DESPERATE FOR PITCHING

Source: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)

As I watched the headlines unveil about the Luis Severino injury, I couldn't help but zero in on local sports reporter Bruce Beck's comment on the 6:00 p.m. broadcast last night as he said the Yankees essentially need to figure this out.  And yes, they do.  He went on to say that Jonathan Loaisiga, despite having a bad outing, could be an option.  The New York Post said, "His stuff is filthy enough it makes veteran baseball men pay attention."  Are we desperate for pitching? Desperate for Severino or a little bit of both?

Source: NJ.com

Brian Cashman said in an interview yesterday, "Obviously, it’s a concerning situation until he’s on the mound for a consistent period of time,’’ Cashman said, “to the point where you forget that it even happened. We’re obviously a long way away from that," reported USA Today.  He went on to say that the team would rely on who they have in the pipeline and re-evaluate as needed.  That doesn't sound desperate, but are they underestimating the potency of the injury?

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

According to the NY Post Loaisiga, "is no sure thing. But he is possible thing. He has that arm. He has that slider. He got seven outs Wednesday and five of them were strikeouts, and all of those looked downright unfair. He knows he has an opportunity here, that he can pitch his way onto the March and April rotation, and if it saddens him that Severino had to get banged up to force that to happen … well, he’s been in those shoes, too. Plenty." 

Source: MLB.com

But, here's the thing...are we willing to take a chance on Loaisiga in the short term or even the long term?  I don't think so.  Even if he is the real thing.  The Yankees need someone else, and that someone else would need to be here regardless if Sevy is in the rotation or not.  And that someone may not be the obvious choice in everyone's conversation.  What if it was a one-year contract for Bartolo Colon or James Shields?

Source: Sporting News

According to USA Today, "Maybe it’s time to pick up the phone and see if the San Francisco Giants can be persuaded to deal Madison Bumgarner now instead of waiting until this summer. The Arizona Diamondbacks should be open to listening to offers for ace Zack Greinke, and perhaps Robbie Ray, too. The Cleveland Indians dangled co-aces Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer during the winter, so maybe those talks could be re-visited." 

Source: SNY

The Yankees are desperate for pitching, starting pitching that is.  And they have been for years.  They are trying to patch the hole with James Paxton and perhaps Loasigia, but they need another stud to compliment Sevy.  He can't do it alone and hopefully, this is just a little blip and he will recover and we can forget it happened.  Wishing...

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

DEREK LOSER

"Fans don't always know the teams playing - or care who wins." 

--Derek Jeter

What? Derek Jeter believes that fans don't care who wins or loses. So I'm sure he won't care if I call him a loser too. Oh wait... "loser" is considered negative. So's losing games. Trust me Derek... no one likes losers... no one. Fans want wins.

I made that title to shock you. To make an example of that silly comment by Derek. I have zero hate toward Derek. That's the truth.  

I absolutely love Derek Jeter as a player. No one better to lead a team to become the most successful franchise in baseball... winning (there, I said winning) 27 championships in its history.

I am not a fan of him as a Team Owner. I think he's reckless. My opinion, and you can have yours and I would respect that.

What I find bizarre is that Derek doesn't think fans care about all that stuff.  He couldn't be more wrong.

The New York Daily News has this:

"His take? Fans don’t always know the teams playing - or care who wins - but will remember the experience.

'It’s impossible to win every single game, but one thing you always remember is the experience you had when you were at the park,' Jeter told reporters on Tuesday at an event at Marlins Park to unveil new amenities at the ballpark.

'You want it to be a positive experience, you want people to enjoy themselves. 'A lot of times people come, they don’t know who won or lost, sometimes they don’t even know who was playing, but they do know if they had a good experience.'”

Here's the thing, us folks... regular folks who pay big money to come to games with a family or with friends, we want wins. We want the full experience... but we want our team to win, otherwise spending all that money on that ticket doesn't make it worth it.

