Cuban Missile Crisis

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Six winters ago, Yankee fans rejoiced following their MLB record 27th World Series Championship. General Manager Brian Cashman was bombarded with compliments after spending over $400 million on free agent stars C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, while additionally trading for veteran clubhouse leader Nick Swisher. Fans ignored the long term aftermath of the contracts in order to get back to being on top of the baseball landscape; a place where they have felt so comfortable in the past.

Since their 2009 title, the Bronx Bombers have watched their rival Boston Red Sox win their third World Series in a decade. This, of course, followed Boston's 86 year title-less draught commonly referred to as "The Curse of the Bambino". As the Yankees' 2009 additions grew older along with Alex Rodriguez and the Core Four, it was implied that the team would have to get worse in order to eventually get better. But, they have always had a financial advantage that could potentially shorten the rebuilding process meanwhile keeping their fans satisfied.

Up until yesterday, this offseason has been atypical for Cashman and company. Rather than spending money the George Steinbrenner way, Cashman has been seeking out talent and making trades that could help the team grow younger while remaining competitive. Fans were beginning to see this management transition last offseason, but were still rewarded with reliever Andrew Miller for a 4 year term worth approximately $36 million. Even this signing, despite Miller's reputation as one of the game's top bullpen cogs, was relatively lackluster because it was only done to replace predecessor David Robertson and gain a first round compensation draft pick to use in the upcoming draft.

Cashman drew some noteworthy buzz a year ago as well by trading young assets Shane Greene, David Phelps, Francisco Cervelli, and veteran infielder Martin Prado to bring Nathan Eovaldi, Justin Wilson, and Derek Jeter's replacement, Didi Gregorius; to the Bronx. All three players were forgotten or unnecessary to their prior team's future, but essential to Cashman's blueprint. He did this while remembering that each player gained would need to be capable of handling the limelight and donning the pinstripes accordingly.

The moves paid off. Gregorius was nominated for a Gold Glove, Wilson was the primary 7th inning reliever, and Eovaldi won 14 games before an elbow injury ended his season. The team won 87 games, but ultimately lost the Wild Card Game to the emerging Houston Astros. All this while growing another year closer to the conclusion of some of baseball's all time worst contracts meant an overall success for the team. But they're the Yankees, and fans won't be able to tolerate these transition years much longer.

Yesterday, Cashman decided that the team is all in for 2016. He traded four middling prospects to the Cincinnati Reds for the best closer in baseball, Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has the talent to fit into what was already arguably the best bullpen in the sport. He will more than likely be given the full time 9th inning job while Miller and Dellin Betances will share the 7th and 8th inning roles depending on matchups. There is still some debate if Cashman will now look to trade Miller to acquire a young, controllable starting pitcher, but it appears unlikely at this time.

The most important question regarding the "Cuban Missile" is whether he has the makeup to fit into the fold. The Dodgers pulled away from a trade a month ago with the Reds after a horrifying story broke supposedly involving domestic violence between Chapman, his girlfriend, and a gun that was said to have been fired eight times.

The Reds were beginning a complete rebuild period themselves, and would have preferred to move their closer before the allegations came out anyway. Chapman was set to become a free agent after this year, and rebuilding teams typically should trade commodities midseason to get long term value out of a player they don't plan to resign through prospects. These types of moves also help contenders take an extra step towards a championship (ie: Yoenis Cespedes, David Price, and Johnny Cueto), so they're generally viewed as a win-win.

Cincinnati's former GM and now President Walt Jocketty did not take advantage of the opportunity to move Chapman at his highest value, and now-GM Dick Williams attempted to make up for the mistake with Los Angeles. However, the domestic violence situation was indeed disturbing, and the Dodgers could not be faulted for passing up on the player (no matter how hard he can throw his fastball). Cashman shocked everyone by swooping in to grab Chapman while his value was the lowest it's been.

From a business standpoint, the move makes total sense considering what was given up. Eric Jagielo and Rookie Davis have the potential to develop into solid players, but they aren't worth losing sleep over. They were able to upgrade their current roster while keeping Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez, and all of their other most prized possessions.

Chapman will most likely begin the season suspended as Commissioner Rob Manfred may look to make a statement with the new Domestic Violence policy. He would need to be available in 138 games this season in order to qualify for free agency next year, so his suspension could mean one of two things for the Yankees. If he is suspended for fewer than 46 games, they will have him for close to an entire season and can tender a qualifying offer to him next winter. But if he is suspended for more than 46 games, he will fall short of the service time needed to become a free agent and the Yankees will have him for another season.

It's terrible to look at a player with this kind of recent history from a financial standpoint. Domestic violence should not be taken lightly, and the preceding information should not affect fans' standpoints on the importance of protecting players and their families. Whether Chapman gets a 25, 50, or 100 game ban, or no ban at all, is really unknown at this time. Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner did their homework before agreeing to the deal though, and they believe the suspension will be short enough where they can maximize his value for the length of the 2016 season. This will allow them to have a three headed monster capable of becoming the most dominant bullpen in recorded history.

The difference between these past two offseasons lays in the blood of their acquisitions. It appears as though Cashman has dropped the "good guy" policy the Yankees have always valued in order to instead gain as much talent as possible. He traded for infielder Starlin Castro several weeks ago, who has had some off-field violence history as well. It is easy to view the longtime General Manager as a villain for making these decisions. We live in a world today that places higher emphasis on punishing domestic abusers more than ever before.

Former manager Joe Torre is particularly opposed to violence, and established the Safe at Home Foundation in 2007 in order to raise money to educate and prevent domestic violence. As now acting Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations, Torre's personal history with domestic violence could play a role in Chapman's case.

With Aroldis Chapman closing out games in 2015, the Yankees may have earned their title as the "Evil Empire". His actions rival Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy's, who was given a second chance but is genuinely disliked by the vast majority of fans. When a player's reputation outweighs their talent, they can become a detriment to the clubhouse. When a player can throw 106 mph yet still manage to be a distraction, their presence can be dangerous. Brian Cashman is walking on a thin line with this trade. His reputation may be at stake for allowing one of the sport's criminals into the most populated city in America.

But if the team wins, all will rejoice, much like 2009. Chapman's personal history will dissolve into obscurity as he celebrates atop a float on Broadway.

There is a lot one can say about just how scary that may sound.

Five Ways the Yankees Can Claim Back New York

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This year, the New York Mets temporarily captivated “The Big Apple” throughout their Pennant winning run. Meanwhile, the Yankees suffered an early playoff exit to an up and coming Houston Astros squad that has the foundation to compete for the foreseeable future. Here is a checklist of five priorities General Manager Brian Cashman should consider to bring the “Bronx Bombers” back into the Fall Classic.

1. Avoid the Surplus of Elite Aces

This winter, pitching is the subject of conversation among baseball writers and fans alike. Several of baseball’s best pitchers, including 2015 Cy Young Award candidates David Price and Zack Greinke, enter free agency with the hopes of earning a contract comparable to the Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer. Scherzer was awarded a seven year, $210 million dollar deal to be at the forefront of what (on paper) looked to be the best rotation in the game. 

While Price, Greinke, and the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals’ Johnny Cueto may appear tempting for any club to take the next step, age needs to be of concern. All three pitchers are already over 30 years old and have thrown over 1400 innings. This should be a red flag especially to a Yankees team enduring the final, ugly years of its C.C. Sabathia contract. Sabathia helped New York win in his first year, but Scherzer was meant to do the same in Washington and the Nationals didn’t even make the playoffs. One pitcher can help a team contend, but it is no guarantee. With the amount of time and money dedicated taken into consideration, Cashman should steer clear.

This, however, does not mean they should go without at least considering some of the more affordable assets they could potentially obtain. Their current rotation for 2016 already features at least seven different arms within their organization, but it’s often said that “you can never have enough pitching.” They have been linked to free agent right hander Jeff Samardzija, who, after the worst year of his career; could be had for cheap. Mike Leake could be a possible match as well, and could serve in the lower half of the rotation. An extra pitcher could wind up being a smart investment considering the injury potential of Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, and Ivan Nova, and the off field issues surrounding Sabathia.

2. Sign Ben Zobrist

The Yankees have burdened themselves with an overwhelming number of unwanted long term contracts ever since George Steinbrenner revolutionized the free agent market in the 1970’s. They have never seemed to learn their lesson and only reward players who are capable of performing well throughout a majority of the deal, beyond just the first few years. Prior to 2014, they spent about a half billion dollars allocated between Tanaka, catcher Brian McCann, and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran. All four players have been productive in their time, but it can be argued that none of them were really worth their contract.

The only player of that quartet whose salary was a fair estimate of his projected value was Beltran, who was only signed for a three year contract. The goal of his deal was to provide a switch hitting savvy veteran who could bridge the gap for prospect outfielder Aaron Judge. With Beltran coming off the books following the 2016 season, it may be smart to reach out to Ben Zobrist for a similar offer.

Zobrist will turn 35 next year, and his offensive production has declined. However, he is relatively durable and quite possibly the best utility player of this generation. He can play every position but pitcher and catcher, with his strengths coming at second base and in the outfield. Acquiring him will give the Yankees flexibility, which is desperately needed with as many aging, injury prone position players as they have. For much of 2015, they had the third worst offensive production at second base (according to River Ave. Blues). Stephen Drew was released this past week, and they are left with Dustin Ackley and unproven prospect Rob Refsnyder to fill the void. Having the option of starting Zobrist over either of those two, or in order to give others needed days off, would be welcoming.

3. Relieve the Bullpen

One of the biggest positives the Yankees benefitted from in 2015 was the strength of their bullpen. Closer Andrew Miller joined the fold after receiving a 4 year, $36 million dollar deal, and he went on to win the AL Reliever of the Year. Dellin Betances continued his recent stretch of dominance, finishing the year with a 6-4 record, a 1.50 ERA, and 131 strikeouts. He has thrown more innings than any other reliever over the past two years, and the end of last year showed that he was human after all. Fatigue may have been a factor in Betances’ late season regression, and it was certainly warranted. 

Manager Joe Girardi has always placed an emphasis on his bullpens. He is typically pleased with his starters exiting the game in the 5th or 6th inning, which has often been a topic of debate among Yankees fans. His expectations make it so the bullpen is counted on to hold the game for at least three innings on most nights, and often this means some combination of Betances and/or Miller are needed to keep the score in tact.

It would be smart for Cashman to look to add one or two more established right handed bullpen options, either by trade or through free agency. Ryan Madson and Darren O’Day are free agents and it appears as though a majority of the game's top closers are on the trade market. More relievers will allow for Betances, Miller, breakout left hander Justin Wilson, and Adam Warren to breathe between appearances and potentially make them even more effective.

4. Flip an Outfielder to Sign Jason Heyward

It may not appear so concerning at the moment, but the Yankees are set up for some serious decline at the top of their lineup. Brett Gardner and Ellsbury showed their capabilities and chemistry batting leadoff and second in the order in April and May, but injuries hampered their hot starts. 

Ellsbury was placed on the disabled list in May after spraining his knee, and batted .220 following the All Star break. Newly hired hitting coach Alan Cockrell revealed that Gardner also played through a wrist injury during most of the second half, ultimately causing him to bat just .206 in that same timeframe. Their lingering pain affected the lineup’s explosiveness, and Girardi wound up having to bench Ellsbury for Chris Young in the Wild Card Game.

Gardner is currently signed through 2018 with a team option for 2019, and is owed $37.5 million guaranteed. Meanwhile, Ellsbury is owed $105.7 million through 2020 with a team option in 2021. Both players offer similar value, despite the enormous difference in their average annual value. Gardner was drafted by the Yankees in 2005 and has played his entire career in New York, whereas Ellsbury came up through the Red Sox system and played his best years there. 

Because Gardner’s contract is considerably more affordable than Ellsbury’s, he is widely regarded as their best trade chip. Yankee fans may prefer to see Ellsbury moved than the fan favorite, but Brian Cashman may not have a choice. Moving one of the contracts would help not only add additional value elsewhere on the team (perhaps in the bullpen, such as elite closer Craig Kimbrel of the Padres), but would open up another spot in the outfield.

Much has been made about the 2016 Free Agent pool containing the most value until 2019, when Bryce Harper is projected to become a free agent. The Yankees have been linked to Harper since he was a prospect, but there are no guarantees that he will wind up in New York. Rather than waiting, it may be wise to use some of the approximate $62 million that will come off the books soon from Beltran, Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira’s expiring contracts towards a long term outfield mainstay. That player is Jason Heyward.

Heyward was a mega prospect when he arrived in Atlanta in 2010. In his first game for the Braves, after Hank Aaron tossed out the ceremonial first pitch and passed the baton, Heyward hit a home run in his first career at bat. He drew comparisons to Willie Mays, and was even nicknamed “The J-Hey Kid” in his honor. He placed second in NL Rookie of the Year voting that year and made the All Star team after batting .277 with 18 home runs.

Since then, he hasn’t quite tapped into the power potential he once offered. He only hit over 20 long balls once, in 2012. He does offer value in other facets of the game, collecting a career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) value of 31.1. He has been touted as the best defensive right fielder in the game, and was given the 2014 Wilson MLB Defensive Player of the Year award in recognition. 

After being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason for pitcher Shelby Miller, Heyward enjoyed his best year to date, batting .293 and helping the Cardinals to the best regular season record in baseball. He batted .357 in 14 at bats against the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS as well.

Oh yeah: and he’s still only 26 years old.

Signing Heyward will not be easy, as he makes for the most interesting free agent storyline of the offseason due to his relative youth compared to other outfielders Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton. Technically, a player doesn’t typically begin their “prime” seasons until around the age of 27, so there is a chance he could still increase his home run output. Even if he doesn’t, he is a fantastic athlete with no history of off field issues and would be a key component  of the lineup for years to come.

St. Louis grew attached to Heyward in their lone year together, and is likely to offer him a significant contract to stick around. But if Cashman were wise, and is able to move either Gardner or Ellsbury; he is worth a second look. Harper may be available eventually, but if the Yankees plan on winning now, Heyward would increase their chances.

5. Keep Core Prospects Together

In spite of all the free agent speculation I have discussed thus far, I do love what the management has done in recent years to improve their farm system and youth as a collective. Didi Gregorius stepped into Derek Jeter’s shoes and evolved into one of the better shortstops in the American League by the end of 2015. Nathan Eovaldi performed well in the rotation, using his high velocity to collect 14 wins. And Yankee fans were entertained with the debuts of top prospects Luis Severino and Greg Bird; who were all able to contribute significantly when called upon.

When the Yankees won four World Series titles in five years during the late 1990’s dynasty, their roster was composed of a mix of excellent young players such as Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Mariano Rivera, and veteran leaders like Paul O’Neill and David Cone. Youthful teams today such as the Cubs and Mets were able to use a similar formula to make deep postseason runs. 

This Yankees team can do the same with the few maneuvers suggested above and a continuation of the good things they managed to do in 2015. But the core needs to stay together, which means Brian Cashman needs to find ways to improve the team without trading Severino, Bird, Gregorius, or Judge. The team needs to establish chemistry in order to win (see: Royals), and years of experience playing together will do just that. 

There may be bumps and bruises along the way, but this strategy gives them the best chance of hoisting the World Series trophy by the end of next October. That, everyone; is Yankees baseball at its finest.

MLB Offseason Chatter: The New Dodgers

Hey guys, Drew back here! I posted my first MLB Offseason Chatter article yesterday afternoon, and I thought I was just about up to date on the news. Little did I know, the Dodgers decided to mess with my sanity last night, as they have made not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE huge moves over the past 24 hours. I'm going to attempt to make some sense out of it for you all, so let's embark on this roller coaster ride, shall we?

Dodgers trade for Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins (not official yet)

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The Dodgers were able to fill a hole at shortstop after Hanley Ramirez fled for Boston earlier this offseason. Rollins offers switch hitting ability but over anything, an incredible veteran presence and unquestioned leadership qualities. His contract expires following the 2015 season, but the Dodgers are using him to fill the gap between Ramirez and top prospect Corey Seager, who will be gearing up to start for LA in 2016. The deal has not been finalized yet, but should be completed by the end of the day.

I would have preferred to see Rollins stand put with the Phillies for the remainder of his career, but then again if I were him I'd get out of there as soon as I could. J-Roll has played his entire career in Philadelphia, and last year he set the Phillies record for career hits, passing Mike Schmidt with his 2,235th hit. He will forever be known as a Phillie regardless of how this move works out, but it's worth a shot to possibly get his second ring in what could be one of his final seasons.

Dodgers trade 2B/SS Dee Gordon, SP Dan Haren, IF Miguel Rojas, APTBNL

Marlins trade SP Andrew Heaney, 2B Enrique Hernandez, RP Chris Hatcher, C Austin Barnes

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From how it appears, the Dodgers didn't seem to want Dee Gordon any longer. And I get that, because he may be at his peak value this season after being named an All Star and stealing 64 bases in 2014. However, many view this as a fluke season from a player whose OBP is normally hovering around .300. The Marlins view Gordon as a "Juan Pierre type player", but I see him as a Pierre-lite if anything. I do like his versatility and he proved last year that he could make the transition from shortstop to second base, which will come in handy for Miami next season. I don't think Gordon will repeat his 2014 season, but I do see him fitting relatively well hitting ahead of Giancarlo Stanton next year. 

The general reaction to this trade though, was that the Marlins got too small of a return for their top pitching prospect. Dan Haren may not even play in 2015, as he's said earlier this offseason that he'd pitch in LA where his family lives or retire. Sure, pitchers come a dime a dozen these days, and Heaney's small sample size in the big leagues last year wasn't all that impressive, but it appears as if Owner Jeffrey Loria and GM Dan Jennings got a bit impatient with someone who could complement Jose Fernandez in the top of the Marlins rotation just a year or two down the road. But, Jennings waited a lot longer to trade Heaney than Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers...

Dodgers trade SP Andrew Heaney

Angels trade 2B Howie Kendrick

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Well, that was short lived. Heaney put it best:

Well, @Dodgers we had a good run! Great to be a part of such a storied franchise. #thanksforthememories

— Andrew Heaney (@Heandog8) December 11, 2014

Either way, Heaney was moving to Los Angeles, and I'm sure he's much happier about that than coming up in the circus down in Florida that's currently in the works. He could make an impact as soon as this season for the Angels, and I'm curious to see how well he develops, because this could go down as an enormous mistake for the Marlins and now the Dodgers.

As for Kendrick, he was probably traded to free salary cap for the Angels of Anaheim to possibly go and get another key player. I would sacrifice a player of his caliber for the potential of Heaney any day, but the Dodgers needed to fill the void they created 20 minutes earlier by letting go of Dee Gordon, and this will fill it perhaps better than Gordon would've. Kendrick has had a solid career, with all 9 seasons spent with the Halos, but this could give him a chance at a World Series if Friedman and the All Star front office with the Dodgers truly know what they're doing. He batted .293 last season and had a much higher OBP than Gordon, proving that the Dodgers would prefer a high on base guy over a stolen base threat in their lineup (I would too). 

So, just to recap this so far, the Dodgers are now looking at a double play combo of Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick for this upcoming season. Next season, both of their contracts are up, and I don't expect to see them lock up Rollins with Seager waiting in the wings. I can see them extending the 31 year old Kendrick, but we'll see what kind of move they have up their sleeves.

Dodgers sign SP Brandon McCarthy to a 4 year, $48 Million Deal

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This move stung for a lot of Yankees fans, including myself. McCarthy did a great job in the second half of 2014 for the Yankees after being traded from Arizona for lefty Vidal Nuno. Who would've seen $48 million going to McCarthy after having a 5.01 ERA in the 1st half of the season after spending all of his prior career facing injuries? However, he appeared to have re-invented himself as the season moved along, and his advanced metrics looked much better than his actual performance indicated. But, $48 million does appear to be a huge overpay for a guy who has a difficult time remaining healthy for a full season. It's like if they were to give Dee Gordon an $100+ million contract after his breakout 2014 season, because McCarthy's performance in New York could have been a fluke or a hot streak. When this guy is on his game, he can act as a #2 pitcher in most team's rotations around the league, but the Dodgers are paying for him to consistently perform as such, and that may be a bit too much to hope for. He will also be 35 by the end of the deal.

McCarthy is a great clubhouse guy and absolutely hilarious on Twitter, and I really enjoyed having him in pinstripes last season. One of my offseason goals for the Yankees was to retain him, but the price and contract length were just too steep for Brian Cashman to even bother. I'm not a big Dodgers fan, but I wish Brandon all the best and hope he can perform the way he did in the Bronx consistently, because it was a lot of fun to watch.

Dodgers trade OF Matt Kemp, C Tim Federowicz, $32 Million Cash

Padres trade C Yasmani Grandal, P Joe Wieland, P Zach Eflin

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This blockbuster was the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning and turned on my phone. All offseason the Dodgers had fielded offers for any of their 4 starting caliber outfielders: Kemp, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, and Carl Crawford. While some would immediately look at Ethier and believe him to be the easiest to trade, it made much more sense for the Dodgers to move Kemp, an inconsistent, injury prone, tumultuous former star of the league. Granted, Kemp had a comeback season in 2014, batting .287 with 25 home runs and 89 RBI. But he was still owed 5 years and $107 million on his contract, which caused a glaring problem with the Dodgers payroll-wise.

The Padres have been looking for a big bat to show off all offseason, from Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas to former Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval. Here they add Kemp, who will be paid about an average of $15 million a year from the Padres with $32 million of his $107 being eaten by LA. With his inconsistency but high potential, they are paying a great price on the former superstar. I don't know how well he'll do in a relatively weak Padres offense in a pitcher friendly ballpark, but it could be the beginning of more moves to come for San Diego. Kemp is 30 years old, and is heading towards the final years of his prime before injuries will most likely hamper him even more than they have already. The Padres also received a good hitting catching prospect in Federowicz, who could make up for the loss of their former starting catcher Yasmani Grandal.

Grandal batted .225 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI last season in San Diego, but could perform much better in Dodgers Stadium, which is a lot more hitter friendly than Petco Park. He will share catching duties with AJ Ellis. Over anything else, it appears the Dodgers didn't want anything to do with Kemp any longer, and they ended up saving $75 million dollars that at this rate will be fully spent in a few hours. Perhaps they could use that money towards trading for Phillies All Star lefty Cole Hamels, which I would love to see because it would keep him from going to Boston. Zack Greinke could opt out after next season and become a free agent, so trading for a star like Hamels could act as a great long term solution.

So in total, over the past day the Dodgers have added Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick, Brandon McCarthy, Yasmani Grandal, and a wealth of prospects and cash, while losing Dee Gordon, Matt Kemp, Andrew Heaney (kind of), Dan Haren, and some prospects. The cash appears to be the difference maker here, or else I'd say the moves ended up equaling themselves out. But they are far from done as far as I can see, and if they can add Hamels or someone of high quality thanks to the Kemp savings, this offseason could wind up being a tremendous success for the boys in blue.

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I hope this helped you guys gain a better understanding of what went on yesterday with the Dodgers! Of course, if you guys have any suggestions as to how I can improve my Offseason Chatter posts be sure to let me know! Thanks everyone, and for now,

See Ya!

Thoughts on the MLB Offseason Thus Far

Hey guys, Drew back here. Usually I use my blog to reflect on my sports card collection but I thought I'd try something new because I haven't had a whole lot to post about lately. So, I figured I'd offer up some of my thoughts and suggestions for this offseason so far. I'm no professional, and I don't know all the answers, but I'm just as passionate for the MLB Offseason as I am for the regular season.

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On Jon Lester: Early this morning (put an emphasis to the early) the Cubs became the winners of the Jon Lester sweepstakes, rewarding his previous performance with a 6 year, $155 million dollar contract. He will make an average of about $25.8 million per year over the span of the contract, and at the age of 31; he is heading towards the end of his prime. Many will argue that he is just on the outside of the elite core of pitchers in baseball, but does tend to have an increased value given his past postseason performance (despite giving up a lead in the Wild Card game this past year to a hungry Royals team). 

I see this move as a statement by the Cubs that they won't be allowing other teams to take advantage of them for much longer. However, Lester will be heading into his mid-30's by the time their mega prospects Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Addison Russell reach their prime. By that time, Lester will have to make adjustments as he ages, and while I personally can see him being capable of this, it is still left to be proven. Obviously there is a past connection between Cubs GM Theo Epstein and Lester, as Epstein was once the Red Sox GM prior to taking over Chicago's front office. 

Lester should bring a lot of intangibles to this Cubs team, and as their younger playoffs develop, he will be an unquestioned leader of the pitching staff, even if he isn't necessarily the best in their arsenal at that point. I don't see the Cubs suddenly becoming contenders with this move, but they are on the right path. They also traded for Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero, who will provide a great presence in the clubhouse and will be able to manage a core of young pitchers as he's done very well over the past 9 years in Arizona. To win now, the Cubs need more than this, but I think they should prepare to make a serious run 2 or 3 years from now (I suggest trading Starlin Castro by next year to make the team more well rounded prior to making that extra playoff push). So while almost $26 million is in my opinion a bit much for how he profiles to perform up until his age 37 season, the Cubs used Lester to show that they aren't messing around, and I like that. 

Note: I give a lot of respect and props to Lester for taking this challenge with a young, unproven Cubs team. If he can help them back to a World Series, he will be part of baseball lore forever, if his past postseason performances haven't done that already. Sure, I could never pass up $26 million per year, but it does sound like he had a higher offer from a Giants team that has won 3 of the past 5 World Series. Best of luck in Chicago, Jon.

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On the Yankees 3 Team Deal for Didi Gregorius: This move was made almost a week ago now and I'm still torn on it. I have been on the bandwagon of Yankee fans who have wanted them to become a younger team for years now, and this would certainly fulfill such a concept. What we don't forget is that a majority of Yankees fans are not very sympathetic, and that many will jump to criticize this move (especially if Shane Greene maintains his 2014 performance in Detroit). Gregorius is unproven to me despite two full seasons in the big leagues, but he is regarded as a good defender that can't hit left handed pitching all that well. Some have recently said he doesn't have the mentality to play in New York, and given the task of replacing Jeter, he could choke even further.

But here's the thing: He's 24 years old. Rarely in New York do we get to see a position player receive opportunities at this young of an age, and it's honestly refreshing that they didn't chase after Jed Lowrie, Stephen Drew, or Asdrubal Cabrera and decided to instead take a shot in the dark. Brian Cashman has been interested in Gregorius on and off over the past year, and initially talks last year would have cost the Yankees Brett Gardner. Instead, they only surrendered Shane Greene in the move, who did have an impressive second half last year, but given his pre 2014 status as a relatively unknown prospect, he could be a fluke. That said, pitchers do make adjustments, and he could wind up becoming a consistent performer in a very good Tigers rotation next year. Nonetheless, I'd make this trade and take this chance 10 times out of 10 if I were Cashman, and I'm glad he went against his usual strategy to bring a low cost, high potential player into the mix.

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On the Yankees passing up on David Robertson for Andrew Miller: Most Yankees fans were really hard pressed to see Robertson leave the fold for the White Sox this offseason. I am not one of those particular fans. Hold on though, before I get criticized: I do realize how well of a job he did filling Mariano Rivera's shoes last season and I do love seeing players stay on board with their homegrown organizations. I've even met David a few years ago at a local card show, and he instantly made me a fan of his. I have numerous pieces of his in my collection, and also have gotten an autograph back from him TTM. He's a great person, great teammate as far as we've heard, and he knows how to pitch the late innings better than most people in baseball. But as soon as he asked for Jonathan Papelbon money this offseason, I had a strange feeling that the Yankees would still pass up on him. 

Advanced pitching statistics have noticed a decline in recent seasons, and even I could see him regressing with my own eyes. After all, I was at a game last season that Robertson blew in the 9th after throwing a meatball to the Astros' Chris Carter. He's still only 29 years old, but more often than not, closers don't seem to repeat success well into their 30's (with several exceptions, Rivera of course). The main reason I didn't necessarily mind losing Robby this offseason was because of Dellin Betances' electric performance last season in the Yankee bullpen. I would absolutely love to see him takes the reins as the new closer for the Bronx Bombers in 2015. And even with the signing of Andrew Miller, I still believe he will end up earning that role next season, with Miller occasionally receiving save opportunities but mostly setting up.

That brings me to my next point: Andrew Miller. Miller is the same age as Robertson, and far less consistent, but had a dominant 2014 split between the Red Sox and Orioles. He pitched tremendously out of the bullpen for Baltimore in the playoffs, and has a lot of experience pitching in the AL East. He came at a "discount" compared to Robertson, although the catch is that he doesn't have any closing experience. But WHO CARES? Next season, instead of being tied down to Robertson's role in the 9th, Girardi could mix and match the 9th inning depending on the batters. He does prefer to set roles to pitchers though, and I think I'd take Miller-Betances over Betances-Robertson. The move isn't an upgrade, but the Yankees gain a first round pick in the draft because Miller was traded in the middle of this past season from Boston to Baltimore and Robertson was given a qualifying offer by the team attached to a draft pick.

David Robertson is by no means a bad pitcher, and I wish him all the best in Chicago. The White Sox have made several big moves this offseason now, and I wouldn't be surprised if they contended next season with Jeff Samardzija and Chris Sale at the top of their rotation. I think he'll thrive in that environment, even with his statistical decline. The Yankees were of course capable of adding both pitchers to their bullpen, but I'd rather they use the money elsewhere because I don't see the bullpen as a weakness of theirs compared to other positions (second base, third base, fourth outfielder, and especially the starting rotation). They saved $10 million which they could use towards holding onto Chase Headley or possibly if they choose to make a run for Max Scherzer (which sounds more unlikely by the day, but I can dream, right?).

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Whew, well that was a lot of fun. Let me know what you all think about the topics I've discussed, and please feel free to offer input on what I could do better. If you guys aren't interested in this being a part of the blog, let me know as well, I know there are plenty of sources out there that may be more reliable but I like to chime in once in a while and provide my take on the state of my favorite game in the world.

In other news, tomorrow will be my last full day here at my college before I come home for winter break, and eventually transfer next semester! I hope to be on here more regularly over the next month, but certainly no promises as always. Take care guys, and for all of you in the northeast, be safe on the roads!

See Ya!

My Take on the Big Yankees Moves

Hey everyone, Drew back here. As the free agency period is starting to slow down and come to a close, Yankee fans seemed to wonder where GM Brian Cashman had been. Normally, Cashman and the Steinbrenner family are all over the free agents every winter, but it seemed different this year. Obviously, the team's weakness from last year was our starting pitching, with struggles from Phil Hughes, Bartolo Colon, and more famously, AJ Burnett. Burnett has been consistently awful through his 3 seasons in the Bronx, and for about $16 million a year, Cashman did the wrong thing taking him on. But you can't necessarily blame him for the signing. Burnett had been a very solid #2 pitcher for several years, and his performance demanded a salary of maybe just a bit less than what he got.

But when I heard about the big trade that went down yesterday between the Yankees and Mariners, I was a bit stunned. In case you haven't heard, the Yankees sent their top prospect Jesus Montero and a potential starter in Hector Noesi to Seattle for their young future star pitcher Michael Pineda and pitching prospect Jose Campos. I was in shock when I received the Yankees News Alert text message, because of the way they brought up Montero. His hitting skill was un-matched by most catching prospects, and his overall future talent was predicted to be of All Star caliber. I invested in a few of his autographs and was extremely excited for his call up to the big leagues. Last September, he made a splash when they finally called him up for his cup of coffee at the end of the season. He hit .328 in 18 games, slugging 4 home runs, and knocking in 28 runs, which in my book is an unreal first month in the big leagues! 2012 will be his official rookie season, now with Seattle, and he may do even better in a less covered team in the Mariners.

Michael Pineda is going to be a beast in the major leagues, from what all of us fans got to witness last year. With very minimal run support, the 6'7 right hander still managed to win 9 games and sported an ERA of 3.74. He collapsed as the year went on, but he showed many signs of promise. I actually had gotten 2 of his autographs through the mail last season, and I owned him at some points of last year's fantasy baseball season. I'm not sure how he'll stack up in New York, with all of the media and pressure that has scared away many other solid players that just couldn't perform in the environment. My take on his collapse last year was that he lost confidence in his ability to help his team win games, because the Mariners offense didn't give him much/if any run support all season. Also, he was only 22 years old, and it's very hard for a young pitcher, no matter how talented, to pitch that well against so many All Star hitters for an entire year.

While I am a fan of Pineda, I still don't understand why Cashman decided to deal the future face of our franchise, once Jeter retires. The deal does even out in the end, but after how Yankee fans fell in love with the future hitting star late last year, I couldn't believe he would allow his stint to end. They have wanted many top of the line players over the years, and in order to get those guys, they would have to surrender Montero. In fact, a few years ago they could have gotten Cliff Lee from Seattle, if they gave him up. But Cashman wouldn't do it. Finally, he did it. Hopefully he did it, and got the right guy out of it.

Based off their 2011 performance, Pineda's numbers top most of the other big name pitching free agents' stats. CJ Wilson was pretty much the only pitcher that topped him last year, but Wilson is inconsistent and did very poorly in the playoffs. I'm really going to miss Jesus, and I wish him the best of luck in Seattle.. well as long as Pineda can perform to the ability the Yankees management thinks he can!

Immediately following the trade, the Yankees also announced they had signed former Dodgers pitcher Huroki Kuroda to a one year, $10 million dollar deal. I honestly don't know a whole lot about Kuroda, besides the fact that he's an aging pitcher who had one of his better seasons last year, although he also did not receive much run support from his Dodgers teammates. I think judging off of what I've read he could make a solid number 4 starter, and if he doesn't turn out well, he could be a long man in the bullpen, because they certainly have many other arms to test out in the rotation! The rotation now looks to consist of: Sabathia; Pineda; Nova; Kuroda; and either Hughes; Burnett; or Garcia in the 5th spot. I could see them putting Hughes in the bullpen, because as we've seen, he can be dominant in that role. Burnett may either be traded prior to the season or could fill a bullpen role, as much as he won't like the idea. But honestly, I don't think it matters how happy he is, because he earned the role he now has, by failing to perform at the level his contract wanted him to.

Nobody wins in the offseason, because simply, there aren't any games to play! With the Angels signing Pujols and CJ Wilson, the Marlins signing Jose Reyes; Heath Bell; and Mark Buehrle, and all of the other big moves,  it's been an interesting offseason for sure. I hope a few years from now the Yankees won't regret yesterdays moves, but we're going to have to wait and see!

What are your views on the big moves in the Bronx? Who do you think got the bigger edge in the deal?

See Ya!

Busy Plans

Hey guys, Drew back here. I kinda wanted to post yesterday and today's mail but really don't feel like it. Instead I'm gonna work on my new and improved Zistle account, I'm putting my entire Yankees PC on there! I'm going to try to get the blog sidebar an update and hopefully I'll have time to post that mail! If I get anything tomorrow I will definitely post, got some cool stuff to show you.

Other than that I have a busy weekend. I gotta work on a science project, do some community service for my conformation next year by sweeping floors at my rec center after the town basketball games, and other stuff I know will be planned for me in between. I went out to eat just now at a new sports bar in my town and it was pretty nice, they had that New York Sack Exchange picture I used for the last Grandpa Roy trivia post signed by all four, and they had a partially signed team photo of the 1971 Alexandria High School Titans. Kinda interesting, because I just got finished watching "Remember the Titans" in my Social Studies Film Class that I'm in, so it was cool to see. Any of you know any living members from that team? I want to try to get some stuff signed through the mail by maybe the coach if he's still around, Herman Boone. Leave me a comment if you know anything about it.

The Yanks signed Nick Johnson today, which hopefully doesn't end the Johnny Damon era. Johnson has the 2nd best on base percentage since 2006 in the MLB (to Pujols), so that's always good, but don't we already have Nick Swisher? And Curtis Granderson? And Melky Cabrera? And Brett Gardner? And weren't we trying to get Damon back? Guess what? The Yanks can care less! I'm kinda wondering why they are doing this, this basically means either they are getting rid of Swisher :(, or they are getting rid of Damon. Tough call. Damon hit 25 homers last year!

Wow, already a studio photo of Johnson in a Yanks uniform? Nah, that picture was from years ago! At least I have his rookie card for the PC!

Anyway, I'll get you back to your normal, without Drew kind of lives :). I'll try to get around to posting over the weekend, but for now, see ya!

Yankees Winter Trade EXCITEMENT!!!

Hey guys, Drew back here, I think I am forced to post about our very close to becoming our all star center fielder, if that makes sense. I have good news, and some bad news:

Let's start with the bad news, for me. Yesterday the Yanks traded Brian Bruney to the Nationals, for a player to be named later. Sure, he wasn't all that effective last year, BUT, he is going to the WORST TEAM IN BASEBALL!!!!! So basically, he won a world series, and got shipped to the worst team in the league. Hopefully he gets back on track and has more opportunities. I sure did like Mr. Bruney when I met him, and I feel really bad for him. I currently have 3 of his autographs, one on 8x10 and 2 cards. See you later Brian, I hope you enjoy playing for one of the worst teams in baseball history!

More bad news, no more Austin Jackson or Phil Coke. Austin is a big prospect for the Yanks, but I feel kinda glad for him because he was stuck in a big issue, because the Yankees have 2 young center fielders already, he would never get any opportunity to play. Phil Coke was starting to become one of the Yankees best relievers, as a ROOKIE, and now he's gone. I really liked all 3 of these guys, but they may have more success in a different jersey, other than Coke.

First good news isn't anything major but, IAN KENNEDY IS GONE!!!!! YAY!!! I'm pretty sure in 2008 he went 0-11 with like a 10 E.R.A. Sure I feel bad that he got Tommy John surgery, but he didn't fare very well in New York, the concrete jungle where dreams are made of!

The second good news, is actually awesome news. The Yanks are getting Curtis Granderson from the Tigers in a 3 way trade with the D-Backs also involved! Max Scherzer is going to the Tigers, along with Austin Jackson & Coke, and Edwin Jackson/Ian Kennedy are going to the D-Backs. The Yanks are getting a close to 5 tool player, a gold glove caliber center fielder that has been an all star before! AWESOME!!! I don't know if you remember, but I got this back in the mail from Mr. Granderson a little while back, here it is if you forgot:

Anyway, this is some pretty awesome stuff the Yanks are doing here, but you gotta remember that to get something you MUST give something, and unfortunately 2 of my faves are now gone! I can't wait to see if they are going to keep Pettitte, Damon, and Matsui, you never know! See Ya!

I got a few trades I need to post but my scanner is really annoying and it's gonna be tough to get it all posted, lots of stuff came in yesterday.