Yankees

The Idea of Josh Donaldson in Pinstripes a Good One, the Execution Not So Much

by Drew Duffy 8/29/23

Josh Donaldson has finished his tenure with the New York Yankees. The team announced today that they had released Donaldson from their roster. It has been about 534 days since the acquisition of the former MVP. Over his tenure, Donaldson did not make too many fans out of Yankee fans. He did have some moments in pinstripes, like a walk-off on Opening Day in 2022 against the Red Sox. Along with the highs (though admittedly, very few), Donaldson will be remembered much more for his lows. An inconsistent bat and a questionable player in the lineup due to his health, Donaldson was a tough figure to gravitate towards. What many may consider as Brian Cashman’s worst trade ever, though Joey Gallo’s time in pinstripes complicates that title, may not be as bad as some people think. I for one have looked at Donaldson’s performance as a lot of bad luck and poor performance. Though there is a side to show that Cashman’s acquisition of the player wasn’t as irrational as many believe. Let’s look back:

Donaldson came over to the Yankees in a trade alongside teammates SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who had been his teammate for about a day), and C Ben Rortvedt to the Bronx in exchange for 3B Gio Urshela and C Gary Sanchez. At this point, the Yankees were hoping to shake up something prior to the 2022 season. Sanchez had his own woes in pinstripes after an unbelievable rookie season. Among other issues, his production had dipped on both sides of the ball, and it was difficult to warrant more playing time for the former Rookie of the Year runner-up.

The Kiner-Falefa part of this equation cannot be ignored but also should not drive much more conversation. Kiner-Falefa was brought to the Bronx to man the shortstop position before either Oswald Peraza or Anthony Volpe would win the everyday role, which Volpe has in 2023. The tough part for Kiner-Falefa was the struggles he experienced at the position. He could never carve out a definitive role with the club and has been shifted to a super-utility man for the Yankees, for better or worse.

Now back to Donaldson. In 2021, Donaldson actually had a very impressive year. As a 35 year old, he followed up the COVID shortened season to post a .827 OPS. He came to New York with questions of injury and durability, though he played in 132 in 2022. His advanced numbers via BaseballSavant were intriguing, especially for a player that the Yankees hoped could find past success in a new environment. Unfortunately, that did not happen. He posted a 94 OPS+, his lowest since 2012 and struck out 148 times. Those 148 K’s would’ve likely turned into a career high if he played as many games as he did in 2019 when he struck out 155 times.

A highlight of his play was his newfound defensive abilities. Donaldson posted a 6 OAA and a 5 FRV in 2022, which put him in the top 10% of the league and probably should’ve merited consideration for a Gold Glove. In 2023, he only posted a 1 OAA, still a good figure for an infielder at the hot corner.

The biggest head scratching that comes from Yankee fans is the contract. Donaldson was owed around $22 million from the Yankees in each of his final two seasons. For a player who posted a 2.2 cumulative WAR in 2 seasons, that seems as a bit of an overpay. Okay maybe an insane overpay. Clearly, the Yankees were hoping for a lot more from Donaldson.

The Yankees, who were hoping to become better defensively and add some more pop to the lineup with the acquisition of Donaldson, did exactly that. Comparing Donaldson and Gio Urshela, then the Yankees third baseman and potential shortstop, is a fun exercise. Urshela has posted a 3.8 WAR in two years since leaving the Yankees. His salaries in those two years were much less than Donaldson, at about $15 million total. But, Urshela was a historically bad fielder, despite some dazzling plays for the Yankees. His combined OAA with the Yankees was -8 in three seasons.