Rich folks in their suites? They could care less.  That's Derek...delusional. Just as delusional with what fans want as he is about blowing up the Marlins franchise.  Your toy is broken Derek.  Get to a fan town hall and find out exactly what the Miami fan base thinks of you.

You won't... because you'd be crucified.

My goodness... talk about someone who's out of touch.

SEVERINO SHUTDOWN! LET THE PITCHING RUMORS FLY

Well, this isn't good news... Luis Severino is shut down, ladies and gentlemen.

In case you missed it, multiple sources have reported that Severino felt sharp pain in his shoulder after pitching in a pre-game bullpen session. It was bad enough that he told Larry Rothschild that he was done and he went to the hospital for an MRI. The test revealed inflammation but no tear. That sounds like a good thing but the inflammation is in the rotator cuff. And now, we all begin to worry.

After Tuesday's game Aaron Boone said that Severino would be shut down for at least two weeks and he is "highly unlikely" to be ready for opening day, read more HERE. Bottom line for the Yankees, whether this is a tear or not it's still bad news for the Yankees. It's not the Yankees don't have other options because they do, but someone else is going to have to step up. One of Domingo German, Luis Cessa or top prospect Jonathan Loaisiga who has had his own history of shoulder issues will have to be the insurance the Yankees are looking for.

The Yankees were counting on these guys to be insurance for CC Sabathia at the back end of the rotation, but now the Yankees will have to also have insurance for their ace. So now what?

Losing Severino for any length of time means the bolstered rotation now becomes vulnerable. But is it vulnerable enough for the Yankees to go out and add another starter? Maybe. Back in January we wondered if the Yankees were still looking for pitching depth, we thought CASHMAN MAY HAVE ONE MORE UP HIS SLEEVE and now that could be even more likely. Now with news of Severino missing time names like Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Keuchel are popping up in the news again.

The Yankees have options with either Gonzalez or Keuchel, but it sounds like they have already thought about Gonzalez before Severino went down. He would definitely be cheaper than Keuchel and considering that the Yankees are already $20 million north of the $206 million threshold, the Yankees are not only subject to the initial 20 percent tax — they’ll also pay a 12 percent surcharge on any additional contracts, which could make Keuchel much less desirable.

I hope Severino is okay. The Yankees are already have enough injury concerns with Aaron Hicks missing time so we don't need anymore. Rotator cuffs are no joke. You can never have too much pitching, and Cashman said he wanted to sign two starters earlier in the winter. I'm sure this isn't how he wanted to do it though.

Let's hope for some good news. It's too early for all of the injury drama, especially for our rotation. None of us want Severino to be the reason why Cashman goes shopping for another starter. All we can do now is be optimistic.

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

THE DALLAS KEUCHEL MYSTERY

I want the Yankees to sign Dallas Keuchel. I know no one else does... but I do.  I do find it fascinating that no team has picked this guy up yet.  I know, many of you believe this guy is done and just doesn't have it anymore. Sure, he may have bad numbers recently, but Dallas Keuchel is not a liability. Personally I feel like coming to the Yankees would work wonders for this guy... even if it's a 2 year deal.

But here's the problem. Keuchel wants a long term deal. That's what he wants. If he didn't, he would have signed already.  But let's be honest, we're in the midst of Spring Training. Hell... we're playing exhibition games already. He's still sitting at home.  What gives?

I found this interesting. This comes from The Runner Sports.  I like this little portion of their article on Keuchel a lot. Check it out:

"Trying to capture that precise moment was ESPN’s Buster Olney recently. He even cites the Phillies’ GM Mike Klentak as only being interested in a “very” short-term deal for Keuchel, while Houston hasn’t been involved in DK talks in “recent weeks.” 

Meanwhile, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins aren’t likely to sign Keuchel unless he’s suddenly willing to accept a one-year deal three weeks into Spring Training. 

Two starters for the Atlanta Braves suddenly suffering spring injuries aren’t enough motivation to warrant a Keuchel probe, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman."

