Archive for Polls
Fan Confidence Poll: September 30th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 3-3 (13 RS, 23 RA)
Season Record: 85-77 (637 RS, 671 RA, 77-85 pythag. record), didn’t qualify for playoffs
Top stories from last week:
- Following Monday’s off-day, the Yankees welcomed the Rays to the Bronx for a three-game series. Tampa took the opener amid a bobblehead fiasco. The Yankees were officially eliminated from postseason contention with Wednesday’s loss, then Mariano Rivera made his emotional final appearance in the series finale.
- The Yankees closed the season with three games in Houston. They held on for a win in the opener against the Astros, then Andy Pettitte tossed a complete-game in his final career start for a win on Saturday. The Bombers finished off the sweep yesterday.
- Injury Updates: CC Sabathia (hamstring) suffered a Grade II strain and was shut down for the season. Rivera (arm) revealed he was pitching with “tremendous soreness” down the stretch. Alex Rodriguez (hamstring, calf) did not play the last few games. Travis Hafner (shoulder) was activated off the DL.
- Robinson Cano is reportedly seeking a ten-year, $305M contract this winter. The Yankees offered seven years and $161M. The Dodgers are not expected to pursue Cano this winter. Hiroki Kuroda is still undecided about 2014 and may simply retire.
- The Yankees landed six players on Baseball America’s list of the top 20 prospects in the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League.
- Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees would like to re-sign pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
- Cuban slugger Jose Abreu has been declared a free agent and is eligible to sign.
- The Yankees are considering playing an exhibition game in Panama.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Given the team's current roster construction, farm system, management, etc., how confident are you in the Yankees' overall future?
Fan Confidence Poll: September 23rd, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 3-3 (18 RS, 14 RA)
Season Record: 82-74 (637 RS, 648 RA, 77-79 pythag. record), 12.5 GB ALE/4.0 GB WC
Opponents This Week: Mon. OFF, vs. Rays (three games, Tues. to Thurs.), @ Astros (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The Yankees played three games in Toronto following Monday’s off-day. They were shut out in the opener but rebounded to take the second game. The Blue Jays took the series finale thanks to a late rally.
- A three-game weekend series with the Giants was next, and the Yankees took the opener thanks to Alex Rodriguez‘s grand slam. Ivan Nova threw a complete-game shutout on Saturday before San Francisco took yesterday’s finale.
- Injury News: Boone Logan (elbow) has returning to the team but will need offseason surgery to clean out a bone spur. Austin Romine (concussion) still has symptoms and is not close to returning to the team. Manny Banuelos (elbow) is pitching in simulated games.
- Andy Pettitte announced that he, like Mariano Rivera, will retire after the season. He made his final Yankee Stadium start on Sunday.
- Both Rivera and David Robertson were nominated for community service awards.
- Logan is open to returning to the Yankees as a free agent next season.
- Jim Miller was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Given the team's current roster construction, farm system, management, etc., how confident are you in the Yankees' overall future?
Fan Confidence Poll: September 16th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 3-4 (27 RS, 40 RA)
Season Record: 79-71 (619 RS, 634 RA, 73-77 pythag. record), 12.5 GB ALE/3.0 GB WC
Opponents This Week: Mon. OFF, @ Blue Jays (three games, Tues. to Thurs.), vs.Giants (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week started with four games against the Orioles in Baltimore. Chris Tillman shut the Yankees down in the opener, but they rebounded with a late rally for a win on Tuesday. Robinson Cano‘s late homer gave them a win the next day and another ninth inning rally gave them a win in the finale.
- The Yankees headed up to Boston for a three-game weekend set with the Red Sox, and they dropped the opener thanks to the bullpen meltdown. CC Sabathia got hit around again in Saturday’s loss and the Sawx completed the sweep with a blowout win yesterday.
- Injury Updates: Derek Jeter (ankle) has been placed on the DL with soreness, ending his season. There is “no indication” he will retire after the season. Brett Gardner (oblique) is likely done for the year with a Grade I strain. Alex Rodriguez (calf) is day-to-day with tightness. Ivan Nova (triceps) left Tuesday’s start early but started Sunday as scheduled. Boone Logan (elbow) will be examined by Dr. James Andrews. Alfonso Soriano (thumb) suffered a sprain making a diving catch but has since returned to the lineup. Austin Romine (concussion) has been sidelined following a foul tip. David Robertson (shoulder) and Chris Stewart (foot) had nagging injuries but have since returned to the team.
