Rangers Recall Libor Hajek

The Rangers, today, recalled D Libor Hajek from the AHL. You might remember Hajek as one of the prospects the Rangers added at last year's deadline.  Hajek, who just turned 21 earlier this month hasn't exactly lit the world on fire in the AHL. Btw, I'm starting to wonder if the AHL is good for player development. Ever since the Rangers have started having more prospects than veterans there, their team has been cruddy and I think it's because their playing against of older guys.  But I digress.  Hopefully, they've seen something in Libor lately that merits this move. He had dazzled in international play back in 2018. So it's in there somewhere.

Btw, Jimmy Vesey has looked a lot more like the kid we thought we were getting now that he's been up on the first line.

Giants Hire Everett Withers to Coach CB's

The Giants filled out their open coaching spot by hiring Everett Withers. Withers has had a long career as a college coach, and was most recently the Head Coach of Texas State, I think he had also been head coach of James Madison a few years ago when we were drafting or signing some of their players  This may be his first pro-experience, but he could also be a big help with what will be a young team.

Rangers Trade Hayes

The Rangers have traded Kevin Hayes to the Jets for a 2019 first round pick, a conditional 4th in 2022 and about to turn 23 year old F Brendan Lemieux. He seems like a defensively conscious 4th liner. Anyway. the Rangers have continued collecting picks, after trading them like crazy during their cup runs. Good.  The also gave Boo Nieves a 1 year 700K extension, which is good, because he's been showing some things. They also extended Steven Fogarty for another year, because they now need bodies.

UPDATE: Rangers trade McQuaid for a 4th and a 7th as well as 23 year old D Julius Bergman, who was a 2nd rounder in 2014.  Good deal!

Yanks Lock Up Hicks

The Yanks extended just extended Aaron Hicks for 7/70. He'll be 29 all season this year, then the deal will expire when he's 36. I actually think he could have gotten more on the open market next year. Anyway, he can play CF till Florial or one of the others comes up, then slide into a left fielder then 4th outfielder and the 10m per annum will always be moveable. Good stuff.

More Yanks: They've given Andy Pettitte one of those special advisor roles, like Beltran and Matsui.

Still more: Yanks are working on extending Dellin.

Zucc Traded to Dallas

Awaiting a trade call, the Rangers have traded MZA to the Dallas stars for a conditional a 2nd and 2020 3rd. The second becomes a first if Dallas wins 2 playoff rounds. And the third becomes a first if Dallas re-signs Zucc.  So it's either a 2 and a 3, a 1 and a 3, a 2 and a 1, or two 1's.  Got it?  And is MSG sending all of it's Euros to Dallas teams?

This Week on the Blog

Alright, Rangers haven't made any trades yet, the Knicks started playing games again, the Giants lost their DB coach, and the Yanks kept getting ready.  It's been a pretty dull week.  Let's take a look at this one.

Yankees: The Yankees begin their preseason schedule today, against Boston. So that will be fun. In other news, the Yanks have made John Kremer, their new pitching coordinator. Not sure what that says about Scott Aldred and Danny Borrell, but Kremer started out on the sports since side, and you'll recall the Yanks recently hired Dillon Lawson as their new hitting coordinator, and he's an ex-pitching coach who specializes in teaching hitters how to recognize pitches.  So I wonder if Kremer will also be a different kind of coordinator. Progress or nonsense?  I guess will see. Not much other news, though Clint Frazier has been hitting bombs in the early going.

Giants: the Giants will be heading to the Combine this week, and let's hope everyone works out.  We have to see if Kyler Murray is freak enough to take at 6.  For that to happen, he's gotta have good hand size and velocity, as well as run a 4.4 and sub-7 3-cone.  Otherwise, it's always a fun week.  They also have to find a new DB coach, because Lou Anarumo left to become DC for the Bengals.  Maybe they'll meet someone at the Combine.

Rangers: the NHL trade deadline hits Monday at 3pm est.  Looks like the Rangers will be sellers again, so they've scratched Hayes, Zucc and McQuaid from today's lineup. This may or may not be a good series of moves, as it will depend on the return. The issue is, they could keep  them and perhaps make the playoffs this year. So, the take back on trades has to be worth giving up that kind of experience. So far the pundits are saying it will be 2nd round picks and B prospects, and I'm not sure that's going to be worth breaking up the team.  A few teams, including Toronto have called about Kreider, but that should cost a 1 and and an A prospect. We'll see what happens.

Knicks: The Knicks played their first game since the All-Star break last night and lost.  Kevin Knox had another one of his Toby Knight  type games, but the other kids didn't do much. DeAndre had another double double. Is this thing over yet? Tanking is trying.