All very interesting, which makes you wonder if this guy just won't come back this year.  I think he will. I think he will get signed and I always have this sneaking feeling in the back of my mind that it will be the Yankees that emerge.  Greedy Pinstripes agrees...

Watch the Yankees do something crazy like bring in Keuchel on a one-year deal.....

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) March 4, 2019

We shall see.

What do you think?

COUNTING ON KAHNLE

This bullpen may be one of the best bullpen's in Yankee history. That's hard to imagine without Mariano Rivera, but the potential that these guys have is insane. The Yankees made the right moves this winter but they still have one remaining piece from last season that they are counting on.

The Yankees envision Tommy Kahnle to be a part of this newly revamped bullpen, but he has to make sure he does his part to be included in it. That starts at Spring Training. Kahnle has to prove that the 2017 Kahnle wasn't a fluke and the 2018 Kahnle is gone for good.

It sounds like he is off to a good start. Friday night was the first time the Yankees go a good look at him, and he's off to a good start after striking out all three batters he faced. In fact, Aaron Boone said he looked better than he has ever seen him. Granted, that's not long but it is something.

That is what we need to hear about Kahnle, "you could tell the way the hitters were swinging, the way he was able to command, it wasn’t like he was reaching for it where at times I felt like he was trying to find the velocity that he didn’t really have last year," Boone said. "Mechanically, he was sound yesterday. That was free and easy and it was really good to see. He’s had a good winter and a good spring and to carry it into his first outing is a good thing for him," read more HERE.

So the first glimpse we get of Kahnle sounds good....really good. He sounds like he is in a better spot mentally and physically now that he has slimmed down also. The Yankees would like to see the inconsistent and injury prone Kahnle from last season gone, and I am sure he would too.

Photo of: Adam Ottavino

There is so much potential for this team. The Yankees could win if they can pull it all together. They made some important improvements to the team while the Red Sox still have areas of weakness that have been left unaddressed. The Yankees could be back on top again....but they still need Kahnle. The Yankees lost David Robertson, and even with the addition of Adam Ottavino, the Yankees need another guy to step up and be reliable and productive.

Kahnle is key to a revamped bullpen because the existing pieces cant do it alone. We can't just rely on Zack Britton. A resurgence from Kahnle gives the Yankees more breathing room, Ottavino has a lot of talent but we have yet to see how that translates away from Coors Field. Jonathan Holder struggled in the second half quite a bit and had difficulty at time with division rivals.

Kahnle is the forgotten man in the bullpen, but he could be the superstar that makes this the best bullpen we've ever seen. It sounds like he's on the right track. Can he earn his spot back and get the job done? I hope so.

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

FIVE YANKEE PLAYERS MAKING AN APPEARANCE IN TAMPA THIS WEEKEND

Source: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the top free agents are signed, it is time for fans to focus on the fabulous five who are expected to or have made an appearance in Tampa this weekend.  NJ.com had a great piece Friday about the guys we have been waiting for and now that Bryce Harper is ready to start his new life in the lap of luxury in Philadelphia, here are some key Yankee players who have the potential of turning heads back to where they are supposed to be...with the greatest franchise in baseball history.

Source: John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Gary Sanchez made his debut this spring on Friday.  The Yankees lost that bout against the Baltimore Orioles and Sanchez went hitless, with a strikeout and ground out.  Despite this performance, the Yankee catcher is ready for action.  "Typical spring training,” Sanchez said. “It was good to get in a game and get some at-bats and see pitching, get an opportunity to catch Paxton for the first time, see his pitches. See the environment in a live game. I feel good,” reported NJ.com. Great, wonderful, fantastic.  I will have more on this during the BleedBlueShow podcast live Monday night at 9:00 p.m. EST.

Source: Newsday

Despite losing to the Pirates Saturday, Troy Tulowitzki continues to heat things up for the Yankees this spring.  He went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk, hitting .500 so far. "There’s no question he has the ability to impact the ball," manager Aaron Boone said. “But I’m probably more excited about how well he’s moving in the field, attacking the ball and just playing free and easy. He looks really athletic out there,’’reported NJ.com.

