• No one got more than one correct.
• Two people correctly guessed Kevin Gausman’s destination.
• Many people expected the Yankees to get one of Correa and Corey Seager (of course we got neither).
• Most people rightfully expected Freeman to go back to the Braves.
• Overall, most people expected a bunch of players to return to their 2021 teams. For example, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, Max Scherzer, and Marcus Stroman. In fact, none of these 15 free agents went back to the same team.
• The BP team went 15/140 (.107) with the 2019-2020 free agents and 43/144 (.299) with the 2020-2021 free agents, so this year represents quite a regression. I liken it to Gary Sanchez’s 2016 and 2017 seasons followed by his 2018 season. Or Gleyber Torres’ 2018 and 2019 seasons followed by his 2020 season. The point is you could probably apply a handful of Yankees’ recent careers to our performances. Hopefully we have a bounce-back effort next year!

The post How good (or bad) were our free agent predictions? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The Yankee rotation is nice right now. But “nice” often doesn’t win you a World Series. Aces do. The Yankees should target Max Scherzer in a trade this summer at all costs.

The time is now

I know this is a scary thought, but the championship window for this particular group is closing. Judge is getting older, and may depart via free agency. Gary Sanchez may have lost his starting job. Stanton is 31. Over the next five years, this team is going to look very different, especially when Jasson Dominguez is ready. The time to “go for it” is right the hell now. Ownership needs to show us some urgency and trade for Max Scherzer this summer. I applaud them for signing Gerrit Cole. He was their target and they signed him. However, having another Gerrit Cole would win us the world series. Anyone not named Jasson Dominguez should be on the table in trade talks.

He’s still elite

Mad Max will turn 37 this July, and while that’s a ripe pitching age, he is still elite. So far this season he has a 11.85 K/9, 1.36 BB/9, and owns a 2.33 ERA. His average fastball velocity hasn’t really fallen off yet either. This year it stands at 94mph, and his career average is 94.3mph. Age will catch up to him eventually, but since he would only be a summer rental, the Yankees wouldn’t need to worry about father time here. Below is the starting pitcher WAR leaderboard since 2018. Yeah, gimmie.

What would it take?

Rentals haven’t really gotten a huge return in recent years, but I think this situation is a bit different. This isn’t Justin Verlander to the Astros in a salary dump. Remember, Verlander was pitching pretty poorly with the Tigers when he was traded. This is a legitimate Cy Young contender that would be a difference maker. I think the Nationals would be ill advised to give him away for anything less than a top 50 prospect, or an above average MLB ready arm. Would trading Deivi Garcia for him be too much? How about Clarke Schmidt? Before you say “trade Tyler Wade for him” remember this: if it doesn’t hurt you to do it, the other team isn’t going to be interested. If it gets us a World Series, I am fine with nearly anything.

Ask the Cubs if they regret trading Gleyber Torres. I doubt it.

The post Yankees need to push the chips in for Mad Max appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Both pitchers are considered by almost all to be within the top five pitchers in all of baseball. So in anticipation of this great pitching matchup, let’s take a look at how these two stacked up in 2019.

Basic stats 

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After six consecutive seasons of 200+ innings pitched, Scherzer fell below that mark in 2019 after dealing with some back issues in the middle of the season. Cole, on the other hand, put up his third straight season of 200+ innings pitched. He averaged 6.43 innings per start (where partial innings fall between 0 and 1) and 15.83 pitches per inning while Scherzer was just a tick below at 6.38 innings per start and 16.07 pitches per inning.

In terms of rankings throughout baseball, these two pitchers were near the top in almost all categories (MLB ranks among starting pitchers):

Statcast stats

While Cole and Scherzer were similar in the fact that they both were at the top of many leaderboards, their styles differed quite a bit. In terms of speed and movement, Scherzer was at 0.18 relative to Cole (on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0, where 1.0 means exactly the same speed and movement as Cole).

As you can see, Cole seemed to have had the superior velocity and movement on his main pitches. Cole gets a little more break on his curveball while Scherzer gets a little more on his slider. There was also more separation in terms of velocity between Cole’s curveball and slider than Scherzer had. This coupled with the fact that Cole had a larger difference in break between his curveball and slider than did Scherzer makes me give the edge to Cole in terms of how effective his breaking pitches were. Of course, Cole was 29 and Scherzer was 35 by the end of the season.

Pitch values

When you look at pitch values, you are essentially looking at how well a pitcher has performed using a certain pitch. Here are those standardized values for Cole and Scherzer in 2019:

By this metric, Cole had a superior fastball and changeup, while Scherzer had better breaking pitches (especially with the slider).

How did hitters fare against Cole and Scherzer’s best pitches? Cole got a 37.6 percent whiff rate on his four-seamer in 2019 – he had never had it above 19.8 percent before going to Houston. His put away rate with that pitcher was by far the best of his career as well. Those two numbers went from 29.7 and 25.0 percent in 2018 to 37.6 and 32.8 percent in 2019. He also recorded 178 strikeouts with his four-seamer alone. That would have ranked 28^th in all of baseball, and that was with just one pitch. He was getting 2530 RPM on his fastball, well up from 2164 in his final year in Pittsburgh. It had 2.9 inches more drop and 3.1 inches more break than the average pitcher (his curveball had 5.7 inches more drop and 3.6 inches more break than average).

Scherzer had a ridiculous 50.6 percent whiff rate on his slider in 2019 to go along with a 30.8 percent put away rate. The interesting thing is that the pitch was league-average in terms of drop and it also had 2.6 fewer inches of break than average.

How about some other stats?

I’ll leave you with their pitches by count. Both were very good at getting ahead in the count, and overall their paths were fairly similar.

All in all, if you asked anyone who they think is the better pitcher right now, you should get a unanimous decision in favor of Cole. But this is still going to be one heck of a duel to usher back baseball.

The post How do Cole and Scherzer stack up? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

According to a report in the New York Post, the New York Yankees will open the campaign against the Washington Nationals in D.C.

https://t.co/LonPJtQrOd with @AndrewMarchand: there is a long way from here to there, but right now plan is #Yankees in nation’s capital vs. defending champ #Nationals to open season July 23.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 27, 2020

That means in all probability we’re going to have a duel between Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer.

The future champs and the defending champs are expected to square off July 23 in a nationally televised prime time contest.

Assuming all goes according to plan (unlike the rest of the country that doesn’t seem to have one when it comes to containing and mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic) this game will be a welcome respite and an entertaining way to jump-start the season sprint.

It would mark the first Opening Day for the Yankees at Washington since they faced the old Washington Senators at RFK Stadium in 1969.

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I don’t blame them. Even though I see faults in both sides, this proposal is so preposterous that it doesn’t pass the smell test. It’s almost as if the owners have an ulterior motive other than getting a deal done. It’s almost as if they rather have the players start arguing with each other and sounding-off to the public than getting back on the field.

Instant Negative Reaction

Within hours of receiving the proposal, players reacted publicly. In a statement, the PA said:

The proposal involves massive additional pay cuts and the union is extremely disappointed. We’re also far apart on health and safety protocols.

Check and check.

This season is not looking promising. Keeping the mind and body ready regardless. Time to dive into some life-after-baseball projects. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Brighter times remain ahead!

— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) May 26, 2020

Over the past two weeks we’ve seen players voice their opinion on twitter and various other platforms. Blake Snell’s comments on twitch about wanting to get the money he’s owed went viral, but other players like Marcus Stroman have dropped tweets that are not promising.

The bottom line is the two sides are not close to an agreement on economics and health and safety protocols. Unfortunately it seems like they’re drifting further apart with each passing day.

No More Pay Cuts

Max Scherzer tweeted a statement on Wednesday night about the latest economic proposal. He is one of baseball’s highest-paid players, even though a large portion of his salary is deferred, so his pocket would be hit pretty hard.

pic.twitter.com/nWKtqGSQo4

— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) May 28, 2020

Scherzer says other players are sharing a similar viewpoint about not wanting to take another pay cut on top of the prorated salary based on number of games that the PA agreed to in March. If the Owners were hoping their percent-based salary cut proposal would trigger a counter, they might be dissappointed.

But Mad Max’s key point is this: “there’s no justification to accept a 2nd pay cut based upon the current information the union has received.”

Owners have not (and apparently will not) open their books to the PA. They have only provided data during presentations that indicates they will lose a significant amount of money if games are played in front of no fans. The PA isn’t buying the data the owners are providing.

If the players do not trust the owners and the owners will not give up any more confidential info, are we at a stalemate?

