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If you can't beat him, see if he'll join you? Is that the stance the Yankees might undertake with free agent left-handed starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel?
Here are the pros and cons of the Yanks signing Keuchel, what he might cost, and what the team should ultimately do…
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives
In order to take the next step in 2019 and beyond, the Yankees need a pitching staff ace or at least a hurler that has the potential to be one. Enter free-agent LHP Patrick Corbin.
Here are the pros and cons of the Yankees signing Corbin, what he might cost and what the team should ultimately do.
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives: The Yankees need starting pitching and with an eye toward remaining fiscally responsible, the trade market offers some strong opportunities, including Mariners left-hander James Paxton.
Here are the pros and cons of the Yanks trading for Paxton, what he might cost, and what the team should ultimately do...
The Astros are among the teams talking to the Mariners about acquiring Yankees trade target James Paxton, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who says the market is "active."
Rosenthal reported on Friday that the Yankees had spoken to the Mariners about acquiring Paxton.
The 30-year-old Paxton, who made $4.9 million in 2018 and is arbitration-eligible in 2019 (when he is projected to earn $9 million) and 2020, had a 3.76 ERA (3.24 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 208 strikeouts in a career-high 160.1 innings this past season.
The Yankees have talked to the Mariners about a potential James Paxton trade, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
In addition to Paxton, the Yankees are interested in acquiring high-end starting pitchers Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, with the Yanks having met with the Indians earlier this week at the GM Meetings.
The 30-year-old Paxton, who made $4.9 million in 2018 and is arbitration-eligible for the 2019 (when he is projected to earn $9 million) and 2020 seasons, had a 3.76 ERA (3.24 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 208 strikeouts in a career-high 160.1 innings this past season...
Another round of GM Meetings is in the books for Brian Cashman, and there were plenty of stories surrounding the Yankees that will continue to take shape before next month's Winter Meetings.
Here are the top storylines from the meetings in Carlsbad, CA..
Yankees LHP CC Sabathia will play one final season in the major leagues, he said in a video posted on his Twitter page.
The veteran left-hander signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Yankees on Wednesday to return for a 19th season.
"This will be it," said the 38-year-old Sabathia, who won a World Series as a member of the Yankees' 2009 team.
CC Sabathia is coming back for one more year.
The Yankees and the veteran southpaw agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal, pending physical, SNY confirmed.
Sabathia reportedly did not want to look around elsewhere this winter and wanted to work out a deal quickly with the Yankees to return for 2019, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | CARLSBAD, Calif. -- The Yankees have already engaged in preliminary talks with free agent J.A. Happ's agent about a return, per major league sources, and there is definite mutual interest in a reunion. But it's early enough in the offseason that the sides are both weighing other options, too.
That is in keeping with the Yanks' primary goals this winter, which are to improve the starting rotation and make sure the bullpen remains strong. As SNY first reported, the team is not interested in Bryce Harper, and is lukewarm on Manny Machado. The latter is more likely to become a Yankee than the former, but both are less important to Brian Cashman than pitching.
In addition to Happ, who is 36 but in excellent shape and expecting to pitch for many more years, the Yankees are in the early stages of weighing several intriguing trade options. Both Cleveland and Seattle are prepared to deal high end pitchers like Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and James Paxton, and the Yankees are interested in all of them -- though the free agent market is a bit more appealing to them than a trade, because they have already traded away several top prospects...
The Yankees hope to re-sign CC Sabathia, aim to add multiple pitchers via trade or free agency and have received interest in Sonny Gray, GM Brian Cashman told reporters at GM Meetings on Monday.
"We need to reinforce our pitching, so we'll do the best we can with that," Cashman said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "That seems to be a yearly effort."
The Yankees will enter the 2019 season with Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka as staples from last season's rotation and could also put top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield in the mix, but Cashman said he hopes the team will re-sign Sabathia, who has been with the Yankees since 2009.
Here are the key 2018 MLB offseason dates, and how they impact the Mets...
Outfielder Bryce Harper and shortstop/third baseman Manny Machado headline the free agent class, and the Yanks are expected to have interest in at least Machado. But the Yankees' main need will be starting pitching help, and Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel and old friend Nathan Eovaldi will be among the best arms available. When it comes to relievers, Craig Kimbrel, Adam Ottavino, and Jeurys Familia will be among the headliners as the Yankees could look to recreate their "super bullpen."
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives: As the Yankees look toward the 2019 season, the starting rotation will be chief among the facets the club will seek to improve. They need an ace. They need a strong No. 2 and heck, they need a back-end of the rotation arm.
