There’s been plenty of ink dedicated to the idea of the Yankees parting with one of their left-handed bullpen aces, Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller, but the club’s top execs aren’t planning on trading anyone in the near future, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Heyman cites “senior Yankees executives” in conveying that the team’s top decision-makers held a conference call last night and determined that there won’t be any action in the near term, though the club could reevaluate that line of thinking closer to the end of July. Many have speculated that the Yankees, in need of rotation depth as well as some help at the infield corners, could deal Chapman or Miller to add a younger big league piece elsewhere on the roster. Carlos Beltran’s name also crept up in speculation last month, but it would appear that the Yankees, currently 26-30 and 6.5 games back in the division, will stay the course for the time being.
Here’s more from the AL East…
- Aaron Sanchez’s breakout season will leave the Blue Jays with some tough decisions in a couple of months, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. The Jays clearly made the right call by entrusting Sanchez with a spot in the rotation this spring, Nicholson-Smith points out, but the team also said back in March that he’d eventually transition to the bullpen later this season as a means of managing his innings total. Sanchez has been dominant in 2016, posting a 2.99 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a lofty 58.5 percent ground-ball rate across 72 1/3 innings. Pitching coach Pete Walker tells Nicholson-Smith that the Jays typically map out their plans for the pitching staff a month in advance, so he’s taking the Sanchez debate on a month-to-month basis. The 23-year-old Sanchez totaled just 102 innings between the Majors and minors last season, so it’s understandable that Toronto isn’t thrilled with the notion of seeing one of its most valuable long-term pieces double his 2015 innings total with a full season of starts.
- The struggles of Eduardo Rodriguez in yesterday’s loss underscores the Red Sox’ need to trade for rotation help, opines Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Silverman notes that the club has watched Rick Porcello slow down considerably since an explosive start to the season, while David Price has yet to hit the stride that most expect of the former Cy Young winner. Beyond that, Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly have pitched themselves out of rotation jobs. Steven Wright has been a pleasant surprise, but his breakout alone won’t sustain a four-man rotation that already needs a fifth option. Boston has already seen one trade option come off the market, as the White Sox picked up James Shields from the Padres with a rare early-June trade of fairly significant magnitude.
- Hyun Soo Kim’s turnaround since Spring Training has been remarkable, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, who spoke to a scout from outside the Orioles organization that said he’s had to tear up the March scouting report he’d compiled on Kim. Baltimore signed Kim to a two-year, $7MM contract this winter on the heels of an impressive run in the Korea Baseball Organization, but the man nicknamed the “Hitting Machine” in Korea looked overmatched (or “scared,” as the scout put it to Kubatko) at the plate in Spring Training. To say Kim, who is hitting .377/.449/.493 through an admittedly small sample of 78 plate appearances, has adjusted nicely would appear to be an understatement. Manager Buck Showalter praised Kim for his adjustments to harder velocity and said he routinely checks in with Kim and his interpreter to see if there’s anything the club can do to continue to ease the transition from Korea to America. Kim, however, tells Showalter that he’s “having the time of his life” now that he is getting a chance to contribute in the Majors.
Id say don’t trade Miller just now after all the Yankees still are not that far from the division but if we where to trade Miller then it would be for a 1B or just any bat that can provide. Also, let’s see how Chris Parmelee does at 1B. I see breakout potential in him and can see him hitting around a 240 or 250 average with 10-20 homeruns. If he gets inconsistent or slumps like in last years run with the Orioles, and the team is still at least close with the division then make a trade for a strong bat.
It will take awhile for Rodriquez to get healthy again and he hasn’t gotten close to his normal velocity yet. There isn’t anyone who should be expecting the kid, hurt to be the savior and #2 right away not throwing 95+ right now at least until he can get that knee and new mechanics where he can figure out a way to get everything working again.
Was kind of surprised during his 1st start the velo was a tad higher (touching 93) than it was during his MiLB rehab starts.
As for Porcello? He’s always been a #3-4, lets count on him as that and same with Wright, as long ans the ball flutters. Scoring and the BP, for now is what’s going to drive this team. Reminds me of the power house teams of the 70’s again!