Infighting

The recent proposal is so heavily skewed to hurt the “rich” (the minority of players) and benefit the “poor” (the majority of players) that I believe the owners submitted it to create drama within the union. If it called for an even cut across the board — say, another 20% reduction for everyone — then I wouldn’t feel that way. But a player making under $1M would receive 72.5% of their salary whereas anyone making over $20M only gets 20%. The actual dollars lost for the Gerrit Cole and Mike Trout-type players is just too much for the union to look past.

While everyone will be hit, players on rookie deals making under $1M won’t have their bank accounts changed that much. Gleyber Torres, who was set to earn about $600K this year, is in a very different spot than Cole, who just signed the most expensive pitcher contract in history.

On top of that, you have the ever-outspoken Trevor Bauer sub-tweeting the most powerful agent in the game.

Hearing a LOT of rumors about a certain player agent meddling in MLBPA affairs. If true — and at this point, these are only rumors — I have one thing to say… Scott Boras, rep your clients however you want to, but keep your damn personal agenda out of union business.

— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) May 27, 2020

Scott Boras (who just signed Mr. “I need to gets mine” Blake Snell) represents the biggest players in baseball. Just this past offseason he signed the three largest free agent contracts (Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon). He makes an ungodly amount of money for his clients, which helps — not hurts — the Players Association.

Bauer isn’t like other players. He’s said publicly he will never sign a long-term contract. He was not afraid to call out Astros players for cheating. He routinely complains about things he doesn’t like on twitter.

I don’t know what “personal agenda” Bauer could be talking about, but I can’t imagine it’s anything that would support the owners and not the players. Maybe Bauer (and potentially other players) want to keep discussions internal and not involve an outsider like Boras — even if Boras can help.

What’s left to negotiate?

If the players aren’t budging off a prorated salary based on number of games and owners are calling for massive cuts, are we at a standstill?

What about the health and safety protocols? The 67-page document was apparently just a first draft, but the two sides still need to reach an agreement there (although I think that will be taken care of pretty quickly once the dollars and cents are sorted out).

Unclear if players will even counter MLB’s financial offer at this time (a few players suggested not necessarily) but in any case they will keep talking as players do intend to respond to MLB proposals on length of season/schedule and health/safety protocols. So there’s that.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 28, 2020

Heyman and others have reported that one bargaining chip the PA could still use is number of games. The current “plan” is for 82-games, but what if they stretch it to 100? In theory, players would receive more actual dollars in their pocket with more games played.

The problem is that MLB wants to have their season and playoffs done before a potential second wave of COVID. The worst thing for baseball would be if the league has to shutdown again before the playoffs are complete. With June rapidly approaching, there might not be enough time for 100-games and a normal playoff schedule.

But not everyone is doom-and-gloom. Old friend Andrew Miller is optimistic a deal will get done despite “daunting obstacles.”

'We won’t sacrifice our principles or what we believe is right and fair. I believe that despite the daunting obstacles we all face to have baseball this year, we will find a way to overcome them.' — #Cardinals LHP Andrew Millerhttps://t.co/7vlwJPaf2M #stlcards #MLB #MLBPA

— Derrick S. Goold (@dgoold) May 27, 2020

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EAST Division

• New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins

CENTRAL Division

• Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers

WEST Division

• Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners

I don’t understand this proposal for many reasons, but that’s not the point of this blog.

The super divisions are essentially merged AL/NL geographical regions, with a few exceptions. The Braves are in the NL East but in the 10-team Central division, and the Pirates are in the NL Central but in the East division. Whatever.

The Yankees have one of the best rosters in the league so they are in a good spot regardless of which division they play in, but this certainly makes the “regular season” more interesting with the addition of teams like the Mets and Nationals. Let’s see how the 10 teams stack-up.

Power Rankings

10. Baltimore Orioles

2019 win total: 54 | 2020 original over/under: 56.5

With Trey Mancini unlikely to play this year, Chris Davis is probably their best player. That isn’t even a joke. The Yankees lost 2 games to Baltimore last year but should go undefeated this year.

I spoke to Orioles podcaster Connor Newcomb about what O’s fans have to look forward to in 2020.

9. Miami Marlins

2019 win total: 57 | 2020 original over/under: 64.5

I was going to flip-flop the O’s and Marlins because Miami gets the National League demerit, but then I remembered Baltimore’s best player in 2019 (Jonathan Villar) is now playing for the Marlins. Yankees should go undefeated against the Marlins too.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 win total: 69 | 2020 original over/under: 69.5

The Pirates were already on the Yankees schedule this season, but they don’t pose much of a threat. They have a few solid players like Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds, but 2020 was going to be a rebuilding season and the shutdown has only made that more difficult.

7. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 win total: 67 | 2020 original over/under: 75.5

The jump from Pittsburgh to Toronto is pretty big, in my opinion. The Jays have a ton of young talent in the lineup and improved their rotation with the signing of Hyun-Jin Ryu. While the shutdown is probably going to hurt them on a developmental level with their farm system, they are still a team that will be taking a big step forward sooner than later.

We spoke with Arden Zwelling from Sportsnet Toronto about the 2020 Jays.

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6. Boston Red Sox

2019 win total: 84 | 2020 original over/under: 84.5

The Sox would be higher on this list if Chris Sale were not out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. Even without Mookie Betts, their lineup will be dangerous (Rafael Devers, JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts is still a lethal 3-punch) but their rotation is just way too thin for the team to do anything. Could a shorter season help them in theory? Yes, but overall they are still middle of the pack in the division and in the league.

Listen to our Red Sox preview podcast with The Athletic’s Chad Jennings.

5. New York Mets

2019 win total: 86 | 2020 original over/under: 86.5

The 4-5 spots were the ones I debated the longest. Losing Noah Syndergaard for the season I think pushes the Mets below the Phillies even though their rotation is still very strong with Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Michael Wacha, and Rick Porcello. Their bullpen should also be improved with Dellin Betances, but at the end of the day they’re the Mets so something will go wrong.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 win total: 81 | 2020 original over/under: 85.5

Joe Girardi is a good manager and will help the under-achieving Phillies improve. They also have some injuries that are being helped by the shutdown, so their lineup could be potent when the season starts with Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Andrew McCutchen, JT Realmuto, and old friend Didi Gregorius.

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3. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 win total: 96 | 2020 original over/under: 90.5

Like the jump from Pitt to Toronto, there is another jump with Philly to Tampa. The Rays were already going to be a problem for the Yankees, but now that the season is shorter, they get even tougher.

Top-to-bottom their pitching staff is good; Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow is a great big-3 starters and their bullpen is deep. They are also a defensively-sound team which could play early in the season if guys are still getting into a rhythm.

Kevin Cash simply knows how to get the most out of a roster, and if you give him an expanded one, who knows what he’ll have up his sleeve.

Check out our Rays preview episode with Kevin Weiss.

2. Washington Nationals

2019 win total: 93 | 2020 original over/under: 90.5

I’m giving the defending champs the nod over Tampa because their big-3 are just downright better. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin make up the best rotation in the division and facing them fresh in August-September is a scary prospect.

Stephen Strasburg, 82mph Curveball, 87mph Changeup and 94mph Fastball, Overlay.

All to the same spot. pic.twitter.com/Nu3XTSzPmw

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 22, 2019

The loss of Anthony Rendon hurts but you can make an argument that Juan Soto is the best offensive player in the division (I’ll still take Judge, but I said you can make the argument). And did you know he’s only 21?

1. New York Yankees

2019 win total: 103 | 2020 original over/under: 102.5

Pre-shutdown rankings had only the Dodgers ahead of the Yankees in baseball, so of course they’re going to be #1 in a division that doesn’t include LA.

The delayed season also really helps the Yankees get healthy. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and possibly even Gary Sanchez were all going to miss Opening Day. James Paxton will be back as long as the season starts in late June or July, which helps a rotation that lost Luis Severino for the season. While I’ll still take Washington’s big-3, Gerrit Cole, a healthy James Paxton, and pitching for a contract Masahiro Tanaka might edge-out Tampa’s.

The post Power Ranking the Proposed 2020 10-team “East” Division appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

If you haven’t heard, the Yankees agreed to a record nine-year, $324 million contract with the right-hander. Most people (read non-Yankees fans) will view it as an overpay. But let me tell you why it’s not.

