Mike Leake is exactly what the Yankees need right now, a workhorse who can solidify the back-end of the rotation at a low cost.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Yankees Should Pursue Mike Leake
It is obvious that the Yankees are seriously in need of starting pitching depth. But they don't need to pay top dollar for a top of the rotation arm and deplete the farm system. They need a starter that can solidify the back end of the rotation and will come at a lower price. The Yankees farm system is getting stronger however it doesn't have much depth to it. So if the Yankees were to pursue a player like Johnny Cueto or Cole Hamels they would have to give up a lot of their top prospects. Mike Leake however, would come at the perfect price and provide the quality starters the Yankees are lacking at the back-end of the rotation.
Mike Leake would be an amazing pickup for the Yankees should they be able to snag him from the Reds. Leake could fit very well in Yankee Stadium being his his high ground ball rate at 52.2% which is exactly what is looked for in the Yankee rotation. However Leake is having a bit of a down year with a decent 4.38 ERA over 100.2 innings pitched. There is a bright side to this however because Leake pitches in one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in baseball. Now even though Yankee Stadium is hitter friendly with the short porch in right field, but it is not nearly as bad as Great American Ballpark. Leake has pitched very poorly at his home stadium showing a very weak 6.11 ERA compared to the 2.95 ERA Leake has away. Leake's biggest pro is that he is a workhorse, and has put up more than 175 IP over the previous 2 years.
Mike Leake is exactly what the Yankees need right now, a workhorse who can solidify the back-end of the rotation at a low cost.
Mike Leake is exactly what the Yankees need right now, a workhorse who can solidify the back-end of the rotation at a low cost.
Yankees Could Be the Worst Managed Team in Baseball
As the season coming is up on the All-star Break signifying the halfway point of the baseball year, the Yankees find themselves 0.5 games back of the first place Baltimore Orioles. The rest of the AL East is starting to pick up the pace and the Yankees are falling back in the standings after loosing a series to arguably the worst team in baseball the Philadelphia Phillies and then splitting a series with the Huston Astros. You would think that at the pace that the rest of the division is trending towards the Yankees management would be doing anything and everything to secure the division and gain some breathing room right? You would be wrong if that's you were expecting.
The Yankees starting rotation is their biggest problem, with a combined 4.09 ERA in 690.2 innings pitched. Now it has been reported that Adam Warren who was arguably the most consistent starter in the rotation, and by the numbers has had the most success, is being sent back to the bullpen. Warren has been the light of the rotation and the only thing keeping it from a complete disaster. Now even though starters like Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka are better pitchers and should be leading the rotation as the no doubt 1 and 2 starters. They have been very shaky and are known for being injury prone. Now the question comes at why are they sending down one of their best chances of winning 1 every 5 days? Instead of one like CC Sabathia or even Nathan Eovaldi. Sabathia would make the most sense going into the bullpen being his drop in velocity and loss of dominating pitches to last as a starter. It doesn't mean much but through pitches 1-15 Sabathia has an opponent Batting AVG. of .234 instead of the following 16-60 that are all above .300. Now doesn't that seem like Sabathia is more fit for a lefty specialist. But because the management looks at his large contract he doesn't belong in the bullpen. But when you think about it who would you rather have starting a game, Sabathia or Warren? No matter what it comes to the Yankees are paying Sabathia's contract. Now I don't care about the contract with him in the bullpen, because I'd be fine with Sabathia being paid in Triple-A being the Yankees would have a better chance of winning with Sabathia completely off the team. Now the reason Warren is being sound makes sense, unless the problem isn't looked into deeply. The argument is the bullpen is thin and the stronger members of the bullpen are eating up to many innings. Makes sense? No, because what it comes down to is the weak end of the rotation is averaging less than 6 innings because they are giving up to many runs. Guess who those starters are? Now on days when Warren is pitching he is averaging over 6 innings limiting the overuse of the bullpen. Ivan Nova is very similar being able to work for long amounts of inning limiting the use for the bullpen. Having Warren and Nova in the mid to back end up the rotation could have solidified more of the rotation. Now it is basically the same as before Nova was healthy just subbing out Warren.
Another issue is Stephen Drew still starting at second base. Now this is a common one being that almost every Yankees fan probably cringes when they hear Drew's name. The question arises again, why is Drew still in the lineup? He is hitting .183 which is a big upgrade from last years .162 average. Now the Yankees are loosing more games and the rest of the division is either passing them up or getting close to. Now why isn't top second base prospect Rob Refsnyder not being given a chance? Jose Pirela was brought up and is performing worse than expected. However that is not completely his fault, being that he has been given spot starts, has come late in games, or pinch hit. It is difficult to get hot at the plate or stay consistent when not being given a full chance to prove himself.
