WHY NOVA HAS A SHOT AT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

(Photo: Getty)

It may sound bizarre, considering Ivan Nova was sent down the Scranton at one point during this season, but Ivan Nova is turning heads and proving to the world that he belongs in the major leagues. You don’t believe me? How’s this. Since he’s returned from Scranton, Nova is 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA. I know, that may not be enough for you, but how’s this. According to Jon Lane of YES.com, “Since being locked in the Yankees rotation, Nova is 7-0 with a 3.10 ERA in his last 8 starts.” To me, that speaks one word… Confidence.

Nova has all the confidence in the world and it’s that little thing that goes a long way. He’s not afraid to face anyone. When men are on base, he doesn’t panic anymore. Ivan Nova, dare I say, is pitching like a veteran.

Look, when Nova was demoted, we all know he was the wrong guy that had to go down, but it happened. Apparently, it didn’t hurt him though, it helped him. Why? Because he got a taste for the majors and knew that’s where he needed to be. According to YES.com, Nova harnessed that negative demotion into a positive, it helped him improve his performance on the mound.

(Photo: Getty)

Nova said “Confidence is the key to everything.” Hmmm, where have I heard that before, possibly here? I started writing about the importance of confidence back on September 2010 in WHY CONFIDENCE IS KEY about AJ and then again in March with WHY NOVA AND JOBA ARE KEY. We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have been preaching confidence and the Pyramid of Pitching Dominance for almost a year now. It’s what makes a pitcher great and it starts with mechanics. With mechanic analysis comes confidence, when the confidence comes, any doubt leaves and focus takes over. Joba Chamberlain went through it, Phil Hughes is going through it and AJ Burnett’s struggling with it now. Nova has confidence, and that’s all you can ask for when putting a youngster out there. Good for him.

So, back to the point of all this, does Nova have a legitamite shot at Rookie of the Year? Sure, but if you’re a New York Yankee, you’re not thinking about individual awards, you're thinking about winning it all as a team. Nova, if he continues on this track has a great shot with other guys in the running too like Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels, Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals and JP Arencibia of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Bay Rays and Michael Pineda of the Seattle Mariners. Stiff competition? I say so, but right now, I'm putting my money on Supernova.

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WHY MY GUT SAYS FELIX IS BRONX BOUND

There is a gut feeling telling me that somethings going to happen with the King and the Yankees. I know I know, I've read what you've read, but with the Seattle Mariners falling apart, it would make sense. Now, I can only go by gut and the way things have been written, and by the way, that gives me hope. The headline in the Seattle Times reads "Mariners aren't in any hurry to make trades at the deadline". Well, that isn't exactly a "NO". Now, if you read future it goes on to say that pitchers like Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda are in the "untouchable" category, I don't believe that. Why? Because a things have developed in what I've been reading and that allows me to think otherwise.

• Jesus Montero: His name is attached to a ton of trade talk and while Brian Cashman insists that Montero is going nowhere, one would tell you that talk is cheap, especially with the Yankees craving a top starter. Every blog and paper is analyzing this and while all of us don't have the inside scoop, all of us know how Brian Cashman works. It would make sense the unload Montero if a top starter, and my gut says it's going to happen. Plus, read the analysis of Montero and how different it was from Spring training when Montero was larger than life and "untouchable":

Sliding Into Home: If the price is right, trade Montero
The Yankees Analysts title: Jesus Montero's declining Stock
Pinstripe Alley: states "Montero is trade bait"
Gack Sports headline: Cash, Jesus has to go

I remember March of this year when Jesus Montero was the young stud everyone wanted to see behind the plate, including me and suddenly, Yankee fans are edgy and antsy for some solid starting pitching behind CC and now, and only now, are we starting to see an outcry.

Personally, I like the idea of trading Montero. Look we have some great catchers with great futures behind him, Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez. Bleeding Yankee Blue even wrote WHY ROMINE MAY BE THE FUTURE, NOT MONTERO. To me, while I love Montero, it is clear that he should be the guy that should be moved, especially if teams that are willing to unload solid starters want him. Now, it won't just be Montero, these teams will be looking at other guys like Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos and even Andrew Brackman. Clearly Cashman is smart enough to not give up the farm, those 3 guys are our future pitching staff, but if he were to unload 2 guys, say Montero and Betances, and some major league ready guys, like Hector Noesi or a Ivan Nova, I'd say we have something there.

Everyone knows Cashman's a liar, that's what makes him a great GM, he never shows his hand and we wake up the next morning with something bigger and better than what we had the day before. At that point, Yankee fans are sad for what we gave up, but over excited for what we got.Every team has a price and no player is untouchable. Remember that. The Mariners are coming into town and if you think that Cashman is going too just blow off any type of "sit down" with the Mariners for the possibility of a Pineda or King Felix, you're misinformed. I'm not saying this is going to happen by July 31st, but it's going to happen, I feel it in my gut.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.