Projections

Cole is the complete package. He’s durable and intelligent. He embraces analytics. He’s ahead of the curve. This gives the Yankees more hope that he will age gracefully. Take a look at MLB.com’s ERA projections for Cole over the next seven seasons:

2020: 2.57
2021: 2.56
2022: 2.59
2023: 2.66
2024: 2.75
2025: 2.82
2026: 2.92

Similar past contracts

Take a look at Max Scherzer and his contract. In January 2015, he got a seven-year, $210 million deal. He was heading into his age-31 season. Deferrals aside, would anyone say that contract hasn’t been worth it? I view Cole in the same light: someone who takes his craft very seriously, is an absolute bulldog on the mound, and has the knowledge on how to get hitters out no matter what. Plus, he’s younger than Scherzer was. We saw this in Game 3 of the ALCS this past season – Cole by no means had his A-grade stuff, walking five batters. But he still ended up throwing seven shutout innings allowing just four hits! That’s the pitcher we’re getting.

The man has had no major injuries and has relatively low mileage on his arm with 1,195.0 regular season innings pitched in his career. Now, will he be worth $36 million a year when he’s 35, 36, 37 years old? Maybe not.

But let’s look at someone else’s deal, someone a little more closely related to the Yankees fan base. CC Sabathia was the almost the same age (he was 28, Cole is 29) when he signed his deal back in 2008. Going back to innings pitched when they were signed: CC had thrown 1,659.1 regular season innings, almost 500 more than Cole. Now I know CC also has many intangibles – he’s a great team guy and has a great personality. But who’s to say Cole can’t become that. Everyone says he’s a great leader. And how many people would say that CC’s deal wasn’t worth it even though he only won one championship (in his first year nonetheless) and deteriorated for a few years towards the end of his initial contract? Not too many.

So how will we view Cole and his contract is he wins us a ring in 2020 but that’s it? Of course, we would want more, but Cole can cement his legacy in the Bronx.

Conclusion

You’re also taking away the best pitcher in baseball from your main competition: the Astros. How much is that worth? While no one ever really expected Cole to return to Houston, the magnitude of this signing is essentially doubled. At the moment, the Yankees have to be considered the favorites in the American League (if not all of the majors) in 2020.

I wrote a few weeks back about how the Yankees needed to be bold and go for the dagger by signing Cole. He was the one they needed to invest in – not Manny Machado, not Bryce Harper. This is the move we needed to put us over the top, and it has finally come to fruition.

The Yankees are a very smart organization. You better believe they looked into how Cole will age and their plan of attack to retain players such as Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres down the line. While it is a large sum of money, the Yankees can absolutely afford this and was a necessary move that will pay dividends.

The post Why Gerrit Cole’s contract is absolutely worth it appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

The 2011 Phillies

Remember this rotation? Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels combined to lead the Phillies to 102 wins and the best record in baseball. They were silly dominant that year. Halladay went 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA and Cliff Lee went 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA. They were heavy favorites against the Cardinals in the NLDS. They won game one behind Halladay, but Lee melted down in Game 2. After winning Game 3 on the road, they failed to clinch in Game 4, setting up a do or die game with Halladay on the mound. The Phillies lost Game 5 at home 1-0 to end their season. You know why they lost? Because they didn’t score. Pitching isn’t everything.

The 2014 Tigers

After trading for David Price at the deadline, these Tigers were all but assured of a World Series. Max Scherzer, Price and our buddy Justin Verlander formed a devastating three-headed monster; three surefire hall of famers and the most dominant rotation that year by far. Scherzer proceeded to get shelled by the Orioles in Game 1, and the Tigers rolled over and died. They got swept in embarrassing fashion, and Price went on to be traded the following season. Their rotation was light years ahead of the Orioles. The problem was the Oriole bats showed up and the Tiger bats did not. Hitting matters, too!

The 2015 Mets

Another dynasty that never was. You know these guys. Harvey, Syndergaard, deGrom. The Mets 2015 rotation was electric, and they matched up great with the Royals. However the Mets bullpen completely tanked as Jeurys Familia blew three saves in the World Series as the Mets lost in five games. Harvey was never the same, and the Mets haven’t won a playoff game since. The Royals beat them with timely hitting and an electric bullpen. Sound familiar?

The 2018 Astros

Contrary to popular belief, the Astros rotation was actually better last year than it is this year. Give me Kuechel and Morton over Greinke and Miley all day. Anyway, their dominant rotation got blasted by the Red Sox powerful bats in the ALCS. Verlander won Game 1 for the Astros, but then they got steamrolled in four straight games. Again, hitting was the difference in this series as it often is.

2019

The Astros may very well beat the Yankees in the ALCS (assuming they get there), however, having a dominant rotation guarantees nothing in October. The Yankees have a relentless lineup and a devastating bullpen. All of the talk will center around the Astros power arms, but they’ll have to navigate a modern day murderers row.

See you at the parade.

The post Who’s afraid of the big bad Astros? appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

Beginning last Sunday, the New York Yankees starting pitching staff started heading right for one.

As Aaron Boone took the long trek to the Fenway mound to remove yet another starting pitcher before reaching even five innings, the Red Sox had pummeled Masahiro Tanaka for 12 earned runs, capping off what has been a historic stretch for the Yankees starting rotation.

And not in a good way.

Yankees starters have allowed over 40 runs over their last five games.

According to Elias Sports, that is the most runs allowed in a five-game span within a season since the 2008 Rangers. The last time the Yankees allowed such a stretch?

July 4-9, 1912.

You read that correctly.

1912. The year of the Titanic. The year … of an iceberg. One that scraped the side of a massive ship, sinking it, taking only two hours and 40 minutes to do so. It’s currently taking the Yankees’ rotation six days.

Before this historic blow-up, believe it or not, the starting pitching for the Yankees was one of the top-end rotations in the league in the month of July. According to YES Network’s Booth Statistician, James Smyth, they were 10th in MLB in ERA, posting a 2.88 ERA, .244 BAA, and 14 home runs allowed in the first fourteen games of this month. So Cashman had some leverage, mainly, not seeming desperate.

But things change quickly in baseball. The “iceberg straight ahead” this staff was heading toward has finally been hit, and after last night, and over the course of the last six games, the Yankees jumped from 10th to 17th in MLB in ERA, with a whopping 15.59 ERA, .395 BAA, and allowing thirteen home runs.

Now that the entire league is seeing the Yankee rotation break down, or rather, sink, desperation may be the only leverage Cashman has. All a General Manager has to say if he claims they’re not in need?

“1912.”

I can only imagine the look on Cashman’s face as Boone took the ball from Tanaka in only the fourth inning on Thursday, his fingers probably burning from the number of texts and calls he was making to find a starter, any starter, that could give him more than five innings in a start.

Five innings.

Five dreadful days of runs.

Five days until the trade deadline.

And if it were up to Yankee fans, five starters Cashman must replace. The problem is he may have trouble finding even one, and he’s running out of time. On top of the wishlist would have been a tried and true veteran who can win us two games in a playoff series, but as the deadline looms close, teams like San Francisco are getting red hot, eyeing October, and effectively ending the trade talks for Madison Bumgarner. And Max Scherzer? The Nationals have zero intentions of ending that relationship. In fact, they’re heading straight for October if they keep up their winning ways.

Will the Yankees push hard now for Marcus Stroman, who’s ERA after his last start has dropped to 2.96 (FIP 3.52)? He seems to be the most realistic option, but the Rays (now with Blake Snell needing surgery), the Astros, Braves, even the Red Sox, depending on how the rest of this series goes, among others, could all be vying for him. Simply put, it won’t be an easy task. Simply put, the “realistic” options out there, as the 31st inches closer, could be anything but.

Perhaps that’s what Cashman does — throws the gauntlet at a team like the Blue Jays and picks up a mid to top of the rotation guy like Stroman who has a little, not a lot, of postseason experience and hopes for the best. Or, they go after a Mike Minor or Matthew Boyd, whose asking prices could leave the farm empty.

Lastly, they could try to boost the bullpen even more, like adding Ken Giles (in hopes he continues his all-star season rather than one having him punch himself in the face) and hoping Dellin Betances makes his way back healthy for the playoff stretch. This would allow the starters to be who they are, giving five innings or less, and letting the pen, and offense, do the rest. If so, they’d need plenty of arms out there, so the pen isn’t fried by October.

Whatever Cashman tries to do, I’m sure he’s had his wishlist, but unfortunately, at this point, he may need to throw his wishlist out the window. Cashman just needs fresh arms, ones that can give him innings, and soon.

So, Yankee fans, what does Cashman do? Give us your best guess, and tell us which pitcher in the rotation you’d replace first. Because, at least over the last six games, you could really choose any one of them.

