Masahiro Tanaka

If Masahiro Tanaka Asks For Too Much Money What Should the Yankees Do?

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees face a rather large free-agent class for them in terms of impact players hitting the market. With the Yankees no longer just throwing money at anything that moves, it leaves people wondering how much the Yankees will spend to retain their key players knowing that most of them are guys in their early 30s. One of these key players is a long time Yankee starter Masahiro Tanaka, the longest-tenured starter in the Bronx. With his last few regular seasons being less than stellar, how much should the Yankees pay the Japanese right-hander?

How Replaceable is Tanaka?

The Yankees are entering a free-agent class that’s a lot less talented in the starting pitcher market than the last one. There’s no Gerrit Cole but there are a plethora of quality arms on the market. The top guys are names like James Paxton (who the Yankees should retain), Trevor Bauer, and Corey Kluber. The Yankees don’t need to overpay for Tanaka, there are many starters on this market that are as good in the regular season if not better. If Tanaka asks for $17 million a year for 3 years, then I’d look at some other pitchers asking for that price before I start writing Tanaka a check.

Understanding Tanaka’s Value

Masahiro Tanaka is a solid pitcher, but he isn’t a superstar starter anymore. He has below-average strikeout stuff, gets hit very hard in terms of hard hit% and exit velocity, and his pitches don’t generate much spin. He doesn’t project well based on his peripherals either, with a 4.21 FIP and 4.29 xFIP. His postseason numbers, however, are pretty darn good on the surface, until you see that his postseason FIP is 3.47 and his xFIP is 3.97. He’s not bad by any stretch in the postseason, and if he came back at around $15 a year for 2-3 years I would be okay with that contract, but he could be looking for Dallas Keuchel money (which is fair because he’s definitely better than Keuchel), but the Yankees shouldn’t cough up $55.5 million for 3 years when you need to re-sign Paxton and DJ along with locking up Judge and Sanchez in 2023.

Other Options That Could Be Better

Tanaka in 2019 had a 4.45 ERA, 4.27 FIP, and 4.29 xFIP along with a 3.3 fWAR. Those aren’t bad numbers by any stretch and over 180+ innings that’s pretty solid but I could argue that for $18 million a year there are better options. Here’s what we’re looking for: A pitcher who is able to produce Tanaka’s numbers in the regular season and produce in the postseason.

With those criteria in mind let’s look at FA target #1, Robbie Ray. The LHP had a 2.4 fWAR in 2019 over 171 innings with a 4.34 ERA, 4.29 FIP, and most importantly 3.76 xFIP. He has better pitches in terms of spin and velocity than Tanaka, but the issue? He has a pretty inconsistent track record, and only one October start, which went very wrong. He’s probably not who I’d feel okay replacing Tanaka with. How about our second target?

Let’s look at Dodgers’ lefty Alex Wood, who was injured for most of 2019, so we will look at his 2018 numbers. Over 151 innings he had a 3.68 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and 3.72 xFIP. He also had a 2.4 fWAR and 3.90 SIERA. These numbers are actually pretty good, and he served both a reliever and starter role, and he has a 3.40 ERA and 3.53 FIP in his career. He has a major flaw which is his injury history, which has eaten away at his career a little. This doesn’t deter me from him though, as he is an excellent pitcher. His postseason ERA is 4.10 which is pretty bad but his xFIP is 3.79 and his SIERA is 3.35, both metrics better than Tanaka. I think if Tanaka asks for too much Wood is a great option, and has arguably been the better pitcher.

Does This Mean the Yankees Should Let Tanaka Go?

If you read this far, you’ll come to see that no, I don’t think the Yankees should let Tanaka go unless he starts asking for money that’s out of bounds. If he comes into 2020 dealing and shows he’s the 3.75 ERA and 3.42 xFIP type of guy he was in 2018 and not the 4.00+ ERA and peripherals he was in 2019, then there’s no one in my eyes on the market who could replace him. His value depends on his 2020 campaign and I wouldn’t give him more than $17-18 million for 3 years, and even at that price, I’d do my due diligence with other starters before I start signing checks.

How much do you think Tanaka is worth? How much will Tanaka earn in his walk year and will he stay in pinstripes?