The management of the Yankees has failed before, they have also been commended. But, I have never really bought into Brian Cashman or Joe Girardi. I have always felt that Cashman was a GM that only really knows how to write a check and stick by the people he signs no matter what. Now even though the Yankees have won under Cashman that was mainly by the players the were brought up from the farm system before Cashman took over (mainly the World Series in the late 90's and the winning seasons up to about 2008). After that Cashman brought in a bunch of players starting their decline. It won them the 2009 WS and winning seasons still 2012. Now those players are old, singed to too long of contracts, and blocking the farm system. The Yankees even after 2009 were under performing, no matter what if a team is spending over $200 million for a season and doesn't win the World Series they are under performing. This should show that the Yankees current model is not working if they are being out performed by teams that spend under $100 million.
Girardi is a different and shorter story. His problem is he sticks with his veterans over younger talent. Now when a manager is given a $200 million lineup they are expected to do well and he has. So I don't know how to feel about Girardi cause if any manager is given what he had they would probably do the same. Now with how mismanaged the team on the field is being managed maybe this is showing Girardi's true ability to manage a team. Over this season I have seen poor management whether its the misuse of the bullpen, starting rotation, and just leaving Stephen Drew on the field.There is so many issues with this team right now it seems like even though the postseason is still well insight that the hope of making it might be a ways away.
The Yankees starting rotation is their biggest problem, with a combined 4.09 ERA in 690.2 innings pitched. Now it has been reported that Adam Warren who was arguably the most consistent starter in the rotation, and by the numbers has had the most success, is being sent back to the bullpen. Warren has been the light of the rotation and the only thing keeping it from a complete disaster. Now even though starters like Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka are better pitchers and should be leading the rotation as the no doubt 1 and 2 starters. They have been very shaky and are known for being injury prone. Now the question comes at why are they sending down one of their best chances of winning 1 every 5 days? Instead of one like CC Sabathia or even Nathan Eovaldi. Sabathia would make the most sense going into the bullpen being his drop in velocity and loss of dominating pitches to last as a starter. It doesn't mean much but through pitches 1-15 Sabathia has an opponent Batting AVG. of .234 instead of the following 16-60 that are all above .300. Now doesn't that seem like Sabathia is more fit for a lefty specialist. But because the management looks at his large contract he doesn't belong in the bullpen. But when you think about it who would you rather have starting a game, Sabathia or Warren? No matter what it comes to the Yankees are paying Sabathia's contract. Now I don't care about the contract with him in the bullpen, because I'd be fine with Sabathia being paid in Triple-A being the Yankees would have a better chance of winning with Sabathia completely off the team. Now the reason Warren is being sound makes sense, unless the problem isn't looked into deeply. The argument is the bullpen is thin and the stronger members of the bullpen are eating up to many innings. Makes sense? No, because what it comes down to is the weak end of the rotation is averaging less than 6 innings because they are giving up to many runs. Guess who those starters are? Now on days when Warren is pitching he is averaging over 6 innings limiting the overuse of the bullpen. Ivan Nova is very similar being able to work for long amounts of inning limiting the use for the bullpen. Having Warren and Nova in the mid to back end up the rotation could have solidified more of the rotation. Now it is basically the same as before Nova was healthy just subbing out Warren.
Another issue is Stephen Drew still starting at second base. Now this is a common one being that almost every Yankees fan probably cringes when they hear Drew's name. The question arises again, why is Drew still in the lineup? He is hitting .183 which is a big upgrade from last years .162 average. Now the Yankees are loosing more games and the rest of the division is either passing them up or getting close to. Now why isn't top second base prospect Rob Refsnyder not being given a chance? Jose Pirela was brought up and is performing worse than expected. However that is not completely his fault, being that he has been given spot starts, has come late in games, or pinch hit. It is difficult to get hot at the plate or stay consistent when not being given a full chance to prove himself.
The management of the Yankees has failed before, they have also been commended. But, I have never really bought into Brian Cashman or Joe Girardi. I have always felt that Cashman was a GM that only really knows how to write a check and stick by the people he signs no matter what. Now even though the Yankees have won under Cashman that was mainly by the players the were brought up from the farm system before Cashman took over (mainly the World Series in the late 90's and the winning seasons up to about 2008). After that Cashman brought in a bunch of players starting their decline. It won them the 2009 WS and winning seasons still 2012. Now those players are old, singed to too long of contracts, and blocking the farm system. The Yankees even after 2009 were under performing, no matter what if a team is spending over $200 million for a season and doesn't win the World Series they are under performing. This should show that the Yankees current model is not working if they are being out performed by teams that spend under $100 million.
Girardi is a different and shorter story. His problem is he sticks with his veterans over younger talent. Now when a manager is given a $200 million lineup they are expected to do well and he has. So I don't know how to feel about Girardi cause if any manager is given what he had they would probably do the same. Now with how mismanaged the team on the field is being managed maybe this is showing Girardi's true ability to manage a team. Over this season I have seen poor management whether its the misuse of the bullpen, starting rotation, and just leaving Stephen Drew on the field.There is so many issues with this team right now it seems like even though the postseason is still well insight that the hope of making it might be a ways away.
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