PUIG ON THE YANKEES RADAR? WHY THE HELL WOULD WE DO THIS?

The Yankees don't need Puig... the Yankees need DJ LeMahieu.

In a small, unsettling item by Mark Feinsand, it offers the idea that the Yankees have some interest in Yasiel Puig. What a stupid idea.

Yasiel Puig is drawing interest from multiple teams, per sources. Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, Marlins and Orioles appear to have varying levels of interest.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 4, 2021

Here's the deal. Puig didn't even play last season. Plus CBS Sports writes: 

"...last seen in 2019, running a 99 OPS+ with 24 homers between Cleveland and Cincinnati. A possible deal with the Braves for 2020 was called off after he tested positive for COVID-19, so he ended up missing the shortened season."

And the biggest reason? We have plenty of outfielders. We have plenty even if someone gets hurt, and if someone does, we should call someone up or make a trade then. WE NEED DJ LEMAHIEU... and the fact that the Yankees have not made this move is disappointing and sickening.

Puig is a waste of money and resources. Plus, when it comes to drama, it's definitely something we just don't need on a Yankees squad.

THERE'S A SNAG IN THE SONNY GRAY TRADE

We are 21 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training and Sonny Gray is still a Yankee, surprisingly. The trade we've heard is going to happen hasn't yet. The Red's and Yankees have agreed on the package for the trade, but it sounds like the Red's are looking for a little more before the deal is final. So, what's the holdup?

Neither team has commented on the close to done deal that would send Gray to the Reds in exchange for second-base prospect Shed Long and a compensatory draft pick. The Reds and Yankees are in agreement with their negotiation....but now the Reds want to negotiate with Gray.

At the end of the season Gray is set to become a free agent. If the Reds are going to send a draft pick and their seventh best prospect who could be MLB ready as early as next season, they want a longer commitment from Gray, so they are trying to negotiate an extension. Jon Heyman tweeted the details over the weekend.

The Reds have been interested in Gray all off season, and maybe the connection with new pitching coach Derek Johnson will make this negotiation with Gray easier. Obviously delaying free agency isn't something players are interested in doing. If Gray went to the Reds with no extension and had an incredible bounce back season he might get a big payday from another team. In that case, the Reds lose a top prospect and a draft pick for a one-year rental if they can't sign Gray in the off season. They are already concerned about attracting pitching as it is.

But the Reds have been making upgrades with one-year rentals all winter. Other recent additions include Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Tanner Roark, and Alex Wood. If the Reds can add Gray to the rotation he would be the third notable pitching addition to the rotation since the Reds acquired Roark from the Nationals and Wood from the Dodgers in other deals last month.

I think negotiating an extension with a player is always hard, but maybe the Reds have reason to be confident here because of the connection with his old pitching coach. This could be a win-win scenario here for the Reds. If they can negotiate another year or two with Gray and he has a bounce back season with them it will be good trade for both sides.

Gray said he wants to "play somewhere you're wanted" and it's clear the Reds want Gray, and reconnecting with Johnson could be the best thing for him. Here's to hoping that we hear some good news at the end of this long holiday weekend.

It's time to move on and get this deal done, best of luck to you Sonny.

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

DON'T LET KLUBER GET AWAY!

I love Corey Kluber. Hell, I love Dallas Keuchel. I'd love both of them in pinstripes before Manny Machado, but as I've explained to the many fans that try and rip me or ask me complicated questions about contracts and "who to trade"... I'm a fan... I root for the uniform. In the end, I don't control the money and I don't have inside knowledge of what the Yankees are doing and aren't doing. By the way, neither do you.

I root for the team whomever is on it.  That's been going on since the 70's for me. It has been going on since Bobby Meacham, folks.  I didn't like the guy... but you know what? He was a Yankee... and it was what it was.

Now comes a report that the Dodgers, who just made a blockbuster trade shipping Yasiel Puig to the Reds, could now be eyeing Kluber.

Next order of business for the #Dodgers is Corey Kluber.
Per Source: #Dodgers and #Indians are once again discussing a trade centered around Corey Kluber. One rival executive told me: “I’d be blown away if Dodgers don’t get Kluber.”

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) December 21, 2018

Is anyone out there gonna call out the Dodgers for being worse than the Yankees in recent years when it comes to signing big time free agents and making major trades for top players and still not being champions? I think the Dodgers are worse than the Yankees, especially now. And the craziest part as my kid says... THEY DON'T WIN.