Rodriguez only has throws two pitches, Jays knew they were getting some fastballs and hit some home runs yesterday. Most starters need a four pitch mix to get through a line up 3-4 times.
He has a 4 seam, 2 seam, slider and changeup.
Rodriguez throws 4 pitches. Fourseam, Cutter, Change and Sinker. He also throws a slider too, but rarely.
I don’t know how effective his pitches are, but I think the point jaysfan77 was trying to make is that an MLB starting pitcher needs more than 2 good pitches. Rotation guys can get away with two pitches if they’re dominant pitches but starters need at least 3 and probably 4 good pitches that they’re comfortable with.
You should actually do a little research before opening your trap.
Truly an awesome turnaround for Kim Hyun-soo this season after a horrible spring, just goes to show how spring training stats can be a bit overrated. Kim also utilizes the whole field, knocking base hits to center, and can beat the shift. Hoping to see more good things to happen for him this year.
Jung-Ho Kang was awful in spring training last year and then the season rolled around and it was like a switch flipped.
Big kudos to those who kept a ‘cool head’ with the O’s-Kim process at the end of spring training. Hats off to showalter (in general I am not a showalter fan) and Kims Orioles teammates. Good to see his early, small sample size (just like his spring training #’s were ‘small’) success.
Perhaps the Red Sox can take a try at Jeremy Hellickson. He’s been pitching well and the intention for the Phillies all along was to use him as a trade chip.
I agree that hellickson is the (big) trade chip that no one is talking about
I think they Yankee’s realize they missed chance to trade Miller when Astros wanted him and looking up what Astros eventually gave up for Giles, would have to assume while maybe not the same the Astros had a really good offer on the table for Miller whom they wanted to sign, he probably wont be dealt unless a team gets very desperate.
The Yankees wanted to see how Betances, Miller and Chapman would help shorten games. Also remember that Chapman had to serve the suspension so if Miller got dealt then only Betances would have been there at the start of the season which the Yankees would want at least 2 out of the 3. Betances has the smallest track record and the least closing experience. Miller’s contract is 9M AAV which is a steal for who was rated the most dominate relief pitcher last season.
Miller wasn’t the most dominant relief pitcher in the league last season. Hell… he wasn’t even the most dominant on the team.
While I agree Betances had better numbers and played more games. The key word I used was rated. Miller was rated higher which resulted in him getting the AL Reliever of the Year Award in 2015. Melancon got it in the NL.
Rated? Who does the “rating”?
I guess Jeter was the top Defensive short stop in 2004, 2006, and 2009 since he won the Gold Glove too.
2009 is the only one Jeter earned but the Gold Glove by most accounts is more of a popularity contest. But should we just go ahead and forget about MVP and CY Youngs too?
Well said. I agree
Poss. Red Sox trade for Teheran
Teheran, vizcaino and top prospect Ozzie Albies for Swihart, Moncado and Benintendo.
Helps Boston immediately with 5 years of control on 2 pitchers. Benintendo is blocked for the foreseeable future and Albies softens the Moncado lose!
Atl- get 3 positions of minor/ close to major league talent to kick start the final stage of their rebuild!!
Bad trade for the Sox. Benintendi is far from blocked with LF being a huge question mark right now, especially if they trade Swihart as well. Boston isn’t in need of BP help, so Vizciano is a luxury piece (and a small sample sized one at that). Ozzie would potentially be blocking a couple of equally promising youngsters in Devers and Chavis. Teheran would be the only needed piece and he’s not worth the haul your proposing.
They spent 60M to sign Moncada. I can’t see them trading him away before he makes it to the big leagues.
Wow… I love it ‘swing big or go home.’ The Red Sox have major pitching problems. Finding a way to package both Teheran and Vizcaino is brilliant.
