HANK AARON GOES FOR THE ASTROS THROAT!

The Godfather of Baseball, Hank Aaron has spoken. Time for MLB and the Player's union to react swiftly.  You want to know why? Because when a guy like Hank Aaron speaks about the integrity of the game... you do what he says.

This is a guy that played the game clean his entire career... even through racial hatred, even in the dark, dark days of living in Babe Ruth's shadow. And you know what? He did it with talent and pride... and not stealing signs using technology and faking it. Hank Aaron has honor. Rob Manfred and Tony Clark better sit at a table this weekend and fix this mess once and for all.

The Washington Post writes:

"A report released last month by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred detailed the Astros’ scheme, which continued into the 2018 season and involved using a center field camera to detect opposing catchers’ signs and tip off Houston batters to upcoming pitches. 

For everyone specifically named in the report, the fallout was severe: then-Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and then-manager A.J. Hinch were each suspended for a year and then quickly fired; Red Sox manager Alex Cora, a Houston bench coach in 2017, lost his job in Boston; and the same fate eventually befell Mets manager Carlos Beltran, who spent his final season as a player with the 2017 Astros. 

However, no other players on that team were named, and Manfred said in his report that he was not inclined to hand down punishments to anyone else. 

Asked on NBC’s “Today” show if “the punishment fit the crime,” the 86-year-old Aaron replied. “No, I don’t. “I think whoever did that,” Aaron continued, “should be out of baseball for the rest of their lives.”...

When Aaron told NBC Thursday that he was “surprised” to learn the details of the Astros’ operation, he was asked, “They didn’t steal signs back in your day?” 

“They did. They didn’t steal them that way,” Aaron replied with a chuckle.

And that's the point. Playing baseball clean, seeing the way a pitcher tips pitches and then reporting back to your teammates to "look for this" or "look for that"... that's just baseball. That's trying to get the edge in the realm of the game itself.

When you start taking out baseball bats and banging trash cans because you have a live feed in the clubhouse and you move a camera in center field like Reid Ryan of the Astros did... that's cheating and there needs to be harsh, HARSH punishments for that. The Astros are liars and cheaters and are to never be trusted again. Bottom line.

Aaron's right. I hope Manfred and Clark are listening.

ASTROS CAN NEVER BE UNTARNISHED

The view of the Astros players will always be about reputation. No one will ever believe them again. No one will ever trust them again in baseball, except of course the Astros fans who are all delusional.

I was watching twitter and this popped up:

Wanna see how an MVP plays? Download #MLBPerfectInningLive. iOS: https://t.co/HgmyXzUzQ6
Google Play: https://t.co/fraUkf2iTZ pic.twitter.com/lpzahxsvSa

— Jose Altuve (@JoseAltuve27) December 15, 2017

The comments that followed were hilarious:

And that's just some. But that's my point to all of this... these guys are tainted... they're tarnished... FOREVER! They can act like this is the recovery tour for them all they want. They can act like we are part the controversy. We are NOT! No one is going to trust them again.

Now Gio Ushela is going after Altuve and I love it. NJ.com writes:

"Gio Urshela isn’t so sure Jose Altuve wasn’t cheating, somehow, when he ripped a solo home run to end ALCS Game 6 to beat the Yankees and send the Astros to the World Series last year. 

Asked whether he thought Altuve knew that closer Aroldis Chapman was going to throw a slider, Urshela was quick to respond. “Probably,” he said on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio on Friday. 

"It felt like some confidence in that at-bat against the best closer in the game and he probably knew it was coming. Kay asked Urshela if that made him “angry.” 

“A little bit,” Urshela said. “But we try to do the best. We’ve got a really good team and they’ve got good players, too. But we’re trying to do the best and play baseball clean.” 

It comes down the reputation.

Altuve, Cora, Bregman, Hinch, Correa... they all come off as snakes now. Not to be trusted and that's the worst part. And that's why MLB and the players union needed to do something to punish these players and NOT make deals. Because it's more than the game... it's about integrity and character, something these players have none of.

