If there is a Plan B, that may need to be changed.

Things have been quiet, and I don’t want to get into rumors, but if the Yankees’ off-season strategy is go after Gerrit Cole, but have a Plan B in case Cole rejects the Yankees offer, Plan B probably needs some alteration.

The top two targets for the Yankees, pitching-wise, are Cole and Stephen Strasburg. The Yanks have met with both, but it is expected that Strasburg will go back to Washington. Cole is a different story.

The Yanks have wanted Cole for a long time. They drafted him out of high school but Cole decided to go to UCLA instead. Then, when the Pirates were shopping him, the Yanks wouldn’t meet the Pirates’ demands (Miguel Andujar for one) and Pittsburgh traded Cole to Houston instead.

Apparently the Yanks told Cole that the money is there. It’s up to Cole, a Southern Californian, to decide if he wants New York.

But if the Yanks can’t get Cole (and it appears, for now, that all their eggs are being placed in that basket), or Strasburg, who is or was the Yankees Plan B?

If it was Zack Wheeler, forget it now. Wheeler signed a 5-yr., $118MM deal with the Phillies yesterday.

Cole Hamels reached a 1-yr., $18MM deal with Atlanta.

There are other Plan B’s out there, like Madison Bumgarner, Dallas Keuchel, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Gio Gonzalez, but they aren’t the WOW factor Cole or Strasburg are.

And if these Plan B’s are off the market when Cole decides, and he decides against the Yankees, what then?

Besides the pursuit of Cole, the Yanks also have to see about re-signing or letting go some of their own—Brett Gardner (most likely will be back what with Hicks going to miss most of 2020), Didi Gregorius (most likely gone), Austin Romine and Dellin Betances.

Of course, Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner may look to the trade market. If that is the case, Clint Frazier and/or Andujar could be names (among others) dangled.

Cashman runnerup for Exec. of Yr.

From ESPN

Tampa Bay Rays general manager Erik Neander has been voted Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year.

Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman finished second in the voting.

Game 144. Yanks beat Boston 10-5 behind HRs by Gleyber and Judge. Tauchman also HRs, but gets hurt.

Before the game, the Yanks activated Gio Urshela off the IL and brought up Thairo Estrada (who was on rehab), Kyle Higashioka and Breyvic Valera.

The Yanks then beat Boston 10-5 behind Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Mike Tauchman, but Tauchman got hurt during the game.

With the win, the 94-50 Yankees maintain an 8 1/2 game lead over Tampa Bay with 18 games to go. The magic # to reach the playoffs is 8 and the magic # to clinch the division is 10.

They remain tied with Houston for the best record in baseball but Houston has the tiebreaker. Both teams are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers.

In the second inning, Torres gave the Yanks a 2-0 lead with his 35th HR of the season after Edwin Encarnacion singled in front of him.

In the third, Tauchman singled, and D.J. LeMahieu reached on an infield single. Judge singled in a run, sending LeMahieu to third. After Didi Gregorius popped out, Gary Sanchez’ RBI groundout made it 4-0.

Staked to a four-run lead, Masahiro Tanaka couldn’t go five innings for the win. He gave up a two-run HR to Jackie Bradley in the bottom of the third that cut the Yanks’ lead to 4-2.

In the top of the fourth, Torres singled and scored two outs later on a 2-run HR by Tauchman (13) who had to leave the game later with a calf injury. He’ll be getting an MRI. Ugh. 6-2, Yanks.

With two out in the fourth, Tanaka gave up a single and two doubles and that cut the lead to 6-4. Tanaka didn’t come out for the fifth, so couldn’t get the win.

Chad Green was superb in his three innings of scoreless relief and did pick up the W. His ERA of 4.60 doesn’t look good because of those horrendous first three weeks of the season where his ERA was 16.43 and he had to be sent to the minors. Since returning, the ERA is 2.89.

In the fifth, Judge led off the inning with a HR (21) to make it 7-4, then Didi reached on an error. After a walk, Encarnacion singled Didi to third, and Didi scored on an RBI forceout by Torres. 8-4.

Judge’s HR was the Yanks’ 268th of the season, topping the mark set last year when they set a MLB record. They are eight behind the Twins (who set a new record) this season. Could they (or the Twins) hit 300?

Mookie Betts homered in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-5.