As it stands, the Yankees have two starters -- Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka -- locked into roster spots. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has already stated he will try to trade Sonny Gray, while J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia are free agents.
So, how will the Yankees build the 2019 rotation?
Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |
The Yankees will hold their annual pro scouting meetings next week, during which Brian Cashman and his staff will determine an offseason strategy, including which players to pursue, and which of their own free agents to retain.
Cashman, along with top lieutenants Michael Fishman, Tim Naehring, Jean Afterman and others on the staff will huddle, as they do annually, and hash through the many issues facing the roster. Hal Steinbrenner is also expected to participate to some degree.
According to major league sources, and basic common sense, here are some of the key topics...
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is still under fire for his strategy following the ALDS loss to the Red Sox that ended his inaugural season as the skipper. But former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera doesn't understand the scrutiny.
In fact, Rivera thinks Boone did a "tremendous" job with the Yankees, per Newsday's Laura Albanese.
Rivera, who was at a fire house in Harlem on Thursday to teach elementary school kids about fire safety, said Boone was the motivator the Yankees hoped him to be in his first season. And with the right offseason moves, this team could certainly make a deeper run into the postseason than they did this year.
After Game 4 of the ALDS ended in a loss, the Yankees 2018 season was officially closed. For CC Sabathia, it may have also been the end to an era in pinstripes.
Sabathia is set to be a free agent this offseason, and he has already made it known that he wants to return in 2019. Whether or not the Yankees want that to happen is still up in the air.
But fellow starter Masahiro Tanaka thinks New York should bring back the big lefty for another season...
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives
Right after being eliminated in the ALDS, questions stirred regarding the slew of free agents that are on the Yankees' roster. Who should stay and who should go?
It is uncertain if CC Sabathia will pitch again in the majors, but what is certain is his disdain for umpire Angel Hernandez.
Sabathia, who took the loss in Tuesday's season-ending 4-3 defeat in the ALDS to the Red Sox, ripped the home plate umpire following the game.
"I have something to say: Angel Hernandez should not be behind the plate for playoff games," he told reporters.
Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |
All through the fall and winter, it will be as if Aaron Boone didn't help a team win 100 games during his rookie season as a manager, didn't synthesize complex analytics, didn't win over the clubhouse, and didn't handle his media responsibilities with ease and class.
Many Yankee fans will only want to talk about his bullpen management in the division series. And in a sense, that's the deal in New York. When you work for the championship-or-bust Yankees (however silly and dated that mentality may be), you will only win over the public with a World Series win. Or two or three or four.
Taking the mound in the a win-or-go-home Game 4 against the Red Sox, Yankees LHP CC Sabathia may have toed the rubber for the last time in pinstripes. And, if that's the case, this definitely isn't the way he wanted to go out.
It was an eventful first inning for the big lefty, as he saw a bases-loaded scenario with two outs and Ian Kinsler at the plate. He avoided a first-inning surge, though, as Kinsler flew out to Brett Gardner in left field.
After a quiet second inning, the Red Sox offense turned it up a notch, and Sabathia couldn't handle it. Andrew Benintendi was hit by Sabathia's first pitch of the inning, and Steve Pearce moved him over to third with a single. Then, the regular-season RBI king in J.D. Martinez hit a long sacrifice fly to center field to score the first run of the ballgame.
The Yankees are on the brink of elimination after an embarrassing 16-1 Red Sox rout in ALDS Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, the most lopsided defeat in their postseason history.
The Yankees have their backs against the wall after Boston made Aaron Boone regret sending a struggling (and possibly tardy) Luis Severino back on the mound for the fourth inning. The Sox also pummeled reliever Lance Lynn in that seven-run frame, as former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi went on to shut down his former team, while Brock Holt became the first player ever to hit for the cycle in the postseason...
It was too little, too late for the Yankees. A ninth inning rally gave the Yankees a chance to win the game but Craig Kimbrel righted the ship and got Gleyber Torres to ground out with two runners on to end the game and the Yankees' season. >> Box score
1) The Red Sox bullpen shut down the Yankees until Kimbrel came in and struggled with the strike zone. He allowed two runs on one hit, two walks and a hit batsman but ultimately settled down to finish the job. The final out was decided after a replay review, putting the Red Sox celebration at a momentary halt.
CC Sabathia is 38 years old, on balky knees, and set for free agency. But he reiterated Monday that he wants to pitch in 2019.