The bottom line is, the player's union can step forward and try to protect players in this game all they want. But this isn't about protecting players from contracts and disputes. This is about protecting cheaters now. We know they did it... they know they did it. They need to clean up the game and stop being part of the problem.

Jesus Christ... have we lost our way?

Disgraceful.

JORDAN MONTGOMERY IS THE NUMBER 5 FAVORITE!

James Paxton is expected to be out for at least three months after back surgery, so who does that leave to take over the Yankees' fifth spot in the starting rotation? With JA Happ most likely taking spot #4, that leaves Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa, Michael King and Deivi Garcia to fight over spot #5.

Photo: MiLB.com

In his first 35 Major League starts, Montgomery pitched a 3.84 ERA. In 2018, he underwent Tommy John surgery after finishing 6th place in the previous season's AL Rookie of the Year Award vote.

Loaisiga has allowed 30 earned runs in 56 innings (4.79 ERA). He also appeared in four postseason games last season and allowed two runs.

Cessa has 86 MLB appearances and as a starter, 19 games, has a 4.93 ERA. He has been aboard the Scranton Shuttle for most of the past few years and has been nothing more than a fill-in starter.

Out of all of the options, Montgomery is the favorite.

“He has good stuff, he battles out there and attacks the strike zone,’’ an NL scout said of Montgomery. “Pre-surgery he and King had the best command. They throw a lot of strikes.’’

Not only is he the favorite, he has more starting experience than the others combined. Aaron Boone did not say he had a leading candidate, however spoke highly about Montgomery. 

I think he has proven himself at this level. For him to get back last year was big, just for his frame of mind,’’ Boone said. “The fact he was able to make it back and get some work done, get into some games, I think was big for him and his mindset moving forward.’’

The true test will be during Spring Training on who will get the starting position. Luckily we don't have much longer to wait until we find out!

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

DEJA VU! JAMES PAXTON TO START THE SEASON ON THE INJURED LIST

Well, Spring training hasn't even started yet and the Yankees have their first injury of the season. The Yankees will be without James Paxton for the first 3-4 months of the season. Ouch.

It's not the way the Yankees want to start the season, but it is what it is, unfortunately. Yesterday, Paxton had surgery to remove a peridiscal cyst. Hopefully we get Paxton back closer to the three month estimate but I have to wonder.....did the Yankees diagnose this properly? Did they make timely decisions? Check out Joel Sherman's tweet:

So here is my thought process. I understand the conservative approach. Logically, surgery is not the first option. If other options are available, going under the knife is not the first option. The Yankees tried to treat the problem, but Paxton's body just didn't respond....so now here we are at surgery. The Yankees took the same approach with Masahiro Tanaka and avoided surgery.

But they also took the same approach with Aaron Hicks and that didn't work out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Now the only thing I have left to wonder is...could they have come to the conclusion that treatment wasn't working and opted for surgery earlier in the winter?

I think that is a fair question. Right now estimated time back for Paxton is June but that is assuming he has picked up a baseball by then and started throwing. If not, then add about another month to that to get his arm stretched out. If the Yankees knew there was residual pain still there, why not have surgery in January instead of February, days before Spring Training kicks off? We may never know.

But one thing we do understand is WHY J.A. Happ was never traded. All winter everyone was speculating when the Yankees were going to trade him. It made sense to trade him after signing Gerrit Cole to save some money. I even thought he was sure to go in January because that's how long it took to trade Sonny Gray last winter. Now we know the Yankees were waiting on Paxton to see what was going to happen. They knew Happ's role could be more important than just the fifth starter.

To top it all off, we see now why the Yankees are making big changes to their medical staff. Most of their staff was fired this winter so some of this blame can be given to them. Now we know why Tanaka got the ball for Game 1 of the ALCS, and it wasn't just because he was the "natural choice" due to his postseason success...it was also because Paxton was recovering from the injection treatment. If Cashman said "problems arose anew a month ago," then that means January.....why the month long delay? Our time table could be may instead of June. In retrospect, now we can see why the Yankees didn't have the confidence in some of their medical staff. It's sad that Paxton has to be one of the last players effected by the old and ineffective medical staff.

