Should the Yankees Look into Nats Pitchers Following Scherzer Signing?

When the clock struck midnight late Sunday night the Washington Nationals sent shockwaves across baseball by putting an end to the Max Scherzer sweepstakes and signing the former Tigers ace to a seven-year $210 million contract. With an already established pitching staff and a relatively week N.L. East surrounding them, the Nationals made their move and now possess arguably the best pitching rotation baseball has seen in quite a while. When Scherzer put pen to paper, he became the ace of an explosive staff that already features a trio of aces in Jordan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister in addition to talented back end starters Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark.

Unfortunately for fans who want to see their beloved Nationals dominate and bully their respective division, it appears that the team is more inclined to deal one of their big three starters after the Scherzer acquisition.

For a team like the New York Yankees who need significant upgrades to their starting rotation but don't want to commit to a $200 million dollar investment in Scherzer, this news has to be a major red flag and draw significant attractiveness. MLB insider Jon Morosi even went as far as reporting that the Nationals have been shopping Jordan Zimmerman for 'weeks' now, perhaps in hopes of clearing cap space before the Scherzer contract.

Although there would be some prospect cost behind acquiring one of three Nationals starters, there's no reason why the Yankees shouldn't at least inquire on the possibility of adding one of them. This is a team whose top two starters (Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda) are talented beyond measure, but are all surrounded in a black cloud of injury-related issues. After them, it's former ace Carlston Charles Sabathia, who might never pitch the same again due to failing knees, an unfinished product in Nathan Eovaldi, who's yet to pitch a game in Yankee stadium and Chris Capuano, a fifth starter at best. Their rotation is far from complete, but even if the Yankees added the worst Nationals pitcher, it would be seen as a significant upgrade with less than one month before pitchers and catchers return to Spring Training.

Let's take a look at their options;

1. Trade for Jordan Zimmerman

Age: 28
2014 Stats: 32 GS, 199 2/3 IP, 2.66 ERA, 182 K, 8.2 K/9
Career Stats: 145 GS,  892 1/3 IP, 3.24 ERA, 739 K, 7.5 K/9
Current Contract: Owed $12M in 2015, Free-Agent at seasons end

The most likely candidate to be traded according to a plethora of MLB insiders is in fact Jordan Zimmerman. Zimmerman has been the Nationals most consistent starter over the past two seasons and was undoubtedly the Nationals ace in 2014. A second round draft pick out of the American Dairy Land, the Wisconsin native got off to a sub-par start to his MLB career in '09 before it was revealed that he needed Tommy John surgery. He underwent the procedure in August of that season, and exceeded all expectations when he resiliently returned to a major league mound a little over a year to the date of his surgery.

The Nationals cautiously restricted Zimmerman to a 160 IP limit in 2011, and he returned to true form in 2012 by the time the Nationals won their first N.L. East title. That year he posted a .294 ERA in 195 2/3 IP. Unlike phenom Stephen Strasburg, Zimmerman was not shut down that year for the post-season, but he unfortunately did not pitch well and was the losing pitcher in game five of the N.L.D.S v. the St. Louis Cardinals. Zimmerman shook it off, and has since been an All-Star pitcher for the Nationals, earning significant Cy Young votes in each of the last two seasons.

Zimmerman is now one of the better right-hand pitchers in all of baseball, and even for a one-year rental out of Zimmerman before he hits free agency, the cost to acquire the right hander figures to be the highest compared to the asking prices for Cole Hamels and all the other pitchers currently on the trade market. A Zimmerman trade strikes up an eerily similar comparison to the 2009 trade that sent major league ready Melky Cabrera, top prospect Arodys Vicieno and set-up man Mike Dunn from the Yankees to the Braves in exchange for one year out of Javier Vazquez. I'm not going to pinpoint any specifics and guess who exactly the Nationals would prioritize from the Yankees system, but I'd imagine a similar package to the aforementioned '09 trade should suffice. Another comparison might be similar to what the Brewers just acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Yovani Gallardo; one infield prospect and two hard-throwing right hand prospects. Now Zimmerman is significantly better than Gallardo, so this would only be a starting point, but the Yankees have certainly acquired a surplus of prospects this winter.