Two significant players the New York Yankees could lose in 2021

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New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

Here are two players the New York Yankees could lose in 2021:

The 2020 season for the Yankees was supposed to be a successful one, littered with World Series hopes and dreams. After having missed the big series for the past decade, the Yankees finally piece together a starting pitching unit that was worth talking about.

However, Luis Severino went down before spring training even began, and James Paxton underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his lower back. Signing ace Gerrit Cole was the big headline news for the off-season, and it doesn’t seem to have mattered considering the state of Major League Baseball and the suspension of operations.

The Yankees, though, have more bad news on the way, and it will come in 2021 when they have to deal with Masahiro Tanaka and DJ LeMahieu, two consistent performers who have been significant for the success of the team. While LeMahieu has only been with the squad one year, his influence in 2019 was substantial, justifying an extension if Brian Cashman can afford to do so.

Reflecting back on Masahiro Tanaka, who signed a $155 million contract over seven years with the Yankees — he was 25 years old at the time, and he entered the MLB on fire, recording a 13-5 record with a 2.77 ERA. However, he did miss two months with elbow trouble, and while most believe he should have undergone Tommy John surgery, he has managed to avoid that reality to this point. Aside from those aches and pains, Tanaka has been durable and reliable for the Yankees over his tenure, and he has been a vital part of their postseason pitching corps.

Tanaka has been stable for the Yankees, and letting him go would indicate the end of an era, but alternatively, they could replace them with a younger option with more upside. Even if he dominates a shortened 2020 season, bringing him back for over $20 million per year isn’t justifiable any longer. This could very well be the end of Tanaka’s stay in New York, but he has served the Bombers proudly over his seven years.

LeMahieu, on the other hand, had a career year in 2019. He ranked fourth in the MVP voting for the American League, compiling a .327 batting average, with 26 home runs and 102 RBIs. He nearly doubled his production in the RBI category and recorded 11 more home runs last season than any of his previous eight years in the league. Overall, he has become a staple on the Yankees offense and is one of their best defenders. His ability to move to different positions and supplement injuries has made him invaluable, and the idea of extending him should be an easy one for Cashman.

New York Yankees News/Rumors: No season? Yankees may have only two pitchers, we explore that

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New York Yankees, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka

If there is no New York Yankees baseball this season caused by the dread coronavirus, the Yankees may find themselves with only two pitchers.  Playing the devil’s advocate, this not only could happen but will happen.  At present, it looks like there will be some type of baseball season.  When it starts and how long it will last at this point is still a mystery.  But if there is another spike in the virus, it could cause the cancelation of the entire baseball season.

At the beginning of spring training, the Yankees appeared to be in a perfect situation to start the season with a strong pitching rotation of Cole, Severino, Tanaka, Montgomery, and Happ.  But that was turned on its head by injury and the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Whatever happens, the New York Yankees will have only two pitchers for sure to start the 2021 season.  Newly acquired Gerrit Cole, who the Yankees went after the big prize signing him to a 9 year $324 million contract. The other pitcher is the relatively untested Jordan Montgomery, who is projected to be the number 4 starter this season.

Here’s the situation.  Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has made a ruling that whether there is a season or not, all players that were due to reach free agency at the end of the 2020 season will be credited with a season played.  For New York Yankees, that means that Masahiro Tanaka, a dependable mainstay of the Yankee rotation, will become a free agent when the season ends.  Along with Tanaka, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ may find themselves on the open market as well.

The difference in the “may” and will in the last statement really depends on the Yankees.  If the managing partner Hal Steinbrenner’s trend to not offer extensions and letting players become free agents before dealing with them, the Yankees may be looking for new pitchers.  An example of that is that the Yankees lost Austin Romine, Didi Gregorius, Encarnacion, and Maybin. It is quite likely that ace Luis Severino that just had Tommy John surgery will be available closer to the All-Star break during 2021 than at the beginning of the season.

Here are the considerations that the New York Yankees will have to make.  Tanaka will be 32 years old this November.  Although he has been a dependable pitcher of the last six years, in the previous two he has had a less than desirable ERA.  He also has been prone to giving up the long ball. Also, a consideration is that for years he has been playing with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.  Similar concerns will affect James Paxton, who has not had the best injury history.  He also will be 32 in November and just underwent back surgery.  J.A Happ is a wild card in the situation.  When acquired from the Blue Jays in 2018, he was lights out with a 7-0 record.  But 2019 was a very different story.  He was 12-8 with a 4.91 ERA.

