BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 1

It’s the big week for trade rumors and all of Yankeeland is wondering who it’s going to be and what we will give up. Cashman plays the best shell game in town and when it comes to the Yankees, he’s pretty damn smart in my estimation. How else do you bring two washed up veterans to the Yankees who turn out to be gems in Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia?

Yesterday, I wrote WHY MY GUT SAYS FELIX IS BRONX BOUND and while it is near impossible that King Felix would ever be delivered to the Bronx because of the odd relationship the Yankees and Mariners now have because of the Cliff Lee debacle last year, no player is untouchable. If the Yankees gave up some top prospects and pay alittle money, Felix Hernandez would be ours; I don’t care what anyone says. In fact, vote in our new Poll on the left side of our home page, who would you give up for King Felix?

In addition to Felix, there are other pitchers out there that are appealing and plenty of guys who seem like smart choices, others however, do not. Let’s take a look. Read our post and comment on our blog. Let us know what you would do.

Edwin Jackson: Yankees scouts were apparently in Cleveland Sunday where Edwin Jackson pitched for the White Sox. They are definitely looking into this guy and with good reason, he can be a solid pitcher although, going by my gut again, I can’t see this guy hacking it in the Bronx, not sure why. Jackson this year is 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA this season. The other good thing about Jackson is he’s only 27 years old. I'd like the guy, but not sure how serious the Yankees are at this point. Read about Edwin HERE.

Gio Gonzalez: This guy keeps coming up because to me, he is the future, not only is Gonzalez a lefty, but he is developing into a really good pitcher. He’s Andy Pettitte light in my eyes. Gio is someone the Athletics probably want to hold onto, but again, for the right price, he could be ours. Adding Gio to the Yankees rotation will definitely give some support. This year, Gio is 9-7 with a 2.67 ERA. Read about Gio HERE.

Jeremy Guthrie: Guthrie has been around for a few years with the Batlimore Orioles and while I find this to be an interesting name for the Yankees, I cannot in any way see the Orioles dealing him to the Yankees, plus, I can’t see why the Yankees would like this guy. He has an ERA over 4 and only has 4 wins. The upside is he can pitch against the Red Sox. He held the Sox to 2 runs over 7 in one recent outing and the time before he shut them out after 6, according to Jon Heyman of SI. That is appealing but it wasn’t too long ago that AJ Burnett was dominant against the Red Sox too…. We saw how that worked out. I don’t make too much of Guthrie at this time.

Tyler Clippard: The kid’s made a name for himself as a reliever. I once saw him pitch live when he was with the Yankees and I liked what I saw but he did let up for 4 runs in the game against the Mets. Since he went to the Nationals, he has become lights out and even an All-Star. Good for him. Getting him back could be a treat and could definitely help our bullpen, but again, we need a starter in my opinion. Read about Tyler HERE.

Hiroki Kuroda: He’s with the Dodgers and his record is 6-12 with a 3.19 ERA. The ERA is decent, the record is not and that has to do with the Dodgers just plain sucking it. But let’s face facts, he’s 36 years old and don’t we have enough pitchers in their late 30’s? Is Kuroda really better than Bartolo Colon at this point? I’m not a fan of this but I trust Cashman, so we will see. I can be swayed. Bottom line, there are reports that Kuroda would waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yankees or the Red Sox, stay tuned. Read about it HERE.

Stay tuned for more names and more opinion on the trade rumors on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY THE YANKEES WINNING STREAK STARTS NOW

25 saves in 15 consecutive seasons. That Mariano Rivera, the King of the Closers and I tell you what, it was tough to get there today, but we did it and he saved it and I'm grateful. All is well in Yankeeland. Why you ask? Big Bart is back, and I smell a winning streak starting here in the Bronx. I hope to God I'm right.(Photo: Getty)
There are 2 things I like, winning the series and being involved in a long winning streak. Watching Colon today, I felt like we can do it and keep it going throughout the homestand.
Bartolo Colon looks like he did when he took over the starting role from Hughes, pure dominance. Yes, he struggled early but he settled down. He help the A's to 2 runs, I'd say that's pretty damn good. He pitched 7 innings of work, allowed 8 hits but only 2 runs and he struck out 4. (Photo: Thomas Haveron)
To me, I was slightly nervous because All-Star Gio Gonzalez was on the mound for the Athletics and he can shut you down any day of the week. Luckily for us, he was off today and we hit and scored. For Gio, he only last 4.2 innings and gave up 6 runs on 7 hits. Thankfully, the Yankee offense was doing their thing.