"I definitely want to play next year," he said before Game 3 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium. "I'll play anywhere, whoever needs me.''
Sabathia, who gets the start in Game 4 on Tuesday, had a 3.65 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 140 strikeouts in 153.0 innings (29 starts) during the season.
J.A. Happ, who the Yankees hoped would be a weapon against the Red Sox throughout the ALDS, failed to escape the second inning during Game 1 on Friday night in Boston.
As of now, the Yankees have Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, and CC Sabathia lined up to start Games 2, 3, and 4 (if necessary) respectively. However, if the Yankees are down two games to one heading into Game 4, it's fair to wonder if they'll bring Happ -- who tossed only 44 pitches Friday night -- back on short rest.
If the series goes the distance and Happ isn't used on short rest, he would be well-rested for Game 5 in Boston...
When the Yankees return to the Bronx to continue the ALDS against the Red Sox, they'll be handing the ball to Luis Severino to start Game 3 and CC Sabathia to start Game 4 (if necessary), manager Aaron Judge said Friday.
After J.A. Happ starts Game 1, Masahiro Tanaka gets the ball for Game 2.
Severino, who tossed four scoreless innings in the Wild Card game against the Athletics, will be on regular (four days) rest for his start...
In his roster announcements for the ALDS with the Red Sox, manager Aaron Boone said LHP CC Sabathia and LHP Stephen Tarpley will be added with Tyler Wade and Kyle Higashioka being replaced.
Sabathia had postseason success last year during the Yankees' improbable run. He owned a 3.72 ERA in two starts against the Indians, and a 0.96 ERA in two ALCS starts against the Astros.
Sabathia could work as the fourth starter if Boone wants to use him in that Game 4 situation if it comes down to it. Overall, his veteran presence on the roster is always good to have.
The Yankees and Athletics will battle it out in the Bronx in this win-or-go-home matchup in the AL Wild Card Game at 8:08 p.m.
The Yankees have made back-to-back Wild Card Games, with a win coming against the Twins at Yankee Stadium last season. ...New York recorded their 20th 100-win season after 2018. It was their highest win total since their 2009 World Series team that totaled 103 wins. ...The Yankees broke the single-season MLB home run record with 267 regular season homers. They homered in 80.1 percent of their games.
Greg Bird has been left off of the Yankees' American League Wild Card roster as the Bombers are set to face the A's on Wednesday night.
The first baseman only appeared in just seven of New York's 27 games in September, starting only three times.
The 25-year-old hit just .199 this season with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 82 games.
Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives
The Yankees have not settled on their Wild Card Game starter, but it appears they will not utilize a reliever to open the game. As such, this leaves two distinct scenarios in which the Yankees might deploy its vaunted relief crew.
In the 2017 Wild Card game against the Twins, the Yankees had one of the game's best starters on the hill, but it was then that Luis Severino endured his worst start of the year. With Severino pulled after recording just one out, the Yankees were forced into a bullpenning situation and it amazingly worked.
The Yankees travel to Boston to face the Red Sox in their final regular season series of 2018 on Friday at 7:10 p.m.
The Yankees are 7-3 in their last 10 games. ...New York's magic number for home field during the WCG is one after their win over the Rays. ...Andrew McCutchen will play in his 1,500th career game on Friday night, making him one of 14 outfielders to reach that feat in his career. ...Aaron Judge had the most popular jersey in the MLB for the second consecutive season. ...Giancarlo Stanton had his fourth multi-HR game on Thursday. ...Luke Voit has back-to-back three-hit games.
The Yankees blew out the Rays, 12-1, on Thursday afternoon, but the story of the game was CC Sabathia's retaliation after the Rays threw behind one of his teammates. >> Box score
1) After Andrew Kittredge threw high and behind Austin Romine in the top of the sixth inning, Romine exchanged words with Rays catcher Jesus Sucre. In the bottom of the inning, Sabathia's first pitch to Sucre drilled him in the leg, leading to an immediate ejection. It also cost Sabathia $500,000, since he was two innings away from hitting his innings incentive. Sabathia looked at the Rays dugout on his way off the field, and said "that's for you, b*tch."
2) Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton (2), and Luke Voit all homered for the Yankees.
3) Before his ejection, Sabathia tossed five innings of one-hit ball, walking none and striking out five.
The Yankees will face the A's in the Wild Card game on Wednesday, Oct. 3, and the question of whether they'll use a traditional starter or "opener" remains open -- as SNY's Andy Martino wrote on Wednesday after speaking with GM Brian Cashman.