Sure count making it to the World Series all you want, but they don't win the whole damn thing, and isn't that the idea? They always fall short.  They're kind of foolish.  But I guess when you have money hanging out your butt, you just pay for whatever.

Bottom line, I don't want the Yanks to lose Kluber to the Dodgers. I know we may need to trade away Miguel Andujar to do it, but I say do it, we need a hot, solid pitcher.

I know, I know, the Yankees have pivoting and are going after relief and maybe Machado. I get that.  But damn... if you have the possibility of snatching up Kluber or even Keuchel… I say you find a way to do it.

We shall see.


 

TIME TICKIN' 'TIL TRADE DEADLINE, BUT IT'S STILL MILLER TIME IN BRONX!

Could the Dodgers move Yasiel Puig? Will the White Sox be selling off parts of their team prior to the deadline? Are the Yankees in the hunt this year or not? Could Brian McCann go back to Atlanta? These are the puzzling questions I have in my head thanks to the MLB beat writers' Tweets. The one question that has been answered as of late Saturday afternoon, which has brought sweet music to my editor's ears, is that Andrew Miller is staying put and I think for good with the Nationals-Pirates deal. Pittsburgh's closer Mark Melancon is headed to DC in a three-player deal. Heading back to Pittsburgh will be young lefties Felipe Rivero and Taylor Hearn. Inhale and slowly exhale.

According to the NY Post Saturday, "Teams such as the Indians, Dodgers and Rangers could still play for Miller. But the Nats were seen as the most viable player — another sign that Miller is going to stay a Yankee."  So, it's still Miller time in the Bronx, at least for now.  But could the exit sign be lit up for catcher Brian McCann?

According to Jon Heyman, "The Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves are believed to be two of the teams that have talked to the Yankees. Rival GMs say they like McCann for “makeup” reasons, but the Yankees would have to pay his contract down significantly. He has a full no-trade clause." Not sure the Yankees want to do something like that, but it certainly would allow for more playing time for Austin Romine and open the door for top prospect Gary Sanchez to enter more quickly.  There are also a number of other Yankee catcher prospects in the farm system that could make their way up the ladder more rapidly with McCann's exit.  I like the way this sounds.

Now what about Texas? Are they going to put all of their efforts into the White Sox's rotation?  This could happen as they remain in hot pursuit of the post season.  According to CBS Sports,  "The Rangers are hot after a rotation upgrade, and as Ken Rosenthal tweets they continue to talk to the White Sox about not only ace Chris Sale but also No. 2 man Jose Quintana. The price for either would of course be high (each hurler is excellent and locked up long-term), and as Rosenthal indicates the two sides right now seem to be far apart in discussions. There's still time, though."

Finally as our buddy, Los Angeles Sports Writer Howard Cole, writes "The bidding of farewell to Puig is not something that I dream about, however. I will miss him when he’s gone. If he is gone. I’ve been entertained by his performance, and I see all kinds of potential going forward."  With Clayton Kershaw sidelined for the rest of the season or more, the Dodgers need to freshen things up but as Cole writes, hopefully not with the Division rival Giants.  Again the curse of Daniel Murphy enters my busy head as the Mets continue to plummet in the standings.  They may be looking to pick up Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who was rumored to be a piece in the proposed trade that would send Miller to Milwaukee. Oh God, all things come back to that nightmare.

I'm not a beer drinker, but I may have to have one to celebrate Andrew Miller's canceled trip to DC and Milwaukee.  He has been a rock, a constant in a Yankee club that has so much disarray.  Between him and Starlin Castro, I have hope that maybe we can put something together between now and next April.  But for now folks, things are a changin' and no one's safe in this seller's market!

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

 

NOW JOSE REYES GETS SUSPENDED

And hot damn, it's about time.

You remember this off season there was a report about how Yasiel Puig, Aroldis Chapman and Jose Reyes were being looked at for Domestic Violence "charges" or fines or suspensions or whatever.  After all, MLB made some pretty significant updates to their Domestic Violence policy and under that, it was clear, there may be some violations in each of these dude's cases.  Puig case was reviewed and he was cleared.

Chapman served his 30 game suspension.  We kind of waited on Reyes... until now.

According to MLBTR: "Major league baseball has announced that Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been suspended without pay through May 31st. He’ll be credited for the time he’s already missed in calculating the suspension. Reyes will not contest the ban."

And as the dude in Goodfellas says starring at Tommy's body in a pool of blood after he's tricked into getting made...

"...That's that."


 

 
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AROLDIS CHAPMAN IS MR. "TEAM USA"

Nice little nugget from Cuban Aroldis Chapman.  He wants to play for Team USA.  Gotta love this stuff.