Now that Paxton is out, Happ may be the best move that Brian Cashman didn't make all winter. It sucks that we will be without Paxton for an extended amount of time but we will work through it. We have a list of guys who can fill-in until then so for now....it's back to #NextManUp.

Get well soon, Paxton!

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

CALLING OUT BAD BASEBALL PROPAGANDA

I hate bad information. That's why I get on "baseball insiders" because they look for clicks and their integrity goes out the window.  F them. F all of them. In this world of social media they are preying on the stupid people. or at least banking on you to be stupid. You know... you!  They want YOU to read the headline. They want you to click. They have muddied to waters of solid journalism and reporting and it's horseshit.

Case in point.  The Astros sign stealing scandal was huge... because it was true.  Sure, the Red Sox Apple story was true and interesting, but at the time when it was reported, you didn't see me screaming from the rooftops calling for the Red Sox heads because to be honest... I didn't get it, and many didn't.  With the Astros, it was a strategic operation that started at the top. And it was detailed and corroborated many times over. Jomboy did a great job helping shed light on it, but even he'll admit he didn't break any news on that, he just kept on it and delivering stuff to us all. That's good journalism.

Us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue just kept reporting the facts and dropping in our opinion on the disgusting matter and you know what? We stayed on it and we will continue as news trickles out because let's face it... while it's over, the Astros needs to feel the pressure and we will be there to provide that. The Astros should never be taken seriously again.

But through all of that, you had losers on Twitter writing about how the Yankee fans would get there's. They were tweeting about how the Yankees cheat too and we will soon have to eat our words.  I have news for you... 2 things I never do... I don't report falsehoods and I certainly don't know if the Yankees ever cheated.  What I do know right this second is they didn't have an organized technology operation that stole signs illegally.  And if they did... they need to take their lumps just like the Astros. Cheating is cheating and the whole thing is bullshit.

Think about it... you have grown men that have worked their butts off to get to the top of the game, and then these Astros assholes undo everything to cheat in the process? What's the point? The top players are all there... play your hardest and try and win. It's pretty simple.  OK... I'm rambling... What's my point? Oh yeah? Bad journalism and propaganda...

Yesterday was the day of Chris Young, a former Yankee and a misquote and back track by the crypt keeper himself, Peter Gammons who at this point in his career should just close the coffin because let's face it... it's over. This dude's a shill for the Red Sox and has been for years. He was so irresponsible yesterday, he put this out:

Talking about all the "cheating" allegations that get thrown around, I ran through some on a radio show w/Tony Gwynn, Jr. and mentioned a dugout convo about the '17 Apple Watch incident and Chris Young mentioning the Yankees. Chris, one of the great people who ever played...

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 4, 2020

Now there are some people that take Gammons words as gospel, and those morons ran with it and old man Peter knows this. And so, when he was suddenly getting demolished by the Twitter world, he had to back track and with good reason... HE WAS LYING!

called to say that if that was said, even in humor, he did not and never would have said it. His word is gold.

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 4, 2020

To make it clearer:Chris Young didn't talk about it, joke about it, say it

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 4, 2020

Now how does a one time well respected baseball man crawl back in his hole that quickly? I'll tell you how... he lies.

And this is the best... this Barstool toolbox Jared Carrabis (you should all unfollow him because he's the biggest propaganda machine out there) decided that... "I'm just gonna take Gammons original tweet and run with it all day even though it's not true"... and did because he has a Boston following.

Here's the problem... he thinks he's David Portnoy or something, but instead he's a Amish looking rapper who's lucky to be working at Barstool.   2 things I'd like to do, convince him to shave that ridiculous beard and then ask him to please get the story right.  This dude wrote garbage like this all day:

The Yankees also hired Carlos Beltran as a “special adviser to the general manager” immediately after he was done serving as the mastermind of an illegal sign-stealing scheme in Houston. Nothing to see here! Not a sketchy organization at all! No need to investigate us! https://t.co/48SdvSYNDT

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) February 4, 2020

I guess if you say it enough... it's true. That's his motto.

I'm sure Carrabis is a good dude to some, but not me. It's horrible. Bottom line, when you're too close to it, you get lost. He got lost.  But the worst part of all this? These "journalists" and "baseball insiders" put this garbage out and God forbid anyone calls them out, they just don't care to clear it up and get their correction on the record. They just disappear or at least try to seem valuable to the platform their on:

My question was simple? Still quiet after you put out incorrect garbage? He deflects and acts like he's an influencer or something. No one cares, bro. No one. You Tweet for a living. Yikes! And look, this isn't about me being interested in anything these dudes have to say. This has to do with good journalism, facts, info that's real.

Social media has ruined it, folks. Yes, we'll try to keep it on track on Bleeding Yankee Blue, but listen... I can't sit quiet while self- proclaimed "important" people make up shit and run with it just to try and tarnish some dude or team because their team got butt hurt on real facts. Quite simply it just won't happen.

Read everything. If I can give you all one piece of advice it's this... READ EVERYTHING! Don't go jumping on every nugget out there, because I have news for you... it's probably fake or wrong.  And that's the problem with social media today. It's destroying what I love so much about journalism. Real stories.

Anyway... this is a rant and I'm sorry. Truth is... these guys are probably nice, normal folks. But they get lost in the social media world of popularity and clicks.  I personally don't care. I rarely use social media other than the share my stories. For all I know I'm using Twitter wrong. But I don't lose sleep over it... because it's not that important. You know what is? Being an honest reporter and story teller.

Thank you all for you support at BYB. Let's keep rolling.

THE ROAD TO AL EAST CHAMPS JUST GOT A LITTLE EASIER

Source: AP

Well, if you haven't heard, the Red Sox sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Yes, probably one of the trades that will not only come back and haunt Boston but likely one of the most storied deals in Red Sox history.  By sending Betts to the West Coast, the Yankees will have an easier time climbing to the top of the East.

"Throughout the winter, Boston entertained offers for Betts, whose free-agent haul following the 2020 season could exceed $400 million. Betts will make $27 million this year. And as Boston tries to dip beneath the $208 million luxury-tax threshold, clearing its books of Betts and Price will go a long way toward reaching that goal. Price has three years and $96 million remaining on his contract." reported ESPN.

Source: Dodgers Nation

This is a joyous day for the Yankees who will most definitely have an easier time winning the pennant in 2020.  "Betts going to Dodgers is no doubt a tremendous victory for the Yankees. As NJ Advance Media’s Randy Miller explained, Betts’ departure does two things for New York. First, it weakens the American League East, giving the Yankees the inside track on dominating the division for years to come. Second, it increases the chances the road to the World Series will go through the Bronx," reported NJ.com.

And for all you history buffs, who love to track deals that later paid off huge dividends.  Here's something for you to chat about at the water cooler today.

"The Red Sox trading Betts comes 100 years after what had previously been Boston’s dumbest move: sending Babe Ruth to the Yankees. That deal was completed before the 1920 season. Now, on the eve of the 2020 season, the Yankees once again benefit from Boston’s front office shipping out the franchise’s best player," report NJ.com.

It is a great Wednesday, fans!  Less than a week until Spring Training 2020, and the Yankees get a face lift without doing a thing.  Let's use this as a sign and maybe karma.  Yet, if the Yankees head to the World Series, and face the Dodgers, Betts will surely stand in their way and make it difficult for the Bombers, as he has traditionally as a Red Sox. But for now, let's count our blessings...bye bye Betts.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEES ADD OTERO, ACEVEDO & HALE

Sounds like a powerful law firm.

I know what you're thinking... aren't the Yanks done with their roster? Kind of... but not really.  The great Pete Caldera with this nugget:

"( David) Hale, 32, posted a 3.11 ERA in 20 relief appearances for the 2019 Yankees, but missed most of the second half with a lumbar spine strain. 

(Domingo) Acevedo, 25, had a combined 4.70 ERA in 32 relief appearances for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Class AA Trenton last season. 

(Dan) Otero, 34, has a 3.39 ERA in eight big-league seasons, spending parts of the last four years with the Cleveland Indians."

These guys are non-roster invitees.  Nice! Let's see how it goes.

GERRIT COLE'S SURPRISE RANKING BY MLB NETWORK HAS US ALL TALKING!

MLB Network has an offseason tradition that some prople really like. On Saturday, the top ten starting pitchers were revealed and Gerrit Cole was on the list, but some Yankee fans may not like where he was ranked.

Our new ace was unranked last season which is crazy to think about. The Yankees have been in love with Cole for a long time because baseball fans everywhere consider him to be one of the best (if not THE best) in the game. The Yankees have been trying to get Cole for years, so how could he have been unranked until now? So I guess finally getting on this list is recognition he deserves, but should he be ranked third best?

That's where MLB Networks "The Shredder" has ranked him. If you are unfamiliar with "The Shredder" it is a tool that factors Statcast data with a mix of analytics and traditional statistics. So those of you who like to talk about WAR, it is factored into the rankings. It is also important
to know that the rating formula used focuses on player performances from the past two seasons and a variety of offensive and defensive numbers and no human bias is incorporated into the ranking process.

Even though there is no human bias in the rankings I still find the lists to be debatable. I've never been a huge fan of MLB Network's "The Shredder" specials that list the top 10 "right now" as they call it but my husband loves them. Here is the rankings that came out this weekend.

Are there any names missing on this list but are included on yours? I have a big one that isn't included. How did World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg not make the cut? He dominated during the playoffs and then got a big fat payday during the offseason but doesn't get a ranking. It doesn't make sense. And if these rankings are based on two years of stats I would think Chris Sale should also land somewhere on this list (as much as I hate to admit it).

And how is Hyun-jin Ryu number five in the rankings above Zack Greinke? And Mike Clevinger and Jack Flaherty are on this list? They are absolutely good pitchers. They are difference makers for sure, but top 10? I think that is a stretch. They would not crack the top in my rankings.

As we said before, human bias plays no part in these rankings but it makes me sick to my stomach that a disgrace to the game of baseball is ranked number two right now. Justin Verlander complained about cheating when he was a Detroit Tiger but two months later when he was traded to the Houston ASSTROS he became a hypocrite and participated in a massive cheating scandal that proves he has no integrity and compromised the game. He should not get recognition for being a top ten pitcher in baseball for that especially after VERLANDER POKES FUN ABOUT THE ASTROS CHEATING & FAILS.  He's a disgrace to the game we all love.

At any rate, here is a complete list of "The Shredder" top ten right now for every position. Even if we had no bias about Cole, would you still rank Cole as number three? Tell us what you think.

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

THE YANKEES 26TH MAN

Source: Elite Sports

We have made it to February, the unofficial start of Spring, at least in the baseball world.  With all of the discussion around who else the Yankees need to add to its roster this season, what about guys who have played with us off and on and contributed over the last year?  Guys like Mike Ford and Clint Frazier seem to come to mind and with roster spots tight, who will win the battle of the Yankees 26th man?

Source: Yahoo Sports

"Frazier could win the job if his outfield defense is much better this spring than it was a year ago. Also, he may need to convince Cashman and Boone that he’s more mature by laying low this spring instead of becoming a distraction by not keeping his hair short, bickering with the media and finding his way into another controversy," reported NJ.com on Saturday.

