Author Archive
Yankees’ Closer Experiment Should Become the »
After nearly 20 years of going with a single closer, the New York Yankees, of all teams, don't have one in 2015. At least, not officially. What in the name of Mariano Rivera is going on? That's right: Yankees manager Joe Girardi essentially has declined, on multiple occasions, to name a closer, even though the end of April is approaching and the [...]
Grading, Analyzing Alex Rodriguez’s Spring »
A number of hot topics have since taken over Major League Baseball's headlines more recently, including Kris Bryant's demotion, Josh Hamilton's relapse, season-ending injuries to Yu Darvish, Zack Wheeler and Marcus Stroman and Pete Rose's appeal for reinstatement. But for a moment, think back to the very start of spring training. What was the [...]
Is Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela the Yankees’ »
Not long ago, second base for the New York Yankees was as stable, consistent and productive as any position on any team in Major League Baseball. These days, it's anything but. The keystone has become a key question mark for the Yankees ever since Robinson Cano—the last true star position player the club has drafted or [...]
Will Yankees Resist Urge to Gut Emerging Farm for »
Don't look now, but the New York Yankees have behaved a little differently this winter. Actually, they've behaved exactly how they said they would. At the outset of the offseason, general manager Brian Cashman indicated the Yankees likely would not be in on any of the big-money free agents, like Max Scherzer, James Shields, Hanley Ramirez and [...]
2015 Yankees Could Be Perfect Fit for 6-Man Rotation »
The six-man rotation is sort of like the Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster of Major League Baseball. It's talked about but doesn't really exist. But unlike Sasquatch or Nessy, a baseball team putting together a batch of six starting pitchers actually could come to fruition. While it flies in the face of convention—five-man rotations have become [...]
Can Alex Rodriguez Still Be Impact Bat with DH-Only »
There's fewer than 60 days until pitchers and catchers report, which means there's less than two months until the Alex Rodriguez circus begins again for the New York Yankees. It's been a while since the embattled Rodriguez last was a regular topic of discussion and debate in baseball circles, let alone a daily one, as he surely will be come Feb. [...]
Yankees Need Yoan Moncada Signing to Continue to Build »
The New York Yankees need Yoan Moncada, the next Cuban sensation readying to make his way to Major League Baseball. And they need him for oh-so-many reasons. Moncada, in case you haven't been paying attention, defected from his native Cuba and established residency in Guatemala, where he held a showcase workout for teams in mid-November. He [...]
Are the Yankees Headed for a 3rd Straight Year Without »
For almost two decades, the New York Yankees making the playoffs was more or less a given. That's a reputation and an expectation that materializes when, from 1995 through 2012, a team falls short only one time (in 2008). But in going 84-78 last season—one game worse than their mark in 2013, by the way—the Yankees missed out on October [...]
Are Yankees Quietly Looking Ahead to Next Year’s »
It's hard to get a handle on the New York Yankees' intentions this offseason. They apparently want to avoid spending major money for a second straight winter, while at the same time, they're also aiming to improve and avoid a third consecutive year without reaching the playoffs.On one hand, there are recent reports linking the Yankees to Max [...]
Time for Yankees Universe to Give Up on Troy »
In many ways, for many reasons, the New York Yankees trading for Troy Tulowitzki makes sense. After all, they're the major-market, deep-pocketed, All-Star-obtaining Yankees, and in 2015, they'll be embarking on their first season sans shortstop, captain and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. How to fill a hole that has been occupied by the face of [...]