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.

2015 East Coast National: Card Pickups

Hey everyone, Drew back here! Yesterday, my Dad and I attended JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions' "East Coast National" for the seventh consecutive year. It is absurd to me thinking that I shook Dave Winfield's hand while in line for a hot dog at Nathan's that long ago. Time has truly flew by in my years with this spectacular hobby. Typically, we have gone to several shows in Westchester per year, but it had actually been a full year since we last stepped foot into the building that has brought us so many wonderful memories. The last show we went to was at a Hilton hotel in New Jersey, and prior to that was last year's East Coast National; where we met Johnny Damon, among others.

This year, I decided to save up more than my typical card show budget and treat myself to a fun day. I didn't come home with too much, but the quality surpassed the quantity in this case. Take a look at some of the better cards I was able to add to my collection:

We start with what has been a common theme throughout the blogosphere this summer (or at least in the cases of my buddies Frankie & Andrew, who both picked up relics of his at the National recently). I am now the latest to add a piece of Jackie Robinson's famous lumber to my PC. Believe it or not, despite doing the Tier One relic set in 2011 and collecting other historical relics throughout the years; this is my first Robinson relic! I think I made the right call on this beautiful 2015 Tier One bat card numbered to 99. There is a certain aura to the card, and from the second I saw it I knew I would make sure I left with it.

Next up, here was a quick impulse buy for only $10. Andrew Miller has been a reliable closer in his first year in New York, and has made Brian Cashman look like a genius for signing as opposed to familiar face David Robertson. Miller has out-pitched Robby thus far into the season, and the Yankees received a compensatory first round pick for letting go of Robertson. There was a great deal of hype surrounding Miller when he was drafted 6th overall by the Tigers in 2006. He never worked out as a starting pitcher, and was dealt to the Marlins in the deal that landed Detroit Miguel Cabrera. Ever since, he has evolved into a top tier reliever capable of retiring both lefties and righties effectively. This orange parallel was once a hot seller, but it became mine for a bargain.

Woah, buddy. Aaron Judge. I've been counting down the days until the Yankees call him up to replace Carlos Beltran in right field, and I'm hoping he at least gets a call up this September to help out down the stretch. Judge is a big part of the reason no major moves were made for the stretch run, which was a tough decision to make considering all the talent that could help fight off the Blue Jays right now. Ultimately, Cashman made the hard, but right move for New York down the road. He is a 6'7, 275 lb. beast of a hitter, and if he can work through some plate discipline problems he may be a future All Star. For $20, I needed to take the gamble with this Bowman Inception autograph. I came so very close to pulling the trigger on a graded 10 Bowman rookie autograph, but I didn't want to pony up and hand the cash over. We'll see if I regret that down the line.

Meanwhile, we already have gotten a glimpse of our team's consensus #1 prospect, pitcher Luis Severino. And, as far as I can tell, this kid is going to be awesome. Yesterday, he showed a lot of poise in holding the Blue Jays to 3 runs over 6 innings; striking out 9 in the process. If Carlos Beltran didn't lose a ball in the sun, he may not have given up any runs. What amazes me is that although the Yankees lost a big game against our current division foe, the most important takeaway is that Severino is ready and here to stay. I can definitely get used to that.

I managed to grab this pristine 2015 Bowman Inception autographed card of his for a very reasonable price, especially given that I bought it in New York. After doing a little research, I realized that these Inception autographs are much harder to come by than the Judge card above. The card is actually from Bowman Inception, despite featuring the flagship Bowman design. They sell for a much higher amount than what I paid, and I've even considered getting the card graded because it's in excellent condition.

My final pickup of the show was one I'm sort of surprised I made. I am a big Jose Abreu fan, but I didn't even think about adding his autograph at the show. Instead, I wanted to focus on making sure I got the Yankees top prospects and some of the better all around pitchers in the game. But, nothing ever goes as planned at these shows, and I bought this absolutely amazing Tier One autograph of one of my now annual fantasy keepers for again, a great price.

Abreu may not match his 2014 breakout rookie season in 2015, but he appears to be improving each and every week. After starting the year rather slowly, he has since picked up the pace, batting over .300 in both June and July. The White Sox made a smart business decision in signing the Cuban slugger to a team-friendly 6 year, $68 million dollar deal.

Well, that will just about do it for this recap post. I'll be back soon with more pictures and autographs with some special Hall of Fame players, among many other exciting things.

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!