2. Trade for Stephen Strasburg:

*Fingers crossed for all Yankee fans*

Age: 26
2014 Stats: 34 GS, 215 IP, 3.14 ERA, 242 K, 10.1 K/9
Career Stats: 109 GS, 649 1/3 IP, 3.02 ERA, 746 K, 10.3 K/9
Current Contract: Owed $7.4 million in 2015, under team control through the end of 2016

Let's briefly recall the saga that was Stephen Strasburg. He was one of the most exciting draft prospects in recent history, and the Nationals, like everyone knew they would, drafted Strasburg number one overall in the 2009 MLB Entry Draft. He made his highly anticipated major league debut on June 8, 2010, where he sensationally fanned 14 Pittsburgh Pirate batter in seven innings pitched. His next 11 major league starts proved that all the hype surrounding him was certainly true to form and had baseball fans across the world believing that Strasburg was the next best thing since the days of Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, but like Zimmerman, Strasburg suffered an injury that would require Tommy John surgery. However, the Nationals were fortunate enough to again get their fallen ace back almost a year to the date in which he went under the knife.

Strasburg showed no ill affects or set backs from the tommy john surgery in 2012, when he was named a National League All-Star and pitched to an encouraging 3.16 ERA in 28 starts. To much dismay, the Nationals cut his season short by keeping him on a strict innings limit, preventing him from pitching in the playoffs.

Since the start of the 2013 season, Strasburg has pitched to a 22-20 record, but his true value outshines his win-loss column. He led the entire National League in strikeouts last season while posting an outstanding 1.121 WHIP. Make no mistake about it, Strasburg is, and will continue to be a strikeout magician with a low walk ratio.

There's been conflicting reports across baseball, but many insiders insist that Strasburg is very much available. But unfortunately, the price to acquire Strasburg will be significantly higher than the already steep price to acquire Zimmerman, as the young ace has two full years of team control. To get James Shields for two years, the Kansas City Royals had to chalk up a loaded package of four prospects headlined by Jake Ordozzi and Will Myers. I'd imagine the cost for Strasburg would be quite similar, and although the Yankees have done a nice job this offseason courting young prospects, it might not be enough to land Strasburg.

3. Trade for Dough Fister:

Age: 31
2014 Stats: 25 GS, 164 IP, 2.41 ERA, 98 K, 5.4 K/9
Career Stats: 152 GS, 982 2/3 IP, 3.34 ERA, 669K, 6.1 K/9
Current Contract: Owed $11.4 MM in 2015, Free agent at seasons end

Doug Fister is a baseball analytics trophy pitcher. Drafter by the Mariners in the seventh round in 2006, Fister has been among the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball since the 2011 season. From 2011 to now, he's averaged 28 starts per season and has recorded an impressive 3.11 ERA with an even more impressive 1.7 BB/9 ratio. He's not your hard throwing strikeout machine like everyone else in the Nationals rotation. Instead, he's a crafty sinker baller with a ground ball rate that typically sits around 50%. The movement on his pitches constantly changes his opponents eye level and they simply just don't post good numbers against him.

Interestingly enough, he's already been traded twice in his career for an interesting array of assets. In 2011 the Mariners shipped him to the Tigers at the trade deadline for a package headlined by Casper Wells and Charlie Furbush. In the winter of 2013, the Tigers went on to trade him to the Nationals for Robbie Ray, reliever Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi... It's safe to assume that Fister has far exceeded the value he was traded for in both trades.

If the Nationals want to add to the underwhelming return of assets for Fister, Brian Cashman should be waiting in line with open arms.

What to do. What to do.

Hal Steinbrenner/ New York Yankees Keep Door Open to Max Scherzer

Maybe it’s just the legacy left behind by his father talking, but while Hal Steinbrenner has publicly voiced his opinion along with other Yankees officials about committing financially to a pricey player such as Max Scherzer, the Boss Jr. hasn’t slammed the door on an expensive upgrade just yet either.

“Look, it’s not over till it’s over,” Steinbrenner told reporters Wednesday at the annual MLB Owners meeting in Arizona. “We still have a full month before spring training. We’re always going to continue to improve. I’m not putting a cap on it. We’ve certainly filled some holes that we had. We’ll keep going for the next few weeks.”

Still, the financially sound Steinbrenner said, the New York Yankees have their limits.

“There’s just a certain amount I’m going to go,” said Hal. “You all know my opinions about payroll, where you should be and where you really don’t need to be to win championships. You don’t need to have a $200 million payroll to win.” Non the less, with Scherzer or not, the Yankees will probably eclipse the $200 million mark in the 2015 season, with baseball-reference.com estimating them coming in at $209.6 million.

