Takeaway's from Today's Five Player NY Yankees Miami Marlins Swap

The Yankees seemed to have their infield set for the upcoming season after signing Chase Headley earlier on this week. Martin Pradio, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks last summer was set to slide over to 2B and the Yankees infield looked well rounded and complete.

However, despite bringing back Chris Capuano to a one-year deal, the Yankees still found themselves with a lack of pitching. Now, it appears as if the Yankees are using Martin Prado to help fill their void in pitching, as they've shipped Prado and David Phelps to the Miami Marlins in exchange for for starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, utility man Garret Jones and pitching prospect Domingo German.

With Prado now out of the picture, it looks as if the Yankees will give Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder a legitimate shot to win the full-time 2B job in spring training, with outside shots to Cole Figuero and Nick Noonan. The hard-throwing Eovaldi will likely slot into the back end of the Yankees rotation while Garret Jones will provide a power bat to backup the outfield and first-base.

In my opinion, the most intriguing part of this deal is the 6'2" 175 lb right-handed pitching prospect Domingo German, who was ranked eighth overall in the Miami Marlins farm system prior to being traded. German is a hard throwing sinker baller who will likely start the year in Single-A Tampa. His numbers suggest that he has above-average control of the strike zone, allowing only 25 walks in 123.1 innings pitched last season while fanning a total of 113 batters. He also posted an impressive .248 ERA and 1.143 WHIP to go along with a 9-3 overall record for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

In Eovaldi, the Yankees are getting an established hard throwing right handed pitcher with durability and decent upside. Eovaldi, who turns just 25 in February sits in the mid-90's with his average fastball at an impressive 95.7mph in 2014. Last season however, he went 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 43 walks and 142 strikeouts in 199.2 innings pitched for the Miami Marlins. Like Brandon McCarthy last year, the Yankee must believe he is much better than his numbers suggest.

Garret Jones, 33, is a left-handed power bat who is profiled as a first-baseman, but can play the outfield as well. Last season he hit just 15 home runs while posting a .246/.309/.411 slash line. In 2012 however, Jones hit a career high 27 home runs, so he does have some decent power that will likely be displayed by the short porch in Yankee stadium. Aside from the offensive side of the ball, Jones will give the Yankees defensive options to replace Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran when it's time for them to take a day's rest.

The Yankees essentially flipped Martin Prado and David Phelps for two useful pitchers - one with a decent upside and the other a top ten prospect. This is a pretty decent return for a back end rotation arm and a second basemen. Now, the Yankees will likely look to acquire a veteran utility infielder like Asdrubal Cabrera or Mark Ellis to shore up second base in case Refsnyder or Pirela fail to secure the job out of spring training.

Could Ilya Kovalchuk Re-Unite with the New Jersey Devils Due to the KHL Financial Struggles?

            It seems like just yesterday former Devils super-star Ilya Kovalchuk announced his ‘retirement’ from the NHL, leaving twelve years of commitment and $77 guaranteed million from the New Jersey Devils to return to native Russia and play in the KHL. His decision in July of 2013 stunned not just the Devils fan base, but also the entire hockey world at large as no one other than Lou Lamoriello saw this coming. While Kovalchuk said the decision was purely based on his desire to play in his home country, most people, including myself believed the decision was made in large part due to money lost during the 2012 NHL work stoppage.

            Fast forward to today and reports floating around the hockey realm are revealing that two KHL franchises are set to fold due to the drastic drop in the value of the Russian Ruble (currency), which has now lost half it’s value in just two months in comparison to the euro and more importantly the U.S. dollar.

            The worst part about these financial struggles for the KHL is that the value of the Russian currency hasn’t even bottomed out yet, which will only make their financial problems even worse. Yet, all this has come just two years after the KHL was quoted as “the biggest threat to the NHL.”

            So, in getting back to my original point and providing some candy to the ears of New Jersey Devil fans, is it too crazy to think that Kovalchuk could leave the KHL and return state-side to the NHL for better financial security?

            Unfortunately, while this does make complete sense, I wouldn’t get my hopes up. For starters, Kovalchuk does play for SKA St. Petersburg, which is one of the more successful and financially stable teams in Russia. To put it into perspective, they’re the Montreal Canadians of the KHL, so I don’t really believe Kovalchuk is losing too much money in their financial crisis.

