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Fan Confidence Poll: August 15th, 2016

August 15, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Record Last Week: 4-2 (33 RS, 30 RA)
Season Record: 60-57 (487 RS, 517 RA, 55-62 pythag. record), 4.5 GB of postseason spot
Opponents This Week: vs. Blue Jays (three games, Mon. to Weds.), Thurs. OFF, @ Angels (three games, Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

The week started with an off-day, then the Yankees went to Boston for a three-game series with the Red Sox. They dropped the opener 5-3 before rallying for a 9-4 win Wednesday and a 4-2 win Thursday.
A home series with the Rays was next. The Yankees won the final game of Alex Rodriguez‘s career 6-3 Friday night. They then won Saturday’s game 8-4, but failed to complete the sweep Sunday, when they got blown out 12-3.
Injury Updates: Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) was placed on the DL with a tendon injury. Brett Gardner (ankle) is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch. Conor Mullee (elbow) had nerve compression surgery. Mason Williams (quad) was activated off the Triple-A DL.
Brian McCann has cleared trade waivers. The Yankees reportedly wanted Mike Foltynewicz and Ender Inciarte from the Braves for McCann at the deadline. Brian Cashman said the Yankees are getting two “legitimate” prospects from the Pirates for Ivan Nova. The team made both Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley available at the deadline.
Both Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin were called up last week, so that was fun. Ben Heller, Luis Cessa, Nick Goody, Rob Refsnyder, Richard Bleier, and Luis Severino were all involved in up-and-down moves. Chris Parmelee was activated off the DL and outrighted to Triple-A. Ike Davis has been released.
The Yankees claimed Blake Parker off waivers and signed Tommy Layne as a free agent, adding two new faces to the bullpen.

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 Features tab in the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Poll: Replacing Alex Rodriguez

August 11, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Tomorrow night Alex Rodriguez will play the final game of his MLB career. That’s pretty wild, isn’t it? We all knew the end would come sooner rather than later, but this is all happening so fast. It’s for the best though. The Yankees are better off with someone else occupying A-Rod‘s roster spot, and come Saturday, someone else will indeed be occupying that roster spot.

The Yankees seem committing to giving their young players a chance down the stretch, and A-Rod’s exit gives them an opportunity to incorporate another kid into the lineup. Gary Sanchez has been up for a week already and he’s getting regular at-bats. It’s pretty cool. Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin seem to be the most likely candidates to replace A-Rod, but they’re not alone. Let’s break down their cases.

Tyler Austin

The Case For Austin: After a few seasons of injury and poor performance, Austin has put himself back on the prospect map this year by hitting .295/.394/.527 (161 wRC+) with 17 homers in 106 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s got opposite field pop and defensive versatility, at least somewhat. Austin can play first base and right field, as well as DH. He could also man third base in a real pinch, but not regularly.

Austin has to be added to the 40-man roster after the season and the Yankees figure to do exactly that rather than risk losing him for nothing. Greg Bird is rehabbing from shoulder surgery and first base is a little up in the air next season, and Austin could be an option there. Calling him up now and giving him regular at-bats would give the Yankees a chance to evaluate him against MLB caliber pitching. That’s the entire point of calling these guys up.

The Case Against Austin: Even with the bounceback year, Austin’s upside is not sky high, and he projects as maybe a solid regular at the MLB level if things break right. Historically, righty hitting and righty throwing first basemen have to hit and hit big to stick around long-term. Austin’s ability to play the outfield works in his favor, though we’re now talking about a right-handed Garrett Jones type. Rather than audition Austin this month, the Yankees could opt to play a higher upside prospect with a better chance to be a part of the next core.

Aaron Judge

The Case For Judge: Simply put, Judge came into the season as the team’s top prospect — he’d still be their top prospect if not for the Clint Frazier trade — and he’s done exactly what the Yankees wanted him to do this season. He’s putting up good numbers (.265/.359/.472 with 18 homers and a 141 wRC+) and he’s cut his strikeout rate down to 23.9%, lowest it’s been since he was in Low-A ball two years ago. The performance is there.

On top of that, the right field job is wide open going forward, and Judge is the obvious candidate to assume that position long-term. It’s not just about the bat. Judge is a surprisingly good runner for his size and he’s an asset on defense with a very strong arm. He’s going to surprise a lot of people with his athleticism when he first comes up. Guys listed at 6-foot-7 and 275 lbs. usually don’t move this well. Judge is the heir apparent in right field and his time is now.

The Case Against Judge: Judge did just return from a knee injury that forced him to miss close to a month, remember. He’s performed well since returning, going 10-for-29 (.345) in eight games, but that’s still a lot of time to miss. A few more Triple-A at-bats to make up for the lost time wouldn’t be the end of the world. Also, Judge doesn’t offer much versatility, so if the Yankees remain committed to giving Aaron Hicks a look, the everyday at-bats might not be there.

Other Candidates

Ben Gamel: Gamel is having another strong season in Triple-A (132 wRC+) around a few short call-ups to MLB. He’s a lefty hitting outfielder, which is something the Yankees don’t exactly lack right now. Finding playing time for Gamel, who might only be a fourth outfielder long-term, might not be all that easy. I — and I think the Yankees — would rather see Hicks out there everyday.

Clint Frazier: Overall, Frazier is hitting .273/.345/.463 (122 wRC+) this season, though most of that is at Double-A. He’s played 13 total games at Triple-A (73 wRC+), including eight since the trade. Frazier is ridiculously talented and a potential impact hitter, but there is still some development to be done. Calling him up would be a sexy, headline making move. It would also be extremely aggressive.

Chris Parmelee: Remember him? Parmelee is currently on a Triple-A rehab assignment and will have to be activated off the DL no later than Thursday, August 25th. He could be activated to replace A-Rod and get a bunch of first base and DH at-bats. Of course, the 28-year-old Parmelee has no long-term future in the organization, so he doesn’t exactly qualify as part of the youth movement.

Others like Jake Cave, Cesar Puello, and Mason Williams could be call-up candidates as well — Williams is actually on the Triple-A DL with a quad injury at the moment — though they seem to be further down the depth chart at the moment. It truly feels like it’s Austin and Judge against the field right now. Who’s the best option?

Who should be called up to replace A-Rod?

Fan Confidence Poll: August 8th, 2016

August 8, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Record Last Week: 4-3 (35 RS, 35 RA)
Season Record: 56-55 (454 RS, 487 RA, 52-59 pythag. record), 5.0 GB of postseason spot
Opponents This Week: Mon. OFF, @ Red Sox (three games, Tues. to Thurs.), vs. Rays (three games, Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

The 2016 edition of the Subway Series started with a 6-5 win on Monday. The Yankees dropped the second game 7-1, but rebounded for a 9-5 win on Wednesday. They lost the finale 4-1.
The Indians came to the Bronx next. The Yankees against took the series opener, this time by the score of 13-7. Cleveland answered back with a 5-2 win Saturday, but the Bombers were able to pull off a 3-2 win yesterday to win the series.
Injury Updates: Greg Bird (shoulder) has resumed baseball activities. Aaron Judge (knee) has returned to the Triple-A lineup. Chris Parmelee (hamstring) has started a rehab assignment. Jacob Lindgren (elbow) had Tommy John surgery. James Kaprielian (elbow) is throwing but won’t pitch in games again this season. Conor Mullee (hand) suffered a setback.
Prior to Monday’s trade deadline, the Yankees sent Carlos Beltran to the Rangers for three prospects. They also traded Ivan Nova to the Pirates for two players to be named later. Beltran and Aroldis Chapman are open to re-signing with the Yankees.
Alex Rodriguez will play his final game this Friday, then join the Yankees in an advisory role. Mark Teixeira announced he will retire after the season.
Johnny Barbato, Chasen Shreve, Chad Green, Ben Gamel, Nick Goody, and Gary Sanchez were all involved in up-and-down moves last week.
Following the trade deadline, the Yankees have seven top 100 prospects and the second best farm system in baseball according to MLB.com.

Fan Confidence Poll: August 1st, 2016

August 1, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Record Last Week: 2-4 (16 RS, 24 RA)
Season Record: 52-52 (419 RS, 452 RA, 48-56 pythag. record), 5.5 GB of postseason spot
Opponents This Week: @ Mets (two games, Mon. and Tues.), vs. Mets (two games, Weds. and Thurs.), vs. Indians (three games, Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

The Yankees opened the week in Houston. They finally beat Dallas Keuchel in Monday’s 2-1 win, then CC Sabathia led his club to a 6-3 win Tuesday. The Yankees lost 4-1 Wednesday and failed to complete the sweep.
Following Thursday’s off-day, the Yankees played a three-game series with the Rays in Tampa. Ivan Nova got hit hard in Friday’s 5-1 loss, the offense fell short in Saturday’s 6-3 loss, then Michael Pineda got knocked around in yesterday’s 5-3 loss.
Injury Updates: James Kaprielian (elbow) has resumed throwing but isn’t expected to pitch in another game this season. Bryan Mitchell (toe) threw a simulated game over the weekend. Jacob Lindgren (elbow) is throwing off a mound. Ian Clarkin (knee) is done for the season with a meniscus problem. Conor Mullee (hand) has started a rehab assignment.
The Yankees made three trades last week. Aroldis Chapman went to the Cubs for Adam Warren and three prospects, Andrew Miller went to the Indians for four prospects, and Vicente Campos went to the Diamondbacks for Tyler Clippard.
Here are our deadline open thread for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Nova, and others are said to be on the market.
Chasen Shreve and Luis Severino were involved in up-and-down moves last week.
The qualifying offer is estimated at $16.7M this coming offseason.

Fan Confidence Poll: July 25th, 2016

July 25, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Record Last Week: 5-2 (24 RS, 12 RA)
Season Record: 50-48 (403 RS, 428 RA, 46-52 pythag. record), 4.5 GB of postseason spot
Opponents This Week: @ Astros (three games, Mon. to Weds.), Thurs. OFF, @ Rays (three games. Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

The week started with four games at home against the Orioles. The bullpen protected a 2-1 lead in the opener, then the Yankees blew the O’s out 7-1 on Tuesday. Wednesday’s 5-0 win was the Yankees’ fourth straight win, though they dropped the series finale 4-1.
The Giants came to the Bronx next. The good guys rallied for a 3-2 win Friday, but San Francisco outlasted the Yanks in 12 innings in Saturday’s 2-1 loss. They rebounded with a 5-2 win yesterday.
Injury Updates: Aaron Judge (knee) is expected to return to the Triple-A lineup in a few days. Ian Clarkin (unknown) landed on the High-A DL. Conor Mullee (hand) has resumed playing catch.
The Yankees are reportedly close to trading Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs. They have interest in some Nationals and Rangers prospects as well. CC Sabathia is drawing trade interest, and several teams have scouted Michael Pineda. The Yanks and Royals talked Carlos Beltran earlier this year.
Chad Green and Nick Goody were involved in up-and-down moves this week. Mason Williams was activated off the 60-day DL and optioned to Triple-A.
The Yankees signed several international prospects when the 2016-17 signing period opened.

Fan Confidence Poll: July 18th, 2016

July 18, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Record Last Week: 1-2 (8 RS, 11 RA)
Season Record: 45-46 (379 RS, 416 RA, 41-50 pythag. record), 5.5 GB of postseason spot
Opponents This Week: vs. Orioles (four games, Mon. to Thurs.), vs. Giants (three games, Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

The AL won the 2016 All-Star Game by the score of 4-2. It was the Junior Circuit’s fourth straight All-Star Game win. That means the Yankees will have home field advantage in the World Series.
The Red Sox came to the Bronx to open the second half, and they beat the Yankees 5-3 in the series opener. The Yankees lost 5-2 Saturday but were able to salvage the series with last night’s 3-1 win.
Injury Updates: Mark Teixeira (foot) is day-to-day after getting hit by a foul tip. Bryan Mitchell (toe) is throwing and running the bases. Chris Parmelee (hamstring) has resumed running the bases.
The Yankees and Pirates have discussed a Nathan Eovaldi trade. The Astros signed Yulieski Gurriel to a five-year, $47.5M deal. Alex Rodriguez has started taking ground balls at first base.
Four Yankees landed on Keith Law’s midseason top 50 prospects list.

Fan Confidence Poll: July 11th, 2016

July 11, 2016 by Mike Axisa Leave a Comment

Record Last Week: 4-3 (36 RS, 40 RA)
Season Record: 44-44 (371 RS, 405 RA, 40-48 pythag. record)
Opponents This Week: All-Star break (four days, Mon. to Thurs.), vs. Red Sox (three games, Fri. to Sun.)

Top stories from last week:

The Yankees opened the week in Chicago. They lost the first game 8-2 to the White Sox, then rebounded for a 9-0 win Tuesday. The Yankees dropped the finale 5-0.
Four games with the Indians in Cleveland followed. The Yankees won the opener 5-4, but got blown out 10-2 in the second game. They rallied for an extra innings 7-6 win Saturday, then finished off the series win an 11-7 win yesterday.
Injury Updates: Carlos Beltran (hamstring) is still nursing some soreness. Aaron Judge (knee) will be out 3-4 weeks with a mild PCL sprain and a bone bruise.
The Yankees are fielding offers for Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, and others. They’re said to have interest in Rich Hill and Matt Moore. The White Sox asked about Gary Sanchez, but the price was “far too high.”
Chad Green, Chasen Shreve, Luis Cessa, and Nick Goody were involved in up-and-down moves last week.
Miller, Beltran, and Dellin Betances were all selected to the 2016 All-Star Game.
Jorge Mateo has been suspended two weeks for violating team policy.