The Yankees starters have now hit the iceberg, and this ship is sinking fast.

The post What the Yankees starting pitching and the Titanic have in common appeared first on Bronx Pinstripes | BronxPinstripes.com.

To make this clear, I’m in the camp of they should go after another starting pitcher. However, I could see reasons not to, mainly being the most realistic available pitchers simply may not be worth it or simply may not be available after all. But even Brian Cashman is not hiding their plan to acquire starting pitching.

Brian Cashman on the deadline: "Yeah, we're going to target starting pitching."@Yankees | #Yankees | #PinstripePride pic.twitter.com/fIDsNvevcI

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 12, 2019

Let’s break it down.

Things are different this year

There is no “secondary” deadline. Once July 31st comes and goes, teams can’t add in August via trade. Teams who are on the fringe are taking their sweet time before deciding if they are buyers or sellers. Teams who were on the outside looking in have started to play better and believe they have a chance to make a run. So guys that were seemingly available not too long ago like the Texas Rangers, Mike Minor, or Cleveland’s, Trevor Bauer, and most notably, Washington’s, Max Scherzer, who’d be franchize-changing for any contender, are all being corralled at the moment. The Nationals have been playing extremely well and are right back in their division race. Perhaps they’ll fall out of it come August, but by then it will be too late for a trade. Personally, I’d trade the entire farm system for that bicolor-eyed, broken-nosed National treasure, but as July 31st approaches, it looks as though the Nationals are gonna hoard that treasure like One-Eyed Willy would.

One interesting note, though, is it’s been rumored the Indians are still willing to deal Bauer despite their rise up the ranks in the AL Central. They have great starter depth and feel if they could trade Bauer for ready major league offensive talent that could help them contend this year, they’ll pull the trigger. The Indians already gave up Clint Frazier once to the Yankees, though, so did they simply not see his potential or was there a reason they let him go? Perhaps they’ll want him back, but if so, they’d want more than just Frazier, which brings us to our next point.

What are the Yankees willing to give up?

For the plethora of teams who are out of it, the asking price will most likely be too high for a guy like Bauer or for the pitchers who are out there raking for a team going nowhere, like Matthew Boyd in Detriot. When teams are asking for Gleyber Torres, you simply say thank you, next. Teams who are interested in Clint Frazier are also most likely asking for others along with him, like Estevan Florial. The Yankees may be ready to part ways with Frazier, but not many teams are willing to give up their starters for just Frazier. The Yankees would need to be more open-handed, but they haven’t been willing to do that in recent years with their big-time prospects.

To rent or not to rent

The one pitcher who may be the most reasonable in price and has proven himself in the playoffs is a guy who has the Yankees on his no-trade list: Madison Bumgarner. Although many think his no-trade list is simply a tactic to get a friendly deal in place for the big lefty, it’s still a hurdle, and he’d essentially be a three-month rental (if you include October.) The Yankees are not fond of rentals, and it may not be worth it to them to send a Clint Frazier, or more guys, whom they’ve been holding onto for quite some time. They have also come out and said they are not willing to trade Frazier for a rental. Whether or not that’s true remains to be seen, but for now, we need to take that at face value.

Also, it may not seem like a big deal, but it’s worthy to note that Bumgarner loves to hit, and now that Commissioner Rob Manfred has officially tabled the discussion of a universal DH until 2021, Bumgarner may want to stay in the National League.

Who is the best option?

This leaves one of the most realistic options in Toronto Blue Jays starter, Marcus Stroman. He’s from New York, he’s been very public in his claims of being ready for the spotlight, he’s on a very bad team, he’s used to pitching in the AL East, he has some postseason experience, and Cashman and the Jays General Manager, Ross Atkins have a great working relationship. All signs pointing to the perfect trade scenario. However, one important note to consider: albeit a small sample size, he didn’t do very well in the postseason (2015 & 2016), posting an average 4.40 ERA in the four series’ he pitched in. A 4.40 ERA in the playoffs where offense tends to lack for the Yankees isn’t what Cashman is looking for, which brings us to the most important reason as to why the Yankees may not trade for a pitcher.

Assuming Scherzer and Bauer are officially out of the picture, aside from MadBum, all the aforementioned pitchers have very little postseason experience, like Stroman’s not so great sample size in ’15 and ’16, and Mike Minor‘s sole game pitched in the NLDS for the Atlanta Braves in 2013. He actually pitched well that game, going  6.1 innings and only giving up a run, but it was only one game. However, it’s certainly worthy to note in Cashman’s pursuit of him. The Yankees, unless they completely meltdown, are well on their way to winning their division, so as much as a starting pitcher right now would help keep their division lead comfortable, comfort is not the end game. A championship is. Cashman’s eyes are on the postseason, and he’s searching for a pitcher who they could trust to hand the ball at least twice in a series because the trust for the current starters is lacking. What the current starters do have, however, are chips in the bank. Most, besides Domingo German, have been there, done that, and we know what we’re getting from them. A guy like Matthew Boyd is unknown. Aside from this year, Boyd has not exactly lit up the pitching scoreboard in recent years, and we have no idea how he’d fair in the big lights of the postseason in New York.

Is Stroman or Minor the type of guy Cashman can trust? Are they worth giving up elite prospects for a not so sure bet in the postseason? Or do we roll with what we’ve got, trusting the starters will do just enough to keep the offense in it? We’re not sure, but Cashman gets paid the big bucks to figure that out.

Personally, my first call would be to the Rangers for Mike Minor, but with the Rangers still in the race and being over .500, the Rangers will say ‘no, thank you.’ After that call, I’d reach out to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. This could be the Yankees best bet, as I think Cashman and Atkin’s relationship could sway Cashman to send some good prospects, but not too good where Atkins cleans him out. You take the risk that he’d turn up for the postseason and make the bright lights his home. If that doesn’t work out, then I’d make the call for Boyd in Detroit. They are a bad team looking to sell, so he’s definitely on the trade block, but because he’s still a bit unknown he’d be my third call, and it’s been rumored the Tigers are asking for a haul that would include Gleyber Torres. The Yankees will immediately hang up if that’s the case.

My last call would be to the Giants for Madison Bumgarner. If he wasn’t a rental, he’d probably be my first. Mainly because he’s proven to be a beast in October. True, he’s not the same pitcher he used to be and is on the outside looking in to the prime of his career, but he’s a big lefty who has the kind of player mentality the bright lights of New York could rejuvenate. Being that he may only be a rental and the hurdle it could take being the Yankees are on his no-trade list and he may want to stay in the NL, Bumgarner is my last resort. Again, the Giants would ask for a big haul and so I see Cashman doing this only if he’s desperate, but Cashman has proved, especially recently, he’s never desperate (See: the non-signings of Patrick Corbin, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Gerrit Cole, and the non-trade for Justin Verlander).

Since Cashman never deals in desperation, Stroman and Boyd could be the guys Cashman seeks out the most, with the Giants possibly on hold. And, honestly, these three could be the only choices out there if the other teams continue to contend.

Right now you may be thinking I forgot about Zack Wheeler of the New York Mets. This was on purpose. Why? Because we can forget about a trade happening between the Mets and Yankees. I think the Yankees would do it, but the Mets would not. If by some miracle the Mets were willing, Wheeler would fall under the same category as Matthew Boyd. He’s not at all proven and they wouldn’t really know what they’d be getting come October. He’s having a decent year in the National League, and he may not be worth it for Cashman to give up prospects, but I’m sure Cash has made a call or two.

What if Cashman doesn’t find the deal he’s looking for?

That being said, knowing Cashman’s history and learning from his trade deadline mistakes, if he can’t get his hands on the one or two guys he really likes, he may be content in rolling the dice with who he’s got, hoping the offense, whose average with RISP is the best its been in recent years, turns around their postseason offensive woes and slugs their way to a championship the way the Red Sox did in 2018. This would allow Cashman ample time in the off-season, which is when he usually does his best work, to address the pitching needs for 2020 to create that “fully operational death-star” team he’s been hoping for.

There are still nineteen days left until the trade deadline, and a lot can happen in nineteen days. Perhaps teams will fall out of it and put there for sale sign up, leaving a few more options out there for the Yankees, but perhaps others close up shop and hang tight to the pitchers they have. Regardless of what happens next, you could bet Cashman has plans in mind we’re not even thinking of and players I surely missed. Because if we know anything about Cashman, the man is thorough and he will, as he likes to always say, “leave no stone unturned” in his pursuits.