The outspoken New York Yankees team President Randy Levine and their chess-master General Manager Brian Cashman on the other hand have all but dismissed the likelihood of signing an expensive pitcher such as Scherzer. Cashman, in a TV appearance about a month ago went as far as saying: “I don’t think Yankee fans will be looking at Max Scherzer.”

According to multiple baseball insiders, Yankees club sources project the team payroll to float around the $206 million mark, and not increase by much.  Of course, the Yankees are still open to adding depth to their injury plagued starting rotation, but it remains to be seen if they’ll open the checkbooks to do so.  Many predict that the $5 million dollar commitment to infielder Stephen Drew will be the last significant payroll increase during the Yankees off-season.

Steinbrenner expressed optimism about the new look Yankees after they added a core of key young players to upgrade their defense and bullpen. He called the Yankees bullpen one of the best in baseball.

In addition, Steinbrenner had nothing but good things to say about Cashman’s work this winter, but also noted that their starting rotation remains vulnerable because of their lingering health issues. Maybe that’s why some executive around baseball have privately been predicting that the Yankees will make a late push for Scherzer. After all, they’re still the New York Yankees, which Steinbrenner was not shy about admitting to.

“We’re still the New York Yankees, all you guys know that,” Steinbrenner said. “We know what the fans expect. We know what the town expects. We’re not going to be afraid to spend money.”

I’ll leave it at that.

NYCFC/ Frank Lampard Debacle Proves the MLS Needs a Restart

Every professional sports organization throughout the history of professional sports has some sort of flawed action from time to time. It's just what happens when you have money savvy and incompetent human beings with flaws of their own at the helm. Take the NFL for example, who is coming off a nationally televised playoff game this past weekend involving the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys that left people across the world dropping the 'fix' bomb. The MLS, the younger brother to all the professional sports league in North America, is certainly not immune to these occasional questionable incident(s). Those running the MLS have fallen under fire by making extremely poor and regrettable decisions, causing them to trip over their own two feet.

The recent mess involving the MLS, Frank Lampard and the newest addition to the league - NYCFC, has become a different matter in and of itself.

This issue has evolved into one of the bigger stories to hit a North American Professional Sport league in quite some time, and it continues to get stranger with every turn. The aforementioned Frank Lampard remaining with Manchester City, the parent club of NYCFC, through the completion of the 2014-15 Barclay's Premier League was always the norm, and those who believed otherwise were either in denial or just lacked common sense. It is the news that Lampard is a City Football Group employee who may realistically never step foot on a pitch and play a competitive game wearing an NYCFC uniform after he was used by the MLS as a poster boy to advertise and promote the new club  that is making the expansion side look as fugazzi as ever.

This issue is no longer about a single team or a single ownership group. It has embarrassed those who passionately follow the MLS, it has left some NYCFC customers, including myself, demanding refunds for money spent on season tickets, and it has shined a massive spotlight on glaring issues that are really holding the MLS back from growing into a perennial sports league in North America. No explanations, apologies or public relation press conferences can repair or fix the damage done by what is being called 'Lampardgate.'

The time for drastic change is now upon the MLS, and it begins with the man who run the league.

Today, there is zero indication that MLS Commissioner Don Garber did not have full knowledge of the entire situation involving Lampard, NYCFC and Manchester City in the Summer of 2014. If this remains to be true, Garber unintentionally or not played a significant role in the conspiracy involved in merchandise and ticket sales based on the lie that Lampard was an NYCFC player when he wasn't. This is absolutely unacceptable, gutless and a far more serious offense than anything NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was guilty of in recent years.

In short, it's time for the coward that is Don Garber to step down.

The passionate MLS fan base have no reason to believe any garbage that comes out of the month of Don Garber or any other MLS league official states during a press conference or any other media platform. 'Lampardgate' has grown into an impossible situation for any league, let alone one that it constantly fighting for fan recognition and popularity to overcome. Garber is now, fair or not, the public face of a scam, and his mishandling of the Lampard situation has stripped him of the right to lead the MLS for another day.

Is Re-Signing Stephen Drew the Right Move for the New York Yankees?

If you’re a fan of the Bronx Bombers, you are well aware of the teams latest transaction; the re-signing of infielder Stephen Drew to a one-year deal worth $5 million dollars, which could potentially reach $7 million if he meets all of his contract incentives. After taking a few days to break down the signing and read through various comments on social media, it’s become evident that there mixed emotions amongst Yankees fans on this particular move … similar to every other move Brian Cashman made this Winter. Some love it, more hate it, but this is my perspective on the latest roster move.

