankees is what is becoming the unlikely glue of this team: the starting pitching.  Pitching has stepped up and done its job as of late. With a 2.41 ERA, it's been an all hands on deck rotation, including Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga.  Loaisiga was slated to pitch last night, but was scratched and added to the bull pen after Monday night's marathon win over the Angels, 4 hours and 35 minutes.

Source: AP

Perhaps it's these kind of games that demonstrate resilience, grinding and finding ways to win games despite the depth of the IL.  "It has been satisfying to see guys get opportunities, and in a lot of cases take advantage of those opportunities," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "It's critical." As the Yankees try to stockpile wins before their roster returns to relatively good health, they'll take victories any way they can," reported ESPN.

Word on Clint Frazier is that he's okay, seemingly averting the IL after twisting his ankle late in the game Monday night.  "I went through too much last year to not go out there and play,” he said. “The I.L. is too full for us. I’m good. I’m going to keep playing." reported the NY Times.

I just want that feeling back but while it's making it's way back, I will take wins anyway the team can get them right now.  As our BYB Skipper said so daringly and bluntly in his post yesterday, "The stars are gone... hurt... out, and for me, as a life long Yankee fan, I am not so interested in watching and taking it all in. It's a different dynamic for me right this second.  It makes me uninterested, makes the season for me not watchable. I'm bored, folks. Very, very bored."  You can read his post here.

While I don't take the same side as our fearless leader, I can understand where he is coming from; it is hard to see our main event guys fall, hard and a whole different team, with names unfamiliar except for maybe minor league fans, on the field.  But it is with resilience and patience this team will persevere.

The feeling will come back, the team will come back, we just have to wait for it.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Let's just re-name the Yankees shall we? For now, we are no longer the Bronx Bombers, instead we may as well be The Walking Dead. We are Walkers. We are lifeless. We don't hit and we also can't stay healthy.

So the bad news just keeps coming. Pick your poison. The Bronx Bombers lose their mojo at the worst possible time. We lost series against the Orioles and now the Tigers. Yankee hitters set a new embarrassing record yesterday when they struck out 18 times in a nine-inning game for the first time ever. The Yankees have struck out 17 times in a game on four other occasions, but good grief!

Which one is worse....the power outage and lack of offense or one of the Yankees biggest fears finally coming true now that Troy Tulowitzki will likely join the crowded Injury List? We were worried he wouldn't make it through Spring Training in one piece. He fooled us there, but he didn't make it through the first week of the regular season. Aaron Boone calls the injury a "low grade" calf strain. Hopefully he won't be out too long but calf strains are not usually a day-to-day thing. We were waiting for this given his injury history but we really didn't need the guy everyone expected to get hurt to get hurt NOW.

So when it rains it pours. The Yankees not so grand home stand is over and now they hit the road with games in Baltimore and then Houston. I wonder who the Yankees are going to call up at this point. The Yankees depth may quickly be reaching its breaking point. Gleyber Torres is the obvious choice to slide over to shortstop and Tyler Wade has already seen time at second base in his short time since being called up.

The Yankees don't have many options left but someone just got a much sooner than expected promotion, the New York Post has the story HERE. I'm happy for Thairo Estrada, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts. He has no major league experience and he missed most of last season dealing with injuries. He is ranked as the Yankees 19th best prospect and impressed Boone in Spring Training this year. He is the only other healthy infielder on the 40-man roster and the Yankees already liked what they saw from him so hopefully he continues to impress.

Let's cross our fingers that the injuries stop here because if we lose any more infielders we have Giovanny Urshela as the only other healthy infielder left and he is not on the 40-man roster. Let's hope we don't have to explore this option later. The Injured List is too long, and the depth chart is almost tapped out.

Maybe because of all of the injuries the Yankees look to trade for some more depth. I guess they could make a trade for....someone. Teams trade areas of surplus for areas of weakness all the time. Crazier things have happened. This may be one of those times where Brian Cashman surprises us all. I don't know.

All I do know at this point is we are playing like crap, losing against teams we should be steam rolling and are already cursed by the injury bug this season. It's frustrating. This gets better....it has to. Since this is happening now we can skip it late in the season....that's what I am going to tell myself anyway.

Get better soon, Tulo. We need you!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @Nyprincessj

DJ LEMAHIEU SHINES IN THE BRONX!

Source: NY Post

When DJ LeMahieu signed a 24-million, 2-year deal with the Yankees back in mid-January, no one really thought that the Yankees would have to cash in on him quite like they will have to given the injuries to both Miguel Andujar and Giancarlo Stanton.  LeMahieu, clearly a professional, has truly risen to the occasion giving the Yankees both the offense and defense they need in a utility player who could very much mimic a Ben Zobrist kind a player for the Bombers.

Source: USA Today

"A two-time National League All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove Award winner over seven seasons with the Rockies, LeMahieu was one of the top second basemen available on a free-agent market that was crowded at that position," reported MLB.com back in January. Fast forward to today, and LeMahieu appears to be very comfortable and unfazed by the challenge of potentially playing a different position each night and stepping into the role of an everyday third-baseman as needed.

“The guy’s a baseball player,’’ said (Troy) Tulowitzki.“You put him anywhere, he’s gonna impact the game offensively and defensively. He’ll give you everything he’s got. He was all over the place and made some good plays,’’reported Empire Sports Media.

Source: NY Post

And to Tulo's point, LeMahieu has been clutch for the Yankees.  He has also done damage at the plate as well, fighting off tough pitches and getting on base.  It is still early, but LeMahieu has quietly done the job the Yankees desperately need him to do, consistently, every night with the injured list getting longer.

Source: The Denver Post

“I've hit the ball well and I hope it continues,” LeMahieu said before the game Monday night.
He said he’s brought the same approach to the plate that he had in Colorado — and even prior to that. “I’ve tried to be a tough out since I was a kid, so for me to try to be someone else, I don’t think it would work,” LeMahieu said according to the New York Post.

Skipper Aaron Boone said LeMahieu will hit all over the lineup depending on the day.  Again, just showing the versatility he brings to the team in any role the Yankees ask him to take.  DJ is shining in the Bronx: an incredible early return on the investment for the Yankees.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof