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Adam Eaton’s injury creates a possible trade partner for Brett Gardner

May 3, 2017 by Mike Leave a Comment

Over the weekend the World Series hopeful Washington Nationals suffered a devastating loss, and I don’t mean dropping two of three to the Mets. Prized offseason pickup Adam Eaton suffered a season-ending injury legging out an infield single Friday night. The official diagnosis: a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, and a high-ankle sprain. Yikes. His recovery timetable is 6-9 months.

Here’s video of the play, if you haven’t seen it:

The Nationals traded basically their three best pitching prospects (Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dane Dunning) to get the 28-year-old Eaton from the White Sox back in December. He was hitting .297/.393/.462 (128 wRC+) at the time of the injury and was a huge reason why Washington is averaging an MLB best 6.65 runs per game in the early going. (The Yankees are a distant second at 5.60 runs per game.)

As expected, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said they will stay in house to replace Eaton. They like their organizational depth in center field. Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. That’s what every GM says after losing a core player to a long-term injury. They don’t want to sound desperate. You can be sure Rizzo will keep an eye on potential trade options, however. He wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t.

Brett Gardner has been on the trade market for well over a year now and the Yankees have fielded offers for him the last two offseasons. Obviously Brian Cashman hasn’t received an offer to his liking, which is why Gardner remains in pinstripes. There didn’t seem to be many trade partners for Gardner over the winter. The Eaton injury may have just created one. Let’s break down the merits of a potential Gardner-Nationals deal, shall we?

1. The Nationals are a win now team. In the two games since Eaton’s injury, 26-year-old Michael A. Taylor has stepped into the lineup as the center fielder. This is the same Michael A. Taylor who hit .228/.281/.363 (71 wRC+) with a 31.9% strikeout rate in 791 plate appearances from 2014-16. The same Michael A. Taylor who prompted the Nationals to go out and get Eaton because they were tired of waiting for him to figure things out.

The Nationals have a very clearly defined window of contention with this core: 2017 and 2018. That’s basically it. Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy will both be free agents following next season. Furthermore, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are in their primes right now and probably won’t be by time 2019 rolls around. Rizzo knows he has to do whatever he can to maximize his team’s chances of winning before Harper can leave. That’s why he traded for Eaton in the first place and also pursued Chris Sale and various free agent relievers.

Gardner fits the two-year window perfectly since the guaranteed portion of his contract runs through 2018. More than anything though, he’s a better player than Taylor, and it’s not particularly close either. Gardner is not as good as Eaton — he’s basically the poor man’s version of Eaton — but he’s better than Taylor and acquiring him would improve Washington’s chances quite a bit from their current situation. Extreme win now teams like the Nationals shouldn’t cut corners.

2. Gardner and Eaton have similar skill sets. Like I said, Eaton is a better player than Gardner and by a not small margin either. They do bring similar things to the table, however. Speed, the ability to grind out at-bats and get on base, and quality outfield defense. Gardner hasn’t played center field regularly since 2013 but that’s due to Jacoby Ellsbury and not his defensive shortcomings. I don’t think too many folks believe Gardner can’t play center right now. He’d step right in to replace Eaton as the lefty hitting center fielder and leadoff hitter. A seamless transition.

3. The Nationals need a left fielder for 2018. Remember that massive seven-year, $126M contract Jayson Werth signed way back when? That deal expires this year. Werth will be a free agent this offseason. Gardner could step in to replace Eaton in center field this season before sliding over to replace Werth in left next year, once Eaton is healthy. And, if the Nationals decide the injury has sapped Eaton’s range, they could put him in a corner and keep Gardner in center. Point is, Washington has an open outfield spot next season, and Gardner would help fill it.

4. So what do the Nationals have to offer? My guess is if the Yankees do decide to trade Gardner, they’ll seek the best possible talent in return regardless of position, rather than try to fill specific needs. That’s what they did last year at the trade deadline. Just get the best possible talent and sort it out later. Obviously Gardner doesn’t have as much trade value as Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, but the thinking remains the same. Acquire as much talent as possible.