According to ESPN, "Aroldis Chapman has no concerns about being banned from the Cuban National Team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

And that's because the embattled Yankees closer has another uniform in mind, that of Team USA.... Cuba will maintain its ban on baseball players who defected the country and will not allow them to play with the national team in the 2017 WBC, excluding not only Chapman, but also stars such as Yasiel Puig, José Abreu, Yoenis Céspedes and Kendrys Morales....

Chapman replied: 'I am a U.S. citizen; I can play for Team USA.' and said he would welcome a call from Team USA manager Jim Leyland."

Chapman became an American citizen on March 29th this year.

I hope Leyland gives him a call. I'd like him on Team USA.

 


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YASIEL PUIG WANTS A HELICOPTER

Yasiel Puig may be a five-tool player, but that doesn’t mean he always has the best judgment.

The Dodgers outfielder—who was benched last year for his chronic tardiness—now wants to purchase a helicopter to get to Dodger Stadium on time. 

The Los Angeles Times follows up with Alex Vega, a Miami garage owner who specializes in custom cars and who considers Puig a loyal client. "His plan is to buy one," Vega told the Times.

Interesting side note: Vega is also responsible for whatever the hell Yoenis Cespedes was driving to Spring Training earlier this week.

.@ynscspds knows how to make an exit. #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/WHFAPiCz2s

— MLB (@MLB) February 23, 2016

There’s just one small snag of course—Dodger Stadium doesn’t have a landing pad and flying aircraft near stadiums is against FAA regulations. 

Thanx to this awesome guys for flying us around video credit to: @aircampilot_ @vamp_la w/ @copterpilot & @robin.at.tam #lastory

A video posted by @yasielpuig (@yasielpuig) on Feb 16, 2016 at 6:13pm PST

If you follow Puig on Instagram, you might not be shocked by the Cuban sensation’s sudden interesting in choppers (and his affinity for video games). He spent some of his offseason taking helicopter tours around Los Angeles. But really, you can’t find any other way to get to the stadium on time? 

Of course at this point, Puig’s pie-in-the-sky dream of flying to Dodger Stadium is now a comedy routine with him and front office staff, but his maturity on the field is a serious concern for the club and fans. This helicopter request only adds to the examples of Puig not being mentally focused for his on-field duties.

Puig is still waiting for a decision from Commissioner Rob Manfred for his alleged involvement in a dust up at a Miami bar last November where he pushed his sister and the outfielder is looking to rebound from a disappointing season that mostly saw him on the injured list. 

But Puig’s return to the Dodgers clubhouse this Spring is giving some hope—he’s physically in top shape—the Dodgers wanted him to lose some of the bulk, which he did—and he’s starting to work more with his former translator who could be a positive influence on his behavior. Now Puig is young and he should enjoy his star status, but really, can we not spend money on a helicopter and just focus on having a successful season? 

   
--Alexis Garcia, BYB's "Eye on MLB" Columnist &
Los Angeles Dodger fan
Twitter:  @heylexyg




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REYES PUT ON LEAVE. IS CHAPMAN NEXT?

Quick note about Jose Reyes.  As you know he, Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman are being looked at by MLB over alleged domestic violence incidents.  Well, it turns out Reyes has been put on paid leave by the Colorado Rockies.

According to Hardball Talk:

"MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been placed on paid administrative leave “pending completion of his criminal proceedings in Hawaii, pursuant to Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.” 

According to the announcement, once Reyes’ trial is completed Manfred “will make a decision whether to impose discipline.” Reyes’ trial is scheduled to begin April 4, which is the same day the Rockies’ season begins."

There is now speculation from a few baseball folks that I spoke with that believe that Chapman may have a very similar situation.  The reason is because of Joe Torre's involvement with MLB, but also the founder of the Safe at Home Foundation, a foundation built to combat domestic abuse in homes and get the proper care for people with unpleasant upbringings due to violence in their homes.  Obviously, that thread makes sense.  How do you look at each investigation objectively and run a foundation on that.  Now look, I'm not forming any opinion here.  This is info from a source with an opinion on the matter.  Not BYB. We are passing it along.

Whatever the case, we wanted to give you info on Reyes and offer you that nugget.  We will continue to keep you updated on all of this.  Keep checking back at BYB. 

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MLB CUBA GOODWILL TOUR PLAYERS ANNOUNCED & MORE

The MLB is about ready to go to Cuba for the first time in 16 years. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, Chief baseball officer Joe Torre, and special advisor to the executive director, MLBPA, Dave Winfield lead the group of baseball players in the tour which will include children's clinics and charity events.