So there it is. Rangers likely to be active.  Yanks are back on the diamond.  Giants are heading to the Combine and the Knicks keep tanking.  Have a great one!

This Week on the Blog

Alright, this week the Knicks won a game, the Rangers kept on keeping on, the Yanks opened camp and the Giants hired two new assistant coaches. So let's take a look at this week.

Yankees: any position players that haven't reported will report this week - except Jacoby Ellsbury, who's hurt again and may not show up until mid March or late March.  The Yanks' first game is March 28th. Hmmm. Yesterday, the Yanks erased Severino's arbitration years with a new 4 year contract that comes with a team option. Reportedly, they have talked to other arbitration eligible, like Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks. We'll see if anything happens with them.  I would like to see them lock up Judge with a Stantonian deal, but he's a little jammed  up because he didn't become a regular until he was almost 25. Judge was shutdown for a hammy during his draft year, or he might have been up sooner.  He will turn 27 in April and should be entering his prime - now.  Anyway, he has no leverage, but it would be fair for them to reward their best player.

Giants: the Giants added a new OLB coach., Mike Dawson.  That's an important position in a 3-4, and except for a late season burst from Olivier Vernon they weren't getting enought passrush from the position group. They do have Lorenzo Carter and have brought back Avery Moss They also added a new assistent DB coach named Henry Baker who replace Deshea Townsend. So far they have just replaced coaches who left, but earlier did see open to adding the former Jet DC, who went to Tampa instead. So they could be open to adding upgrades.

Rangers: the Rangers, who'd won more playoff games them any other team in this deccade, blew it up last year, and announced their rebuild.  They are now in the first full year of their rebuild, and with last night's win, they're 25-24 and 8. That's pretty impressive. They might even make the playoffs this year, but, they're likely to have another sell off as the trade deadline approaches, and that could scuttle their record. Anyway, they have the right coach and are competing every night.  Chytil got benched last night because Quinn was unhappy with his compete level lately. Maybe he's growing again.

Knicks: the Knicks won their last game going into All-Star weekend, and it came on the heels of a franchise worst 18 game losing streak. Tanking hurts. By the way, the Knicks defense has gotten a lot better since they traded Hardaway. Also, though Enes wasn't playing much,  DeAndre Jordan is and is a massive defensive upgrade. Also Mitchell Robinson is healthy and foulding less and double-doubling with lots of blocks in just 20 minutes a night. Wow. Also, Kadeem Allen and John Jenkins have come up from the G, and are really contributing. I there are pieces to a really good team, now that the unwilling defenders are gone. Knox is still inconsistent, but he's also the second youngest player in the league. Here's hoping they get someone great in the lottery.

So there it is, Yanks gearing up, Giants offseasoning (next stop, the Combine), the Rangers are proobably gonna blow it up again, and the Knicks are a little more fun.  Have a great one.

Yanks Lock Up Sevy

The Yanks avoided arbititration with their Ace Luis Severino.  The deal is reportedly 4/40. with a 5th year option, which I'm sure they will tear up if he's "first half Sevy" over the next four years. The deal does erase the rest of his arbitation years, so this was just a great thing. Let's see what they do for Aaron Judge.

Yanks Welcome Pitchers and Catchers

So the Yanks have officially opened camp. and the pitchers and catchers are all scheduled to arrive today and have their first workout tomorrow. Interestingly, Sevy says he has lost 10-15 pounds, by changing his diet and exercise program. He said the big change was giving up fried chicken and fried plantains.  Satchel Page, the greatest pitcher that has ever lived, and pitched till he was nearly 60, would tell everyone to avoid fried foods, because they anger up the blood. So maybe Sevy just had angry blood last year. We'll see. He has to re-install the deception to his delivery.  But isn't it great that their back?

UPDATE: Mike King is shutdown for 3 weeks because of a stress reaction in his right elbow.  Disquieting.

UPDATE: Ellsbury has plantar faciitis, and won't shot up till March.

This Week on the Blog

This past week saw the Yanks top IFA target identified, the Giants dump Stewart, the Rangers play better, and the Knicks be the Knicks. Let's take a look at the week to come.

Yankees: This past week Hal intimated that the Yanks might not be done.  And today, a flood of posters are claiming the Yanks have offered him 7/220. Hmm. Camp starts this week, and if not their agents, then the bodies of the remaining FA's are telling them it's time to get to camp. Seems like the Yanks are, perhaps, waiting for Manny to come back to them. Something could happen soon.  Meanwhile, the major league pitchers and catchers report to Tampa this week, though many are already down there and a bunch have been working over in the minor league complex.  This should be fun.

Giants: The Giants created some cap space this week by getting rid of Stewart.  There are reports today that they are not going to ask Eli to take a pay cut. So they're going to have to move more players if they want to sign anyone. I think they NFL Combine is starting at the end of this week or the beginning of the next one. And that's always interesting.  Need to check the hand sizes and the velo's on all the QB prospects.