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No, Keuchel isn’t an ace. It’s up for debate weather he’s even a number two at this point. Despite this, the Yankees rotation is decimated by injury, and the bullpen is decimated from overuse. Roster wise, signing Keuchel to a one-year, $13 million dollar deal was an obvious move to make the team better. However, it isn’t the first time Brian Cashman passed on a stud pitcher.

Max Scherzer, ’14-’15 Offseason

“Mad Max” was 29 and coming off of a dominant 2014 season for the Tigers. He went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA. With one Cy Young award already under his belt, Scherzer was smack dab in the middle of his prime. He had several dominant seasons left in the tank. Sadly, the Yankees didn’t even meet with Scherzer. It’s quite frustrating the Yankees were satisfied with going into 2015 with a rotation headlined by Tanaka, Nathan Evoldi and Michael Pineda. With Scherzer, the Yankees easily win the A.L. East in 2015 and who knows what happens after that? Scherzer has won two Cy Young awards with the Nationals since then. He’s as nasty, tough and durable as they come. This didn’t make sense five years ago, and makes less sense now.

David Price, ’15-’16 Offseason

This one is probably the easiest to swallow of all of these names. Price, also 29 and also with a Cy Young already under his belt, was coming off an 18-5 season with a 2.45 ERA. You probably remember him almost singlehandedly knocking the Yankees out of the division lead and into the wild card game. He was an awesome deadline acquisition for the Blue Jays that summer. I believe Cash stayed away because of makeup concerns and one of the worst playoff resumes ever at the time. Price is sensitive and aloof, and I don’t think he would have been a fit in New York or the Yankee clubhouse. I’m cool with passing on him, especially since he got $217 million over seven years. The back of that contract will be ugly.

Justin Verlander, ’17 Trade deadline

Man this one stings. The Yankees had a chance to acquire Verlander during the waiver deadline in August of 2017. Every team did! Verlander was 34 and only having a so-so season at 10-8 with a 3.82 ERA. However, the Astros analytics department clearly outclassed the Yankees analytics department that summer. They saw Verlander still had his velocity and a crazy high spin rate. Once they acquired him, they did extensive video work with him and the rest is history. Verlander essentially single handedly knocked the Yankees out of the 2017 playoffs. They couldn’t hit him. They could barely make contact. Verlander combined to pump out 18 innings and allowed just one run during that ALCS. If the Yankees had Verlander, they easily beat the Astros and probably roll over the Dodgers as well. Verlander is still dominating, and still tormenting the Yankees every time the two teams get together.

Gerrit Cole, ’17-’18 Offseason

After losing in the playoffs to a team with a much better rotation, Cashman set out to improve his staff. With Gerrit Cole on the block, the fit was obvious. The Yankees had drafted Cole out of high school back in 2008, and had long been enamored with his stuff as well as his makeup. A tall, hard throwing strikeout machine, Cole was exactly what the Yankees look for in a  pitcher. Despite extensive talks with Pittsburgh, a deal never got done. The Pirates kept asking about Gleyber Torres. Cashman wanted to center the deal around Clint Frazier or Miguel Andujar.

Instead, the Pirates pivoted and accepted a much lesser package from Houston. This seems like a classic case of a team demanding way more from the Yankees than they would from other teams. It reminded me of the 2003 offseason, when the Diamondbacks were demanding Nick Johnson and Alfonso Soriano for Curt Schilling. Then they turned around and essentially gave him to Boston for a bag of donuts. It’s tough to blame Cash here because I wouldn’t have given up Gleyber either. Pittsburgh’s recent trade debacle with Tampa in the Chris Archer deal shows that they have no idea what they are doing when it comes to trades. (Along with their consistent losing history.)

Patrick Corbin, ’18-19 Offseason

Another scenario that seemed like an obvious fit. Corbin was 29 and had just finished 5th in the Cy Young race. He had sported a 3.15 ERA in 2018. A two-time All-Star from upstate New York, Corbin had expressed a desire to wear the pinstripes. However, the Yankees never showed serious interest. They met with Corbin, but they declined to make a formal offer. It was said that the Yankees were comfortable committing around $90 million to Corbin over 4-5 years. He ended up getting $140 million over six from Washington.

The Yankees either totally misread the market or they just don’t think Corbin is very good. Corbin is currently 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA with Washington. Instead of signing Corbin, the Yankees decided on an older, less talented, cheaper pitcher in J.A. Happ. The Yankees weren’t comfortable paying Corbin through his age 34 season, but they had no trouble committing to Happ through age 37 (and possibly 38 if his option vests.) Happ is declining in pretty much every category, and just isn’t as good as he was. The Yankees did make a nice trade for James Paxton, however, their farm system took another hit and has thinned out considerably. It would have been nice to grab Corbin for nothing but cash, the Yankees’ greatest competitive advantage.

Dallas Keuchel, Last week

Last but not least, Dallas Keuchel. Unlike the pitchers mentioned before, Keuchel could have been had for a very minimal commitment. For $13 million, the Yankees could have added a former Cy Young winner and world champion to help stabilize an ailing rotation and save a depleted bullpen. Instead, they would only offer $11 million. This has to be the silliest mistake of all of them because of how insignificant the difference is. You almost have to laugh at how stupid this decision is. The Yankees made over $600 million in revenue in 2018 and should easily eclipse that this year. They are also in the final stages of wrapping up a $3.4 BILLION deal involving the YES Network and Amazon. They have had four different starters hit the disabled list already this off season. And they said no over $2 million. Shame on them.

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So, without further ado, here are the BP Team’s 2019 Predictions!

Since this is a Yankee blog, we all naturally picked the Yankees to win the division and the Red Sox to win the first wild card. The only differences here are with the second wild card. Most of us think that wild card team will come from the AL West, I picked the Twins, and Milan thinks the Rays will find a way to sneak in. We all have the Yankees winning 96 – 104 games which seems like a nice, albeit slightly optimistic range. Most of the projections have them right around 94-97 wins for reference. And most importantly, we all have the Yankees advancing to the World Series!

In the NL, you see A LOT more parity, which speaks to how those teams actually tried to improve this offseason unlike most of the AL. Other than agreeing that the Dodgers will win the NL West, our predictions are all over the place. I liked how the Cardinals improved over the winter by adding Andrew Miller and Paul Goldschmidt. And we all believe that the 2019 Yankees will be crowned World Series champions!

We now move into the awards section of predictions. It’s nice to see that we all agree Mike Trout is a god and that Aaron Judge is most likely to crush it this year. New $260 million man Nolan Arenado is our consensus for NL MVP. Our Cy Young picks are a bit all over the place with Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole, and Max Scherzer the highest vote getters. I said it last year, and I’ll say it again: Chris Sale is my Cy Young pick until he finally wins one. We had a few choices for Yankee Cy Young which speaks to the star power of this year’s rotation and some beautiful optimism about CC.

Now we get into some of the more fun and obscure categories. We all had different answers about breakout prospects, so hopefully the system has a nice year and the Yankees rank in the top farm systems once again. Due to tech issues I can’t see all the emoji choices for Ottavino, but Didi certainly has some options to work with. I’m personally a fan of Drew’s idea of the Coors Light emoji J You can clearly see how much faith we all have in Jacoby Ellsbury, and most of us think the Yankees will set another new team home run record. And we have some Greg Bird truthers other than Andrew on the team!

I’ll let this one speak for itself. Thanks for reading and check back after the season to make fun of us!

You can contact Rohan on Twitter @rohanarcot20

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Rookie of the Year Award

American League

Is there really any debate about this one? Whereas Gary Sanchez didn’t play enough games (in the voter’s eyes) to beat out the Tigers’ Michael Fulmer for AL Rookie of the Year last year, Aaron Judge breezed to this writer’s 1st half top rookie award.

Judge entered the All-Star break with a .329/.448/.834 slash line. That’s right, his .834 slugging percentage was higher than most players’ on-base percentage + slugging percentage (OPS). Fans and the media quickly associated Judge with home runs (a Major League-leading 30) but he also banged out 13 doubles and three triples. With such a batting average and on-base percentage, Judge’s 109 strikeouts can be overlooked.  Oh, and he stole six bases.

