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Yankees Sign Ronny Rojas

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The Yankees have signed Dominican shortstop Ronny Rojas to a contract with a $1MM bonus, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. New York had been the front-runner to land Rojas dating back to July 2, the opening of this year’s international signing period. Rojas wasn’t eligible to ink a deal until his 16th birthday on Aug. 23.

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The Yankees entered July with $4.75MM available to spend on the international market and quickly signed a few touted prospects, yet they nonetheless increased their total to around $8MM after acquiring pool money in various summer trades. In the 6-foot, 170-pound Rojas, they’ll get a player whom both Baseball America and MLB.com rank as this year’s 11th-best international prospect.

Despite his young age, the switch-hitting Rojas already carries plenty of offensive polish from both sides of the plate, per Badler (subscription required and recommended), who notes that he has 15- to 20-home run potential and a chance to play either short or second base in the majors.

Warren Will Require Two Weeks Of Rest For Back Injury

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  • Yankees righty Adam Warren landed on the 10-day disabled list yesterday, as the team announced, and Erik Boland of Newsday writes that he’ll need to rest for the next two weeks as a result of the current ailment. Manager Joe Girardi acknowledged that he’s concerned about when he might be able to add Warren back into his bullpen, though the skipper said he’s still hopeful that Warren will make it back before the season ends. The 30-year-old Warren has been outstanding for the Yanks this season, logging 56 1/3 innings with a 2.40 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 0.6 HR/9 and a 44.3 percent ground-ball rate.

Former Yankees GM Gene “Stick” Michael Passes Away

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Longtime Yankees stalwart Gene “Stick” Michael has passed away, the New York Post reports. Michael, who served the organization in a variety of capacities over several decades, was 79 years of age.

Michael was long a key figure around Yankee Stadium, playing and managing the Bronx Bombers before eventually moving over to the operations side. Following a stint as the Cubs’ manager, he took the reins as Yankees’ general manager before the 1991 season, with the club still reeling from consecutive sub-.500 finishes and disciplinary action against owner George Steinbrenner.

Though the Yanks took a few years to resume their winning ways, they finally returned to the postseason in 1995 — Michael’s last season as the GM. While he did not get to oversee the full blossoming of the roster he built from the GM seat, Michael remained in the organization in a scouting and advisory role.

Of course, many of the players installed during Michael’s tenure ended up leading the Yankees back to glory. As the Post notes, Michael was at the helm when the team gathered together the entire “Cour Four” — Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada — that would go on to win the World Series in four of five seasons between 1996 and 2000.

Beyond his renown as a baseball man, Michael was seen as a passionate and caring figure on a personal level — as today’s outpouring of grief suggests and as Joel Sherman of the New York Post captures in a column. MLBTR joins those around the game in extending its best wishes to his family and friends.

Red Sox Could Face Punishment For Illegal Use Of Electronics To Steal Signs

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5:00pm: Drellich tweets that Manfred has stated there’s no specific rule against sign-stealing. The punishment the Red Sox could face would be from illegal usage of technology in the dugout.

4:45pm: Evan Drellich of CSN New England tweets that Dombrowski said there is indeed an investigation looking into the Yankees. Newsday’s David Lennon tweets that when asked about the Red Sox’ allegations regarding YES cameras, Yankees skipper Joe Girardi replied bluntly: “No chance. We’re not doing it.” Girardi did acknowledge that all teams try to steal signs to some extent, though without going so far as to use technology to do so (Twitter link via Lennon).

4:30pm: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that a league official confirmed Schmidt’s report to him and added that the league is preparing discipline against the Red Sox. The stealing of signs by a runner on second base (and relaying the upcoming pitch to the hitter) is not forbidden “so long as artificial means are not used,” per Nightengale. While MLB has allowed the presence of iPads in the dugout and bullpen, those league-issued devices don’t have Internet access and cannot stream live video.

Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner briefly addressed the issue today when speaking to reporters (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch), telling the media: “It’s always been a game within a game, but the use of electronics takes it too far.”

4:14pm: In one of the more eyebrow-raising stories of the season, Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times reports that MLB investigators have determined that the Red Sox used an Apple Watch and other technology to steal signs from the Yankees earlier this season. Furthermore, the Red Sox also filed their own complaint against the Yankees today, alleging that they use a YES Network camera for the exclusive purpose of stealing signs during games.

The Yankees filed a complaint about two weeks ago, according to Schmidt, providing the Commissioner’s Office with video that depicted a member of the Boston training staff receiving intel from his Apple Watch and relaying it to players on the field. More damning is the fact that Schmidt reports that the league has already confronted the Red Sox on the matter, and the team has conceded that their training staff did indeed receive information from video replay personnel, which was then relayed to players. The process had been in place for “at least several weeks,” per Schmidt.