- The Yankees acquired Brendan Ryan from the Mariners following Jeter’s injury. They tried to acquire Dan Haren from the Nationals to help their rotation just last weekend. New York had scouts watching Masahiro Tanaka’s most recent start. The posting system may change this winter.
- Phil Hughes moved back into the rotation to replace David Huff. Both Zoilo Almonte and David Phelps were activated off the DL. To clear 40-man roster spots, Jeter was transferred to the 60-day DL and Jim Miller was designated for assignment.
- The Yankees are officially moving their radio broadcasts to WFAN starting next season. The team is facing a $29.1M luxury tax bill.
- Double-A Trenton swept through the playoffs to win the Eastern League championship
- The Yankees will open next season in Houston against the Astros.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Given the team's current roster construction, farm system, management, etc., how confident are you in the Yankees' overall future?
Fan Confidence Poll: September 9th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 4-3 (50 RS, 47 RA)
Season Record: 76-67 (592 RS, 594 RA, 71-72 pythag. record), 10.0 GB ALE/2.5 GB WC
Opponents This Week: @ Orioles (four games, Mon. to Thurs.), @ Red Sox (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week started with three games against the last place White Sox. The Yankees blew them out on Labor Day before mounting a late comeback for a win the next day. They survived a late rally to complete the sweep.
- The Red Sox came to town for a four-game weekend set starting Thursday, and they took the opener following the Yankees’ big comeback. The bullpen blew up on both Friday and Saturday before New York managed a walk-off win yesterday.
- Injury Updates: Derek Jeter (ankle) is day-to-day with more lingering soreness. David Robertson (shoulder) is day-to-day with tendinitis. Boone Logan (biceps, elbow) received a cortisone shot and hopes to be available by Friday. Shawn Kelley (triceps) dealt with some inflammation has since returned to the bullpen. David Phelps (forearm) has started playing catch. Kevin Youkilis (back) is hitting off a tee and soft toss. Chris Stewart (foot) went for x-rays after being hit by a pitch. Michael Pineda (shoulder) is still just throwing bullpens. Zoilo Almonte (ankle) has started a minor league rehab assignment.
- Phil Hughes was moved into the bullpen with David Huff taking his spot in the rotation. The Yankees called up both Matt Daley and Jim Miller to help the bullpen. Corban Joseph and Vidal Nuno were placed on the 60-day DL to clear 40-man roster spots.
- Joe Girardi may ask Mariano Rivera to reconsider retirement.
- Alex Rodriguez‘s appeal hearing will begin on September 30th.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Given the team's current roster construction, farm system, management, etc., how confident are you in the Yankees' overall future?
Poll: Three options with Hughes and Huff
Posted by: | Comments
(Rich Schultz/Getty)
For the third time in the last two weeks or so, left-hander David Huff came out of the bullpen to give the Yankees a quality long relief appearance yesterday. He’s been so effective — one run on six hits and five walks with ten strikeouts in 14 innings across three extended outings — the team should consider putting him in the rotation over the generally ineffective Phil Hughes. Like seriously consider it. Not think about it for two seconds and maintain the status quo.
“I haven’t made any decisions about changing the rotation,” said Joe Girardi to Brian Heyman after yesterday’s win, which isn’t surprising because the Yankees rarely announce a rotation change after a game. That’s something they tend to announce the next day after sleeping on it and talking to everyone involved. Starters only pitch once every five days, so there’s no reason to rush into a decision like that.
The 29-year-old Huff is pretty much a known commodity at this point. He spent parts of three seasons in the Indians’ rotation and pitched to a 5.50 ERA and 4.93 FIP in 258.2 innings. That’s awful. Actually worse than Hughes has been this year. That said, Huff has pitched pretty well of late and sometimes that’s enough of a reason to make a change. Replacing the guy who has been pitching poorly with the guy who has been pitching well isn’t crazy idea, especially when both have track records of being below-average pitchers. Maybe the other guys throws the month of his life. Who knows?