The Yanks scored two in the ninth when Didi walked, and Rafael Devers made two errors on the same play (one fielding, one throwing) to put runners on second and third. Devers had three errors in the game and was saved from a couple others. Encarnacion singled in one run, then Torres doubled in another to make it 10-5, the final score.

Judge 2 hits, 2 RBI, solo HR (21)
Encarnacion 3 hits, RBI
Torres 3 hits, 4 RBI, 2-run HR (35)
Tauchman 2 hits, 2 RBI. 2-run HR (13). Injured, left game.

Tanaka 4 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 1 HR.  4.53
Green (W, 3-4, 4.60) 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 5 K.
Ottavino 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR.   1.76
Loaisiga 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K.  4.63

In the minors, Trenton (AA) will face Bowie for the Eastern League Championship. The best-of-five series begins in Trenton on Tuesday.

OF/1B Chris Duncan, ex-Cardinal and brother of one-time Yankee Shelley Duncan and son of former MLB catcher and pitching coach Dave Duncan, died of brain cancer
September 6 at the age of 38. He hit 22 HR as a part-time player for the 2006 WS Champion Cardinals and 21 the following year. In 389 MLB games, he hit .257 with 55 HR and an OPS+ of 109. He played for the Cardinals 2005-2009.

Tom Phoebus, RHP, died Sept. 5, age 77. Born in Baltimore, he pitched for his hometown Orioles 1966-1970, and was a part of two WS Champs (1966, 1970) and one AL Pennant winner (1969). He won 14, 15 and 14 games from 1967-1969. His only postseason appearance was in one game during the 1970 WS, where he got the win in Game 2. He pitched for the Padres (1971-1972) and Cubs (1972). His career MLB record was 56-52, 3.33, ERA+ 100.

A DYK: Aaron Boone now has 194 wins (and counting) in his first two seasons as Yankees’ manager. The record? Ralph Houk with 205 (1961 and 1962).

Lastly, a tip of the cap to Brian Cashman’s longevity with the Yankees. Not even a year after winning the World Series, the Red Sox fire Dave Dombrowski.

 

Game 116. Yanks’ winning streak ends in 8-2 loss.

Before the game, the Yanks made a minor league deal (those are still allowed after the deadline) getting Joe Mantiply from the Reds for cash considerations. Mantiply, 28, LHP, pitched in five games for the Tigers in 2016, going 0-0, 16.88. He actually was in the Yanks’ minor league system in 2017, going 6-5, 2.83 for SWB (6 starts, 29 relief appearances). He was 1-0, 4.15 for the Reds’ AA/AAA teams in 19 relief appearances this year. He’ll be going to AAA.

Good news on Luis Severino. He threw off a mound and felt great. It looks like the Yanks could get him back in September. But would it be for only two or three outings before the postseason? Would that be enough? More on that later after this game report. (Also, in a separate minor league report, good news on Jonathan Loaisiga Friday night).

On Firday, Yanks’ GM Brian Cashman had a scare, being mistaken for a car thief. He was stopped—at gunpoint—by as many as nine officers in CT.

Per ESPN:

Cashman, 52, said in an interview with the New York Post that his white Jeep Wrangler had been stolen and returned to him but that the New York City police had not cleared the vehicle from its stolen-car database.

Luckily, things didn’t escalate or get mistaken into anything tragic.

Now for the game. Good point made by John Flaherty on YES about holding umpires accountable. Players have to face the media after a bad performance and answer questions, not so umpires. Players get suspended and/or fined, umpires should too. Because the umpiring last night was bad.

Brett Gardner got tossed from the game by the home plate umpire who A) didn’t give a warning first, and B) wasn’t even looking in the dugout to see who was getting on him, thus ejecting the wrong person. How do you eject someone without seeing and making sure you are ejecting the right individual? Gardner says he didn’t say anything or do anything to get ejected, and when he came out to vociferously argue, was lied to by that home plate umpire. As a result, Aaron Judge, who was supposed to get the night off, had to play. Of course, after the game there is no media questioning the umpire. HE isn’t held accountable. If Gardner faces a fine or ejection, that would make this even more of a travesty. MLB needs to hold more bad umpires (like Angel Hernandez, even though this time it wasn’t him) accountable by fining or suspending them. They probably won’t though. It’s  a joke how they let some really bad umpiring slide. This wasn’t all. There was a really bad call later in the game.

As far as strike zones, MLB has to tell the umpires off on that. You can’t have “your” strike zone and call it the same way on a 6’7″ player like Aaron Judge the same way you do on a 5’9″ player. How many times do we see strikes called on Judge that are below his knees because he is 6’7″? But the umps don’t adjust to his height as they should. Ridiculous.

Umpires need to face the same criticism and meet the same standards and receive the same penalties as the players. Start cracking down on bad umpiring, MLB.

As for the game, well, those bad decisions didn’t cost the Yanks the game, bad pitching by J.A. Happ did. Unfortunately, Happ, who was so good for the Yanks after the Yanks traded for him last year (until Game 1 of the ALDS), has turned into this season’s “Sonny Gray”. What is worrisome is that he has a contract for next year for another $17MM and a vesting option for 2021 for another $17MM that kicks in with 27 starts or 165 IP in 2020. If Happ, who turns 37 in mid-October, is falling off the cliff per se, then the Yanks have a problem. I don’t know if he has a no-trade clause. But right now, would you trust him on the postseason roster? I wouldn’t. Would you look into dealing him after the season (and probably having to eat a lot of his contract)? I would.

Happ only gave up four hits in 5 IP, but three were HR as he was plagued by the gopher ball again. Those resulted in six runs. We can only hope for improvement, but it looks like a lost season for him. We’ll see if it is the start of the end for his career as well.

He has to improve, that is for sure.

Things got off to a bad start when Happ gave up a 2-run HR in the first and a solo HR in the second. Yanks down 3-0 after two innings, already.

In the top of the fourth, immediately after the fiasco with the umpire that got Gardner ejected, Mike Tauchman homered (12) to cut it to 3-1. Boy, is Tauchman hot.

But Happ gave up a 3-run HR in the bottom of the fourth that made it 6-1 and basically ended the Yanks’ (76-40) chances for a win in this one. Oh well, you can’t win them all and the loss snapped a nine-game winning streak.

Tampa Bay won, so the Yanks’ lead in the AL East was cut to 9 1/2.

Mike Ford homered (3) in the seventh to make it 6-2, but Tommy Kahnle gave up a 2-run HR in the eighth. Final score 8-2 Toronto.

LeMahieu 2 hits,  .340
Maybin 0 for 4, Golden Sombrero 4 strikeouts, should have had a hit. Bad call.
Tauchman 2 hits, solo HR (12)  .301
Ford solo HR (3)

Happ (L, 9-7, 5.48) 5 IP, 6 R, 4 H, 3 W, 4 K.  Gave up 3 HR.
Cortes, Jr.  2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  4.18
Kahnle 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.  3.04   Gave up 1 HR.

You wonder how much of an “opener” the Yanks could use in the postseason. Could Severino AND Loiasiga be used in such a fashion because of just coming off the IL in September? Could German be (because of an innings limit) used as the guy AFTER the “opener” ? There will be very interesting decisions made in a month because, even with the great record the Yanks have right now, you can’t be comfortable with what you are getting from the starters right now, especially Tanaka, Happ and even CC.

Especially if they are going up against Greinke, Verlander and Cole.

Over the next few weeks, here’s hoping the rotation can step it up and alleviate my concerns.

 

 

Trade deadline. No major move done by the Yanks. Thoughts.

The Yanks did not make a major move at the trade deadline.

They only made a minor one, trading rookie RHP Joe Harvey (1-0, 4.50 in nine games this year for the Yanks) to Colorado for LHP Alfredo Garcia. Per the NY Post: Garcia, 20, has pitched for Single-A Asheville and Boise this season. With the two teams, he’s combined for a 3-10 record and 6.00 ERA in 22 starts.

They apparently were looking at LHP Robbie Ray of Arizona but Arizona wanted OF Clint Frazier, RHP Clarke Schmidt (the Yanks’ #1 draft pick in 2017, who is now pitching at High A Tampa) and two other prospects. The Yanks thought that price was too steep.

Arizona did trade Zack Greinke to Houston (they made other moves as well). Now Houston is really scary with Justin Verlander, Greinke, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley.

Greinke never would have come to the Yankees. He has a no-trade to the Yanks, and with his problems with depression and anxiety early in his career (2005/2006) NY wouldn’t be right for him at all.

That is the situation at the trade deadline. Some teams are asking too much of you, like the teams that wanted Gleyber Torres for a pitcher that other teams say is an ace but you know they are middle to back end of the rotation caliber. And Torres shouldn’t be going anywhere. He is not even 23 yet, a 2x All-Star, and someone with 20+ HR in both of his seasons in the majors. Torres for Matthew Boyd of Detroit (6-8, 3.94 now, career 28-43, 4.82)? Please. Spare me.

Some players, like Greinke and Madison Bumgarner, have no-trade clauses. Whether Bumgarner would have waived his to go to the Yankees, who knows. But we also don’t know what SF would have wanted for him.

Some teams, like the Mets, won’t deal with the Yankees. I can see that with the Red Sox not dealing with the Yankees, but the Mets are in a different league. But the Mets have the fear of looking bad in a deal with the Yanks, and don’t want the Yanks to “take over the city” or is it “Citi”? LOL. But the Yankeephobia the Mets’ front office has hurts them if they are making trades with other teams and getting less return from them than in what the Yankees would give them for say, Wheeler or Syndegaard—and neither Wheeler or Syndegaard went anywhere.

So the Yankees don’t get a starter that could have helped them. No Minor, Bumgarner, Wheeler, Ray, Stroman, Boyd, Bauer, Roark, Leake, etc. Most, as I stated, don’t fall into the “ace” category.

They didn’t get relief help either. Shane Greene and Mark Melancon (both former Yankees, by the way) both went from their respective teams (Tigers and Giants) to the Braves.

By the way, ex-Yankee (twice) David Robertson, who went to the Phillies last offseason as a free agent, and who has barely pitched this year, is headed for elbow surgery that could include TJ surgery. If TJ (Tommy John) surgery, then he misses ALL of 2020.

So the Yankees have to hope some, or all of the following, get healthy enough to contribute soon: Luis Severino, Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga and Dellin Betances. Loaisiga had a rehab stint (2 innings for AA Trenton last night). The others haven’t pitched yet in a game for any rehab assignment yet.

Either that or some pitchers need to pick up the slack and pitch better than they have so far this season (Happ/Paxton, even Tanaka).

I don’t know if I would call the Yanks’ efforts at the trade deadline here a failure. If you DO want to point any blame for not improving the rotation, I don’t think it is now, but things that happened BEFORE getting to this point.

For example, the free agent market. I didn’t mind bringing back Happ at the time (and that may be a mistake, given what he’s done this year and that he has a couple years left on the contract). But Happ wasn’t my first option. He was a fallback option. I think that the Yanks felt as I did. Getting Patrick Corbin being the top priority, with Happ as a fallback. But Corbin wanted more than the four years that the Yanks were offering, and got six from Washington where he is 9-5, 3.23. The Yanks sure could use that now.

Then there was Gio Gonzalez. The Yanks signed him at the end of spring training to a minor league deal, one that Gonzalez opted out of a few weeks later when it was obvious, at that time, that there was no place in the rotation for him. He is 2-1, 3.48 for Milwaukee right now.

Lastly, Dallas Keuchel. The Yanks wouldn’t go an extra mile to land him, lost him to the Braves, and Keuchel is 3-4, 3.86 right now.

Any of those three would not have cost players, just money. Now the question is why the Yankees were not more proactive towards those three? And that may not be the fault of Cashman, but of Hal Steinbrenner, who, let’s face it, is more frugal than his dad. Hal may have set a certain price that he wouldn’t allow Cashman to exceed, and if a deal then wasn’t made, the blame falls on Hal then, not Cashman.

If there is something to gripe about, I feel as if it isn’t because of what wasn’t done today at the trade deadline, but what wasn’t done BEFORE—namely, Corbin, Gonzalez and/or Keuchel. For those three have/had better potential and results than almost all of what was out there today.

One more thing. I wasn’t too keen this offseason about bringing back CC. He hasn’t been bad this year, but you are getting what you expected you’d get from a guy who just turned 39. Two trips to the injured list. Not much length in his starts. He has not recorded a “W” in more than a month. Yes, having him retire as a Yankee is nice. It’s his final season. But sentiment doesn’t win titles. You think with your head, not your heart.