The Red Sox reportedly told the league that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager John Farrell were not involved in the implementation of this process and weren’t even aware of the sign-stealing operation at all. Investigators have already interviewed the Red Sox’ training staff as well as outfielder Chris Young. Schmidt’s report also mentions that Brock Holt and Dustin Pedroia were seen on video receiving info from assistant athletic trainer Jon Jochim.

Asked about the story, Farrell told reporters that the Red Sox are “aware of the rule (that) electronic devices are not to be used in the dugout,” but said that it’s a league matter and offered no further comment (link via ESPN’s Scott Lauber).

It’s not clear what actions that commissioner Rob Manfred will take against the Red Sox, nor is there any word of whether an investigation of the Yankees will be launched based on Boston’s reported allegations. Manfred has previously stripped the Cardinals of multiple draft picks as punishment for illegally accessing the Astros’ proprietary databases, though certainly that was a different scenario and is not a direct comparison to the Red Sox/Yankees situation.

Manfred is at Fenway Park tonight and will meet with the media at 5:45pm ET, per Lauber, so there could very well be further details made available in the near future. In the meantime, I’d highly encourage those interested in the matter to read Schmidt’s column in full.

Montgomery To Start In Garcia's Place Vs. Orioles

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  • The Yankees are turning to Jordan Montgomery with the fifth spot in their rotation this time around — not veteran trade acquisition Jaime Garcia, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. It’s not a long-term move, per manager Joe Girardi, who notes that Garcia will be plugged back into the rotation sometime during the next turn. Nonetheless, it’s a disappointing outcome for a Yankees club that parted with a pair of minor league arms (Zack Littell and Dietrich Enns) to acquire Garcia. The veteran hasn’t lasted more than 5 1/3 innings in any of his starts for the Yankees, though, as Martin points out.

Yankees Place Aaron Hicks On DL

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3:54pm: The Yankees are optimistic that Hicks’ latest oblique injury isn’t as serious as his previous one, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter). They believe he’ll be able to resume swinging within the next 10 days.

11:47am: The Yankees announced that they have placed outfielder Aaron Hicks on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain and recalled left-hander Caleb Smith from Triple-A Scranton.

This is the second oblique-related DL placement of the summer for Hicks, who suffered a right oblique strain June 25 and didn’t return until Aug. 10.  A similarly lengthy absence this time could mean the Yankees won’t have Hicks again this year, given that the 72-63 club is 2.5 games up on a wild-card spot and no sure thing to advance well into October.

Having seen his OPS drop 83 points since his initial DL stint, Hicks has slumped at an inopportune time for the Yankees. However, despite his recent struggles and injury woes, Hicks has surprisingly been one of the Yankees’ top players this year.  After trudging through a disastrous 2016, his first season in the Bronx, the switch-hitting former Twin has slashed .265/.367/.463 with 13 home runs and eight stolen bases in 342 plate appearances.  Hicks has combined that above-average offensive output with terrific work in the field (14 DRS, 5.7 UZR) to account for 2.7 fWAR – more than three times the total he posted from 2013-16 (0.8).

With expensive reserve Jacoby Ellsbury on hand, the Yankees are decently equipped to replace Hicks, though the former Red Sox star hasn’t exactly thrived this season. The Yankees’ outfield as a whole now looks much weaker than it did earlier in the season when Hicks and Aaron Judge were at their best. Judge is in the middle of a well-documented nosedive since the All-Star break, while Brett Gardner has also declined somewhat during the second half and Clint Frazier has been on the DL since Aug. 10 with an oblique strain of his own.

MLBTR Poll: Masahiro Tanaka’s Future

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Whether Angels left fielder Justin Upton opts out of his contract will serve as one of the most intriguing storylines during the early part of Major League Baseball’s upcoming offseason. The same opt-out question applies to Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who may have an easier decision than Upton. While Upton has four years and $88.5MM left on his contract, Tanaka’s remaining pact consists of fewer years and dollars (three and $67MM, respectively). But that doesn’t necessarily make it a slam-dunk call for Tanaka, who, unlike Upton, has had a bit of a rocky season in what could amount to a platform year.

Masahiro Tanaka

Tanaka, who emigrated from Japan on a seven-year, $155MM agreement in 2014, emerged as a front-end starter in the Bronx from the get-go and entered 2017 off a strong three-season stretch. Over 75 starts and 490 innings, the splitter-loving Tanaka logged a 3.12 ERA with 8.17 K/9 against 1.54 BB/9 and a 47.4 percent groundball rate. The only full-time American League starters to post a better ERA during that span were Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Felix Hernandez and Garrett Richards, while just nine outdid Tanaka’s combined 10.0 fWAR.

Judging solely on fWAR (2.3), Tanaka is having another good season, though the 28-year-old trails 41 other major league starters in that category. Meanwhile, among the 112 hurlers who have thrown at least 100 innings this year, Tanaka is a below-average 73rd in ERA (4.54, tied with fellow opt-out candidate Johnny Cueto).