The New York Yankees do have some depth in minor leagues that may be considered for a major league stint but are not quite ready.  Heading that group is Jonathan Loaisgia, Clarke Shmidt, Michael King, and Dievi Garcia. The Yankees may find themselves looking to the free-agent market to put together a formidable starting rotation.

The Yankees may take another look at Marcus Stroman, who signed a one year deal with the Mets.  Trevor Bauer of the Reds, Robbie Ray of the Diamondbacks, Jose Quintana of the Cubs and the Ranger’s  Cory Kluber who has a club option, and Jake Arrieta who has his option with the Phillies.  This writer’s guess is that the New York Yankees will build a new pitching rotation around Gerrit Cole.  That rotation could look like Cole, Montgomery, Paxton, and either J.A. Happ, Jonathan Loaisiga, or Masahiro Tanaka.

It is very early to look at the 2021 season when we don’t even know if there will be a 2020 baseball season.  But there is no question that the Yankees will have some big decisions to make over the 2020 postseason that will likely see the Yankees reach out to free agency to acquire at least one veteran pitcher. If there is a season this year, J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka will surely be wanting to show the Yankees why they should be kept or increase their values for when they reach free agency at the end of the year.

 

New York Yankees Player Profiles: Masahiro Tanaka, will this be his last Yankee season?

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka, will he remain a Yankee?

The New York Yankees Masahiro Tanaka was born in Itami, Hyogo Japan, on November 1, 1988.  He didn’t waste much time; he started playing baseball in the first grade as a catcher in little league. He played alongside Hayato Sakamoto, who was then the team’s ace pitcher.  They hit next to each other in the lineup. He continued to play until he reached junior high school when he played both catcher and pitcher due to his strong throwing arm. He played for the Takarazuka Boys but was chosen to the Junior All-South Kansai team in his third year of junior high school.

He started solely pitching when he moved to Komazawa University in 2004.  In the US this is like a preparatory high school. While he was there, he led his team to the 87th Championship. With this win, he was given the #1 jersey indicating that he was their ACE pitcher.

Tanaka had developed a good fastball and a hard slider. In the Summer of 2006, his school earned it’s 88th championship and earned a place in the finals. Even though he was ill, he was called in, in the third inning, and he held the opponents to 1 run while he struck out ten. His school was forced into a rematch as it went 15 innings per regulation, but they lost
the rematch. But the pitching in both games was so good both pitchers were chosen to play for Japan in the United States-Japan High School Baseball Tournament. In the Japanese high school draft, Tanaka was selected by many teams. The Golden Eagles won the draft and signed him to a pro contract.

Tanaka pitched well, he got off to an utterly dominant start to the 2009 season, pitching a four-hit complete-game shutout against the Hawks in his first start on April 7. That was followed by a one-run complete game against the Marines. Tanaka had an MVP career with the Eagles and became a national hero. On September 13, 2013, Tanaka set a new NPB record with his 21st consecutive win in the 2013 season in a 6–2 complete-game victory over the Orix Buffaloes.

Baseball scouts took notice, particularly the New York Yankees. To make a
long story short. The Yankees paid the posted $20 million dollar fee to the Japanese league and signed Masahiro Tanaka to a seven-year $155 million contract. Tanaka made his Major League debut on April 4, 2014, against the Toronto Blue Jays and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, ex-New York Yankee Melky Cabrera. Tanaka would receive his first MLB win in the game, pitching seven innings with eight strikeouts in the Yankees 7–3 win against the Blue Jays.

This is the last year of Tanaka’s contract and he has had a winning season in each of those years. His best season was 2016 when he went 14-4 for a .778 winning percentage. Last year he had a bit of a rough time. The New York Yankees were turning to Masahiro Tanaka last season to take
Luis Severino’s ace role. However, Yankee fans were let down as Tanaka was not as dominant last season. He holds an 11-9 record, which doesn’t scream the dominance that he can have. His inflated ERA (4.45) is due to a couple of poor outings where Tanaka didn’t survive past the first or second inning. On July 25, he gave up 7 runs in the first inning in a loss to the Red Sox. A big reason for his struggles is that his split-fingered fastball was nowhere near as effective last season as it has been in the past. The Yankee hopeful love Tanaka and hope he can regain his previous dominance.

