This Week on the Blog
Yankees: Though they'd been doing it throughout their torrid streak, the Yanks could not overcome a substandard start by CC or a reversion to suckitude by Sonny Gray. Complicating things, perhaps slightly, Justus Sheffield left his AAA start last night with shoulder tightness. Bad starts aside, the Yankee offense still hasn't started rolling. Though they usually grind, the big hits have not been coming and guys like Gardy, Sanchez and Stanton (against RHP) haven't been themselves yet. What's more, Didi is in the tank, Andujar's expanding, and Hicks may never be what he looked like for a month or two last year. The interesting news is that Clint Frazier is playing again in AAA, and has hit some homers. He's already on the 40, and could easily split Left and DH with Stanton while Gardy played C if Hicks was moved. In any event, the offense should come around any day now.
Giants: Rookie Mini-Camp is good as long as no one gets hurt. The first day was exciting and 3 of the DB's, Haley, Davis and Chandler impressed onlookers. If this goes anything like last months voluntary Mini-Camp that lead into the Draft, performances should just get better and better, though Saquon Barkley's extreme suddeness was on display on Day 1. Another small thing that came out in the reportage is the the locker room is now organized by position groups: the OL's are next to the OL's the LB's are next to the LB's and so on and so forth. Previously, It hadn't been organized that way and it may have contributed to the manner in which things went to hell last season. Btw, reporters are currently tweeting the Shurmur has been in touch with Ereck Flowers and that he is reportedly in good shape. Flowers has always looked like a plus Right Tackle to a lot of folks, and if that's what he can give the Giants this year -- they'll have a really good line.
Rangers: The Rangers still haven't hired a coach. Having lost the NHL lottery (they moved back one spot) it seems somewhat likely that they will try to trade up in next months draft. Not sure it will make a difference given that they once drafted Brian Leetch with the #9 overall pick, but as long as they're using roster players instead of the majority of their picks to move up, it could be worth it. No one will let them have Dahlin, but there are other great talents up at the top.
Knicks: We keep hearing the Nick Van Exel and Keith Smart will be added to Coach Fizdale's first staff, but nothing's been made official yet. Meanwhile, the NBA draft lottery is just 3 days away, and the Knicks are well overdue some luck. I guess Perry will represent the Knicks at the table. This might not fit the tradition of having a legendary Championship Knick there, but it started with Dave DeBusschere at the table and he was both a legendary Knick and the GM at the time he won it, so maybe the GM role is more important. Of course, if the Knicks do win I'll be pulling for Luca Doncic.
So there we are. German should dominate today, the young Giants should keep looking better, the Rangers better have a good plan, and the Knicks need some luck.
I hope it's a lucky week for all of you.
posted by Kalel9 @ 8:52 AM
32 Comments:
To continue the discussion from the other thread, I’ll reiterate that Gray’s problems are not Sanchez’, but Gray’s alone, and if he keeps pitching like this, he’ll be out of the rotation by August.
German...
Sheffield?
Win.
They battled after an emotional series. Maybe, as I speculated as possibility, there was a letdown. Or maybe it’s merely the burden imposed by three starters going only 5 innings. Whatever. They won. Yay.
Severino needs to go 7 tomorrow.
German sort of lost the strike zone for a couple of innings. His fastballl was moving out of the zone or on the edge of the strike zone and the ump wasn't calling any of them. Weird day as rhe only way to get the A's to swing and miss was to elevate it, but when they did that, they could also give up hits.
Sheffield to the DL.
Seems more likely that Cash will pull off a trade for another arm.
I hope it’s not another Sonny Gray-like trade. Again, he has made some great trades, but not for starting pitchers.
Marc Berman has an article about Frank Niti. No doubt has he skills but needs a lot of development and physical maturity. But to say, as Berman does, that if the Knicks draft a point that they don’t believe in him is nuts, although not as nuts as not taking the best player available.
Pineda was a good deal based on what they gave up for him as Montero is out of the game.
Cashman cashed him in at the right time before he got exposed.
The Pineda deal was mostly a wash, as he never lived up to expectations, though at least he ended up providing some value.
For me, it’s MadBum or bust. Problem is, the Giants would likely want Florial, and I’m not sure you can trade him considering the long-term need in CF.
Erik Swanson has a ..54 ERA at Trenton, is 24 and and can probably help at some point this year. He was outpitching Sheff when they were in the same rotation. I'd rather let the system solve any pitching problems.