Here is MLB.com’s top 30 Nationals prospects list. Washington is not trading Victor Robles or Juan Soto or Erick Fedde for Brett Gardner, so stop thinking about that right now. I’d focus on the lower half of the top 30 list. I suppose maybe the Yankees could pry a higher ranked prospect by eating some of Gardner’s salary, like they did with Brian McCann, but even then I don’t expect a huge return. This isn’t one of those “we need two top prospects to trade him” situations like it was with Miller. I’m sure the Nationals have the pieces to get a Gardner deal done if they choose to go in that direction.

5. Other teams are going to be involved too. The Yankees are not the only team with an extra outfielder to trade! The Royals are awful and could make impending free agent Lorenzo Cain available. He’d be a great Eaton replacement, no? The Nationals have interest in Royals closer Kelvin Herrera according to Ken Rosenthal (video link), so how about a Herrera/Cain package deal? Doesn’t seem unrealistic.

Washington has also been said to have interest in David Robertson dating back to the offseason, and the White Sox could offer Melky Cabrera as well. Bryce Harper in center, Werth in right, and Melky in lefty? Seems doable. What if the Blue Jays sell and put Jose Bautista on the market? Or the Braves make Nick Markakis available? Heck, the Nationals could always revisit Andrew McCutchen with the Pirates. They also have the option of putting Trea Turner in center field and acquiring a shortstop (Zack Cozart?).

The point is there are other teams with outfielders out there, meaning the Nationals have some options. They might be willing to pay big for Cain since they’re all-in right now. Perhaps they go for a cheap alternative. If the Yankees hope to move Gardner to Washington in the wake of the Eaton injury, they’re going to have some competition. There doesn’t figure to be any shortage of available outfielders in the coming weeks.

6. Are the Yankees still open to selling? The million dollar question. The Yankees are currently tied for first place in the AL East at 16-9, and their +43 run differential is second best in baseball. (The Nationals are at +45 thanks to Sunday’s 23-5 bludgeoning of the Mets.) They could very well be in the race come July! And if that is the case, would they still be open to moving Gardner?

Keep in mind Hal Steinbrenner did not want to sell last season. It reportedly took Cashman weeks to convince Hal to okay a trade deadline sell-off, and even then it only happened after Chapman declined a contract extension. If the Yankees are in the race, will Steinbrenner really okay trading away an everyday player? It seems like they might be more inclined to add pieces at that point. I don’t think selling is a given at all.

Perhaps being in a race — which would be very awesome, by the way! — means any Gardner trade would have to involve a big league player coming back to the Yankees. Someone who can help them win right away. I have no idea who that player could be with Washington. They’re not trading one of their starting pitchers, not even ~~the lefty Michael Pineda~~ Gio Gonzalez, so forget that. I’m not sure I see a fit in this case.

* * *

The Yankees have the outfield depth to trade Gardner — once Ellsbury’s elbow is healthy, trading Gardner likely means Aaron Hicks in left field and either Mason Williams or Rob Refsnyder as the fourth outfielder until the Yankees deem Clint Frazier or Dustin Fowler ready — so the only real question is whether they can find a trade partner. Options are limited right now. (I still think the Giants are a best fit.)

Eaton’s injury could open the door for the Nationals to get involved, though it’s a bit too early in the season for trades involving notable players. Everyone would know Rizzo is desperate and jack up the price if he were to go out on the trade market and ask about center fielders this week. Odds are the Nationals will spend the next few weeks sorting through their internal options before pursuing a trade because that’s what teams in their situation almost always do.

On paper though, Gardner does appear to be a fit to the Nationals. He could step in to replace Eaton as their speedy leadoff hitter and center fielder, then slide over to left field once Werth’s contract expires. Other teams, like the Royals and White Sox, have outfielders to offer too though, so the Yankees hardly control the market right now, like they did when they controlled the bullpen market with Chapman and Miller last summer.

Wednesday Notes: Astros, Nats, Quintana, Prospects, A-Rod

March 15, 2017 by Mike Leave a Comment

The Yankees return to television tonight with a home game against the Phillies, thankfully. We haven’t seen them play since Saturday. Tonight’s game will start at 6:35pm ET and we’ll have a regular game thread at that time. Here are some bits of news to check out in the meantime.

Yankees scouted Astros, Nationals

According to Brendan Kuty, the Yankees had scout (Matt Daley!) in Port St. Lucie over the weekend when the Astros and Nationals visited the Mets. Righty Joe Musgrove started for Houston on Friday while righty Erick Fedde was on the mound for Washington on Saturday. Both pitchers allowed one hit and one walk in three scoreless innings in their outings. Musgrove struck out four. Fedde fanned one.