Tanaka is in the last year of his seven-year contract and will be a free agent at the end of the season if the New York Yankees don’t give him a contract extension, which doesn’t seem likely.  If you recall at the end of last season, they didn’t take up the options of several players and ended up losing back up catcher Austin Romine, Dellin Betances, and shortstop Didi Gregorius.  With the offseason acquisition of Gerrit Cole for $324MM, it would seem the Yankees will be sticking to their guns and not freely renewing contracts or issuing many extensions anytime soon.

With the coronavirus and a shortened season, Tanaka will have to improve his performance from last season for two reasons.  It will significantly affect his value to the Yankees and other teams should he become a free agent.  The Yankee front office likes Tanaka and will likely make some effort to keep him on the pitching rotation.  He really needs to shine this season.

Tanaka, his wife Mai who he married in Hawaii in December of 2012, and their four-year-old son are presently in Japan, where he feels more comfortable during the coronavirus pandemic.  He has plenty of baseball contacts and venues to stay in form should the New York Yankees baseball season start.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

New York Yankees: Yankee players may be free agents already?

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New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

The New York Yankees are dealing with the coronavirus as all MLB teams are.  No games and a whole basket full of questions with no sure answers.  One of the biggest questions is when will the season start, or will it start at all?  The Yankees have three players that may become free agents at the end of the season unless they are offered new contracts.

If the virus can not be controlled, it is not out of the question that the season could be canceled entirely.   If that happens, the three Yankee players will become free agents without playing a single regular-season game this year.  MLB has made it clear in its deal with players that if the season is canceled, they will receive service time just as if the season had been played.  So James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and DJ LeMahieu may already be free agents.

DJ LeMahieu:

Of the three, DJ LeMahieu will most definitely be offered a new contract by the New York Yankees front office.  After his performance during the last season, the Yankees would be foolish to do otherwise.  The former Colorado Rockie came to the Yankees with a two-year contract that expires following this season.  Last season he batted .327 with an unexpected 26 home runs.  He played so well that he got the nickname “the machine” because of his ability to get on base.  He led the Yankees with 197 hits while being named fourth in the MVP voting, being an All-Star, and being awarded the Silver Slugger Award.  His defense was next to none.

James Paxton:

Paxton, like LeMahieu, also will be a free agent at the end of the season.  The New York Yankees are not likely to let loose of James Paxton even though he had some rough spots as a Yankee pitcher.  Paxton came to the Yankees from the Seattle Mariners.  To start the season, he was 9-3 in games he started.  Then hit a slide losing all of his July starts.  As August dawned, a new Paxton appear on the rubber.  He won his last eleven games in a row.  In the postseason, he went 2-1 and only gave up one earned run in the game he lost.

Masahiro Tanaka:

Masahiro Tanaka is in the last year of his seven-year contract.  He, like the other two, may become a free agent at the end of the season.  The question as to what to do with Tanaka is less clear compared to the others.  Tanaka is now 31 and will be 32 at the start of the next season.  This year was not a good year for him, he went 11-9 with a forgettable 4.45 ERA.  He gave up 28 home runs and seemed to tire, and struggle even in most of his wins.  He did pitch amazingly in a couple of his starts, but that was the exception.  In his career with the Yankees, he is 75-43  which is quite good, but if the Yankees extend him, it may only be on a year to year basis much as for the aging Brett Gardner.

Should the Yankees offer contract extensions?

While the coronavirus is distracting us from baseball, as usual, the New York Yankees have some big decisions this season.  The question is when to make those decisions.  Should they offer contract extensions for Paxton and LeMahieu, the answer is yes, and sooner than later, to relieve them from that question.

Although it would seem that the Yankees would offer extensions to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, that decision is clouded by their injury history.  If contract extensions are given to them it won’t be until after the season, if at all.  You can also be sure that any contract extension for the two will not be long term extensions.  The Yankee have been burnt before and are not looking to repeat.