Pineda was not a good deal when you view the opportunity costs of burning one of baseball’s top prospects for him. So no, Cashman got very poor value for that.
Sheffield is only supposed to miss 1start.
No more Gray trades...unless they trade Gray.
I agree. If you’re gonna acquire a starter, acquire a bonified ace.
"Found it interesting that D-lineman B.J. Hill (third-round pick) hadn't heard or spoken to any defensive veterans yet," Raanan Tweeted. "Leadership was a problem last year on that defense."
Shortly after Raanan Tweeted his observation, Harrison responded by issuing him a warning -- don't come near him.
"You’re reaching Jordan," Harrison Tweeted. "Keep it up though...just stay away from me."
Harrison also responded to several fans who decided to buy into the idea that somehow Harrison not speaking with the 2018 draft class could lead to issues in the locker room.
"I’m a grown ass man my guy don’t question me you and whoever else feels the need to," Harrison Tweeted. "I have a family and business I take care of. I asked for his number after the draft and didn’t get it until today. Y’all MFs brave.
Sheffield optimistic after strength test.
Aaron Hicks: 3-36 (.083) with bases loaded in his career.
That's the lowest bases-loaded BA by any active player (min. 45 PA) in MLB.
Schteve Schreve is taking pitches out of Chapman’s arm. Mofo.
Nice win. The wheat keeps getting separated from the chaff.
“I know I’m ready,” Frazier, rehabbing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, told The Post this weekend. “I don’t think there’s much more I have to prove to myself to know I can go out there and perform. This is the best I’ve felt physically, mentally, every other way, so I know I’m ready.”
But a Yankees team that can’t seem to lose, with a healthy outfield corps of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks, doesn’t have the pressing need for him it once did.
Frazier declared himself completely past the concussion scare that had hounded him since early in spring training. After Sunday’s 3-for-5-with-a-homer day, he had played in 16 rehab games between SWB and Single-A Tampa, going 20-for-62 (.323) with four home runs.
—-
Hicks? Ridic.
Sevy didn't have it today, but he battled through it. Roger Clemens would have been impressed. I don't think the Yanks have ever had as sensational young RHP before. Everyone else who's been precocious has been a lefty.
Also, if I have time tomorrow I'll do a state of the Yanks because I think the O is about the explode.
Bring up Clint to play some LF.
Good way to showcase him in a trade come the trade deadline.
Or not.
I mean seriously. A 35 Gardner and a nothing special or worse Hicks. He needs to stay and get a chance to prove himself. Something Hicks failed at.
If the idea is to trade him they might be better off keeping him in AAA. Problem is they kinda need his bat.
NYP
There’s another, more urgent reason Sheffield is eager to pitch again. Through a few spring trainings, he’s become close with CC Sabathia, who still texts him bits of advice. The 37-year-old Sabathia told The Post’s George A. King III last week that if the Yankees win the World Series, he’s likely finished.
“That’s my guy. Honestly, I’d like to be his teammate before he retired,” Sheffield said. “That would be cool for me just because, ever since I came over here, he took a big-brother role, helped me out on and off the field.
“… I’d really want to be his teammate before he leaves. But if he does leave, that’s a good thing because we won the World Series.”
Here;'s the thing,. Torres and Walker can play all the postions Torreyes subs in at, and if it's a choice between trading the mascot (Torreyes) or the team leader (Gardy) it should be a simple decision.
Per Clint, I bet they'd like to see 100 good AAA AB's to kick the Hicks issue down the road a bit.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Giants are waiving cornerback C.J. Goodwin.
He was just claimed off waivers a week ago after he was cut by the Cardinals. He spent time with the Falcons and Steelers as well.
Cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris’ signing was reported on Sunday and confirmed by the team in Monday’s announcement of all their moves. The Giants also signed veteran guard Chris Scott, who has played in 45 regular season games since entering the league as a 2010 fifth-round pick in Pittsburgh.
Scott played 43 of those games for the Panthers while current Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman was in the same job in Carolina.
The other four additions to the roster are guard Malcolm Bunche, wide receiver Alonzo Russell, defensive back Mike Jones and running back Robert Martin of Rutgers.
The Giants are parting ways with tackle Adam Bisnowaty, a 2017 sixth-round draft choice, and cornerback Brandon Dixon, who started the final five games of the 2017 season. Linebacker Derrick Mathews, cornerback C.J. Goodwin, tight end Stephen Baggett and cornerback Bryon Fields were also cut on Monday.
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