Fortunately for Tanaka, the run prevention problems he has had in 2017 aren’t nearly as dire as they appear. A bloated home run-to-fly ball rate (20 percent, up from 14.1 percent over the previous three years) is the main culprit, but Tanaka has only yielded eight long balls in 78 innings dating back to June 17, when his ERA sat at 6.34 and his HR total was already at 21 through 76 1/3 frames. Since then, Tanaka has notched nine quality starts in 12 outings – including a gem against the Red Sox on Saturday – pitched to a 2.77 ERA and racked up 82 strikeouts against 15 walks. Those are ace-like numbers, and a newfound reliance on his slider is among the reasons for Tanaka’s summer success, as FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris explained Friday.

Thanks in part to his adeptness over the past month-plus, Tanaka ranks 13th among starters this season in strikeout-walk percentage (18.7), 13th in infield fly ball rate (11.2 percent) and 15th in the grounder department (49.3 percent). Those are all encouraging signs, clearly, as is the fact that his velocity looks normal. Tanaka should hit the 30-start mark for the second straight year, too, which is especially positive for someone who hasn’t been the picture of durability during his career. He combined for 44 starts in his first two seasons and has dealt with a laundry list of arm issues over the years, the most serious of which being a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Tanaka has managed to pitch through the UCL tear over the past couple seasons, though teams could be wary of it in free agency.  As such, it’s something Tanaka’s going to have to consider when choosing whether to vacate the remainder of his contract.

Should he opt out, Tanaka figures to reject a qualifying offer from the Yankees before officially reaching free agency, which could also negatively affect his market to some degree.  Still, along with a pair of over-30 hurlers in Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta, Tanaka would be among the most sought-after starters available. And in a league that has seen starters with more questionable track records (Rich Hill, Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake and Wei-Yin Chen, to name a few) rake in sizable paydays in recent winters, it’s reasonable to guess Tanaka will indeed venture to the open market in hopes of outdoing the $67MM he’d make by sticking with his current deal.

(Poll link for Trade Rumors App users)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Suspensions For Gary Sanchez, Austin Romine

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  • Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera will serve a six-game suspension stemming from his role in a brawl with the Yankees on Aug. 24, while reliever Alex Wilson will sit three games and manager Brad Ausmus will be barred from one, per an announcement from Detroit. Major League Baseball originally handed down seven-, four- and one-game bans to Cabrera, Wilson and Ausmus, respectively, before the appeals process. Their suspensions began Saturday against Cleveland, with bench coach Gene Lamont stepping in for Ausmus.
  • As of Friday, settlement discussions between MLB and the players’ union regarding suspensions for Yankees catchers Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine were still ongoing, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. A decision is unlikely to come before Monday, per Rosenthal, who adds that the two backstops won’t serve their penalties simultaneously. Before Sanchez and Romine appealed, the former received the larger ban (four games to two).

Yankees Notes: Otani, Ellsbury

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  • Yankees general manager Brian Cashman went to Japan last week to watch two-way sensation Shohei Otani, a right-handed ace and left-handed slugger who could head the majors in the offseason.  Thanks to some recent trades, the Yankees have boosted their international pool money total from $4.75MM to $8MM, which could help them reel in the 23-year-old if he does become available in the next few months.
  • Speaking of Cashman, if he’s still the Yankees GM after the season (his contract is set to expire), it’s possible he’ll be able to move outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury in a trade, Cafardo writes.  The recipient of a seven-year, $153MM contract prior to 2014, the ex-Boston star has disappointed and become a superfluous piece in New York, which looks set in the outfield with Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier in the fold.  The 33-year-old Ellsbury still has around $68MM left on his deal (including a $5MM buyout in 2021), but Cafardo suggests that the Yankees could get rid of him if they’re willing to retain approximately half of that money.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Yankees Acquire Erik Kratz From Indians

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The Yankees announced that they’ve acquired veteran catcher Erik Kratz from the Indians in exchange for cash considerations.

The 37-year-old Kratz has spent parts of the past seven seasons in the Majors, logging a combined .200/.248/.362 batting line in 647 plate appearances as an up-and-down reserve option. He’s had a very nice year with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate, however, posting a robust .270/.359/.472 slash with 13 homers in 324 plate appearances. Kratz has also thwarted 37 percent of stolen base attempts against him this season in Triple-A and posted characteristically solid framing marks (per Baseball Prospectus).

Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine will remain the two primary catchers in the Bronx, but the addition of Kratz gives the Yankees a veteran option to serve as a third catcher down the stretch in September when rosters expand. Notably both Sanchez and Romine are facing potential suspensions following the Yankees’ recent brawl with the Tigers, so Kratz can help fill in during their absences as well.

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