MAYBE THE YANKEES CAN DUMP ELLSBURY AFTER ALL....

It would be the best breakup story I have ever heard. Breakups normally suck, but not this one. The idea of cutting all ties with Jacoby Ellsbury would be epic. It may not be realistic, but you know what? It's not going to stop me from fantasizing about it.

The Yankees won 100 games last season without Jacoby Ellsbury. He never made an appearance. Not one at bat or defensive replacement. Their third most expensive contract literally had ZERO impact on the team. He's a non-factor who is just taking up roster space.

Ellsbury had season-ending hip surgery in August and is questionable for an Opening Day return. His agent Scott Boras said he would be ready HERE, but last we heard from Brian Cashman back in October he didn't sound so optimistic. That was a while ago at this point, but we have nothing else to go off of.

Despite Ellsbury's missing year, there has miraculously still been some interest in him this winter. At one point it was rumored that the Mariners and Yankees were talking about a Robinson Cano-for Ellsbury trade that obviously didn't go anywhere and now more recently the San Francisco Giants have interest. Serious interest? Who knows, but Buster Olney tweeted it:

Why on earth would either side be interested in this? (IF they are). Here are some thoughts:

1. Both sides would trade from areas of depth to address areas of weakness

Basically the Giants and Yankees would be swapping bad contract for bad contract. We all hate the Ellsbury contract, it's a horrible deal for the Yankees. As bad as it is, the Giants have several bad contracts. They have a lot of money tied up in declining players on a rebuilding team. The Giants are not going to be contenders. They lost 98 games in 2017 and 89 games last season. I don't see 2019 being a drastic improvement.

That being said they have a few bad contract for bad contract candidates that they could try to tempt the Yankees with....but I think only two make any sense.

I disagree with Olney about Johnny Cueto. He's still recovering from Tommy John surgery and he's not even expected to pitch this season. He would be a pickup for 2020 or 2021 and he has an extra year on his deal compared to Ellsbury. I am sure the Giants would love to get rid of him, but he makes no sense for the Yankees.

But what about Brandon Belt? Buster Posey will likely see more time at first base for the Giants going forward due to his hip surgery. That could make Belt expendable so maybe they would trade him. He would be another alternative to Greg Bird and give us a better lefty bad we desperately need.  If I am being honest though, I would take just about anyone over Bird. I'm known to be his toughest critic here. Heck, maybe the Yankees could throw in cost effective Bird with Ellsbury and get it done. Probably not though....realistically the Giants could get more for Belt.

There's also Jeff Samardzija. The Giants have been shopping for an outfielder. We have a surplus of them, and the Giants have pitching depth so a swap would make sense. I don't think you can ever have enough pitching, so the Yankees would get another arm they can use however they need. Still seems a little far fetched though.

2. There's insurance money to consider

Last year Ellsbury made $21 million, but the Yankees were able to recover over $15 million from insurance thanks to his missed time, read more HERE. Maybe we haven't heard an update on Ellsbury because the Yankees don't expect him to miss enough time for the insurance payout to kick in. He would have to miss a certain amount of time before they can collect insurance again. It's crazy to think about but if Ellsbury does miss considerable time again this season he could be more valuable for the Yankees to keep because of the insurance payout and less valuable to a potential trade partner thanks to his diminished value.

3. What about that 'no-trade' clause?

We all know Ellsbury has one, but will he waive it? I don't know. He has two motivating factors to waive it. Realistically, Ellsbury is a bench guy at best. The Yankees have a bench spot open, but the outfield is set and has a waiting list (Clint Frazier, anyone?)

If Ellsbury wants playing time he's going to get that with the Giants who are actively shopping for outfielders. Also, Ellsbury has a home in Arizona so playing in San Francisco could be appealing. Then again.....it's the Giants instead of the Yankees. Potential postseason berth versus nothing (likely). Ouch.

