Clayton Kershaw and Matt Harvey Impressive This Spring, Justin Verlander and Nick Swisher Starting the Season on the DL and More

Kershaw had a 1.61 ERA this spring. He gave up just 15 hits and struck out 22 in 22 1-3 innings this spring.

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Kershaw, the 2014 National League MVP and Cy Young Award winner, threw 45 pitches while facing 11 batters and gave up one hit and an unearned run. He’ll next face the San Diego Padres on April 6.

Kershaw says he, physically, felt good this spring, but lacked the command that he desired. Still, if the spring is any indication, he appears to be headed towards another typical, Kershaw-type season.

Image Credit: AP Photo | Jeff Roberson

As he sat out last year after having Tommy John surgery, Matt Harvey missed the subtle parts of being a professional baseball player, like being around his teammates for trips like these. Spring training can be grueling, but Harvey embraced the minutiae this year with a smile, perhaps because his comeback has gone so well.

He pitched well, again, in his sixth and final spring start Thursday, throwing four scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals to lower his exhibition-season E.R.A. to 1.19.

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New Balance announced a multiyear endorsement deal with Cano in a Thursday press release. As part of the deal, New Balance will provide Cano with shoes and apparel both on and off the field. They will also outfit children attending Cano’s RC22 Dream School, which is scheduled to open this fall in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

New Balance also released the first images of the custom 3000v2 baseball spike they designed for Cano, which features a Mariners color scheme, Cano’s number, personal logo and references to his family, including his grandfather Olividio, who died last month after a yearlong battle with lung cancer.

Cano joins a rapidly growing roster of All-Star athletes at New Balance. For the 2015 season, 530 professional players will sport New Balance cleats each time they take the field. This list includes All Stars Miguel Cabrera, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Jonathan Lucroy, RA Dickey, Evan Longoria, Salvador Perez, Jose Bautista, Yadier Molina, and Hanley Ramirez.

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The Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus announced that Justin Verlander will start the 2015 season on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, because of a triceps strain. Reliever Bruce Rondon is also will start the season on the 15-day DL, with biceps tendinitis.

Verlander is expected to stay in Lakeland to continue throwing. He is optimistic that he'll be able to make his season debut April 12, against the Cleveland Indians.

"It just works out that it allows the team to have an extra bullpen guy," Verlander said of his first stint on the DL. "You know, it's kind of a crappy way to have it go, but it helps the team so … "

This season starts the $28-million part of Verlander's contract. He signed an extension in spring 2013 that replaced two existing years at $20 million apiece and added five more years (2015-19) at $28 million apiece.

"His arm will let us know when he can get back on the mound," Ausmus said. "Cautiously optimistic he'll get back on the mound Saturday or Sunday."

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Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez are, without question, "the best rotation in the game," said Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jeff Francoeur. The only question is the order of the five, which is what makes it so special, so potentially dominant.

Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo had to forfeit the Nats first round pick in this summer’s MLB draft with the signing of free agent supreme Max Scherzer, a steal of a deal indeed. What now? Holdovers Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister stand to be free agents at the end of this season and will be very pricy. With six proven starters and only five spots in a rotation, a deal appears to be looming.

Even before the Nats added the top free agent in the game, they possessed the top rotation in baseball. Four starters were among the top-16 in ERA in the National League. In case you are wondering, Gio was the only member not among the league leaders. In a staff of aces, Zimmermann wrapped up the 2014 season with a no-no, Fister walked only 24 batters in 164 innings, Tanner Roark was one of the biggest breakout, success stories last season and then there is Stephen Strasburg.

"I've never seen anything like this,'' said veteran second baseman Dan Uggla, who is in camp with the Nationals. "In 2012, this team really started something by getting Gio, then adding Fister. And they keep doing things to make it even better. But this is just crazy.''

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The Padres were terrible last season, even by their standards. Not only did they finish below .500 for the fourth straight year, but they were dead last in every significant offensive category.It's one thing to be bad. But when you’re in the entertainment business, like the Padres, losing can't be matched by dullness.

Sadly for the fans, the team excelled in both of those categories, which explains why the Padres’ owners did a makeover of historic proportions.

A new ace in James Shields joins an already strong rotation. Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Wil Myers make for a brand new power-hitting outfield. Derek Norris is now catching. Newcomers Yangervis Solarte and Will Middlebrooks have had great springs as they compete at third base.

Setting the transformation in motion was the hiring of General Manager A.J. Preller on Aug. 6. A first-time GM, Preller spent the end of last season getting a feel for the under-performing roster.

The players he went out and got were a cut above — and better paid — than the Padres of old. This year’s payroll will be around $100 million, about $10 million more than in 2014.

Image Credit: Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Dellin Betances, who burst onto the scene last year with the Yankees throwing 90 innings with a 1.40 ERA, has run into a little trouble this spring with a 6.75 ERA. 