Source: NY Post

Giancarlo Stanton went 0-2 on Thursday as he continues to prepare for what he hopes is a great sophomore season with the Yankees. “G’s a worker. He’s a guy in the cage, on high velo breaking balls as nasty as can be. He likes those opportunities to steal reps if he can get them. That’s really consistent with what we’ve seen from Giancarlo since he got here. I am talking about his professionalism. This is a guy that is focused and works at his craft," reported MSN.  According to the latest on NJ.com, the Yankees will have Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup for Monday's official opening day at Steinbrenner Field.  This will be the first time during this exhibition season as neither player participated in the first two Grapefruit League games.

Source: NJ.com

Tyler Wade continues to grind this spring going 5 for 8 over four spring training games. He is demonstrating speed and agility as well in the field.  But when given the chance last season, he only hit .167 so will the Yankees take another chance on him in 2019? According Aaron Boone, perhaps.

"With what he brings with his speed and his defensive versatility, he can be a valuable player for us if that offense can continue to come around.’’

Source: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawk QB Russell Wilson is expected to spend some playing time with the team.  His locker is prepped and ready but he has yet to make an appearance.  His time with the team was memorable last year and with all of the hype around free agents, having Wilson around will certainly add to the excitement in Yankeeland.

As the Yankees continue to build their skill set and endurance for the long season ahead, it is good to get back to business now that that free agent distractions have dimmed.  Just like last year, the Yankees have one mission to fulfill, win.  Win a lot and win often.  No more hitting droughts and just relying on home runs.  The team needs to be nimble, quick and adaptable.  Let's hope these words are ingrained in this year's team and we see some of it in action this week.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

ELLSBURY IS TRYING HARD TO GET BACK

I'm not holding my breath, but hey, I love the fight.

Jacoby Ellsbury is doing his best to appear relevant with the New York Yankees, but he's still not healthy. You would think that one day soon he could be... and then what? Then the Yanks need to figure it out.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com has this nugget:

"The Yankees are still holding out hope for a Jacoby Ellsbury cameo. Manager Aaron Boone said the team will decide in a week or two whether the injured 35-year-old center fielder will join them in Florida for the end of spring training or if he’ll stay in Phoenix, where he’s been getting physical therapy for plantar fasciitis."

Many of you are betting against him. I know I am.  We will just have to see.

Keep fighting, JE.

ADAM WARREN FOUND A HOME

Just wanted to update you all on a former Yankee that is continuing his major league career. Adam Warren just signed a deal with the Padres.

Hardball Talk has the story:

"The Padres inked veteran right-handed reliever Adam Warren to a one-year, $2 million contract, the team announced Friday. The deal comes with a $2.5 million club option (and $500,000 buyout) for the 2020 season."

And that's really it. Good for Warren. I always liked him. Not a complainer, a doer and a solid teammate.

BRYCE HARPER'S DEAL. WHO DOES IT BENEFIT REALLY?

You know the answer... it's Scott Boras. But of course Bryce Harper gets paid very well now and at 13 years, it's almost insane to think that the Phillies are OK with this.

But this is baseball, and this deal is historic. Now we sit back and see if the Phillies can be competitors.  As my 16 year old says, "They definitely have a big chance the next few years. They made some great moves. Look at David Robertson. A smart move too and while people don't think so, you watch. He'll be big in that closer role. He's a leader."

I tend to believe that. The Phillies are a much better team right now. But the key is RIGHT NOW, and honestly, that's all that's needed in baseball.  You don't always think future, sometimes if you're team is close the year before, you need to build to get over the hump. And that's what the Phillies have done.

Bryce Harper, as whiny as he can be, is very talented and can help lead a club NOW.  Plus, you have him in that same NL East division, and so he'll be on when he faces the Nationals and they'll probably pound the Mets pretty well the next few years.  But ultimately, when the glimmer and shine wears off, and if the Phillies win or even fall short the next few years, the rust will eventually form on Harper, just like it has on all these veteran players that sign long term deals before him.