This sounds like a long shot but if the Giants are willing to talk it's worth an honest conversation. Sometimes rumors just don't make sense. There are cheaper free agents out there. They could easily sign Marwin Gonzalez or Adam Jones for far less money so this rumor is strange, but if the Giants really have interest in Ellsbury then the Yankees should be all ears. I know I am.

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

COULD BRYCE HARPER LAND IN THE BRONX?

I have spent the last couple days in cactus country, specifically home of the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, AZ.  I am here one week shy of the start of pitchers and catchers in the heart of the Cactus League which host 15 MLB teams.  The chatter around town is similar to what you are reading online and in the tabloids.  Could Bryce Harper land in the Bronx? Interestingly enough, maybe.

While surrounded by cacti and palm trees collectively, I have had time to soak in the atmosphere of west coast baseball, and reflect on the more recent resurgence of Bryce Harper's possible appearance in pinstripes this season.  Harper calls Las Vegas his home and in this part of the country, where deserts and mountains are plentiful, the whispers of him actualizing his dream to play in New York could come true.

Source: SNY

"Asked by TMZ Sports in a brief red-carpet interview this week, (Aaron) Judge said any time a team can add a player of Harper's caliber, it "is going to make them better." Harper, 26, is a six-time All-Star and former National League MVP for the Washington Nationals," reports ESPN. Harper gives the Yankees some additional options in the outfield and perhaps a full-time slot for Giancarlo Stanton at DH, a position held mostly by him last year except for his 37 games in the outfield.

Source: USA Today

The resurgence of Harper to the Yankees comes on the heels of what the New York Post is reporting regarding another Yankee hopeful. "Nolan Arenado’s progress on a multi-year extension with the Rockies, which would remove him from next offseason’s free-agent market if the deal gets completed, should remind the Yankees that a good plan today trumps a perfect plan for 270 tomorrows from now. And a good plan today starts with Bryce Harper." The Post suggests that Harper could round off a righty dominant lineup with is left-handed bat.

Harper could platoon with Judge out in left, head to center or be designated to left field with Clint Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury waiting in the wings.  Let's not forget that veteran outfielder Brett Gardner is also around, making this Byrce Harper trade seriously ridiculous when you stack all of this together.

"Obviously [Harper] is a great player. But I think our team is pretty much set," Boone said. "Obviously things happen that force Brian and his staff to pivot on certain things. But I think it's safe to assume that we're going to spring training with the team that we expect to have," reports ESPN.

Could Bryce Harper land in the Bronx? Sure.  Is it likely, not really.  The Yankees may have one more move up their sleeve and this move has to be a pitcher.  Breathe in and breathe out Yankee fans; that has been my mantra this off season and particularly while I am surrounded by cacti and palms just under a week before pitchers and catchers.  Looking forward to the start of the 2019 baseball season- we're in the home stretch, finally!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THAT TIME CC SABATHIA MADE SENSE ABOUT MACHADO

And let me state for the record that CC Sabathia always makes sense. I love the guy. I love that he's a Yankee. He's one of my favorites.

But a statement he made a while back was interesting. It was interesting then, and it's interesting now. Brendan Kuty put it in a tweet:

Now I'm not making this about Kuty. Everyone has an opinion as to why. My point of this post is just to suggest that it's not out of the ordinary that the Yankees swoop in and make a last minute deal. I mean think about it, big name guys like Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and Dallas Keuchel still remain unsigned. That's crazy.

But why? Well... money. Teams don't want to spend a fortune on guys anymore. And that's why some of these agents drive me nuts. I know their job is to get the best possible deal for a player, but it's gotten out of hand. Very rarely long term deals pan out.  Manny and Bryce are no exception. I don't care how old they are now... on the back end of that deal, they always slow down or break down and always end up old.  Jacoby Ellsbury may be the most recent Yankee example. Disgusting contract.