He says he's a slow starter but a few mechanical issues are keeping him from producing the results of a year ago.

"It's just one small adjustment," Betances said. "I feel like I'm drifting too much with both my fastball and off-speed [pitches] and that's causing me to leave the ball up at times, and the breaking ball not being as sharp at times."

Through just seven innings of work this spring Betances has allowed five earned runs on eight hits while striking out six but walking five.

"I'm going to get stronger," he said. "I just feel like my command in spring hasn't been where it needs to be."

The Yankees are still trying to figure out their closer role. Betances and Andrew Miller will, for now, double-team the role until manager Joe Girardi decides who is a better fit. Miller was signed from Baltimore in the offseason to a four-year, $36 million deal.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Yankees Acquire Gregorio Petit, Pedro Martinez's Take on Masahiro Tanaka, Update on Aroldis Chapman's Injury, and Kris Bryant Gets Sent to the AAA

When Brendan Ryan (the back up for the injured Didi Gregorious) went down with an injury in Wednesday's spring training game, the Yankees didn't have much of a backup plan for their backup shortstop. An MRI revealed that Ryan had a Grade 2 right calf strain, which should keep him out of action for at least a month. As Tanya noted earlier, there weren't many internal options to fill Ryan's role. So Brian Cashman made a deal with the Astros to bring infielder Gregorio Petit aboard for cash.

Image Credit: David J. Phillip

At bat, Petit might fare better than Ryan hitting anyway, as he hit .278/.300/.423 with 10 extra-base hits and a 104 wRC+ in 100 plate appearances for the Astros in 2014. At Triple-A Oklahoma City, he fared just fine as well, hitting .297/.340/.457 with an identical 104 wRC+.

Count Pedro Martinez among those who think there’s something wrong with Masahiro Tanaka. The Hall of Famer said Wednesday he believes Tanaka has been holding back on most of his pitches in spring training and predicted the Yankee ace won’t get through the season intact.

So when he says that Masahiro Tanaka doesn't look right, it might be worth listening. After missing 10 weeks last season with a torn ligament in his elbow, Tanaka is trying to return to ace form. Martinez says he won't make it.

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“I don’t see him healthy all year,” Martinez told Adam Schein on Sirius/XM's Mad Dog Radio. “And I don’t see him healthy right now. I’ll be brave enough to say he’s not completely healthy right now.”

Losing Tanaka would be critical, said Martinez. He calls the pitcher “the biggest key for the Yankees. I don’t think they can afford to lose Tanaka.”

Still, some wonder if his elbow could blow out at any time. The Yankees have talked this spring about getting him extra rest when they can. In a shaky Yankees rotation, it is crucial that Tanaka remains healthy.

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Reds closer Aroldis Chapman left Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers with a right hamstring issue.

"We went out there to check on him and the hamstring came up, and just with that history we were extra cautious," manager Bryan Price said. "And by the sounds of it, it may be a non-issue completely."

Chapman called out catcher Brayan Pena to talk after getting Jean Segura to ground out in the fifth inning. Trainer Paul Lessard, manager Bryan Price and pitching coach Jeff Pico then came onto the field. Chapman threw a few warm-up pitches, but after a long discussion, he was taken out of the game.

Chapman was visibly upset with Price when he decided to remove him from the game after facing just one batter.

"By the time the smoke cleared, Chappy was back in the dugout and Brayan got back in the dugout after the half-inning, I just think there might've been a misunderstanding," Price said. "So it's fine. It's frustrating for Chappy but in the big picture, nothing critical."

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Kris Bryant's at-bats became a must watch -- and that's saying something for spring training. He hit home runs off of fastballs and off-speed pitches both high and low, inside and outside the strike zone. And he hit them to all parts of the ballpark. His best may have come on a sinker away in one game, a pitch he's had problems with in the past.

To the chagrin of many fantasy owners and Cubs fans, third baseman Kris Bryant has been reassigned to the Chicago Cubs’ minor league camp despite hitting .425 in spring training with nine homers and 15 RBIs in 40 at-bats.

Preparing for its first season under manager Joe Maddon, the Cubs also optioned second baseman Javy Baez to Triple-A Iowa and reassigned shortstop Addison Russell were assigned to minor league camp.The demotion of Bryant was expected but much more controversial.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

A-Rod's Good Day at 1B, an Update on Mark Teixeira's Injury, and Another Impressive Outing from Nathan Eovaldi

The Alex Rodriguez-to-first base experiment will last beyond Sunday. In fact, it might happen again this week.

Image Credit: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he liked what he saw from Rodriguez in his first three innings of his career at first base in a 7-0 win over the Astros at Osceola County Stadium. He believed he could plug Rodriguez, who went errorless in three chances, into the position in the regular season if needed.

"It's not something we're looking to do," Girardi said. "But if something happens to one of our other guys, I would feel comfortable throwing him out there. I think he would handle it just fine."