Being a clubhouse presence and a great teammate is great. But you also have to do it between the lines, and of course, CC isn’t what he used to be.

So we hope now for help from within. Severino, Montgomery, Loaisiga, Betances. Maybe Deivi Garcia, but I doubt it. I’d be surprised. At 20, he probably needs a full season of AAA, so maybe 2021 for him (or late 2020?)

And after this season is over, don’t mess up on the free agent market. For example, Gerrit Cole of Houston, who the Yanks once drafted (he didn’t sign) and later coveted (traded by Pittsburgh to Houston because the Yanks wouldn’t give the Pirates Miguel Andujar) is a free agent after this season. He is 12-5. 2.94 for Houston now. He was 15-5, 2.88 for them last season. He struck out 276 last year and leads the majors with 212 strikeouts right now. Houston is one of your top competitors right now for AL supremacy. You can improve yourself and hurt Houston after this season in one move. Are you listening, Hal? Cash?

 

 

Game 102. Red Sox Rout Yanks, 19-3. Tulo retires, Gardy to IL. Don Mossi dies.

Larry Rothschild, the Yanks’ pitching coach, has some work to do.

This turn around the Yanks’ rotation has been brutal. Brian Cashman will definitely be working the phones as the trade deadline looms.

The Yanks were able to get some wins, 14-12 and 10-7 over the Twins, even though the starting pitching stunk.

Not so tonight, when Masahiro Tanaka gave up seven runs in the third inning, could not give four innings, and was pulled after he gave up twelve runs.

Yes. TWELVE.

Stephen Tarpley came in,  and he gave up four more. Luis Cessa established some sense of normalcy with two scoreless innings, then Austin Romine had to close things out (as he did in that 16-1 playoff loss to Boston last year) by giving up three runs in his one inning of work.

The nineteen, (Yes, NINETEEN) runs Boston scored were the most ever by Boston against the Yankees.

Well, it’s just one game, the margin doesn’t matter. It’s not like Boston could make up an 11-game deficit in just this one game.

The Yanks (66-36) are up 9 1/2 on Tampa Bay, and 10 over Boston. The Yanks just have to split the series. If so, they stay 11 up on Boston, and four games come off the schedule.

Just don’t get swept and have Boston cut that deficit down to 7. Don’t give them hope.

But the pitching the past week or so has been a mess.

Get to work, Rothschild.

Voit 3 hits.
Higashioka solo HR (1)

Tanaka (L, 7-6, 4.79) 3 1/3 IP, 12 R, 12 H, 3 W, 4 K. Gave up 2 HR. UGLY OUTING
Tarpley 1 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 2 W, 1 K.   8.22   Good spring training, but has been awful.
Cessa 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.96
Romine 1 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 2 HR.  27.00  Catcher used to close game, save BP.

Gardner to IL, Tarpley brought up.

Troy Tulowitzki announced his retirement. He only got into five games for the Yanks this year, going 2 for 11 with a HR.  Tulo, a 5x All-Star, won 2 Gold Gloves and 2 Silver Sluggers in his career with Colorado (2006-2015), Toronto (2015-2017) and the Yankees (2019). He retires with a .290 batting average and 225 HR. His 162 G Average .290-28-98, OPS+ 118. He was runnerup for ROY in 2007 when he helped the Rockies to the NL pennant, and had 3 top 10 MVP finishes 2009-2011. It’s a shame his career basically ended at the age of 31, three years ago.

Don Mossi, who many think was the inspiration for the Chief Wahoo logo the Indians used to have, died last week at the age of 90. With his hawk nose, and huge ears, many thought he WAS Chief Wahoo. Mossi pitched for the Indians 1954-1958, Tigers 1959-1963, White Sox 1964 and KC A’s 1965. He went 101-80, 3.43, ERA+ 115. The lefty was on the 1954 Indians team that won the AL pennant, and a 101 win 1961 Tiger team that finished second. He was 6-1, 1.94 with 7 saves for the 1954 Indians, and pitched four scoreless innings in three WS games against the NY Giants. He won 17 games for the 1959 Tigers and 15 for the 1961 Tigers. He was an All-Star in 1957. His 162 game average was 11-9, 3.43, ERA+ 115, 18 starts, 32 relief appearances.

 

Game 69. Big night. Yanks back in first with 8-4 win, and make huge deal.

I am not a fan of “openers” but maybe there is something to this.

For the fifth time this year, Chad Green had to serve as the opener, and the Yankees have won all of those games.

Last night, it was an 8-4 win as Green and Nestor Cortes, Jr. (first MLB win for Cortes) shut down the White Sox for seven innings as the Yanks (42-27) regained first place from the Tampa Bay Rays by 1/2 a game.

The Yanks got four in the fourth when Luke Voit and Aaron Hicks singled, Gary Sanchez doubled them both home, and after an out, Gleyber Torres hit a 2-run HR (15).

The Yanks made it 5-0 in the sixth, when with one out Sanchez walked and Didi Gregorius singled him to third. Torres brought in Sanchez with a SF.

They made it 7-0 in the seventh, when Cameron Maybin led off the inning with his second HR of the season. Brett Gardner then walked, and went to third on a double by D.J. LeMahieu. After Voit struck out, Hicks walked to load the bases, and Sanchez groundout plated a run.

Meanwhile, of the first 12 outs Green and Cortes recorded, 11 were by strikeout.

Cortes tired in the eighth, giving up a pair of singles, and Jonathan Holder came in. He got a couple of outs, but then gave up an RBI single and a 3-run HR that cut the Yanks’ lead to 7-4.

The Yanks tacked on another run in the ninth when Gardner walked, LeMahieu singled him to third and after a couple of strikeouts, a couple of walks forced Gardner in to make it 8-4, the final score.

LeMahieu 2 hits (.310)
Sanchez 3 RBI
Gregorius 2 hits, RBI (.385 in his short time so far off IL)
Torres 2 hits, 3 RBI, 2-run HR (15)
Maybin Solo HR (2)

Green 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 6 K.  7.54
Cortes 5+ IP, 2 R, 6 H, 0 W, 7 K.  3.79     FIRST MLB WIN
Holder 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K.  5.08   Gave up HR
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.   1.35

During the game, it was announced that the Yankees traded for Edwin Encarnacion from Seattle, giving up pitching prospect Juan Then. The Yanks and Mariners will split paying Encarnacion’s salary.

Then is a 19 year old righty who hasn’t even pitched yet in Low A ball. Then was signed as a 16 year old by Seattle, then traded to the Yanks for Nick Rumbelow a few years back. Seattle now gets him back. In 24 starts in the Dominican Summer League and in the Gulf Coast Rookie League in 2017-2018, Then is 2-5, with a 2.67 ERA.

As for Encarnacion, he has 401 career HR. The 36 year old (and no, I don’t like the parrot bit after he homers) is a 1B/DH who’ll split time with Luke Voit at 1B/DH. This means Giancarlo Stanton has to go into the outfield (unless some other move is made).  Pitcher Jake Barrett was moved to the 60 day IL to make room for Encarnacion on the roster.

Encarnacion was hitting .241-21-49, OPS+ 140 for Seattle, and is leading the AL with 21 HR (one more than Sanchez). He has hit 30 or more HR in every season 2012-2018, including 42 in 2012 and the same amount, 42, in 2016. He led the AL in RBI in 2016.

A 3x All-Star, Encarnacion has received MVP consideration in five seasons. He was with the Reds (2005-2009), Blue Jays (2009-2016), Indians (2017-2018) and now becomes a Yankee.

He has driven in 100 or more runs in six seasons.

He started his career as a third baseman.

Encarnacion’s 162 game average is .263-35-104, OPS+ 125. He also averages 75 walks per 162 games.

His acquisition will mean Kendrys Morales (currently on the IL) will be gone once he comes off the IL. Also, since Encarnacion and Voit will flip/flop at 1B/DH, it forces Giancarlo Stanton into LF.

When Judge and Stanton come off the IL soon, I would expect to see Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman sent down.

So soon, we could see the position players being:

C Sanchez and Romine
INF and DH: Voit, Encarnacion, Torres, Didi, LeMahieu, Urshela
OF: Stanton, Hicks, Judge, Gardner, Maybin

Gardner and Maybin wouldn’t get much playing time, but could be used for defense and pinch-running.

Also, the acquisition of Encarnacion makes Greg Bird’s recovery kind of meaningless. If and when he recovers, where’s Bird going to go?

Speaking of Bird, as well as some other players currently at or, it appears bound for AAA or on the IL, like a Frazier, Tauchman, Wade, Estrada, Ford, Andujar, and even Tulowitzki (I won’t get into Ellsbury), you wonder when the other shoe will drop.

With this acquisition of Encarnacion, and with Judge and Stanton coming back soon, could Frazier and someone else be heading elsewhere to get a top-notch starter?

We’ll see. But I feel like this is a chess game and this is only Cashman’s FIRST move.

But can you imagine a lineup like this?

LeMahieu 3B
Judge RF
Stanton LF
Sanchez C
Gregorius SS
Encarnacion DH
Voit 1B
Torres 2B
Hicks CF

I mean, Hicks batting 9th? Someone has to.

And Romine, Gardner, Maybin and Urshela on the bench.

That’s if you have 12 pitchers. If you go with 13 pitchers, then Maybin is probably out.

Impressive.

Game 33. Yanks beat Twins (4-1) and the elements.

I was at Yankee Stadium today for the game with the Lehigh Valley Yankee Fan Club, and can honestly say that it was the first time as an adult that I was at a baseball game and didn’t have a beer.

What I had—and needed—was three hot chocolates.

It was a miserable day in the Bronx, cold, drizzly and windy. The weather was RAW, RAW, RAW.

The game was called in the bottom of the eighth with the Yanks (19-14, 2nd in AL East, 2 back) leading 4-1. They get the win. The game was called after a 61 minute rain delay and in my opinion, should have been called much earlier.

Before the game, GM Brian Cashman told the media that Luis Severino won’t be expected back until after the All-Star break.

Domingo German has so far picked up the baton from Severino and has become the staff ace in Severino’s absence. He picked up his sixth win of the season against just one loss, and lowered his ERA to 2.35.

The Yanks scored twice in the second inning. Gleyber Torres led off the inning with a single and Brett Gardner walked. After Gio Urshela struck out, Cameron Maybin walked to load the bases. Mike Tauchman struck out, but D.J. LeMahieu got an infield single to score Torres, and when SS Jorge Polanco of the Twins tried to make a play on LeMahieu, he threw the ball away, enabling Gardner to score and Maybin to go to third. Luke Voit flied out to end the inning.

With two out in the fourth inning, German had his only blip of the game. An infield single, walk and another single cut the Yanks’ lead to 2-1.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Urshela singled, and an out later, Tauchman hit a 2-run HR (4) to make it 4-1. The losing pitcher for the Twins was ex-Yankee Michael Pineda.

The game ended with Torres, the leadoff batter in the eighth, on third with no one out and Gardner up.

German (W, 6-1, 2.35) 6 2/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 3 W, 7 K.
Kahnle (H, 3) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.   1.38
Ottavino (H, 5) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 1 HBP.  2.12
Chapman (S, 7) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K  2.13  1 WP

The WP by Chapman was probably caused by a wet and muddy mound which caused the Twins pitcher to have a PB and WP shortly before the game was delayed and then called. Like I mentioned above, the game should have been called way before it actually was.

The attendance of 38.603 was probably sold tickets, because the crowd actually IN the Stadium freezing its butts off was considerably less. It said 51 degrees but a strong wind (19 MPH, blowing in from LF) and drizzle made it feel like it was in the 30s.

Game 26. Yanks beat SF, 7-3. Voit continues to roll.

When I first saw the lineup, I didn’t have too much confidence in the Yanks last night.

It looked like the worst lineup I had seen since the Horace Clarke years of the late 1960s/early 1970s.

For one thing, no DH in a NL park.

Gio Urshela hitting cleanup? Thairo Estrada in LF? Sanchez and Gardner on the bench?

This against Madison Bumgarner? Even though Bumgarner isn’t what he was?

As Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”

The first four hitters in the Yanks’ (15-11, 2nd in AL East, 1 1/2 back) lineup went 10 for 18, scored 6 runs and had 5 RBI in the Yanks’ 7-3 win over the Giants last night.

The Yanks jumped on Bumgarner right away with two runs in the first. D.J. LeMahieu led off the game with a double, went to third on a flyout by Luke Voit and scored on a double by Gleyber Torres. Urshela singled Torres to third, and Cameron Maybin in his first AB as a Yankee, singled in Torres to make it 2-0.