“His Honor” has already collected 99 hits and drew 61 walks in 84 games played, 82 of which he started.To top things off, he covers a ton of ground in right field and has a laser for an arm. No one expected this kind of a season based on Judge’s short MLB performance last season

Add in the unofficial title of Home Run Derby King earned at this year’s All-Star festivities and it’s easy to see why Judge is the clear front-runner to capture the season-end 2017 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Remainder of the AL Rookie Field

Andrew Benintendi: Prior to this season, the Red Sox outfielder was ranked as the #1 or #2 prospect in baseball, with the Yankees’ Glebyer Torres grabbing some of the top spots.  If not for Judge’s first half, the left fielder (he’s also seen time in center field) would have garnered much more of the sports world’s attention. The Boston rookie survived a slump in May to enter the break with an .803 OPS, 12 HR, and 51 RBI.

Benintendi, a tremendous five-tool talent, collected nine stolen bases, 13 doubles, a triple, and 88 hits. His numbers are slightly better on the road but since Fenway Park favors right-handed hitters, that’s not all that surprising. A 25-30 HR, 90 – 100 RBI season is not a stretch.

Yuli Gurriel: The Houston Astros’ rookie has adapted well to playing in the states after coming over from his native Cuba. He’s also made a smooth move from the hot corner to first base. Gurriel hit .297 in the first half with an .813 OPS. He collected 11 HR and 24 doubles and drove in 44 runs. His batting average on balls in play (baBIP) was .306 and he struck out just 37 times in 308 plate appearances.

Jordan Montgomery: Judge’s teammate has been a pleasant surprise for the Yankees this season. His ERA was nearly identical at home and on the road but his strikeout to walk ratio (4.0) was much better at Yankee Stadium. Montgomery has been especially tough with runners in scoring position (RISP). He held opponents to a .585 OPS with RISP and .567 with RISP and two outs.

Jacob Faria: The Tampa Bay Rays organization pumps out pitchers the way Exxon pumps out gasoline. Faria wasn’t expected to make his debut in the first half of the season but injuries and poor performances necessitated his arrival. So far, the move has paid big dividends.

In his six first half starts, Faria held opponents to a .203 batting average and a .562 OPS. He averaged 8.7K / 9 IP while allowing nine walks and 28 hits in 38.1 innings pitched (a 0.935 WHIP). Faria allowed one earned run in four of his starts, two earned runs once, and three earned runs one time. He’ll be very interesting to watch in the second half.

Another to watch: Blue Jays reliever Danny Barnes

Year-End Prediction

Winner: Judge

Runner-Up: Benintendi

National League

Cody Bellinger has been around baseball all his life. His Dad, Clay, played for the Yankees and coached his son in the Little League World Series. Now, Bellinger is one of the reasons the LA Dodgers are having a remarkable season.

The Dodgers selected Bellinger in the 4th round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft. He hit 30 home runs in Advanced-A ball two years ago and smacked a combined 26 home runs at two levels last season. This year, he already hit 26 off of Major League pitching (one after the break).

Bellinger hit .261 with 85 strikeouts in the first half of the season…and you can throw those numbers out the window, because he had a .342 OBP and a .619 slugging percentage. Add in 15 doubles, a triple, and five steals in six attempts and you see why the fans are raving about him.

He ran away with the NL 1st half Bronx Pinstripes Rookie of the Year Award.

Remainder of the NL Rookie Field

None of the other National League rookie hitters have numbers that stand up to Bellinger’s. That being said, these are the best of the rest:

Josh Bell: 35 of the the Pirates’ first baseman’s 72 first-half hits went for extra bases, which gave him a nice .472 slugging percentage. His 36 walks helped to offset a .239 average and 65 strikeouts in 301 at-bats. His 16 home runs were second among NL rookies as were his 44 RBI.

Jesus Aguilar: The Brewers’ rookie compiled an .891 first-half OPS, the third best among NL rookies. He produced nine HR, 13 doubles, and a pair of triples en route to a .294 batting average and .558 slugging percentage.
Aguilar is an aggressive hitter – he walked just 14 times in the first half and struck out 56 times in 170 at-bats.

Kyle Freeland: The starter is one of three rookies in the Rockies’ rotation. He gets the runner-up spot to Bellinger after a first half in which he went 9-7, 3.77. Freeland pitches in one of the best-hitting ballparks, but his ERA at home (3.23) was even better than on the road (4.12).  Freeland’s numbers are even better, considering he strikes out hitters at a mere 5.5 K/9 IP. Walks are an issue – 41 allowed in 107.1 IP – and he had a .293 baBIP against him.

Year-End Prediction

Winner: Bellinger

Runner-Up: Freeland

Most Valuable Player Award

American League

This is a much tougher call than the top rookie prize. You’re not only examining the player’s statistics but how his team is doing as well. The Houston Astros are looking more and more like the 2016 Chicago Cubs. The team entered the break with the best record in the AL, and they have a number of young, extremely talented players.

George Springer: Although The Astros’ Jose Altuve should have already won an MVP Award, this year it’s his teammate that is really gotten the Astros’ engine going.

Springer, the Astros lead-off hitter, led the team at the break with 27 home runs, 61 RBI, 76 RBI and a .993 OPS. Springer’s been great at home but he’s put together a split of .337/.402/.663 on the road. The right-handed hitter has destroyed left-handed pitching, though 18 of his 27 home runs have come against right-handers.

A few more numbers to throw out there: Springer has a .339 baBIP, hits .308 with RISP, and .449 with RISP and two outs. How hot has Springer been? Consider the fact that he had just 16 hits in his first 70 at-bats (.229) this year. There are plenty of Astros that could garner the award, but in my view, Springer is the first-half AL MVP.

Remainder of the AL MVP Field

Aaron Judge: The Yankees right-fielder isn’t surrounded by the type of talent Springer has, but he did plenty with his bat and glove to keep the Yankees above their expected 2017 level of play.

Carlos Correa: Another Astro having an outstanding season. The third-year shortstop’s numbers weren’t far off of Springer’s first half totals – a .979 OPS with 20 HR, 65 RBI, and 62 runs scored. (Unfortunately, Correa’s chances for the year-end award became slim when he tore ligaments in his thumb on Monday. He’ll be out 6-8 weeks).

Miguel Sano: The Minnesota Twins third baseman had a breakout first half in his third season in the big leagues. The runner-up to Judge in the HR Derby, Sano led a surprisingly good Twins team with 21 HR and 62 RBI. Though the Twins faded in the latter part of the first half, Sano kept on slugging.

Year-End Prediction

Winner: Springer

Runner-Up: Altuve

National League

The Dodgers were 30-20 after their first 50 games and then went on a torrid streak in which they won 31 of 40. A lot of that credit goes to the Dodgers’ pitching, which is lead by ace Clayton Kershaw and #2 starter Alex Wood. The two were a combined 24-2 going into the break. Kenley Jansen was nearly unhittable in his role as closer.

But, Bellinger’s recall came at a time when the Dodgers were 10-11, including 6-11 when Kershaw wasn’t the starter. Bellinger’s offense infused life into the team – Yasiel Puig has begun to hit like his former self, and Justin Turner has been tearing the cover off the ball.

In energizing the team, Bellinger takes home the Bronx Pinstripes NL MVP Award for the first half.

Remainder of the NL MVP Field

Travis Shaw: The Milwaukee Brewer third baseman got off to a red hot start with the Red Sox last season before a monumental slump pushed him out of the lineup. The Red Sox then dealt him to Milwaukee in the offseason for reliever Tyler Thornburg. The deal backfired when Thornburg had season-ending thoracic outlet surgery in June, without ever having thrown a pitch for Boston.

Meanwhile, Shaw has already surpassed his 2016 numbers with a first half that was All-Star worthy.  He pounded 19 home runs, drove home 65 runs, and put together a .299/.367/.570 slash line leading up to the break. He’s a prime reason Milwaukee led the defending World Series champion Cubs in the NL Central.

Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, and Daniel Murphy: Take your pick between the Washington Nationals teammates. Harper, the NL MVP two years ago, produced 20 HR, 65 RBI, and a .325/.431/.590 split. Zimmerman, healthy for the first time in years,  hit 19 home runs, drove in 63 runs, and had a .969 OPS. Murphy’s first half included 64 RBI, a .342 batting average, and a .966 OPS.

Also in the mix – Kershaw; he allowed less than three earned runs in 15 of his 19 starts.

Year-End Prediction

Winner: Harper

Runner-Up: Shaw

Cy Young Award

American League

Chris Sale: The Boston Red Sox had to give up a bundle of talent, including top prospect Yoan Moncada, to land Sale during the offseason. But, the tall left-hander has been better than advertised.