Girardi added that he was impressed with the backhanded play A-Rod made on an Evan Gattis sharp grounder to end the second inning. Rodriguez momentarily bobbled the ball before firing it to starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi at first base for the out.

"That was a very uncomfortable play, that’s for sure," Rodriguez said. "Kind of an in-between hop for a righthander. I’m just glad we got a guy out. I felt like a quarterback hitting my tight end on the run. I’ve never done that before. It felt good. It was fun. It was quite interesting, after 20 years to see the game through a totally different lens. It was pretty cool."

Rodriguez had seen very limited work at first base recently, though all spring Girardi has said he'd like to consider him a third-string option there. Starter Mark Texieria has been healthy almost all spring - except for Sunday, when a pitch hit him in a minor league game and bruised his knee. And Garrett Jones will be Teixeira's primary backup, Girardi has said.

Image Credit: Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News 

Teixeira was the designated hitter in a game between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Trenton when a ball struck his kneecap. He went into a kneeling position in front of the plate after being hit by the fourth-inning pitch. He left the field with a limp, which was gone by the time he reached Steinbrenner Field.

After he returned to Steinbrenner Field from the minor league complex, Teixeira said he was "fine." He said no tests were planned. 

He won't play until Wednesday, manager Joe GIrardi said. "Hopefully it was nothing," Girardi said. "He got hit on the side of the leg here. Hopefully it's nothing. I left him back there so he wouldn't have to make a long road trip back here and that didn't work out so well."

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Nathan Eovaldi continued to show to impress on Sunday with a live fastball and a developing splitter. He held the Houston Astros to one hit (Jed Lowrie's second-inning double) in the first 3-1/3 innings. He allowed two singles in the fourth and both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Eovaldi then quelled the threat with two fly outs. He got the first two hitters of the fifth inning and he was done, the only negative being that he needed 89 pitches to get there. Through three starts, his spring ERA is 0.66, he has struck out 14 in 13-2/3 innings and most impressively, has yet to walk a batter.

"All of my pitches are working really well right now. I’ve just got to work on rushing to the plate," said Eovaldi, who was not as thrilled about his high pitch count.

"I worked a lot of 3-2 counts. It was just tough for me to put them away," he said. "I felt like they were fouling off every pitch. I felt like I’d get ahead 1-2, 0-2 and then they’d work the count 3-2. It’s important to me to be able to put them away with one or two pitches."

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Alex Rodriguez to Debut at 1B Sunday, Mark Teixeira's New Diet, and David Ortiz Fights Steroid Allegations Once Again.

On Sunday, Alex Rodriguez will play first base in a major-league ballgame -- in fact, in a ballgame at any level -- for the first time in his life.

Image Credit: Corey Sipkin/ New York Daily News

"I'm excited about it," he said. "I told Joe [Girardi] to really keep a close eye on me. He said he will."

Rodriguez has taken a few grounders at first this spring, and earlier this week Girardi said he worked on some of the finer points of the position, such as where to go on relays from the outfield and how to defense the bunt. But in truth, Rodriguez has only scratched the surface of learning the position; his brand-new first baseman's glove is still being broken in for him by a clubbie.

"I haven't even started to learn," he said. "I've done a few things. I'll tell you about it after [the game]."

Rodriguez has had a pretty good spring at the plate (.303, 2 HRs, 3 RBI), is the  third option at first base, behind Mark Teixeira and backup Garrett Jones. Mainly, his responsibilities will be to DH and play a little third base to give Chase Headley a day off now and then.

Image Credit: Associated Press

According to Mark Teixeira, he lost 13 pounds of fat and added 15 pounds of muscle this offseason in hopes to stay healthy and get back to his old production.

“Last year was really, really difficult, physically and mentally,’’ said Teixeira, who was limited to 123 games due to a lingering right wrist problem as well as a back injury. “I felt like garbage all season. When you are feeling like that and trying to perform, you get beaten down and you wonder, ‘Am I ever going to be the same?’ This offseason I asked my body to do a lot of things, and it responded. That’s the exciting thing, everything I wanted to accomplish I did, and I feel great going into the season.’’

So the latest cure-all, the latest bid to get back to the 30-home run, 100-RBI plateaus that Teixeira has been chasing since he last reached them in 2011, is diet. This winter, he hired a new trainer and embarked on a quest to reduce inflammation in his body via the food he eats.

“I think the diet was a big thing; I had a really high inflammatory diet,” Teixeira said. “When I told my trainer I had three cortisone shots in my wrist and two in my back, he said, ‘It sounds like you have a lot of inflammation in your body.’ Hopefully taking care of those type of things, the aches and pains, the little muscle pulls and the inflammation in your joints, hopefully those things go away.”