James Paxton gave a run back in a shaky first inning, but then settled down the rest of the night.

In the third, Luke Voit, who is having a great road trip, singled and was bunted over to second by Torres (when is the last time you saw the #3 batter in the lineup lay down a sac bunt?). Urshela, a .232 career hitter with 9 career HR in 517 at bats, singled Voit in to make it 3-1. Urshela, known for his glove and not his bat, has been swinging the bat well in subbing for the injured Andujar at 3B.

In the fifth, the Yanks made it 4-1 when LeMahieu singled and Voit doubled him home.

Consecutive singles by Austin Romine, Mike Tauchman and Thairo Estrada made it 5-1 in the sixth. For Estrada, his first MLB RBI.

Paxton tired in the sixth, giving up two runs before Tommy Kahnle came in to get the final out of the inning. 5-3 Yanks.

With two out in the seventh, Zack Britton gave Yankees fans a scare by walking three batters in a row to load the bases. Manager Aaron Boone then pulled a double switch, bringing in Adam Ottavino to replace Britton, and getting Brett Gardner in the OF (Tauchman going from CF to RF, replacing Maybin). In the key moment of the game, Ottavino struck out Buster Posey to get out of the inning.

Luke Voit hit a 2-run HR (8) in the ninth to give the Yanks some insurance runs. 7-3.

Voit has been a real steal for the Yanks. Since Brian Cashman went out and got him, Voit has played in 65 games for the Yanks, hitting .309-22-55, OPS+ 170. Keep that up over 162 games and you are talking MVP-type numbers.

LeMahieu 3 hits, scored 3x
Voit 3 hits, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI. 2-run HR.
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Urshela 2 hits, RBI

Paxton (W, 3-2, 3.38) 5 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 W, 8 K
Kahnle (H, 2) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K. 1 WP.  1.86  Looking like he did in 2017, not 2018.
Britton (H, 4) 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 W, 1 K.  2.45
Ottavino (H, 4) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.51
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 2 K.  2.45

The bullpen: 3 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 5 W, 6 K.  A bit wild, but no hits or runs. Combined, the Yanks’ pitchers struck out 14, walked 7.

 

 

 

S.T. Game 11. Yanks fall 9-5. Besides Seve, CC to miss start of season too. Would Yanks use “opener”?

The Yanks lost to the Cardinals, 9-5 today, to drop the spring training record to 5-5-1.

We know that Seve will miss time, and now the Yanks have said that because of the knee surgery and stent put in, that CC will begin the season on the injured list. Remember that once activated, CC has a five-game suspension to serve.

So two of the five starters will NOT be starting the season. As of now, GM Brian Cashman wants to plug from within, meaning no Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez or Edwin Jackson.

Gonzalez has been rumored to be someone the Yanks might consider, but he’d have to agree to a bullpen move once Severino and CC are ready.

I like Loaisiga, and he shows great potential to step in as a spot starter now, and to replace CC in the rotation in 2020, but he is a raw talent. 5 out of his 7 outs today K’s, but gave up 5 Runs in 2 1/3.

With both Severino and CC out, we are looking at Cessa, German and/or Loaisiga filling those two spots unless the Yanks sign someone.

Loaisiga (Johnny Lasagna) had mixed results today. Good: 5 K in 2 1/3 IP. Bad: 5 runs given up.

Austin Romine had a 3-run HR today, Gleyber Torres 2 hits. Prospect Trey Amburgey had 2 RBI.

Loaisiga (L) 2 1/3 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 2 W, 5 K. Gave up 1 HR
Harvey (BS) 2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Chapman 1 IP, 0 R , 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Coulombe 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Diehl 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Coshow 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR
Reeves 1 2/3 IP, 0 R , 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.

With Seve out until maybe late April, and CC out until about that time, could the Yanks, with their strong bullpen, consider an “opener” for a game or two in April?

Steven Wright of Boston drew an 80 game suspension (and would miss the postseason) for HGH ban. Hmm, why would a knuckleballer need HGH?

Jacoby Ellsbury (the Nowhere Man) is expected to join the Yanks in Tampa around March 17.

Hicks is still recovering from back pain.

The Yanks sent Domingo Acevedo down to Trenton, and sent Trevor Stephan and Brady Lail to minor league camp.