Clearly, WAR shows that Urshela would have been the more valuable player for the Yankees over the last two seasons. However, if we are judging the trade based on process, I think it is harder to blame Cashman. Hindsight rarely favors anyone involved in the decision making process and this is no exception. Cashman hoped that he could acquire a better defender, while also adding an impact bat that at his best, would draw a ton of walks and hit balls hard into the field. Some combination of this would have been ideal for the Yankees. Unfortunately, Donaldson struggled mightily at the plate, overshadowing his defense. Cashman’s risk did not pay off, but I for one try to judge the intent of the move. Sometimes, things don’t work out the way you hope and all you can do is cut your losses and move on. That is what Cashman has to accept now as the Yankees look to make bigger changes this season and beyond.

Yankees Former Prospect Check-In from 2022 Trade Deadline

by Drew Duffy 7/12/23

With the MLB trade deadline about two and a half weeks away, the Yankees are sure to be making their calls around the league and inquiring on major league talent that will help rejuvenate the team over the next few months. While there are many parts of the roster that are underperforming, the Yankees will need to be calculated in the positions in which they look for immediate improvements. As with all trades, there is a price to pay for certain talent, and for teams that are contenders, that often means parting ways with some minor league players to improve the major league roster. Last year, they dealt away 8 prospects, 7 of whom were pitchers, to enhance the makeup of the big league roster. With almost a year of time passed, let’s take a look back into those trades and see where those former Yankee farm hands are now in their career.

2022 Trades:

--Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees, for RHP Chandler Champlain, LHP T.J. Sikkema and RHP Beck Way--

RHP Chandler Champlain: Drafted 9th round in 2021, Overall Pick: 273

Champlain is now pitching in AA with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, where he has a 8.18 ERA in three starts since being called up on June 20, 2023. Opponents have a 1.072 OPS against him and currently has 9K/6BB. Champlain is currently the Royals #24 overall prospect in their top 30.

LHP T.J. Sikkema: Drafted CB-A in 2019, Overall Pick: 38

Sikkema was placed in AA following the trade last year and got roughed up a bit in his second half with the Naturals. He was 0-5 in 8 starts last season, throwing 32.2 innings while posting a 7.44 ERA. This year he has been a little better, as the Royals have moved him to the bullpen. He has appeared in 19 games, throwing 48.0 innings with 47 K and a 4.88 ERA. This sits him at 8.81 K/9 and 4.69 BB/9. Sikkema is currently unranked in the top 30 list.

RHP Beck Way: Drafted 4th round in 2020, Overall Pick: 129

Way was placed in A+ after the trade to the Royals, maintaining his level with where he was with the Yankees in Hudson Valley. In A+, Way was very good, starting seven games and pitching 35.2 innings. He threw 47 strikeouts, had a WHIP of 1.15 and an opponent's BA of .189, while posting a 11.86 K/9. He was promoted to AA to start the season and has gotten rocked so far, with a 8.54 ERA and opponents with a .945OPS off him. Way has made two appearances out of the bullpen in July as the Royals organization tries to find where he can best help the club. Way is the Royals #10 overall prospects by MLB.com.

--Chicago Cubs traded RHP Scott Effross to New York Yankees for RHP Hayden Wesneski--

RHP Hayden Wesneski: Drafted 6th round in 2019, Overall Pick: 195

Wesneski was traded to the Cubs and sent down to AAA Iowa for four starts before being called up to the big leagues. His MLB debut came against the Cincinnati Reds, where he went 5 innings striking out 8 with two hits in front of a crowd at Wrigley. The Cubs have hoped he will regain this success, as he has had a difficult first half of his major league career. He has posted a 7.27K/9 and a 2.23BB/9 in his 15 appearances for the Cubs, 10 being starts, 5 out of the bullpen. While Wesneski is no longer considered a prospect, due to hit hitting the inning quota, he was ranked the Cubs #5 overall in their preseason top 30.

Oakland Athletics traded RHP Frankie Montas and RHP Lou Trivino to New York Yankees for LHP Ken Waldichuk, LHP JP Sears, RHP Luis Medina and 2B Cooper Bowman.