With that goal in mind, Teixeira did away with foods containing dairy, gluten or sugar—he calls it the “no-fun diet”—and replaced those perceived offenders with leaner foods like bison and salmon. It’s a variation on a health movement known as “elimination diets,” wherein entire food groups are cut out in an effort to avoid either their fattening or inflammatory effects.

“No gluten, no dairy, no sugar,’’ Teixeira said of the diet Prentiss suggested to curb the inflammation running through Teixeira’s body. “We attacked all those things I have been having and I got myself really strong. I feel really strong. I was weaker than I had ever been in my entire career last year.’’

I think I can speak for all Yankee fans when I say that it would be great to see Tex get back to his old- 30 home run-100 RBI form.

Image Credit: thebiglead.com

For whatever reason, David Ortiz decided the dog days of spring training in 2015 were the right time to take on the topic of his suspected steroid past again, seemingly throwing some caution to the wind while laying out his timeline of events, as well as some other inaccuracies that pepper his  2,396-word piece at The Players' Tribune.

He wrote, “I never knowingly took any steroids.’’ This is the old Barry Bonds defense. The word “knowingly” is an indicator of ignorance. You are a professional athlete. It’s up to you to know what you are taking. Don’t use the ignorance defense.

“In some people’s minds, I will always be considered a cheater,” Ortiz writes. “And that’s bull****. Mark my words: Nobody in MLB history has been tested for PEDs more than me. You know how many times I’ve been tested since 2004? More than 80. They say these tests are random. If it’s really random, I should start playing the damn lottery. Some people still think the testing is a joke. It’s no joke. Ten times a season these guys come into the clubhouse or my home with their briefcases. I have never failed a single one of those tests and I never will.”

Those are the bold, harsh, and defiant words from Ortiz, who probably doesn’t want it pointed out that Alex Rodriguez has never failed an MLB drug test under those parameters either. For all their profane bravado, Ortiz's words managed to do little to silence his critics. If he accomplished anything, it may have opened old wounds and invited further question of his motives.

Ortiz’s name was linked to performance-enhancing drugs in 2009, when The New York Times reported that he and former teammate Manny Ramirez were among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players to test positive for illicit substances in 2003. Ortiz has varied his handling of the topic over the years, from vehemently pledging to get to the bottom of it six years ago, to ignoring the accusations outright, to coming out guns blazing at a time when nobody was publicly pressing the issue.

It's baffling as to why Ortiz felt the need to bring up such a controversial issue when nobody was talking about it. Is this an indicator of guilt? Or is he that desperate to clear his PED tarnished name?

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

José Pirela Injury, Stephen Drew Still Struggles, and Roy Halladay Isn't a Fan of A-Rod

One of the New York Yankees' top prospects José Pirela sustained a concussion after crashing into the center-field wall on a play in the first inning that ended up an inside-the-park home run for the New York Mets' Juan Lagares.

Image Credit: (John Bazemore | AP)

Pirela, who complained of dizziness, was taken by ambulance from the complex to Tradition Medical Center, where a brain CT scan and a cervical MRI both came back negative and he was released from the hospital. But he does have a concussion, the Yankees tweeted. He will be out an indefinite period.

With manager Joe Girardi looking on earlier Sunday, a Yankees trainer examined Pirela, a versatile 25-year-old who has played several positions this spring. Pirela was able to walk and was helped into a golf cart.

Pirela had been hot this spring, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with three doubles and two triples; he was appearing to play himself into the lineup, especially with the Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury out with an abdominal injury.

Pirela played briefly with the Yankees last year after being called up. He collected eight hits in 24 at-bats.

"You just don't know. Some guys respond quicker than others. You wouldn't think a second baseman has had a significant number [of concussions] like a catcher, so sometimes the response is quicker. We have to wait and see. I hope not," he said.

He also went on to say how valuable Pirela is and what he could provide for the Yankees. 

"He provides excitement with his speed, and we're moving him all around. We think he could possibly help us in a lot of different spots," Girardi said. "That makes a player very valuable when he can play four or five different spots on a field. That flexibility is a great thing to have."

José Pirela clearly seems to be a way better option than the current situation at second base Stephen Drew. 

Image Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Drew, who batted .162 last year for Boston and the Yankees, is hitting .161 this spring, after going 0 for 3 and striking out twice on Sunday.

Image ​Credit: baseball-reference.com

The Yanks have made clear that Drew is not competing for the second base job. He will be the Opening Day second baseman. But with the experts seeing a slow bat and wondering if the 32-year-old Drew is shot, you wonder if we’ll see Jose Pirela or Rob Refsnyder before summer.

"We signed him to be our second baseman," Girardi said. "Our plan for it is to be Stephen." 

He asked to play second base, a position he had never played much, having been a shortstop all of his career. In the first home game last week in spring Drew booted the first ball hit to him. He said afterwards he's still learning the right angles to take to the ball and that he's still getting comfortable playing the position. 