It appears Frazier will need to show a lot of promise in both maturity and outfield defense in order to win favor with the front office.  Both of these could be hard for him given his track record last season.  But, everyone deserves a chance.  And that includes Miguel Andujar who is expected to try out in the outfield this spring, to give him for opportunity to stay a Yankee.  If he can pick the new position up easily, Frazier may have seen his last days as a Yankee.

Now the kid from Princeton who has be the exact opposite of Frazier, has a real shot at 26th man too.

Source: The NY Times

"Ford could be the favorite because he’d give the Yankees a left-handed power option to play first base. Also, as a rookie last season he handled not getting regular at-bats during his call-ups better than a lot of young players typically do," reported NJ.com.  Ford always seemed particularly poised and polished when he played.  His speed is lacking but if he shows power, he could add the necessary bench and alternative first base man for the Yankees.

A better battle for positions = a better Yankee team overall, one that is hungry.  It will be interesting to see how things play out for Frazier and Ford as well as the rest of the "on the fence" Yankees who will vie for a spot on the 2020 team.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

A BYB PODCAST INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE WITH TY HENSLEY

There are many baseball players I could have interviewed here at BYB for our first podcast. But I believe in loyalty. And for me, there's no one better to go to for our first one than Ty Hensley.

I am happy to say the Bleeding Yankee Blue has stuck with this guy through all the "shit".  When many walked away from Ty because of his setbacks or because they were disappointed in his progress, we did not and I'm proud of that.  That's our character.  That's what makes BYB unique and important in this space. That's why you read us.

We love Ty and his family here at BYB. And so, I decided that with our loyalty to him, rooting, cheering and supporting him, it would be only fitting to ask him about where he stands right this second in his mind, his life and definitely his career in baseball.

It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows for this guy. And that's what I wanted to ask him about. And so, we spoke in this podcast for you all to enjoy and listen to. While it's not perfect, the honesty and enthusiastic Ty Hensley doesn't hold back about wanting to even quit at times. It's hard to believe because he just kept coming back no matter what obstacle stood in in way. But it's true and you'll hear about that. But I call him Superhuman for a reason, and that's because he just keeps on coming.

After many surgeries, a lot of heartbreak and struggle, he made it, not only getting a championship in the Frontier league with the Utica Unicorns, but also finding his way back to being a success on the mound. He's throwing 100 mph again.  He's working out like a maniac, and team... yes... major league ball clubs are interested again. And so, the newly married Ty Hensley has a new reset in life and another chance. The drive is still there. The heart, the determination is still there, but now more than ever. Now he's seen success again... and now... he's more hungry than ever.

This is BYB Raw folks, our first podcast interview. It's a world premiere with my good friend, Ty Hensley. Enjoy it. I certainly did.

Hey Marci and Mike... I hope I did you proud.




Ty, thanks. We'll be doing more of this soon. Thanks for taking the time.

LAST MINUTE DEALS THE YANKEES SHOULD GO FOR

Along with Nolan Arenado...what if the Yankees signed Kris Bryant? 

Bryant is on the market and the Yankees should strike now. The reported asking price is two Major League ready prospects and possibly more, which Brian Cashman can easily meet without damaging his prospect pool. Bryant being one of the best players in the game would make the price worth it. 

At 28-years-old he's batting .284/.385/.516/.901, with 138 home runs, 167 doubles, and 403 RBIs. By making this deal, the Yankees could part with Miguel Andujar who had an injury riddled 2019 season and Clint Frazier who is not on the best terms with the team at the moment. The only current negative is the Yankees' luxury tax which would be pushed to over $300M with the added Bryant salary.

Former top prospect Taijuan Walker has recovered from Tommy John surgery, and could be a cheap deal the Yankees could benefit from. Walker’s career ERA is 3.95 in 528.1 innings, and now healthy he could get back to his old performance. 

The good thing is, rotation depth is not a current issue for the Yankees, but why not solidify that further? If all it requires is a minor league deal and a Spring Training invitation, they should definitely go for it. Give him a shot to prove he is healthy and effective, and go from there.

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