Age is a bitch, and yes, these long term deals never pan out... NEVER.  Look around you. It's fun right now and that's great, and again, YES, the Phillies are playing to win now, and that's a terrific strategy, but at 13 years, $330 million, it's gonna look pretty embarrassing in year 6 when they have Bryce Harper, are sitting in 4th place and now have no big time dough to sign other potential "leaders".

Look at the Padres for instance.  10 years, $300 mil for Manny Machado, and what do they have around him? Not much. As my kid said, "Have fun with that. They no solid pitching. Pitching wins ballgames. Wait until 3 years from now when Manny will start complaining about not being a winning franchise. Well too late, the Pads spent all their money on 1 guy. One guy doesn't bring you much."

My kid's a genius if you haven't figured it out already.

Look. I wish Harper well. I love the guy. I didn't care one way or another if he came to New York or not. I did however know this deal would eventually happen though.  The Phillies were fools to go that long and spend that much on him, but they got their guy and they did the right thing, they built around Harper. And now... for the RIGHT NOW, they in fact DO have a big opportunity to win in the immediately future.

In year 6, 7 8 and 9 however, it won't matter if Harper is good or not, they unfortunately are locked in to paying this guy no matter what, with no trade clause and no idea what to do with a guy like him. They'll be stuck.

And don't get it twisted. I know Harper's only 26. Yes, he's very young and that's great. But complacency is an interesting thing when it comes to sports and when guys get big contracts with guaranteed money involved, they don't work as hard, they don't need to... they just got paid... handsomely.  My opinion as a fan of course. Harper could definitely prove me wrong... but I don't think so. Coasting is just as good because of who they are. We've all seen it, this should be no different down the line.

Go Phils. Nice move. But in the end, Scott Boras benefits from this one, no question.

THE ROAD TO STAYING HEALTHY STARTS WITH GOOD NUTRITION

As a recent college graduate, I admit I am definitely not the best cook. One thing I do know, however, is how to cook chicken. All you have to do is make sure it is not pink; it is really that simple. New York Mets Outfielder Brandon Nimmo was mysteriously missing from team workouts on Wednesday; not because of an injury, but because he gave himself food poisoning from undercooked chicken. “He cooked some chicken and didn’t know how to cook, so he was throwing up all night,” Mickey Callaway said. “We have to teach him how to cook so he doesn’t miss any more games,” reported the NY Post.

Source: NY Times

The Yankees’ nutritionist, Cynthia Sass, is starting her fifth season as the team's sports nutrition consultant. According to Sass, “It’s important to have a dietitian as a resource for players and staff to support the goals of preventing injuries, optimizing performance, promoting recovery, and enhancing overall wellness,” reported Luvofoods. She has been exposing players to better eating habits and better choices of food at the ball park.  Sure, they can get a burger if they want to, but overall, having healthier choices allows guys to focus on foods that make them feel good.  "Sports nutrition involves recommending the right quality, balance, and timing of foods in ways that are very strategic," says Sass.

Source: Sports Illustrated

At the beginning of last season, the Mets hired a dietitian, Maureen Stoecklein, who was "expected to spend more time around the players," reported the NY Times.  Guess she missed hanging with Nimmo this week. The medical staff has been tracking players sleep habits, hydration, soreness, and their mood. "The Mets are trying to fix the faults of the past. Although many factors play into it, the Mets rank among the worst in the league in the number of games missed because of injury, according to ManGamesLost.com," reported the Times.

Source: The Bergen Record

The road to staying healthy starts with good nutrition and if teams want to have a consistently healthy team on the field, investing in the right behaviors, which include good food, proper meal preparation and education are essential.  Spring training isn't just about workouts and skills refinement.  It is about developing the whole player and that includes healthy eating.  Now, if the Mets can just keep Nimmo out of the kitchen and make sure he doesn't practice cooking on the Yankees players, we can prevent one more injury in New York in 2019.

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