In the view of most scouts, Pirela is already far more deserving -- although the buzz on him accumulated before Sunday’s ugly concussion, which makes his immediate future uncertain. As for Refsnyder, expect defense closer to Daniel Murphy levels: Competent, but not exactly smooth. Pirela is more nimble and versatile.

One player that surprisingly has not been a disappointment this spring training is Alex Rodriguez, who is currently fighting for a spot on the Yankees as a DH. He has been having a decent spring training for a guy who didn't play at all during the 2014 season.

Image Credit: baseball-reference.com

But while many people have been pleasantly surprised with A-Rod, some people have not forgotten what he has done and continue to take jabs at him. You would like to say this little tweet by retired former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay was all in fun, but it was a needless, direct shot. Anyway, even with Alex Rodriguez on his best behavior, Halladay chose to take a dig at No. 13.

Image Credit: twitter.com/RoyHalladay

Then he followed that up with another Tweet:

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Seems like someone was getting feisty on social media in their retirement. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Chase Headley Making a Statement During Spring Training

Opening Day is still nearly four weeks away, but Chase Headley has taken a regular-season approach to the plate during spring training. 

Image Credit: Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News

Headley hit his second home run of Spring Training against the Phillies, finishing 1-3. He now has a 1.080 OPS this spring.

The 30-year-old Headley was signed to a four-year, $52 million contract in the offseason after playing 58 games with the Yankees last season, hitting .262. The former Padre will stick at third base as long as he's healthy in 2015; Alex Rodriguez will back him up but should only play in emergency situations.

Words like leader, sincere and disciplined follow him. “A real grinder,” said General Manager Brian Cashman, who compared Headley to Scott Brosius, the third baseman who won three World Series with the Yankees.

Headley's one of three every-day switch-hitters in the Yankees' lineup, a boost for Girardi to plug in either he, Mark Teixeira or Carlos Beltran into the lineup. On Tuesday, the combination of pitchers used by the Orioles had his hitters switching sides every other at-bat.

“It’s tough to figure out what you’re trying to do early,” Headley said. “You really want to see pitches, track the ball good out of the pitchers’ hands. I didn’t feel very good doing that, wasn’t seeing them like I wanted to, so I figured today I’d be a little bit more aggressive, try to take it a little more like regular-season at-bats. I think that put my rhythm and timing in better spots. It was good. It doesn’t mean a whole lot, but you want to get hits.”

Headley says his right-handed swing is typically ahead of his left (he throws right) but this year's not quite been the case.

"Being a switch hitter, that's the life of it," he said. "You're always fighting one side or another...generally the right-handed comes a little bit quicker but this year maybe a little bit the opposite."

-- 

Christine O'Connor

Latest on the Yankees; a Look at Spring Training, A-Rod, Gardner, the Bullpen, and more.

Between spring training games, the A-Rod spectacle, significant questions floating around and statements Sent from my iPhone

For most teams, spring training is a time when players compete for a roster spot. The biggest competition in Yankees camp this year is which roster spot should cause the most concern.

Take the day Alex Rodriguez attracted all the attention for his spring debut. Obviously, what remains of his ability will be one of the most scrutinized issues all spring and for the entire season.

Image Credit: www.springtrainingconnection.com

There hasn't been much discussion on whether CC Sabathia can rebound from the worst year of his career. Or if an apparently healthy Michael Pineda has regained the consistency and stamina to provide more than year's 76 stellar innings.

Masahiro Tanaka, with the seven-year, $155 million contract he signed before last season, is the Yankees one legitimate chance for a dominant ace at the top of the rotation. He was 11-1 with a 1.99 earned run average in mid-June last year. He reported elbow pain after July start in Cleveland, but counting the three outings before that one through the two he made in a September bid to check the progress of his ongoing rehab project, he was 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA. 

Tanaka says he's been building his strength, continuing the treatment that includes platelet-rich plasma injections and expects to start a spring game next week. If this doesn't work, especially if it takes a bit longer to decide he's not beating the odds that catch up to most pitchers trying to rehab a partial tear, Tanaka could be nearly halfway through the contract before he pitches again.

Image Credit: (Lynne Sladky | AP)

While Alex Rodriguez has been getting back to form, what his time in Tampa will not tell is if he is ready for regular-season major league at-bats. This is a man who didn't look like A-Rod we knew when we saw him in a batter’s box, and then he took a full year off, plus he’s had two hip surgeries and will turn 40 this summer. So unless he is completely overmatched during the Grapefruit League, it won’t be possible to make an accurate judgment.

So, if we learned anything over Rodriguez’s first 12 days at Yankees camp, it is that he is just as curious as all of us to find out how he matches up with other major leaguers at this point in his career.

Amid the worries, there have been some positive finds during spring training. 