Looking at the overall big picture, this particular move is about the latter rather than the former. Don’t think for a split second that manager Joe Girardi is handing Stephen Drew any position in the infield without him having to earn it. This is a guy that waited and waited and waited some more in expectance of a large contract last winter because he was convinced by the guidance of his agent Scott Boras that it was the right move for his career.  Non the less, after missing a significant chunk of last baseball season, he finally settled with the Boston Red Sox, only to be dealt to the Yankees at the deadline in exchange for a flailing Kelly Johnson. Despite being a client of Scott Boras, the Wolf of the MLB, Drew is in no position to demand or expect anything more than a fair shot at earning playing time and at-bats. 2014 was certainly a year to forget for Drew, as he posted a triple slash line of .162/.237/.299 with a mere seven home-runs and 26 RBI’s combined for the Red Sox and Yankees last season.

Clearly teams across baseball believe Drew’s best days are long behind him, but the Yankees view this in a different way. When he came to the Bronx, he wasn’t going to remove the captain Derek Jeter from his position, but instead he was used as an ‘upgrade’ to another veteran nearing the end of his career in Brian Roberts, who was cut shortly after the acquisition of Drew. With that said, I believe Stephen Drew can still bring some value to the Yankees in 2015. No he’s not going to take over at shortstop for the recently acquired Didi Gregorious before he plays a single game for the Yankees, nor should he displace the second base platoon of Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder. What Stephen Drew is going to do, is that he’s going to push all three of the aforementioned youngsters to their full potential, and if any falter, the Yankees have a proven veteran who can step in at a moments notice and provide above average defense.

Stephen Drew comes back to the Yankees with a solid glove and the ability to play both sides of the infield at shortstop and second base. If worse came to worst, Drew can even provide some games behind third base.

There’s also the notion that maybe Pirela and Refsnyder aren’t quite ready to become every-day MLB position players. Maybe the Yankees are building towards a blockbuster trade that involves one of the two second-base prospects to bring in another impact arm to bolster their rotation. Maybe having depth- a requirement of any World Series winning team is the Yankees only intention in this signing. Or maybe this was a signing to win over Scott Boras and give the Yankees the last say in the Max Scherzer bidding?

What’s the worst that could happen? Drew doesn’t pan out by the mid-point of the 2015 season and gets designated for assignment? For $5 million dollars, there are much worse investments the Yankees could have made. 

Johnny 'Hockey' Not So Tiny After All

During the Calgary Flames training camp back in September, all eyes were on Johnny Gaudreau, the young, small and talented prospect out of Boston College. His hockey career was undoubtedly successful before reaching the NHL, as he won the Hobey Baker award as the nation's leading NCAA scorer and has had eye-opening stat lines for every team he's ever played for dating back to his days on Team Comcast. We all knew he was good at hockey, but the one question that lingered in training camp was whether or not he could play with the same dominance in the NHL?

Now, with the calendar turning to 2015, we are approaching the half-way point of the 2015 NHL season and his rookie year, and judging by his body of work thus far, Johnny 'Hockey', as he's known, has proven he's more than capable of playing in the NHL.

The 5'9" 150 pound Gaudreau clearly doesn't have the ideal build of an NHL player, however this has become a non-issue for the young forward. Through the Flames first 40 games, Gaudreau sits third in points on his team with 31, and has settled in nicely on a line with Jiri Hudler and Josh Jooris. His speed and puck handling are his best attributes, and with his his puck possession numbers steadily improving, Gaudreau has averaged nearly 17 minutes per game.

Gaudreau dropped to the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft particularly because of his size, but the Calgary Flames saw enough potential in him based off his skill alone. If he continues to post a similar stat line in the second half of this season, one can make the argument that picking him in the fourth round turned out to be an absolute steal for the Calgary Flames. Gaudreau is already a fan favorite, and after being named Rookie of the Month this past December he's slowly closing in on Filip Forsberg for the race to the Calder Trophy.

Gaudreau is sure to put on some size and bulk up as his career progresses, and who knows what he'll be capable of by then.

Nathan Eovaldi Excited to Join the Yankees

            

            At first glance, the new Yankees pitcher Nathan Eovaldi may not look like your typical Yankees super star. The 24-year old right-hander, who was acquired from the Marlins last Friday, is coming off a sub-par 2014 season, one in which he struggled to a 6-14 record with a 4.37 ERA, despite pitching most of his games in the pitcher-friendly Marlins Park.