New York Yankees: A look at 2021 free agency

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New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

The 2020 MLB season is still a mystery as to when it will begin if it begins at all. The MLB player’s association has a deal in place with the league to get things moving once the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end. As mentioned in previous articles on ESM, the New York Yankees are in an interesting position as to what they are going to do with DJ Lemahieu, Masahiro Tanaka, and James Paxton, all set to become free agents following the conclusion of this season. They have tough choices to make whether they want to resign them or not so I wanted to look at the potential contracts they could sign and whether or not they are worth the new contract from the Yankees in my own opinion.

DJ Lemahieu signed with the Yankees before this past season for a 2yr/24 million dollar deal. We all know what happened last year as Lemahieu garnered multiple MVP votes and came through clutch time and time again for the Yankees. Not only did he come through at the plate, he willingly played all over the infield wherever the New York Yankees needed him. Normally a gold glove second baseman, he also played third base and first base to keep his bat in the lineup. He was the prototypical utility player for the Yankees. In the event that the 2020 season moves forward and Lemahieu is able to have a similar season to last year (albeit most likely a smaller sample size of games), I think the Yankees will absolutely look to re-sign him. His current contract would be a nice starting point and maybe he would be given a little bit of a raise or even a third year on his contract. All things said and done I think he settles in for a 3-year deal around 30-35 million per year. As a sign of good faith, the Yankees could also throw in a team option for a fourth.

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Masahiro Tanaka came over to the U.S. with sky-high expectations to become New York’s ace of the rotation for years to come. While that didn’t quite pan out, there’s no question that Tanaka has more than held up his end of the contract he signed. He may not be an ace, but he is probably the most reliable pitcher they have had each year despite the partially torn UCL. His regular season stats don’t blow you away but the postseason is where Tanaka shines. With the UCL tear that could force him to have Tommy John surgery at any point in the future, he is definitely a gamble. Given all, we know about his ability to give the Yankees 160+ innings along with postseason dominance, and taking into account the potential health risk, I could see Tanaka signing somewhere in between the Twins Kyle Gibson’s 3yr/30 Million contract and the Braves Dallas Keuchel’s 3yr/55 million contract both signed in the previous offseason. Those two players represent players close in comparison to Tanaka in terms of age, statistical history, and health history. That would also put him playing into his age 36 seasons. If he gave them three more years at roughly 15 million average annual value I think he would be worth it. If the New York Yankees have to sweeten the deal they could throw in a team option for a fourth year. Tanaka seems to be someone who enjoys being a Yankee and would take pride in suiting up with them for the remainder of his career.

James Paxton came over in a trade last offseason for a former New York Yankees top prospect. He also had high expectations as someone who could help anchor the pitching staff with Luis Severino. The book on Paxton is simple: He has yet to remain healthy over a full season, but when he is, he can give you ace quality pitching outings. He put together a good stretch of games towards the end of last season, and also came up clutch against the Astros in the playoffs. For Paxton, he may be one of the few top tier pitchers on the market next offseason thus inflating the contract he signs. I think the contract he signs will be comparable to the one Hyun Jin Ryu signed this past offseason at 4 yr/80 million. Both pitchers have injury histories but are dominant when healthy. However, if he is the only top pitching commodity out there, expect that price to go higher with teams bidding against each other (i.e Zack Wheeler). As much as I’d like to see the Yankees re-sign Paxon, I think there will a more pitching needy team out there willing to give him more money than he is worth and will force the Yankees to let him walk.

Given the state of the sports world currently, it’s anyone’s guess when or if we will have a 2020 season. No matter what happens, the Yankees will have some tough decisions to make afterward.

New York Yankees: Is it possible we’ve seen the last of Masahiro Tanaka?

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The New York Yankees could see the end of some of their one-year players as the regular season could be set back beyond 2020.

Many uncertainties lie ahead for baseball, and the start of the regular season could be pushed by too far for the league to enjoy a reasonable season. Initially, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred put an eight-week stoppage on operations with the expectation that the global pandemic would pass over. However, these seem to be heading in a different direction as America deals with the epidemic.

Only 8-10 players remain in Tampa after Florida considered shutting down the state entirely. Most players and coaches have departed back to their families for the time being, but one player has stuck around, his name is Masahiro Tanaka.