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Image Credit: nydailynews.com

While the current crop is no "Core Four," there might finally be some decent position player prospects on the near horizon for the Yankees. Three of the best, second baseman Rob Refsnyder, first baseman Greg Bird, and outfielder Aaron Judge, are making strong impressions in big league camp, and Refsnyder could possibly open the season in the majors.   

With only Stephen Drew standing in his way, Refsnyder has a decent chance of winning the Yankees’ second base job at some point in the near future. On Friday, Refsnyder continued his hot hitting against the Phillies and looks like a guy who should bat .275 or better in the majors. With a compact swing, good plate discipline, and plus bat speed, Refsnyder has all the tools to be solid No. 2 hitter in a big league lineup. He doesn’t have much power and isn’t a big base-stealing threat, but he’s a guy who could contribute batting average, runs, and RBI in the majors as soon as this year. 

 

Bird’s future is a little less certain. He’s limited defensively and has had a history of back injuries. On the plus side, he has good power, above-average plate discipline, and a smoother, shorter swing than most players his size. Bird has handled everything he’s seen thus far in big league camp and hasn’t been phased by quality pitching in the at-bats I’ve observed. Here in spring camp, he’s demonstrated a patient approach, used the whole field, and punished the mistakes he’s gotten. Bird will likely return to Double-A to begin the season, but he’s starting to look like he might be the Yankees first baseman of the future. If he continues to develop, a .270-20-90 line is within reach.   

 

Judge is the furthest from the majors, having split last season between Low-A and High-A. He can still get beaten by quality stuff, but his excellent plate discipline and simple swing will help keep his batting average in the .270 range. Judge has huge raw power, but he doesn’t sell out for home runs during at-bats. As he matures, that power could start to show up in games, making him an intriguing prospect who profiles as anything from a fourth outfielder to a power-hitting right fielder with 25-plus home run pop. While he’s not there yet, Judge is definitely a guy to track.

Image Credit: cbssports.com 

The New York Yankees have officially had 16 Captains in their history, names ranging from Babe Ruth to Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson to Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly to Derek Jeter.

In an appearance on The Mike Lupica Show on ESPN Radio 98.7 FM on Thursday afternoon, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that when Jeter's No. 2 is eventually retired, the Yankees' captaincy should be retired as well.

"I think Derek did it as well as anyone can,'' Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. "He wore it well, and I'm not a big advocate of giving out the captaincy anyway. I'm not going to recommend anyone being named captain of the New York Yankees right away.''

Jeter was named captain in 2003, eight years after Mattingly retired, and he held the title until his retirement at the end of last season. Among the current Yankees who could be considered possible successors to Jeter are Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira, Chase Headley, Brett Gardner and Alex Rodriguez.

While there isn't a rush to name a captain, there should be a time in the future that a leader emerges in the clubhouse. 

While the theme for this season seems to be uncertainty, the Yankees may be able to put something together and hopefully will make it to playoffs this season. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

CC Sabathia Looking To Make a Big Return This Season

CC Sabathia threw his first outdoor bullpen session Saturday, and hopes to be on a mound a lot more this season.

C.C. Sabathia weighed in at Spring Training for the Yankees at 305 pounds. The former Cy Young winner hopes that this weight will fuel the charge at making a big comeback after injury problems last year. 

Image Credit: DeadSpin.com

Joe Girardi signed off on this bigger Sabathia, with the Yankees' doctor and trainers setting a target weight that's still below what he weighed in Cleveland, but one they expect will put less wear and tear on that knee.

Sabathia lost a huge amount of weight two years ago. He weighed around 275 pounds, the lightest he has ever been. This proved to be a bad decision as Sabathia posted the worst numbers of his career.

Then in 2014, he was placed on the disabled list for the majority of the season because of an injury. But gaining some of that weight back makes Sabathia think he is really going to bounce back. After all, he did win a Cy Young when he was at this same weight back in 2007 when he was with the Indians.

Sabathia's knee condition is degenerative, so it's only going to get worse. He admitted he's needed three platelet-rich plasma injections to get him ready for spring training. He's 34 years old, but he's been remarkably durable throughout his career—which has always been one of his strengths—and racked up more than 2,800 innings, third most among active players.

Now 34 years old, Sabathia has had a rough two years, owning a 4.87 ERA in 257 innings since the start of the 2013 season. Though Sabathia admitted he’ll likely never completely overcome his degenerative knee condition, he’ll try to be productive in the middle of the Yankees’ starting rotation behind Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda.

Sabathia will have plenty of time to get his stuff back as the Yankees tee off against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 6th. Manager Joe Girardi will need Sabathia to produce like he has in years past if the Yankees plan on making the playoffs.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Alex Rodriguez Says Sorry

In a hour and a half meeting at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, Alex Rodriguez apologized to New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and team executives for his suspension for performance-enhancing drug use and the inappropriate behavior he exhibited in attempt to defend himself. 

