The Yankees are becoming increasingly concerned that Mark Teixeira may not return for the regular season or the playoffs, writes Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News. Asked if he’s beginning to wonder that Teixeira’s entire 2015 season is over, GM Brian Cashman replied, “I do wonder. It’s been a long time and he’s still having issues. I can’t predict what’s going to happen here. There is a lot of time left . . . between now and the end of the season. I just don’t know.” Meanwhile, the Daily News’ Andy Martino writes that the loss of Nathan Eovaldi is already hurting the Yanks, as it’s forced right-hander Adam Warren into the rotation, thereby taking a fairly established right-handed arm out of the bullpen against the right-heavy Blue Jays. Manager Joe Girardi has talked about the possibility of using Eovaldi as a reliever in the postseason, should the Yankees reach the ALDS, but there’s no guarantee that the 25-year-old will even be healthy enough for that.
A few more notes from the AL East…
- Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said after announcing three internal promotions that he’s not yet begun to interview GM candidates, writes WEEI.com’s John Tomase. However, Dombrowski did say he’s compiled a list of candidates to whom he’d like to speak. For now, Dombrowski wants to wait to interview external candidates, as some of his targets are with teams that are in pennant races.
- Dombrowski also spoke about the value of continuity, per Tomase, emphasizing that he’s been impressed by the employees with whom he’s met since joining the organization. “I think continuity is extremely important assuming you have good people,” said Dombrowski. “…I’ve met with a lot of good people and I’ve been very impressed with them. Doesn’t mean we’re not going to have some changes, but I can tell you right now when I’ve met with them, there’s not anybody I’ve said, ‘Oh that’s a full time employee we’re dismissing.”
- Dombrowski spoke with Tomase’s colleague, Rob Bradford, about the art of trading and how he came to earn such a strong reputation in that regard. One of the keys, Dombrowski explained, is not being afraid to give up talent. Many executives will shy away from giving up quality players, but Dombrowski says he recognizes that in order to acquire quality talent, he must as well be willing to part with such talent. Dombrowski’s also as honest and up-front as he can be with trade partners, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos tells Bradford. Asked what it’s like to deal with Dombrowski in trade talks, Anthopoulos replied, “The best. The absolute best. As honest as they come.” A recent example, Bradford notes, is the David Price trade; Dombrowski made it clear from the moment talks initiated that there was no deal if Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd weren’t in the trade, and Anthopoulos, respecting his honest nature, knew better than to waste precious time trying to talk him down from said demand.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter isn’t expecting any changes to be made on his coaching staff this offseason, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Showalter has had some changes to his staff each season with the O’s, Kubatko notes, but there don’t appear to be plans for major shifts. Pitching coach Dave Wallace, bullpen coach Dom Chiti and first base coach Wayne Kirby are all up for new contracts this winter.
- Showalter also briefly discussed the potential for Christian Walker to play a role with the team in September and in 2016, though when asked if that may be due to a potential vacancy at first next year, Showalter would only joke that Walker’s not having as strong a season as current first baseman Chris Davis. A big season from Double-A first baseman Trey Mancini gives the team depth at the position, Showalter notes, adding how impressed he’s been by game footage of Mancini that he’s seen.
- From my vantage point, it’s tough to envision a scenario in which Davis is back in Baltimore. Adam Jones’ $85.5MM contract stands as the biggest in franchise history at this juncture, and Davis’ second 40-homer season in three years has positioned him for a contract worth in excess of $100MM. While the O’s could always break the bank to retain him, they’ll also be facing huge arbitration raises for Manny Machado, Zach Britton and Chris Tillman, to say nothing of built-in raises for Jones, J.J. Hardy and Ubaldo Jimenez. Plus, given the potential holes they’ll face in the outfield and the need to bolster the rotation, a potentially exorbitant investment in the Scott-Boras-represented Davis seems like a luxury more than a priority.