While Cashman is open to "all options," manager Aaron Boone (who won't make the ultimate decision), prefers a traditional starter for the game.
If the Yankees do go that route, here's how things are shaping up:
The Yankees continue their series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field.
The Yankees almost mounted a comeback in the top of the ninth last night, but they fell a run shy in an 8-7 loss to the Rays. They are 6-3 in their last nine games. ...The Yankees magic number to cliching home field for the AL WCG is still at two games. ...David Robertson made his 500th appearance as a Yankee last night, marking the third player to reach the milestone. ...Luke Voit went 3-for-5 with two RBI last, which gives him multiple RBI games in four of his last eight.
The Yankees (94-59) continue their series with the Orioles (44-109) on Satuday at 4:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees continue their fi nal home series of the regular season today vs. Baltimore. ... CC Sabathia (6.0IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K) earned the win, snapping a 10-start winless streak vs. the Orioles. ... Yankees batters have scored at least 10 runs in three of their 7 games this homestand.
Yankees LHP CC Sabathia took the mound in the Bronx on Friday night, nd with New York's schedule having them finish on the road, it could be his last start at home for his Yankees career. Before the season began, he said retirement was in the cards as he didn't know how it would work out as he wanted to vie for another championship.
Well, World Series title or not, Sabathia is going to call it quits in 2019.
"I'm [going] to play next year," Sabathia told YES Network after the Yankees' 10-8 win over the Orioles.
The Orioles didn't make it easy, but the Yankees managed to hang on to defeat their division rival 10-8 at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. >> Box score
1) The Yankees jumped out to a quick start in the bottom of the first thanks to Didi Gregorius' 27th homer of the year -- a two-run moonshot to right field. Then, in the fourth, they would pile on four more runs, with Aaron Hicks' two-run homer the biggest blast.
2) As stated before, the Orioles began to rack up runs as well, but the Yankees always answered. When the score got to 6-4 in the seventh, Andrew McCutchen and Luke Voit added RBI hits to push the lead to 9-4. The O's would eventually make it a one-run game after a four-run eighth inning, but Aaron Judge's RBI double gave them the insurance they needed to close it.
The Yankees (93-59) begin a new series with the Orioles (44-108) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.
With a loss to the Red Sox last night, the Yankees were officially eliminated from winning the AL East title that went to Boston. ...The Yankees are 3-5 in their last eight games and 9-11 in their last 20 games. ...With Luke Voit's homer last night, the Yankees are the first team in MLB history to have 12 players each hit double-digit homers for the season.
The Yankees hit three home runs in an inning, including a grand slam, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Blue Jays' offense in an 8-7 loss on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score
1) CC Sabathia gave up five runs -- including three home runs -- and New York was forced to go to their bullpen after just 2 1/3 innings. It was the shortest outing of Sabathia's season and marked the second time in three starts that he did not complete four innings.
Yankees LHP CC Sabathia allowed five runs in a span of two innings against the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon in what was his shortest start of the season.
After pitching a scoreless first, Sabathia ran into trouble in the second when Randal Grichuk launched a solo home run to left center, putting the Blue Jays on the board. Sabathia then gave up a pair of RBI singles later in the inning to make it 3-0.
In the third, Grichuk went deep yet again and Kevin Pillar followed up with a solo blast of his own, putting an end to Sabathia's day.
The Yankees (91-56) continue their three-game series with the Blue Jays (65-82) on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees went 4-5 on their nine-game road trip, but started off their nine-game homestand with a win last night. They shut out the Blue Jya 11-0 thanks to stellar pitching from Masahiro Tanaka. Andrew McCutchen hit his first homer as a Yankee as well. Aaron Judge also returned to the field for the final two innings. ...The Yankees are 13-4 against the Blue Jays this season, 7-1 at home.
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The Yankees are likely on their way to playing in the wild card game, and creating a roster for the winner-take-all contest is at the forefront of their front office duties. The Yankees will have to cover all the bases in a game that now has the potential to be played on the road against the surging Athletics.
Here are five questions the Yankees will have to answer when creating its wild card roster...
Though he was exiled from the Yankees rotation in July, the Yankees will start RHP Sonny Gray for Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Twins to give other starting pitchers extra rest.
Gray, who last started Game 2 of a doubleheader on Aug. 25, is 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA in his last four outings, allowing two runs, 13 hits and six walks in 15 2/3 innings. In his last start, he threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Orioles.