            Second, and perhaps the most damaging fact for Devil fans is that even if the super-star wanted to return, all 30 NHL owners would have to approve his reinstatement into the league. Despite the amount of money Kovalchuk will make all the owners via the NHL Revenue Sharing Policy, it’s tough to see any Metropolitan Division, let alone Eastern Conference Owner saying yes and granting a perennial scorer for the Devils. 

            Thus, while the Devils struggles continue nearing the half-way point of the season and the Russian financial struggles continue to get steadily worse, I’ll join all Devil fans in dreaming of a potential Kovalchuk reunion. However, in the back of my mind I’ll keep my sanity knowing that this is one dream that need’s plenty of stars to align before becoming a reality.

Cubs win the Lester Lottery. What's Next for Chicago?

After what seemed like an eternity of widespread rumors and rampant speculation, free agent pitcher Jon Lester finally decided to take his talents to the 'South-side', agreeing on a six-year/ $155 MM dollar contract that will send him into the open arms of the Chicago Cubs.

It appears that Lester had an incredibly tough decision to make between what made sense in his mind and what his heart was truly telling him. That decision ultimately came down between the Chicago Cubs and his beloved Boston Red Sox. Lester played his whole career in Boston outside of a brief stint with the Oakland Athletics to close out last season. Lester, having been born in the city of Boston as well, had ties to the team and the city as deep as any of their die-hard fans, so even though the Red Sox offered him a six-year/ $135 MM dollar deal, it's evident that it took a lot for him to walk away from Boston.

With Lester now in the fold, the Chicago Cubs have a pretty talented starting rotation. Lester will undoubtedly be the ace of the staff which already includes Jake Arrieta, newly re-signed Jason Hammel, Kyle Kendricks and Travis Wood for the time being. Lester, Arrieta, Hammel and Hendricks, the four likely mainstays of the Cubs new rotation had a combined record of 43-29 with a 2.76 ERA over 99 starts in 2014.

Prior to winning the Lester sweepstakes, the Cubs had a busy first two days of the annual baseball Winter Meetings, re-signing Jason Hammel on day one and trading for Miguel Montero earlier on in day two to go with the Lester signing.

While I certainly believe that these three moves alone can thrust the Cubs back into the playoff picture as early as next year, I still believe Theo Epstein has a few more cards up his sleeve. After all, Lester's best years will be from 2015-17, so the Cubs would be wise to go for it all now that they have him at the head of their staff.

In my opinion the Cubs remaining needs are an outfielder with a power bat to pair with Arismendy Alcantara and Jorge Soler as well as some added insurance to their starting rotation. With the number of young players already established on the team, Theo Epstein might look to bring in some more veteran leadership to help fill these holes while aiding in the development of their young players.

Jonny Gomes could be a potential bat that can help the Cubs. He may not have overwhelming power, but he's good buddies with Jon Lester and more importantly he takes plenty of walks, which is something the Cubs desperately needed last year after ranking in the bottom third of the league in walks in 2014 while having one of the highest strikeout rates.

Another legitimate option could potentially be Michael Morse. Along with some pop, Morse can play multiple positions, including outfield, first base, and even short stop. This can be quite appealing for the Cubs as they can bring him in to mostly play the outfield, but also help give Anthony Rizzo some off-days at first base. Last season Morse notched 16 home runs and 32 doubles with a .279/.336/.475 slash-line.

As far as starting pitching, the two biggest names linked to the Cubs after Lester are James Shields and Cole Hamels.  Interestingly enough, the bidding between Jon Lester came down to the Cubs and Red Sox, and so can the race for the additions Shields and Hamels.

Part of the reason why Lester chose the Cubs over the Red Sox was his belief in the youth talent in their system, in Joe Maddon and in the chance to make franchise history. His belief in Joe Maddon can be an even better selling pitch to James Shields, who previously played for Maddon on the Tampa  Bay Rays a few years back.

