It appears Aaron Judge is all-systems-go for the New York Yankees.
In early March (which feels like an eternity ago), Judge was diagnosed with a broken right rib making a catch in a game on September 18, 2019. We won’t re-hash the hows and whys about his treatments over the winter. That is beyond the scope of this particular article.
Now entering his fourth full season in Yankee pinstripes, Judge has been working in the team’s “summer camp” with his teammates. All seemed well with his progression until he was held out of a team intrasquad game on July 11, as seen in a tweet from Yankees beat-writer Bryan Hoch.
Aaron Judge was removed from tonight's #Yankees starting lineup with a stiff neck.
After reading some replies to Bryan’s tweet, I could hear the sound of Yankees Twitter’s eyes rolling into the back of their collective heads. It’s no secret Judge has struggled staying healthy over the course of his brief career, however it’s not because he is soft.
That said, he has to put together a full season to avoid being labeled as injury-prone and subsequently mocked the way Jacoby Ellsbury is. Judge said he was going “keep playing this game hard, and that’s all I know”.
Aaron Judge: “You break a bone in your ribs from diving, trying to make a play for your pitcher, get hit in the wrist by a pitcher – it's just freak things. I'm going to keep playing this game hard, and that's all I know.”
Freak injuries happen. When big men fall, they fall hard which can result in injury. Aaron is 6’7″ and weighs 280 pounds, so when he goes down there’s much more risk than a person a half foot and 75 pounds lighter.
The Yankees are a different (better) team with Aaron Judge in the lineup. His presence is an emotional life, while his pure skill can overpower opponents. The team is going to put up some numbers with a full and healthy lineup. I look forward to seeing mammoth blasts from Judge, like his ridiculous 495 foot blast from 2017. ALL RISE! 👨🏽⚖️
Just before 8 o’clock this morning, Jack Curry of the YES Network announced via Twitter that the New York Yankees signed center-fielder Aaron Hicks to a 7 yr./70 million dollar contract extension.
Aaron Hicks has agreed to a 7-year, $70M extension with the Yankees. The team will announce the extension later today.
The extension begins with this season, replacing the one year contract Hicks signed in January, and extends through his age-35 season. This is an extremely wise move by Yankees GM Brian Cashman and the front office. It ensures that Hicks, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton will stay together through 2022 at the earliest.
Hicks will man centerfield for the foreseeable future, at least until highly-touted OF prospect Estevan Florial is ready for major-league action. Florial is in Yankees camp as a non-roster invitee, but probably two years away. Chances are Hicks will shift to left field when that time comes.
For this season, it looks like long-time Yankee Brett Gardner will get most of the playing time in left. Gardy is 35, and wears down as the season goes on. He could split time with Clint Frazier, or Jacoby Ellsbury (remember him?) if he actually plays. The Yankees have to pay Ellsbury anyway, so they may as well see if he can contribute.
Long term, I have a feeling Cashman will try to trade Frazier if he has a healthy spring. With Hicks, Judge, Giancarlo and Florial, there’s really no room for Clint. They may as well trade him for prospects and start replenishing the farm system for the future.
Also of note, according to Jon Heyman, the Yankees are now shifting their attention to try to sign Dellin Betances to a long-term deal.
Next up for Yankees: Dellin Betances. Yanks are working on extending him.
The Yankees play this afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:00 on YES Network. The Big Maple, James Paxton makes his spring debut against Marcus Stroman. See you there!
Welcome to the final installment of Yankees “Take ’em or Trash ’em”. We have covered everything from pitching to catchers to the infield. Today we will look at the outfield and decide whether the Yankees should keep outfielders from this past season for 2019 or whether GM Brian Cashman should kick ’em to the curb. Let’s get started!
Brett Gardner – (.236, 12 HR, 45 RBI) Brett Gardner had his worst statistical season as a full-time player over his long career in New York. The 35 year old veteran started off slowly, hitting .210 in April before gaining traction with a .313 average in May. After a fast start in June, his average was .268 on June 8. It was all down-hill from there, his average plummeted with each passing month. It’s no secret Gardy has always tailed off in the latter months of a long season. Given his age he may be better suited to be in a part-time role to help keep him fresh throughout the 162 game schedule. Brian Cashman signed Gardy to a one year deal on Halloween for 7.5 million.
The New York Yankees have come to terms with OF Brett Gardner on a one-year contract for 2019.
I think it was a wise move for a couple reasons. He provides valuable depth who can be very effective in a more limited role. He’s still good on defense, can steal bases (16 SB in 2018), and is a respected and beloved man in the Yankees clubhouse. A lot of fans overlook that important aspect.
Take him (and they wisely did!)
Andrew McCutchen – (.255, 20 HR, 65 RBI) The 31 year old veteran came over to the Yankees on August 31 from the San Francisco Giants for a pair of lower-level minor leaguers. Over his month in Pinstripes, Andrew was an on-base machine, with an OBP of .421. He drew as many walks as strikeouts (22 of each), hit five home-runs, played solid defense and brought laughs to fans who follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
McCutchen is a free agent and it’s unknown whether the Yankees will bring him back. I think he would be a good guy to bring back because he produces on offense, and adapted well to left-field which was a new position for him and can play anywhere in the outfield. Cutch is also durable, routinely playing in over 150 games a season.
Take him.
Aaron Hicks – (.248, 27 HR, 79 RBI) “Hicksie” will be entering his fourth season with the Yankees when the 2019 campaign kicks off. He had a hot/cold type of season in 2018. Things started slowly for the now-29 year old Hicks. At the end of May, he owned a .230 average with five home runs. When June began, Hicks turned on like a light-switch with five hits in the first two games. He heated up and averaged .275 from June 1 through August 16, when his average was at a season-high .254. During that 77 day stretch, Hicks hit 15 of his 27 jacks (a career-high). From August 17 through season’s end, he logged 30 hits in 130 at-bats (.231) and his average dipped to .248 on the season.
On defense, the strong armed center-fielder gets to almost every ball possible and he has the hops to jump up and rob home runs that ordinarily just clear the fence. Hicks was hampered a bit by hamstring troubles a couple different times during the season, and may have contributed to slowing him down in the second-half.
At age 28, Hicks just coming into his prime and it looks like the Yankees’ patience with him is paying dividends.
Take him.
Shane Robinson – (.143, 1 HR, 2 RBI) Let’s face it, the only reason “Sugar Shane” was in the Bronx is because of injuries. Regrettably, he was penciled into the starting lineup 17 different times out of necessity. After the first three starts, he was 3-8 with a sparkling .375 avg. In the final 14 games he started, he managed four hits in 41 at bats. Woof.
Trash him! 🗑️
Aaron Judge – (.278, 27 HR, 67 RBI) Here Aaron Judge was, sailing along toward another productive season at the end of July when Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis ran a two-seamer too far inside, clipping Judge’s right wrist. It caused a chip-fracture that side-lined him the next 45 games. Judge returned mid-September and he started to get the feel of things about ten days later. The Yankees struggled without him in the lineup, going 25-20 while Aaron healed up. Upon his return, they won nine of the 13 games he played. At the age of 26, Judge is an important leader on this team, and the team’s stellar play when he’s in the lineup is evident.
Take him (DUH)
Giancarlo Stanton – (.266, 38 HR, 100 RBI) Giancarlo was the marquee free agent addition last winter when Brian Cashman acquired him from the Miami Marlins. After hitting two home runs in the team’s season-opener in Toronto, he recorded 13 hits over his next 81 at-bats (.160), carrying a batting average of .198 after 20 games. After that, Giancarlo settled in, hitting at a .290 clip from April 23 through the end of August. In September, “Mike dropped” — hitting a lethargic .213 down the stretch. He was slowed down with a cranky hamstring that confined him strictly to a DH role, but he fought through it. Thanks to his early struggles, Yankees fans were slow to take to the 29 year old slugger — but he’s going to be just fine.
Take him.
Clint Frazier – (.265, 0 HR, 1 RBI) In spring training, Clint hit his head making a catch at the wall in left-field. Initially he was diagnosed with a “mild concussion”, but his recovery was slow, and it affected his entire season. Once he was cleared to play, he was sent to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Frazier hit 10 HR’s in 48 games in with the RailRiders, compiling a .311 average. He was promoted to the Yankees in July, and suffered concussion symptoms when he made contact with Baltimore Orioles 3rd baseman Jace Peterson in a mid-July game. Clint was placed back on the DL. Once he started feeling better Yankees brass sent him to Tampa to ramp up activity, but had to shut things back down after he began showing symptoms again.
At this point, we have to hope “Red Thunder” will continue recovering and be able to rid himself of these concussion issues that have disrupted this talented young man’s career. In Clint’s case, I’m not going to either take him or trash him — I’m just going to hope he starts to feel better and put this unfortunate chapter of his life behind him for good.
Jacoby Ellsbury – (Did not play in ’18) The 35 year-old Ellsbury missed the 2018 season recovering from oblique and hip injuries. His injury issues and less than expected production has long made him the whipping-boy of Yankees fans, but he was playing well in the first half of 2017 before suffering a concussion hitting the wall on a great catch. He wasn’t the same after he returned, although he got hot in September of that season, raising his season average from .238 in late August to .264 at season’s end.
Like Brett Gardner, a healthy Ellsbury can be still be productive with a controlled amount of playing time. Over-extending him will cause likely injury risk, but using him as a part-time player could wring out the last ounces of production. He’s signed through 2020, so why not get what you can out of him since he’s already being paid?
Take him (he’s getting paid regardless).
With that, we have now covered the entire team from pitchers, catchers, infield and outfield. We can sit back and watch what happens over the winter and toss more logs into the hot stove. It’s time to put “Yankees Take ’em or Trash ’em” to bed.
The first half of the season is over in Major League Baseball. Players not included in the All Star Game festivities are resting up, spending time with their families and taking a break in the middle of what is always a grueling season.
It’s also a time for fans to reflect on the first halves of their favorite teams and media to assess teams they cover.
With that, let’s break down the first half of 2017 for the New York Yankees. Today, we will grade position players. Next time, we will grade the pitchers. Let’s begin!
Catchers
Gary Sanchez – (.276, 13 HR, 40 RBI) Gary Sanchez, a 2017 All Star, has been a key part of the Yankees lineup. He’s not slugging to the beat of the ridiculous pace he put on in the 2nd half of 2016, but his .491 slugging percentage is very respectable. His defensive stats are a bit lacking in comparison to last year. Sanchez had three errors and six passed balls in his abbreviated 2016. In 2017, he already has nine errors and seven passed balls. He is throwing out close to the same amount of would-be base-stealers; in 2016, Gary gunned-down 13 of 19, in 2017 he’s nabbed 11 of 19.
Grade: B
Austin Romine – (.231, 2 HR, 17 RBI) Romine is a career backup who does a respectable job behind the plate on the occasions Gary Sanchez needs a breather and also can play 1st base in a pinch.
Grade: C
1st Base
Greg Bird – (.100, 1 HR, 3 RBI) 2017 was supposed to be the year of Greg Bird’s resurgence. Instead, it’s been a mess. He fouled a ball off his right ankle at the end of March, and started the season hoping his ankle would heal as he played. After 19 games, he won’t on the DL and hasn’t played since. Six days ago, a member of Yankees management questioned Bird’s desire to play. Stay tuned.
Grade: Incomplete
Chris Carter – (.201, 8 HR, 26 RBI) Oy. Chris Carter‘s time in the Bronx was a disaster, both with the bat and his glove. Brian Cashman pulled the plug on Carter for good, DFA’ing him for the 2nd (and last) time after the Yankees’ game on July 4th, and releasing him on July 11.
Roster Move: On Monday (7/10), the Yankees released 1B Chris Carter from the roster.
Grade: F (if there was a lower grade, I would give it)
2nd Base
Starlin Castro – (.313, 12 HR, 45 RBI) Castro began the season hitting like a man-possessed and carried an average hovering around the .350 mark three weeks into May, including a 9 game stretch from April 27-May 6 where he was a blistering 18-39 (.461). Since then, his average has slowly trended down until he went on the disabled list after pulling his hamstring on June 26. He’s scheduled to be activated from the DL for tomorrow’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway.
Grade: A-
3rd Base
Chase Headley – (.251, 4 HR, 36 RBI) Ever since Stephen Drew left, it seems Headley has become #YankeesTwitter’s favorite scapegoat, with the exception of Chris Carter in his short stay. In ’16, he cut his errors by more than half (10) compared with 2015 (23 errors). This season he already has eleven. In the batter’s box, Headley is striking out more frequently with each passing year. In ’15, he K’ed in 23% of his at bats. In ’16, it rose to 25%. So far this year, it’s 29%. Before Gleyber Torres went down with Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow, there was talk of him taking over at third by the end of July. Now it seems Headley will continue on as the Yankees as the third baseman through at least the end of the season.
Grade: D+
Shortstop
Didi Gregorius – (.291, 10 HR, 38 RBI) Didi missed the first month of the season while he let his right shoulder heal after straining it in the WBC. Upon his return, he promptly recorded seven hits in his first fifteen at-bats. He never missed a beat. In mid-June, Gregorius’ average stood at .344. He’s tailed off in the last month, but his .291 average is still very good. In the field, Didi’s fielding has vastly improved. In his first two seasons, he recorded 28 errors between the two seasons. In 2017, he has two errors total, and he fields the ball cleanly 99.2% of the time, up from 97.5%. Each year, Didi gets better and better.
Grade: A
Utility Infielder
Ronald Torreyes – (.278, 2 HR, 20 RBI) – “Toe” has become a fan favorite, with his ability to play almost anywhere on the field and produce. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has plugged Torreyes in everywhere on the field except first base, catcher and CF. Torreyes has one error on the season, testimony to him being prepared to play almost anywhere. At bat, Ronnie hits well enough that there isn’t no real drop-off in production if he needs to fill in long-term, as he did when Didi and Starlin Castro were out with injuries.
Grade: B+
Outfielders
Brett Gardner – (.256, 15 HR, 40 RBI) Gardy started slow out of the gate in April, but raised his average gradually through the end of May, where his average stood at .280 on May 24. His average has dropped steadily since, as seems to happen with Gardner as the season wears on. It’s possible the beating he takes with his hard-nosed style of play takes it’s toll on his body, lowering his productivity as the season progresses. Fielding is never a problem with Brett. He has yet to make an error this season.
Grade: B
Jacoby Ellsbury – (.266, 4 HR, 17 RBI) Ellsbury’s season was off to a good start, hitting .281 through May 24, when he crashed into the wall making a running catch in a game against the Royals, sustaining a concussion. After missing a month, Ellsbury’s average dropped 15 points during the eleven games since his return (9 for 42). In the field, he is generally sure-handed and can run down most balls in the gaps.
Grade: B
Aaron Hicks – (.290, 10 HR, 37 RBI) Until his season was rudely disrupted by a strained oblique muscle, Aaron Hicks was busy making Yankees fans forget his forgettable 2016. In 200 at-bats, he has already out-produced most of his numbers from last season. His OBP is over 100 points higher and he’s taking as many walks as strikeouts, while his walk to K ratio was 1:2 in 2016. In the outfield, he can play anywhere with no drop-off in defense. Hopefully Hicks will return around the middle of August.
Grade: A
Aaron Judge – (.329, 30 HR, 66 RBI) Hey, this guy is pretty good! Needless to say, Aaron has opened eyes everywhere in the world of baseball with his mammoth home-runs and ability to hit every baseball with authority. Don’t overlook his defense, though. He’s made several great plays in the field this season, including the diving catch against the Blue Jays.
Grade: A+
Designated Hitter
Matt Holliday – (.262, 15 HR, 47 RBI) Holliday’s first season as the Yankees’ DH has been solid. Before going down with an illness later diagnosed as Epstein-Barr virus, known to cause Mononucleosis, he was producing as well as ever. His days in the field are most likely done, but Holliday’s bat still has plenty of pop. Along with Starlin Castro, plans are to have Holliday return for Friday’s game in Boston.
Grade: B
In the next entry, we will take a look at Yankees pitchers and their grades for the first half of the 2017 season.
The Titanium Spine 