A joint statement was issued on behalf of four key Yankees executives as well as Rodriguez and his legal counsel.

Image Credit: hellogiggles.com

"Today we held a meeting at Yankee Stadium between Hal Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, Brian Cashman, Jean Afterman, Alex Rodriguez and (legal counsel) Jim Sharp," the statement read. "Alex initiated the meeting and apologized to the organization for his actions over the past several years."

A-Rod was suspended without pay for the entire 2014 season for his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The suspension was ultimately reduced to 162 games, or the length of a complete baseball season.

A-Rod was then was out of the spotlight. He appeared at a couple of sporting events and took to social media a couple of times, but he remained quiet. Rodriguez dropped his lawsuits against the players' union and the Yankees' medical staff. He stopped giving obnoxious interviews proclaiming his innocence in the wake of a massive investigation that found him guilty of using performance enhancing drugs from the Biogenesis clinic in Miami.

Yankees pitchers and catchers must report for spring training in Tampa on Feb. 20, and position players such as Rodriguez have a reporting date of Feb. 26. The Yankees reportedly told the 20-year veteran to schedule a press conference before then, in order to clear the air as much as possible before re-joining the team.

The Yankees owe Rodriguez $61 million over the next three seasons, not counting the potential home run bonus money. They signed Chase Headley for four years and $52 million to play Rodriguez's position of third base. The general idea is that A-Rod will be the DH if he shows that he can still keep up with fastballs at 40 years old. 

Some of Rodriguez's teammates such as Ivan Nova and Dellin Betances have spoken out and showed their support for the fellow Yankee. If his teammates can support him, Yankees fans should be able to rally behind him, especially after a season with such an offensive struggle. A-Rod wants to prove himself and earn those home run bonuses. The Yankees organization should support him and keep the incentives on the table in order to boost the offense. 

"He's going to be there (in spring training)," Hal Steinbrenner said during last month's owners' meetings. "And if Alex is Alex, he'll show up in shape; he always does. There certainly are some unknowns for all of us, including him. His age. Two surgeries. We'll just have to see. He'll be there, but the situation is the situation. We just need to concentrate on keeping him healthy, and he needs to concentrate on staying healthy, and we'll go from there."

If A-Rod sees support from Yankees fans, teammates and the organization, that might be the motivation he needs to get back to his old ways.

 #FORG1V3

Article by: Christine O'Connor

Twitter: @ChristineeeeO

Are The Yankees Done Spending This Off Season?

Article by: Christine O'Connor

Twitter: @christineeeeO

Image credit: thegreedypinstripes.com

The Yankees, to many peoples' surprise, sat on the sidelines for the most part of this wild offseason. Although they haven't been completely quiet this offseason as they did sign Andrew Miller and Chase Headley which amounted to nearly $100 million in total salary, but it pales in comparison to other offseasons. The plan this year has not been like previous Yankees' offseasons. 

More than anything, it sure wouldn't hurt to add another starting pitcher. With Max Scherzer signed to the Nationals and Jon Lester to the Cubs, the only ace on the market is James Shields, though the Yankees have said countless times that they are not going to pursue any of the expensive options. But, these are the Yankees, of course. They like to remain quiet then suddenly erupt with blockbuster contracts. Ownership could all of the sudden decide that James Shields is worth the money, but it seems unlikely at this point. 

Image credit: espn.com 

After acquiring Didi Gregorius, Nathan Eovaldi, and a legion of young relievers, the Yankees have made it obvious that their old strategy of "buy all of the good players" just doesn't work as it once did.  I'm sure they would love to splurge this year or even next, but $210-215 million is the ceiling to the Yankees' budget, then it appears they will have to work with what they have. 

Now that Hiroki Kuroda has decided to return to Japan and pitch for the Hiroshima Carp, the starting rotation is: CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, Chris Capuano and Nathan Eovaldi. CC's knee may feel better, and Tanaka's elbow may appear to be fine, but the Yankees seem to suffer many injuries throughout the season. Ivan Nova will return in May or June and take one of those spots, but the rotation would be much stronger with another reliable pitcher in the mix.

Image credit: yankees.lhblogs.com

If Brian Cashman can make the team competitive through minimal yet savvy free agent signings and trades, minor league transactions and some help from the talent in the farm system, then I would imagine the team has a bright future. 

Although the team seems very lack-luster as of right now (especially now that the core-four is completely gone), the Yankees may have learned from their past mistakes with overspending and may be onto something bigger. 

The Money Grab Continues: MLB Offseason

Image Credit: metsmerizedonline.com

The MLB off-season always involves money being thrown around like no other major league sport. This year has been no different, with Giancarlo Stanton being the biggest signing with his 300 million dollar contract. As the off-season goes on we continue to see other smaller, yet still rather big signings and trades. We're also at a point where baseball clubs are trying to trade players because of their other acquisitions; the Boston Red Sox trading Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello, because their outfield is now crowded after the Hanley Ramirez signing.