The braves will want a big ransom (and have shown they can squeeze it out of teams), so your proposed trade is more right than wrong (the Red Sox have enough prospects to swap a couple of names)
Although people may not agree with the names (Benentendi/Moncada) mentioned, Moncada is not the name that should be argued with. The Red Sox pitching is horrid. Even if ‘Price get right’ (which he will), the sox need to make some real moves for SP, middle relief or even ‘game shorteners’ (no such thing as too many closers)
Re Moncada, I think he will go down as one of the stupidest big $ signings. Akin to the Dodgers lessons on arrabuena ($25mm) and Guerrero ($28mm), who both turned into busts. The $60mm invested in Moncada was foolish money (spent in the same era a Sandoval and Hanley). They should trade him, before he proves his real value..
If the yankees want a superb return for miller they may have to eat some of the money owed. If they don’t they can still get a good return but i dont see teams lining up to part with top guys and paying him 9 mill each the next 2 seasons. If yankees were to drop his price down to 5 mill a season I can see pkenty of teams vying for him.
Los Yanquis debieran arriesgarse y tratar de cambiar dos de eso tres relevistas para que adquieran talento preparado. Una de las cosas más fácil de encontrar en MLB es relevistas buenos, así que, no crean que ellos tienen el futuro porque tiene relevistas dominantes. Primero hay que construir un equipo que compita para entregarles un relevo dominante.
De acuerdo contigo en la parte de que los yankees no deberían creerse asegurados porque tienen buenos relevistas; pero estoy totalmente en desacuerdo cuando dices que las cosas más difícil en el béisbol es encontrar relevistas efectivos. Esa afirmación es errónea, y lo digo porque cualquier lanzador abridor mediocre puede ser convertido en relevista y ser dominante, pero no viceversa. Sino, preguntale a Wade Davis, Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, entre otros.
I think we should let the RedSox’s fans run the team.. Let them keep all their prospects and watch the team continue to lose 12 -8.. As a Braves fan… I would rather keep JT and just build around him. Ride this rebuild out and continue to work the draft/int’l market/ and FA pickups.
Kind of like the fact that the Sox have nearly all young home grown prospects among the entire lineup as it is? Really nice faulty analysis u got there.. LOL
Among Benentindi/Moncada, who is thought to be eventually switched to the OF eventually anyway, Boston should have another OF’er by 2018.
I’d take that over a SP who only throws 90mph in the hitter friendly parks in the AL East.
@bravesfanmatt I am a die hard BRAVES fan actually. I get it would be hard to see Teheran go, along with vizcaino and Albies.. But BRAVES will need bats and that plus 1 or 2 others would be a good trade for them, since they are loaded with pitching.. Also BRAVES have 5 of the top 80 picks this year and will be spending heavily internationally. @johnsilver yes he throws 90/91 on the reg. But can hit 95mph if needed. It’s called pitching not throwing!i
You know a team is super awesome when they rebuild around a #3 starter!
^as the Red Sox did when they over paid for Porcello? Which is why the Red Sox are now in need of a starter! And Teheran is a #2 on most current teams and is an instant upgrade for the Red Sox. (Though Price will regain his ace form)
Except he has a career ERA of 3.94 away from Atlanta. A #2 starter is better than that. That’s a #3 or #4.
Shields probably wouldn’t be the best fit for the Red Sox, but they do have to get some pitching somewhere.. it’s their glaring weakness.
I do think the White Sox were smart striking early getting Shields too and Boston should consider trying to land someone sooner than later.
Every mph is about 2′ closer that ball gets to the hitter in those blinks of an eye when velocity up there. Learned that many years ago from a coach and it makes sense. Less reaction time when throwing harder and not every pitch is where a guy wants it. Lower velocity, smaller parks in AL East, AL period over most NL stadiums in fact.
Think about it. Boston hasn’t had much luck with guys throwing (yes throwing) 90mph consistently long term since Bill Lee and it’s for a reason.. Fenway Park. Got to have guts and know how to pitch. Not wanting to see them break the prospect bank, unless they get someone who can “fix” possibly the mistake with at least a plus FB.. Like Hurst, Clemens had. The last 2 real LT starters without a trick (Wake) pitch.
The Bob Ojeda’s and John Tudors don’t work well there.