Well, Yankees, maybe you should have done SOMETHING at the trade deadline to solidify your roster to make a strong playoff push. #frustrating
They did, they replaced teixeira with greg bird. Losing Eovaldi was unforseen, they’re still pretty tough in pitching regardless.
I love Bird, but he’s no Teixeira.
Who was available that was as good as Teizeira, and what would their team have demanded back from he Yankees?
They had a 6-7 game lead at the time, and they still have the 4th best record in the AL in the 2nd half of the year with only Toronto, KC and Texas (3 other playoff teams as of now) better than them.
Ask Billy Beane and Dave Dombrowski how solidifying their roster to make a strong playoff push worked out for them last year. Their teams went a combined 0-4 in the playoffs.
Sometimes the best moves, are the ones you don’t make. Severino has done just fine for the Yankees, has as Bird. You can’t predict injuries.
Here is the thing…. Who was expecting the Yankees to have a chance to win the division this year, or to even make the playoffs? Not me, and I’m a Yankee fan.
Granted, I thought tex would bounce back, but not to this level. I thought arod may be worthwhile, but he exceeded my expectations. Arod and tex were late round fliers in fantasy leagues (I got arod in the 19th and tex in the 25th of a 12 team league). Nobody expected this much from them. Nobody.
when the trade deadline approached, cash had a decision, do I go all on on this team or do I be a bit more conservative, see where this takes us, and stay the course. Making that decision in a vaccume is hard enough, but having to make it knowing what Toronto was doing made it even more difficult. I think cash made the right decision.
You can’t predict injuries? Really? Cashman has put together one of the oldest lineups that this old fan can remember. Teixiera, Sabathia, and Beltran are all years past their prime and it surprises you when they get hurt? He gave 7 years to Ellsbury, knowing it’s never unusual for him to visit the DL regularly. And just think, all these guys are still around next year too, another year older.
The only regulars in their lineup over the age of 32 are Tex, Arod, and Beltran, who are coincidentally their top three bats in the lineup per OPS+ and wRC+.
CC is their only pitcher over 30. There have been older Yankee teams, even in the last decade.
Believe I read this was the Youngest Yankee team since 1996
You defend Cashman by saying his other teams have been even older than this one? Only one regular under 30. Hopfully it’s not news that old players get hurt more often than younger ones. He seems to get full credit for every good move and somehow avoids blame for his many mistakes. I was all for not giving Cano ten years, but giving injury prone Ellsbury seven was just as bad. His love affair with Drew is puzzling, to say the least. One championship in 15 years? With the payroll he gets to spend? Ruben Amaro could have done better. Well, okay, maybe not Amaro but you get my point. Finally, after all these years, he has a good crop of young players, after how many first round busts? And don’t lecture me on the late aspect of the choice, there were plenty of good player picked after them. I just wish someone else was pulling the strings. It will be interesting to see his new frugality tested when Harper is a free agent.
Cashman indicated yesterday that little was available on the market….and what was — had awful contracts with them.
@Bob, No they just decided to stand pat. The Giants gave up an average prospect for M. Leake. The Yankees could have done the same.
The Giants gave up their #1 prospect for Leake.
Mella might have been their number 1 on paper but Beede is the one teams were asking for when they were trying to swing bigger deals than Leake.
Funny how the topic is injuries which I said, can’t be predicted, and Mike Leake made 1 start after the deadline and then missed 3 weeks.
…he would have been PERFECT for the yankees. I don’t see the Yankees getting past KC or TOR, so it is probably a moot point.
Bingo!
Gerardi has gotten everything possible out of the roster. The Yankees are more then 2 or 3 good players away from the AL elite and trading their valued prospects was not going to get it done. They’ve had a great year, and need to do some off-season work to see if they can close the gap on the better teams in 2016. I commend Cashman for not giving up all his young assets to win in 2015. Those youngsters are the core horses the Yankees will rid for the next 5-8 years.
Maybe they were after him but didn’t want to give up what Cincinnati is asking for. It’s not like Leake is a front line starter anyway. He would have been behind Tanaka, Pineda and Eovaldi anyway.