Tanaka hasn’t returned to Japan due to the flying restrictions, and his 2020 season could potentially be his last in Pinstripes. As Spring Training continues to look like a distant memory, it’s becoming possible that Tanaka could miss the entire year due to the holdout, and with only one year left on his contract, Yankees’ fans might have seen the last of the pitcher.

The New York Yankees have enjoyed consistency from Tanaka:

In 2019, Tanaka struggled at times, but he earned an All-Star appearance based on his success during the first half of the season. The second half wasn’t as productive, as he finished with a 4.45 ERA and 28 homers allowed, the second-most in his career.

However, Tanaka has always been a talented postseason pitcher, finishing the ALDS with a 1.80 ERa over 6.0 innings and a 2.45 ERA over 11.0 innings in the ALCS. Having him in that setting in 2020 would prove to be essential, especially with Luis Severino set to miss the entire campaign.

Of course, there’s a good chance the season will go on, but dealing with the severity of Covid-19 is a priority for the world and country. Hopefully, things will get better, and Tanaka will be able to feature in Pinstripes this year.

Yankee News: COVID-19 side effects for Frazier, Paxton, Tanaka and more!

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

Clint Frazier:

For the New York Yankees, we all know the COVID-19 virus, also called coronavirus, has canceled the remainder of spring training and created an uncertain situation to when or if the regular baseball season will start. But in addition to the obvious, there are side effects.  One of them involves Clint Frazier.  With the surgery recovering Aaron Hicks not expected back on the field until midseason, the calf strain to Giancarlo Stanton, and the rib injury to Aaron Judge, it now appears that when the season starts, these players will be ready to take the field.

Clint Frazier was one of the players that were expected to take the place of those players unable to play at the beginning of the season, giving Frazier, again a chance to prove himself in the outfield.  Now that chance may be dashed, and he may again find himself in the minors with the Rail Riders.

James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka

New York Yankees pitchers James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka, the side effects of the virus and a shortened season create unexpected woes.  Both of these veteran pitchers will become free agents at the end of this season if there is one.  Paxton has to throw 165 innings and/or starts 27 games this coming season to be vested for the 2021 season.  With the shortened season, that likely will not happen.  Both Paxton and Tanaka did not have great seasons last year and needed to show their free agency worth this year.  That also may be difficult now.  Tanaka, in particular, has been just average over the last few years, and he will have trouble at age 32, obtaining any long term contract.

Injury updates on Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge:

Yankee Manager Aaron Boone gave health updates on Stanton and Judge while talking from his home in Greenwich, CT, to Michael Kay on the YES Network.  He stated the Stanton has recovered from his calf strain and is ready to go if spring training started immediately.

As far as Aaron Judge is concerned, Boone indicated that he is slowly improving.  Judge was diagnosed with a fractured rib after an extended discovery period of CT scans and MRIs.  During the last MRI, it was also discovered that he had a partially collapsed lung, which is not unusual when associated with a rib fracture.  Boone reported that he has completely recovered from the lung injury.  Judge was unable to play in any spring training games.

“I think the thoracic outlet — he didn’t have that but that’s often times what’s associated. So it’s just making sure that that was healed because that’s when we have the concerns of flying and all that so cleared in that regard and hopefully now. Obviously, one of the good things is that hopefully this is a time where he can get the proper rest to allow that bone, allow that rib to heal properly and hopefully, when it’s time to play ball, Aaron’s with us.”

Both Judge and Stanton suffered a series of injuries during the 2019 season, keeping them off the field.  Stanton played in only 18 games last season.  The Yankees are hoping that both of these players can stay healthy this year.

This day in Yankee history:

Today marks the day that Yankee owner George M. Steinbrenner was banned from taking part in the day to day operations of the New York Yankees for thirty months.  Steinbrenner paid Howard Spira in January of 1990 to dig up dirt on Yankee player Dave Winfield when Winfield sued the Yankees for not making a contract mandated contribution to his charity.

Happy Birthday to these present or former Yankees:  Steve Karsay 1972, Starlin Castro 1990, Bob Tilman 1937, Ernie Shore 1912, Dick Kryhoski 1925, and Delin Betances March 23, 1988.

 

 

Yankees news, 3/16: Masahiro Tanaka waiting patiently, Yankees minor league player has Corona Virus, more

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

With the Yankees camping out in Tampa for the duration of the Corona Virus shutdown, news and updates are hard to come by, but we will do out best to ensure you are up to date.

However, on Sunday, a Yankees minor league player was diagnosed with the Corona Virus illness, the team confirmed to multiple reporters. The unknown player will remain quarantined until the virus has run its course, but his entire team has been isolated to a hotel as well. The players will receive meals for the next two weeks until they’re allowed to depart.

More Yankees news and updates, 5/16:

CBS Sports:

The Yankees will be quarantining all their minor leaguers for two weeks, and Cashman on Sunday told reporters that the club’s minor league facility would be closed through March 25. Cashman also said the team’s major-league facilities will remain open for players, at least for the time being, on a limited basis.

Yankee players are preparing to wait out the pandemic, but one starting pitcher is unsure what he will do.

SNY:

For now, though, players like Masahiro Tanaka will stay and wait. Newsday’s Erik Boland spoke to Tanaka outside George M. Steinbrenner Field, where the veteran said he will stay in Tampa “for now” after tossing a bullpen.

Staying in Tampa is the safest move, as the warm weather helps to prevent the spread of the virus through touch, but Tanaka is still weighing his options.

NJ.com:

Taking a look at why Clint Frazier’s spring explosion was the real deal and what he’s done to improve himself.

“It’s just that Clint is getting more weight back behind the baseball,” hitting coach, Marcus Thames said. “In the past, you’d just see Clint swinging and and everything would just be going this way (pointing left) — more of a dead pull hitter.

New York Yankees: Revisiting Tanaka vs. Paxton Extensions

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New York Yankees, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka

Back in Mid-December, I wrote an article about the New York Yankees trying to figure out who to extend between James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka. Paxton had injury concerns but looked to have such a high ceiling after the way he finished the 2019 season.

Masahiro Tanaka has always been relatively consistent, but there wasn’t a lot of star potential there moving forward. Paxton also had the advantage of being a power-lefty, which would help balance the Yankees rotation that would feature top right-handed arms like Gerrit Cole and Luis Severino.

Considering the ceiling for Paxton and the other benefits, I thought it would be smart if the Yankees tried to go ahead and extend James Paxton. Well, a couple of months after that article, James Paxton had to have surgery and will potentially miss the first two months of the season. Going right along with his biggest drawback, his health. There is no questioning the talent of a guy like James Paxton, but that talent can only take you so far if you can’t stay on the field. Now, as we sit here in March, have my feelings changed?

My feelings now

To a degree, yes, my feelings on this matter have changed. Tanaka has spent his entire career with the Yankees and has come up clutch when it really mattered. He’s also been relatively durable during his time with the Yankees. He would also be a lot cheaper to sign than James Paxton all things considered. If the Yankees were forced to pick either Paxton or Tanaka for an extension today, I think the Yankees would go with Tanaka, and I believe that would be the right decision. Now, could there be an alternative to both of them that we are not considering? Do the Yankees really need to bring back either of these guys after the 2020 season concludes?

There are options

The simple answer is no. The Yankees do not need to resign James Paxton or Masahiro Tanaka. Pitchers have shown the ability to come back from Tommy John and keeping that in mind, the Yankees will get Luis Severino back next year. They already have Gerrit Cole, and they have young guns like Jordan Montgomery, Clarke Schmidt, Domingo German, and Deivi Garcia, all vying for spots in the rotation. The Yankees are likely going to try to extend DJ LeMahieu after this season, which is going to tax their payroll. The Yankees will also be paying their young stars more money after the 2020 season. Maybe the best decision for the Yankees is to let both of them walk and let those young guys take over the back end of the rotation. Or perhaps some additional pitchers could prove to be alternatives.

Another lefty?

Robbie Ray is going to be the guy I keep an eye on this year when it comes to the Yankees. Ray is a guy the Yankees have tried to trade for in the past, and I think he’s going to be a target for them again this year. Ray has never pitched over 200 innings in his career, but his strikeout numbers can’t be ignored. If he’s available at the deadline, the Yankees might take a run at him. After the season’s over, the Yankees might explore his market along with feeling out the markets for Paxton and Tanaka. At the end of the day, the Yankees have a lot of options moving forward after the 2020 season. While we don’t know how the whole rotation will look moving forward, at least we can be confident who is going to be leading the rotation moving forward.