Rangers: The NHL deadline isn't till the end of the month, so the Rangers will keep grinding till they hear an offer or three they like. I do think they have the right coach, though, and they do seem comitted to their rebuild, unlike the Knicks.

Knicks: Still mad, but Dennis Smith Jr. may be the point guard. He's a few years away from the ACL he had that worried some teams going into his draft year.  Last night he had 31-8 and I think he only used 14 shots. And the lonly other players who also did that at 21 were Magic, Jordan and  LeBron.  So thus far this year both Knox has joined LeBron in a teen achievement and Smith has now matched 3 greats at 21. Thus the pressure should be way up on Coach Fiz and the development people. They have to find a way to get consistent performance out of these young guys.  Meanhwile DeAndre Jordan is giving the Knicks the same nightly double-doubles that Kanter was, but he's playing better D.  It hasn't lead to any wins, though.


So there we are, the YANKS!!!!! are back, the Giants are offseasoning, the Rangers are slowly approaching the deadline, and the Knicks may have a guy. Have a great one!

Knicks Get Nothing at the Deadline

Unless something has yet to clear, the Knicks added nothing at the deadline.  They have agreed to agree to buyouts for Wesley Matthews and Enes Kanter, which could take place as soon as today. I'll update if there's anything else.

Yanks Linked With the Dominican Mickey Mantle

Baseball America is reporting the the Yanks are linked with the top prospect in this year's IFA class.  That is Jasson Dominguez.  He's a 5'11" 195 pound explosive swich hitter.  That's what Mickey Mantle was. He's supposed to be expensive so the Yanks might have to, once again, trade for more IFA dough - but that has seemed easy. Over the past two years, especially, the Yanks have really cleaned up in IFA, by going after multiple top ten types. If Jassson't money is around 5m, that would represent a different approach, but they've been lucky with that kind of tool box before.  So why not?


Unless they sign Bryce Harper, they should be keeping all their picks and IFA pool. Btw, I don;t know why they'd lose IFA money for Harper, but I've seen it mentioned somewhere.

This Week on the Blog

Alright, this was a nightmarish week for Knick fans as they bailed on their rebuild and traded their franchise player for cap room this summer. We'll get back into that later.  The Yanks announced their non-roster invitees, Saquon won the Pepsi Rookie of the year, and the Rangers are on a little role.  Now let's see what's coming this week.

Yankees: This is the last week without Yankee Baseball till next November. Camp opens next week and it will be a big year.  They still haven't added a 6th starter, but they have enough guys ready if they need one, and later this year, guys like Deivi Garcia could be ready.  I'n the old, dynastic days, the Yanks could let Mickey Mantle make the team out of C ball, you don't see that these days because of big money blockers at the major league level for most teams, and they don't want to start arbitration clocks till they have to.  But I do think teams, including the Yanks, are starting at as if they know that players are more productive in their 20s then in their 30s, and that could take some real reckoning in the next round of CBA negotiations. Meanwhile, I didn't see anything about Captain's Camp, which is odd, but they probably have it going on.

Giants: The Giants won't do anything else till after the SuperBowl. I think they'll cut Jonathan Stewart this week, but, other than that, they'll probably start looking to open up cap room, and getting ready for the Combine.

Rangers: The Rangers, who have not abandoned their rebuild, are playing a little better lately.  Brett Howden is down for about a month, but Mika Zibanejad as well as Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes have been terrific. And it's possible that all three will be traded for picks and prospects by the trade deadline.  There's a rumor about the Bruins trying to trade for one of the F's and both Kreids and Hayes are Boston boys, so who knows. They'd be fools to trade Kreider.

Knicks: The Knicks are fools. Interestingly, last year, when the Giants hired a new coach and GM, it seemed like they were required to  commit to Eli as a prerequisite for getting the jobds. Eli was old, and KP is young, but Dolan should have demanded that commitment from Perry and Fizdale, And he never should have promoteed Mills who's signature move so far was overpaying to bring back THjr, only to have to turn around and trade KP to get rid of him. That is abject stupidity, and betrayal of the rebuild plan, and franchise damaging.  Any imbecile off the street would have gotten better return if they'd convinced themselves they had to trade KP.  But they didn't have to trade him. They just had to keep him happy while they tanked, then got another lottery pick.  Instead, it's another Donnie Walshian sell off so they can big for FA's that aren't coming this summer. Sickening. Also, the NBA trade deadline is coming right up, so the Knicks will probably make more deals.

So there it is, Yanks, Giants, and Rangers keep on keeping on, and the Knicks change horses midstream. Have a great week!