As far as Cole Hamels, similar to the Red Sox, the Cubs also have the necessary pieces to land the highly coveted south paw, however the real question is will the Cubs actually give into the demands of the delirious Ruben Amaro Jr.? Should they elect not to, the Cubs can pursue a cheaper alternative such as Brandon McCarthy.

At the end of the day, the Lester deal is the fifth highest total for a pitcher, and his $25.88 MM per year is the second highest annual average behind only Clayton Kershaw's $30.7 MM per year. It took a lot of money and a lot of effort to pry Lester away from other suitors in free-agency, but the Cubs, with just about $65 MM in salary obligations before the Winter Meetings began, had plenty to spend... and still have plenty to spend.

The future is certainly bright for Cubs fans!

Yankees Making a Late Push for Jon Lester?

Despite the rampant rumors and numerous claims early on in the off-season that the Yankees were not interested in the big free agent pitchers available in this years market, it's becoming more and more clear that the Yankees are making a late run at starting pitcher Jon Lester. The former Red Sox ace is expected to make a decision on where he'll pitch next season sometime this week before the annual baseball winter meetings are underway on Monday, and the Yankees have just stepped into the mix before that decision can be made.

Signing Lester over Max Scherzer, who has been linked to the Yankees as of late, would allow the Yankees to keep their first round draft pick in tact since Lester was traded from the Red Sox to the Athletics in the middle of last season. It seems as if the Yankees lack of draft compensation is pushing them towards free-agent reliever Andrew Miller as well, which is why it makes more sense that the Yankees are choosing to go after Lester rather than Scherzer.

As I previously stated above, rumors over the weekend started to surface that the Yankees had been preparing a six year offer for Max Scherzer, but nothing has come of those allegations to this point. After seeing other rival AL East make significant upgrades so far this winter, (Sandoval and Hanley to the Red Sox and Donaldson to the Blue Jays) it's obvious that the Yankees need to do something bold in order to keep up. Bringing in a premier free-agent like Jon Lester will certainly go a long way as far as improving the New York Yankees injury-plagued pitching staff.

Sources:

Keep in mind that Matt Abbatacola isn't an MLB Insider or a beat reporter for the New York Yankees, and this could very well end up being nothing when all is said and done, but there may be some validity here. After all, a random guy by the name of Christopher Meola was the one who leaked the Giancarlo Stanton mega contract extension earlier this winter before any baseball insider. Other teams in on Lester include the Giants, Cubs, Red Sox, and Cardinals.

New York Yankee Fans should be on high alert!

Grading the Yankees Top 10 Prospects Entering the 2014 Winter Meetings

The New York Yankees have historically never been known for having a premier farm system, and they still don't have one by any means. But the Yankees have some promising young arms developing in their minor leagues and also have some decent hitting prospects as well. With the 2014 Baseball Winter Meetings vastly approaching, we all know this is a time where prospects are highly sought after and often packaged into blockbuster trades. Here's a look at the current top 10 Yankees prospects and snap shot of how they did in the minors and what they potentially bring to the table.


10. Robert Refsnyder


2014 Stats: .318 average, 14 home runs and 68 RBI

Drafted to the Yankees in 2012, Refsnyder is already progressing well through the minor league ranks. With the Yankees in dire need of middle infield due to voids at 2B and SS in the foreseeable future, it's not a stretch by any means to say Refsnyder can be called up to the big club as early as next season. If the Yankees can't re-sign veteran Chase Headley this off-season, there's a good chance they'll platoon Alex Rodriguez and Martin Prado at 3B and give Refsnyder an early opportunity to be the everyday 2B for the New York Yankees to start off the 2015 season. His combination of hitting for average and power is rare for a guy of his size and position.




9. Jacob Lindgren



2014 Stats: 2-1, 2.16 ERA and 48 K's

Even though the southpaw didn't pitch much for the Yankees (19 starts) in 2014, he really impressed the Yankees front office. While many project him to start the 2015 season in Triple-A, I predict that he'll at least reach the major league bullpen by August of 2015. As a contact pitcher who has a tendency to roll batters over, Jacob Lindgren has the makeup to one day be a reliable no. 3 starter.