The Red Sox have been very busy this off-season with acquiring Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, these moves bolstered their lineup, but what about their rotation? The Red Sox traded for Porecello and Wade Miley, as well as the Justin Masterson signing, a former Red Sox. The Sox were also in the running for Jon Lester, but were beaten by their former GM and the Chicago Cubs. Lester gets a 6 year, 155 million dollar deal. After losing Russell Martin to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Cubs have acquired Lester, Jason Hammels, and replaced Martin with Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs aren’t the only Chicago team that have been making serious moves made this year so far, as the White Sox have added Jeff Samardjiza, David Robertson, Zach Duke, and Dan Jennings. While the Miami Marlins are not to be trusted, they have made huge moves such as adding Dee Gordon, Mat Latos, and Andre Rienzo. No one has been more eager to put together a better club than the Dodgers, as they shook up their entire infield by trading Matt Kemp to the Padres. The Dodgers acquired Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick, Enrique Hernandez, Chris Hatcher, and Brandon McCarthy. Ervin Santana also found a new home with the Minnesota Twins for four years. The AL Champion Kansas City Royals acquired Kendrys Morales. The big question is, why have the New York Yankees been so quiet? 

Considering the Bombers have lost Robertson and Jeter retired, why has their only big off-season move been to add Didi Gregorious? Could the answer be that they have a Max deal in mind? Pun aside, Max Scherzer to the Yankees makes sense because the Yankees could use a top of the rotation starter with CC Sabathia getting older. Their lineup is questionable since their big off-season move, Gregorious, is more of a defensive player. Also consider that A Rod is reportedly out of shape, so they could use a pitcher that can keep the game close.

This year’s Winter Meetings could be one of the most memorable with all these deals so far. Normally there are a few deals that happen, but not this year. Ultimately, we still have a good three months until Spring Training starts, so while major dominoes have fallen, there are still moves to be made before Spring Training.

By: Kai Jones

Edited by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

More on A-Rod, Jeter begins on-field work, 5 Yankees filed for arbitration, Brian Roberts, and more.

As we hit almost 2 weeks since MLB announced its reduced game suspension (162 games) for Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees third baseman met with the media, on January 16th.
Rodriguez told the media that he wouldn't address his suspension and other legal issues, but he briefly spoke about his future, now that he's facing a season away from baseball.

"I think that in the year 2014, the league could have done me a favor because I've played 20 years without a timeout," Rodriguez said in his first public comments since his suspension appeal was rejected last week. "I think 2014 will be a year to rest mentally and physically prepare myself for the future and begin a new chapter of my life."

Could A-Rod be giving up and admitting to his mistakes, judging on his last comments?

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Rodriguez for 211 games in August, and arbitrator Fredric Horowitz cut the penalty last weekend to the 2014 season and postseason. The arbitrator found "clear and convincing evidence'' that Mr. Rodriguez used 3 banned substances and twice tried to obstruct baseball's investigation of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic.

Rodriguez and his legal team are now suing MLB and the players' association, in an effort to overturn the decision. Rodriguez plans to attend spring training despite the suspension.



Via Fox Sports Live

The Yankees have picked up yet another free agent, who played the 2013 season for both the White Sox and Red Sox. Matt Thornton, the 37 year old left handed reliever, and the New York Yankees agreed to a 2 year deal. The Yanks also designated outfielder Vernon Wells for assignment, to make room on the 40-man roster.

On January 14, 2014, the Yankees announced they have signed two-time All-Star second baseman, Brian Roberts.

After filing for arbitration, the Yankees have agreed to terms with backup catcher, Francisco Cervelli on a one year deal, reportedly worth $700,000. In addition to other players who have filed for (and then avoided) arbitration, outfielder Brett Gardner will earn $5.6 million, along with right handed pitchers David Robertson, who agreed to a deal worth $5.215 million, Ivan Nova, who settled at $3.3 million and Shawn Kelley received $1.765 million.

Derek Jeter returned to the field yesterday for the first time since the 2013 season. The Yankees shortstop hit off a tee in a batting cage, and fielded grounders, at the minor-league complex in Tampa.

Photo via CBS Sports New York.

Questions are being asked, as to how reliable Jeter will be this season. The Yankees might be showing too much faith in his health for the 2014 season. The Yankees shortstop suffered a broken ankle, in the postseason of 2012. He returned back to the field in 2013, missing the entire 2013 Spring Training, only to reinjure himself, and be placed on and off the DL for the majority of the 2013 season.

With Jeter turning 40 in June, and 2014 as his last year remaining on his, the Yankees need to start considering an alternative plan. Edwardo Nunez will most likely be taking the "backup shortstop" role, now that Jayson Nix has signed with the Rays.

By:: Dana P. (Blog Owner/Editor in Chief)