The Gentleman, Curtis Granderson cranked out yet another home run in front of the Bronx crowd today and he just continues a great season, almost MVP-esque if you ask me. The guy just continues to deliver, even when other players fall short. Kudos to Kid Curtis.
(Photo: Getty)
Russell Martin scored twice today and stole a base. He was also just awesome behind the plate and gave us all the reason why he belongs there and the youngster Jesus Montero may not be the right guy. And to be honest, you hear whispers of Montero on the trading block all day long anyway, almost like his time has passed him by. I'd be curious what happens this week with the trade deadline coming up, we shall see.

Eduardo Nunez also continued to contribute with a 2 run double today. The kid's bat is really great, I'm glad to see him constantly hitting when we need it.

David Robertson was not unstoppable today but in the big picture, you have to just forget this one. Sometimes pitchers aren't invincible and guess what? Robertson has been so dominant and it's almost like he doesn't know any better allowing 2 runs to score, so he got angry. I like that, it shows he gives a shit. It shows he's human. Don't worry, DRob will be back next game and he'll be back to his own self, the ass kicker.

Final Score: Yankees 7 - Athletics 5. We took the series and that's what you want right now, keep winning each series and you'll be in the playoffs. Do it Yanks... just keep doing it.

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WHY YANKEES HAVE OPTIONS, BUT WHAT WORKS?

What will the Yankee Brass do, if anything to help improve the Yankees. They signed Marcus Thames to a minor league deal today, but in my opinion, that was just a cheap yet, possibly affective bat just in case. There are some ideas, both bats and starters that I have my eye on. Again, I'm not saying we need these guys, I'm saying they should be on the radar, just in case.
Brandon Inge: The Tigers just send veteran Brandon Inge for assignment after he’s only batting .177 this year. He’s accepted a minor league assignment to Toledo. Read HERE. To me, I would think trying to scoop up this guy and seeing how he does in a few minor league games can't hurt. Inge has been a part of the Tigers for so long, maybe he just needs a change of scenery to get recharged and get going again. I’ve never been a huge Inge fan, but the way I see this is, if the Yankees were to trade for someone like Inge, it's an inexpensive veteran that may be able to contribute. You may not like Inge, you may think my idea is stupid, but Inge has been with the Tigers and he has always been apart of their lineup for a long time, plus, he can play third. All I’m suggesting is it’s an idea.

Mike Adams: This is why I love trade rumors, because no one knows what the hell is really going on. It goes down like this. A sports writer knows someone in a team clubhouse and overhears a conversation and they mention that someone "may" be available. Suddenly, the writer connects the dots “Well, he MAY be available and the Yankees are looking for relief. Looks like as match to me.” Next thing you know, Mike Adams is connected to the Yankees because to us, the bloggers and writers, it makes sense. But the reality of this deal is, according to Jeff Moorad, the Padres owner; the Padres aren’t interested in moving Mike Adams. Read HERE. That being said, never say die.

Heath Bell: I love this guy, but if Moorad is unwilling to part with Adams, what makes you think he will with Bell? Yes, the Yankees have a decent relationship with the Padres and yes, Cashman is smart and may be able to get Bell to the Bronx, but I feel like this just won’t happen. I hope I’m wrong.

James Shields: The Yankees would probably love an extra starter and after Shields beat them last night, they may even like James Shields more, but it is highly unlikely and don’t give it another thought. It’s the Rays Ladies and Gentlemen...Why would the Rays ever trade a guy in their own division? Shields is decent, and it is possible they could make a run in the AL east, it's still early, so to me, it doesn’t make sense. I didn’t put Shields in this post to give you hope, just reality, and I am not going to waste your time with it, I’m just trying to keep you informed with my own opinions. Read HERE.

Gio Gonzalez: I like this kid and the Yankees were attached to him at one point. To me, this kid is the future and if Cashman was smart and I know he is, he’s trying to figure out a way to get Gonzalez to the Bronx. This is a smart move in my mind. You could probably unload a minor leaguer or 2 and probably someone like Ivan Nova and suddenly you’d have a reliable lefty in your rotation that would be, in my opinion, a smarter move than Ubaldo Jimenez who’s current employers, the Rockies, want every minor leaguer the Yankees have. That Jimenez rumor is ridiculous if you think about it, the Yankees want to win this year and in the future, they’re not going to unload the farm. To me, Gonzalez makes sense. Read HERE.

Andy Pettitte: Yes, I went there. Why not? The Clemens case is over for now and I tell you what, I’m not the first person to think Andy Pettitte would come back. Now, it’s doubtful but you know the guy has been working out all spring and summer and you know he wants 1 more ring. The question is, will he come back? I say no, but in the back of my mind, I’m hoping he just shows up one day ready to go.

More names to comes, stay tuned right here on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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.