By having Gray start Tuesday, it pushes Luis Severino to Wednesday and Masahiro Tanaka to Friday. The strategy also would allow for Severino to face the Red Sox twice as the regular season nears its end.
Dellin Betances allowed the go-ahead run to score in the eighth inning as the Yankees lost the series finale to the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Sunday at Safeco Field. >> Box score
1) Betances surrendered a leadoff walk to Mitch Haniger, who stole second base. Haniger advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored on Robinson Cano's fielder's choice to shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.
2) The Yankees scored on Miguel Andujar's RBI double in the first inning and a bases-loaded walk by Andrew McCutchen in the fourth, but went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
Lance Lynn allowed two runs in six innings, Andrew McCutchen and Austin Romine homered and Dellin Betances worked a hair-raising ninth as the Yankees held off the Mariners, 4-2, on Saturday night in Seattle. >> Box score
1) Lynn was solid, earning the win after allowing just two runs on three hits and walking no one in six innings. The veteran right-hander struck out two.
2) McCutchen's homer led off the ballgame. It was his second home run as a Yankee and his second in as many days.
3) Romine went deep in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. With his career-high 10th home run, the catcher become the 10th Yankee to reach double-digit homers this season.
The Yankees (86-52) will finish their series with the Athletics (83-56) on Wednesday night at 10:05 p.m.
The Yankees are 1-1 to begin their nine-game road trip, which will continue in Seattle ... The Yankees trail the Red Sox in the AL East by 8.5 games ... Gleyber Torres has reached base safely more than once in 13 of 17 games ... Miguel Andujar went 0-for-3 on Tuesday, which ended a 17-game on-base streak.
The Yankees (86-52) will continue their series with the Athletics (83-56) on Tuesday night at 10:10 p.m.
The Yankees are 11-5 in their last 16 games, with the AL East deficit at 7.5 games once again. ...16 of the next 25 games will be on the road for New York. ...Miguel Andujar has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games, a career high. ...Yankees hitters have 224 combined homers on the season, which is the eighth-highest single-season total in franchise history. They lead the MLB in that category.
CC Sabathia allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings as the Yankees dropped their second straight game with a 6-3 loss to the Oakland A's on Monday at Oakland Coliseum. >> Box score
1) Sabathia (7-6) only has one win since July 9 and struggled from the get-go, giving up three runs in the first inning. He allowed an RBI single to Khris Davis, issued a bases-loaded walk to Matt Olson and surrendered another run on a Miguel Andujar error.
2) The Yankees' 2-6 hitters combined to go 0-for-14 with eight strikeouts. Giancarlo Stanton went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while Gary Sanchez struck out with two runners on to end the eighth inning.
The Yankees (86-51) begin a West Coast trip on Monday, starting with a three-game series against the Athletics (82-56) at 4:05 p.m.
The Yankees are 11-5 in their last 16 games, with the AL East deficit at 7.5 games once again. ...16 of the next 25 games will be on the road for New York. ...Miguel Andujar has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games, a career high. ...Yankees hitters have 224 combined homers on the season, which is the eighth-highest single-season total in franchise history. They lead the MLB in that category.
The Yankees didn't have any heroics in them tonight, as the White Sox shut down their bats to take the rubber game, 4-1, on Wednesday night >> Box score
1) Reynaldo Lopez has struggled against all of his opponents, but the Yankees this season. Last time he threw against him, he went seven innings allowing just one run. Well, he did the same thing tonight, letting up only an RBI single to Ronald Torreyes as his blemish for the start. The Yankees did have runners on base, but left six of them while going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Yankees LHP CC Sabathia pitched another quality start on Wednesday night in the Bronx. Unfortunately, though, he left the game with a deficit on the scoreboard.
Sabathia began the night with back-to-back strikeouts in a 1-2-3 first inning, which definitely set the tone against the White Sox. However, the second inning didn't see the same result.
Instead of strikeouts, Sabathia allowed back-to-back singles to lead off the second. But he was able to get two straight outs as he tried to avoid the danger. All he needed to do was get through Ryan LaMarre to end the inning.
The Yankees (84-48) and White Sox (52-80) play the rubber game of their three-game series on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium at 7:05 p.m.
The Yankees are in the midst of a seven-game homestand, where they are 1-1 so far. ...The Yankees still have the second-best win total in the MLB behind the Red Sox. They are 6.5 games behind Boston for the AL East lead. ...New York walked it off on Tuesday night thanks to a pinch-hit homer by Neil Walker.