But back to CC. He makes sense. He always does... but when it comes to this one, he absolutely does.  And hey, maybe the Yankees swoop in, make a low ball offer with the agreement that if things work out well, "We'll meet you at the table at the end of that short term contract and talk about a longer term one." Stranger things have happened.

But for now, Manny's homeless, and it's pretty shocking... yet gratifying. It means teams are fed up... and Manny may need to think long and hard about how he's doing business moving forward.

We'll see.

Hey CC... you da man.

BYB HAS THE YANKEES SPRING SCHEDULE!

Many thanks to Eric Handler at YES.

Quick note for all of you that are chomping at the bit to watch and go to Yankees spring training games.  The schedule game out yesterday.  Here it is... enjoy:

I cannot wait to watch the Yankees!

THE NEXT YANKEE PITCHING PHENOM YOU MUST WATCH

Photo: Scranton Times-Tribune

The Yankees don't have a lot of pitching depth now that Justus Sheffield and Sonny Gray are no longer on the team. It's something that I continue to think about because we all know how important pitching is and it's true....you can never have enough of it.

We already know the Yankees have familiar faces of Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga as possible call ups if needed. At some point Jordan Montgomery will be back also, but we still don't have a good timetable on that either. The Yankee also still have Chance Adams who has fallen from grace and could be facing a "make or break" year. There is another name out there that could be a potential call up his season and you may not have heard about him.

Right hand pitcher Michael King is ranked as the Yankees fifth best prospect according to Baseball America. He's also one of 21 non-roster players that received an invitation to spring training on Friday. King has flown under the radar, but his talent seems legit and he could be a productive player for the Yankees going forward.

King hasn't had a lot of attention on him until recently, and given what he has been able to accomplish it is no wonder why the Yankees are really starting to take notice. The Yankees acquired him in 2017 from the Marlins. He was part of a deal that sent international bonus money as they pursued Shohei Ohtani. The Marlins didn't score with Ohtani, but the Yankees may end up scoring with King.

Last season King jumped all the way from Class-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with impressive numbers.

Here are his numbers just in Triple-A: 4-0 record with a 1.15 ERA in 39 innings.
Here are his numbers between all three levels: 1.79 ERA, 152 strikeouts, 29 walks in 161 1/3 innings.

The numbers are certainly impressive, but so is the confidence according to minor league pitching coordinator Danny Borrell. "Every time he moved up, he seemed to get better. He wasn’t fazed by the better competition and he knows how to pitch. I could see him in New York this year if he pitches like he did last year. I don't see him regressing," read more HERE.

It's nice to see a new face making a path toward the majors, especially ones we tend to overlook.  Who knows, maybe we will see him in the Bronx this season. I like the sound of that!

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

COULD JORDAN MONTGOMERY BE THE YANKEES ACE IN 2019?

Source: USA Today

There is so much banter about adding to the starting rotation that an important ingredient to the pitching force has been pushed out of the limelight and therefore the conversation.  When Jordan Montgomery was sidelined after his one-inning start against the Astros on May 1st, it was unclear what would happen to the Yankee pitcher who had proven success in 2017 and whose future looked promising in 2018.  In early June, Montgomery underwent Tommy John surgery and has been in rehab, but at 25-years-old, the recovery is often met with great results so the question is could all this chatter about needing another pitcher be unnecessary? Could Jordan Montgomery be the Yankees ace in 2019?

Source: NJ.com

As Rotowire staff via CBS Sports stated in December, "the typical 12-to-14 month timetable has casted doubt as to whether the left-hander will be fully recovered prior to the end of the 2019 campaign. This is obviously a good sign but everything should be taken with a grain of salt at this point in time. Montgomery still has a lengthy rehab in front of him, so continue to expect updates on his status heading into spring training."

Brian Cashman certainly has not counted Montgomery out but his readiness has not been determined so he may go after one more starter just have more security and give his rotation an extra day's rest for when he does come back.  As we have reported here at Bleeding Yankee Blue in A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT ONE MORE PITCHER and  CASHMAN MAY HAVE ONE MORE MOVE UP HIS SLEEVE, Gio Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, Wade Miley and Ervin Santana are all part of the conversation with Gonzalez bubbling up to the top.