8. Gregory Bird


2014 Stats: .271average, 14 home runs and 43 RBI

Aside from the fact that Bird sent headlines across the baseball world a few weeks back with his estimated 450 foot home run in Winter ball, he's one of the top hitting prospects in the organization. His developing power from the left side of the plate is turning him into a pure offensive threat. You can never have too many of those in any organization, and with an aging infield, Bird could be up at either 1B or 3B in the near future.








7. Jake Cave


2014 Stats: .294 average, 7 homes run and 42 RBI

Like the aforementioned Bird, Jake Cave is another left handed bat that the Yankees covet, but he's not known for his power. Instead, Cave is more of a contact hitter who can potentially drive in a lot of runs in a big league uniform. He projects well as a corner outfielder, but the one area of concern before being called up will be his ability to grow into a 20 home run potential kind of guy. Short porch anybody?








6. Aaron Judge

2014 Stats: .308 average, 17 home runs and 78 RBI

In my opinion, Aaron Judge is probably the best hitter in the Yankees farm-system. Though he's only played one full minor league season, his numbers simply can't be ignored. He also features size and speed, and could very well end up being a solid four or five-tool player for the Yankees in the not so distant future.








5. Manny Banuelos




2014 Stats: 2-3, 4.11 ERA and 71 K's

Before you get excited about a reunion of the 'Killer B's', it's important to note that this high ranking is more about Banuelo's potential rather than how he produced last season. Post-injury, Banuelos still has the highest upside of any lefty in the entire Yankees farm system, but he needs to find a way to stay healthy and pitch to his potential consistently. If he can find a way to stay healthy and muster up a full season under his belt, he can be pitching alongside Dellin Betances again at Yankee Stadium very soon.





4. Gary Sanchez

2014 Stats: .270 avera, 13 home runs and 65 RBI

As far as power, Gary Sanchez is just starting to peak, but as a catcher, a position in short supply around the league, he's one of the most valuable pieces in the Yankees farm system. Once the young catcher fully develops, it's expected that he can be 20-25 home run kind of guy while hitting for average. Thankfully he'll have plenty of time to develop with Brian McCann behind the dish in the Bronx for the next few seasons.






3. Eric Jagielo


2014 Stats: .256 average, 18 home runs and 58 RBI

While many believe Jagielo should be ranked above Sanchez, I have him ranked third for one specific reason: his age. Jagielo is already 22 years old, so 2015 will be a huge year to depict his future. He's got all the tools, but he needs to start driving in more runs in critical situations. Based on the amount of time he's spent in the minor leagues, the Yankees could make him A-Rod's heir in the corner of the infield sooner rather than later... especially if things don't pan out with Chase Headley.







2. Ian Clarkin

2014 Stats: 4-3, 3.12 ERA and 75 K's

Ian Clarkin has gone from being a minor league 'no-name' to one of the best players in the entire organization over the course of last season. While he doesn't feature overpowering stuff and an electric arm, he finds a way to never give up hard contact, which projects him as a potential no.2 starter at the big league level some time down the line. He'll likely need another full year in the minor league before being able to fully contribute at the big league level, so hopefully the Yankees pitching staff will find a way to stay healthy so he can remain in the minors and fully develop.







1. Luis Servino

2014 Stats: 6-5, 2.46 ERA and 127 K's

Servino is by far the Yankees most overpowering pitching prospect. He will fan batters with regularity, and he really could be ace material within the next two years or so. Unfortunately, this makes him the potential centerpiece of any big trade the Yankees could be considering for a proven veteran like a Troy Tulowitzki or Elvis Andrus.

Five Things the New Jersey Devils Fans Should Be Thankful For

The New Jersey Devils have had an inconsistent season to this point. They are currently 9-10-3 with a total of 21 points, which has them tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. The expectation coming into this season was that they'd be slightly better then one game under .500 through the first quarter of the season, but fortunately for the Devils, the mediocrity and inconsistency of the Metropolitan Division still has them in the playoff hunt. With (American) Thanksgiving just one day away, here are five reasons why Devils fans should be thankful for 'Jersey's Team.'

