Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen was overworked early in his career, writes Tim Rohan of the New York Times. Warthen figured he had torn his UCL back in 1975, but Tommy John had only received his eponymous surgery in 1974. Major league players were paid very little at the time so Warthen couldn’t afford the surgery or a year away from baseball. Instead he worked through the injury and his career ended a few years later at the age of 25. Of course, now it’s his job to make sure his young pitching staff remains healthy and productive for years to come.
Here’s more from that other New York club:
- The Yankees were right to keep top prospect Luis Severino, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. Severino was one name discussed with the Tigers for David Price. Notably, Price is now 0-6 in six postseason starts with a 5.23 ERA. Scouts believe Severino will soon be the Yankees ace, and he’s under club control for another six seasons. Per one scout, “If you’re talking six or seven years for Price…I’d take Severino anyway.“
- GM Brian Cashman was loathe to part with Martin Prado in the offseason trade for Nathan Eovaldi, per Harper. His versatility and ability to match up against hard throwing left-handed pitching would have been useful for the club. The Marlins have him under club control for the 2016 season, but the Yankees are already paying $3MM of his $11MM contract. Personally, I see a swap for Prado as a worthy alternative to free agent Ben Zobrist.
- After a miserable second half, the Yankees may consider trading Brett Gardner, suggests Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Gardner has a similar skill set to leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, but both players disappeared in the second half of the season. If Gardner were to be traded, it could open the door for a power bat like Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes. One scout opined that an early season wrist injury and late season shoulder soreness could have affected Gardner’s play. He’s owed $36MM through 2018 with a $12.5MM club option for 2019 ($2MM buyout). He’ll also be paid a $1MM assignment bonus if traded.
Within the same article, it says “Yankees were right to keep young talent” then “They should trade Gardner so they can overpay for a different declining All-Star instead of inserting the young talent OF Aaron Judge.”
Just keep and play the kids!
Judge is expected to replace Beltran in RF in 2017.. He should be a late season call up next year.. Judge cannot be expected to replace both a departed Gardner and Beltran. I agree that Gardner should be traded while he still has value.. Players with his skill set do not age well.. I would like to see something like Gardner, Mateo, and Kaprielian for Sonny Gray (prehaps including Refsnyder if Beane & co want more).. Then sign Cespedes/Upton/Heyward (the less expensive of the 3) for LF.. Judge should get a bit more seasoning in AAA before his call up towards the end of the year.. I think Ackley is going to do quite well and surprise everybody next year. He should be fine hitting 2nd behind Ellsbury..
You are correct about judge, he needs more seasoning in scranton – good player and a nice guy. I also agree that ackley is going to turn out to be a nice little pick up – he can play the entire IFand some OF.
I don’t know how many commenters are active Yankee fans. I consider my self one. I go to 5-6 games a season, and I have season tix to their AAA team. And one thing that gets discussed quite often this year is the yankee’s identity. Who is the face man now that Jeter is gone. It’s Gardner. He is the guy that does the post game interviews that the fans listen to. Arod is to divisive, tex is kinda weird (he looks off into space like he’s looking for a rainbow or something), ellsbury is a redsock.
Part of the fans attachment is that Gardner is the only “true” Yankee. He came up as a Yankee and no where else. during my lifetime we always had true Yankees to rally behind – Donnie, Bernie, and the core 4. (We try not to think about pettite’s affair with the Astros.). Right now, Gardner is all we have of that tradition. “Awesome! We got Gardner as the faceman,” – said by no one ever. But we embrace him for what he is- a bridge for the tradition.
Love the insight but I would have to disagree on keeping Gardner as sentimental value in baseball is worth next to nothing as every team is using their resources for every edge they can get which is why the Phillies didn’t hang onto Hamels, Utley, Rollins, and soon to be Howard.
I would rather trade Gardner and Nova to the Padres for one of their SP (not Shields) and a reliever. And I would go with Upton since all the attention will be on Céspedes.
You want to turn Heyward, the best defensive RF in the game, into a LF thereby taking away most of his value? Ummm, okay let me know how that works out for you.
BTW, Beane would have a nice hearty laugh at that trade offer.
Not saying that offer was good, but he gave away Josh Donaldson for essentially free, so who knows what he’ll do next.
You could just move Beltrán to left…
That’s not enough for Gray. Severino+Judge+ would be where the conversation starts.