The Yankees have been connected to both Musgrove and Fedde over the last year or so, but only through speculation. Not hard “they want this guy” rumors. Musgrove was mentioned as a possible target during Brian McCann trade talks (I even wrote a Scouting The Market post) while Fedde’s name came up as a potential piece in an Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman trade at least year’s deadline. Obviously neither deal came to fruition.

We could connect some serious dots here. The Astros are said to want another high-end starting pitcher, and with Masahiro Tanaka’s opt-out looming, could the Yankees move him? The Nationals don’t have a closer right now and gosh, Dellin Betances sure makes sense for them, no? That said, teams scout either other all the time, and this could be nothing. Still, with the Yankees perpetually seeking young controllable pitching, this report sure is interesting.

Nothing happening with Quintana

According to Jack Curry (video link), the Yankees have “nothing simmering, nothing very hot going on right now” with regards to trade talks with the White Sox about Jose Quintana. Quintana is very much available and last week we heard the White Sox have been scouting the Yankees this spring. See? Teams scout each other all the time. Anyway, point is there’s nothing imminent here, which isn’t surprising.

Quintana started against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic last week and was masterful, taking a no-hitter into the sixth before allowing a two-out single and hitting his pitch count. (The bullpen then blew it.) That said, Quintana’s stock didn’t go up or anything. Teams know he’s good. The only way one game can change a veteran pitcher’s trade stock is if he gets hurt. My guess is the White Sox will ramp up their efforts to trade Quintana pretty soon, before he goes all Tyson Ross on them or something.

FanGraphs releases top Yankees prospects, top 100 prospects lists

Over at FanGraphs, Eric Longenhagen recently released his top 33 Yankees prospects list as well as his top 100 prospects list for all of baseball. White Sox IF Yoan Moncada claims the top spot on the top 100. Here are the eight Yankees in the top 100:

7. SS Gleyber Torres
34. OF Clint Frazier
40. OF Blake Rutherford
53. RHP James Kaprielian
61. OF Aaron Judge
87. OF Dustin Fowler
91. SS Jorge Mateo
97. LHP Justus Sheffield

This is the only top 100 list Fowler has made this year. Interesting. As for the top 33 Yankees prospects list, gosh, it’s massive. I still haven’t finished reading the entire thing. I’m doing it bit by bit. The write-up covers 68 players total. 68!

“Fawning over the system’s obvious talent ignores its most fascinating aspect: the bizarre collection of pop-up arms. New York appears to be in possession of a player-development machine that has conjured several interesting pitching prospects seemingly out of thin air,” says the write-up, referring to guys like Jordan Montgomery, Chance Adams, and Chad Green, all of whom came to the Yankees as okay prospects and have since seen their stock rise considerably. Now hopefully some of these guys will turn into productive big leaguers.

A-Rod joins FOX full-time

Alex Rodriguez is officially a full-time broadcaster. Last week FOX announced A-Rod has joined the network and will “serve as a game analyst for select FOX MLB SATURDAY telecasts as well as feature reporter for FOX’s MLB pregame coverage and FS1 studio show MLB WHIPAROUND,” according to the press release. It doesn’t sound like he will be in the broadcast booth, does it? Sounds like a studio gig.

FOX owns a big chunk of the YES Network following the News Corp. deal a few years back, though it doesn’t sound like there will be any crossover work here. A-Rod will be on FOX and FOX Sports 1. Not YES. Lame. I assume Alex will continue his special advisor duties with the Yankees in the meantime. His agreement with the club called for him to remain in that role through the end of this year. Either way, A-Rod was really good on television the last two postseasons, and it was only a matter of time until some network scooped him up.

MLB approves wearable biometric device

For the first time MLB has approved a wearable on-field biometric device for players, reports Darren Rovell. The device, which is made by a company called WHOOP, is meant to be worn all day and night, and will record data on sleep, heart rate, recovery, strain, etc. It is not a mandated piece of equipment and teams can’t force their players to wear the WHOOP device. It is the player’s decision given the private data involved.

Clubs have been studying pitcher deliveries using biometrics for years now, though the WHOOP device extends beyond that. Teams are focusing more and more on rest and recovery, because nowadays having the most talent isn’t enough. You need the most talented players performing at their best as often as possible. Rest and recovery are part of that. The Yankees start their Spring Training workouts later in the morning to give players time to sleep in, plus they’ve looked for ways to improve travel in recent years too. I wonder how many players will wear the WHOOP device. It seems like the data could be really useful.

2016 Trade Deadline Rumors Open Thread: Friday

July 29, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

As you may have heard, a fake rumor was going around last night that Carlos Beltran had been traded to the Indians. Actually, it wasn’t a fake rumor, per se. It came from this MLB.com article with a bunch of trade suggestions, and Twins people put the deals up on the dang Target Field scoreboard. The internet was abuzz for a few minutes, but no, there was no Beltran trade. Not yet, anyway.

The trade deadline is less than 80 hours away now, and since the Aroldis Chapman trade earlier this week, things have been rather quite around the Yankees. That’s not all that uncommon. They tend to keep things close to the vest. You can read through Thursday’s rumors right here. There’s not too many of them though. Once again, we’re going to keep track of the day’s Yankees-related trade rumors right here, so check back often. All time stamps are ET.

9:30am: The Rangers have remained in contact with the Yankees about Ivan Nova as well as Andrew Miller and Beltran. Possibly Michael Pineda too. Texas is short on pitching, and they just lost Prince Fielder to season-ending neck surgery, so they have a hole at DH too. [Joel Sherman]
1:39pm: The Nationals are believed to be willing to trade Lucas Giolito for Andrew Miller, straight up. This seems like a leak designed to get someone else to blink. Who? I’m not sure. [Jon Morosi]
1:56pm: Word is the Yankees would need “three times as much” as they received for Chapman to trade Miller. That doesn’t mean they want 12 players in return (duh), they want higher quality players. That makes sense. The Cubs got one postseason run from Chapman. Whoever gets Miller gets three postseason runs. [Jon Heyman]
2:15pm: The Yankees would not trade Miller for Giolito straight up. I’m in the minority, but I agree with that. The Yankees are right to demand more. Giolito’s great, but he’s not some kind of generational talent, and his performance in the minors hasn’t matched the stuff. [Heyman]
2:22pm: If the Nationals are willing to trade Giolito for Miller, they’ve yet to approach the Yankees about it. [Sherman]

Reminder before you comment: Your trade proposal sucks.

2016 Trade Deadline Rumors Open Thread: Thursday

July 28, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Earlier this week the Yankees swung a blockbuster trade with the Cubs, sending Aroldis Chapman to Chicago for Adam Warren and three prospects. There were an awful lot of rumors and buildup to that trade — that’s a Theo Epstein hallmark — but things have been fairly quiet since. That’s not unusual for the Yankees. Their moves tend to come out of nowhere. The Chapman trade was the exception.

Of course, the Yankees are also said to be on the fence about selling, and their recent 11-6 hot streak hasn’t exactly helped matters. It’s making me a little nervous. The Yankees are going to make some important decisions these next four days, decisions that really impact the future of the franchise. Anyway, here are Wednesday’s rumors, and once again, we’ll keep track of the day’s trade rumors right here, so make sure you check back often. All time stamps are ET.

9:30pm: The Yankees will move Ivan Nova no matter what before the deadline. The team is not planning to make him the qualifying offer after the season, so they want to get something for him at the deadline rather than nothing after the season. The pitching market is so bleak right now that I think Nova might actually fetch something halfway decent. [Joel Sherman]
11:25am: The Yankees have called the White Sox about Chris Sale multiple times. Chicago wants five top prospects for their ace lefty, and thanks to the haul from the Aroldis Chapman trade, the Yankees just might have the pieces to get it done. [Jon Heyman]
12:04pm: One Yankees-connected person said there is “no chance” they trade Andrew Miller. The team is listening to offers, but their asking price is “prohibitive.” Given what they received for Chapman, I can’t even imagine what it would take to get Miller. [Heyman]
2:09pm: The Yankees asked the Nationals for a four-player package built around young pitching for Chapman. First they asked for Lucas Giolito, and when Washington said no, they asked for Joe Ross. The Nationals said no again. [Heyman]

Reminder before you comment: Your trade proposal sucks.

2016 Trade Deadline Rumors Open Thread: Tuesday

July 26, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Yesterday afternoon the Yankees made their biggest trade in quite some time, sending Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for Adam Warren and three prospects. One of those prospects, shortstop Gleyber Torres, ranks among the top 25-ish prospects in baseball. It’s a significant haul for a rental reliever, even one as good as Chapman, and it very well might be the team’s biggest move at this year’s trade deadline.

“This one move doesn’t necessarily create a domino effect of selling, and it doesn’t prevent a domino effect of buying,” said Brian Cashman to reporters on yesterday’s trade conference call. “This is an easy call, and this was the right call. Easy because we traded from an area of strength, and we are excited about the players that we received for someone that obviously was only under control for two more months.”

With Chapman gone, the focus figures to shift to the team’s other rental players, namely Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova. Andrew Miller’s name has been out there as well, ditto basically everyone in the rotation other than Masahiro Tanaka. Here are Monday’s trade deadline rumors. We’ll again keep track of today’s rumors right here, in this one post, so check back often. All time stamps are ET.

9:30am: Trading Nova is the next priority, and the Marlins are among the interested teams. “They’re shooting high, but it’s early. They know what the pitching market looks like right now and they’re trying to capitalize on that,” said a source to Mark Feinsand. I guess there’s a chance Nova has already thrown his last pitch as a Yankee.
9:30am: Brett Gardner is a consideration for the Dodgers, though he is not atop their list of targets. Los Angeles is without Andre Ethier (leg) and Trayce Thompson (back), plus Yasiel Puig isn’t hitting, so they need outfield help. Howie Kendrick in left isn’t going too well. [Joel Sherman]
9:30am: The Nationals were “deep in conversations” with the Yankees about Chapman before he was traded to the Cubs. They didn’t put enough on the table though, so to the Cubs he went. The Nats could change gears and focus on Miller now. [Buster Olney]
10:21am: The Nats declared Joe Ross, Lucas Giolito, Trea Turner, Victor Robles, and Reynaldo Lopez off-limits in Chapman trade talks. That’s a lot of untouchables. The Indians were “seemingly” unwilling to part with top outfield prospects Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier. [Ken Rosenthal]
10:51am: Rival clubs say the Yankees are buying and selling, and are looking for controllable pitching in particular. “We’re not playing in a narrow-minded world. We want to be open to any and all ideas. Buy, sell, long, short. It’s in our best interests to be creative and open-minded, not just now,” said Cashman. [Ken Rosenthal]

Reminder before you comment: Your trade proposal sucks.

Update: Yanks moving closer to trading Aroldis Chapman

July 24, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

Sunday, 7:52pm: The Yankees and Cubs are working on a deal that would send Chapman to Chicago for top prospect Gleyber Torres plus a second piece (!), report Jon Heyman and Buster Olney. Apparently the Cubbies want Chapman to agree to an extension before consummating a trade. Sounds like the deal could be completed as soon as tomorrow.

Sunday, 1:58pm: Jack Curry, who will inevitably break the Chapman trade news, says nothing is imminent and the Yankees are still mulling offers. For what it’s worth, John Harper says Hal Steinbrenner gave the okay to deal Chapman before the Giants series. Here’s the latest:

The Cubs are “strong” in the mix for Chapman, says Ken Rosenthal. The Giants, Dodgers, Nationals, and Indians are all involved too. That sounds like a last minute leak from the Yankees to get someone to raise their offer. He’s currently on the DL with a minor shoulder injury and is due back soon.
The Yankees have interest in Nats righty Joe Ross, reports Jon Heyman. One source told him there is “no chance” they’ll trade Ross for a rental though. Here’s my offseason Scouting the Market post on Ross.
Keith Law hears the Yankees would get righty Erick Fedde, righty Koda Glover, and a third piece if the deal with the Nationals goes through. That is a lot. Here is MLB.com’s Nationals top 30 prospects list so you can familiarize yourself with those guys.
The Yankees “love” Cubs shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, according to Buster Olney. I wrote about Torres in our Scouting the Market: Cubs post a few days ago.

Sunday, 12:41am ET: Rosenthal says a trade is not necessarily imminent. The Yankees are preparing to wrap-up the process though. I guess that means they’re sorting through final offers and things like that.

Saturday, 10:38pm ET: The Yankees are telling teams they are close to trading Aroldis Chapman and will hold on to Andrew Miller, reports Ken Rosenthal. There’s no word on where Chapman may be heading or when a deal may be completed. For what it’s worth, the Nationals have been connected to him most frequently.

Following Saturday’s loss, the Yankees are now 49-48 on the season and 7.5 games back in the AL East. They’re 4.5 games back of a wildcard spot with four teams ahead of them. FanGraphs puts their postseason odds at 8.3% as of this writing, which should have the team firmly in sell mode. I’m not sure what else ownership needs to see.

Now, that said, trading Chapman would make sense even if the Yankees were in the race. They were able to get him at a very discounted rate due to his pending domestic violence suspension, and now that the suspension has been served, they can market him as a full price rental elite reliever. That’s pretty darn valuable and should fetch a lot.

In addition to the Nationals, the Rangers, Cubs, and Giants have all been connected to Chapman to some degree. Washington tried to acquire Aroldis in the offseason following his domestic dispute incident, but the Yankees beat them to the punch. Nationals manager Dusty Baker had Chapman with the Reds and has reportedly been pushing to acquire him.

As for keeping Miller, it’s certainly a sound strategy considering his general awesomeness and the two years left on his affordable contract. It’s been reported that the Yankees will have to be blown away to move him. That could still happen before the deadline, it’s not like there’s a shortage of teams in on Miller. We’ll see. The trade deadline is one week from Monday.

Trade Deadline Notes: Nats, Sabathia, Blue Jays, Pineda

July 23, 2016 by Mike Leave a Comment

The trade deadline is now only nine days away, and according to FanGraphs, the Yankees have a 9.6% chance to make the postseason. That’s not very good. Buster Olney (video link) said yesterday Aroldis Chapman could be dealt as soon as this weekend, though I’m not sure I buy that. “The Yankees are playing it smart and will likely take it to the end to get the most,” said an official with another team to George King. Here are the latest trade rumblings.

Nats make top prospects off-limits

Despite their interest in Chapman, Barry Svrluga reports the Nationals will not trade top prospects Lucas Giolito, Trea Turner, Victor Robles, or Reynaldo Lopez for the hard-throwing lefty. Every team says they’re unwilling to trade their top prospects this time of year, so I wouldn’t make too much of this. It’s just posturing.

If the Nationals are serious about getting Chapman (or Andrew Miller), they’ll have to put one of those guys on the table. Lopez seems most likely, mostly because he’s the lowest rated prospect of the bunch. He’s not bad — Baseball America had him 48th in their midseason top 100 — the other guys are just really, really good. Based on what Miller fetched two years ago, I think Lopez would be a fair return for Chapman.

Blue Jays scouted Sabathia

The Blue Jays had a scout watching CC Sabathia’s most recent start, reports Jon Heyman. George King says the Astros, Mets, Marlins, and Cubs also had scouts on hand Thursday. It’s worth noting Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro was in the Indians’ front office all those years Sabathia was in Cleveland, including most as GM. There’s a bit of a connection there.

We heard Sabathia has been drawing some interest the other day, though I have a hard time believing it’s serious interest. I’m guessing it’s more “if you eat a ton of money we’ll take him off your hands” interest. Also, an intradivision trade with the Blue Jays probably isn’t happening, even though you could argue trading Sabathia to an AL East rival would be good for the Yankees.

Giants, Astros, Cubs among teams to scout Pineda

The Giants, Astros, Cubs, and “a ton” of others were on hand to see Michael Pineda’s most recent start, report Jon Morosi and Chris Cotillo. Pineda had his first scoreless start of the season Wednesday, and he had maybe his nastiest slider of the season too. As Katie pointed out in Yankeemetrics, Pineda generated 18 swings and misses with his slider that game, the most by any pitcher in baseball in 2016.

The Yankees are at the point where they have to figure out what they want to do with Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi. Do they want to keep them long-term? If so, they should start thinking about extensions. If they don’t want them long-term, then they should trade them soon to get as much back as possible. I understand waiting and hoping they rebuild value in the second half, but I think it’s more likely they’ll lose value going forward between the injury risk and being closer to free agency.