The southpaw started games in the first half and won 11 of 15 decisions. He posted a 2.75 ERA, struck out 178 batters in 127.2 innings (12.5 K/9 IP), held batters to a .562 OPS, and allowed less than one hit + walk per nine innings pitched. Sale struck out 10 or more batters in 12 of his 18 starts and had an eight-game streak in which he reached double figures.

Most remarkable of all is Sale’s ERA split between right-handed hitter-friendly Fenway Park and games on the road. His ERA is a full point lower at home – a mere 2.07. Sale breezed to the Bronx Pinstripes first-half AL Cy Young Award.

Remainder of the AL Cy Young Field

Corey Kluber: The Indians’ ace finished the first half with a 7-3 mark, a 2.80 ERA, and a stint on the DL. He still managed to make 14 starts, averaged 11.9 K/9 IP and had a 0.986 WHIP. Two of his wins were complete-game shutouts.

Craig Kimbrel: The Red Sox closer had a stellar first half, recording 23 saves, and entered the break with a streak of 29 consecutive saves (over 2016-2017) at Fenway Park. He recorded 68 strikeouts (16 K/9 IP) and walked just five batters. Batters were held to a ridiculously low .181 slugging percentage.

Year-End Prediction

Winner: Sale

Runner-Up: Kluber

National League

Clayton Kershaw: Now in his 10th season, the Dodgers’ ace continues to live up to his hype. He was 14-2 in 19 first-half starts, averaging just under seven innings per outing. Opponents were held to a .195 batting average and Kershaw’s road ERA was under 2.00. He continues to amaze and will figure in the NL MVP race if the Dodgers continue to play at an extremely high level. But, there’s no question he is the Bronx Pinstripes 1st half NL Cy Young winner.

Remainder of the NL Cy Young Field

Alex Wood: Kershaw’s teammate might steal some of his thunder. In a breakout season, Wood finished the first half with a .167 ERA in 13 starts and a pair of relief appearances. He averaged 10.8 K/9 IP (the same as Kershaw), held hitters to a .174 batting average, and allowed just two home runs in 80.2 innings pitched. He posted a 0.893 WHIP and allowed only 5o hits.

Max Scherzer: The Nationals’ hard-throwing right-hander is an innings eater – he averaged better than 7 IP before the break. He also averaged 12.1 K/9 IP in 18 starts and struck out 10 or more batters 11 times. He was especially dominant on the road where he posted a 1.46 ERA. Overall, Scherzer finished the first half 10-5, 2.18 with a 0.779 WHIP.

Year-End Prediction

Winner: Kershaw

Runner-Up: Scherzer

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Couldn’t be more true… It’s like walking a tightrope out there trying to find the perfect intensity level https://t.co/zenmxCezaJ

— Ben Heller (@BenHeller21) March 21, 2017

Pitching, Mental Game, Pushing Yourself. Max Scherzer. pic.twitter.com/MvjDOV2LdE

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2017

Heller expanded on the “tightrope” that he walks every time he takes the ball starting at the 35:25 mark. You can download the full episode here.

The Scherzer quote resonated with Heller, who said “I’ve always been the type of pitcher who loves to go out there with adrenaline through the roof. [I] just get after it on the mound, fearless, and super aggressive with every pitch that I throw. But I’ve kind of realized throughout my career that there’s a point where it can be too much. So you kind of have to find that balance between relaxing and staying within yourself. Keeping your mechanics fluid and easy, but also having good intensity out there.”

Heller said he has never been the type of pitcher who can throw at less than 100-percent effort. He tried and failed at it early in his career, often missing down the middle or walking guys. Heller’s approach on the mound is to attack, not nibble. It’s a good mentality to have out of the bullpen, which is where Heller has pitched his entire professional career.

Heller went on to say he’s been working on breathing exercises to control his emotions on the mound. Taking slow and deep breaths in between pitches helps him stay within himself and keep the game at a manageable speed.

I joked with Ben that he is one of the reasons why MLB has a pace of play problem because taking deep breaths in between pitches increases the time it takes for him to throw each pitch. Heller’s experiences with the 20-second clock, which I’ve been a proponent of in the past, was interesting.

“Two years ago in Double-A, 2015, was the first year they implemented the [20-second pitch clock].” Heller said, “I would try every single time, after every single pitch, to get the ball back from the catcher and be on the rubber before they even started the pitch clock.”

Clearly the clock was in Heller’s head, and he was probably not the only pitcher to alter his normal routine to comply with the clock. We, as outsiders, think it’s easy to get the ball back and throw it in 20-seconds or less. Even if that is plenty of time, the fact that these pitchers are thinking about it is a detriment to their success. It’s like anything else that is a change from the norm. It’s shocking at first until it becomes second nature. I still think if MLB was serious about the clock at the major leagues it could be implemented with some success, but there is no doubt it would be met with backlash.

We went on to talk with Heller about other changes baseball can make to shorten games. What we concluded, ironically, was that the increased number of pitching changes late in ballgames is a major factor to games being longer. This is a part of the game Heller hopes baseball does not change, for obvious reasons.

Whatever the solution, we all agree making gimmicky rules like putting a runner on second base to start extra innings or removing the need to throw four pitches for an intentional walk is not the answer.

Follow me on Twitter: @Andrew_Rotondi

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David Price: The Red Sox anticipated a powerhouse rotation of newly acquired Chris Sale, 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, and 2012 Cy Young recipient Price. But, Price felt pain in his prized left elbow and forearm and had to make the dreaded visit to orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews for an expert opinion.

The Red Sox are optimistic that treatment and rest will get Price healthy. But, Comcast Sports New England speculated on Monday that Price may not pitch in the Majors until May. Red Sox Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had this to say:

“I think he’ll be fine based upon what the doctors have told me, what David feels,” said Dombrowski. “We got to take our time.”

“You don’t ever want to rush that. I’m sure that we could have pushed him a little bit further at this point even quicker. I think he’ll be fine. And I think that he’ll be a good pitcher.”

“I think part of the thing that he did, to me, probably what happened is, which is unfortunate but it did, he did some winter time work this year, which was discussed with him which he did great, some pilates and all that type stuff. Really loosened up his hip. His delivery was free and easy. Probably overdid it a little bit that one day (he was hurt). But he was throwing hard earlier, but that’d be my instinct.

“He was getting out there and it probably irritated him a little bit at that point. Nobody knows for sure, I don’t really know what happened. I know he was throwing well all spring. I think he’ll be fine.”

Even if he misses the first month of the season, Price could still have a big fantasy impact in AL-only or mixed leagues. However, Price’s 2016 numbers are another reason for concern. In his first season in Boston last year, he pitched to a 3.99 ERA and allowed 30 home runs. He also had the second-worst WHIP (1.204) of his career. Price has averaged over 230 innings over the last three years and it could be catching up to him.

Advice: Proceed with caution, aka buy low. Save your money for a healthier arm. And, an arm not regularly facing the AL East.

Max Scherzer: It’s not uncommon for parents or mentors to tell a perceived underachiever to “knuckle down” or to “get serious”. But, Scherzer isn’t one of those people who needs verbal motivation and he certainly doesn’t want any non-medical advice concerning knuckles. Scherzer broke the knuckle of his ring finger last season but it wasn’t diagnosed until December.

The two-time Cy Young winner (Detroit, 2013, Washington, 2016) is arguably one of the three best pitchers in baseball. Scherzer couldn’t pick up a baseball until pitchers and catchers reported in mid-February, and even then he had to take it easy.

A month later, Scherzer has thrown batting practice and this past Sunday threw a two-inning simulated game. Nats’ manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Mike Maddux were happy with the results.

“He looked pretty sharp,” Baker said. “I didn’t get a velocity on him. I didn’t have a chance to talk to him after he threw, but he looked pretty good.”

Added pitching coach Maddux: “I thought Max looked really good. Threw all four pitches for strikes, had velocity and finish on the ball, no holdback. Liked everything we saw.”

Scherzer could miss Opening Day, but he may pitch in a Grapefruit League game this weekend. While the Nationals are being cautious, it appears that he shouldn’t miss too many regular season starts.

Advice: Go big in NL-only and mixed leagues.

Chris Tillman: In the ultra-competitive AL East, teams can’t afford to lose pitching depth.The Baltimore Orioles find themselves in that situation right now with their ace, Chris Tillman sidelined with shoulder inflammation. Tillman missed three weeks during the 2016 season with the issue and it cropped up again in December.

Doctors treated the issue with a platelet-rich plasma (click here to learn more about PRP) and Tillman received a cortisone injection a little over a week ago. Tillman, who also had a cortisone shot last August, cannot receive another injection of the steroid for six months.