The Yanks have had the most success when they had the base of their team come up through the farm system. The great success from the mid 90’s was due to Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Riviera, BWilliams, Cano, Soriano and other players like Milton and Guzman who were traded off for experienced talent at key positions. THEN they added the big ticket superstars like Giambi, Clemens, Sabathia, ARod. But as with the great Yankee teams of the 40’s 50’s, 60’s, they had a lot of good veteran talent added ….people like Johnny Mize, Gene Woodling, Hank Bauer, John Blanchard, Scott Brocious, Paul O’Neill….guys who weren’t great…but good valuable pieces.
For a time, there were trade rumors involving Brett Gardner and Brandon Phillips. I wonder if those might get revived if the Yankees really are looking to deal Gardner. He is younger and under control longer than Phillips, so he would fit more comfortably into the Reds’ rebuilding plans (to say nothing of filling their hole in LF), whereas Phillips would fill the Yankees’ hole at second base.
I could see that working with maybe the Yankees adding Refsnyder and the Reds adding one of their many young starters (Lorenzen, Lamb, Sampson) to the deal.
Guys, Phllipps is everything that Yankees shouldn’t do.
Add another “older” ballplayer that is past his prime. And, not sure what kind of attitude your adding in the clubhouse. This is a definite no.
You can dislike Phillips and not want him on your team all you want, but the guy has never had an attitude problem. He is one of the most happy-go-lucky jokesters in the big leagues. Yeah he had an issue with the Cardinals many years ago (and to be fair, it wasn’t entirely his fault), but that was a long time ago and he has not had any problems since.
Gardner had a down year but looks like he should bounce back and still be very useful. Phillips is on the decline at a position where the Yanks have a couple of comparable but cheaper, younger options.
The Yankees need to trade Ellsbury instead of Gardner. Ellsbury is always hurt and struggles to get through a whole season of production which Gardner has a better track record of doing. Trade Ellsbury, even if it’s not for a good return, just to try and unload the contract. The Yankees have the problem with these long contracts that just ends in having 5 players who should be DHing and are stuck having to put them in the field. I would try and include Ells in trying to get Prado back. He is solid defensively all over the field with a more consistent bat. All season everyone kept saying why isn’t the top of the order running with Ells and Gardy, and it’s because they were both hurt through the season because they were always in the lineup and same as the bullpen with Delin being tired and giving up runs at the end of the seasons.
Who would they trade Ellsbury to?
I’m confused about the comparison about Price in the postseason and Severino. Severino might be just as bad in the postseason, but we don’t know because he hasn’t been there yet. We already know Price is an ace. I understand that every ace was once a prospect, but that doesn’t mean every prospect will become an ace. As for the scout that would take 6 years of Severino over 6 years of Price, he is either a gambler or a fool or both. Severino might be an ace, Price IS an ace.
Wrong
That is not what he meant.. He was stating 6 years of Severino over 2 and a half months of Price..
Right-on….the correct decision for the Yankees.
It said specifically, if you’re talking six or seven years of Price, I’d take Severino anyway. I vehemently disagree with that scout. But then again that;s why there are 30 teams. If there was only one opinion on building a team that worked, there wouldn’t be a need for that many teams.
An Ace is a pitcher that either dominates or can dominate in the post season and wins. Price, while certainly a terrific pitcher has yet to show that he can win in the postseason…that what is the commentor meant. Given the fact that every potential trade the Yankees were looking to make at the deadline was fronted by requests for Severino, scouts obviously like his makeup, and potential to dominate for the right ballclub if he is put in similar postseason situation.
So by your definition you would not consider Felix Hernandez an ace? That just seems a little limiting. An ace has always been a pitcher that can stop the bleeding of a losing streak for a team. He is the guy that is the best pitcher on a team that can be counted on to win even when the offense is struggling. He is not a rookie that has pitched 11 games in the big leagues. You are not anointed an ace, you earn that title over years of big league service.
The main point is that Severino is alot younger then Price.
And cheaper.
You also need to consider that we would be talking about of Severino-sharp-debut-yankees-bats-falter for cheap instead of Price for 6 year probably at 25 mm or more for 6 years or more.
I’m not a gambler or a fool. But I’d take six years of severino over price based on salary alone further Detroit got the better end of the deal with Toronto I think Norris has a chance to be as good as price maybe better for the salary once again I’d take it
The Yankees more than anything from an offensive standpoint don’t need two lefthanded hitters at the top of the lineup that mimic each other from a batting stance. And, given that they both have shown the potential to disappear late in the season, one has to go….given the money invested, that should be Gardner. The most important acquisition they can make offensively is a right handed gap or power bat that negates “lefties” that every club throws against the Yanks at every opportunity, especially in the East, and even more in the postseason.
Eovalid > Prado