            But, the Yankees really like him, so much that they shipped out the versatile Martin Prado and the homegrown David Phelps just to get ahold of him. Their plan for his Yankees debut appears to be a spot in the backend of their rotation, and needless to say, Eovaldi is more than thankful for the opportunity.

“I’ve been fortunate enough that now I’ll be able to say I’ve played for the two biggest franchises in baseball, the Dodgers and the Yankees,” Eovaldi told the NY Daily News. “I’m really excited and I’m getting ready. The offseason has been going great and I’m looking forward to helping the Yankees out.”

            It’s no secret that the Yankees will need to rely heavily on their new pitcher in order to contend in 2015, as there’s only a handful of pitchers currently on their roster that can be relied on to perform to their full potential. Unfortunately, Carlston Charles Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova were all injury plagued last season, with Nova having to undergo Tommy John surgery.

            But, Eovaldi has embraced the challenge and is confident he’ll be able to do just that when he puts on his pinstripe uniform next Spring.

            In a phone interview, he broke down his pitch selection:

            I want to throw the first-pitch strikes with off-speed stuff, even use it on a 2-1 count or a 1-and-2. I’m working on my changeup a lot more this offseason, just mixing it into my repertoire. Last year, toward the end, it helped me out a lot. I want to keep locating the fastball, then use my slider and curve more and have a better mix.

           And finish the year off strong he did, having allowed just four earned runs over 13 innings pitched in his last two outings of 2014. However, for the most part, Eovaldi's performance in September was still considered by most as a struggle, as he recorded a 5.53 ERA while going 0-4. It'll be interesting to see whether his stat line will improve or not next year when he's throwing in the American League for the first time in his young career. 

Will Bold Moves Make or Break the San Diego Padres?

             

             In case you haven’t noticed it by now, the San Diego Padres are going for it all in 2015. Like 

literally, really going for it all so much, that they’ve upgraded to an entirely new outfield made up of Matt Kemp, Will Myers and as of 9:30 am this morning, Justin Upton as well.

            So who is the man behind this madness you ask?

            It’s new general manager A.J. Preller, who was hired just four months ago in mid-August to try and right the ship for the San Diego Padre’s who haven’t had a winning season since 2010 and haven’t played baseball in October since 2006.

“A month and a half into his first offseason as general manager, A.J. Preller has already introduced himself as one of the more aggressive front-office types in the game,” writes AJ Cassavell of Sports on Earth. “And one thing is very clear: He wants to win now.”

            The Padres, are suddenly and undoubtedly relevant again not just in the NL West, but throughout all of baseball, thanks to all of these bold acquisitions. Aside from their revamped star-studded outfield, AJ Preller also traded for All-Star catcher Derek Norris, who previously played for the Oakland Athletics – but with all of this off-season activity, the questions lingers as to whether these moves will work out? Or could so many new faces in such  short period of time ultimately end up backfiring on Preller and the San Diego Padres?

            While there are clearly plenty of questions that remain unanswered and still more moves to be made, one thing is certain: the 2015 San Diego Padres offense will be significantly better than years past. After all, the Padres ranked dead last in the MLB basement with just 535 runs scored last year with a team slash line of .226/.292/.342. To put it into perspective, the .226 team batting average ranked 14th-worst and the .292 on-base percentage ranked 21st-worst in baseball history.

            All three of Matt Kemp, Will Myers and Justin Upton are right-handed power hitters that should instantaneously provide a much-needed boost. But, and hold your ears Padres fans, that doesn’t necessarily translate to offensive success. Remember: The San Diego Padres still have to make contact with the ball in pitcher friendly Petco Park, which in particular doesn’t favor right handed hitting at all.With the addition of three aforementioned righty’s, maybe San Diego’s lineup it too righty heavy?

            There’s also the legitimate possibility that the clubs defense has significantly downgraded, as none of Kemp, Myers or Upton are more than an average defender, and they’ll have cover the extremely spacious outfield of Petco Park to boot.

            Can Matt Kemps injury plagued hips hold in center field? Or will the Padres elect to start the younger Will Myers in center field. There’s always the possibility that San Diego will stick the highly athletic Cameron Maybin in centerfield, thus perhaps shifting Myers to the infield? Who knows?