Manager Buck Showalter doesn’t expect Tillman, who won’t be ready for Opening Day, to miss too much of the season. Of course, that is an optimistic point of view at the moment. Tillman threw over 200 innings in 2013 and 2014 but tossed 173 and 172 innings in the last two seasons, respectively. He won’t throw until Sunday, a full ten days since he received his cortisone shot.

Advice: Be semi-cautious in AL-only and mixed leagues. And, if you are in a league where you can bench players, you might want to sit Tillman in hitter-friendly Camden Yards. Tillman was much better on the road than at home last season.

Sonny Gray: The Oakland A’s righty struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness last season and has been dealing with a strained lat muscle this Spring. On Tuesday, Gray got the go-ahead to start throwing from 75 ft. after he received good news from an MRI scan.

Gray is the de facto ace of the A’s staff despite just 96 career starts. The Vanderbilt product was selected as the 18th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Gray threw only 117 innings last year topping 200 innings in his first two full seasons (2014-2015) in the Majors. Gray may be another the victim of too many innings too soon.

Though he finished third in the 2015 AL Cy Young voting, proceed with caution when it comes to Gray. He hasn’t built up enough of a resume to believe he won’t miss a number of starts to begin the season.

Advice: Buy low in AL-only and mixed leagues. Gray has been the subject of trade rumors since last season, so you don’t want to spend a lot in an AL-only league, only to see him shipped to the NL.

Carlos Carrasco: Had the Indians’ right-hander been healthy during the World Series, it might have been Cleveland that was celebrating the end of a long World Series drought.

In a mid-September game, the Tigers’ Ian Kinsler hit a comebacker that fractured Carrasco’s pitching hand and ended his regular season. He also missed a combined three weeks back in April and May with a hamstring injury.

Discomfort in his right elbow has caused Carrasco to get off to a slow start this year. When the medical staff found swelling in the elbow, Carrasco was shut down for a week. The prognosis came on the heels of a start in which Carrasco allowed eight runs in one inning of a Cactus League start.

The medical team checked him out recently and gave him the go ahead to throw a bullpen session last Saturday. He then received approval to make a minor league start this Monday. The Indians are not likely to rush him to be ready by Opening day but are optimistic he will start by mid-April.

Advice: Carrasco received better news in the last week. Buy medium-to-high in AL-only and mixed leagues. He’ll throw a complete clunker here and there but Carrasco is developing into one of the best pitchers in the AL.

Good luck in your drafts and remember: let the buyer beware!

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Dellin Betances has been named to the preliminary roster for Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Betances was one of 50 players who appear on this preliminary list. The 28-year-old is the only current Yankee who is on the list.

The World Baseball Classic is an attempt by Major League Baseball and the Players Association to help raise interest in the sport throughout the world. Some of the game’s top players will represent their country in this tournament, which will take place from March 9-22.

Team USA has had recent trouble getting commitments from some of the game’s top players, such as Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Although some big names aren’t willing to commit, Team USA is definitely not short of talent on their preliminary roster.

New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard joins Betances as the only New York players who are on the initial Team USA preliminary roster. Betances might not be the only Yankee taking part in these games, as it is possible that Didi Gregorius (Netherlands), Gary Sanchez (Dominican Republic) and Masahiro Tanaka (Japan) also represent their country.

Betances is well-deserving of making the final roster, as he has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball. The three-time All Star has made 70+ appearances over the past three seasons, and has been a lethal force out of the bullpen for the Bronx Bombers.

Some other notable players on the preliminary roster include Nolan Arenado, Jake Arrieta, Kris Bryant, Eric Hosmer, Jonathan Lucroy, Andrew Miller, Buster Posey, David Price, Max Scherzer and Giancarlo Stanton. Rosters do not have to be set until January, so the provisional list is subject to change.

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With the trade deadline a nearly three weeks away, the New York Yankees are keeping an eye on some possible trade candidates that could help them as they compete for another American League East division title.

#Yankees #Orioles #Bluejays had scouts in to watch Cueto last night #Reds

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 8, 2015

The Yankees were one of three teams in attendance to watch Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, as he completely dominated the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. Cueto pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and one walk, striking out 11 Nationals hitters.

Not only did he absolutely dominate, but he also out pitched Nationals’ Max Scherzer, who has been one of the best pitchers in the game over the last few weeks. With the win on Tuesday night, Cueto improved to 6-5 on the season with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts.

The 29-year-old is currently in the final year of his five year, $36.2 million dollar contract he signed back in 2011. With the Reds’ sitting 15 games back in the National League Central Division, the team might be willing to become sellers and trade their ace to a contender, especially if they are concerned about their chances of resigning him after the season is over.

With the Yankees needing help in regards to the starting rotation, it’s to no surprise that the Bronx Bombers are keeping their eye on Cueto. If the Yankees want to compete for the division title, they are going to need a top of the line starting pitcher to help anchor the rotation, and Cueto could definitely be that guy.

Of course, we can only speculate right now as to whether or not the Yankees are fully interested in Cueto’s services, but it definitely is something to keep an eye on as the trade deadline quickly approaches.

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Masahiro Tanaka (3-1, 2.76 ERA) gets the honors of facing off against Max Scherzer (6-4, 1.85 ERA) and the Nationals in game one of two at the stadium. Tanaka came off the DL to hold the Mariners to one run on three hits through seven innings and nine K’s. He has a 1.53 ERA in four career Interleague games. He is the first Yankees pitcher since 1914 to pitch at least six innings and not allow more than three hits and one run in each of his last three starts.

As we’ve said, his average velocity has been the same, it’s just maybe he hasn’t hit the 95, 96. I’m sure he feels good about it, and he feels better that he knows it’s there, but his average velocity was pretty similar. -Joe Girardi

Scherzer gave up four runs on six hits (two homers) through six innings against the Blue Jays. Despite giving up the runs, his ERA is still under 2.00. No Yankee bat is hitting above .250 against Scherzer. Stephen Drew has the most at bats with 14 and is hitting .143. Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira are both hitting .250 with 13 and 10 at bats respectively. Alex Rodriquez is 1-10 off the Cy Young winner and that one left the yard.

Tidbits:

This will be Bryce Harper’s first game at Yankee Stadium.

ARod is nine hits away from 3,000.

The Yanks have won six in a row.

7:05 pm on Yes.

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Winter Meetings come to a close today and there has been no shortage of storylines. Jon Lester finally made up his mind taking a 6 year $155 million deal from the Cubs, now the attention shifts to Max Scherzer. Scherzer is reportedly seeking a deal north of $200 million, is this too rich for the Yankees blood? After all, they have been burned by insanely steep contracts in the past; e.g. Arod, CC & Tex.

Scherzer’s agent Scott Boras, who knows a thing or two about the Yankees, stated Wednesday that Scherzer would give the Yankees a World Series caliber rotation. “I can’t predict what the Yankees are going to do, but a guy like Max fits in with their starting rotation to develop a World Series caliber set, similar to what they’ve had in the past.” He said that adding Scherzer would be similar to the Yankees of the 90’s who dominated for a decade. “You can find when Clemens was the number 1 or when Mussina was the number 1, Pettitte, they won a lot of world championships with that formula.”

With money tied up in CC and Tanaka, Cash might be a little leery of spending big again. But with Kuroda still undecided about pitching next season and Greene being traded to Detroit, the team needs starting pitching. Scherzer doesn’t have a lot of milage on his arm and he will be 30 until July, there is a lot of upside to bringing him to the Bronx. The Yankees m.o. has always been to spend big on big names, so why stop now?

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Sources tell Dan Pfeiffer, who writes for Rolling Thunder of the MLBlogs Network, is reporting that the Yankees have made an offer to free agent pitcher Max Scherzer. The exact numbers weren’t revealed but it is in the neighborhood of 6-7 years. Scherzer is coming off an 18-5 season and a 3.18 ERA. He is two years removed from winning the AL Cy Young award when he went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. In his 7 years in the Majors, he owns a 91-50 overall record with a 3.58 ERA.

Yankees fans have been on the ledge the entire offseason just waiting for the Yanks to make a move, this signing could be the first domino to fall. Scherzer would be a great addition to an already strong rotation that should feature a healthy Tanaka, Sabathia, Pineda and eventually Nova when he comes back from Tommy John.

Update 5:22 PM: A second source has told Dan Pfeiffer that while an offer was being prepared, it may not have been offered to Scherzer, or his agent Scott Boras, as of yet.

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