LHP Ken Waldichuk: Drafted 5th round in 2019, Overall Pick: 165

Waldichuck was the headliner in this deal and made 4 starts for AAA Las Vegas before getting called up to the bigs. In those 4 starts, he struck out 21 and walked 3 in 18.2 innings. With Oakland in 2022, he made 7 starts, posting a 4.93 ERA with 33K/10BB. Opponents had an OPS of .781 against him in those 7 starts. In 2023, his BB numbers are way up, with 44 in 72 innings at the all-star break. He currently holds a 6.63 ERA with opponents hitting a .950 OPS against him now. Waldichuck was the Athletic’s #2 preseason prospect and #76 in the MLB Top 100, before expiring his rookie status this year.

LHP JP Sears: Drafted 11th round in 2017 (by Seattle Mariners), Overall Pick: 333

JP Sears was a little bit of a silver bullet for the Yankees in 2022. After being acquired via trade in 2017, Sears made his way up the Yankees system and made his MLB debut on April 11 against the Blue Jays where he pitched a scoreless inning. Sears went to AAA Las Vegas following the trade, but was then called up to the Athletics as a starting pitcher. He would go 3-3 in 9 starts, with a 4.69 ERA and an opponent's OPS of .803. In 2023, Sears currently holds an ugly 1-8 record (the A’s are awful), but pitching to a more reasonable 3.88 ERA. He is posting his best MLB K/BB rate with 4.04 and pitching to an OPS against of .701.

RHP Luis Medina: Signed IFA by Yankees, July 8, 2015

Luis Medina had perennially been a hovering top 10 prospect for the Yankees before he was traded to the Athletics last year. Medina had only reached as high as AA Somerset with the Yankees and was assigned to the AA Midland RockHounds following the trade. Medina finished the 2022 season in Midland making 7 starts with an unfortunate 11.76 ERA. Opponents were teeing off on Medina, as they put up a 1.053 OPS, with Medina’s H/9 at a whopping 15.24. In 2023, Medina started in AAA Las Vegas, making 3 starts with 16K/15BB before being called up to Oakland and debuting against the Angels. He gave up 7ER while striking out 6 in Anaheim and being sent back down to AAA. Since then, he has been called back up and returned to the A’s rotation while trying to steady his performances.

2B Cooper Bowman: Drafted in the 4th round in 2021, Overall Pick: 122

Bowman had an unspectacular .698 OPS in A+ Hudson Valley at the time of the trade to the Athletics. He was then assigned to the A+ affiliate Lansing Lugnuts, where he couldn’t find much more success, hitting a .591 OPS. Bowman has started the 2023 season in AA Midland where he has improved his production, posting a .809 OPS to go along with 19 SB in 33 games. Bowman is not currently in the Athletics top 30 list.

In all, the Yankees traded away 7 pitchers and 1 second-baseman from their prospect pool in last year’s trade deadline. The organization as a whole has had a knack for drafting pitchers and developing them into tradable pieces as they develop. I imagine the Yankees will continue to exercise this route, as they have stockpiled some good arms in the system, mostly centralized around the 6-15 area of their prospect rankings. I would imagine at least two of those pitchers currently in that list will be pitching in another organization come August, depending on how many trades the Yankees make to bolster their major league team. There is always a tendency to “hug” some prospects, waiting for them to reach the major-leagues with the Yankees and not wanting to trade them away. But as history has shown, and especially from last year’s deadline, it is sometimes better to trade away and bring in guys that can help immediately, rather than waiting on a prospect to "pan out". Even with the rotation as is, some of these top 10 prospects really do not have a clear cut opening into the top 5 in the next year or two. The Yankees have a handful of guys who are “expendable”, after compiling so much pitching depth in recent years.