Given the weirdness of yesterday’s game with the rain delay and everything, I see the Yankees having three options with Hughes, Huff, and the rotation. Let’s break ‘em down before we vote on which is best.
Option One: Do Nothing
The easiest option and one that always exists. The Yankees could simply leave Hughes in the rotation and start him Saturday against the Red Sox as scheduled. Huff remains in the bullpen and that’s that. Nothing changes. It’s boring and probably a bad idea, but it is a justifiable option given Huff’s career performance as a starter.
(Rich Schultz/Getty)
Option Two: Replace Hughes with Huff
The second option is pretty straight forward. Take Hughes out of the rotation and replace him with Huff. Simple. Phil joins the middle relief crew — he’s never not been awesome in the bullpen, which would hopefully continue — and Huff gets the ball every five days with a short leash. He was stretched out as a starter with Triple-A Scranton, but it has been a while and he was pretty clearly starting to run out of gas around 55 pitches yesterday (he threw 62 total). That could be because he threw eight pitches on Sunday.
The Yankees won’t get a full 100+ pitches out of Huff, at least not right away, but it’s not like Hughes was giving them much length anyway. He failed to complete five innings of work in four of his last six starts prior to yesterday’s rain-shortened outing. Either way, Girardi & Co. would have to plan to use their bullpen heavily whenever this rotation spot comes up. Thank goodness for September call-ups.
Option Three: Start Hughes on Wednesday
People like the word creative, so let’s call this the creative solution. Because he only threw 20 low-stress pitches before the rain yesterday, the Yankees could start Hughes tomorrow and have his rotation spot avoid the upcoming four-game Red Sox series. The long-term concerns are nil — Phil is almost certainly a goner after the season — and with expanded rosters, there are plenty of extra arms to soak up whatever innings are leftover. Hughes might not be able to give the team a full 100-pitch start on what amounts to one day of rest, but it’s not like he was pitching deep into games anyway.
By starting Hughes against the White Sox on Wednesday, they would push CC Sabathia back to Thursday and let him start against Boston with an extra day of rest. Sabathia has not been good against the Red Sox this year (or anyone else for that matter), but I don’t think I’m alone in saying I’d rather see him out there against Boston than Hughes or Huff. Having the worst starter face a last place team instead of a first place team is the best case scenario.
* * *
Long relievers are like backup quarterbacks in the sense that it always seems like the guy on the bench could do a better job. In reality, there’s usually a very good reason they’re on the bench, or, in this case, the bullpen. Huff’s track record says he would really stink in the rotation, but so does Hughes’. The Yankees are picking between two grenades and hoping they get the one that hasn’t had the pin pulled.
What should the Yankees do with their fifth starter's spot?
Fan Confidence Poll: September 2nd, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 3-3 (24 RS, 25 RA)
Season Record: 72-64 (542 RS, 547 RA, 67-69 pythag. record), 9.0 GB ALE/3.5 GB WC
Opponents This Week: vs. White Sox (three games, Mon. to Weds.), vs. Red Sox (four games, Thurs. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week opened with three games in Toronto, and the Blue Jays took the series opener after pounding Phil Hughes. Alfonso Soriano‘s two-homer game gave the Yankees a win the next day, but Hiroki Kuroda got knocked around in Wednesday’s loss.
- The Orioles came to town for a three-game weekend set following Thursday’s off-day. The offense picked up CC Sabathia in the opening win before Ivan Nova threw his first career shutout on Sunday. The bullpen blew up and the Yankees were unable to complete the sweep yesterday.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (calf) was activated off the DL at the beginning of the week. Robinson Cano (hand) and Eduardo Nunez (knee) were day-to-day with minor injuries and have since returned to the lineup. David Phelps (forearm) has yet to pick up a ball while Michael Pineda (shoulder) is throwing but not close to returning. Both Travis Hafner (shoulder) and Zoilo Almonte (ankle) have started hitting off a tee.