The players headed on the tour includes Cuban-born Jose Abreu, Brayan Pena, Yasiel Puig and Alexei Ramirez. Clayton Kershaw, Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz and Jon Jay also join the. This goodwill tour is an incredible opportunity for the players, and the league itself. It allows them the opportunity to enlighten and encourage children that would otherwise not have that opportunity.


The MLB will also provide Friends of Carita Cubana with a $200,000 grant. They are a US based, non-governmental provider of humanitarian, social and emergency services. A piece on the MLB site described the organization.

"Caritas Cubana focuses on assisting Cuba's most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, children, single mothers, people with disabilities and people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to conducting programs for these populations, Caritas Cubaa distributes medicines and provides emergency relief as needed."

The organization is also included as one of their stops during this Goodwill tour.

I like the idea of taking the game of baseball to other places. The MLB going to Cuba is huge. It's been 16 years since the last time since the Baltimore Orioles played against the Cuban National team in an exhibition game. Baseball is huge in Cuba. I think it's smart to make this trip to Cuba now. It opens up new ventures for the MLB and brings a new perspective to the game for those in Cuba.


 

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804


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TORRE & WINFIELD LEAD BASEBALL GOODWILL TOUR

The MLB will be returning to Cuba from December 15th to the 18th for the first time in 16 years, and Joe Torre and Dave Winfield will lead the tour.

According to ESPN the Cheif Baseball Officer, and the union special advisor will be joined by a group of current players that have not yet been announced. The tour will include children's clinics and a charity event.

I am a bit excited by this. The MLB has not been to Cuba since 1999, when the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition game against the Cuban National team. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Cuba. Players like Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes, and Jose Abreu have had to defect from Cuba in order to play in the MLB. This may not be the case for long. 

Previously, the US Government required Cuban nationals to present proof of residency in a country outside of Cuba to be given a general license to work for a US company. Further, the MLB required even more licensing. With the US and Cuba are now working towards ending the embargo this may no longer be necessary. Meaning that Cuban players seeking to join the MLB would not have to defect. It also means that the MLB will be able to scout talent from Cuba. 

This trip is clearly not political in nature. Not in terms of ending the embargo anyway. It will, however, allow Cuba to see our talent, and vice versa. In this respect, there is no one better than Torre and Winfield to lead our guys out there.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 

Twitter: @e_morales1804

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YOAN MONCADA IS MULLING OVER OFFERS

Don't you love these posts?  

"Yoan Moncada is doing a private workout."

or

"Yoan Moncada is getting interest."... what's next...

"Yoan Moncada took a B.M."

Maybe. Bottom line, we are constantly tryting to feed the reader any nugget about this guy and it's getting annoying.  Sorry in advance.

The LA Times has this report about Yoan close to choosing, but he's fielding offers right now.  Excuse the Dodgers element here, but this is coming from the LA Times, so take from it what you will:

"Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada is expecting to field contract offers over the next two weeks and could sign with a team soon after, his agent said Tuesday.  

'I’m hoping, certainly, that by the end of next week, we’ll have a much clearer picture of where he will sign,' said Moncada’s Florida-based representative, David Hastings.  The Dodgers are among the teams that have worked out Moncada, a 19-year-old switch-hitting infielder who has drawn comparisons to talents such as Yasiel Puig and Jorge Soler. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres are also believed to be interested. 

Major League Baseball recently cleared Moncada to sign. He could land a bonus of more than $30 million.

'I’m kind of hoping we’re at the final end of the process,' Hastings said. 'I hope I will be able to get Yoan into a team’s spring-training practice as soon as possible.'

As Moncada nears his decision, the Dodgers will have to make one of their own -- namely, whether Moncada is worth the cost and penalties that are tied."

You gotta wonder what the Yankees will be willing to pony up for this guy.  I was taken by some great comments the other day on BYB. Check these out:

 Steve B wrote:

"With The Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox and now the Padres, I'm predicting the winning bid will be $60 million (with the tax, the total will be $120 million)...Regardless, the Yankees MUST get Moncada."

 Mike Darwin wrote:

" If it gets that high I think the Yankees walk away, and I wouldn't blame them. Anything under $50m there is no excuse, unless Yoan leaves money on the table."

 Thanks to Steve and Mike. 

It comes down to one thing; Will the Yankees pay big money for this guy?  If they do, most likely they get Yoan, right?  If they don't... you have to assume Yoan will move on.

Stay tuned...

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