The way that the organization has constructed its pitching rotation is interesting, but it plays into the overall strength in the depth of the position. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are not going anywhere, Luis Severino may be seeing his time with the Yankees coming to a close and is a free agent after the season. Domingo German will be FA eligible in 2025, Nestor Cortes in 2026, and Clarke Schmidt in 2028. (And, lest we forget, Frankie Montas is FA eligible after this season). Technically, their entire pitching staff is under team control for the next season and a half, not to mention guys like Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez chomping at the bit to get established time in the Bronx. For this reason, and with what went down with Jordan Montgomery, I have a little inkling that the Yankees may be looking to trade one of these major league arms as well.

If we are more focused on some of the minor league prospects, guys like Will Warren, Richard Fitts, or Yoendres Gomez are all prospects that can be used as big pieces of some trade packages. I think that Drew Thorpe would be someone the Yankees prefer hanging onto, but if his inclusion was necessary in a big trade haul, I think they would talk themselves into parting ways with him as well. Clayton Beeter, the return from last year’s Joey Gallo trade, is also an interesting pitcher to throw around in trades. Beeter has been great at AA this year and is finding his footing in AAA. He has to be put on the Yankees 40 Man this off-season as he will be Rule 5 eligible, so this is an interesting decision time for the Yankees on where he fits in the organization. While not all of these pitchers may end up as starters and they could find value in the bullpen, the math simply does not work out for all of them to join the Yankees staff and a trade is the most reasonable way to clear up some room.

The Yankees have done an admirable job at stockpiling their pitching talent in the minor leagues and using it as a point of strength when it comes to filling holes at the major league level. While not everyone may agree with how some Yankee prospects pan out, or the ones that do not make a contribution to the major league team, it is impossible to ignore the value the organization gains in some of these players. If you want to see some of these pitching prospects in person for a Yankee affiliate team, you better make an effort to see them quickly after the all-star break, because if you wait too long, they might be on the other side of the country.

Judge Loves His Meatballs! 5/17/23

Judge loves his Meatballs!

by Drew Duffy 5/17/23

Sitting and watching Aaron Judge at bats are always a treat, especially when he sends a ball 448 feet into orbit. That is what Judge did last night in a 3-3 ballgame against right handed pitcher Erik Swanson. He punished Swanson’s poorly executed slider that wound up in the middle of the plate. Having watched many of Judge’s at bats over the years, it feels like he disproportionately capitalizes on these pitches. While he makes his own luck, sometimes he is just as good at taking advantage of an opportunity that is given to him. I decided to test my theory of seeing just how good Judge is at hitting these “middle-middle” pitches, or as people like to call them “meatballs”. I ran the search going all the way back to 2016, which was Judge’s unremarkable rookie year. From BaseballSavant, he has seen 911 meatball pitches, sending 60 over the fence for home-runs (most since 2016) with a slugging percentage of 1.088 which is 4th most under my parameters (min 50 PA), but 1st for players who have seen over 250 of these pitches. Obviously, meatball pitches are ones that pitchers hope to avoid at all cost and not every one of them will be sent home as a souvenir for a fan. Still, it is impressive to see how great Judge is on these kinds of pitches. The generational hitter surely has skills that no one else does, but when he is gifted an opportunity, boy does he eat it up!

Let's go Judge. Let's go Yanks.

Harrison Bader Projected Contract: Make the Call Cash 5/10/23

Harrison Bader Projected Contract: Make the Call Cash

by Drew Duffy 5/10/23

The New York Yankees and Brian Cashman have been at the forefront of a lot of recent criticism. While it may or may not be all warranted, the feelings largely revolve around the Yankees recent “failed” trades and free agent signings. Among these include the acquisitions of Scott Effros, Lou Trivino, Frankie Montas, and Carlos Rodon. While all of these individuals are pitchers, the fact that they are all members of the injured list currently has not gained much sympathy from Yankee fans who are hoping for more. Harrison Bader, the Yankees starting center fielder has not been completely free of injury in his past, as he dealt with plantar fasciitis while he was acquired last year. This injury limited his availability in the regular season, though he proved his worth in October, slashing .334/.430/.834 for a whopping 1.264 OPS. His heroics in the postseason were a slim bright spot for the Yankees, who were utterly dominated in the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

With Bader becoming a free agent at the end of the year, the Yankees are going to have a decision to make regarding the fate of their outfield. Bader is an elite defender in center, notching 53 Outs Above Average (OAA) to date. His presence at that position is the Yankees best offensive and defensive choice, as this allows Aaron Judge to shift back to his regular position in right. The absence of Bader showed the Yankees true lack of outfield depth at the major league level, as utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa had begun to make starts in center due to a number of factors, one being the swift decline of Aaron Hicks which has made him unplayable at times this year. Though Bader is slightly injury prone, his healthy self is a top center-fielder in the game, and one that warrants a contract to prove that fact.

Bader will enter free agency as a 29 year old with around a 15.0 WAR based on his 2023 projections. In the 2023-2024 free agent class, Bader will likely be the most valuable outfielder available not named Shohei Ohtani (who is in his own category of P/DH and occasional OF). I began to look a little deeper into what some potential contract figures could look like pulling from comparisons around the league:

~While not perfect comparisons, these players can shed some light on what Bader’s figures could potentially look like. All players will have entered free agency older than what Bader is entering this year. Castellanos is more of a corner OF so his comparison is here just for showing comparable numbers. Bader has the ability to earn a lot more money with his time on the field this year, hoping that he stays healthy and produces. ~

I can see a contract in the neighborhood of 7 years at 180 million (25 million AAV) being a solid asking point for Bader as he headlines the center-fielder class this winter. He may warrant or ask for more years than Nimmo, knowing that Steve Cohen gave him 8 years as a 30 year old.

There is still a lot of money to be had for Harrison Bader this year and everyone is hoping he maximizes his earnings, himself, Brian Cashman, and Yankees fans. The better he does the rest of this season, the better both the former two look and the happier the later becomes.

Let’s Go Bader. Let’s Go Yankees.

Gerrit Cole: "The Most Under Appreciated Yankee?" 4/13/23

Gerrit Cole: The Most Under Appreciated Yankee?

by Drew Duffy 4/13/23

In December of 2019, free agent hurler Gerrit Cole, signed the largest ever contract for a pitcher. The Yankees were aggressive in their pursuit of Cole and landed their guy at a whopping sum of $324 million over 9 years. Now, that contract alone will stir attention to Cole every single time he takes the bump. Regardless of performance, Cole will probably never live up to the expectations that some people have based on that contract. Though, I would argue that Gerrit Cole might just be the most under appreciated player on the Yankees currently. He is now the second highest paid player on the team, thanks to Aaron Judge’s rise to superstardom and his lucrative contract this past off-season. However, in baseball, there may be no more attention paid than to the person who throws the ball to home plate. The pitcher is the sole attention grabber during any game, as they are positioned in the middle of the diamond by their lonesome, and they act as the kickstart to every play. This causes pitchers to become one of the most important positions in the game. The role and status of a “Number 1” pitcher is vital to a team’s success during the regular season and the playoffs. Teams without a true “#1” have a difficult time competing with teams that do. This luxury is often overlooked, when you do have a shutdown arm. The Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to be that guy. His performance over the last 4 seasons has proved his worth. He has pitched in 75 games in his Yankee career, bearing the load of the rotation in many ways. While his pitches themselves are exceptional, his command pinpoint, and competitiveness unmatched, his best ability might just be his availability. Cole has pitched the second most innings in the league since he became a Yankee in 2020. He has provided stability and reliability at the top of the rotation in the Bronx, taking the ball every fifth or sixth day. Cole has never feared the pressure, and has really lived in the spotlight for his entire professional life. Gerrit Cole may never reach some of the expectations that the dollar signs on his contract signify to some people. To others, including this Yankee fan, Cole has become a staple of consistency for the Yankees. I honestly feel like he is in a little bit of a “lose-lose” situation (pretty ironic given his financial circumstances). Anytime that Cole may have a rough outing, people will say he is overpaid. Every good outing he has, well isn’t it expected? He lives in a seemingly insurmountable position and will never be able to appeal to everyone. To true Yankee fans, he has already been worth his contract, now all he has to do is put a championship ring on his finger and get a parade in the Canyon of Heroes this winter.

Ultimate Reliability from 45 in the Yankees Chase for 28. Go Yanks.

Yankees Potential Move Looming per Reports 3/30/23:

Quick little breakdown of a trade candidate from a report by Max Goodman saying that:

The #Yankees have a “potential deal” that’s in the works where they would be adding a pitcher, Aaron Boone says. That’s why they’re running with seven guys in their bullpen to start the year with the off day tomorrow.

My Tweet:

Could see a LHP like Taylor Hearn from the @Rangers being a potential fit here.

-- Above average V Movement on his Slider, works 4 Seam that averages around 95MPH.

-- 3 years of control

-- 6'6 230, athletic frame

Would the Rangers take Florial in exchange? #florial #yankees

Who Made the Yankees Value in Spring Training 2023?

Who Made the Most Value for the Yankees this Spring

by Drew Duffy 3/28/23

Spring Training is a lot about seeing guys make impressions, both good and bad. But the impressions are not solely for the club that holds the rights for these players, it is oftentimes an opportunity for opposing clubs to evaluate players that could potentially be acquired in the future. While the Yankees got great production for their major league club this spring in finding out what guys like Anthony Volpe and Johnny Brito can bring to the Bronx, they also found out what players can appeal to other clubs. I will take a quick look at a minor league player that the Yankees are happy with after his strong spring training performance. I see the potential in this player being dealt to another team in some sort of trade during the season for one main reason: The Rule 5 draft. There will be others who fall into the same boat as we approach the trade deadline in July, though more stats from their minor league teams will benefit their candidacy in a few months.

For those who don’t understand the complexities of the Rule 5 draft, I don’t blame you. But I will do my best at simplifying the idea. From the MLB website, “Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club's 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons”. This basically means that teams have a certain period of time to “protect” players via their 40 man roster. If the players are on the 40-man, they are untouchable from other teams. But 40 man roster decisions are often one that cause great debate and stress for decision makers, and it is impossible to protect everyone that you want to in your organization. Thus, teams have to decide on who they will protect for the upcoming season by clearing space on the 40 man for up and coming prospects. Many teams resort to trading away eligible Rule 5 players from their organizations before the deadline to protect them, and the Yankees are no exception to this. Last season, they traded away Hayden Wesneski, Miguel Andujar, Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk, and T.J. Sikkema.

One of the underrated stars of Yankees camp, Andres Chapparo. Chapparo, who has seen a lot of time on the corner infield, batted .324 with a 1.135 OPS in 16 games. He displayed his strong power hitting abilities and his taking advantage of right handed pitching this spring. He has only reached AA in his minor league career though he had impressive numbers in Somerset last year. He slashed a .289/.369/.594 while seeing an average of 3.782 pitchers/PA, an impressive show of plate discipline and continued maturity. The Yankees have created value with Chapparo thus far, and it will be interesting to see how he advances his game this year and positions himself to be a potential trade piece for the club going forward. I think that the Yankees will utilize his value, as some teams had to have taken notice of his spring and see better potential ways to make an impact than he currently has with the Yankees.

The Rule 5 draft, though it has its quirks, is really an interesting and exciting part of the MLB season and overall evaluation of a team. It is fun as someone who looks into roster composition and makeup to begin to predict which players are going to be dealt and which players need to raise their stock a little bit so the teams can capitalize on their return. In the end, the Rule 5 draft is a great way for players to have an external incentive for playing well, especially if they are blocked in their current situation. While many players hope to break into the big leagues with the team that drafted them, all of them want to reach the majors regardless of what jersey they are wearing. This might just be the case for Andres Chapparo, as he showed out in a great way over the past five weeks, and positioned himself to make a name for himself going forward.

A Win for the Yankees, A Win for Chapparo.

"True Values" for MLB Contracts, Looking at Aaron Judge

“True Values” for MLB Contracts

by Drew Duffy 3/27/23

FanGraphs offers a great basis for value projection on contracts for player’s past seasons. I think this is important to look at when we evaluate contracts that are given to players in free agency. I am not sure how the internal discussions go amongst front office members and agent representatives though I would not be surprised to see an encompassing value of a player be a major point of discussion. The MLB is unique in terms of how the arbitration system works. Under the CBA, players who “have three or more years of Major League service but less than six years of Major League service become eligible for salary arbitration if they do not already have a contract for the next season” are eligible for arbitration. In short, the controlling club comes up with a value number for the player, and the player and his representatives do the same. Once these numbers are exchanged, there can be an agreement at a certain value or an independent arbiter comes in to choose the proper salary. The MLB is an interesting business, as players in arbitration earn much less than their actual valued salary, shown by FanGraphs. This is an important distinction to be made for players who reach free agency for the first time in their careers. A player reaches this benchmark when they reach “six years of Major League service time or when they are released from their organization prior to reaching six years of service time”. The play on the field between the time a player reaches free agency is sometimes around 40% to 50% of his career time. I wanted to take a little look into some recent free agents who have earned big paydays and see how the value shakes out if we incorporate their pre-arbitration and arbitration value as well. I will be using Baseball Reference’s data on year by year salaries and FanGraphs value projections.

Here is Aaron Judge for example:

Winter of 2022, Judge signed a 9 yr/ $360 million ($40 million AAV) deal to remain with the Yankees. He has 6.051 years of service and has earned $39,526,100 million in those years. FanGraphs shows that his overall value in that span was $288.6 million. By this logic, we can see that Judge performed around $250 million better than he was paid. So in my eyes, there is a case to be made that Judge needs to perform at a $12 million/ year value for the nine years in his contract. Obviously, this is lowballing his ability and the Yankees hope he far exceeds that, but saying that a certain contract is too much money fails to take into account the years that Judge performed better than his salary. In the end, it should be relatively even.

There are may different factors that play into contract values, both on the field and off, but it would be awesome to hear what certain ideas are thrown around in the negotiation process.For the most part, both sides of the deal come out doing well, with the player securing generational wealth and the club retaining a player that is vital to its success. Good deals all around.

The Case for Steven Brault in Pinstripes

by Drew Duffy 3/9/23

The Yankees got some tough news today with the loss of Carlos Rodon for the first few weeks of the season. Here is who they should go after in free agency to relieve some of the pain...

By losing a left handed pitcher, it may seem like they need someone to step in here. Bring in free agent southpaw Steven Brault. Brault is a SP/RP, which the Yankees can utilize fully. He does not have overpowering stuff, but can make an impact here in 2023. Brault's 2022 season was nothing to write home about.

He appeared in 9 games of relief for the Cubs, pitching to a 3.00 ERA, with a 20.5 K% and 12.8%. It is important to keep in mind the small sample size from last year.

He also spent the prior five seasons with the Pirates.
Brault uses a 4 pitch mix: Sinker (32.5%) 4-Seam Fastball (31.8%) Slider (31.2%) Changeup (4.5%)
- His sinker yielded a xBA of .090 /xSLG .158/xwOBA .105.

This was his only pitch where his x (expected values) actually turned out worse than the actual.

His other pitches were expected to be better than they turned out to be, seen here:

Where Brault really stands out is in his extension, defined here by Baseball Savant as "how far off the mound, in feet, a pitcher releases the pitch".

He has been in the top 13% for the last 6 years in the big leagues.

Brault would admittedly be a little bit of a project, though it is something that the Yankees have embraced in the past within their pitching department. The connection to the Pirates team is hard to ignore as well with the likes of Clay Holmes and Jameson Taillon. Matt Blake could do wonders for Brault, especially if the Yankees capitalize on his Sinker/Slider combo, while redeveloping his Change-up, a pitch that he had success with in 2020.

Brault adds another lefty arm to develop into a competitive spot starter or long reliever for the Yanks and would benefit from some fine-tuning and proper utilization.

Hope you enjoyed my analysis of Steven Brault. We should see him on some squad in the majors this season. As always, comment and feel free to let me know other analyses that I should look at in any sports. Thanks!

Feel free to leave messages on Twitter @digestDuffy or email me: duffydigest@gmail.com

Yankees 2022 Trade Deadline Ideas

Yankees Trade Deadline Acquisitions (7/26)

by Drew Duffy 7/26/22

As the trade deadline nears in the next week, the Yankees are in a position to make a splash to bolster their team. The needs have become more profound over the last few weeks as they have not enjoyed the same early season success. We need arms in the bullpen to solidify the end of game situations. The blow that came from losing Michael King for the season cannot be understated. He was one of the top arms in the majors this season, along with Clay Holmes. This made me look into what makes these two guys so effective as Yankees and what the coaching staff has done in making these guys extremely effective, especially Holmes.

Looking into Holmes’ advanced stats, I have noticed that the Yankees have urged him to throw his sinker more often. We know that Holmes relies heavily on this pitch, and it has done great things for him this season. According to Statcast, his sinker has 16in of horizontal movement in on right handed hitters with a whopping 24in drop. He pitches for soft contact and ground balls, inducing 69% ground balls on balls in play and only 4% of hits are barrels.

I have looked into 4 potential arms that the Yankees should target for their bullpen who have similar makeup and potential with being strong options out of the ‘pen.

In no order:

Adam Kolareck LHP OAK

Jose Cuas RHP KC

Scott Barlow RHP KC

Zach Pop RHP MIA

Kolareck is an interesting choice to make this list as he is currently playing in AAA. He has not had a great season to this point but he would potentially be a low risk low reward addition for the Yankees system. He is arbitration eligible this season and does not become a free agent until 2026. He can use his sinker well and would add another left handed option in the system with the potential of working up to a trusted arm in September.

Jose Cuas is a rookie flame thrower from Kansas City who has a lot of soft contact stuff. He can mix his pitches well and he needs more confidence in his sinker to make it his best pitch. He has had some trouble throwing it well for strikes and often leaves it over the plate more often than not but he has the potential for great swing and miss stuff under the teachings of Matt Blake.

Scott Barlow is the most notable name on the list and is having a great season thus far. He will be in large command over the next week as contending teams aim to bolster their bullpen. He has been a top closer in the league for this season and would be an electric addition to the back end of the bullpen. A Barlow and Holmes combo could give Yankee fans flashbacks to the Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman days of old. These two could take the eighth and ninth innings in a playoff series and would be a force to be reckoned with if the Yankees have the lead late in the games.

Zach Pop is an interesting piece to acquire as well. The Marlins are in full sell mode this season and may not move Pop, though there could be a deal that could force the Marlins to say yes. Pop still has years of team control and is only 25 years old so moving on from him may be difficult for the Marlins.

This trade would (unfortunately) end Joey Gallo’s career as a Yankee. He was not the player that they thought he would be in the pinstripes and he would get the opportunity to get the ship back on course in a much less pressurized situation in Kansas City. The Yankees would also have to give Estevan Florial his time to earn playing time in a better situation. The Yankees will have to part ways with their #7 prospect in Hayden Wesneski. This season Wesneski is pitching to a 3.39 ERA with a 6-7 record and a 1.14 WHIP. Wesneski could be called up at some point in this season but the Yankees have been strange with how they’re using their pitchers thus far. To even the deal up the Yankees will send over C Antonio Gomez, their #18 prospect who has been playing well in A with Tampa. Also, they give up TJ Sikkema, who the Yankees may lose to the Rule 5 draft this winter.

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