- The first wave of September call-ups included David Adams, Dellin Betances, Cesar Cabral, Brett Marshall, and J.R. Murphy. Preston Claiborne was sent down for Jeter and will rejoin the team today. Jayson Nix was transferred to the 60-day DL and Melky Mesa, who has a significant hamstring injury, was released to clear 40-man roster spots. Dan Johnson was granted his release from Triple-A Scranton.
- Mason Williams, Tyler Austin, and Peter O’Brien will heading the Yankees crop of prospects in the Arizona Fall League.
- It is a “foregone conclusion” the Joe Girardi will sign a new contract with the team after the season.
- The preliminary stages of Alex Rodriguez‘s appeal will begin this week.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Fan Confidence Poll: August 26th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 5-2 (28 RS, 24 RA)
Season Record: 69-61 (518 RS, 522 RA, 65-65 pythag. record), 7.0 GB ALE/3.5 GB WC
Opponents This Week: @ Blue Jays (three games, Mon. to Weds.), Thurs. OFF, vs. Orioles (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week started with an off-day before the Blue Jays came to town for four games. A pair of three-run homers helped the Yankees to a win in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader before Jayson Nix‘s walk-off hit gave them a win in the nightcap. A late homer on Wednesday and an odd line drive/single/double play call on Thursday helped the team to a sweep.
- The Yankees headed to Tampa for three games with the Rays next, and Hiroki Kuroda was roughed up in the series opening loss. CC Sabathia couldn’t protect a lead in the middle game before the Bombers rallied to win the series finale in extra innings.
- Injury Updates: Derek Jeter (quad) played in three rehab games and will rejoin the team today. Nix (hand) suffered a fracture on a hit-by-pitch and is done for the year. Brett Gardner (hand) and Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) were both day-to-day and have since returned to the lineup. Manny Banuelos (elbow) has started throwing batting practice and OF Tyler Austin (wrist) is close to playing in rehab games.
- The Yankees are not discussing Justin Morneau with the Twins. The team’s top evaluators have been scouting Japanese righty Masahiro Tanaka. New York signed 19-year-old righty Edwin Fierro out of Mexico.
- Hal Steinbrenner held a staff meeting to discuss the team’s lack of minor league talent. Brian Cashman‘s job is said to be “secure.”
- Preston Claiborne was called up to replace Nix on the roster and will be sent down to make room for Jeter today.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Poll: Which player have the Yankees missed the most this season?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Yankees need all the wins they can get at this point. On Tuesday, they managed to grab two against the Blue Jays. Around the fifth or six inning of the second game in the doubleheader, Michael Kay sparked a discussion about who the Yankees missed most this season. The players to choose from were Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, or Kevin Youkilis. Now upon hearing this question, the answer seemed fairly obvious to me – that is to say, Derek Jeter. Of course, that didn’t stop Michael Kay from picking a different (and rather unexpected) option, Mark Teixeira, and sparking a conversation between me and several others on Twitter. So here we are; let’s dissect.
(Jim McIsaac/Getty)
Derek Jeter
Jeter has been the Captain of this team for quite some time, and for a reason. He’s been a historically great player, and even in his sunset years still remains a legitimate upgrade over the other options accessible to the Yankees at this time. To put this in perspective, last season, Derek batted .316/.362/.429 (.347 wOBA, 117 wRC+) over 159 games. As a bonus, he provided the team with 15 homeruns and a 3.1 fWAR season. The Captain is known for putting the ball in play and has a reputation for timely hitting (though that concept is a discussion for another day). The fielding metrics are generally unkind to Jeter, and depending on which metric you prefer, they can be downright ugly. That’s not a surprise though. I think everyone views Jeter as a “bat first” type of shortstop. For what it’s worth, ZiPS had Jeter producing a .703 OPS (.311 wOBA, 1.7 fWAR) over 120 games played this season. Obviously, it’s a moot point now.
In any event, compare Jeter’s numbers from last season (if you’re feeling optimistic) or the ZiPS projection for this season (if you’re feeling more bearish) to the alternatives, Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix. Both Nunez and Nix have their moments (Nix as recently as Tuesday), but one would be hard pressed to make the case that either player should be a full time starter, let alone a sufficient replacement to Derek Jeter. Neither player is even in shouting distance of Jeter if he replicates his 2012 numbers. Nunez has the slight edge over Nix (+12 in wRC+), but is still about 45 points lower than what Jeter was last year. Jeter would still have to fall approximately 25 points in wOBA, if his 2013 ZiPS projection ended up being accurate, to match Nunez’s current contributions. Even in Jeter’s 2010 campaign, which was a terrible year by his standards, Nunez still falls short by about 20 points of wRC+. Now to be fair, one stat is not the end all of player analysis (nor should it be), but I think some of these metrics offer a convenient snap shot of the offensive gap between a fill-in shortstop against what we, as fans, have been used to seeing on a daily basis for the last decade or so.
So if the currently-injured Nix and Nunez can’t hit like Jeter, perhaps they make up the difference in runs defensively. Well, that’s the theory anyway. Unfortunately for Nunez, defensive metrics tend to rate him basically as gruesomely as they do the Captain. Nix on the other hand, is a bit more positive in this regard. Are the runs prevented by Nix enough to offset the difference in runs created by Jeter though? Not really.
Kevin Youkilis
(Presswire)
If you don’t want to vote for Jeter, I see the logic in voting for Kevin Youkilis, at least from a more macro level. We’re all aware of how dismal the Yankees third baseman have been this season (and for a brief period, Youkilis contributed to those shortcomings). Despite A-Rod’s contributions over the past couple weeks, the team still ranks in the bottom six of all Major League Baseball (-0.5 fWAR collectively) in terms of production from this position. The group of fill-ins for A-Rod have shown very little patience at the plate (6.1 BB%) and have struck out often (24.9 K%). The Yankee third basemen have produced 8 (!) home runs all year. We’re talking .259 wOBA, 56 wRC+ bad.
Hypothetically, if we pretend Youkilis wasn’t injured all year (which in itself involves a stretch of the imagination) and performed similarly to last year (which I’m also dubious about given how fried he looked when he was playing early on this season), that would still represent a definitive upgrade over what the team has had. Over 509 plate appearances in 2012, Youk smashed 19 long balls, walked 10% of the time and struck out 21.2% of the time. More importantly though, his offensive contributions were basically league average overall (103 wRC+) despite his noticeable splits. League average isn’t necessarily a desirable or complimentary trait, but it sure as hell wins out over the abysmal production the Yankees have experienced — especially considering it was a last minute desperation move in the offseason.
This same logic applies to Alex Rodriguez as well, now that he has returned. Drama aside, he’s basically an average third baseman at this point (though he does account for 25% of the team’s home runs this season among third basemen after only 12 games played). No one expected a return of Alex’s MVP days, but even a replacement level third baseman marks a huge upgrade in terms of production over the course of a season compared to what the team has had. If the Yankees had had Jeter or A-Rod all year, the offensive boost would be fairly substantial considering they were going from basically nothing at all to something that is closer to resembling acceptable big league production. We’ve witnessed over the past few days how the lineup has basically felt completely different; it’s transformed into something much more formidable. It’s much deeper now than it has been all season and the results speak for themselves — a two run deficit is no longer instant loss.
(Al Bello/Getty)
Mark Teixeira
Let me preface the rest of this post by saying that I do believe Tex is a superior player to both Lyle Overbay and Mark Reynolds — both offensively and defensively — despite the fact that his stats have been on the decline for the past few seasons. That said, Overbay has been an adequate fill-in this season, generally speaking. Over 409 plate appearances, Overbay has hit 13 home runs and batted .254/.304/.421 (.317 wOBA, 96 wRC+ — good for a 0.5 fWAR). He’s had some timely hits and appears competent with the glove. With Reynolds complementing the first base platoon now, the offensive production from this spot in the lineup is that much more complete.
The 2012 season was probably Tex’s worst year professionally since his debut year with the Rangers, and most certainly was his worst season with the Yankees since he joined the team in 2009. Even still, he managed to hit 24 dingers, walked 10.3% of the time (patience that would be highly desirable in this year’s lineup) and produced a .345 wOBA (116 wRC+). Additionally, his glove is somewhere in the average to very good range depending on which metrics you trust. He’s better than what the Yankees have deployed these past several months undoubtedly. But the gap in total production just isn’t as severe. Going forward, perhaps it could become as severe as the gap between the shortstop and third base replacements compared with the respective starters if Overbay and Reynolds both slide in performance, but right now that seems to be the least of the priorities. Perhaps one underrated point for Teixeira is that he (sort of) theoretically eliminates the need for another platoon combination on the roster which enables other possibilities.
In any event, I think rather than asking, “Which player does the team miss the most?,” perhaps the question should be, “Which supstitute replacement player(s) marks the biggest drop off?” What do you think?
Which player have the Yankees missed the most this season?
Fan Confidence Poll: August 19th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 5-2 (51 RS, 34 RA)
Season Record: 64-59 (491 RS, 498 RA, 61-62 pythag. record), 7.5 GB ALE/6.0 GB WC
Opponents This Week: Mon. OFF, vs. Blue Jays (four games, Tues. to Thurs.), vs. Rays (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week started with four games against the Angels, and Hiroki Kuroda carried the Yankees to a win in the opener. The offense picked up CC Sabathia in the second game and another blowout followed in the third game on Wednesday. They were unable to complete the sweep in the finale.
- A trip to Boston for a three-game set with the Red Sox was next. The Yankees crushed their rivals in Friday’s win but Boston returned the favor on Saturday. The Bombers took the series finale after Ryan Dempster threw at Alex Rodriguez.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (calf) has started taking batting practice but has yet to run. Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) left yesterday’s game. Travis Hafner (shoulder) is rehabbing but not close to returning. Both Vidal Nuno (groin) and Ty Hensley (hip) have started throwing programs. Slade Heathcott (knee) and Mark Montgomery (shoulder) were both placed on the minor league DL.
- The Yankees signed Mark Reynolds to platoon with Lyle Overbay and called up lefty David Huff. In corresponding moves, Preston Claiborne and Dellin Betances were sent down, David Phelps was transferred to the 60-day DL, and Luis Cruz was designated for assignment. Lefty Mike Zagurski opted out of his minor league contract.
- Impending free agent Phil Hughes indicated a willingness to pitch out of the bullpen next season. Kuroda is still undecided about his plans for 2014.
- MLB is prepared to implement an expanded replay system that includes manager challenges. It will go up for final approval in November.
- A-Rod has started the process of filing a medical grievance against the Yankees for the way they handled his hip injury.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Fan Confidence Poll: August 12th, 2013
Posted by: | CommentsRecord Last Week: 2-4 (20 RS, 33 RA)
Season Record: 59-57 (440 RS, 464 RA, 55-61 pythag. record), 10 GB ALE/7.0 GB WC
Opponents This Week: vs. Angels (four games, Mon. to Thurs.), @ Red Sox (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week started with a pair of Biogenesis-related suspensions: Alex Rodriguez (211 games) and Frankie Cervelli (50 games). A-Rod appealed his suspension and has since returned to the lineup. Both guys were fined a day’s pay by the team for minor infractions.
- After that, the Yankees opened a three-game series with a lowly White Sox in Chicago. The ChiSox crushed Andy Pettitte in the opener, and afterwards the team held a closed-door meeting. The Yankees responded by losing Tuesday’s game before getting swept on a walk-off in the finale.
- Following an off-day, the Tigers came to town for a three-game weekend series. Brett Gardner‘s single gave the Yankees a walk-off win on Friday, but Detroit rebounded to clobber New York the next day. The Bombers took their first series in more than a month thanks to Gardner’s walk-off homer yesterday.
- Injury News: Derek Jeter (calf) was placed on the DL for the third time this season. Michael Pineda (shoulder) was placed on the Triple-A DL with tightness. David Phelps (forearm) has a new strain and will be shutdown for two weeks. Cervelli (elbow) doesn’t need surgery. Vidal Nuno (groin) is unlikely to return this year. First round pick OF Aaron Judge (quad) is on the DL.
- Brent Lillibridge was designated for assignment to clear room on the roster for A-Rod. He has since cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Dellin Betances was called up to give the team a fresh bullpen arm. David Adams was sent down in a corresponding move. The Cubs claimed Thomas Neal off waivers.
- The Yankees continue to look for help at third base even after A-Rod returned and the trade deadline passed.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