Source: New York Post

"The 33-year-old González pitched to mixed results in 2018 during back-to-back stints for the Nationals and Brewers. He went 10-11 in 32 starts with a combined 4.21 ERA, 4.2 BB/9, and 7.8 SO/9 through 171 innings, and tossed just three postseason innings for Milwaukee before dropping out of the NLCS with a left ankle sprain," reported Yahoo Sports.  The Mets and Padres have also expressed interest in free agent Gonzalez as well.  His inconsistencies could hurt his longevity with any team, but he may be worth a few bucks here in the Bronx while Montgomery continues his rehab and his skill set improves as the 2019 season progresses.

Source: Sporting News

Again, having the option of giving guys an extra day off in the rotation may prove to be a game changer, particularly when inter-league play begins and the long season moves through the hot summer months of July and August.  Masahiro Tanaka in particular seems to need that extra day's rest and although CC Sabathia is a work horse, it is not determined how he will contribute to the team.  He later season performances are often plagued with DL stints due to his knee, but this year, we are also contending with his heart.  And when I say heart I don't mean passion.  There is nothing wrong with that part of his heart but as you recall, Sabathia underwent heart surgery this winter and his health will need to be closely monitored.

I believe that once healthy, Jordon Montgomery will add value to the starting rotation.  Heck, he could rival Luis Severino as the stud of the team quite frankly.  With the start of spring training less than two weeks away, all eyes will be on a number of components of this year's Yankee team and one of those key components has to be Montgomery.  It is everyone's hope that Montgomery's effectiveness is realized soon into the spring workouts and he makes his way back into the rotation contributing to the Yankees' success early on in 2019.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT ONE MORE STARTING PITCHER

Just when you thought the Yankees were done... they may not be.

You all read Jeana Bellezza's piece titled CASHMAN MAY HAVE ONE MORE MOVE UP HIS SLEEVE the other day.  Now comes this constant beating of the drum that guys like Gio Gonzalez, Wade Miley and Ervin Santana are really possible options here in the Bronx.  Amazing.

Jon Heyman tweeted this:

Yankees look very solid on paper but are considering adding a starter for depth. Gio, Ervin, maybe Miley among possibilities.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 31, 2019

Now look... Heyman is barely right... in fact the only time he is, is after a deal is made, but as a baseball insider, you do need to respect the idea of this... and I'd even add in Dallas Keuchel. I believe the Yanks are serious about a guy like Dallas.

The Yankees definitely want 1 more arm.  The question is, who?

12Up did a break down on Miley, Gio and Santana, just to give you a little color on these guys:

"In 32 starts last year, Gonzalez posted a 10-11 record with a 4.21 ERA, and in five starts after getting traded to Milwaukee, the 33-year-old had a 3-0 record with a 2.13 ERA. 

Santana is a risky proposition, as he only made five starts last season because of a ​finger injury that required surgery. When healthy, he's proven to be a successful starter in the big leagues. 

It's a bit shocking that Miley hasn't been signed, as he was brilliant for the Brewers in 16 starts, posting a 2.57 ERA and continued to pitch well in the postseason. "

We will obviously have to see. I definitely like this nugget though.

Keep going Cash, you're doing great.

NEW YORK MLB ACCOUNTS YOU MUST FOLLOW IN 2019

As the 2019 season creeps up on us, it’s important to start thinking about what social media accounts to follow, besides Bleeding Yankee Blue of course.

Twitter and Instagram are great places to get not only the latest information and chat with other fans, but to have a good laugh as well.

Besides the Mets and Yankees official team accounts, here are some of my favorite New York baseball feeds.

