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Yankees Wise to Sell, Hit Home Run with Aroldis »
The New York Yankees are officially trade-deadline sellers. They announced as much by shipping hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, per Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball. It's an unfamiliar position for the big-spending Yanks, who are typically in the business of adding veteran pieces and keeping the switch flipped [...]
Is 2009 or 2014 Spending Spree More to Blame for »
Zero. That's how many dollars the New York Yankees spent on major league free agents this winter. Considering they've got MLB's second-highest payroll and a well-earned reputation for cutting cartoonish checks, that's sort of a big deal. What gives? For one, New York is still recovering from a pair of recent spending sprees that added [...]
Rob Manfred Takes Stand on Domestic Violence with »
New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has been suspended 30 games by Major League Baseball for his alleged involvement in a widely publicized domestic violence incident, as first reported by Billy Witz of the New York Times. The bigger news, though, is that MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred have taken a strong and unambiguous stand against [...]
Cuban Star Yulieski Gourriel Is High-Upside Risk »
The New York Yankees made the biggest splash of their otherwise subdued offseason when they acquired a Cuban-born player. That'd be flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman, whom they netted in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. Now, with spring training so close you can smell the sunscreen and fresh-cut grass, the Yanks can grab another game-changing [...]
New York Yankees’ Miller, Gardner Trade Leverage »
Good things come to those who wait. When it comes to cashing in their trade assets, that should be the New York Yankees' guiding dogma. All winter, trade whispers have swirled around Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and reliever Andrew Miller. Yet even as they acquired outfielder Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins and flame-throwing closer [...]
How the Yankees Can Turn Brett Gardner into a Key »
The New York Yankees need starting pitching. That's not breaking news, but it's an undeniable truth. They can get it by spending on the open market, which would be the classic Yankee Way. Or they could get creative on the trading block, which might be the Yankee Way 2.0. If they go the trade route, here's a name the Yanks and general manager Brian [...]
AL Wild Card Game 2015: Yankees vs. Astros Breakdown »
It took exactly 162 games to get here, but the matchup for the 2015 American League Wild Card Game is set. The Houston Astros will visit the New York Yankees for a do-or-die showdown on Tuesday (8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN) with a trip to the division series on the line. The Yankees (87-75) haven't been to the playoffs since 2012, while the Astros [...]
CC Sabathia’s Recent Return to Form Could Pay »
How huge (pun sort of intended) would some vintage CC Sabathia be for the New York Yankees down the stretch? Yes, the hulking left-hander sports a less-than-stellar 4.80 ERA. And yes, he's an injury-plagued 35-year-old with a creaky right knee. After two straight solid starts by the six-time All-Star and 2007 American League Cy Young-winner, [...]
Pressure Now on Alex Rodriguez to Shake Slump, Carry »
When the season began, Alex Rodriguez was an enigma. Then, suddenly, he was an offensive force. Now, as we enter the stretch run, the New York Yankees need him to be a savior. Sure, if the season were to end today, the Yankees would host the American League Wild Card Game, their first dip into the postseason since 2012. But New York is well [...]
Has Nathan Eovaldi Surpassed Masahiro Tanaka as »
If the New York Yankees' starting rotation were an '80s sitcom, it'd be titled Who's the Ace? And while Masahiro Tanaka might seem like the obvious answer—the Tony Danza character, if you will—Nathan Eovaldi is making his case. Eovaldi has pitched into the sixth inning or later in 11 of his last 13 starts and allowed two earned [...]