1. Young Stars Locked Up For the Foreseeable Future

When Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson all left the Devils in two consecutive off-seasons, there was a definite level of uncertainty as to whether the Devils can keep their young stars in the center fold. Lou Lamoriello tackled that issue when he signed multiple players to long-term deals. The team currently has Adam Henrique, Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, Michael Cammalleri and of course their work horse Cory Schneider signed through the 2018-2019 season. That's a ton of security for a team that didn't have such a bright future a few years back. 

2. Jaromir Jagr Taking a Dip in the Fountain of Youth 

The Devils took a significant risk by signing Jaromir Jagr shortly after Ilya Kovalchuk decided to 'retire' last off-season. Thankfully, Jagr was worth more than every last dime on that contract, as he posted 24 goals and 43 assists for a total of 67 points in the 2013-14 season. Now, one more year older, Jagr is back for his second consecutive season with the Devils and still looks far younger than 42 years old. Through the teams first 22 games he has a modest 13 points. Without him, who knows what the Devils offense would have looked like the past two seasons. 


3. The Best Young D-Core in all of Hockey 

Most teams around the league yearn for young top-six caliber defensemen to build their team around. Players that still need some experience, but have all the potential in the world. When I look at this Devils team and their respective farm system I see this in Damon Severson, Eric Gelinas, Jon Merrill, Adam Larsson, Seth Helgeson and my ex-teammate Steven Santini. The main critique around the league is that the Devils roster has the oldest average age in the league, but clearly the aforementioned players show that they have plenty of youth to lean back on. 

4. Stable and Dedicated Ownership

After years of talks centering around bankruptcy, relocation and contract violations from the reign of Jeff Vanderbeek and co., the Devils finally have a pair of great owners in Joshua Harris and David Blitzer. Though they aren't regarded as hockey guys, they're still the type of owners anyone want's running their franchise. They let Lou Lamoriello take care of everything on the hockey end and trust him with their investment while they take care of everything else such as creating brand awareness, capturing fan avidity, etc. Is this not the best possible ownership situation for anyone? 

5. Three Stanley Cups in Twenty Years

The New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers have a combined total of zero Stanley Cups Championships since the Devils won their franchise first in 1995. Though we should't all live in the past, the three Stanley Cups in '95, '00 and '03 is something fans can stash in their back pockets while the other fan bases talk smack.

Rangers Need to Let Young Stars Shine on Broadway

It has been an odd start for the returning Eastern Conference Champions and their head coach Alain Vigneault to say the least. They have suffered their share of significant key injuries early on in the season, but have still managed to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers currently sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 7-7-4 and a total of 18 points in as many games played.

That said, the Broadway Blue Shirts still have some depth problems on their hands, especially when it comes to the younger end of their roster.

In my opinion, it's time for Alain Vigneault to let the youth play so he can find out exactly what they can give in the later end of the season and in the future.

The Rangers had some pleasant surprises coming out of training camp, none more notable than the 19-year old Anthony Duclair. Non the less, Duclair has been in and out of the lineup during the first 18 games of his young career. He sat out the past three games before being inserted into the lineup against Tampa Bay last night.

Duclair isn't the only young bright star for the New York Rangers in and out of the lineup consistently. Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller, Jesper Fasth, Dylan McIlrath and Conor Allen have all seen significant time up in the press box as well for extended amounts of time this season, and in some cases, sen't down to Hatford in the AHL.

Every team in the NHL outside of a few should let their young guns play. If they're pampered and don't get enough NHL experience before a certain point in their careers, they will not grow as players. The Rangers are trying to keep their young players healthy and not tamper with their development, but the best way for them to develop is to play regularly in the NHL. The Rangers are one of the rare teams who have a surplus of prospects who have already surpassed the AHL level at such a young age. Playing these kids regularly will not only help with their individual development, but will help the entire Ranger team as a whole. The speed and skill level of Duclair, Miller, and Fast make them better fits into the teams system than Tanner Glass and Ryan Malone.

Now, to Vigneault's credit, he has done a terrific job over his first year and a quarter as the Rangers head coach. He has completely changed the identity of the organization, but he needs to take the leash off some of these kids and stop holding them back, or he'll ruin their development. Vigneault came in and unleashed the beast in Kreider, he should do the same for the rest of the young Rangers.