Now before we begin, let me state for the record that I am a Mets fan, but because of the strong, family foundation that is Bleeding Yankee Blue, I was asked to come in as a different voice, to not only bring you perspective on the Mets and Yankees, but on baseball in general.  I appreciate that opportunity and am happy to be here! And so... let's begin.

The New York Mets

1. Noah Syndergaard (Twitter: @Noahsyndergaard) 

New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard is not afraid to speak his mind and has a serious case of the Twitter fingers. His feed consists of him feuding with Mr. Met, tons of Game of Thrones references, and plenty of his Thor persona. Syndergaard is definitely someone to follow for quality content and a good laugh.

2. Todd Frazier (Twitter: @FlavaFraz21) 

Third baseman Todd Frazier is one of the more active Mets players on Twitter. He is always interacting with fans as well as retweeting interesting articles and sports news. I loved him as a Yankee and clearly I love him as a Met, and his Instagram feed is really different because of his authenticity. He shares family photos along with his community connections with fans through his account. Check him out for sure.

3. Mr. Met (Twitter: @MrMet)

Mascot accounts are all a rage. From NCAA to MLB, mascots are posting creative content which promote the teams they represent. The beloved mascot of the not just the Mets, but all of MLB, well all but Syndergaard, Mr. Met has a great variety of content. From his feud with Syndergaard, to hanging out with other mascots, memes, and baseball news, Mr. Met is an account to follow just for some fun.

4. Kevin Clancy (Twitter: @KFCBarstool) 

Kevin Clancy, known as KFC, is a Barstool Sports personality that covers the New York sports teams. If you’re a fan of depreciating humor and love to hate the Mets sometimes, he is a great account to follow. Let’s see how long it takes for him to “cuncel” the season this year.

5. Steve Gelbs (Twitter: @SteveGelbs) 

Steve Gelbs is the Mets field reporter for SNY. If you go to Citi Field, you will definitely spot Gelbs around somewhere. He has creative live game tweets, Mets updates, interviews, behind the scenes content and you guessed it, some fun Twitter drama with Syndergaard.

The New York Yankees

1. Didi Gregorious (Twitter: @DidiG18) 

Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius is a huge emoji lover. You don’t want to root for the Yankees just for a win, you want to root them on so that you can see one of Gregorius’ amazing #startspreadingthenews tweets. With the constant addition of new emojis, I think we’re all interested to see with what he comes up with this season. Hopefully he will tweet even while he is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

2. Gary Sanchez (Instagram: @elgarysanchez)

Yankees catcher, Gary Sanchez, the Kracken, has a great mix of life updates, fan art, and gameday pictures of teammates and himself. Not only that, but he is always updating his Insta story. Hoping to see some entertaining content from Sanchez this season.

3. Giancarlo Stanton (Instagram: @giancarlo818) 

Like baseball pics? Funny videos? Cool selfies? Then you should definitely follow outfielder Giancarlo Stanton on Instagram. Not only does he like to poke fun at himself, he has some cool pictures with some of your baseball favorites.

4. Doug Stroup (Twitter: @dougstro)

Bleeding Yankee Blue avid reader and die-hard Yankees fan, Doug Stroup has a great variety of original tweets, as well as retweets from other Yankees accounts. He also has an interesting spin to his account and as a Yankee season ticket holder, he gets some exclusive behind the scenes pics with our favorites in the broadcast booth and on the field. He also participates in charity events and brings his passion for the game and the Yankees to his posts. Follow Doug.

5. Rookie the Batdog (Twitter: @BatdogRookie)

If you love dogs, you love mascots and you love baseball, then following Rookie the Batdog is a no brainer. Rookie works with Double-A Yankee affiliate Trenton Thunder and is always posting the cutest pictures! Definitely give this good boy a follow for a different perspective and some scenes from the farm.

These are some of my favorite baseball accounts, which all add a little extra spice to my sports feed on social media. Hope you will consider these as you ready yourself for the 2019. And don't forget to #FollowFriday and share the love.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke