Constructing an All Time Great Yankee Lineup

It’s possible the Yankees sign Manny Machado but for the purposes of this article I’ll go with who my gut tells me they sign and that’s Bryce Harper. 

The Yankee have an extremely deep lineup already but adding Bryce Harper could take them to historic rates especially if Gary Sanchez rebounds. 2018 was regarded as a down year for Bryce Harper but we are not sure that it will hurt his wallet. Harper is just 26 years old and still shows he is an elite offensive player with even more upside. Harpers counting stats were solid despite his batting average as he hit 249, 34 home runs and had 100 RBI. His OBP was 393 which is solid but not the elite 460 he showed in the past. In 2017 Harper had a 595 slugging, 413 OBP and a 1,008 OPS. He was on his way to potentially his second MVP season before the injury. Despite playing just 111 games he still crushed 29 homers for 89 RBI. 

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Despite a down year Harper walked a career high 130 times. His batting average has been unpredictable for his career. Every season he’s played he’s either hit in the 270’s, 240’s or the 315’s. Harper has been inconsistent with his average for the old school fans and his OBP, OPS, and OPS+ has been inconsistent for the new school fans however even when inconsistent he’s always been productive. 

If the Yankees could add Harper they would be adding a premier slugger who has shown he is getting even more patient at the plate as he ages. He is a big lefty the Yankees need. History shows the Yankees win championships with big lefty pitchers and big lefty sluggers. Last year he had some trouble because of how frequently teams shifted on him which is something he can work on or forget about as he peppers the short porch in Yankee stadium. Harper also wouldn’t have to worry about constantly being pitched around in the Yankee lineup because he’d be sandwiched in between two of baseball’s best in Aaron Judge and 2017 MVP Giancarlo Stanton. As far as how would it all work, Judge would have right field and Hicks center. Harper and Stanton could both spend time at left field and DH. On days Judge needs to DH one of them can shift to right. As he ages it’s possible Harper can move over to first base. It’s a move the Yankees should make. 

Yankees get Paxton in Swap with Mariners

The New York Yankees have started the offseason with a bang as they acquired Mariners ace LHP James Paxton. The Yankees dealt their top prospect in LHP Justus Sheffield along with RHP Erik Swanson and OF Dom Thompson-Williams. The Yankees now have bolstered their rotation in their quest for their 28th World Series Championship.

Paxton is also known as "The Big Maple" and is coming off an impressive 2018 campaign. Paxton threw a no hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 8th and also threw a 16 strikeout game vs the Oakland Athletics on May 2nd. Paxton finished the year 11-6 with a 3.76 ERA or a 108 ERA+, 208 strikeouts, and 42 walks in 160.1 innings pitched. Paxton is the big time pitcher the Yankees needed but there are some caution flags.

James Paxton has dealt with injury problems throughout his career. He has had forearm, shoulder, and back injuries but has still been able to pitch to be the ace of the Seattle Mariners. Paxton will enter his age 30 season and will not be a free agent until 2021. Paxton slots into the 1 or 2 slot in the Yankees rotation and the Yankees have now filled one of their biggest holes.

Brian Cashman and the Yankees added a pitcher who can help them neutralize some of their biggest competition in the American League. Paxton has pitched to a 3.63 against Boston and 2.92 against Houston over the last three seasons. Adding Paxton is the first big move of the offseason and the Yankees will continue to add pieces to their 2019 Yankees puzzle.

Who will the Yankees Target this Winter ?

What will the Yankees do this Hot Stove Season ? 

Harper ? Machado ? Madbum ? Goldy ? Murphy ? The Yankees will be linked to so many big names this winter and will look to make some big moves. Expect them to try to retain some players already on the team now who will be free agents. Some earlier reports have indicated the Yankees may not be in on the Bryce Harper sweepstakes and the Manny Machado interest may be getting smaller. It’s possible they pass on both but despite some early reports I think they will at least give the duo a look. Let’s take a look at 10 players who could be options in trade or free agency for the Yankees. 

Bryce Harper - OF  (Free Agent)

Harper is probably the biggest name on the free agent market and he is a generational talent. Harper is a former MVP and has 184 career home runs despite being only 26 years old. He has a career 27.4 WAR. Harper could play all three outfield positions for the Yankees. He would be the huge lefty bat the Yankees have missed. 

Manny Machado - 3B/SS  (Free Agent) 

Manny Machado is another generational talent. Machado can play both third base and shortstop. Machado profiles as a better third basemen despite preferring to play shortstop. Machado could fill in at short with Didi injured. He could also provide better defense at third then rookie slugger Miguel Andujar did. If the Yankees made this move they could move Andujar to DH or to another position. Machado tied a career high in home runs with 37 in 2018.

Paul Goldschmidt - 1B  (Trade) 

Paul Goldschmidt is arguably the best first  basemen in all of baseball. Goldy is a power hitter however he is a high batting average, high contact hitter who can hit to all fields. He is also a great base runner and an excellent defender. Goldschmidt would fit in perfectly with the Yankees. He has one year left on his contract with the Diamondbacks and will be a very affordable $14 million in 2019. The Yankees have Luke Voit and Greg Bird. Bird has been injury plagued and played poorly with the Yankees. Voit was great for the Yankees after spending time between the majors and Triple A with the Cardinals. 

Patrick Corbin - SP  (Free Agent)

Corbin is the top pitcher on the Free Agent market. Corbin is a young lefty starting pitcher who grew up a Yankee fan and has expressed interest in pitching with the Yankees. Corbin threw 200 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2018. He pitched to a 3.15 era and had 246 strikeouts. Corbin could be an ace or he could be more of a number 3 starter but that remains to be seen. 

JA Happ - SP (Free Agent)

Happ split time between the Yankees and the Blue Jays. Happ was traded to the Yankees in the July trade deadline and went 7-0 with the Yankees. Happ was just what the Yankees needed however he had a bad postseason start in Boston. The Yankees should not let that one bad outing be the deciding factor in letting him walk. Happ should be a top priority for the Yankees to resign this winter. 

Corey Kluber/ Carlos Carrasco - SP (Trade) 

The Indians have discussed the possibility of trading either Kluber or Carrasco. Both could be the ace the Yankees are looking for that is not available in free agency. It would seem to take a lot to acquire either of the Indians aces. Kluber had 20 wins a 2.89 era and had 222 strikeouts in 215 innings in 2018. Carrasco had 231 strikeouts, 3.38 era and 17 wins in 2018. It remains to be seen if the Indians would actually deal one of the two. 

Marwin Gonzalez - Utility (Free Agent) 

Gonzalez has been has played all over the field for the Astros and was a huge part of the 2017 World Series championship team. Gonzalez can play pretty much every position besides catcher for the Yankees. Gonzalez had a down year compared to his 2017 season but had a strong second half and playoffs in 2018.

Daniel Murphy - 1B/2B/DH (Free Agent) 

Murphy continues to age and battle injuries but still continues to be one of the more productive hitters in all of baseball. Murphy has averaged a 317 batting average and a 367 on base percentage over the past 3 seasons. Murphy would provide a nice lefty bat and a nice contact hitter to the Yankees lineup. 

David Robertson - RP ( Free Agent)

Robertson has been such an important part of the Yankees the last two season after spending some time with the White Sox. Robertson has shifted from closer to a reliever who can pitch in any situation since his return to the Yankees. He has decided to represent himself this winter in free agency and some believe that means he will certainly return to the Yankees this winter. 

Some other Options 

Madison Bumgarner - SP (Trade) 

Michael Brantley - LF (Free Agent )

Zach Britton- RP (Free Agent)

Adam Ottavino - RP (Free Agent) 

Andrew Miller- RP (Free Agent)

Nathan Eovaldi - SP (Free Agent)

Andrew McCutchen- OF (Free Agent)  

Charlie Morton- SP (Free Agent)

Heartbreak in the Bronx but the Best is Yet to Come

There are no words to make it all better for Yankees fans. After a brutal series loss to the hated rival Boston Red Sox, the offseason came way too early in the Bronx. The Yankees and their fans expected to play a game 5 on Thursday but instead they will have to wait 169 days until their next meaningful game. It seems like the sky is falling right now but in reality, this team is just taking off.

In 2018 we all saw the development of Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar. The two rookies both had incredible seasons but were exposed come October. This devastation should help them in the future as they continue to develop.

The Yankees biggest flaw was exposed by the Red Sox and that was starting pitching. Besides Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees starting staff was underwhelming to say the least. CC Sabathia, Luis Severino, and J.A. Happ all struggled in the Division Series which was somewhat to be expected against a vaunted Red Sox lineup. The offseason should bring change in the rotation as it is their missing piece in their chase for their 28th championship.

The historically prolific Yankee offense disappeared in the two home games in the Bronx. Pitching was a problem but when you do not score runs you cannot win games. Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius, Torres, Andujar, Andrew McCutchen, and Brett Gardner all slumped through the series. Baseball is a game of ups and downs and the offense went through a down at the worst possible time in the 2018 campaign.

So what's next for the Yankees? None of us really know what will happen but we all know that the front office will do all that they can in order to improve their roster. I expect for the team to add at least one starting pitcher, whether that is via free agency or by trade. Names like Corbin, Bumgarner, Kershaw, Keuchel, and deGrom have been thrown around and all would fit but will the price be right? I doubt that they will trade Giancarlo Stanton after 1 year in Pinstripes but I do think that they will add Manny Machado via free agency. Adding Machado would give the Yankees another amazing bat in the lineup but it would improve a poor defense. This would make Miguel Andujar expendable or he could move to first base or the outfield. The Yankees have a lot to think about this offseason but before we all know it Yankee baseball will be back in the Bronx and the chase for 28 will restart.

We want to thank all of you for reading our articles and interacting with us on Twitter and Instagram (@Bombers_Beat). Both @Bombersbeat and @bombersbeat2 will be active throughout the offseason and look forward to talking to all of you about every move. Go Yankees!

Yankees Season Ends in ALDS

The Yankees won 9 more games in 2018 than they did in 2017 however they were eliminated in the ALDS this season rather than last year when they went to game 7 of the ALCS. 

What went wrong in the ALDS ? Well a lot, for one the biggest issue was the starting pitching. Yes the offense didn’t do it’s job but in 3 of the 4 games the Yankees starters imploded and couldn’t even allow the bullpen to come in a small deficit. First it was JA Happ who gave up 5 runs in a little over 2 innings. Then In game 3 it was Luis Severino. Severino gave up 6 runs in 4+ innings of work. Some believe Severino didn’t go through his normal warmup routine because he was unsure of what time the game started. Last night it was CC Sabathia who was victimized by soft contact and wasn’t helped out by Brett Gardner but still didn’t perform well. He lasted just 3 innings giving up 3 runs. He was lucky to escape the first inning. 

Aaron Boone managed a brilliant wild card game was out managed in every way against fellow rookie manager Alex Cora. Boone was always a move to late when it came to removing his starters. He didn’t have a feel for the game and letting Severino pitch the 4th inning of game 3 proved that. 

The Yankees offense could have picked up some of these pitchers but they didn’t. In game 1 and 4 the Yankees had chances and did nothing with them. Giancarlo Stanton had two notable strikeouts one in game one with the bases loaded in the 7th and one last night in the 9th inning. He was swinging all over the zone and showed no discipline whatsoever. He wasn’t the only one though as Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres struggled. Aaron Hicks went down with an injury, Didi Gregorius slumped aside from last night and Luke Voit was okay. Aside from Aaron Judge and at times Gary Sanchez the Yankees offense was dead. 

The Yankees biggest weapon is the bullpen and they only pitched with the lead in game 2. Yesterday the bullpen pitched 7 innings of just 1 run ball. They were dominant but the role they played was keeping the score close enough instead of closing out the Red Sox. 

The Yankees will be aggressive this winter and should put together an even better team in 2019 but after the Red Sox clinched on our home turf it will be a long winter. 

Yankees Win in Wild Card head to ALDS

The Yankees defeated the A’s last night in the AL Wild Card game 7-2. Luis Severino threw 4+ innings of shutout baseball. Dellin Betances was the Yankees bullpen hero as he asked Sevy’s fifth inning jam and pitched a scoreless 6th. The Yankees used Robertson-Britton-Chapman to finish the game. 

Offensively Aaron Judge got things started with the two run homer in the first inning. The Yankees later scored again when Judge and Aaron Hicks doubled on back to back at bats. Later on Luke Voit hit a two run triple and Didi Gregorious added a sac fly. Giancarlo Stanton hit a monster home run later on in the game.

Aaron Boone had a great playoff debut as a manager. He went to Betances in the right spot, he replaced Miguel Andujar with Adeiny Hechaverria at the right time. His faith in Luis Severino and Gary Sanchez also payed off. The Yankees now will play the Boston Red Sox starting tomorrow. 

Regular Season Recap : Yankees

The Yankees finished the season at 100-62 and broke the MLB all time home run record. It wasn’t good enough for the division but it was a historic season none the less. Now it all comes down to one game on Wednesday. Despite an injury Aaron Judge had a great sophomore campaign. Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar emerged as two of the best players in all of baseball as rookies. Luke Voit came out of nowhere to have a huge season and establish some stability at first base for the Yankees. Giancarlo Stanton had a 38 homer 100 rbi season in his first as a Yankee. 

The Yankees roster looked a lot different on opening day they made so many moves to potentially pay dividends in the playoffs. The Yankees acquired Andrew McCutchen, Voit, JA Happ, Zach Britton, Lance Lynn and Adeiny Hechevarria. 

The Yankees pitching at times was heavily criticized but was huge for the Yankees especially down the stretch. 

Aaron Boone had his ups and downs as a first year manger but all in all it was a strong one for him and his Yankees. The Yankees gear up for the big Wild Card game on Wednesday. If they win that game they have their chance to eliminate the division champion Red Sox.